Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia or any of it characters, they all belong to Disney. I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters, they all belong to AMC and Robert Kirkman. I do not own Destroyermen or any of its characters, they all belong to Taylor Anderson. I do not own Battlestar Galactica 1978 or any of its characters, they all belong to Glen A. Larson and Universal. I do not own Battlestar Galactica, The Re-imagining or any of its characters, they all belong to Ronald Moore and Universal Pictures. I do not own Jurassic Park or any of its characters, they all belong to Universal pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and the estate of Michael Crichton. I do not own Legend of the Galactic Heroes or any of its characters, they all belong to Takaya Kagami.
Escape from Hell?
Chapter 14
Commander Tigh looked at the other four people at the table and smiled.
"Full house – aces over jacks," he said, laying his cards, and smiled again.
"Got me," Ben said, tossing his on the table.
"Scheisse," Model said and then tossed his down too.
Everyone looked at Rommel and he flipped his cards over – four twos and an ace.
"I seem to have found your ace," he said and grinned.
Tigh's face fell. Then the Field Marshal scooped in the pot and picked up one of the gold Colonial cubits.
"How much are these worth again?" Rommel asked.
"Twenty gold marks," Rachael said.
"Danke."
"Bitte," she said. He tossed the coin to her and she caught it. "Bitte. Maybe I ought to deal more often!"
Everyone chuckled and then Tigh's pad chimed.
"A Commander's work is never done," he said and the others nodded in agreement.
Then he accepted the call.
"Sir, a Quad ship has just jumped in-system and they're wanting to speak to you."
"There wasn't any of them due, was there?"
"No sir."
"Put'em through."
"Yes sir."
"Commander Tigh?" the voice said.
"Yes," he said.
"Sir, we found a fleet!" the Quad said excitedly. "There are thousands of ships!"
"But there's no star there," Tigh said, pointing to the main screen.
"Well there is now!" the Quad exclaimed. "It's a bit over three thousand light years away and its light simply won't reach Earth 2 for another three thousand years." She smiled and Tigh rolled his eyes.
"Stars just don't appear out of nowhere!" he stated.
"Well this one did and it caused one of the new Battlestars to misjump and appear in that system," the Quad said and turned to one of the Colonial techs. "Please display the video."
"Yes sir," she said and started to work her console.
A moment later the picture on the main screen changed.
"Oh my God!" Ben exclaimed.
The video panned and showed dozens and dozens of starships – some seemingly intact, but a great many more wrecked. Seemingly they were all adrift.
"Sir," the communications tech interrupted. "Caprica Six wishes to speak to you."
"Put her through and send her this video and everything else too."
"Yes sir."
"Commander Tigh."
"We need our fastest ship and that's yours," he said, looking into her eyes. "Please have a look at the package we just sent you."
She looked away for thirty seconds.
"Those ships are unlike any of ours – Colonial, Cylon, or our allies," she said, facing the screen again. "We're going to need more ships – a lot more."
"Why'd this have'ta happen when everyone's off fightin' the Cylons?!" Tigh said to no one in particular.
Rommel put a hand on his shoulder.
"The fortunes of war," he said and Tigh grunted.
"We're ready to jump," Caprica Six said.
"The Gods be with you," he said. "We'll be a few hours behind."
It took three hours and twenty-one minutes to cover the three thousand light years only because she waited only the absolute minimum time required between jumps. She'd ordered the Baseship's engines to be quickly checked as soon as they'd come out of each jump. As soon as they reentered normal space after their last jump all raiders were launched as quickly as possible with orders to investigate the debris field and return with any of the alien crews – living or dead. Of course some raiders would stay on CAP to protect the Baseship if necessary.
Caprica Six watched as the main screen displayed different perspectives as the Baseship moved slowly through the debris field. Neither she nor any of the others – Colonials, Cylons, or their alien allies – had never seen this many capital ships. She stepped beside the Sensor Tech.
"Find a starship in fairly good shape and then send the coordinates to the navigator," she ordered.
"You intend to board it?" the Eight asked.
"We certainly won't learn anything just wondering around looking at these ships from the outside," she said and started to turn back to her command chair. Then she stopped and stepped to the communications station. "Have raiders 215 and 216 jump to twelve light hours from this star system and working their way back in or out until they determine when this star appeared."
