Planet designated P7T-983, 1845 hours.
With the child who had been constantly by her side since the attack on Caprica by the Cylons, Carolanne Adama tried to push away the thoughts of getting a drink out of her mind. One part of her was demanding a drink, a drop of Ambrosia, but the feeling of the young child in her arms gave her pause. The warmth of the young child forced another part of her to protect the child while thinking about her surviving son, Lee.
The thought that Lee died in the attack gave her an impetus to either demand a drink, or stay sober and protect the child in her arms. Carolanne knew how she'd get while drunk, both of her sons had seen her 'that way' before, when their father was away.
And she didn't want the child in her arms to see her like that. She then made a conscious decision to stop thinking about Ambrosia, at least for now
Sighing, she looked down at the frightened child who was on her lap. They were on a cot under a tent that was put up by these people… these people who had just identified themselves as being from the planet Earth.
It was something that caused an uproar among the thirty survivors; although the children didn't exactly understand the reason for the excitement. They were told about Earth after she had been approached by the frighteningly identical twin of her mother-in-law; except this Dr. Janet Fraiser was wearing a white lab coat, and ordering nurses around. She rushed to Carolanne since she was one of the first in line in the group who were let off the Jumper, before it went back to the Avalon to bring down more of the Colonials.
Carolanne still remembered the scream that escaped her lips when she felt Dr. Fraiser's touch. The only thing going through her mind was that the Cylons were able to take human form and that her mother-in-law had died a few years ago.
'This.. this thing is a Cylon!' Carolanne thought to herself before screaming, "Cylon!"
Everything after that was a blur for Carolanne, she remembered Colonel Mitchell telling her that Dr. Fraiser was human, that she wasn't born on the Colonies; that she was born in his world. But she and the Colonials wouldn't accept it, even when the doctor herself said that it was entirely possible that someone like her could live somewhere in the galaxy. But Carolanne and the Colonials didn't care... they didn't dare listen. The last she had seen of Dr. Fraiser was when she was sent through a strange ring with a blue puddle in the middle followed by nurses and gurneys carrying away the injured crew from the Avalon. Before she left through the blue puddle of water, Carolanne had seen Dr. Fraiser sit down with the younger redhead who, those trapped in the electronics store in Caprica City, had been calling a freak due to the electrical charges that were fired out of her hands.
It was Carolanne who glared at the ones making the 'freak' comments before saying that these people saved their lives; that if they hadn't, they would most likely have been dead on Caprica. The whispering Colonials looked away nervously before Carolanne, and a few others, looked at Dr. Fraiser slather some gel on the younger redhead's arms. She herself, had seen the young woman's hands burnt, but now all the injuries were healed. Even so, Carolanne watched the redhead yelp out loud before winching as Dr. Fraiser rubbed the gel onto her arms.
Once the redhead nodded her head after being asked a question that was too far away for Carolanne to hear, did Dr. Fraiser leave through the blue puddle.
It was something that Carolanne hadn't seen before… in fact, it was something that her fellow Colonials hadn't seen before either. While Dr. Lam and her team were checking their medical condition, Carolanne and the other Colonials watched the blue puddle disappear with a 'whoosh' sound. At the bottom of the pedestal that held up the ring, Carolanne saw Colonel Mitchell putting a ball down on the grass, before walking over to the redhead seated on a cot in another tent.
Carolanne then turned to Dr. Lam, and asked her about the ring.
She watched Dr. Lam look at her, and then over her shoulder and yelled something in that strange language. Carolanne then noticed a young man running towards them asking her in an accented, and an older version, of Colonial Standard if there was anything she needed to ask the doctor.
"Yes," said Carolanne pointing at the ring, "what is that?"
"That," said the young man nodding towards the Stargate, "is, in your language the literal translation would be 'Gate to the Stars'."
"I don't understand," said a man next to Carolanne who was listening in, "who are you people?"
"Listen up," said Colonel Mitchell as he approached the tent with the Colonials with check out while translators were translating what he was telling them, "there's something you guys need to know."
And that was when the Colonel told the stunned Colonial's that they were from Earth.
Back in the present time, Carolanne barely knew know long it had been since that time. All she knew was that she was trying her very best to not think about having a drink while she took in everything they had learned. Carolanne was stroking the side of the little boy's head, the same little boy who had lost his parents the day of the nuclear blast. Carolanne's heart broke when she heard the child asking her if he would see his parents again.
