The shuttle was barely able to make the landing, having exhausted its fuel supply. Deitra took a centon to gather herself and exit the shuttle. As she exited the shuttle, what she saw shocked her. Vipers were coming in the landing bay every micron and they were all coming in hot.
A security officer approached her and said, "excuse me Lieutenant, but you need to go to the life station and get checked out."
"I'm fine", replied Deitra.
"That was not a request", said the security officer. "That order came from Commander Adama. It's very serious, and you need to go now. In fact, I will escort you myself."
Deitra threw her hands up, and said, "Very well, let's go."
Several centons later, Dr Salik, Galactica's chief medical officer is in the midst of his examination.
"So Deitra", asked Salik. "You came from the Atlantia, right?"
Deitra took a deep breath, thinking about how much was lost, including her brother who sacrificed himself so that she would survive.
"Yes I did", she finally answered. "I barely made it out of the landing bay when the Cylons hit it."
"Indeed", Salik replied. "This is only the beginning. Vipers and shuttles from other battlestars have been coming in. The total damage hasn't even been assessed yet from the fleet. Anyway, you're good to go, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, Doctor", replied Deitra as she left the life station.
After leaving the life center, Deitra went to look for the officer's club to get a drink of ambrosia. Just as she approached the lounge, she heard a voice call her name. She turned around to see the one who called her.
"Athena!", she said in recognition.
They approached each other and embraced. As they looked at each other, they saw the sadness, and their sense of loss from that day.
"Tell me", began Deitra. "How bad is it?"
Athena took a deep breath as she began. "The entire fleet has been wiped out. The Galactica is the only battlestar left. The colonies have been destroyed. My younger brother Zac was killed just before the attack. My older brother Apollo just took our father, Commander Adama to Caprica to address the survivors."
"I also lost my brother", Deitra said understanding. "He bought me time when we escaped the Atlantia. He was all I had. He always tried to look out for his big sister."
"Zac was the same way with me", said Athena. "in any case, I'm on my way to the life station to see an old friend from my growing up on Caprica. He came here like you did, but he was on the Pacifica, and he fought his way here, taking a bunch of Cylon fighters out along the way. We will talk later, Dee."
As Athena approached the life station, she is met by Colonel Tigh, her father's executive officer. From the look on his face, he had more bad news to deliver.
"Athena", he began. "Your father wanted me to tell you before it got on the airwaves."
"What is it Colonel?", she asked.
The normally stern Tigh had the look of sadness on his face. "It's your mother. She was among the casualties of the Cylon attack on Caprica."
"No!" cried Athena. "NOT MY MOTHER! FIRST ZAC, NOW MY MOTHER!"
Upon hearing Athena's screams and cries, Deitra exited the officer's club to see what's happening. She saw Athena running from the life station entrance, and she tried to comfort her friend. At the same instance, she saw Colonel Tigh, and seeing his rank insignia she began to rise to attention.
"As you were, Lieutenant", he said as he went back to the bridge.
She continued to comfort her friend who continued with her sobbing.
"My mother, my brother all gone", said Athena as she cried.
As Athena's grief and sadness came out more, Deitra began to feel her own loss as well as Athena's. Tears flooded Deitra's eyes as she was giving comfort to her friend. A few centons later, two approach them after coming from the landing bay. Deitra regained her composure and addressed the older man.
"Commander Adama!", she said as she stood at attention.
"As you were, Lieutenant", he replied. "I remember seeing you on the Atlantia. Thank God that you made it out."
"Yes sir", she replied. "My condolences for the loss of your wife and son. I was with your daughter when she received the news."
Athena ran to her father and embraced him, and her brother, Apollo joined them.
"Thank you, Lieutenant", said Apollo as he turned to Adama. "Father, we need to get underway with the survivors."
"Indeed, Apollo", said Adama as he turned to Deitra. "Thank you Lieutenant…."
"Deitra, sir", she replied.
"Yes, and thank you for the condolence, and thank you for being there for my daughter", said Adama. "In two centars, I will be in the council chamber and announce our next course of action."
"Understood", acknowledged Deitra. "I will be there. By your leave, commander."
Adama nodded.
Athena regained her composure.
"Father", she began. "I was on my way to the life station to visit a survivor from the Pacifica. A family friend. I will tell you more later, after your address."
"Understood", replied Adama. "See you in two centars."
