Chapter Twenty-Eight
Fleet Admiral Sir Simon Templar's Office.
Templar sat down behind his desk, opened his computer's in tray and looked at the 'paperwork' that had accumulated while he was over at President Roslin's residence. Although Sixteenth Fleet was on the front lines of the grand offensive against the Raptors, there was still a routine of administrative duties to attend to. Luckily much of it was handled by his staff, which left him only those administrative tasks that required his attention for him to deal with.
That was, however, still an impressive load.
First things first, Templar thought to himself as he sorted the messages in his in tray by order of priority. Although there were several messages that had been prioritised, two of them in particular stood out. Ah, he thought. The draft orders for the two scouting groups going to deliver our message to the Cylons. He opened up the first one and scanned its contents, reading the referenced attachments as he went. Satisfied, he attached his electronic signature and filed it in the computer's out tray.
Opening the second set of orders he began to scan them as he had the earlier set, but stopped when he saw the size of the proposed force. Frowning, he opened the attached intelligence report and, as he read it, his frown grew deeper. Finally, he called up his personal AI and had him place a call to Vice-Admiral Sir John Macdonald, Sixteenth Fleet's Chief of Intelligence.
"Ah, John" Templar said as the image of his intelligence chief appeared in his display. "I've just been going over the intelligence report attached to the orders for Grace Park's scouting group. I note that the lizards seem to be sniffing the area around that system where the Cylon advanced base is located."
"Yes, Sir Simon, they have gotten somewhat curious," Macdonald replied. "You are aware, of course, that we have had encounters with both Cylon and Raptor forces in the surrounding systems, sometimes simultaneously."
"Yes, I am," replied Templar. "Where we and the lizards have been in the same system the Cylons have held off and watched us fight, save for those systems where neither the lizards or the Cylons have known we were there. The lizards tend to react as normal and drive the Cylons off, even if they are only on a sweep and not emplacing sensor platforms." He leaned back in his chair. "So the lizards are getting curious about the new players in this area of space."
"Would seem that way," said Macdonald. "Plus, they're getting more aggressive in their scouting. My analysts think that the lizards may be getting ready for a strike against us, but want to check out the new players just in case they may turn out to be a threat."
"Makes sense. Sniff out the unknown and see just what their intentions are," replied Templar.
"Well, according to our observation intelligence on the prisoners," said Macdonald, "it appears that the Cylon variant called 'Cavil' is all for seeking out an alliance with the lizards. Something about 'ridding the Universe of the human pest'."
Templar's eyebrows rose at that news. "Interesting," he said. "And, as we know, ultimately useless. The lizards would see them as simply another variant on humanity. Not to mention another resource that they could exploit. I wonder if we should add our observations to the message we're sending?" The question was said quietly to himself.
"Not my call, sir," replied Macdonald.
"Nor mine, really. Forward a copy of that piece of intelligence to Lady Cheshire, Undersecretary Kinga and Ambassador Crispin, will you? And cc a copy to me as well. Templar, clear." As Macdonald's image winked out, Templar spoke to his AI nod got him to call his chief-of-staff.
"Ah, N'koma," Templar said as the image of his chief-of-staff appeared. "I've just been going over the orders that have been cut for Park's scouting group. I see you've gone for the reinforce option in her case."
"Yes, sir," said Wasane. "The intelligence reports indicate that we had best go with a 'boot, don't splatter' option for that mission."
"Having read the intel report attached to it, I agree," said Templar. "But given that the lizards are feeling a little frisky right now, can we spare a battlesquadron to add to Grace's force?"
"Haven't you received Fleet Operation's latest despatch regarding our reinforcements?" said Wasane.
"I may well have," said Templar. "However, I've only just got back into the office from President Roslin's residence and have just started on catching up with the bumf," Templar replied. He started scrolling his messages up. "I'm just checking my in tray... Ah! Found it!" he said. He called up the dispatch and opened it.
"How did that go?" Wasane said.
