Chapter Twenty
Zak had barely got off the raptor from Kobol before Dee pounced on him.
"I need to talk to you."
Zak blinked in surprise. There was a grim set to her face that he'd never seen before. "What about?"
Dee cast a quick glance round the hangar bay. "We can't talk here. Too crowded. Come on."
She led him out of the hangar bay and through the corridors until they reached an empty storeroom.
Zak shut the hatch behind them and turned to face her in complete confusion. "Dee, what's going on?"
Dee folded her arms. "Tigh just dissolved the Quorum of Twelve and declared martial law."
"What?" Zak's mouth dropped open.
"You heard," said Dee flatly. "The Quorum were insisting the President be released, and this was his response."
"But…" Zak struggled to process it. "To declare martial law…" It really was a military coup now. All the doubts he'd felt when they were boarding Colonial One came flooding back.
"We have to do something," Dee said.
Zak looked up at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we can't let this happen. Let the government be overthrown like this. It's not right." Her face was set with determination. This was a side of Dee he'd never seen before. "Your father wouldn't approve. I know he was angry with the President, but he wouldn't have gone so far as to dissolve the Quorum."
Zak agreed with her. His father had been angry, but he wouldn't have gone this far. At least Zak hoped he wouldn't.
"It doesn't matter what my father would have done," he said. "Cottle's stabilized him, but he's still unconscious. He's not sure how long it'll be before Dad wakes up."
"Zak, I'm sorry." Dee reached out and squeezed his hand sympathetically. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's too tough to give up easily."
Zak smiled gratefully, and pulled his thoughts back to the conversation. "Until he wakes up, Tigh's in charge of the fleet."
"Well, he shouldn't be," Dee said harshly. "You know he's drinking again."
Zak sighed. Of course Tigh was. It was how he dealt with stress. "How bad?"
"Bad. He's been drunk on duty. When I told him the Quorum were demanding to see the President, he told me to tell them they could shove their demands up their asses."
Zak winced. "Look Dee, I know Tigh has his problems. But he's the XO. He's in charge, and we are sworn to obey his orders."
"He's in charge at the moment." Dee looked at Zak speculatively, and he stiffened. "What?"
"Well, you are the next highest-ranking officer. And the Old Man's son. People will listen to you…"
Zak stared at her in horror as he realised what she was suggesting. "Petty Officer Dualla!" He used his sternest tone. "I won't hear any more of that kind of talk. Do you understand me?"
Dee was silent. She looked disappointed.
"I said, do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir."
"Colonel Tigh is in command, and it's not up to us to second guess his decisions. Now get back to your duties."
"Yes, sir." Dee saluted and left, with a defiant set to her mouth that made Zak think he'd better keep an eye on her.
He sat down on a box and buried his face in his hands. Martial law. He couldn't believe Tigh had done it. Ever since Kara left for Caprica, it had been one disaster after another, his whole world falling apart around him. Felix dead, his father nearly so, Kara and Lee gone, the President in prison, Dee all but asking him to commit mutiny…he didn't know what to do about any of it.
Gods, he hoped his father woke up soon.
----
Things didn't improve. There were demonstrations and protests all over the fleet against martial law. When ships started refusing to supply Galactica with fuel until the President was reinstated, Zak could feel Dee staring at him meaningfully across CIC as he reported to Tigh. He tried to ignore it.
"Damned civilians," Tigh muttered.
"They just don't understand what's going on," said Zak quietly. "Maybe if you had a meeting with all the ships' captains – explain why you had to declare martial law." Though Zak wasn't quite sure he understood that himself. "It would calm things down."
Tigh stared at him for a moment and Zak shifted uncomfortably. He knew it wasn't his place to be offering advice, but he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"I'll think about it," said Tigh finally, and Zak felt hopeful.
That hope lasted until a few hours later, when he took a call from Tigh's quarters.
"Captain Adama, I want you to send the following to all ships' captains. Message begins: resupply operations of this ship are not - repeat, not - optional. All ships to recommence scheduled supply runs immediately. Failure to comply will result in stern measures. Message ends. You got that?"
"Yes, sir." Zak could tell from Tigh's slurred voice that he was drunk. He almost slammed down the receiver with frustration. Couldn't the Colonel see that this would only make matters worse?