The tech looked at her and cocked her head.
"That's brilliant!"
"You seem surprised."
"No ma'am," he said and blushed. "I mean yes ma'am."
Caprica Six laughed and returned to her command chair. She watched as they changed course and the Baseship begun to close on one point of light. She sat back as watched as the point of light began to grow larger.
"Ma'ma, Raider 103 reports finding a fighter and is towing it back."
"Have it land in the main landing bay," she said and started toward the elevator. "Have the chief engineer and whoever else he needs to report there too."
"Yes, ma'am," the communication tech said, hesitantly meeting her eyes.
It felt odd having a human on the bridge, she thought as she turned back at the main screen.
The Baseship came to a relative stop beside seemingly undamaged derelict starship just after Raider 103 and its prize had set down in the landing bay. Another Raider had gone to scout ahead and had found an airlock. A universal docking tube was currently being extended to connect with it. After it connected Caprica Six watched a pair of reptilian Cylons checked that the airlock was sealed and then filled the docking tube with air. The outer door opened and she could see the outer airlock on the other ship.
"We're now ready to proceed," one the reptilian Cylons said in Colonial Standard and the four Centurions looked at her.
"Any changes with that ship?" she asked over her helmet microphone.
"None ma'am," the sensor tech said.
"Your next assignment is to find the command ships for these fleets and you may use any assets necessary."
"Yes ma'am."
"Proceed," she said and the Centurions stepped into the docking tube.
The reptilian Cylons locked down their helmets and followed. The Centurions reached the other airlock first and the Cylons stopped midway. After a minute they were signaled forward and then went to work on the airlock. After a minute the outer door slid halfway open and after another minute one of the Centurions pushed it open the rest of the way.
"Is that door damaged?"
"We don't think so," the Cylon said, "but we'll check it once the ship is secured."
"Good," she said as four more Centurions started forward and she followed.
When she was a center of the dock tube the inner door opened and she could see light spilling out. The four Centurions preceding her entered. She stopped at beside the reptilian Cylons and first detachment of Alliance marines passed by. A few minutes later one of the Centurions returned and beckoned them to follow. The interior of the ship was a slaughterhouse. Blood splattered the deck and walls and bodies lay were they'd fallen – all human bodies most in armor and a few not. She stooped and retrieved a discarded axe from the deck.
"We have a live one!" one if the Alliance Corps 'Cats yelled in English.
"Is he hurt?" Judy asked, hurrying up beside them.
"No ma'am," she said and looked up from her patient. "Only unconscious."
"Can you wake him?"
"All his vital signs seem good so I'll give it a try," she said and brought out something from her bag.
She put it under his nose and for several seconds nothing happened. Then he twitched and pushed her hand away. He opened his eyes and looked into purple ones.
"Hase?" he said and cocked his head. "Was ist passiert?"
The way he spoke sounded familiar and she took out her pad and set to determine the language.
"Please say that again," she said and held her pad between them.
The man's eyebrows rose and he stared at her.
"Du bist ein kaninchen!"
"You're a Rabbit!" the pad translated.
"There nothing wrong with his eyes," the 'Cat said and he looked at her.
"An seinen Augen ist nichts auszusetzen," the pad dutifully translated the 'Cat words.
"Was bist du?" he said and the pad translated.
"What are you?"
She knew if she said Lemurian or Mi-Anaaka the pad might not translate it correctly.
"I'm a Lemur," she said.
"Ich bin ein Lemur."
The man began to sit up and they leaned him against the wall. He spoke again.
"How can you talk?" the pad said.
This is going to take a while, Judy thought.
Caprica Six returned to the bridge and set the axe against her command chair with a clank. Several of the bridge crew jumped and then glanced at the weapon. Then just as quickly they returned their attention back to their monitors. She walked over to the sensor station.
"So what've you found so far?"
"Have a look at this," the Eight said turned toward main screen.
"It's like two snakes eating each other's tails," Caprica Six said as she watched tens of thousands of ships chasing themselves in a large ring. "That's insane!"
"I'm positive that both command ships are in there somewhere."
"But you haven't found them yet."