"As well as could be expected," Templar said. "However, Dot's still over there, dealing with that officer of theirs who looks like her and was abused by a couple of Cylon variants." As he talked, he scanned the dispatch, his eyebrows rising as he read it. Finally, he sat back in his chair. "Fleet Ops must think that the lizards are getting frisky," he said, "if they're sending that as our reinforcements in addition to our replacement units."
"They also want to settle the situation down on the planet's surface," Wasane replied. "I heard from Mike Hogan: Field Marshal Olmos is also getting a couple more shock armies as well." He smiled at Templar. "So you think we can spare the battlesquadron?"
"Given the size and date of arrival of our reinforcements, I'd say so," Templar replied. "However, it occurs to me that a combined briefing is in order. Schedule one for tomorrow. And it occurs to me that this might also be a good opportunity to reassure our cousins about their safety, as well as the Imperium's strength."
"Still a little skittish, are they?" asked Wasane.
"Mainly their civilians," said Templar. "I'll inform Adama about the force that's going to visit the Cylons and suggest that he may want to put it to President Roslin that a broadcast of their departure, as well as the arrival of our reinforcements just might help civilian morale." He looked at his chief-of staff. "Any objections?" he asked.
"None that come to mind," replied Wasane.
"Good. Anything else?" Wasane shook his head. "All right then. Call me when the briefing has been arranged. I'll get Adama over to participate: he should be able to offer us some insights. Templar, clear!"
As his chief-of-staff's image disappeared Templar sat back and thought a little on what he had said about Cheshire having to deal with Starbuck. They had heard all about Starbuck's experiences on Caprica and New Caprica and, given Terran civilisation's attitude towards human experimentation, not to mention physical and psychological abuse of any kind, had disapproved of what the Cylons had done.
And we have examples of the two variants that did the abusing to hand, Templar thought. Plus Lieutenant Agathon and her report on what the Cylons were trying to achieve. A chilling smile came to Templar's face as an idea came into his head. Nothing like getting it from the source, Templar thought as he leaned over and had his AI call up his intelligence chief. And it just may come in handy, especially for the psychs, let alone the Paranormals, he thought.
"Ah, John," Templar said as his intelligence chief's image appeared. "There's some additional information we need..."
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Joe's Bar.
As they joined Starbuck at the table Cheshire had indicated, Adama said, "You were saying something about your past, Admiral?"
Cheshire didn't respond immediately, but signalled for one of the bar's staff to come over to their table. "A carafe of the house wine with three glasses," she said. Giving Starbuck, who sat across the table from her, a droll look, she added "Also, a pot of your hottest, blackest coffee and a mug for Captain Thrace here: she needs it." As the waiter left to fill her order, Cheshire placed her folded hands on the table in front of her and looked at them. "I'd rather wait until we all have some kind of drink before answering that question," she said. "It's that kind of a story, and it does bring back some rather unpleasant memories."
After the drinks had been delivered, Cheshire lifted her glass to her lips and sipped the wine in it. "Retsina," she said. "Somehow I'm not too surprised at that." She put her wineglass down and looked at the three Colonials.
"It all happened way back when I was a freshly-minted lieutenant-commander," she said. "I was in my late forties at the time and, in spite of a whole string of black marks against my name, was already being considered for further promotion."
"Sounds vaguely familiar," said Adama, as he sipped from his glass. To him, the wine resembled one of the best Caprican ones, but the look on his face showed that he was thinking not of Kara Thrace, but of a much-younger William 'Husker' Adama, who very much fitted Cheshire's description of herself.
"The light carrier group my squadron was a part of," Cheshire said, "was assigned to a recently-established colonia in the Raptor March called Hudson's World." She again sipped from her wineglass. "The initial establishment phase of the colonia had progressed to the stage where they not only had their main settlement very much a going concern, they had also established their local forces and their Refuge."
"'Refuge'?" asked Apollo.
"Their defensive citadel," Cheshire replied. "We establish them in mountainous regions as it makes it harder for an invader to dig us out of it."
"Much like what the Raptors have done here, I assume," said Adama. He now understood some of the difficulty the Terrans were having with operations on the main inhabitable planet of Sandoval System.
