Simon Given walked down the winding corridors of the Battlestar Orion. He felt nervous. He had waited for this moment for so long and now it was here, he was finally going to have some form of revenge. He knew it would most likely be the last thing he ever did, but he didn't care any more. He had spent time with his best friend, Kal the day before and felt at peace with what he was going to do. If Kal had any kind of idea what Simon had signed up for, he would have talked him out of it. Part of him wanted to witness what was going to happen in the coming days, the NCO were about to put their plan into action and take the people to their new home, a home he would never see. He missed his old life on Delta Seven, life was simple back then, he had a job that he was good at and friends that he enjoyed being around. Then Kelly came into his life, now he knew she had been a Cylon but he didn't care, she had wanted to be with him, she must have, as being with him gave her no advantage, no knowledge or information that she would have been able to use against the humans. He missed her so much. He had been so full of hate and anger since she had been taken from him, taken by another Cylon who now lived on this ship as a member of the crew, it made him sick. His right hand gripped a knife in his pocket, the means by which he would have his revenge. As he walked into the memorial corridor he saw his target looking at a photograph of a lost friend. Simon took a deep breath and walked towards the man he was going to kill.
"Major Hunter." He said.
Archangel turned and looked at the young man approaching him.
"How can I help you specialist?" he replied with a smile.
"I have a message for you, your father says hello." He pulled the knife from his pocket and swung it at Archangel who dodged out of the way at the last second, the knife grazing his arm.
"I'm going to give you one chance to drop that knife." Archangel said.
"I gladly do this. Why do you get your Cylon and mine had to die? I'm going to make her feel the pain that she made me feel by killing you." Simon shouted.
He dived at Archangel slashing the knife wildly. Archangel grabbed the young man's hand and smashed it over his knee, breaking his wrist making him drop the knife. Simon grimaced with pain but stayed on his feet. He started to back away. As Carrie walked into the corridor the first she knew something was wrong was when Simon grabbed her by the neck with his one remaining good arm.
"Maybe killing your sister will work just as well." Simon said with a smile.
Carrie elbowed Simon in the stomach as hard as she could winding the young man and making him loose his grip on her. As Simon looked up at the young woman, she hit him in the face as hard as she could knocking him out cold.
"Are you okay?" Archangel asked coming over to her.
"I'm fine, are you?" she asked seeing the cut on his arm.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch."
"Why was he trying to kill you?" Carrie asked.
"Dad sent him." Archangel replied.
Bojay took a deep breath as he walked onto the CIC, this felt so strange, he didn't know if he was ever going to get used to it.
"XO ON DECK." One of the crewmen shouted.
Bojay watched as all the crew stood to attention.
"Please sit, you don't have to do that every time I walk on deck, in fact I'd prefer it if you didn't." Bojay said as they all sat down.
"Good morning Colonel." Garrett said with a smile.
"Good morning Commander," Bojay replied, "Any news on the searches?"
"No nothing yet, wherever he's hiding, he's dug in in well."
"Archangel is chomping at the bit to be let out into the fleet to find his father." Bojay replied.
"How are you doing?" Garrett asked.
"Me I'm fine why wouldn't I be?" Bojay replied with one of his trademark smiles.
"Maybe because the woman you were seeing, shot Colonel Rae not far from where you're standing and I don't think you hear me when I tell you it wasn't your fault." Garrett replied.
"I brought her onboard. I gave her access to the people on this ship, it is my fault."
As Garrett opened her mouth to speak Ensign Phillips spoke first.
"Commander sickbay has just informed me that Major Hunter has just been attacked by someone trying to kill him. They're stitching him up now."
"And the attacker?" Garrett asked.
"In sickbay as well having his injuries seen too before they transfer him to the brig."
"Wow Archangel actually left one of them alive." Garrett said.
"He must be slipping." Bojay replied with a smile as they both walked off the deck.
"Are you going to sit still?" Grace asked as she stitched up the cut on Archangel's arm, "You're worse than a child."
Archangel smiled before kissing her, "But you love me anyway."
Moments later Garrett and Bojay walked in.
"Are you okay?" Garrett asked.
"Yeah I'm fine. Good morning Colonel." Archangel said.
Bojay gave him a nervous smile.
"So who do we have here?" Garrett asked.
"Simon Given," Dr Hammond replied holding a data pad in her hands, "He was one of the crew we picked up on the Delta Seven mining base."
"What happened?" Bojay asked.
"He told me that my father had sent him to kill me." Archangel didn't intend on telling Grace what he had said about the Cylon she had killed, "I disarmed him and broke his wrist. Carrie appeared not knowing what was going on and he grabbed her and threatened to kill her instead. She elbowed him in the gut and then knocked him out. He's been out cold ever since."
"Bojay can you get all the former Delta Seven crew over here ASAP, I want to talk to them all." Garrett said.
"Yes ma'am." Bojay replied before walking away.
"Is your sister okay?" Garrett asked.
"Yeah she's fine, she kicked his ass real good, I can't help but say that I'm a little proud of her." Archangel said with a smile.
"Sergeant of the guard as soon as Dr Hammond has finished, take Mr Given to the brig and tell me as soon as he comes round." Garrett ordered.
"Yes ma'am." The burley Sergeant replied.
"Walk with me." Garrett said to Archangel.
"See you later." Grace said.
"I'll come see you if I get time to have any lunch." Archangel replied.
"Vannick and his squad have finished their sweeps through the Angel Star, everyone seems to be who they say they are and there is no sign of your father." Garrett said.
"Frak, I don't understand how he is being able to hide so well."
"It seems to me that he has a lot of people helping him, I fear that every time we get close he runs for it."
"I knew this would happen with a wide scale search." Archangel said.
"Trust me if I could let you run riot I would, but relations with the President are frosty at best right now."
"Do you want me to talk to him? Is he still aboard?"
"Yeah he's here, but he doesn't want to speak to either of us at the moment. We blind sided him and as Bojay so eloquently put it, we pissed on his corn flakes."
"I feel bad for some of the things I said to him, but to be honest I think he needed to hear them. He'll come around."
"I hope so."
"What about you? How are you with all of this?" Archangel asked.
"The last few months have been testing to say the least. I fear there are worse to come, I need to be around people though because when I'm alone at the moment I can't stop thinking about Mae. She stood in front of a bullet for me. I know people say oh I'd take a bullet for you but she really did."
"We may have had our differences in the past but she was a good XO. I knew how to press all her buttons and get a reaction, but sometimes when I'd try to piss her off she'd give me this smile when she thought I wasn't looking. She knew I wasn't being mean but I think she liked the fact that I had the balls to do that to her."
"You and Bojay," Garrett replied, "She used to tell me she could see it coming with you some of the time but there were times with Bojay, when he'd make some little comment to her out of the blue and she had to leave the room as she didn't want the crew to see her laughing. You know I don't know if I told you but I was grateful for what you did and what you were prepared to do for the safety of this fleet."
"It's my job."
"Still you went above and beyond with what you did, no matter what the President says."
"Thank you." Archangel replied giving her a smile.
"So have you chosen your new XO?" Garrett asked.
"Yes I have, I gave Wedge the good news this morning, I also decided to give Hydra lead raptor pilot and bumped Bria up to first seat."
"Who did you give her as an ECO?"
"Dumbass." Archangel replied.
Garrett laughed, "I still can't believe Jawbreaker gave that poor kid a call sign that bad."
"Well in Jawbreakers defence, he did give the kid a much better call sign, but he was whining about how he didn't like it. He was told it could always be changed for something worse but he didn't listen." Archangel said with a laugh.