He could still feel Dee watching him.
----
He went down to life station to check on his father, but there was no change.
"When's he going to wake up?"
Cottle glared at him. "The answer to that is the same one I gave you yesterday – I don't know. When he's ready. Stop wasting my time."
He stumped off. Zak stared down at his father, willing him to wake up. If he didn't stir soon, there might not be a fleet left for him to wake up to. Zak didn't like the way things were going, but he didn't know what to do about it. He needed advice, and his father or Lee or Kara had always been there to provide it before.
Not now. He was on his own.
----
Tigh's ultimatum had exactly the effect Zak had feared.
"Colonel, seven other container ships are now refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee."
"Coffee? This is getting ridiculous." Tigh snapped. He stared down at the console for a moment, then looked up at Zak angrily. "Frak this. It's time to get their attention. I'm sending in the marines."
"Sir-"
"I want a raptor and an armed marine boarding party for every ship refusing the resupply order."
Zak stared at him incredulously. "With all due respect, sir, that will only make things worse. Using force against civilians…it could get ugly."
Tigh glared at him. "Are you questioning my orders, Captain?"
Zak took a deep breath. "I'm just asking you to reconsider them."
Tigh took a step forward, his eyes boring into Zak's face. "Let's get one thing clear, Captain. I'm in command here, and that means my word is law." Zak could smell the alcohol on Tigh's breath. "When I give you an order, you obey it. Period. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, sir." Zak could hardly say anything else, with everyone in CIC staring at them, but it was a struggle to force the words out.
"Good." Tigh glared at him for a moment longer before stepping back. "Then get those boarding parties organised."
Zak made a last ditch effort to stop him. "Sir, we're stretched pretty thin on manpower. I'm not sure we have enough marine non-coms to command that many boarding parties."
"Well, pull pilots and deck officers to command the boarding parties if you have to," Tigh snapped. "Tell them to get over there and bring back the supplies. Whatever it takes. Make it happen, Captain, and stop making excuses."
A hot retort sprang to Zak's lips, but he swallowed it down. It wouldn't do any good, any more than pointing out that using pilots as marines was just asking for trouble.
He'd had enough of trying to reason with Tigh.
----
Four civilians ended up dead on the Gideon.
Zak sat in the observation lounge for an hour after he heard the news, staring blindly out at the fleet.
He had to do something. He couldn't sit by any longer. Couldn't wait for his father to wake up and put everything right. It was up to him to take on the responsibility.
But he wasn't going to remove Tigh from command. The Colonel wouldn't go without a fight, and it would only cause more chaos. Besides, he couldn't bring himself to break his oaths quite that blatantly.
But there was something else he could do, and square it with his conscience. Because it would simply be reversing an action that should never have been committed in the first place.
----
Fortunately Corporal Venner was on duty in the brig. He remembered Zak from the Centurions' attack, and just nodded when Zak dismissed him.
Zak turned to Laura Roslin, who was watching him curiously through the bars. "To what do I owe this honour, Captain?"
"Have you heard about the Gideon?" said Zak bluntly.
Roslin's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I have. Troops shooting unarmed civilians...it's a travesty. He has truly stepped over the line. It'll cause an explosion in the fleet."
"I know," said Zak grimly.
"The ships could begin to splinter, break away. Let the Cylons eliminate us a few ships at a time."
Zak was surprised to hear her echoing his own thoughts. His resolve hardened.
"I'm afraid you're right, Madam President." He used the title pointedly. "And I can't sit by and let that happen."
Silence. Roslin watched him speculatively for a moment. "So what do you propose to do about it?"
Zak took a deep breath. This was it. No turning back. "Madam President, if – if you were freed from this cell, returned to the fleet, what would you do?"
"Ah." Roslin smiled. "Theoretically?"
Zak met her eyes in perfect understanding. "Theoretically."
"I would appeal to the people. Ask everyone who recognises me as President – or as the prophesied leader of humanity…" She looked at Zak sharply. "You've heard about that?"
"Yes."
"I would ask them to return with me to Kobol. To wait for the Arrow of Apollo and use it to open the tomb of Athena and find our way to Earth."
It wasn't what Zak had expected. "You believe in all that?"