"Pretty much so," said Cheshire. "Of course this system was the equivalent of one of our Fleet Nodes, so the surface defences are that much more difficult to penetrate. Anyway, we were assigned to help train the local defence forces in the Hudson's World system. Don't get me wrong: they were quite capable, which is not too surprising, as we tend to recruit our ex-service personnel and their families to settle our coloniae and Fleet Nodes. But that wasn't our only reason for being there. We were also to familiarise ourselves with the individual characteristics of the system." She again took a sip. "The orbital infrastructure, any moons or asteroid belts: the usual stuff."
"Pretty similar to what our Fleet would do back in the Colonies," said Adama. He looked at Cheshire. "How long were you there?" he asked.
"We had been there for three months," Cheshire said, "and were slated to remain there for an additional three. We'd established a good working relationship with the local forces, which would stand us in good stead if we ever had to fight in that system. Which is exactly what happened."
"The Raptors arrived."
"Yep," said Cheshire. "The damned lizards showed up. Oh, Fleet Intelligence had picked up some indicators that the lizards were feeling a bit frisky. Nobody was too surprised at that: after all, it had been ten years since we had knocked back the last Incursion and we were nearly due for another. But nobody had expected that they would send a freaking colony expedition to that end of the Raptor March: it was pretty much out of the way, which is why we took the chance to establish a colonia there, as a stepping stone out into that sector of the Arm.
"Anyway, there we were when the next thing we know a lizard colonisation/acquisition fleet had jumped insystem and was burning for the main planet. I have to give Admiral McKenna his due: he managed to get the group ready for action and had started to engage the lizards, hoping to at least wear them down. He couldn't stop them, not a light acquisition fleet. Not with a light carrier group. But he did manage to buy enough time for us on the surface to get ready."
"You were on the surface?" said Apollo.
"Yep," said Cheshire. "My squadron was working with the local aerospace defence squadrons. We had been slated for aggressor exercises the day the lizards decided to show up. Good thing, too. We were all prepped to go: the only thing we needed to do was to switch our training weapons for war loads before scrambling to intercept the first lizard transports." She looked at the three Colonials. "For your information, the lizards make no distinction between troop and colony transports. They use the same type of vessel for both: the only difference is in the cargo.
"Well, we closed on the lizards and it became clear that they had not expected us to be there. That didn't mean that we had an easy time of things: a lizard colony fleet is still a pretty tough opponent. But McKenna had managed to whittle their numbers down somewhat, despite the damage they, as we found out later, had inflicted on his group. But he bought enough time for the colonists to evacuate Hudson's Landing and make their way into the Refuge by the time the lizards had commenced their landing operations.
"McKenna had, by then, jumped to the outer system. He had also sent a destroyer to Madison Fleet Node carrying a more complete report of what had hit Hudson's World than the initial invasion report that had been sent by FTL com. However, there would be some time before a battle group could be assembled and sent to relieve us. So, my squadron and the locals dropped back to our bases inside the Refuge and readied ourselves to fly covering operations for the local torpedoboat flotillas while McKenna's group carried out hit-and-run operations against the lizard fleet.
"It was on one of those covering missions that myself and Darian were shot down behind the lizard's front lines."
"I take it Darian is the person you said you left there?" Adama said.
Cheshire nodded. "Squadron-Commander Darian MacDonough," she said. "He commanded one of the local fighter squadrons. They flew an earlier mark of the fighters we were using in those days." She took another sip of her retsina. Her eyes showed that she was now remembering those days with a fondness that Adama could relate to. "Peregrines," she said. "Sweet ship. You'd have probably loved them.
"Anyway," she continued, "Darian and myself didn't quite hit it off straight away. In fact, we both fought like cat and dog. Don't ask me how we wound up as lovers, but we did. And it was serious enough for me to contemplate taking early retirement, transfer my commission into the local forces and settle there with him." Her eyes grew dark. "The lizards put paid to all of that," she said.
"You said that the pair of you were shot down," said Starbuck. "What happened?"