Garrett laughed again.
"It's nice to hear you laugh, it's been far too long since I last heard it." Archangel said.
"I feel like it was before Commander Johannsen died."
"You know if you need to talk I'm here for you."
"I know and thank you."
As Hydra walked into the pilots briefing room she was surprised to see all her old crew from Delta Seven waiting for her. Kal smiled when he saw her and the giant man stood up and hugged her.
"It's so good to see you." She said.
"You too." He replied.
Moments later the Commander and Bojay walked into the room.
"Thank you all for coming so quickly." Garrett said.
"Ma'am Simon Given isn't here yet." Hydra replied.
"I know that Captain and he won't be joining us either." Garrett replied.
"Is he okay?" Kal asked fearing the worst.
"He's currently sat in the brig. About an hour ago he tried to murder Major Hunter and his sister." Vanessa replied.
"What?" Hydra asked, "Why would he do that?"
"He wouldn't." Kal replied.
"Well the fact remains he did and we have security footage of him doing it. He claims to have been sent by Mr Caprica and that he is NCO."
"Oh gods damn it!" Kal exclaimed.
"You're not surprised that he's NCO?" Bojay asked.
"Honestly no I'm not," Kal replied, "Since the Cylon he was fraking got killed he was in a downward spiral, he used to say he was going to make someone pay for what happened."
"And this didn't worry you?" Garrett asked.
"Have you seen him?" Kal asked, "He'd have trouble breaking dry pasta, let alone killing someone. It's that fraking Cavill, that's who got him involved in all this."
"Cavill?" Garrett asked.
"Yeah one of the survivors we picked up, he always gave me the creeps." Hydra said.
"He tried filling our heads with the fact that you were all bad guys. Saying the only way you could have survived is if you were in league with the Cylons. He tried to get us all to join the NCO." Kal said.
Bojay turned on one of the computer panels on the wall and called up a photograph, "Is this the man?" he asked.
"Yeah that's him." Kal replied.
"Frak me." Bojay said.
"What?" Hydra replied.
"He's a Cylon." Bojay replied.
"He can't be." Hydra said.
"Tell that to Archangel and all the other people who were with him on Sagittaron and Caprica." Bojay replied.
"Okay I need to ask you all a question and this is the time you want to answer it truthfully, it's the only time I'll be lenient," Garrett said, "Which of you are NCO?"
"I'm not." Kal said.
"Me either." Added Dash.
"I told him where to go." Jason said.
All eyes turned to Hydra, "I'm not NCO," she paused, "Anymore."
"When were you NCO?" Garrett asked.
"Firstly I was in a bad place when you picked us up. I'd just moped up the brains of one of the closest friends I'd ever had and I was feeling weak. When Cavill came to me I said yes." Hydra said.
"What did you do for them?" Garrett asked.
"Do you remember the leaflets that came out the first time you heard of the NCO?"
"Yes." Garrett replied.
"I did one leaflet drop on this ship. I severed all ties with them after the incident on the planet. I knew something wasn't right before that, but with what happened and with Scud as well, I didn't want anything else to do with them." Hydra said.
"You were the one having a relationship with Scud?" Bojay asked suddenly realising.
Hydra nodded her head, "Yes I was and when they took him from me I was so angry all over again." She began to cry as she talked, "He was such a good man."
"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Garrett asked.
"Are you kidding me?! Anyone who admitted to having had anything to do with the NCO after what they've done to this fleet would have woken up floating through space without their suit on."
"Do you have any way of contacting Cavill?" Garrett asked.
Hydra shook her head, "No, but I'm sure I could find him if I needed to."
"I do." Jason said. All eyes turned to him, "I can get in touch with him."
Galen Hunter was starting to get cabin fever, but he knew that he didn't have long to wait now. He looked out of the window in his small temporary quarters and saw the Battlestar Orion. All the other ships, with the exception of the Starburst looked so small in comparison. He wondered what his son and his daughter were doing aboard right at that moment. He knew Orion was making it's way through all the ships of the fleet trying to flush him out, so far, he had managed to avoid them. A space between the walls of his quarters had been ample hiding place when Orion's marines had come knocking. They had been less than a foot away from him and still didn't find him. Regular updates were being ferried to him from his men as the progress of the preparation of the fleet was coming together. He knew that in two days at the most, he wouldn't have to hide any more, he would be leaving with "his" fleet. He turned as, John Cavill walked into his quarters.
"Any news?" Galen asked.
John nodded and smiled, "We have only five ships left to call in and then we're just waiting on Orion."
"Excellent." He replied.
"There has been one interesting development though. Adam Grayson's assistant caught him trying to get a message to Commander Garrett, it would appear that he's been working against us all this time."
"Son of a bitch, where is he?"
"In his quarters under guard."
"This may be useful."
"How so?" John asked.
"They want to find me right? So why don't I turn up dead? That should keep them distracted and away from us for the last few hours that we need."
"But they know what Adam Grayson looks like."
"So we make sure they don't recognise him, make sure that any tests they make to identify the body, will take them a while." he said with an evil grin.
"How do you want to go about this?" John asked.
"We need to do it so it's seen by Orion. We lead them to me, make sure they see me enter an area and then see an explosion."
"Are you sure you want to risk bringing them here?" John asked surprised.
Galen nodded, "Now we just need to lure them here."
"What about his daughter?" John asked.
"We take her with us when we leave."
The President stood with Commander Garrett outside the pilots briefing room.
"Before we go in there we need to talk." Garrett said.
"That depends on what you have to say." Milo replied curtly.
"I stand by Major Hunter. I believe we need him to survive and nothing is going to change that, no matter what. I know we differ on our opinions on that. But I do not want there to be any bad blood between us. We are the leaders of this fleet and we need to show a united front." Vanessa replied.
Milo smiled, "We don't agree, but the more I've been thinking about it the more I realise we do need him. We're okay Commander, now lets do this. After you." He said opening the door for her. Garrett smiled before walking inside. The Delta Seven crew along with Bojay and Archangel were waiting.
"Mr President, Commander." Archangel said.
"Major, good to see you." Milo replied.
"Okay let's cut to the chase," Garrett said, "How do you get in touch with him?"
Jason cleared his throat, "I have a number to call, I've never used it though."
"Is it a direct number?" Milo asked.
"As far as I'm aware." Jason said.
"I don't mean to be the one to ruin the party but do you not think this may look a little suspect?" Archangel asked.
"How so Major?" Milo asked.
"Jason doesn't use this number at all until now after all that's happened?! They're going to piece it together and realise that it's us behind it." Archangel replied.
"He has a point." Bojay added.
"Here's what we know, they've got some master plan and they're about to put into play. We've been searching the fleet and still we can't find him or anyone else that can point us to the NCO. We have no idea where they are, they always seem to be one step ahead of us. I think you're right Archangel but I think we have to try this." Garrett said.
"What do you want me to say to him?" Jason asked.
"What do you do in the fleet?" Archangel asked.
"I work in the hanger bay of the Starburst." Jason replied.
"Tell him you're disillusioned with your job, you're wanting more from your life in the fleet and you're a supporter of the NCO. Tell him that you've been thinking about it for a while and you've made your mind up. Try and get him to meet you somewhere the more public the better, if he or anyone else turns up we show our faces and take them into custody." Archangel answered.
"If this all works, I don't want any more deaths." Milo said.
"Understood." Archangel replied knowing that comment was aimed at him.
"When do you want me to make the call?" Jason asked.
"Straight away." Garrett replied, "You can do it from here, we can have the call redirected so it looks like it's coming from the Starburst in case they try to trace it."
