Chapter 36
A Storm on the Horizon
11. As the great temple of the Thirteenth Tribe neared completion, the eyes of General Ulixes grew dim.
12. His physicians called Xander to them and said to him, your father's hours are numbered.
13. Xander knelt by his father's bed and received his blessing and Ulixes said to him,
14. You are long since a man. You must take a wife that she may give you sons and daughters.
15. Then Ulixes closed his eyes and went to join his beloved wife Azurra in the house of the Lord.
16. The people gave the general a hero's funeral and afterward his son withdrew into his home for thirty days as was their custom.
17. He entertained no visitors and did no business and spent his days in meditation and his nights in prayer.
18. At the end of his mourning he came forth and spoke to the high priest.
19. Your daughter Jerusha is of an age to take a husband. I come to ask for her hand.
20. And Xander married the virgin Jerusha and took her into his home and into his heart as his wife.
21. And as his father had loved Azurra, Xander loved Jerusha and no other until the end of his days.
The Cylon Scriptures, Book of Xander, Chapter 7:11-21
.
Lee sat on the polished wooden bench on the second floor of the judicial building near the chamber where the independent inquiry would be held. He was early as usual. Several members of the press had already arrived and were standing in a small group near the door. Playa Palacios had approached, but he had waved her off by telling her that he couldn't make a statement before the inquiry was complete.
His father had explained the night before that the independent inquiry didn't have any power to impose a penalty on him or Kendra or Saunders, but if they decided that any of them had lied or that Commander Cain had not conducted a thorough and impartial investigation into the killing of the civilian August Bernard, it would not only look bad for them, but the military would be expected to revisit the issue. The government couldn't impose any penalty, but if the inquiry panel decided that they had lied or had killed Bernard without just cause then any or all of them would face court-martials, Cain included.
His mobile phone buzzed and he looked at the number. Zak.
"Hey, Little Bro, how are you?"
Zak said, "Good. You?"
"Waiting to go into court. The independent inquiry starts today."
"Dad mentioned that when he called a couple of nights ago. He's not worried. If he's not worried, you shouldn't be."
"I'll be glad when it's over and we've all been cleared of any wrongdoing."
"How'd you find out I'd split with Maggie?"
"She came into Zeno's last night with a date."
"Who?"
"Do you care? You dumped her."
"Yeah, I care. I don't want to see her get hurt or do something she'll…you're right. I dumped her. I don't have any right to say anything about what she's doing now or who she's doing it with."
"Why, Zak? I thought you two had a good thing. Maggie really cares about you."
The silence lasted a long time. Finally Zak said, "I'm probably going to die up here in this hell-hole. It's not fair to her to keep her sitting around waiting for that to happen and then have to deal with it."
"You're not going to die in Sovana."
Again there was a long silence. "You remember the guy who was standing beside me at the ceremony when I finished basic training?"
"Not really."
"He got both legs blown off three weeks ago when he stepped on a mine."
"That doesn't mean…"
"A guy who was in the row behind me got killed last week. We were on a routine patrol. One minute he was beside me. The next minute an incoming round damned near took his head off. It could just as easy have been me."
Lee took a deep breath.
"I didn't know that."
"Don't you look at the frakking news?" Zak asked with an undertone of anger in his voice. "Haven't you noticed that we're dying up here?"
"I've been busy lately."
"Busy in bed with Kara. I hear she's back from her mystery mission. Dad told me that she was back safe and sound. Look, I got to go. I was on duty last night. I've got to hit my rack and get some sleep."
"Are you sure you don't want to rethink this thing with Maggie? I know you still care about her."
"Take care of yourself, Lee. Keep in touch. Maybe I'll get leave in a couple of months and make it back home unless I come home sooner in a box. I love you, big bro. Good luck today."
Zak ended the call. Lee leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. It didn't sound like Zak was in a very good place mentally, but maybe he wasn't either. The big difference was that no one was shooting at him…at least not any more.
"Gods, I wish I could sleep like that before we're about to be put on the grill and slow-roasted."
Lee opened his eyes. Kendra and Saunders were standing in front of the bench with her mother.
He stood. "Not sleeping. Just thinking." He nodded at Saunders.
"You've met my mother," Kendra said.
"How are you, Mrs. Shaw?"
"Well. How is your father?"
"Extremely busy," Lee said. "Are you on the inquiry panel?"
Marta smiled briefly showing beautiful white teeth. "I'm afraid not although I wanted to be. I had to recues myself because of Kendra's involvement. The Quorum members on the panel are Tom Zarek, Sarah Porter and Jacob Cantrell. Caprica's Third District judge Anthony Thorne will be presiding. The fifth member is Coretta Howliss who is head of the Tauron delegation here on Caprica."
Saunders said, "I did some research. Our biggest problems are going to be Zarek and Porter and maybe Cantrell. I think the other two will be opened-minded. Judge Thorne has a long, fair record. Jacob Cantrell is a good friend of Sarah Porter's, but Coretta Howliss is no fan of what the big tylium consortiums did to her planet. If she wasn't on the panel, I think we'd all have reason to be worried."
Lee glanced down the hallway and saw Romo Lampkin approaching. Kendra followed his gaze.
"I didn't think you weren't going to get legal representation."
"He's just here to observe. My dad and Laura both thought it would be a good idea."
Marta smiled. "Having Caprica's Attorney General in the room can't hurt."
Romo chose not to call attention to his connection with Lee and the others. He walked past them with only a nod in their direction and entered the chamber where the inquiry was to be held.
"I guess we should go in," Kendra said.
Lee took another deep breath. Despite his seeming outward calm, he was very nervous.
"Come on. Let's just do it," Saunders said.
"I'll see you inside," Marta said to her daughter.
To Lee's surprise, Marta leaned over and quickly kissed her daughter on the cheek leaving a faint smudge of lipstick. Kendra looked embarrassed but pleased. Marta squeezed Dwight's arm and walked off down the corridor. Dwight took his thumb and wiped the smudge off Kendra's cheek.
Lee grinned at Saunders. "I think Mrs. Shaw likes you. It's always good to get a mother's blessing."
Kendra smiled and said to Lee. "I think my mother divides her romantic thoughts equally between Dwight and your father."
"How's Sharon?" Saunders asked.
"Kara talked to Karl yesterday. Sharon's doing okay. She and Karl saw Hera in the intensive care nursery a couple of times. Hera is hooked up to monitors and had a feeding tube, but they got to touch her. All of the tests have come back good. Kara thinks Karl is fine with them keeping her at the hospital for a while. She thinks he's scared to death of taking care of a baby that small."
"What did Hera weigh?" Kendra asked.
"Four and a half pounds."
"That's like the dolls you play with when you're a kid."
"Hey, all my dolls weighed at least ten pounds," Saunders joked.
Kendra punched his arm lightly and looked at Lee. "See what I have to put up with?"
Lee smiled. He could hear the affection in Kendra's voice. "Sharon will be released tomorrow or the next day. Karl is going to start looking for an apartment for them today. They'll be staying at my place until he finds one."
