XXXV
Captain Marci McBride, Military Police with UED, was at her desk within the sprawling Command Base south of Caprica City. She was part of the investigation into how The Kingdom was able to obtain an ID photograph of Admiral Thrace-Bond, and whether it was tied to the deaths of General Otter and Captain Abdullah. Leads had been few but it was her team's responsibility to check them out.
In front of her was a computer terminal, plus two video monitors from which she could control and manipulate recordings that she was tasked to see. A new assignment had made its way up to her. She was just settling in to read the summary of what she would be seeing, then view the images.
The summary indicated that an Officer was seen escorting a civilian to exit the Base. The person who originally viewed the information noted how the two women stepped close and held hands. The video had been fed through a powerful imaging computer, and the details of the faces cleaned up. She would be the first one to see the enhanced videos. Her job was to identify the Officer and start a search to see if the civilian could be identified.
After reading the brief, she downloaded the images from the computer terminal to the screens in front of her, which would show several different camera angles, any one of which she could watch individually.
The screens lit up with the video, with a time index of about six minutes before the noted event. McBride's notes indicated there was nothing there, but she kept her eyes focused anyway, never knowing what might have been missed. This time, fortunately, it was pretty routine.
The two subjects that had been noted finally came into view, first from a camera facing toward the inside of the camp, then they were captured by a security camera focused on the exit point. Three other cameras on the exit point would also show what was going on.
The main camera showed the two women stop. McBride froze the frame and moved in to focus on the civilian. The enhanced images clearly showed her face in great detail. The Captain toggled some of her video controls, enhanced the face of the person in the image, then cut and pasted it to go into a file and run through another computer. UED had made its best effort to identify the people in and around the city, both for security purposes and to help in administering to them with food, clothing and other essentials. The blow-up of this woman's face would be fed through another computer that would use face recognition to search the UED database.
She filed the enhancement away and went back to the screen. The Officer was turned away from the main camera with the closest view, and the other three were too far away for any positive ID, even with the computer clean-up.
She moved ahead in slow motion, watching the two women grasp hands, clearly seeing a look of affection on the civilian's face, which she noted. The civilian turned away, and so did the Officer. When the Officer was all but fully facing the security camera, she paused the recording, zoomed in on that person, then enhanced the image, which clearly would show rank and identity.
Captain McBride's eyes went wide. "Holy fuck", she breathed, cutting and pasting that image as well. She would run it through the UED database as well just to confirm identity, but she knew who it was. When that file was complete, she went back to view the civilian walking away from all four camera angles, and the civilian clearly looked back, looked around as if to check if she was being followed, nodded her head slightly and continued on.
This one now needed to go right to the very top, with a field investigation definitely being warranted. She printed her new notes and the photographs. She then walked over two tents to the room where the facial recognition's were being made, grabbed those files, then headed immediately to see General Grayson.
The General studied the notes, the photos, the enhancements, the whole package. He didn't indicate any emotion when looking at it. He did, however, give it his full attention.
"And you say, Captain, that the face recognition on the civilian turned up nothing?"
"Yes, sir. It may signal nothing. We have people transit to and from the area all the time now."
"That's true", he agreed, "but we have to consider all possibilities. I can't take this to the JAG for any proceedings against the Officer, but it does warrant an investigation."
"Sir, it might be wise, now that we have identification, to go back and search if these two can be seen together somewhere else", she offered reasonably. "The computer system can be fed the facial recognition information, and it can flag anything that matches or that is similar."
"Do it", the General said without any inflection. "I can't say one way or another if this is anything, but we can't leave any stone unturned. Excellent work, Captain McBride."
She stood, knowing she was being dismissed and saluted the General. "Thank you sir", she said with a small smile. "I'll put the request to flag anything else immediately."
Grayson saluted her in return. He looked over the information again, not making any comments, then turned to other business on his desk.
Within an hour, Captain McBride had begun to carry out the General's orders. Intelligence officers and MP's dressed as civilians were dispatched in and around Caprica City, the photo of the civilian in hand and in their memories to see if they could find and identify this person.
On Board The Laura Roslin
Former Governor Justin Bond was finally coming around. It had been four-plus days since his surgery, both Dr. Harrington and Dr. Baltar keeping him sedated to allow healing of his brain and to let the swelling subside. Both were going so well that Dr. Harrington had already re-attached his skull. He had slowly been weaned off the sedation, allowing him to come around slowly and gently.
Gaius was nearby when the nurse advised him that the Governor's eyes were opened and he seemed to be fairly alert. Gaius immediately escorted the nurse back into ICU.
When he looked down on the bed, he saw Justin Bond's eyes open, slightly confused, perhaps, but still looking calm enough.
"Hello, Governor", Gaius began with a warm smile, "it's good to see you back with us."
Justin Bond tried to give a small smile, although he was still extremely weak. He tried to speak, but his voice only came out as a croak. Gaius looked over to the nurse.