Roslin met his eyes steadily. "I do. As Captain Thrace does." Zak turned away. "I didn't force her to leave, Captain."
Zak stared at the wall. He knew she was right. No-one ever forced Kara to do anything she didn't want to.
He'd carefully not been thinking about Kara and Lee, the last few days, about what might have happened to them. About the fact that if they did come back from Caprica, by some miracle, there would be no-one at Kobol to meet them. That they would be stranded there with no way to find the fleet.
He knew that Tigh – and maybe even his father – would say that was no more than they deserved. But Zak couldn't give up on them both that easily.
"So you'd go to Kobol. That would still split the fleet."
"Maybe. But two large groups would have a much better chance of survival than many small ones."
Zak nodded. He continued to stare at the wall. Was this the right thing to do? He knew that Lee would say yes, and his father say no. But neither of them were here. He had to make this decision on his own.
All he could do was what he felt to be right. And he knew now what that was.
He turned back to face Roslin. She was watching him with sympathy. "I know this isn't easy, Captain."
"No." Zak took a deep breath. "I can get you out of here, Madam President."
Roslin closed her eyes for a moment, and he realised suddenly how desperate she had been. "Thank you, Captain. Are you sure it can be done?"
"Yes." He'd have Dee's help, and he knew several others who were equally disgruntled with Tigh. "I can get a raptor, and clearance off the ship." He looked towards the hatch. "Will Venner help? He seems sympathetic."
Roslin nodded. "He is. We can rely on him. But what about afterwards? We're going to need somewhere to hide until I can get in touch with the Quorum and make my statement."
Zak smiled. "I think I know someone who might be willing to help us."
----
Well, he hoped he did. There was only one person he could think of who could hide them, and who Tigh might not immediately connect to them. The only trouble was that he didn't know her well enough to predict whether or not she'd be willing to do it.
Her initial reaction was not promising.
"Are you out of your frakking mind?" Emma's voice was loud enough to carry even in the noisy bar on Cloud Nine.
Zak looked nervously round and kept his voice low. "Actually, I think I finally know my own mind for the first time in my life."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Please don't tell me you decided this was a great way to rebel against your father."
"This has nothing to do with Dad," said Zak firmly. He smiled slightly. "I leave all that rebellion stuff to Lee." He paused, trying to think how to convince her. "Emma, Colonel Tigh can't be left in sole charge of the fleet. He's drinking, making bad decisions – you must have heard about the Gideon."
"I heard," said Emma grimly. She bit her lip. "Zak, I'm as opposed to martial law as you are – but I have my crew and passengers to think about. I don't want to get caught in the middle of a shoot-out."
"You won't."
"Can you promise that?"
Her eyes demanded the truth, and Zak gave it. "No. I suppose I can't. But I don't think it'll happen. Tigh doesn't realise I even know you. He'll check all the obvious ships first – here, the Rising Star – and by the time he works his way round to you, the President will have issued her appeal and we'll have gone to Kobol."
"Kobol?"
"To find the Tomb of Athena." Zak watched her carefully. "The President is the dying leader prophesied in the Chronicles of Pythia."
Emma stared at him with suddenly cold eyes. "Oh, I see."
"What?"
"You're playing the religious card to convince me. Just because I'm from Geminon you think I must be a fanatical believer in the prophecies."
Zak could tell he'd made a mistake. "I don't think that."
"Yes, you do." Emma stared down at her drink. "So Lee's gone off to Caprica for this arrow?"
"Yes. I'm not sure why. He certainly doesn't believe in the prophecies." Zak tried not to let the hurt show in his voice, but Emma's eyes softened.
"Knowing him, he probably just wanted a change of scenery. He always gets restless when he's too long in one place," she said wryly. "Though going to Caprica seems an extreme solution." She paused. "So if he makes it back, he'll turn up at Kobol?"
"Yes."
Emma turned to Zak and smiled. "Well, we'd better make sure we're there to meet him then, hadn't we? And if we can strike a blow for democracy at the same time, so much the better."
Zak closed his eyes with relief. "Thank you."
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Author's note: Apologies to all the Gaeta fans for the last chapter - but at least he died heroically! And sorry for the lack of Lee and Kara in this chapter, I promise we will be back on Caprica in the next chapter, which I'll post at the weekend.