"We're getting close," she said and then her sensor station beeped for her attention. "Ma'am, two Battlestars and 37 Quad ships have jump in four minutes ago."
"And the Colonials?"
"Ma'am, they'll be within the hour if they are keeping to their schedule."
"Keep me posted," she said and went back to her command chair.
Everyone heard the axe tap on the deck.
Tigh sat in his command chair and tapped his fingers on the armrest as the clock on the main screen counted down to their final jump. He counted down the last few seconds in his mind and then closed his eyes. The physicists said that a jump took no time, but each and every time he could feel the jump and then a moment later their reversion back into normal space.
"Report!" he said and turned the sensor officer.
He watched as the Cylon work his board. The reptile turned and met his eyes.
"Sir, the fleet is arriving," she said and glanced at the main screen. "All sensor readings match the ones the Quads have provided. My sensors also report two Battlestars, 37 Quad ships, and one Cylon Baseship. Also, we should be receiving data from those ships within four minutes unless we move closer." He glanced at his monitor again. "Sir, all ships have arrived."
"We will move into the debris field at in-system speed," he said and looked back at the main screen. "Inform our other ships to deploy as planned."
"Yes sir," the Communications Officer replied.
He listened as the Deer sent the message and over the next few minutes the acknowledgements trickled in from the hundred and five ships in his hastily assembled fleet. Others would follow over next few hours, coming from other Earths and bringing more medical personnel. He sat back and watched the main screen as his ship moved forward to rendezvous with the Baseship and others moved in difference directions into the debris field. Before they'd left he'd send a raptor to Fleet Admiral Yamamoto with information they'd received from the Quads and by the end of the day he'd send another back to Earth with information they learned here.
Two days later Fleet Admiral Yamamoto and his staff were on Caprica in the Earth 4 universe meeting with their and these Colonial military leaders.
"Our analysts estimate that with your help we should defeat the Cylon robots within a year," his counterpart said.
"Ours seem to concur," he said and smiled. "If only war was that simple." They all chuckled and then his pad signaled a priority message. "I need to take this."
"You can use one of the private offices."
"Let me read it first," he said and opened the message which he noted had a very large attachment. He read for a minute then looked up. "I think we all need to see this." Then his pad's AI connected to the monitor at the front of the conference room and Commander Tigh's face appeared.
"Fleet Admiral Yamamoto a new star has appeared within three thousand light years of Earth 2," he said and took a deep breath. "A Quad ship jumped here and made the report that is attached to this message. First, this star didn't just ignite recently, but it simply appeared with an completely intact solar system. Also, within this system are by the Quad's estimate sixty thousand starships which were engaged in battle. A large percentage are damaged, destroyed, drifting, and/or dead in space while others are still under power and apparently under computer control we assume. Currently there is NO combat underway as far as the Quads can tell."
"As I'm sending this message I'm organizing a humanitarian mission to that system with resources from all three versions of Earth. I'm leaving behind enough of our military assets to defend all three planets. Also, I will contact all of our allies to send help in any way they can. Sir, I know you're in the middle of a war and it'll take several days to get here, but if there's anything you can spare please send it. I will send another message as soon as we arrive and can access the situation myself. Thank you."
Yamamoto looked around the room at the other people's stunned faces."
"Sixty thousand starships!" his counterpart said, finding his voice first. "By an order of magnitude that's more ships than we and the Cylon robots have between us!"
"And then some," Yamamoto said and looked at Lucifer. "They'll need engineers, damage control specialists, rescue teams, medical staff, and probably anyone that can be spared."
"Admiral, there are tens of thousands of Centurions that have been reassembled and reprogrammed aboard the three Baseships near Earth and also there are the nine Baseships Commander Cain captured and their compliment of Centurions which have been repaired and reprogrammed. Their engines have been replaced with the new ones and they're here in this system now waiting for their shake down cruses."
"Lucifer, what are you proposing?"
"By your command, I take whatever we can spare in those nine Baseships, pickup those Centurions at Earth and whatever else is being sent from Earth and take them to help Commander Tigh. I assume you might be sending a few Colonial ships along too. Of course as Commander Tigh said it will take several days to get to this new star."
Yamamoto smiled.
"You are correct."