"Crystal, can you hand me that fresh bottle of water, please?"
The nurse gave it to Gaius who leaned over the former Governor. "Small sips, sir. Don't gulp. Your throat is probably sore and dry."
Justin did as he was told, which Gaius took as a good sign. After a few sips, the man cleared his throat.
"Judith?", he said in a rough, sandpaper voice, but it was clear enough.
Gaius nodded. "She's in the waiting room, Justin. I'll have the nurse go wake her up and bring her in, OK?"
He nodded with a small smile.
Five minutes later, Judith Bond came in, went up to the bed, a loving smile crossing her face. "Hello, my love. Welcome back." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.
"Love you", he said in the same rusty voice, with tears in his eyes.
"Is that so, Mr. Bond?" Judith laughed delightedly. "Well, I'm glad you remember that."
He tried to laugh but just coughed, signaling for more water. Gaius and the nurse had left the room, so Judith grabbed it and gave him a few sips.
He looked at her gratefully. "Kids?"
Judith nodded. "I can have Kara here in a few minutes-she's back in Command of the Roslin", she said with a proud smile, Justin Bond trying to do the same. "I'm sure Abby and Brett, and Natalie can be here quickly. I'm sure it might be some time for Nick, he's flying missions from the Adama."
He nodded, obviously about ready to fall back to sleep.
"I'll tell you what, honey: you go back to sleep, and when you wake up, unless something drastic is going on, I'll make sure Kara is here, OK?"
He slowly reached out his hand, his wife of more than forty years slipping her hand in his.
"Just rest now, honey", Judith said, tenderly kissing him on the lips. "I love you."
He weakly kissed her back, winking at her as she moved away.
Slowly, more and more people within the confines of The Kingdom were bailing. Many began heading down the east slope of the mountain, then turning south to head into the interior of the planet or perhaps find a life near Caprica City.
Clevin Monteith didn't blame them and wasn't going to stop them.
To their credit, most of those fighting for The Kingdom stayed at their post and tried to salvage something of what they had up till then. But with the loss of their artillery, the UED forces continued to grind forward.
The battlefield wasn't tailored to a lot of quick thrusts and fancy maneuvering: it was a forest; it was on the slope of a mountain range; it was covered with rocks and boulders. It required a consistent, determined enemy to take what they had. The gods knew Clevin thought, UED was such an enemy.
It was midday. He had called his top commanders to a conference in his home. There weren't enough chairs or places to sit for everyone, but no one minded. When the summons was made for them to meet The Crown, everyone knew there was only one subject that would be discussed: whether to surrender or not.
When everyone was gathered, Clevin Monteith looked around at them. He gave them all a small smile. "I imagine you all know why I've called you here this afternoon. With the loss of our artillery, it's unlikely we can stop this UED from taking our territory. I must say", he continued, "that I'm very proud of how you and your troops have fought. They've taken on a very professional, very good military and made it pay for every meter."
"The question before us here today is simple: I am seeking your advice and your ideas about the possibility of surrender." The room was uncomfortably quiet, a few people moving around. "As much as a bastard as I've been-and I know I have been over the years-I cannot now in good conscience order any of you to continue to fight. Not without weighing your thoughts and concerns."
"Before we go into that, I will tell you that I am staying here. I have nowhere else to go. I made my bed here a long time ago, and I'll continue to sleep in it until the end. Having said that, I would like to give you a little background on something that has changed my outlook on myself, and on forcing anyone to see this through. I hope you'll bear with me."
He gathered himself. He wasn't looking for pity or sympathy. He wouldn't blow smoke up their asses this late in the game. He just wanted what he would say to be on record and to reach UED ears.
"Many of you know, back before The Cylons blew everything up, I was assigned to a Troop Transport in the Colonial Fleet. I was just a lowly specialist at the time. I was Ensign Clevin Monteith."
A few looked up at him, having never heard his name before. Suddenly, everyone was really paying attention. They know something out of the ordinary was coming.
"Like many of us, when we had days off, no matter where we were posted, many of us would head down on those days to feel the ground under our feet, to party at night, and well, occasionally", he said with emphasis, which made them chuckle, "find a little companionship for a night or so.
"I was above Caprica for a three-day weekend, as it were. I took a flight down to the city and spent the early part of the night just walking the streets, looking for a place to eat and to pound down some drinks. I found this little place just off the Government District, called Nomad's Bar and Grille." He smiled at the memory. "It wasn't fancy, but it had some damn good food, and the drinks there were excellent. I didn't have anything planned beyond that."
Again, he paused, his eyes focusing inward, back to those many years ago. "It's funny how things can change in a moment, isn't it? As I was eating, someone walked in the door: the most beautiful, electric looking woman I'd ever laid eyes on. She radiated it, if you know what I mean. After taking a huge gulp of my drink, I went over and introduced myself to her."