Bojay pointed to one of the handsets hanging on the wall. Jason took a deep breath before walking up to the phone and typing in the number. There was absolute silence while he was waiting to be connected. He hoped how nervous he felt wouldn't be heard in his voice.
"Hello John?" Jason said.
"Who is this?" John's voice came over the loud speaker so everyone in the room could hear him.
"It's Jason from Delta Seven." He replied.
"Jason yes it is John, I haven't heard from you in quite some time, how can I help you?"
"I was hoping I could meet up with you, if you have the time?"
"I'm very busy at the moment Jason, I have some very busy days coming up. Is it anything we can talk about over the phone?"
"You told me that if I ever wanted to join the N.."
John cut him off before he could finish what he was saying, "Jason my boy that's not something we should discuss on the phone. Can you come to the Phoenix Flame and meet me in cabin 38 on H deck in shall we say, three hours?"
"Of course, yes I can." Jason replied.
"Then I'll see you in three hours." John said.
"I'll look forward to it."
As Jason put the phone down, "Was that convincing enough?"
"We'll find out in three hours." Garrett replied.
"Colonel Johnson, Major Hunter get a team together." Garrett said.
"Yes ma'am." They said in unison.
As John put the phone down he knew this was going to be a set up, but he also knew this could work to their advantage. He really hoped that this plan Galen had been putting together for all this time was going to work. Not just because his very existence hung in the balance but also because, he had actually come to enjoy the company of the man he had been working with all this time. He was beginning to think they would be able to make a go of it once they were safely away. That was until at least Cylons found them, either way he had a comfortable life. As he walked back into Galen's cabin he had a smile on his face.
"I've just had a very interesting call." John said, "It would appear that one of the old Delta Seven crew wants to meet up with me to discuss joining the NCO."
"We can always use another member." Galen replied.
"I haven't spoken to him in a very long time and then just after we send his friend to try and kill your son, he calls. I do believe we're being set up."
"Of course, have you said you'll meet with him?" Galen asked.
John nodded, "In the very same quarters Adam Grayson is currently sitting in. Should I start having the room rigged with explosives?"
"Yes, this is the perfect opportunity to give them a body." Galen smiled, "If this final phase works, we'll be kings of our own fleet in a matter of days."
"And not a moment too soon." John replied.
Kal finally managed to catch up with the Commander.
"Commander Garrett may I have a word please?" the giant man asked.
"Of course." She replied with a smile.
"I would like to ask your permission to talk to Simon?" Kal asked.
"I'm not sure that's the best idea, he's not saying a word to anyone." Garrett replied.
"He'll talk to me," Kal said, "We've been good friends for a long time now, he tells me everything. If I can find out what he's been doing then maybe it can help you and I can start to understand where his head is if you know what I mean?"
"Can I ask you, would you ever expect him to do something like this?" Garrett asked.
"Before Kelly died no. He was a gentle man. That's one of the reasons we get on so well, he's like a little brother to me, someone who I need to look out for. Please Commander, you have my word I'll tell you everything he says to me."
"Okay." She replied.
"Thank you."
Simon Given lay on his cot in his cell in the brig. The painkillers the doctor had given him had worked well on his arm. This was not where he expected to be after he attacked Archangel. He thought he would be dead. He looked up as the door opened and Kal walked in.
"Go away." Simon said.
"Not until you talk to me. What the frak happened?" Kal asked.
"I think you know, I tried to kill someone and I fraked it up good and proper." Simon replied.
"I know you've been depressed but why go to these lengths?"
"Because I wanted someone else to feel as bad as I did, the NCO offered me that chance so I took it." Simon yelled.
"You should have come and talked to me. I thought we were friends."
"We are friends, you're the best friend I've ever had and that's why I couldn't tell you. Anyway you should be grateful that they didn't let me do what I actually wanted to do."
"Which was what exactly?" Kal asked.
"Walk on Orion's CIC with a bomb attached to me and kill them all."
"I'm sorry I let you down." Kal said in utter shock.
"How the frak did you let me down? Please enlighten me?"
"I should have been there for you more, I should have listened to my gut which told me things still weren't right with you, no matter what you told me."
"The fact remains I'm not the same person you knew on Delta Seven, I'm a frak up who doesn't care whether or not he lives or dies."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? It's true."
"No it's not. You're someone who is in pain."
"So how about you get to the point of why you're here?" Simon asked coldly.
"I need you to tell me about the NCO, who did you get your orders from? Where did you meet with them? That kind of thing."
"Do me a favour Kal, walk out of that door and don't come back."
"You need to tell me because the next person who asks won't be as polite."
"Like I've already told you I don't care what happens to me any more, I have nothing left to offer the world and I'm sick of waiting for some kind of justice that will never happen. Please if you really are my friend, leave me alone."
Kal stood up, "If you change your mind and want to talk I'll come back whenever you need. You may have given up, but I'm not giving up on you."
Adam Grayson sat in silence as he waited for the execution he expected would be coming. The armed guard sat with him hadn't said a word. Someone else had been in a short time before for less than thirty seconds and left a bag behind, inside he assumed would be the tools of his death. He didn't fear dying, just what they may do to his daughter now they knew was a traitor. The door opened and Galen Hunter walked in followed by John.
"Well haven't you been a busy boy? Who would have known you had the balls to be a double agent." Galen said.
"What you're doing is wrong." Adam replied.
"Delivering people to a promised home is wrong?" Galen asked.
"You're doing this to boost your ego. You want power since the Cylons took what you had away from you when they attacked. That's all this is."
Galen smiled, "So that's why you betrayed us?"
"The things you've done are wrong, the way you treat people is wrong and you know that. I know who you are, I know who you were before they attacked. The people of this fleet may have thought you were a titan of industry and a great humanitarian but if they knew the truth, it wouldn't just be your son hunting you down."
"So what if I want some power? Some respect? I fraking earned it," Galen replied, "I created thousands of jobs across the Colonies, gave billions away to help people. For fraks sake nearly two thirds of this fleet was bought and paid for with MY money, so yeah I deserve some fraking power and respect."
"You should have just run in the elections to become President the people would have probably voted you in because of your public persona. Oh wait no you couldn't because if you did they your son, the trained killer would have found out that you left his mother and his brother behind on Caprica to die."
Galen backhanded Adam as hard as he could across the face.
"How dare you speak of my wife and son like that, you haven't got a clue what happened." Galen snarled.
"Really? Because I was under the impression that you turned tail and ran for a shuttle when you could have gone back to get them and as it turns out have enough time to still get safely off planet. I wonder what your son will do when he finds out?"
"Well he's never going to because by this time tomorrow we'll be gone to out new home and you'll be dead." Galen replied.
"He won't stop till he's found you."
"Well as far as my son is concerned, by the time we jump away he'll think I am dead. If and when he finds out otherwise, we'll be long gone and they won't have a chance in hell of finding us."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Adam said.
"I would." Galen replied standing up and walking towards the door. He stopped and turned, "Just so you know your daughter, she'll be coming with us, why make her pay for your treachery?" Galen laughed as he left the room.
"See you in hell." Adam said.
"Once we've landed we're going to have to move fast," Archangel said, "If they catch wind we're onto them, they'll be gone again before we can do anything about it, that is of course if they're there at all. I'm going to take a squad of eight marines led by Sergeant Vannick and we are going to capture any NCO we find and bring them back to Orion for interrogation."
"If they're waiting for us or if we catch them by surprise, we expect heavy resistance." Bojay said.
"So you're expecting a fire fight?" Milo asked.