Lucifer sat in his command chair and felt his Baseship's jump engines begin to power up. At same time the ship's AI fed data from all nine in his Fleet directly to him and when they were ready he knew immediately.
"Jump," he said only in consideration for the organics on the bridge.
At that same moment a impulse from him caused the AI's on each Baseship to active their jump engine. A moment passed and they reentered normal space. He scanned the space surrounding time and for a full tenth of second was surprised and did nothing which for an AI like himself was an eternity.
"Sir, we're in the Sol system!" the sensor tech exclaimed and he would've said that was impossible, but from his own scans he already knew it to be true. "We – I mean all nine Baseships – are just inside the orbit of Mars." She worked her console. "Commander Cain's Battlestars are not with us."
"Commander Tigh," Caprica Six said and smiled. "It's good to see you and we can certainly use the help. Since you arrived we've located both command ships." The screen split into three parts showing her and the two starships respectively. "Which do you wish to take?"
"Thank you," he said and looked at his main monitor. "More ships will be arriving soon and I've apprized Admiral Yamamoto of our situation and requested whatever help he can provide. I've read in your messages that one fleet speaks German while the other predominantly English."
"The white ship is directing the side speaking German."
"Then I'll take that one," he said and glanced at the two officers beside him. "Clever how you figured out which were the command ships."
"Thanks," she said and smiled. "They had to be the ones getting the most message traffic from the rest of their respective fleets even through it's now currently all automated. I'll keep you apprized on what we find."
"And we'll do the same," he said and monitor returned to displaying the ring of starships.
"They provided the current location of the target ship," the navigator said.
"How long until we can rendezvous with it?" he asked and she worked her console.
"Six hours and thirty-two minutes," she said, turning back to him, and watched an eyebrow rise. "Sir, first we must match speed with that ring and then proceed to that ship all the while evading other ships and debris. Permission to use weapons to remove any debris we miss or cannot evade."
"Only if it's absolutely necessary!"
"Yes sir!"
He turned to the two Germans.
"Dinner?" Field Marshal Rommel asked.
"And then maybe some cards afterwards," Field Marshal Model said and smiled.
Tigh looked at his XO and the other Colonial smiled.
"Sir, I have the bridge."
Tigh flinched each time he felt the vibrations through his ship as one of the mega-pulsars fired. He was positive that the defensive laser turrets were firing periodically too, but he knew they were too small to be felt.
"It's you're bet," Rommel said.
"Sorry."
He threw another cubit into the pot.
"If you wish to call its two cubits," Model said.
"I just keep my mind on the game!" he exclaimed and stood. "I need to be on the bridge!"
"Tigh, you can't be on the bridge twenty-four hours a day," Ben said.
"Damn it, I know that!" he said and flopped back in his chair.
"Why don't you just go back to your cabin and rest," Ben said and checked the time. "You have another three and a half hours."
"I still won't be able to sleep," he said and sighed. "Why did this have to happen when everyone else was away fighting the Cylons!"
Ben looked at the other people in the room.
"Maybe this is a test that the Lords of Kobol set for you," Rachael said and Tigh snorted.
Then he laughed.
"I doubt even the Lords are that cruel."
"From what I remember of the Greek and Roman Gods they certainly could be," Rommel said and patted the other man's arm.
He'd read that long ago on Earth people worshiped Gods with the same names as the Lords of Kobol and apparently there were some humans who still did on all three versions of Earth. One day he's like to visit those places that he'd only seen in pictures. Make when this war with the Cylons was over, he thought.
"Well, I guess I'll just take your advice."
"We'll send you a message when we arrive," Ben said.
They left, leaving the cards and pot where they were, and he took off his shoes and lay on his bed. He closed his eyes and after a few minutes he slept.
He woke to an unpleasant smell and tried to wave it away, brushing against something furry. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked into the green eyes of a cat.
"Can you understand me?"
"Yes," he said in English and cocked his head. "You look like a cat."
"You not the first man to tell me that," she said and smiled. "I'm Blacky. What's your name?"
"Yang Wen Li," he said and she offered him a hand.
He took it and they shook. Then he looked closely at her hand and felt her fur. She chuckled and he quickly released the appendage.
"Sorry," he said and blushed.