"One day," she whispered just as the Stargate turned on again. She saw the unstable vortex rush outwards, and then fall into the blue puddle of 'water'. She stood up, as did a few of the other Colonials when the puddle rippled, and more nurses and personnel walked through, bringing with them trolleys piled with metallic boxes. Carolanne kept her eyes on the bald man who was met by Colonel Mitchell, the redhead, and a blonde.. the same blonde that had protected them against the nuclear fire back on Caprica with a shield.
It was something Carolanne and the other Colonials were still getting their heads around.
While the Colonials were wondering what was going on, Woolsey was talking to Colonel Mitchell, Willow, and Tara who were heading to the Puddle Jumper. He glanced at the tent with the Colonial survivors and then asked Colonel Mitchell how they took the news that he and the others were from Earth.
"Surprised," said Colonel Mitchell.
"It is the last thing they expected," said Tara, "it's gotten them a bit more anxious, confused… some are excited, others are angry."
"You can tell all that, can't you?" asked Woolsey as Tara nodded her head before telling him that the aura coming off the Colonials were like Christmas lights. All of them were going through a whole gamut of emotions which would take time to settle down.
"We have brought rations, clothes, and bedding from the SGC," said Woolsey nodding at the metallic cases that were being walked down the stairs and placed on a trolley. Wooley then followed Willow, and Tara up the ramp while the Colonel stayed on the grass outside, "any idea on the damage to their planets?"
"Bad," said Colonel Mitchell, "we saw nukes going off in the distance and by the time we were back on board the Avalon, the planet was already turning this greyish colour."
"Sir," said Willow while she stayed with Woolsey at the ramp, and Tara sat at the console, which activated thanks to the Ancient gene that was placed into her system using the method that Dr. Carson Beckett had developed on Atlantis. A gene therapy that gave a little over half of the people in the SGC and Atlantis the Ancient gene, with Tara being one of them, as was Satterfield and Grogan. Buffy and Willow already had the gene naturally; however, Colonel Mitchell, Colonel Carter, and Daniel failed to have the gene therapy work for them. Willow told the Colonel and Woolsey that it was possible they were looking at a situation where the radioactivity on the Colonial worlds would be a danger to life since food and water would be tainted. "We could be looking at a possibility of relocating millions of people."
"Let's talk to these Cylons, and then we make our way to the Odyssey's location," said Woolsey nodding his head as he tried to get an idea of the number of people killed.
"Could be in the billions, sir," said Willow as Colonel Mitchell pressed the button that raised the rear ramp. Woolsey looked at the redhead next to him who told him that he was thinking out loud before turning to the Colonel who told the both of them that he'll be staying on the surface of the planet, and coordinating with the two SG teams on security. Once the ramp was closed, Willow asked Woolsey to take a seat in the rear while she went up to sit next to Tara who had brought up the holographic HUD interface.
"Captain," said Woolsey who was standing in-between the two seats, "I heard what happened to your arms. I thought you were fully healed?"
"I am," said Willow as she looked at her gel covered arms, "but while I was supposed to help with my telekinesis to move around the magazines, the pain in my arms were too much. So I asked Colonel Emerson if I could get checked out on the surface. He said 'yes', and now I have this cooling burn gel on my arms."
"It's mostly psychological," said Tara as she pulled on the controls and the Jumper rose into the air. She then switched the HUD to one that showed a flight plan, and she pointed the ship towards the Avalon. Flying into the sky, Tara told Woolsey that the gel helped Willow's mind think that the pain had gone away.
"Even though, you know…" said Willow as she raised her arms at Woolsey, "all healed."
The bald man nodded his head before he looked out past the holographic HUD, and to the Avalon that was hanging in space. Tara told the man that the ship was in low orbit, just outside the gravity well of the planet so that she could use the planet's magic. She told Woolsey that she would 'magically download' the same translator that SG-1 had used on Caprica so that he could talk to the Cylon guests.
"I was told that while Colonel Mitchell would be overseeing security until we left for the Galactica," said Woolsey, a bit of worry in his voice, "I would have the rest of SG-1 with me."
"You do," said Willow with a sweet smile on her face, "Carl and Lauren will be with you and Tara, but Buffy is helping with the magazines, and once those are done… I'll be helping Major Neil and his engineering teams. If you're worried about your safety, you have nothing to worry about… Carl and Lauren will be armed with Zat's. As for Tara, well, there's a reason the Avalon's in low orbit, and it's not just so she could magically download a language pack into your head."