"We expect they won't give up without a fight." Bojay replied.
"Do you have any non lethal ordinance?" Milo asked.
"Yeah leg shots." Archangel replied.
"Very funny Major, I'm serious, rubber bullets or something?" Milo said.
Garrett saw that Archangel was about to speak and judging by the look on his face it would probably be something he would regret.
"Mike Campbell has actually come up with some new rounds for us at my request," Garrett said, "When someone is hit with them it pierces the skin and sends a knock out charge incapacitating them."
"What if someone were to shoot to close to the heart and the target was shocked there?" Bojay asked.
"That's why there is no such thing as non lethal ordinance, anything can kill, even the force from a blank firing pistol if you press it up against someone's forehead or temple." Archangel replied.
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience." Milo said.
"I've killed people with much less than a blank firing pistol." Archangel replied with a sarcastic grin.
"Gentlemen please can we concentrate on the task at hand." Garrett said.
"Yes Commander." Archangel replied.
"Okay, I want all rifles to be loaded with the new rounds and give all the marines instructions to try not to make head or chest shots." Garrett said.
"Yes ma'am."
"I also want you to have head cameras so we can see what's going on." Garrett said.
"No problem." Archangel replied.
The hanger deck was busy as usual. Archangel met with Vannick and the other marines, who were ready to go.
"Everything ready?" Archangel asked.
"Sure is," Vannick replied, "We've got an addition to the team as well."
Vannick stepped aside to reveal Skeeter standing dressed in marine garb.
"What's going on?" Archangel asked.
Skeeter sighed, "The President insisted I join the team, apparently he wants someone else watching your back."
"I've already got plenty of people to watch my back." Archangel replied.
"Don't worry about me, I've fought centurions, I can take on some humans." Skeeter replied with a smile before getting onto the shuttle.
As the marines got aboard Hydra and Bria arrived.
"Ready to get going?" Hydra asked.
"We sure are." Archangel replied getting onboard himself.
As the two raptor pilots headed to the cockpit Archangel joined the rest of the marines and Skeeter in the passenger area.
"Okay here's the plan, as soon as we touch down we activate our scramblers, that way any cameras or NCO with walkies, won't be able to see us or warn anyone else we're coming. The bridge crew don't know were coming. Quite rightly so the Commander is worried about who on board is on our side. Chances are we will run into ships security, those who are on our side will back down. We're all using the new non lethal rounds, I'm instructed to tell you not to make head or chest shots as they can kill," None of the marines looked impressed by this, "Your side arms should be loaded with the real deal though, should you need to use them, use them, I'll take any fall out. You all know what Mr Caprica looks like, under no circumstances is he to be killed. I've recently found out that he's my father, this isn't why I don't want him dead. He's the leader of the NCO and we need to question him."
The marines nodded in response.
As the President walked onto the CIC everyone was preparing for the assault.
"Mr President, we'll be able to watch everything as it happens over here." Commander Garrett said walking over to the giant viewing screen.
"Very good Commander." He replied.
Garrett put on her head set as the cameras from the assault team started to power up.
"Archangel this is Orion Actual can you hear me?" Garrett asked.
"Loud and clear Orion Actual, we will be touching down momentarily." Archangel replied over the COM.
Moments after the shuttle touched down in the hanger bay, Archangel led the marines and Skeeter out quickly and quietly. The few members of the ships deck gang backed away as they saw the marines run past them. They moved quickly and silently through the ships decks, people moving out of their way without a word as they passed. As they reached the elevator that would take them to H deck they noticed ships security for the first time.
"What the frak is going on?" the security officer bellowed, "You don't have authority to be running around here armed like that."
Archangel didn't respond, he raised his rifle and shot all three officers with the knock out rounds."
"Well look at that, they do work after all." He said.
The marines all chuckled as they got into the elevator.
"Major, this is Orion Actual was that necessary?" Garrett asked over the COM.
"We don't have time to be explaining ourselves." Archangel replied, "We're about to reach H deck, treat everyone we come across as hostile and put them down. Going silent."
All the marines and Skeeter nodded.
The whole CIC watched in silence as Archangel led his squad out of the elevator. As he walked he shot two people with knock out rounds before they had time to even realise he was there. Archangel kept looking at the numbers on the door of the suites. As he turned back around he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Oh my gods." Garrett said.
Standing in front of the squad, further down the hall stood Galen Hunter.
"Hello son." He said and smiled.
Archangel raised his weapon.
"You are under arrest. Put your hands in the air and do not move." Archangel ordered angrily.
"I'm sorry son, I can't do that." He replied before turning and moving quickly into cabin 38.
"Son of a bitch." Archangel replied as he took off at full pelt.
"Archangel wait!" Vannick shouted. As the words left his mouth there was an explosion from cabin 38 which blew the door off into the corridor and knocked Archangel against the wall and the others to the ground.
"Archangel this is Orion Actual do you copy?" Garrett said having seen the whole thing on the screen in front of her, she knew he was a lot closer to the explosion that the other, "Archangel come in, Vannick can you hear me?"
"Orion Actual this is Vannick we're okay, I'm going to check on Archangel." He said.
They watched as Vannick got to his feet, they could tell he was swaying a little as he moved as fast as he could towards Archangel. Garrett's heart was in her mouth and she couldn't breathe. Vannick turned Archangel over, there was a little blood coming from a few small cuts on his face but they couldn't tell how badly injured he was.
"Archangel are you okay?" they heard Vannick say as he checked for a pulse, "Orion Actual he is alive, I have a pulse."
"Thank the gods." Bojay said from next to the Commander.
Suddenly Archangel's eyes fired open and he sat up with a huge gasp of air.
"Are you okay?" Vannick asked.
They watched as Archangel nodded his head, "Mother fraker that hurt."
Archangel looked at the door for cabin 38 as flames poured out of them. Moments later the fire suppression system kicked in and started to put out the flames.
"Well at least it wasn't me who killed him." Archangel said.
"You sure you're okay?" Skeeter asked.
Archangel nodded, "Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me, I'm okay."
They all dropped to the ground again as the sound of a gun shot rang out. Skeeter looked around and saw the man who had fired at them, he was the closest to him and started to give chase.
"Skeeter wait." Archangel said trying to get back to his feet.
"I'll go after him." Vannick replied.
Skeeter ran as fast as he could, trying to catch the man who had just been shooting at them. The man shot his gun again, the bullet whizzed past Skeeter hitting the wall he passed. Skeeter took out his side arm as he ran.
"Stop or I will shoot you." Skeeter shouted.
He didn't respond, not that Skeeter expected he would. He raised his gun and tried to aim before lowering it again. The man turned for a second and saw Skeeter was baring down on him, as he turned back he couldn't stop himself in time from clattering into a woman, sending them both to the ground. He looked up and raised his gun to shoot Skeeter, who reacted first shooting him in the shoulder and making him drop his gun. The woman screamed as she scrambled to her feet.
"Please don't shoot me." She wept.
"Just go." Skeeter said, his gun pointed at the fallen man on the floor.
"Just do it." The man said.
"You're coming with us you mother fraker." Skeeter said.
Vannick grabbed the man by his jacket collar and dragged him to his feet before cuffing his hands behind his back.
Garrett, Bojay and the President stood on the hanger deck as the shuttle came to a halt. Two body bags carried by marines came out of the open door way followed by Archangel and Vannick dragging the prisoner.
"You've got to let me off Orion," the man screamed, "Take me anywhere else in the fleet but not here please, please take me somewhere else."
"Shut the frak up." Vannick replied.
"Take him to the brig Sergeant, we'll follow you down shortly." Garrett said.