"We got jumped by some Pterosaur-Bs," Cheshire replied. "We managed to take some down, but eventually Darian took some heavy damage that forced him to punch out. I also had some severe damage. As it looked like I wasn't going to get back to base, I followed Darian down and managed a controlled crash-landing near where his escape capsule had landed. After we got our respective survival kits out, we blew up my craft and headed for the nearest hills. We were about seventy kilometres behind the lizards' front lines, and we also knew that they would have hunters out looking for us.
"Luckily we encountered a stay-behind unit. They're all volunteers, and their job is to stay alive for as long as possible while causing the lizards as much grief as possible. They tend to come from our special forces units."
"'The Raptor Hunters'," Adama said. "Some of Commodore 'Abal's people mentioned them."
"Then you've got some idea of how they operate," Cheshire said. "Minimal electronic technology. They do use energy weapons, but those are quite specialised, with heavy shielding so as to hide their electronic signatures from sensors, active or passive. They tend to use high-powered torsion-sprung weapons that fire darts made from ship armour that have the ability to penetrate battle armour, usually through either the joints or, more often, the faceplate. Darien and me spent nearly six months with them as they worked their way around the lizards' rear areas."
"I take it you performed sabotage operations," said Adama.
Cheshire nodded. "We raided lizard munitions dumps for any explosives and detonators we needed," she said. "For food and other supplies we either lived off the land or we used hidden dumps that the local forces had put in place when they were constructing their Refuge. We also kept moving: if we pulled off a raid or an ambush we would move out of the area."
"What about your wounded?" Apollo asked.
"Depended on how bad the wound was," Cheshire said. Her face had grown very bleak. "If we couldn't move them..." She left the words unsaid.
"Frack me," Apollo quietly said. He looked at his father. Adama's face had taken a haunted quality Lee had never seen in it before. Then he looked at Starbuck.
She sat in her chair, her face pale, and her eyes fixed on Cheshire, who was looking at something none of the Colonials could see. "That's how you lost him, wasn't it?" Starbuck whispered.
Cheshire tore her gaze from that unseen vision and looked at Starbuck. "Yes," she said. "That's how I lost him. We had hit a lizard supply depot and liberated some of their 'livestock'." She didn't elaborate, but her tone and what she had said about the Raptors' hunting habits enabled the Colonials to fill in the blanks. "Unfortunately, the lizards there were suddenly reinforced by a group that had evidently arrived for some 'recreational activities.' We lost some of the 'livestock' we were saving, as well as some of our raiders. Including Darian."
"What happened?" asked Adama.
"He took a pulse laser bolt to his lower back," Cheshire said. "I saw him drop, and raced back to see what I could do. There was nothing I could do, save one thing." Her voice had grown somewhat shaky. Adama reached over and put his hand on hers. "He was still alive, but paralysed. So, I did the only thing I could do: I put the muzzle of my weapon against his head and pulled the trigger."
She was crying now: not loudly, not even with quiet sobs. Just the flow of tears down her face. "But I couldn't leave his body for the lizards." She looked at the three Colonials. "So I got a plasma grenade. Pulled the pin and placed it next to his body. At least the lizards didn't get it." She left unsaid just what the Raptors would have done with a human body, but once again the Colonials could imagine just what she was not telling them. "Not long after that the relief force got there and we drove the lizards out of the system. But we paid a price to do it: we always have."
"Do you have anything to remember him by?" Starbuck asked in a hushed voice.
Cheshire shook her head. "Only memories," she said. Adama said nothing, but took a paper napkin off the table and handed it to her. "Thanks," she said, and wiped her tears. She then shot Starbuck a look. "And that's why I say that you're lucky," she said.
"What do you mean?" Starbuck asked.
"You have a chance to salvage your relationship," Cheshire said. "From what I have been told, all of this, especially what it's doing to you, is cutting him up pretty badly. And yes, I have read the reports about New Caprica, so I can imagine what you're thinking." She fixed Starbuck with those eyes that looked so much like hers, but showed a whole lifetime's more experience. "Tell me, what attracted you to him in the first place?" Both Adama and Apollo tensed slightly at this line of questioning, but Cheshire either didn't see it, or did and chose to ignore it.