"You'll be safe, Mr. Woolsey," said Tara looking over her shoulder before she looked out the window as she took the Jumper into the open hanger bay. The ship then landed, and the rear ramp opened to an armed Grogan and Satterfield nodding at Woolsey who was walking towards the exit. Tara and Willow then got up off their seats and followed Woolsey out, the witch placing her hand on the small of Willow's back while mentally telling her that everything was going to be alright.
Tara: "You're not in any more pain, right?"
Willow: "My arms have this sticky feeling 'cause of the gel, but no pain. It's a relief.'
Tara: "No more of that electrical stuff, clear?"
Willow: "Yes, honey."
Tara rubbed the back of Willow's neck as they walked down the ramp. It was then that the two groups parted ways, with the red head running straight for the weapons magazines which were supposed to be taken to the turrets that were still operational. In the meantime, Tara placed the same magical translator into Woolsey and Grogan's minds.. telling them that it would last for twenty-four hours.
"But once we leave orbit, the magic will fade," noted Tara as the headed towards another entrance into the ship. Woolsey glanced at the heavy raider that Natalie had come in, and then at the Tel'tak before asking about Vala. It was Grogan who told Woolsey that Vala was helping Buffy with transferring the magazines to the other turrets while they walked through the hallways. Satterfield told the man about the Cylons, and asked him if he knew about Willow's knowledge of what happened on Earth when the early human were kidnapped and taken to Kobol; and about the Organic Drones.
"Yes," Woolsey replied, "we've read the report. She said she knows the coordinates that the Drones were sent to in lieu of Earth."
"Would you be telling these people, sir?" asked Satterfield.
"I would like to know what they know of their past," said Woolsey, "of course Captain Rosenberg being Athena, and the one who sent their possible ancestors to the other planet, would be hidden from them."
The three members of SG-1 nodded their heads as they came up to a hatch that was being guarded by two S.F's. The bald Woolsey then turned to Satterfield and asked her if Natalie and Leoben had seen her yet.
"Not yet, sir," came the reply. Grogan and Satterfield looked down at their weapons, and Tara formed a ball of mystical energy on the palm of her hand before dissipating it. The three of them nodded at Woolsey, silently telling him that they were ready.
"Open the hatch," said Woolsey nodding at the S.F's.
As the door opened, the three figures in the room stood up off their beds and looked on wide-eyed at Satterfield as she walked in.
"My name is Lauren Satterfield," said the female Air Force officer as the stunned Natalie, Leoben, and the knowing Sharon got up. Satterfield then turned to the smug Sharon, and told her, while glancing at the others, that she wasn't a sleeper agent, "my body contains no nanites; I'm completely human."
"It's not possible," said Natalie as she eyed Lauren, as did Leoben.
And then Tara, Grogan, and Woolsey walked in; with Grogan closing the door behind them.
"Some of you know Tara," said Satterfield in Ancient Greek as she introduced the others, "this is Carl Grogan, and this is Mr. Richard Woolsey of the International Oversight Advisory. He has a few questions for you."
"Shall we begin?" said Woolsey.
Orbit of Caprica, 1900 hours.
Margaret 'Racetrack' Edmondson, and Hamish 'Skulls' McCall were in their raptor as they weaved through the debris of the previous battle the Cylons were in against the Avalon, while keeping an eye on the twelve Baseships that orbited the planet. As Racetrack swung the Raptor to port to hide behind a large chunk of floating debris, she couldn't help but remain shocked by what she was seeing around them.
And it wasn't just the melted edges of the debris chunks that were confounding to both Racetrack and Skull.
She still remembered her reaction when her Raptor, one of twelve that were sent to the Colonies for a reconnaissance mission, jumped right outside Caprica's orbit. She remembered how wide her eyes must have looked when she saw the floating debris of Baseships floating freely in space. Racetrack remembered calling Skulls, who was looking surprised at his DRADIS console, who then looked over at Racetrack who was looking at him over her shoulder. She then pointed out the cockpit, at the massive debris field, while Skulls got off his seat and rushed to the cockpit. He looked out with his mouth hanging open, and his eyes as wide as saucers.
"Yea," mumbled Racetrack to herself as she looked back out at the debris field, "so that's how I look."
"Are we taking pictures of this?" asked Skulls who was scanning the surrounding area with his eyes as the Raptor slipped into the debris field.