"Yes ma'am." Vannick said dragging the still screaming man.
"Two bodies?" Milo asked as Archangel and Skeeter walked up to them.
"Yes sir, it would appear one would be my father and I'm guessing the other his Cylon helper." Archangel replied.
"What happened?" Garrett asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Archangel replied, "I saw my father, he entered the room and then moments later BOOM. I'm guessing if that really is him then he didn't want to be taken captive."
"You have your doubts as to whether that's him?" Bojay asked.
"Yes I do," Archangel said, "They knew we were coming, this is far too convenient. If he did get away, frak knows how because we combed that room."
"We'll have the doctor run tests to see if it is them or not." Garrett said.
"The bodies are very badly damaged, it's going to take them a while before they can find anything out."
As the body bags where taken away Carrie appeared on the hanger deck.
"Was it him, is he dead?" she asked walking up to her brother.
"It would appear so at the moment but we don't know for sure." Archangel replied.
"But you saw him? We saw him on the vid screen." Carrie replied.
"We don't know for sure." Archangel said to his sister.
The prisoner sat in the brig, he seemed terrified to be on Orion.
"Are you sure you don't want me to go in there?" Archangel asked.
"Yeah I'm sure," The Commander replied, "I want to have first crack at this guy."
Garrett opened the door and silently walked in and took a seat in front of the man.
"Do you know who I am?" Garrett asked.
The man nodded.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"My name? My name doesn't fraking matter, all I have to say for the moment is, I want off this ship, take me to any other ship in the fleet just not this one."
"Afraid one of your NCO friends will come and silence you before you tell us any secrets?"
The man shook his head.
"Are you afraid of Major Hunter coming in here?"
He shook his head again.
"I just want off this ship."
"Why?" Garrett said.
"I just do." He replied.
"I'll tell you what I'm going to go now and leave you to sit here on your own for a couple of hours and then we'll try this again okay." Garrett said with a smile.
Grace and Dr. Hammond stood looking at the two corpses, burned so badly any features had been melted away. DNA had been extracted and was being tested. As they didn't have any direct DNA to test for Galen Hunter, they had decided to test it along side some from Archangel, if it was his father that should be enough to let them know.
"I wonder if that's the threat over with?" Hammond said.
"I tend to agree with Mark it's all just a little too easy." Grace replied.
"But if it is, without their leader surely their plans are ruined?"
"One thing about terrorist organisations, there is always someone waiting and willing to step in and take over." Grace said.
"I'm going to have to go and do my rounds across the fleet soon, I take it you'll be okay holding down the fort?" Hammond asked.
Grace nodded, "Not a problem."
She smiled as she saw Archangel walk in.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," He replied, "Just getting inpatient for the results."
"They're going to take a little while longer yet." Hammond replied.
"I know," Archangel said, "I just can't believe this could be my father. All I can think is, if he survived what about my mother and brother?"
"If this is him you may never know." Grace said.
"My whole life, I've thought of my dad as just a normal guy, running a business who couldn't hurt a fly and then this happens. Why didn't I see what type of man he was?"
"Because he's your father. We often look at the people we love through rose tinted glasses and ignore the truth even when it's in front of us."
"But I should have known." Archangel said.
"Why?" Grace asked, "Why should you have known?"
"Because I know when people lie, I'm trained to see it."
"Don't be too hard on yourself." Grace said.
"I have to go. Will you let me know when you find out?"
Grace nodded, "Where will you be?"
"I'm going to fly CAP, I need something to take my mind off things."
He kissed Grace before leaving sickbay. Grace didn't know what to think about the impending results, she didn't know whether the man she loved wanted this to be his father or not, only time would tell.
Bojay couldn't concentrate as he paced backwards and forwards in CIC. He had the chatter from the CAP over the speaker to try and help him focus on something but even that wasn't helping.
"Colonel." Ensign Phillips said.
"Yes Ensign."
"I have Captain Monroe on the horn from the Phoenix Flame, he wants to speak to either you or the Commander and he doesn't sound happy."
Bojay sighed to himself, "Put him through."
He took a deep breath before picking up the handset in front of him.
"This is Colonel Johnson."
"What the frak gives you people the right to come onto my ship and start shooting at people?" Monroe yelled down the phone.
"We had information that we had to act upon as quickly as we could." Bojay replied.
"And you didn't have enough time to give me a courtesy call?" Monroe snapped back.
"With all due respect to you Captain, we didn't know who we could trust, we have no idea who could be NCO and we couldn't risk tipping off the people we were looking for."
"So now you don't trust me?"
"We don't know you," Bojay responded.
"I'm done speaking to the monkey when I want to speak to the organ grinder put the Commander on the line NOW." Monroe demanded.
Bojay hung up the phone, "Ensign when he calls back tell him we're busy."
"Yes sir." Phillips replied with a smile.
"Holy frak what's going on?" Bojay heard Jawbreaker shout over the COM.
"Put me through to Jawbreaker." Bojay ordered.
"Channel open." Phillips replied.
"Jawbreaker this is Orion sit rep?" Bojay said.
"Orion this is Jawbreaker a shuttle from the Starburst just nearly took Bria out, whoever is controlling it is flying like a lunatic." Jawbreaker replied.
"Try and get through to the shuttle." Bojay said to Phillips, "Jawbreaker where is it heading?"
"Orion I'm not sure, they're flying very erratically. We are inbound now to the shuttle but we are at least three minutes away. Bria wasn't with us when they nearly hit her."
"Colonel whoever is flying that ship isn't responding." Phillips replied.
"Orion the shuttle has altered course and is heading straight for the Medstars engines," Jawbreaker said, "We won't be able to intercept before they hit."
"Orion this is Archangel I have just launched to join the CAP I am inbound for the shuttle, I'm 30 seconds out. Am I clear to engage?"
"Only if it looks like they aren't going to break off." Bojay replied.
Archangel had his throttle fire walled as he sped towards the shuttle. He could see Jawbreaker and the others on an intercept course. As he closed in he took the safeties off his Vipers cannons.
"Orion this is Archangel they are not changing course, I will be in weapons range in ten seconds."
"Archangel, you're clear to engage." Bojay replied.
Suddenly the shuttles course changed again and it started flying directly at Archangel.
"Orion this is Archangel the shuttle has changed it's course, it's coming directly for me."
"Archangel this is Orion, your orders are still the same, if they don't change course take them out." Bojay replied.
As the shuttle started to come for him Archangel wasn't worried, he knew that he could out manoeuvre them, even at the last second.
"Archangel, this is ,Jawbreaker break for fraks sake!"
"Jawbreaker, I have this covered." Archangel replied.
Moments later the shuttle was seconds from smashing into the oncoming Viper. Archangel cut his engines and with thrusters only moved out of the way, keeping the nose of his Viper on the shuttle at all times he spun his plane around the left side of the small shuttle with his finger on the trigger, hitting the shuttle with every large calibre round until he brought the Viper to a stop at the rear facing the engines with his cannons still firing in one breakneck move. The shuttle exploded.
"Orion this is Archangel, target eliminated."
"Good work Major." Bojay replied over the COM.
"Archangel this is Jawbreaker, holy frak man I've never seen anything like that in my life, good flying."
Archangel gave a little laugh, "Thanks buddy." He replied.
There was still nothing like the feeling of excitement when flying a Viper.
Garrett had been watching the prisoner. There was clearly something wrong, he had been panicking and screaming to be let out since she had left him. She took a deep breath and walked back into the room.
"Commander please, I'll tell you anything, just as soon as you get me off this ship." He said before she had even sat down.