"Won't that be a little crowded?" Kendra asked. "You told me you had a one bedroom."
"I'm staying with Hunter at Laura and John's apartment."
"If Karl needs any help moving, let me know," Saunders said.
Lee opened the door and they stepped inside. The room where the inquiry would be conducted was paneled in light hardwood. The flags of the twelve Colonies hung on either side of the room, six on one side and six on the other with the flag of the federation at the front. Below the federation flag was a raised dais that had a waist-high panel made of the same light-colored wood in front of it.
A long table sat behind it with five comfortable chairs. Microphones were on the table in front of each chair. The center chair was already occupied by a man who was in his late forties or early fifties.
"Judge Thorne," Kendra whispered.
There was an empty space of about six feet in front of the dividing wall, a rail and then a long wooden table with three more comfortable chairs behind it. There were three microphones on the table as well as a pitcher of ice water and three glasses.
"Us?" Lee asked.
"Isn't that obvious?" Kendra replied.
"Where's Commander Cain's chair?" Saunders asked.
"She'll be called if they decide we lied or there's some other irregularity."
They each pulled out chairs and sat with Kendra in the middle. Lee realized that both he and Saunders wanted to protect her. She was the one who had pulled the trigger and killed August Bernard, but in doing so, she had saved both of their lives.
The judge was reading something. He glanced up over the top of his glasses and studied the three uniform-clad officers in front of him. Then he pushed his glasses back up his nose and continued reading.
"Is this open to the press?" Saunders asked.
Kendra said, "No cameras are allowed, but they can attend. They get the back row." She indicated the rows of chairs behind them.
As Lee glanced over his shoulder he saw that Romo Lampkin had chosen a seat on the second row near the aisle. Marta Shaw sat beside him. They were talking quietly. Playa Palacios and James McManus entered and sat on the back row which was by then filled with members of the press. In short order the rest of the chamber filled with people. Lee recognized several more Quorum members. Vladimir Darren slipped in quietly and sat near the back. A few moments later, Major Parker came in and sat beside him. There were more than a few uniforms in the room. There was one person who was missing, though, and Lee was glad. Bill Adama had chosen not to attend. He'd told Lee the day before that considering his adversarial relationship with Tom Zarek, his presence would probably do more harm than good.
Lee looked at his watch. It was exactly 09:00. A side door opened and four people strode in. All were carrying either brief cases or file folders. He recognized Tom Zarek, Jacob Cantrell and Sarah Porter. The fourth woman had to be Coretta Howliss. She was a short woman, around the same age as the judge. Her dark hair had silver mixed in, and she was dressed in a suit that was nice, but one that even Lee could tell was many seasons out of date compared to the fashionable clothes worn by Laura and Marta Shaw. He was also immediately struck by how much her features resembled those of Mateo Oraibi the native Tauron who had allowed them to copy his unofficial list of the dead. Certainly she had come from people native to the north. Lee hoped her vote would cancel Zarek's.
A dark-suited marshal walked in and stood in front of the dais.
"All rise," he intoned in a deep voice and waited until everyone had complied. "The independent hearing in regards to the death of civilian August Orlando Bernard is begun."
...
Kara stood in front of her locker out at the airbase and put her motorcycle helmet on the top shelf beside her flight helmet. It was a tight fit. She turned and put her foot on the bench that ran in front of the lockers and retied the laces on one of her boots. Then she straightened her blue uniform tunic, turned back to her locker door and looked at her reflection in the small inside mirror. She found her hairbrush, took down her ponytail and redid it. She didn't know why she cared so much about her appearance today. She'd sat in the ready room many dozens of times with a messy ponytail and it hadn't bothered her a bit. But today felt different. The last time she'd stood in this spot was the night she and Narcho had stolen the Raider. Six weeks that now seemed like a lifetime.
Two female pilots that she didn't know were in the process of changing into their flight suits. Kara got a glimpse of a Raptor patch on the shoulder of one and a Viper patch on the shoulder of the other. When the one nearest her turned around, the patch on her other shoulder read Triton.
She glanced at Kara. "I haven't seen you in here before. You new?"
"I've been on another assignment for a month. I just got back."
"What ship are you from?"
"Galactica," Kara said without thinking. Late the previous summer she'd spent three months on the G.
The other pilot said, "We were on the Triton, Commander Lymon Birch's ship. We'll be here six months and then rotate to another ship. What do you think of Commander Cain?"
"Tough but fair. I never had any problems with her."
The Viper pilot, an attractive honey blond with short hair said, "I'm Marcia Case. This is my roommate Lyla Ellway. Showboat and Shark. Don't say it. I know we sound like the title of a television show."
"Kara Thrace. Starbuck."
Lyla said, "You rotated back to base just in time."
"What's that mean?" Kara asked.
"Where've you been? You do know a Viper pilot blew up the Cylons last week, don't you?"
Kara shrugged. "I know about the Cylons. What'd I miss?"
"The Galactica is taking the Cylons' ashes to Gemenon tomorrow. We heard they're still trying to find volunteers." Lyla snickered.
"Volunteers for what?"
"To serve as an honor guard, though I don't see how anybody can call it an honor. CAG told us late last week. I'd volunteer if they'd let me spit in the urns…but I didn't tell him that."
Marcia laughed. "Spit? That's not what you said Saturday night when we were talking about it at The Shark Rider with those pilots from the Pegasus."
"Starbuck gets the picture. Come on. We're going to be late for the briefing." She looked at Kara. "You coming?"
"You go ahead. I've got to make a call."
They left and Kara was alone. She took out her phone but saw that it was a couple of minutes before nine. It was too late to call Lee and wish him luck. She sent him a quick text instead. He should get it with when they took a break. Then she thought about what Lyla Ellway had said about an honor guard. Kara had spent hours in Laura's presence the day before and neither Laura nor Admiral Adama had mentioned the Galactica taking the Cylon's ashes to Gemenon. Maya hadn't mentioned it either, but then Maya was too busy talking to Hunter and later talking about Hunter.
Lee had told her that Hunter had seemed reluctant when Lee had mentioned lunch at Marble House, but if Hunter had any reservations, they were gone by the time they got there. Braedon ran straight to Hunter who, it seemed, was now the object of his adoration.
"Hunta," Braedon happily said, as Lee and Hunter came through the door.
"Hey there, Big Fella," Hunter said and put Brae on his shoulders. "Want to go for a ride?"
Braedon crowed with delight. "Go fast."
Maya looked on in approval. Kara glanced at Lee.
"Hunter is good with kids," Lee said as Hunter disappeared into the corridor with Braedon.
"He took care of lots of them starting when he was young. The adults in the valley always had chores even the women. Hunter still reads to them and plays with them in the winter when they can't get out of the valley. What's the matter? You jealous?"
Lee shrugged.
"Come on, admit it."
"When have I ever been around kids?"
"It's okay, Lee. You're top of the class in everything else. You'll learn to be a good dad."
"I don't want to make the same mistakes my father did."
"You won't." She grinned. "I won't let you."