"Gun cameras are active," replied Racetrack before she leaned forward and pressed a button which activated the gun cameras on her Raptor. She then sat back and looked out at the debris field again before asking, "you think these people claiming to be from Earth, did this?"
"If they did?" said Skulls as Racetrack flew the ship into the debris field, and immediately stopped and travelled to her starboard side behind a debris chunk the side of a three-story building. There was a Baseship that had jumped into Caprica's orbit, and her duty was not to engage any Cylons. Once the ship was hidden, Racetrack looked at the chunk and said, "they're my new best friends."
Back in the present, the two of them had already spent over thirty minutes and watched eleven more Baseships jump into Orbit, all the while hiding behind one chunk of debris to another. At times, they would pretend to be the debris by lowering power levels and drifting, this was so that they could take pictures of the Baseships. Eventually, hundreds of pictures were being taken of the level of destruction all around them, and of the Baseships which were already flying their own version of a Combat Air Patrol while heavy raiders were being sent down to the planet. It wasn't long before Racetrack, now alone at the cockpit, saw a glimmer out of one corner of her eyes. She then turned her head and looked on as two small tears opened in space, and out came two black planes.
"DRADIS Contact and… oh? That's weird… must have been a sensor ghost!" said Skulls as he looked confused at the screen in front of him, "Racetrack, I thought just saw two unknown ships, and.."
"Skulls," said Racetrack as she looked back at him, "two.. two ships came through and… and vanished."
"What do you mean vanished?" asked Skulls as he got up and rushed to the cockpit. Standing next to Racetrack, he looked out and around outside the glass of the cockpit into space. He could see the debris, the stars, and the Baseships, but there were nothing else moving.
"I saw two ships," Racetrack insisted as she looked up at Skulls, "I saw two black planes slightly larger than a viper fly out of tears in space, and then they simply vanished."
"We've been through a lot, Racetrack," Skulls was afraid that maybe his partner was losing her mind, that the stress of what just happened to their homeworlds was getting to her, so he wanted to simply offer her some comfort, "but what you're saying is like something out of science fiction. Racetrack... Maggie… we're all stressed by…"
"I'm telling you I saw two planes disappear," said Racetrack before she huffed in her helmet, and looked away from her ECO, and friend, "we've ten more minutes. And then we need to head back to the Galactica."
Skulls frowned at Racetrack, who was looking straight ahead out of the cockpit. He then patted her shoulder before turning around and walking back to the ECO console at the rear of the ship. As she looked out the cockpit, the only thing that was going through Racetrack's mind was that she wasn't crazy; that she knew what she saw.. and it was two planes becoming invisible.
While Racetrack and Skulls were taking pictures of the Baseships and debris, Lieutenants Edwards and Collins were flying their F-302S' towards one of the Baseships while remaining cloaked. They were communicating with each other via a secure subspace channel while taking high-resolution pictures of the enormous ship. However, the Raptor hiding among the debris field hadn't escaped their notice either; it was Lt. Edwards who mentioned, as they jumped out of hyperspace, that his scanners detected the Raptor. It was Lt. Collins who chuckled before the dark skinned pilot, once the two fighters had cloaked, flew close by and took a picture of the Raptor before leaving to take scans, pictures, and videos of the Baseships.
"Look at all those fighters," said Edwards as he looked up through his canopy at the 'Bat-like' planes that were simply hanging from bays on the arms of the Baseship. While more were flying around the ships.
"Must be what… high hundreds? Definitely under a thousand, seven hundred, maybe?" asked Collins who was taking pictures of the ship's axis, and then he rolled the F-302S and took pictures of the barbs jutting out along the edges of the arms. He and Edwards flew closer to those barbs and found that they were, in fact, launch tubes for missiles. Collins looked around the surface of the arms before getting on his subspace radio again, "hey, is it just me or are there really no weapon turrets on this thing?"
"Haven't found any yet." Lt. Edwards responded, "but it looks as if the fighters are enough to protect this whole thing. And if it could shoot nukes… well, then it's pretty well armed."
"I guess we drew the long straw," said Collins looking out at the ship, and then at his scanners, "we have shields, energy weapons, naquada enhanced nukes… this thing doesn't even have a shield generator that I can read."
"No, it does not, but let's not get too carried away," said Edwards as he looked at his scanners, and then out of his canopy as two more Baseships entered the fray, taking the total surrounding the planet to thirteen. The two officers, who were flying next to one another, then looked at each other before signalling towards the planet below. It was time to start their mission.
TBC.