"What exactly is going on with you? Why are you so desperate to get off Orion?"
He didn't say anything.
"Well then let me tell you that you're going nowhere until you tell me."
"Please!" He pleaded.
Garrett didn't reply this time she just stared at him making him even more uneasy.
"Fine, there is a nuclear bomb aboard this ship."
Garrett's eyes widened as he spoke she stood up, "Where?"
"Storage compartment 17c, next to the engine room. It'll be detonated at 14.30pm."
Garrett looked at her watch and saw there was only twenty minutes remaining. She dashed out of the cell.
"You come with me," Garrett said to one of the marines, "You give me your headset."
As the marine handed her the small earpiece Garrett started to run with the marine along side her.
"Ma'am what's wrong?" he asked.
"There is a nuclear bomb by the engine room." Garrett replied, "CIC this is the Commander I need a squad of marines to go to compartment 17c by the engine room immediately, we have a suspected nuclear bomb there which is expected to go off in the next twenty minutes. Anyone in that compartment who does not stand down is to be met with deadly force. Move Orion out of fleet formation but DO NOT tell anyone why, if anyone asks tell them we're having engine issues." Garrett took her thumb off the transmit button.
It seemed like an eternity for Garrett and the marines to get to the engineering section. The squad of marines she had sent for were just ahead of them. Garrett moved her way to the front where marine Lieutenant Josh Mains met her.
"Commander." He said quietly.
"Let's move fast." She said with her gun held tightly.
As they moved into the corridor outside the engine room they were met by three engineers who had been shot dead. They reached compartment 17c there was no sign of anyone around.
"Kill anyone inside." The Commander said.
Lieutenant Mains nodded in reply, "Commander, I must insist that we go in first."
She knew by looking at the giant marine that he wouldn't take no for an answer despite the fact she outranked him. Mains and two other marines took point before kicking the door down. Garrett heard three shots ring out.
"Clear." Mains shouted.
"The rest of you secure the deck." Garrett said to the other marines. She walked into the room and saw three men lay dead, "How long do we have?" she asked.
"We got lucky," Mains replied, "It was a manual trigger."
"Are you sure there is no timer?" Garrett asked.
"No ma'am there's nothing." The Corporal by the bomb said.
"I want to know where this nuke came from and how they got it down here." Garrett said.
"Yes ma'am," Mains replied, "I'll send someone to the nuclear armoury."
Garrett walked over to the nearest phone.
"CIC." Garrett said.
Moments later she heard Bojay on the other end.
"Are you okay Commander?" Bojay asked.
"We've found the nuke and it's safe. Resume formation with the fleet and to a full radiological sweep, we need to know if there are more of these out there."
"Yes ma'am." He replied.
"I've sent marines to the nuclear armoury to see if it came from there. We need to know who on this ship is NCO."
"Would you like me to speak to the prisoner?" Bojay asked.
"Do you think you'll be able to make him talk?"
"You've been good cop so far I can try and be bad cop."
"Okay, hurt him but don't kill him. I don't want to have to send in Archangel unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Don't worry, I'll get him talking." Bojay replied.
Carrie stood looking at the remains from the explosion. She thought it would have been harder to look at the charred remains of the man everyone thought was her father.
"Are you okay?" Grace asked walking up to her.
Carrie nodded, "Yeah, I don't know why but I am. I knew this was coming as soon as we found out who Mr Caprica actually was and even though he's done such unspeakable things, I thought I would be upset. I can't even seem to cry for him."
"I have the results." Grace said.
"And?" Carrie asked.
"From the tests Dr Hammond conducted it would seem that this is your father and the other man is most definitely a Cylon."
Carrie took a deep breath, "Have you told my brother?"
"Not yet."
"I'll do it," Carrie said, "It should come from me. Grace what's that?" she asked pointing to the corpse.
Grace looked at the body.
"It looks like it was scar tissue." Grace replied.
"Can you tell how recent it is?"
After a few moments Grace spoke, "It looks like it's quite old but the body is so badly damaged."
"But it's definitely not from the past year or so?"
"I'm quite sure that it's old."
"Then that's not my father." Carrie said.
"Are you sure?"
"I've spent most of my adult life till the Cylons attacked seeing him every day, he had no scars on his hands."
"I need to run these tests again." Grace replied. As she turned around everything went black.
The door of the cell burst open and Bojay stormed in, raised his gun and shot the prisoner in his shoulder. He screamed in pain.
"What the frak?" he said.
"That's so you know I'm not fraking around," Bojay said, "I need you to tell me who on this ship is NCO."
The man looked up at him but didn't reply. Bojay pressed the barrel of his gun into the fresh bullet wound on hiss shoulder.
"Who on my ship is NCO?" he asked.
"DR HAMMOND!" he screamed in reply.
"What's going on?" Carrie asked.
Hammond pointed her side arm at Carrie.
"I'm getting off this ship and you're coming with me." Hammond snapped in reply.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Do you want me to kill you? Do you want to die?"
Carrie shook her head, "No. You're the NCO agent we've been looking for?"
"And since the NCO seems to be crashing down around me, I thought now might be a good time to get the frak out of dodge before that idiot they've got in the brig shouts his mouth off." Hammond said.
"How do you expect to get off Orion?"
"There's a Raptor waiting for me to go do my rounds across the fleet, simple as that. You're coming with me as you want to go see a friend. If you make a scene or try and tell anyone what's going on then I'll shoot you in the face before I go and find Wedge and do the same to him and everyone else you care about until either they're all dead or I'm stopped."
Hammond picked up a bag and waved Carrie to go to the door with her gun. As they walked out of sickbay Hammond put her side arm back in its holster but kept her hand on the handle.
"Are you going to kill me when we get to wherever it is that we're going?" Carrie asked.
"Not if you keep your mouth shut, I vanish into the fleet and by the time you can tell anyone I'm long gone. I have people expecting me."
Hammond drew her side arm and grabbed Carrie pointing the gun at her head when she saw Bojay appear in front of her with a few marines.
"Drop your weapon now." Bojay said.
"Or what?" Hammond replied with a smile.
"Or I will end you." Bojay replied.
"Not before I kill precious little Carrie here."
"Why Christine? Why the frak are you doing this? You're a Colonial officer." Bojay said.
"Well I may as well tell you my name is not Christine Hammond, it's Alexa Drenoff."
"Drenoff?" Bojay said, "As in the Libran crime family Drenoff's?"
"The very same," she replied, "This life here in the military, this was just to piss off daddy. It worked but the toasters attacked and made it permanent. Not something I'd foreseen. When the NCO came calling I thought I'd finally live up to my name."
"So where did Christine Hammond come from?"
"Oh Christine Hammond was real, real until I slit her throat and took her identity for my own."
"Well, Alexa there's no way out of this, let Carrie go and no one needs to get hurt."
"Bojay you're a pretty man but you're dumb as frak, back off or she DIES."
As Alexa spoke she had no idea Grace had come too and was right behind her. Blood poured from a wound on her forehead, she steadied herself, pressed her gun into the back of Christine's head and pulled the trigger, killing her instantly. Carrie screamed as she heard the gun shot thinking she was about to die, but then saw Alexa slump to the floor. She turned, covered in Alexa's blood and pieces of brain and skull to see Grace standing behind her.
"Are you okay?" Grace asked.
Carrie nodded.
"Good." Grace smiled before loosing consciousness again. Carrie rushed forward to catch her.
Two hours later Commander Garrett sat in her quarters with the President, Bojay, Archangel and Carrie.