Starbuck was almost going to give an angry reply when something in those ancient eyes, so much like hers, gave her pause. "I don't really know," she said. "I met him on Caprica, when I had to go and get the... Well, something that helped us to find our way here. He was leading a resistance movement against the Cylons." She chuckled to herself. "Pretty frakkin' ironic, now that I think about it."
"So what did you like about him in the first place?" Cheshire asked.
"It's hard to say," Starbuck said. "Sure he was handsome and athletic, but there was something... I really can't put my finger on it."
"So you were attracted to the person and not simply the outer shell, then," said Cheshire.
Starbuck thought about what Cheshire had just said. "Yes," she finally replied. "Yes, I was."
"Well, that person still cares about you and really, really needs your love and understanding. Not to mention your support," Cheshire said. "He's going to need to know that he has someone that will help him through."
Starbuck said nothing, but it was clear that what Cheshire had said had had an effect on her. "Do you mind if I think about this?" she said.
Cheshire shook her head. "But first, take my advice," she said. "Sober up and then have a good night's sleep on it. You may have your answer in the morning." She indicated the coffee pot in front of Starbuck. "But first, drink your coffee," she said. "I'm paying for it and I don't want to see it go to waste."
Starbuck, taken somewhat aback by Cheshire's throwaway line, chuckled. But she did drink her coffee.
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As the Adamas and Cheshire headed back towards Admiral Adama's quarters, having seen Starbuck to hers, William Adama turned to Cheshire and said, "There was also a message for me in what you said to Kara, wasn't there?"
Cheshire chuckled. "I thought I was being subtle," she said. "But yes, Admiral. What I said to Captain Thrace also applies to you. I don't know what your Colonel Tigh wrote in his letter to you, but I do know that he has been concerned not only with your peoples' morale, but also about you." She halted and turned to face Adama, who stopped as well. "I gather that you're old friends," she said.
"Yeah," said Adama. "We're old friends. Both of us met on a civilian freighter. We were both out of the Fleet and serving as crew on a tramp freighter." He looked up at the starscape that was reflected in the massive mirror that, during the habitat's day, lit the area of the habitat's side where the Colonials were staying. "I got us both back into the Fleet, too," he said. "Or I got back in: and I got..."
"He does have a name, Admiral," Cheshire said. "And, despite whatever he may be physically, inside, where it really matters, he is a person. Same as my AI is a person. Don't let the externalities fool you."
Adama said nothing, but kept looking up at the reflected starscape. Finally, he said, "You're right. That person is my friend. A friend of forty years' standing. He stood by me when I was at a low point in my life, and I sure as hell stood by him. And if I stop standing by him... Well, I don't think I'd like that Bill Adama very much." He brought his eyes down off the reflected starscape and fixed them on Cheshire. "So, I think I'll take your advice to Kara. Get a good night's sleep and then, when I can, get my sorry ass over to wherever you've taken him and tell him, face to face, the same as he would have done for me, that I'm there to help him." He smiled as a thought struck him. "Mind you, Saul Tigh can be a stubborn old fool at times. Same as me, I suppose."
Cheshire came up and put her hand on Adama's shoulder and gently squeezed. "Well," she said, "how about I go and prepare the ground for you? It might make a difference."
Adama placed his hand on top of Cheshire's and squeezed back. "I think I'd like that, Admiral," he said.
Cheshire grinned. "Hell," she said. "Call me Dot or 'Cat'. I think we can dispense with the formalities for something like this."
Adama thought for a moment, and then nodded. "'Cat' it is," he said. "And I'm Bill, or 'Husker'."
"Mind if I call you Bill, then?"
"No objections, 'Cat'." Adama withdrew his hand. So did Cheshire.
"Well, then," said Cheshire. "We have a big day tomorrow, the both of us. I don't know about you, but I'm beat." She gave Adama one of those grins that made her look so much like Starbuck. "Must be helping you patch up a distressed pilot. Y'know, when I finally made flag officer, I thought I'd be able to stop doing that sort of thing. But I suppose that if I did, I wouldn't like that Dot Cheshire." She smiled and dipped her head in farewell. "Good night, Bill," she said.