"Hunter reminds me of your father. Not his looks, but…"
"I know."
As Kara now looked in the mirror inside her locker, her eyes filled with tears. She'd gone to Nereid to find her father and bring him home to his son. She'd failed. The door to the locker room opened. In the mirror she saw Maggie enter. Maggie was unbuttoning her uniform tunic with one hand and keying in the combination to her locker with the other. She was also mumbling something under her breath that sounded like damned traffic.
Kara quickly blotted her eyes on her uniform sleeve and closed her locker door before she turned around.
"Hi, Maggs."
"I'm late. There was a wreck on the I-6."
"Where?"
"Just outside the city. Some nutcase doing ninety and weaving in and out of lanes."
"It must have happened after I got past. You've still got two minutes."
"Great. Thanks," Maggie said as she grabbed her flight suit from her locker and began pulling off her duty blue uniform.
"I'll wait. We'll go into the briefing together."
Maggie said, "You're not suiting up?"
"I'm supposed to start classroom training for the Mark VII. I won't be flying for a while."
"Lucky you. I heard they got ten Mark VIIs coming in maybe next week."
Kara thought about her court-martial hearing coming up in two weeks. "I'll have to make it through the classroom part and the simulator training. That'll take a couple of weeks."
There. If Maggie wanted to apologize for what she'd said at the Academy, Kara had opened the door by mentioning the simulator.
Maggie zipped her flight suit part way and sat on the bench to put on her boots. "That shouldn't be a problem for you. You're an ace Mark II pilot."
Maggie hadn't exactly apologized, but she'd at least acknowledged Kara's ability. It was probably the closest to an apology that Maggie would ever come.
"I'm sorry about you and Zak," Kara said. "I think Lee's going to talk to him…"
"Sovana has really frakked him up. I never understood why he joined the Marines. You want to know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think he did it because of what happened to Lee when we fought the Cylons last fall."
"Are you serious? Lee nearly got killed."
"My point exactly. Me and you and Lee and even your dad and the rest…we were all putting it on the line out there and Zak was sitting at home safe and sound. I think it got to him that he'd gotten thrown out of the Academy for cheating. One time when he'd had too much to drink, he told me about the talk his father had with him when he finally went home. Talk about laying a guilt trip on a kid. He said he could never get his father to understand that he didn't want a life in the military."
"I'll admit I was…shocked when he told us he'd joined the Marines. Even Lee couldn't wrap his head around it. It's still a big question mark for him."
"I think Zak finally got tired of his father comparing him to Lee and always coming up short so he decided to prove something, maybe to himself, maybe to his father."
"Probably to both," Kara added.
Maggie finished tying her boots and stood. "Let's go. You know how Spencer feels about tardy pilots."
"Zero tolerance," Kara answered.
Together they walked down the hall and entered the ready room. As usual, latecomers had to sit on the front row. They walked down the aisle under the watchful eye of the other pilots. Colonel Jackson Spencer was already standing behind the podium.
He glanced at the big clock at the front. 9:01. "Nice of you to join us today," he said to them.
Maggie and Kara hastily sat. Maggie's cheeks were red.
"Welcome back, Lieutenant Edmondson. You too, Lieutenant Thrace."
Kara smiled lamely. "Thank you, sir."
Maggie echoed her words.
Spencer addressed Maggie. "How was your mission aboard the Galactica?"
"Very moving, sir, to see the destruction of the other planets. It was a real reminder of why we're here."
He glanced at Kara and she thought he was going to say something about her mission but he didn't. Apparently he had decided to cut them both some slack. He announced the Raptor flight schedule for the week. The rest of their briefing concerned the classroom instruction the Viper pilots would get about the new Mark VII. Then Spencer read out the four training groups. Someone in the back asked how the groups had been chosen.
Spencer's answer was, "All the Viper pilots' names were put in a hat and pulled out in groups of ten. We're training two groups at a time in the classroom, but the rest will be done in single groups. Remember the group number I just gave you."
Kara's name had been called in the first group like she had already been told it would be. She asked, "Who will be the instructor for the classroom part?"
Spencer smiled one of his rare smiles, "Major Desmond Valinski. I believe many of you know the major."
Kara grinned. Valinski had been her instructor during the classroom portion of the twelve weeks she'd spent in Flight School. He was tough but fair, exactly like Colonel Burgher had been when he'd taught her Basic Flight class at the Academy.
"Good choice, sir."
"Any more questions about Mark VII training?" When there were none, Spencer said, "One more announcement and we'll be through. As most of you already know, tomorrow the Galactica will ferry the remains of the Cylons to Gemenon where their ashes will be released over the planet. Last week we asked if anyone would like to volunteer for the burial detail who will accompany the remains from the surface of Caprica to the Galactica. I was just informed this morning that one of the volunteers became a father over the weekend and had to withdraw. Would anyone in this group like to take his place?"
Spencer had to be talking about Karl. Kara glanced at Maggie who was staring straight ahead, her eyes hard and cold.
"I'll do it, sir," she said.
"Any other items we need to discuss?" Spencer asked.
No one said anything, but the room felt suddenly very chilly to her.
"Lieutenant Thrace, remain behind. Good hunting, everyone. Dismissed."
Maggie got up and walked out after giving her a scathing look. She didn't think Maggie would ever understand her. She wasn't sure Maggie would even try.
Jackson Spencer kept his expression carefully neutral as he walked over and sat down near her.
"All things considered, Lieutenant Thrace, are you sure you want to volunteer for this mission?"
"It was Karl who had to back out wasn't it, sir?"
He nodded.
"I'm doing it for him…him and Sharon. Karl's been my best friend since I was eight years old. Sharon was my roommate at the Academy."
"I don't doubt the legitimacy of your motives or the sense of loyalty you feel toward your friends, but you can't forget that you're the President's stepdaughter. Your volunteering might be taken by her opponents as an expression of sympathy on her part for the Cylons. So far she's been able to walk a fine line between appearing to regret their demise and appearing to feel that they got what they deserved. According to Admiral Adama, she's not going to make the announcement about their final resting place until after the G has broken orbit for Gemenon tomorrow."
Kara sat trying to make a decision. Finally she said, "Is the press going to be there on the G or something?"
"No. That's why a military ship was chosen, but you can't honestly believe that word won't get out. People talk even if they're ordered not to."
"Who else has volunteered?"
"I haven't seen a list. Would you like to talk this over with President Roslin before you make a final decision?"
"There's not much time for that, sir. I won't see her until tonight at dinner."
"Why don't we leave it like this? If you talk to President Roslin tonight and she has no problem with you accompanying the remains up to the G and then on to Gemenon, you be out here tomorrow at 06:00 in hangar Bravo-2. I'll be there to see everyone off. If you don't make it, I'll go in your place. It might be my only chance to see the Colony I was raised on one last time."
"You were born on Gemenon, sir?"
"I was the only kid in my neighborhood whose family didn't attend a monotheist church. I can still remember how upset my mother got when I came home one day and asked her who the Reverend Mother was. She thought the other kids were going to corrupt me. She told me I couldn't play with them anymore."