Many in the room were smiling, clearly thinking about better times in the past when similar, fortuitous circumstances had found them. "We talked for quite a while, shared our food, laughed, joked and had a really good time. We went out on the dance floor and for an hour danced to the music playing."
He turned a little red, which surprised them. "We went to a nearby hotel afterward, and, well, I think you have a pretty good idea what happened." They all laughed. "And it happened all weekend, in fact." They all laughed a little louder.
"She had left before I awoke but left me a note saying she'd like to see me again. She let me know where she could be reached. We went back to Nomad's the next weekend, and the next...and the next. Pretty soon, what we thought was only going to be a one-night stand became something more. For the next nine months, we got together whenever we could-even vertically on many instances." Everyone snickered at that.
"Then the fracking Cylons came", he said with anger and bitterness in his voice, something they all still shared to this day. "I was left behind on the surface, like many of us, my anger turning equally against the Cylons and the Colonial military. I grieved, thinking this beautiful woman, who I had fallen in love with, but never had told her such, was dead. All that hate burned in me all those years, as it did many of you."
He had to pause again, not wanting his emotions to get the better of him in this setting. "As you all know, this UED gave us several ultimatums, of which I turned down. The last one, I met with a representative of UED, who laid out the terms of surrender. It was", he said, slightly shaking, "the most unsettling moment in my life."
They looked at him strangely but knowing something big was coming.
"The representative was someone you all are at least generally familiar with. Her sketch went out a while back to all troops. Her name is Admiral Kara-Thrace Bond. She delivered the ultimatum."
He couldn't look up when he spoke next. "I knew her as Kara Thrace: the woman that I had fallen deeply in love with all those years ago, before the Cylon attack."
It was if everyone had been holding their breaths-and some had been, as everyone breathed out in astonishment. Someone even whispered "son of a bitch", which made everyone else laugh, breaking the tension a little.
"Precisely", he said with a sad smile. "I cannot tell you what we said to one another. That was deeply personal, but obviously, I refused the surrender."
Everyone was softly murmuring to their neighbor, trying to digest this impossible situation. "She and I have changed too much, obviously. We can't remake what was broken. So I see no alternative for me but to stay here. I will fight with anyone who wants to keep fighting. I will fight until I'm captured or killed. I simply cannot go through life now, knowing that the woman I loved more than any being in the Universe is out there and that I can no longer be with her. It isn't worth it."
The room hushed again. "I owed it to all of you to give you that information. Not to sway you, but to let you know where I stand."
The room was silent for a few long moments. It wasn't surprising that Caleb Ridge spoke next. "Boss, I'm with you. I have nowhere else to go. I'll continue to fight."
As they discussed it, without exception, every commander said they would continue to fight. Monteith made them promise to give their forces the opportunity to fight or surrender, the latter would not be held against them.
When they were finished, Monteith spoke once more. "I thank you for that. I don't deserve it. If I could go back in time, now, especially knowing that Kara Thrace was still alive, I may not have become such a selfish, bitter person. But I appreciate your loyalty nonetheless." He stopped for a few more long moments. "I do hope that many of you survive on the other side of this. This meeting is adjourned."
As they left, Clevin asked Caleb to stay behind for a few moments. "My friend, I am requesting you run a special errand for me if you can?"
"What is it, Boss?"
He pulled out a small envelope that was sealed. "I would ask that you or a trusted operative of yours take this letter down to their Command Center near Caprica City, and to see if this can be given to someone who will deliver it to Admiral Thrace-Bond."
Caleb's eye's widened. "A goodbye note?"
"A personal correspondence, that's all I will say."
Caleb just stared at the envelope, then looked up at his Boss and friend. "She really meant a lot to you, didn't she?"
Clevin could barely nod. "Everything, Caleb", he said, a tear coming out of one of his eyes, which astounded his lieutenant. "I would have married her, I know it."
"I tell you what, Clevin", his friend said earnestly, "one of the operatives that we sent down to get some of that information would be the best choice. She's very discreet, and she knows how to mingle into and work her way around people. I also know that she's a semi-regular in the area, so she shouldn't whip up any suspicion. She'll find someone."
"Which one is it?" He probably shouldn't inquire, but he wanted to know. "All of them are very trustworthy."
"I'm sending my cousin, Casey Merril", Caleb advised him. "She was the one who got us the info that Brin was using to take down some Brass."
Clevin's eyebrows raised. "Brin...I wonder if she's still alive, Caleb? She was a bit of a loose cannon if you ask me, but she did come in handy early on."
"If I had to guess, she's either captured or dead. I think I might have someone whisper a sweet nothing in her husband's ear and let him walk away."
Clevin nodded. "Might be a good idea. OK, when can Casey leave?"
"I can have her here in fifteen minutes. She can be down to the area by midday tomorrow."
"Very well, Caleb, please have her stop by here, and I will give her the letter. I will have instructions for her when she arrives."
"Yes, sir", Caleb said, walking away with a lot on his own mind.