"You're not the first man to feel my fur either," she said and winked and his blush deepened. "You don't seem too surprised by my appearance." She leaned a bit closer. "I'm an alien you know." This time he chuckled. "Some of your men have been quite surprised."
"I'm not surprised," he said and she chuckled.
"Obviously," she said and patted his arm. "So what do you do on this ship?"
"When the Admiral was injured and I took charge of the fleet."
"Oh," she said and got out her pad and then typed a message.
"Why was I unconscious?"
"I have no idea," she said and shrugged, "but so far everyone we've found was either unconscious or dead on both fleets."
Only then did Yang look and see his officers and friends unconscious and scattered around the command deck. He tried to stand and she caught him when he began to slump. Then they heard heavy footfalls entering the room. A woman came around the corner and stepped around the bodies while two robots behind stopped at the entrance.
"I'm Caprica Six," she said and extended a hand. "Admiral?"
"She's a Cylon," Blacky said and he pointed to the robots, "and they're Cylon Centurions. Oh, I forget to tell you I'm a Lemurian and we're all from Earth."
The Admiral was easily found since he was in an extremely ornate uniform and basically slumped in a chair that looked to them like a throne. Rachael waved the smelling salts under the man's nose and he jerked awake. Soft brown eyes met blue ones.
"You're a deer!" he said in German and she smiled.
"You're quite correct," she said in the same language.
"You can talk!"
"I can and know many other languages besides German," she said and smiled again. Then turned and looked down at red haired man lying beside his chair. "Your aide?"
"Kircheis!" he exclaimed and stood.
His knees gave and another much taller man caught him. He looked into the other man's blue eyes and thought he looked familiar. He put him back in his command chair and then came to attention.
"Field Marshal Erwin Rommel," he said and saluted.
"High Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm," he said and returned the salute.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said smiled.
"Erwin Rommel," he said, staring at the other man. Then after a minute it all came back to him. "You've been dead for over a thousand years!"
"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated," Rommel said and smiled.
"Reinhard?"
"Kircheis!"
"God, I feel awful," he said and looked at his friend. "Why's there a deer on the command deck?"
Rachael giggled.
"That's Cylon Baseship," Rommel said, pointing at the double disced starship.
"It looks much larger than any of our ships," Admiral Lohengramm.
"How large are the discs?" Kircheis asked.
"A mile in diameter," he responded and smiled as Reinhard's eyebrows rose. "We've found other fleet's command ship and your... well let's say opponent."
"Yang Wen Li?!"
"Yes," Rommel said. "Apparently the Admiral originally in charge was hurt and he took command."
"I thought as much since their tactics changed after we destroyed the Free Planets Alliance's 4th and 6th fleets."
"And that's how all yours and their ships ended up in this ring."
"It's kinda embarrassing, but Yang is a brilliant tactician."
"Almost as brilliant as you?" Rachael said.
Reinhard now looked a bit embarrassed and they heard a chuckle behind them.
"Kircheis!"
"Sorry sir," he said and cleared his throat. "Sir, the shuttle's ready."
Kircheis led them to the shuttle bay where a Colonial Raptor awaited them. He waited while the two Field Marshalls, his best friend, and the Deer entered and then he followed. The flight engineer shut the hatch and then returned to the flight deck.
The Deer sat across from the red haired young human and buckled in. He looked at her for a moment and then looked away. She smiled.
"I'm Rachael," she said and extended a hand.
"Siegfried Kircheis," he said and took her hand. "And you're a deer."
"Ever since I was born," she said and winked. Kircheis blushed and she chuckled. "Let me guess your next question. How can I talk?" A surprised showed crossed his face. "No, I'm not psychic."
"Rachael," Model said and squeezing her hand.
"This is Field Marshall Walter Model and I'm his assistant much as you are to Reinhard."
"Really," Kircheis said.
"Rachael," he said and noticed the others were listening too.
"To answer you unasked question," she said and winked at Walter. "On my version of Earth all the Animals are intelligent."
"Your version of Earth," both Kircheis and Reinhard said simultaneously.
"Well let me tell you the story," she said and Walter sighed.
Rommel only smiled.
"That's a Cylon Baseship," Caprica Six said, pointing at the double disced starship. "It's one of the original models."