"It's not always easy being the odd kid, is it, sir?"
"Not always."
"I don't think I'd want to see Picon the way it is now. Lee told me what he saw. I'd rather remember it the way it was when I was growing up, not the graveyard of over a billion humans."
"I know there were a few of us who wondered if the Cylons had spared at least part of Gemenon because it was the most heavily monotheistic Colony. After the G visited it and found the same nuclear devastation as the others, we decided that their desire to destroy humanity was stronger than a common religion."
"I'll be here in the morning, sir. The damage is already done. Everybody in that this ready room heard me volunteer. Even if I don't go, they know I'm willing."
He didn't say anything for a few moments and then asked, "When's your court-martial hearing?"
"Two weeks."
"Are you worried?"
"My AJA lawyer thinks I'll be okay."
Jackson stood and Kara followed suit. "Good luck, Lieutenant Thrace."
"Thank you, sir. Have you flown one of the new Mark VIIs?"
"Not yet. I've done the classroom part and the simulator. I'll take one up as soon as they're delivered. I'm looking forward to it."
They began walking up the aisle of the ready room. Kara said, "It's going to be hard giving up my old Mark II. New doesn't always mean better."
"The Mark VII is bigger, faster and better armed."
"I heard computers control most of it. It takes a lot of the decision making out of the pilot's hands."
"It's a safer ship. Computers don't make errors in judgment. You can take most of the computers off-line, but it's not recommended."
"Didn't we get into this mess by putting computers in robot bodies and turning them loose?"
"Good point, Lieutenant. You can tell me what you think of the Mark VII in six weeks. Now go ahead and join your group. They're in classroom 4."
Kara walked down the hall and entered the classroom. Major Valinski nodded and waited for her to take a seat near the front.
"We're going over the schedule," he said. "It's on the inside of the training manual."
Kara opened the thick binder and took out the single page.
Valinski continued. "The classroom part of the training will last two weeks. The syllabus shows what we'll cover each day. Classes will start at 09:00 and end at 16:00 with an hour for lunch. The Mark VII is a lot more sophisticated than the Mark II. I'm sure in the days to come you'll be constantly making comparisons. That's good. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Those of you who have previously been in one of my classes know I welcome questions and feedback. The only dumb question is the one you don't ask. It might also be the one that saves your life one day. Let's open the manual to the Mark VII's specs and look at the comparison to the ship you're all familiar with."
Kara opened the ring binder that lay on the desk in front of her and turned to the page with pictures of the two ships. As she listened to Valinski begin his comparisons, she realized that no one in the room including him had any idea how close they were to once again engaging the Cylons only it wouldn't be in the sky over Caprica this time. It would be over a planet thirty light years away. She doubted even Colonel Spencer knew about Admiral Adama's plan to put an end to the Cylons' ability to ever come back and finish the destruction of humanity.
There were so many secrets in her head. Six weeks ago she had stolen the Raider and wound up in a beautiful valley on a planet that was controlled by the Cylons. She had brought Hunter back to Caprica and Hunter's information about Nereid had changed Admiral Adama's mind about nuking the planet. He was planning an invasion that would involve everyone now sitting in the classroom with her as well as a great many more pilots and Marines. Some wouldn't survive the conflict just as she'd lost friends and classmates in the initial conflict. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the knowledge that her single-minded quest to find her father and bring him home had changed Colonial history.
One chapter of her life was ending and another was beginning as it was for all of them and she was responsible. For the first time Kara Thrace felt the weight of what her actions, driven by her love for her father and her unquestioning belief in an Oracle's prophecy, had unleashed.
...
Natalie stood with her hand shading her eyes against the bright glare of the noon sun reflecting off the transport ship. D'Anna had stayed at Natalie's house and had not accompanied them to the airstrip. Sonja had already gotten on board to get out of the sun. Heat radiated from the tarmac. The windsock above the hangar hung limp. There was no breeze at all. It felt ten degrees warmer than when Jade had been flying her kite the day before.
"I'll work on finding a way to get us to the valley," Natalie said.
"How will I know when to come back?" John asked.
"I'll send word. I can't go through the normal communication channels and send a message to Sonja. After what you told me about the incident with Rika and Yusef, I'm sure you're being watched and by extension so is she, but I'll find a way to get word to you."
"Are you including Sonja when we go to the valley?"
"No. The fewer of us the better. It will just be you, me and a U-87. If Sonja stays in the city, your absence can be explained as a trip to see your child's mother."
"Is there anything I can do in the meantime?"
"Act as normal as possible. Enjoy your time in the park with the mothers and their children. Relax and meditate…and pray either to our God or yours or both. Don't talk about our plans with anyone, not even Sonja. I trust her, but I don't trust the Ones in the city. They might have ordered her apartment put under electronic surveillance since you've been spending time there. But my main concern is that one of them might force her to put her hand into the datastream and question her. She can lie to him with words, but her true thoughts will be in the datastream. If you've told her anything, they'll know. If that happens, we don't stand a chance."
"She already knows a lot. She knows about the deaths of the Sevens and the creators."
Natalie sighed. "There's nothing I can do about that although right now it's just a theory for her. Sonja has no proof. I was very careful not to talk about what happened at the lab to her. She'll ask you questions. I trust you won't give in and tell her."
John thought of how he'd kept his secrets even under torture in the prison. "I know how to keep my mouth shut."
"Sonja can be very persuasive as I'm sure you're well aware. Men are especially vulnerable to her considerable charms."
"Don't worry, Natalie."
Their eyes locked and for just a moment he thought she read his thoughts about keeping secrets. Then she smiled slightly and nodded.
"Do you have any idea how long it'll be before I hear from you?" He asked.
"Probably several weeks. I think you're an impatient man, John."
"About this I am. There's so much at stake."
"But you can come back and visit D'Anna before then if you'd like. I'll let Sonja know if D'Anna's condition worsens. It's all right if you two discuss D'Anna. That won't raise any red flags with the Cavil in the city."
"Are you sure?"
"We won't be able to keep D'Anna's presence here in the settlement a secret. Yoshimo is going to work with her on prayers and meditation which will explain why she stayed here and didn't return with Sonja. I'm going to talk to the Four who runs the clinic about allowing the doctors to treat her."
"Do you think he'll go for it?"
"He's begun attending our worship services with a woman named Giana. I've sensed a change in him about his opinion of the humans. I know he has a great deal of respect for Bianca and Laszlo…and Yoshimo. If he believes that D'Anna carries the peacemaker, he'll join our side and allow the doctors to treat her."
"I thought you wanted to keep the peacemaker prophecy a secret for now."
"Yoshimo is going to talk to the Four. Before he brings up the peacemaker, he'll make sure the Four is on our side. The Cylons here in the settlement consider Yoshimo's knowledge of our scriptures to be as great as our own. Many revere his age and wisdom."
"I understand why."
"D'Anna's presence here is also a perfect excuse for you to come back and visit. Even the Ones in the city will acknowledge your right to spend time with her. It was voted on in the council long ago."