"Good night, 'Cat'," Adama replied.
Cheshire turned to Apollo, who had, throughout the whole exchange, simply stood by and watched. "Good night, Major Adama," she said.
"Good night, Admiral," he replied. As the Terran went off to her own quarters, Apollo turned to his father. "Well," he said, "I think I've witnessed at least one first tonight."
Adama looked at his son. "And that is?" he asked.
"Somebody getting Kara Thrace actually thinking before she acts," replied Apollo "And getting her to go to bed sober after... you know."
Adama said nothing, but nodded. The two Colonial officers walked onwards towards Adama's quarters. As they drew up to the entrance to the garden that enclosed it, Adama stopped, turned to his son and said, "I've just realised how much better our cousins are."
Apollo shot his father a quizzical look. "In what way?" he asked.
"Have you ever met any Terran who acts as though they're superior to us?" Adama said. "Granted, they do have superior knowledge, but they don't act superior. They offer advice, but don't tell us to take it. They leave the final decisions up to us." He looked in the direction that Cheshire had taken. "Or they help us make that decision. But never make it for us."
Apollo thought on what his father had just said. "You're right," he replied. "The Terrans I've been dealing with give me options and recommend which one I should take. But they never yet said 'Do this!' And they have always respected our status as an independent force."
"Yes, they have," said Adama. "Even down to letting us have control over directing the traffic in this part of the base." Sometime earlier the Terrans had, as a part of helping the Colonials feel secure in the massive, sprawling complex that was Sandoval Base, handed over the responsibility for traffic control in the immediate area of both the spacedock and the habitat to Galactica's Flight Operations. Recently, the Terrans had expanded that responsibility to cover a larger area of Sandoval Base's traffic control, apparently because they were impressed with the skills the Colonial traffic controllers had honed in herding a heterogeneous refugee fleet over the vast interstellar distances that separated the Terran Empire from the Colonies. Bit Adama was now beginning to think that the Terrans had also given his people this responsibility so that they could feel that they had some worth in the eyes of their awesome cousins. And they've done it in such a subtle way, he thought.
He turned to face his son. "Anyway, I'm going inside and, after I've seen that there are no urgent issues for me to deal with," he said, "I intend to take Cheshire's advice and turn in." He then surprised Apollo by drawing him in an awkward embrace. "Good night, son," he said.
Apollo returned his father's gesture with an embrace that was just as awkward. "Good night... dad," he said. With that, the two men parted company.
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As Adama entered the room he used as his office Felix Gaeta walked up to him. "Good evening, Admiral," he said.
"Anything urgent for me, Mr. Gaeta?" Adama said.
"Nothing too urgent, sir," Gaeta replied. "There are a couple of messages from Admiral Templar's office marked for your attention. One is a forwarded copy of the message they are sending to the Cylons for you to look at."
"And the other one?" Adama said.
"Admiral Templar's holding a briefing for the scouting group commanders tomorrow morning at 1000 hours local time. He's given you an invitation to attend."
"Did he give a reason?"
"He told me that he feels you may have some insight on what the group heading to the Cylon forward base may expect," Gaeta replied. "He thinks that your insights might help Admiral Park in planning the finer details of her operation there."
Adama nodded. "Send a reply back to Admiral Templar's office," he said. "Tell him that I'd be glad to attend and offer whatever insights I can. Then, after you've arranged transport for me to Sandoval Hub, turn in. It's been a long day, and you're probably tired." He fixed Gaeta with a look that clearly showed that he would brook no arguments on this matter. "You've been very valuable to me, Mr. Gaeta. And to the Fleet."
Thinking over what he had just said to Gaeta helped Adama make a decision he had been mulling over for some time. "And, when we finally have some free time," he said, "there is something else I would like to discuss with you. But not right now."
Gaeta gave Adama a slightly puzzled look. "Of course, Admiral," he said. "I had better go and send off your reply to Admiral Templar's staff and arrange for transport to Sandoval Hub."
Adama nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Gaeta. Good night."
Gaeta drew himself up to attention. "Good night, sir."