"If you were wondering the discs are a mile in diameter," Blacky said.
"Yours was different," Yang said.
"Cause that one's from Earth Prime's Universe."
"Earth Prime?"
"We know of nine version of Earth," she said and then looked at Caprica and winked, "and yours will make ten!"
He looked at her questioningly and then at Caprica. The Cylon sighed.
"I didn't want to get into this just quite yet," she said and glared at the Lumerian who only grinned back. "I'll be back in a moment."
She stood and went to the Heavy Rader's flight deck.
"Oh you're going to love this," Blacky said and hugged his arm.
Yang looked at the Lemurian and chuckled. Caprica returned a minute later with a bipedal reptile and sat across from them.
"You know I'm a Cylon," Caprica Six said.
"And so am I, but we're from different universes," she said.
"Admiral Yang Wen Li!"
"Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm, it's good of you to meet with me," he said and they shook hands. "But currently I'm a Commodore."
"Since you're currently in command of your 2th fleet I assumed you'd automatically become an Admiral."
"If only life were only so simple," he said and Reinhard chuckled.
This is Siegfried Kircheis," he said and Yang shook other man's hand.
"Glad to meet you sir," Kircheis said and then saluted.
Yang returned it.
"And I'm Blacky," the Lemurian said and extended a hand to Reinhard.
He took it and shook as did Kircheis.
"Gentlemen," Tigh said, entering the conference room with several others and drawing everyone's attention. Rachael translated for Reinhard and Kircheis and Blacky for Yang. "Welcome to my ship the Leonis. I'm Commander Tigh, Colonial Fleet." Yang, Lohengramm, and Kircheis turned to the man and saluted and Tigh returned it. "First, before we do anything else I recommend a formal truce between both sides." Both combatants looked at each other and nodded. "Good! Since most of your people are still unconscious is there a way to disable the main weapons on your ships remotely? My medical people tell me that some of your people could wake before we get to them. I wouldn't them to start firing on each other again. All the crews on your command ships should be awake by now."
"I'll need to speak to my flagship's Captain," Admiral von Lohengramm said.
"I will also," Commodore Yang said.
Tigh contacted his Communications Tech who put calls through to both ships and pads were provided. They stepped out of the room and returned a few minutes later.
"Done," Admiral von Lohengramm said.
"And done," Commodore Yang said and smiled.
"Thank you gentlemen," Tigh said and let out a breath. "We haven't had any incidents yet, but let's say some of your men were a bit surprised after they were awakened."
Yang felt Blacky pat his arm.
"You weren't too surprised, were you?" she whispered.
"Just a bit," he said and she smiled.
"Also, as you can see we have some representatives of our nonhuman allies here with us today."
"Commander Tigh," Admiral Lohengramm said and stood. "Could you explain where we are and how we got here?"
"Of course, you're about three thousand light years from Earth 2."
"But the Astarte star system is much farther from Earth," Kircheis objected and Reinhard looked at him. "Sorry."
Reinhard smiled.
"Sorry, all I tell you is what I know," Tigh said and sat.
"Why do you call it Earth 2?" Admiral Lohengramm asked.
"We'll explain that in due course."
"As to what happened I can show you," Caprica Six said, standing and motioned to the screen at the front of the large conference room. The screen lit, showing the blackness of space and the far distant stars, and then there was a flash, whiting out the screen for a few seconds. When the picture returned a new star had appeared. "That's Astarte as you call it."
"But what happened?" Yang asked, pointing to the screen.
"We've no idea," Caprica said. "One minute it was empty space and the next that star simply appeared in this universe."
"Blacky tells me that you know of nine other versions of Earth."
"And we currently have access to only three, but our scientists think there may be an infinite number."
"Please tell us about the ones you do have access to," Reinhard said and looked at Yang and Blacky for a moment, "and how you do."