"Unless the doctors are wrong and D'Anna stabilizes or starts getting better, eventually I'll need to get her to a specialist on Caprica to save her and the child."
"I know. I'm working on that, too."
"I really messed up your nice tranquil life, didn't I?"
The corners of her blue eyes crinkled as she smiled. "The future of my race and yours is more important than my personal grief."
Sonja came to the doorway of the ship and called to John. "We're ready to go. Are you coming or not?"
"I've got to go," he said.
Natalie briefly touched his arm. "It's begun, John. There's no turning back now. Be ready."
"I'm ready now," he said before he walked to the ship and climbed the steps.
He watched her from the doorway as the steps began retracting. She had moved to the edge of the runway and stood watching the ship with her hand still shading her eyes.
When the door hissed shut and sealed and the noise of the big engines was muffled, Sonja asked, "Did you kiss her goodbye?"
John grinned. "Was I supposed to?"
She pouted. "Why do you have to turn everything into a joke?"
"I don't turn everything into a joke. The temptation only hits me when you ask me something stupid. Who spent time on the couch with me the last two nights? Natalie is aware of the intimate nature of our relationship?"
The transport ship lurched as the centurions turned it to begin taxiing. John almost lost his balance. He quickly sat in the seat beside Sonja and strapped himself in.
She puffed out her cheeks for a moment. "I'm not blind. I saw how she looked at you. I saw how you looked at her. You're both attracted to each other so don't deny it."
"So according to you, I'm supposed to be attracted to you, but not to someone who looks exactly like you except her hair is darker blond? Tell me what the hell kind of sense that makes."
"It's not just her looks. She's one of our leaders. She's more like your wife."
"Since you're on a roll, why aren't you accusing me of being attracted to Jade, too? I spent a lot more time with her yesterday than I did with Natalie."
"Jade is a loony warrior in a woman's body not to mention she has no social skills. She's not your type except as a substitute for your daughter. That's the only way you could possibly have enough patience to deal with her. Even Yoshimo can only take her in small doses and he's the most patient man I know. Have you not noticed that you always try to gather the young ones to you to make up for the family you lost? Rika and little Rachel and Cassie and Sophia and now Jade. They're your surrogate children."
"Thank you, Dr. Sonja, for that deep psychological analysis," he said sarcastically. "And my family isn't lost. They're on Caprica."
"One day soon Natalie will send for you and you'll spend time alone with her."
"Aren't you forgetting about D'Anna? She's staying here with Natalie."
"Natalie is going to get D'Anna a place in town close to the doctors. D'Anna told me this morning. Then Natalie will have you all to herself when you go back."
"That is not why she's getting D'Anna a place close to the doctors and you know it."
"I know what will happen. Her bed's very comfortable. You'll like it and Natalie will like what you do to her there. She's gone without a man for so long that she'll probably keep you for weeks. Maybe you'll get her pregnant, too."
John took her hand and squeezed it. "Come on, Sonja. Let's not do this. There's no need for you to go all jealous on me. Nothing is going to happen between me and Natalie. I'm not interested in her like that and she's not interested in me. She's still in love with the Daniel she lost."
"You think I'm jealous?" She asked haughtily.
"It's sure beginning to sound like it."
"Natalie is my sister. I don't mind sharing you with a sister. Once you got D'Anna pregnant, she didn't mind sharing you with me."
"I wouldn't exactly say she didn't mind sharing. She just isn't interested in having sex with me anymore and you are."
"Are you angry that I teased you about getting fat and being old because I didn't mean it? You have a very nice body. You work hard to stay in shape and you're not old. Old is like Yoshimo."
"I'm not angry about anything, Sonja, but you're pushing me in that direction. Come on, let's talk about something else."
"Do you know what I think about when we're having sex? When you're making it so good for me?"
Exasperation was clear in his voice. "I don't have a clue what goes on in that silica brain of yours when we're having sex or any other time for that matter."
Sonja huffed and then said, "Go ahead and insult me if it makes you feel better."
"I'm not trying to insult you. You say you're not jealous so I don't have a clue where you're going with this conversation. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going to have sex with Natalie so there's no reason for us to keep talking about it!"
Sonja continued like she hadn't heard him. "I can tell when a man cares about me. You don't care. You go through the motions in bed but you don't really care about anything except showing me how much pleasure you can give me. You said it yourself. I bring out the egotistical bastard in you."
Her words finally got to him. He was tired of the pointless argument they were having.
"Okay. I agree," he said angrily. "You're right. Think whatever the hell you want to think. You still haven't gotten it through that thick Cylon skull of yours that I love my wife. That's one of the big differences between you and Natalie. She respects those feelings and you don't. Maybe it's because she knows what it's like to love someone and you don't…unless you count being self-centered and in love with yourself. I try to make it good for you because that's just who I am. So that probably does make me an egotistical bastard. And if you'll recall with that perfect memory of yours, I told you in the beginning that sex is all you're getting from me. But just in case you missed it, I'll say it again. You and me, Sonja. Sex. That's it. Take it…or leave it. I really don't give a godsdamn one way or the other."
The pilots had turned the ship at the end of the runway and had now begun accelerating for takeoff. The noise of the revving engines drowned out Sonja's angry reply. She turned away and refused to look at him. John waited until they were airborne and had leveled off before he unfastened his seat harness and went into the cockpit. The centurions didn't acknowledge him at all. He strapped himself into the navigator's seat and relished not having to talk to anyone for the next forty minutes.
On some level he realized that he had just taken out something on Sonja that had to do with other issues including what he'd endured at Cylon hands in the prison, but he didn't want to face it right now. He'd always hated losing his cool like that, especially with a woman, but Sonja had kept goading him until she'd pushed him into saying it. Even as he stewed over it now, though, he realized that their little drama was miniscule compared to what was coming for all of them.
He remembered what Yoshimo had taught him early that morning. He closed his eyes and began taking slow deep breaths, clearing his mind, willing the anger out of his body. When he had calmed down, he leaned up and looked out the left-side cockpit window. Hundreds of miles to the west the sky over the mountains had darkened. He saw the quick flash of distant lightning illuminate the clouds. Another storm was coming and would reach the city before nightfall. And then he thought of Natalie's words. A different sort of storm was also coming and just like the fury nature was unleashing, once it started there would be no turning back from it.
…
Judge Anthony Thorne wasted no time in beginning the inquiry. He informed them for the record that a week previously the five members of the panel had been given the report of the incident including the testimony that each of them had given.
Then Judge Thorne introduced the report to be placed into the record. Lee listened now as the judge summarized the day and the events for the others in the room. The judge then asked the other panel members to state for the record whether or not they had already read the report in its entirety. They all indicated they had.
Thorne then turned to Lee, Kendra and Saunders and asked each of them to state their full names, ranks and occupations within the military. A court stenographer was sitting to the panel's right. A videographer was filming from the left. Lee was acutely aware that what happened in this chamber would be on record forever.
Since Saunders was sitting on the left, he went first.