Deitra accompanied Athena to the life center. She was thinking about what is in store for the survivors of this massacre. She then took 2 pictures out of her pocket. One is a picture of her and her brother when they were children. The other is when they became Colonial warriors a few yahrens ago. She was beginning to see more and more that they're in a very dark time. She lost her brother, Athena lost not only her brother, but her mother as well.
As they entered the life center, Athena looked for her friend. She went to a med tech to find out.
"Where's Lieutenant Orion from the Pacifica?", she asked.
"He's over there", he answered. Dr. Salik is with him now.
"Thank you", said Athena.
Both women approach Dr. Salik as he finished with his patient.
"How may I help you Lieutenants?", he asked.
Athena looks at him. "I wanted to see how Orion was doing. I heard that he was here."
Salik looked at her with a grim look and said, "It's bad. His Viper burned once it landed on the Galactica. He fell hard when he got out of the cockpit. His right leg was burned bad. The pain was so great that he had to be sedated for a couple of centars. But like his father, he is a fighter."
"May I see him?", asked Athena.
"Yes you can", replied Salik. "However, don't take too long."
Both women go towards Orion. Orion seemed to be relaxing. His brown complexion, and very imposing appearance that would rival a Borellian Nomen despite the fact that he had only a mustache, and a shaved head. Yet, he had a serene and gentle demeanor. He began to open his eyes, and see the 2 women standing over him.
"How did I deserve the honor of having 2 beautiful angels visit me?", Orion said trying to sit up.
Athena tried to laugh despite her pain. Deitra smiled, flattered by his compliment.
"Hey, 'Thena", he said. "It's good to see you."
"Same here", replied Athena. "Lieutenant Orion, this is Lieutenant Deitra from the Battlestar Atlantia."
A look of shock came on Orion's face.
"The Atlantia? Wow!" he said. "You really must have went through hell to get here before it blew."
Deitra sighed, and said, "yes I did. My younger brother bought me time at the cost of his life."
"I'm so sorry", said Orion looking at his bandaged right leg. "Here I am worrying about losing my leg, and there are many who have lost a lot more."
Orion turned to Athena and seeing her face. "What's wrong?", he asked.
Athena once again broke into tears, and then she left the life center.
Orion is puzzled seeing his childhood friend run out.
"What happened?" he asked.
Deitra went to him, feeling the air of sadness.
"Her brother was killed before the attack", she said.
Orion sat up astonished.
"What?", he shouted. "Who? Apollo?"
"No", said Deitra. "I saw Captain Apollo before coming here. It was her younger brother."
"Zac", gasped Orion.
Deitra put her hand on his shoulder to tell him more.
"There's more", she began. "Her mother was killed during the attack on Caprica."
Orion nearly jumped off his bed, almost forgetting that his right leg was damaged.
"NO, NO, NOT LADY ILA!", he shouted. "SHE WAS LIKE MY SECOND MOTHER!" He began to sob uncontrollably.
Instinctively he reached out. Deitra embraced him to give him comfort. So much grief, and sadness on that day, and more than likely it will get worse.
Dr Salik approached them, and said, "You have to go, Lieutenant. He needs to recover if he has any chance of keeping his leg, much less be able to walk."
Deitra nodded, and turned to Orion.
"I'll be back when I can", she told him. "I have to go now anyway. Commander Adama has an address for the survivors. Athena said she will tell him you're here."
"Thank you, Deitra", said a slightly relieved Orion.
Two centars later, Deitra arrived in the conference room. It was filled with many from all the different colonies. She saw a few warriors in the audience as well, but they were at a distance from her. She saw Commander Adama enter the room.
"We gather here", he began, "as representatives of each ship in our fleet to answer that single question: "Where will we go?" Our recorded history tells us that we descended from a mother civilization, a race that went out into space to establish colonies. Those of us here assembled now represent the only known surviving colonies, save one – a sister world, far out in the universe, remembered to us only through ancient writings. It is my intention to seek out that remaining colony, that last outpost of humanity in the whole universe."
Serina, a survivor from Caprica asked, "Commander Adama, this thirteenth colony, this other world – where is it and what is it called?"
Adama replied, "I wish I could tell you that I know precisely where it is, but I can't. However, I do know that it lies beyond our star system, in a galaxy very much like our own, on a planet called – Earth."
"EARTH?" the crowd responds.
All of her life, Deitra thought that the stories of the lost colony was a fairy tale. She didn't know what to make of it. What she did know was that no matter where they went, they need to survive.