"Grace is going to be okay," Garrett said, "Dr Green has come over from the Medstar and he's stepping in as senior medical officer for the time being. He's running the DNA tests that Hammond, sorry that Drenoff had run to double check the results."
"I can't believe it was her," Archangel said, "All this time she's pretended to be our friend and all this time she's been plotting against us."
"It explains how the NCO have had been able to get access to information that hadn't been released to the rest of the fleet." Milo said.
"The nuke we found onboard was definitely one of ours. It had been taken from the armoury with the correct access codes and the two marines that guard it were found dead inside," Bojay said, "We've run a fleet wide radiological sweep and come up with nothing on any of the other ships, we got lucky."
"What about the NCO prisoners we have onboard?" Milo asked.
"Simon Given was found dead in his cell an hour ago, he had hung himself," Garrett said, "We still have no idea who our other prisoner is but we'll keep him in the brig for the foreseeable future."
"I'm heading back to the Caprican Sunrise, I need to address the fleet, let the people know what has been happening." Milo said.
"Do you think it's wise to leave Orion just yet?" Bojay asked.
"I can't live in fear of the NCO," Milo replied, "Commander if you're able I would like you to come with me so we can make the address together."
"Of course." Garrett replied, "Other than that we go back to what passes for normal lives these days. Wait for those DNA results and see where we go from there."
As everyone left the room the President walked with Carrie.
"I'll have everything ready to go for when you're ready to leave." Carrie said.
"I want you and Skeeter to stay here." Milo replied.
"Why?" Carrie replied.
"I want you to spend some time with Wedge and Skeeter with Bria. You don't see them enough and I can handle what I need to do by myself."
"But Mr President you have a speech to make to the fleet."
"Carrie my mind is made up, take the next couple of days to be with your friends, you've earned it. That's an order."
"Yes sir." Carrie replied with a smile and a sarcastic salute.
Kal walked onto Orion's busy hanger deck. He saw Hydra sitting in the back of her Raptor as he walked over to her.
"You got two minutes?" Kal asked.
"For you I have five." Hydra replied with a smile.
"Simon's dead." Kal said.
"What?" Hydra replied.
"They found him in his cell, he had hung himself."
Hydra began to cry. Kal hugged her.
"I can't believe it." She said.
"He's been very unhappy for a very long time. This is my fault, I should have taken more time to spend with him, to make sure he was okay. I failed him." Kal said.
"No, this isn't your fault at all. You were a better friend to him than I was. Since I've been on Orion I hadn't given him a second thought, just dived head long into my new life. I'm so sorry."
"I need you to promise me something."
"Anything." She replied.
"No matter what's wrong, if you need to, you'll talk to me right?"
Hydra looked up at her giant friend and it was the first time she had ever seen him cry. She nodded her head.
"The same goes for you." She said.
"I'm going to try and organise a service of some kind. I know he was NCO and I know how hated they are on this ship but if you could be there, it would mean a lot to me."
"Of course I'll be there."
"I also wanted to tell you that I've applied for a position on the hanger deck here. I want to be closer to my friends."
Hydra hugged the big man again.
"I'd like that." She replied.
Wedge smiled when he saw Carrie standing in Orion's observation room. He had managed to convince the officer in charge of the room to give them some privacy for the next thirty minutes. She stood looking out of the giant window watching the fleet.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey yourself." She replied.
"You okay after everything that's happened?" he asked walking up and hugging her.
She nodded her head, "Thanks to Grace. The world just seems to be getting more crazy by the minute these days."
"The world can get as crazy as it wants as long as we can get moments like these."
Carrie smiled, "Now there's something I can agree with."
"You know I never realised until I met you that I was missing something from my life. The last few months have been the best of my life. Everyone I knew at home may be dead but still I'm happy. When the Cylons took you I've never felt so helpless. Not being able to come and help you was the worst feeling I've ever had. From the first time I met you on the hanger deck when your brother had brought you here all those months ago I've been in love with you. I know I've got a high risk job and things tend to get a little crazy around here, I know we don't always see each other every day but that doesn't change how I feel," Wedge reached into his pocket and got down on one knee, "Carrie Spence will you marry me?"
Carrie had not expected this at all. But she agreed with everything he had said, she smiled at the young man in front of her, "Yes Anthony Manning I will."
Wedge put the engagement ring on her finger, stood up and kissed her.
"Orion Raptor 34 you are clear for take off." Orion's LSO said.
Garrett sat at the control of the small ship with the President along side her.
"Orion this is Raptor 34 thank you. See you shortly." Garrett replied.
Raptor 34 took off and headed for the end of the landing bay.
"Do you miss it?" Milo asked.
"Miss what?" Garrett replied.
"Being in the cockpit." He replied.
"Sometimes. It was a lot simpler just being in charge of a Raptor. What about you? Do you miss flying Vipers?"
"No not at all. I had my time in the military and after that war and the time I spent in the service after, it was long enough."
Garrett noticed two of the Vipers from the CAP appear either side of them.
"Looks like we've got company." Garrett said.
"Raptor 34 this is Streaker we've been asked to escort you to the Caprican Sunrise."
"Streaker this is Raptor 34, thanks for the company." Garrett replied.
The Raptor and two escort Vipers made their way through the fleet. They watched all the shuttles going back and forth between the fleet's ships.
"Caprican Sunrise this is Orion Raptor 34 requesting permission to land in the main hanger bay." Garrett said.
"Orion Raptor 34 this is Caprican Sunrise you are clear to land." Came the reply.
As they made their approach the two Vipers broke off and rejoined the CAP while the Commander took the Raptor into the hanger bay. Minutes later they were coming to a halt amongst the other shuttles already there.
"Welcome home." Garret said.
As they got out of the back they were met by several of the President's aides and one of his security team.
"Mr President, Commander Garrett it's good to see you back. Per your instructions we have a draft of a speech waiting for you in your office, if you would like to read it before we make any changes." Lisa West one of the aides said.
"Thank you Lisa." Milo replied as they all started to walk off the hanger bay.
Milo and his aides talked about meetings he had to go to and phone calls he had to return as they walked. Garrett walked behind them not really listening to anything that was being said. Instead she found herself looking at everyone they passed, not trusting anyone at all. It was a relief when they reached the President's office.
"Here's the speech we put together Mr President. I'll leave you to read it," Lisa said, "Commander can I get you anything?"
"No thank you." Garrett replied.
Lisa walked out of the room as Garrett sat herself down.
"She's keen." Garrett said.
"I think she wanted the job I gave to Carrie. I am lucky though, I have a good team."
The CIC was back to it's usual busy self. Everyone went about his or her business leaving Bojay to drink his tea in peace at the command console. The wait for the second set of DNA results on the bodies was starting to drive him mad. He and everyone else just wanted to know what was going on, it was watching grass grow. As Bojay took another sip from his mug everything in CIC powered down. Blackness descended.
"Report, what's going on?" Bojay said.
Seconds later everything came back to life.
"I have no idea sir." Ensign Phillips responded, "I'll run a diagnostic."
The young Ensign walked over to another computer screen, "What the frak?"
"Talk to me Ensign, what's going on?" Bojay said.
"Files are being deleted from the main computer and I can't stop it."
"Colonel all communications are down." A Specialist shouted.
"Get them back up." Bojay said as he walked over to Phillips.
"I can't see what's being deleted, it's not stopping, I've even tried to shut the system down."
Bojay didn't know what to say or do.
"Dradis has just gone down." The Specialist shouted again.
"What the frak is going on here?!" Bojay said to himself.