"Dwight Howard Saunders, Lieutenant, Raptor pilot and ECO currently assigned to the First Air Wing on Caprica."
"Kendra Paris Shaw, Lieutenant, data analyst with the Ministry of Defense."
"Leland Joseph Adama, Captain, Viper pilot with the First Air Wing and interrogator with the Intelligence Division."
The judge looked at him. "This report refers to you as a lieutenant. When did you receive your promotion?"
"Two weeks ago, sir."
"Did your promotion come about because of your actions on Tauron?"
Lee leaned forward so that the microphone would clearly pick up his reply. "No, sir. The paperwork was begun before I left Caprica on the mission."
Sarah Porter said, "We'd like to ask some questions that weren't covered in the report since all of us believe that your states of mind beforehand played a big part in what happened. Lieutenant Shaw, how did a data analyst from the Ministry of Defense wind up on a battlestar on a mission to look for survivors on the other Colonies?"
Kendra leaned forward. "First of all Captain Adama and I weren't stationed on a battlestar. We were on the scientific ship the Penelope. And the mission was not specifically to look for survivors, but to assess the damage done to the planets by the Cylons from a scientific point of view."
"You didn't answer my question, Lieutenant Shaw. How did you wind up on the mission?"
"My mother suggested it, sir."
Porter bristled slightly. "Please don't call me sir. I am a woman, not a man and I am not in the military."
"Sorry, ma'am," Kendra said.
"Is your mother Marta Shaw, Caprica's representative to the Quorum?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"I understand there were quite a few volunteers for the mission, most of which were equally or more qualified. They were turned down. Did your mother exert her influence to get you assigned to the Penelope?"
"You would need to ask her, ma'am. We didn't discuss that part of it."
Sarah Porter exchanged looks with Marta Shaw. Lee thought Porter was going to ask her but apparently changed her mind. She continued questioning Kendra.
"Many young women would resent an influential mother's meddling in their careers. Did you resent your mother's decision that you should go?"
Lee could feel the anger radiating from Kendra even though she hadn't moved a muscle. He wished he could tell her not to let Sarah Porter get to her, but he knew even a whisper would be picked up by the microphone and broadcast to the room.
Kendra took a deep breath. "Yes, ma'am. I did resent it at first. Then I thought about it and realized it would look good on my record when it came time for promotion so I agreed to go. It was actually a very smart move career-wise. And I've finally grown up enough to acknowledge that my mother is sometimes right about what's best for me."
Kendra turned and smiled sweetly at her mother who returned the smile.
Oh, bravo, Lee thought. Kendra had turned Porter's prying question around. He knew Porter was trying to provoke Kendra and get an emotional response. Kendra had given her one, just not the response that Porter was trying to get. Lee was fairly sure that this one had gone in their favor when he saw the corner's of Judge Thorne's mouth twitch slightly as he suppressed a smile. A child acknowledging a parent's wisdom was a hit with the judge.
Porter said, "So your real motive for going on the mission was to further your career in the military. Correct?"
"Yes, ma'am, and to serve in whatever capacity my superior officers saw fit."
"What about you, Lieutenant Saunders? Did someone volunteer you to go or were you assigned to the mission?"
Saunders leaned forward. "Neither, ma'am. I volunteered on my own."
"And your motives?"
"I was hoping that we'd find survivors on the other planets. My family was on vacation on Picon when the Cylons attacked."
"Why weren't you with them?"
"I was at camp."
"So you lost your entire family in the holocaust?"
"Yes, ma'am. My immediate family. I have an uncle and aunt on Caprica. I lived with them after…"
"And you, Lieutenant Adama? Excuse me, Captain Adama. How did you wind up on the mission?"
"My father asked me to do it, ma'am."
"Your father being Admiral William Adama."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And how did you feel about his request?"
"I didn't have any strong feelings one way or the other. In the military…"
Porter cut him off. "So basically what we've got here is one volunteer who wanted to find his family, one who allowed herself to be volunteered by her politically ambitious mother, and the admiral's son who didn't care about the mission one way or the other."
Judge Thorne finally spoke up. "I think that's a bit harsh, Representative Porter."
"We should know how they all felt at the time. It's germane to their actions later."
Lee spoke up. "If I might finish my sentence, sir."
Thorne nodded. "Go ahead."
"I don't want my next comment to be taken as an example of us versus them, but the military is different from civilian life in that we obey orders. That's drilled into every recruit from day one and into every officer from his or her first day at the Academy or Officer's Candidate School. The military runs on orders. What Representative Porter didn't allow me to finish saying was that after I considered the assignment, I was glad for the opportunity and accepted it with a sense of responsibility. Lieutenant Shaw and I were assigned to be the liaison officers between the military and the civilian contingent of scientists headed by Dr. Langley Nylund. We spent part of our time on the Penelope and part of our time on the Galactica but we were based on the Penelope. It was our honor and privilege to work with both Dr. Nylund and Commander Cain."
There was a low murmuring from the rear of the room as everyone waited for Sarah Porter to continue. She apparently had nothing further to say. Lee felt like they had won this round with her, but he also knew she wasn't through.
Tom Zarek was the one who picked up the questioning.
"Captain Adama, were you also the liaison officers between the military and any civilians on the planets you visited?"
"There were no civilians alive on any of the planets we visited except Tauron."
"And how were you ordered to act between the civilians on Tauron and the military?"
"We weren't given direct orders to function in any official liaison capacity regarding the citizens of Tauron."
"Why were you visiting the planet, or were you just joy-riding around in the atmosphere?"
"No, sir. Our mission is stated in the report."
"Restate it please, for everyone who is here today. What were your orders? Why were you on Tauron?"
"We discovered that five years ago the Cylons didn't use nuclear devices on Tauron because of the large deposits of tylium in the northern part of the planet, tylium that they needed to fuel their ships. Since you were released from prison early and pardoned in order to…"
Zarek interrupted him. "We're all aware of that part Captain Adama. Please stick with the facts of your mission. What were you doing on the surface of the planet?"
Lee felt Kendra give him a mental high-five. Zarek had stopped him but Lee had managed to get Zarek's former prisoner status into the record and he had reminded everyone in the room of it including the panel. He continued.
"We were ordered to get voter registration lists as well as birth and death lists."
"Who gave you that order?"
"Commander Cain."
"Why?"
"We're not allowed the luxury of questioning why a superior officer gives us an order. You would have to ask Commander Cain."
Kendra spoke up. "We later heard that a civilian team could use the lists to determine the percentage of survivors but we weren't told that at the time. They were also looking for causes of death following the holocaust."
Zarek made a note. "Did you obtain these lists?"
"No, sir."
"What prevented you from obtaining them?"
"Several things."
"Please tell us," Zarek said with forced politeness.
"The first place we visited was a little town called Lindeford. After determining that it was deserted, Lieutenant Shaw and I were preparing to look in a building we thought was the town hall when we were attacked by wolves. Another crew member was injured. We immediately returned to the Galalctica to get medical attention for him. Commander Cain determined that it was too dangerous to go back to that town especially since everyone had either died or left it."
"That incident wasn't covered in the report," Sarah Porter said. "Why?"
"It was written up in a separate report. It occurred a day earlier."
Zarek interrupted. "I'd like to request access to that report also."
"For what reason?" Judge Thorne asked.
"Because it involved two of the three people who were involved in the incident we're investigating. It goes to their state of mind on the day in question."
Thorne wrote something on a piece of paper and passed it to a clerk who left the room with it.
Zarek continued. "Did you obtain any of the lists you were sent for?"
"No sir, we were only able to look for the lists in Quanniq. We found that all records pertaining to births, deaths and voter registration were missing."
"Missing?" Zarek sounded amazed.
"Yes, sir. We found the file cabinets where the paper copies were stored in the courthouse. The folders were empty. The electronic records had been destroyed by the Cylons when they bombed the capital city of Hypatia."
"How many trips did you make to the planet?"
"Two, sir. On consecutive days."
Jacob Cantrell asked, "The crew consisted of you three?"
"Yes, sir. The crew member injured the previous day was medivaced back to Caprica since Dr. Cottle thought a specialist should look at his injuries."
"And his place was taken by Lieutenant"…he glanced at the page in front of him…"Saunders?"
"Yes, sir."
"What ship did you take to the planet?"
Lee continued to answer since Cantrell seemed to be addressing his questions to him. "A Raptor."
"Who was at the controls?"
"I was."
"I thought you listed a Viper as the ship you fly."
"I'm qualified on both."
"Lieutenant Saunders is listed as a Raptor pilot. Why wasn't he at the controls?"
Lee deferred to Saunders who said, "I was functioning as ECO and navigator for Captain Adama who is not trained on those functions in a Raptor."
"Can you tell those of us not in the military what ECO stands for and what an ECO does?"
"ECO stands for Electronic Countermeasures Officer. ECMs are devices that are designed to confuse the enemy such as electronic jamming of the enemy communication signals or deployment of countermeasures to confuse enemy missiles."
"In other words, you went to the planet with the anticipation of needing such measures against an enemy."
"No, sir," Saunders said. "I was along to function as the communications officer between the Raptor and the Galactica. Also as the navigator and the copilot. None of us anticipated needing any countermeasures."
"Let's move on," Judge Thorne said. "These officers have already answered questions as to their occupations and what they were doing."
Lee could tell that Zarek didn't like the judge's directive, but he chose not to challenge it. He continued.
"Lieutenant Shaw, please tell us about the day after the incident with the wolves."
"We went to the planet's surface to visit four towns, Ember Pass, Quanniq which is the capital of the province and two other towns called Haida and Katarin. Ember Pass was the closest so we went there first and determined that it was deserted just like Lindeford."
"How did you determine that it was deserted?" Sarah Porter asked.
Saunders said, "Our infrared scanners picked up no indication of heat from any buildings or vehicles. We also had a visual. Captain Adama flew low over the town. The roads were deep in snow. After what had happened the day before in Lindeford, we made the decision not to land. We went on to Quanniq where the tylium mines are located. We knew we'd find people there."
Zarek asked, "So you just dropped out of the sky over Quanniq in a military ship?"
Lee leaned forward. Zarek knew it was no surprise. Besides being in the report, Zarek had been in touch with August Bernard.
"No, sir. Lieutenant Gaeta, the Tactical Officer aboard the Galactica, had arranged for us to land at the same facility where the tylium shuttles land. We were expected."
"And that's where you met Mr. August Bernard?"
"Yes, sir. Kendra…Lieutenant Shaw and I met Mr. Bernard. Lieutenant Saunders stayed on board the Raptor."
"Why did Lieutenant Saunders stay on board the ship?" Cantrell asked.
Lee didn't want to tell them the real reason which was that they didn't trust Zarek's group of criminals who ran the facility.
Lee said, "It's standard military procedure to leave a crewman with the ship when we're at a civilian facility. We followed protocol."
Zarek directed his next question to Kendra. "Lieutenant Shaw, what was your first impression of August Bernard?"
They had all agreed beforehand that they wouldn't say anything derogatory about August Bernard since it might make the panel think they had a motive for their actions.
Kendra said, "He was pleasant to us. He claimed that he hadn't been informed that we needed transportation into town. Lieutenant Gaeta had communicated with the air traffic controllers but they had apparently not informed Mr. Bernard."
"How far is it to town?" Sarah Porter asked.
Lee answered. "Approximately fourteen miles."
Zarek asked, "Were you not able to visit the town then?"
Again Lee replied knowing that Zarek had known the answer long before he read it in the report.
"Mr. Bernard loaned us his truck."
"My question for you, Lieutenant Shaw," Zarek said harshly, "is when did you decided to shoot a man who was nice to you to the point of loaning you his truck, his personal vehicle, to visit the town of Quanniq?"
His question was unexpected and Lee could tell had gotten to Kendra. She looked stricken for a moment and didn't say anything.
"Answer the question, please, Lieutenant Shaw."
Kendra took a deep breath and answered as calmly as she could. "I made that decision when he pointed a Skorpian assault pistol at Captain Adama's head and threatened to pull the trigger?"
The room erupted in loud murmurs. Judge Thorne banged his gavel and demanded quiet.
By skipping over everything that had led up to it, Zarek had made Kendra look guilty of murder. All the information was in the report, but Zarek was attempting to put them on trial in front of those assembled in the room. Lee knew the media was eating it up.
As soon as the room had quieted, Lee addressed the judge. "Your honor, if I might explain, several hours passed between us meeting Mr. Bernard and the shooting in question. It didn't happen until after our Raptor was shot down by a Cylon Heavy Raider that was carrying Mr. Bernard. It was clearly evident that they were trying to kill not just me, but all of us."
Another round of murmurs and another admonition from Judge Thorne for quiet.
Zarek said, "I'd like to present another scenario for what happened since Mr. August Bernard could have had no possible reason to try to kill these officers."
Lee felt a cold lump begin to form in the pit of his stomach. There was a cold, hard glitter in Tom Zarek's eyes. Maybe he was trying to avenge one of his own or maybe he still wanted a measure of revenge against the government of which he was now striving to become a part. Or maybe it was more personal. During the Second Cylon War, William Adama, then the Commander of the Galactica, had refused to let Zarek leave Caprican airspace in John Gallagher's ship which he and his fellow prisoners had hijacked. Because of Bill Adama, Zarek had spent three more years in prison.
For whatever reason, Lee knew that once Zarek began talking, things would not look good for him or Kendra or Saunders.
"You may present your theory since that's why we convened this inquiry," Judge Thorne told Zarek, "but keep it brief please and no theatrics."
Zarek's voice took on an aggrieved tone. "I spoke with Mr. Bernard on the day he was murdered. He said that he was concerned that the three officers in the Raptor were going to try to visit an area where a storm was moving in and that they would get in trouble due to the weather." Zarek looked at Lee. "You were headed for Haida, were you not?"
"We were, but we never told Mr. Bernard our destination."
"Then how did he know it, Captain Adama?"