They watched helplessly as files were deleted. Then suddenly it stopped and the CIC was plunged into darkness again for a few seconds before everything powered back up.
"It's stopped," Phillips said, "Communications and dradis appear to be back online again."
They both walked over to the command console and looked up at the dradis monitors.
"Oh frak." Phillips said again.
"Oh my Gods," Bojay said, "The Caprican Sunrise and forty two other ships are gone." Bojay said.
"Colonel I'm receiving reports from the Gunstars, the same thing happened to them, information was deleted. Gunstar Aries has suffered an explosion and their FTL has been damaged. Oh gods, I'm receiving reports that eleven other ships also suffered explosions." A specialist reported.
"What the hell is going on?" Bojay said to himself.
Garrett looked out of the window in the Presidents office. Most of the fleet hadn't made the jump.
"Something isn't right," Garrett said, "We weren't scheduled to jump till this evening and Orion isn't with us."
"I'll find out what happened." Milo said picking up his phone, "The line's dead." He said.
From outside gunshots and screams rang out. Garrett drew her sidearm.
"Do you have anything you can use for a weapon?" she asked.
Milo opened his draw and took out a handgun and several extra magazines, "Skeeter insisted after what happened with the NCO."
He took the safety off and chambered a round. Milo took up a position behind his desk while Garrett stood off to the side of the door with her gun ready and she waited. The gunfire from outside got closer and then stopped. Garrett took a deep breath and then nodded to Milo seconds before the door burst open and an armed woman ran in. Garrett didn't hesitate, with her gun raised head height she pulled the trigger hitting the woman in the temple, killing her instantly. Before the following man had time to react Garrett did the same to him. Milo fired four shots but the other people outside had seen what happened and had got out of the way in time. Garrett dived for cover as a flash bang grenade rolled in. Before she could find the cover she needed, the grenade went off and her hearing started to ring at the same moment her vision started to spin. She raised her gun at the four-armed men who walked in, but was easily disarmed. She felt herself be dragged up to her knees and felt the barrel of a gun press into the side of her head. As everything started to come back into focus she saw a too familiar face walk into the room. Galen Hunter smiled down at her.
"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." He said.
"Who's flying the Raptor on CAP?" Bojay asked as reports from across the fleet began to filter through.
"Deathlock and Hyper sir." Specialist Smith said from the communications desk.
"Tell Deathlock I want her to jump to the emergency standby coordinates and see if the rest of the fleet has jumped there for some reason."
"Yes sir." Smith replied.
"Colonel five of the ships that reported explosions have had their FTL drives too badly damaged to fix." Phillips said.
"What about Aries?" Bojay asked.
"Initial reports are saying the damage isn't too bad and they should be able to fix it in about four to five hours."
"Which is it four or five?" Bojay replied.
"I don't know sir they weren't any more specific than that."
"Well tell them to be more specific. Have repair crews been sent to the other damaged ships?"
"They just left. What do you want to do about the five ships we can't fix?"
Bojay thought for a second. Talk about a trial by fire, he thought to himself, "Evacuate them and have them stripped of anything we can use, supplies, parts anything."
Bojay looked up as Archangel walked into the CIC.
"What the frak has happened?" he asked.
"We've lost forty three ships including the Caprican Sunrise."
"How?" Archangel asked.
"We don't know yet. At the same time they jumped away information started to be deleted from Orion's main computers. There have been explosions across twelve ships including the Aries, four of the ships can't be fixed."
"Frak me." Archangel said, "What can I do?"
"Have a look through the computer see if you can figure out what happened."
"No problem, but we should get Mike Campbell over here from Columbia." Archangel said.
"I'll put a call out for him when we know what's going on."
"Colonel there is a call for you from the Vice President." Smith said.
"Tell her I'm busy, give her a brief rundown of what we know and tell her I'll call when I'm able." Bojay replied.
"Yes sir."
"I saw you go into that room before it blew up." Garrett said.
"No you thought you did. Neat trick huh? I used this little device Miss Tauron's husband gave me before he died." Galen pressed the button on a small silver disc in his hand an identical copy appeared next to him, doing everything he did at the exact same time, "Little holographic gizmo, lets me be in two places at once."
"Then whose body did we find?" Milo asked.
"Oh that would be Adam Grayson."
"You son of a bitch." Garrett said.
Galen laughed, "He was caught trying to get a message to you, so I made an example of him."
"What about his daughter?" Garrett asked.
"Oh she's fine. I'm not going to punish her because her father is a traitor, that would make me a monster."
"It's too late for that you already are one." Garrett replied.
"No I'm a saviour."
"Orion will find us." Milo said.
"No, I don't think they will. You should have been more careful about who you give access to your critical systems. Alexa was able to plant a virus into Orion and the Gunstar's computers. When I triggered it, the virus destroyed all the information that we don't want your crew to have."
"And what information would that be?" Garrett asked.
"The habitable planets that the Battlestar Icarus and her fleet found. I am going to give the people of my fleet what they need, a new home and no one is going to stop me. Not everyone in this fleet is NCO at the moment, but once they see what I am going to give them they'll join the queue of people wanting to shake my hand."
"Until they realise what kind of man you are?" Garrett said.
"What true to my word and a saviour? You know I really didn't intend on you two getting caught up in this. As far as I was concerned you were going to be left behind with the others, but I have to say having you both here really is just the icing on the cake for me. Milo Vents the man who used to be President and Vanessa Garrett the murderer of my unborn grandchild. Alexa told me about that and I have to say that I wasn't pleased. Did my son ever find out?"
"What happened between your son and I, is none of your business." Garrett replied.
"Well we'll have plenty of time to talk about that and other things. Now if you'll both excuse me I have a fleet to address," Galen turned to his men, "Lock them up somewhere."
Garrett and Milo looked at each other before being dragged away.
4 HOURS 43 MINUTES LATER
"I've found something." Archangel said.
"What is it?" Bojay asked walking up to his friend.
"It would appear they deleted the coordinates of the habitable planets the Icarus found. I had a hunch and looked for that data and sure enough it's not there."
"That's where they must have gone," Bojay replied, "Surely there were back ups of that information?"
"Yeah there was, on the Gunstars and the Caprican Sunrise. I bet you anything, the same information is missing from the Gunstars too."
"My gods, trying to find them now will be like a needle in haystack."
"Yeah a haystack the size of Caprica City." Archangel replied, "Hang on I've found a piece of data that was uploaded while everything else was being deleted, it seems to be a video file."
"Play it." Bojay replied.
They all turned to face the vid screen as Galen Hunter appeared on it.
"Crew of the Battlestar Orion I just thought I'd send you my best. If you don't already know the body you have in your sick bay isn't me, it's Adam Grayson. I have taken my followers and we are going to a new home, a home where you are not welcome. I regret the bloodshed that has come from both sides and I hope this is a point where we can draw a line in the sand and go our separate ways. We will not cause you any more trouble I hope you can do the same for us. Finally I just wanted to say to my son and daughter that I love you both very much and I am so sorry we have been on different sides in all this. This is Galen Hunter leader of the NCO and this is the start of the new dawn."
Bojay turned to Archangel and could see the rage building up inside him.
"We'll find them." Bojay said.
"And when we do I'm going to put that son of a bitch in the ground where he belongs." Archangel replied.
"Multiple Dradis contacts." Phillips yelled.
"Is it them?" Bojay asked hopefully.
"No, four Cylon base ships on an intercept course, they're launching raiders."
"Tell the Gunstars to jump ahead with the fleet, put us between the Cylons and the Aries and set condition one throughout the ship. Launch attack squadrons and may the gods help us." Bojay said.