"He was behind us in that Heavy Raider and they were tracking us on dradis."
"Mr. Bernard had no knowledge of how to track a ship on dradis," Zarek said matter of factly. "He was a civilian."
Saunders spoke up. "He was with two centurions. They knew how."
"The only function of those centurions was to fly that ship. I think that Mr. Bernard came to your aid after Captain Adama, a Viper pilot who was trying to pilot a Raptor, a ship with which he is not familiar, made a mistake and had to crash land, seriously injuring Lieutenant Saunders. I contend that you killed August Bernard, a man whose only thought was to try to help you, to cover up Captain Adama's mistake and save his career."
"That's a lie!" Kendra said hotly. "He was going to kill Lee because he thought we'd learned something at the courthouse, something you didn't want anyone to know. You ordered him to follow us in that Cylon ship and shoot us down. You're the one responsible for August Bernard's death. You! Not us!"
For the first time Lee saw a flicker of doubt in Zarek's eyes, but he had started down a path from which there was no turning back.
"That's a very flimsy and pathetic excuse, Lieutenant Shaw. You just finished telling me that you didn't find anything at the courthouse. No lists. Why would Mr. Bernard want to kill you for something you didn't find?"
Mateo Oraibi's death list had not been included in the official report because it had not been covered under their orders, but Lee had to use that information now or run the risk of letting the panel be swayed by Zarek. He spoke up.
"We didn't find anything at the courthouse, Mr. Zarek, but we weren't returning empty handed. A woman in the district attorney's office directed us to someone in town who had been keeping a list of everyone in Quanniq who had died after the Cylons destroyed the main cities. His records contain names and dates of death. He allowed us to scan his list into my computer. Even though the computer was damaged when the centurions in Mr. Bernard's Heavy Raider shot us down, a technician here on Caprica was able to retrieve the data."
Zarek's face had blanched slightly. "Why wasn't that in the report? There was no mention of a death list in the report?"
"It wasn't covered by our orders and it's not official. At the time we thought the computer had been damaged to the point that nothing could be obtained from it. It wasn't until we got it back to Caprica that a technician was able to extract the list. Every name will need to be verified, but when it is, we'll know who died in Quanniq and more importantly when they died."
Zarek blustered. "You could be making this up in another attempt to save your career. We have only your word that the list even exists."
Behind him Lee heard Romo Lampkin's distinct accent. "Oh, the list exists, Mr. Zarek. I've got a copy of it. My office has been asked to look into the possibility that someone on your staff in Quanniq might have falsified the petition that got you appointed to the Quorum as Tauron's representative. If that someone was Mr. August Bernard, then he would have every reason to try to stop that Raptor from reaching the Galactica with those names."
"I don't believe it," Zarek said in the aggrieved tone he had mastered so well.
Lampkin addressed Judge Thorne, "Your honor, if I might be allowed to continue. I'll be brief."
"I certainly wouldn't deny our Attorney General his say in this inquiry. Take as much time as you need, Mr. Lampkin."
Lampkin smiled. "Thank you, your honor. Mr. Zarek, you told us that you spoke with Mr. Bernard that afternoon and discussed a storm that might endanger Captain Adama's ship. Is not the truth that the storm you spoke of was the one you were afraid would end your political career if it were proved you'd presented a falsified petition to President Adar last year?"
"My men obtained every signature on that petition from a registered voter in Quanniq," Zarek said.
"Obtained them or copied them? Did they use the voter registration lists they stole from the courthouse? Thousands of names would have been available to them for the entire northern province. I contend, Mr. Zarek, that when the death list is checked against your petition, we'll find that a number of Quanniq's citizens managed to sign your petition from beyond the grave."
The room erupted in murmurs again, louder this time.
Judge Thorne rapped his gavel. "These proceedings will recess for lunch. After lunch we will hear any more theories that might be proposed and the three officers will be available for any further questions."
The back row emptied quickly as the members of the press rushed out to file their stories. Tom Zarek glared at first Lampkin and then at Lee before rising from his chair and quickly exiting through the side door. Lee had no doubt that his bodyguard and fellow convict Meier was waiting for him.
Kendra put her face in her hands and shuddered. Saunders gently placed his palm on her back in a way that looked like one officer comforting another, but which Lee knew was much more. They had come very close to Zarek convincing the panel that his version of the story was the truth.
Lee turned. Playa Palacios had approached Lampkin and Marta Shaw. Lampkin waved her off with a pleasant, "Later. It's not over yet."
But it was and they all knew it. Lampkin looked up at Lee who mouthed My Hero. It caused Lampkin to smile broadly. When the room cleared out, Marta Shaw walked over to her daughter and embraced her. Kendra had tears in her eyes. Major Parker and Vladimir Darren stood at the back talking quietly and looking relieved.
Sarah Porter and Jacob Cantrell had followed Zarek and also quickly departed through the side door. Judge Thorne was carefully and precisely stacking the papers in front of him. Coretta Howliss got up slowly from her seat and stepped down from the dais. She shook Lee's hand and said, "Cha d'dhùin doras nach d'fhosgail doras."
Lee shook his head. "I'm not a scholar of languages."
"No door closes without another opening. It is something my mother said to me many times as we saw our lands taken by the tylium consortiums. She was a member of the people of the north as am I. As is my nephew Mateo."
"If it hadn't been for his list, we'd have been in deep trouble right now. Tom Zarek is charismatic and persuasive."
"You'll get the chance to repay Mateo's favor. Our shaman has seen it."
"Seen what?" Lee asked skeptically.
"A storm is coming, Captain Adama. There are members of my people and yours and all of the twelve tribes on another world who will be engulfed by it. I think that you must help them. I think that you will."
"I'm sure we'll be ready if anything happens."
"You must come and dine with us. Our shaman is wise. He knows many things."
Lee smiled. "It would be an honor. Could I bring my girlfriend? She's a real believer in Oracles and their prophecies. I'm sure she'd like your shaman."
"Bring anyone you like including Lieutenant Saunders and Lieutenant Shaw. Next Saturday evening."
She took a small piece of paper from the folder she carried and gave it to him. It contained only an address on a street Lee was unfamiliar with.
Lee realized that he'd have a hard time backing out now. He smiled. "What time?"
"Seven o'clock. You don't need to wear your uniform. We're very casual. Some of the older ones still wear our native dress, but the younger ones wear jeans."
Lee thought of Maya and Hunter. "Would it be all right if I brought one other couple? Kara and I have a friend who's…new to Caprica City. He's staying with me."
"Of course. Bring as many as you'd like. There will be room for all of you. That address is our meeting hall. Our small delegation dines there every Saturday evening."
As Coretta Howliss exited the side door, Kendra called to Lee, "Time for lunch. You coming or not?"
"Sure," Lee said.
He put the slip of paper with the address in his pocket and turned to join his friends. As they exited the building into the bright sunlight of a beautiful day, he felt a profound sense of relief. It was only temporary, he knew, but for the moment it felt good. The shaman was right. A storm was coming, but not today.
TBC…