"I come from the Earth Prime universe," Commander Tigh said and pointed to the screen. "This was Caprica." A blue planet much like Earth was shown. "It was the capital world of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. According to our 'The Book of the Word' all thirteen tribes of Man originated on Kobol." A picture of that planet was shown also. "Eventually the twelve of tribes settled in Cyrannus star system which had four stars and twelve habitual planets, but the thirteenth tribe left first and supposedly settled on Earth. We fought the Cylon Empire for a thousand years until we were betrayed by one of our leaders, Baltar. Then the Cylons destroyed our civilization, killing forty billion people." He saw the shock on the newcomers faces. "We fled under the leadership of Commander Adama and when we arrived on Earth we found it had been struck by an asteroid. There were no humans nor had their ever been any. There were only intelligent animals and not too many of them."
"And you never found those other humans," Yang said.
"Unfortunately not, but along the way we did find a human civilization on a planet named Terra. They weren't our thirteenth tribe. Later several of their ships eventually caught up with the fleet after the Cylons attacked and destroyed their civilization."
"You could've stayed and helped?"
"At the time we only had the one Battlestar and two hundred and twenty civilian ships," Tigh said and shrugged. The screen showed the Galactica and one of the Baseships as comparison. "After we taught some of the Animals our language we found that they moved their entire civilization to another version of Earth though what we now call a portal. We knew the Cylon were not far behind us. So we uncovered the portal, moved it into space, and took our fleet through." The main screen displayed the operation. "Then we collapsed it, but before we did four Cylon Baseships came though and lost power. The ships weren't shielded well enough and their electrical systems failed including the ones in the Cylon robots except for one - Lucifer. It eventually led us to the organic Cylons they'd kept on their Baseships for scientific purposes. Centuries ago after the Organic Cylons had created the Centurions they turned on them and destroyed them all or at least that's what we thought." He pointed to Centurion standing security. "We've reprogrammed them to be more tolerant of organic life."
"That one's different than the ones on my ship," Yang said.
"Those were Centurions from the Earth 3 universe," Caprica Six said.
"This sounds like it's going to be a long and complicated story."
"Yes," she said and smiled.
"I've afraid she's right," Tigh said and indicated the man who stood. "This is Colonel Grimes."
"The year on Earth 2 is 2024AD," Rick began, "and some years before 99.9 percent of humanity on my Earth had died in the apocalypse. Worse the disease that caused it didn't just kill people it also reanimated their corpses and the Animals and what was left of humanity had to fight them."
"That's seems hard to believe," Admiral Lohengramm said and Rick motioned toward the screen.
It showed humans and Animals destroying a herd of Walkers and he saw the look of disgust on their faces.
"It took ten years and the last pocket of Walkers was destroyed on Easter Island," Rick said. "Soon after that Colonel Judith Wilde found another portal on that island which led to Earth 3."
The meetings continued over the next few days with Yang and Lohengramm bringing more officers from their respective fleet as they were awakened and became available.
During one of the meetings on the third day Tigh's pad beeped and he accepted the call. He listened for a moment and then stood.
"Excuse me," he said and stood, "there's something everyone needs to see. Go ahead."
The screen lit we face of Sensor Tech.
"Sir, four minutes ago nine Baseships, nine Battlestars, a Warstar, and one hundred and twenty-one civilian ships jumped into the system," she said and the picture switched, showing dozens of flashes as the starships returned to normal space that had been recorded earlier. Then the picture zoomed in showing the growing number of ships. "Also we're receiving a message from both fleet commanders."
"Both fleets?" Tigh said and the view switched to the Communication tech.
"Yes sir, Cylon and Colonial," she said and he had consider that for a moment.
"I'd thought they wouldn't be here for at least another week."
"Sir, I've received the Cylon fleet commander's first," she said.
"Play it!"
Lucifer appeared, sitting in the command chair on the bridge of the lead Baseship.
"By your command," he began and Tigh sighed internally. "Fleet Admiral Yamamoto sent me with these Baseships captured by Commander Cain. I brought anyone and anything that could be spared to help with the relief effort. Also when I returned to Earth 4 I took ALL functional Centurions – from the three Baseships at Earth and the ones we've captured and reprogrammed – plus anyone who wanted to help. My ships will spread out from here to survey the disabled starships. I will join you in two hours and twenty-one minutes. Your report on the situation here has been sent on to the Fleet Admiral before I left Earth 2."
The picture returned to a view of the new ships. Then a few moments later it switched back to the Communications tech.
"Commander, I have received the message from Colonial Commander also," she said and smiled.
Cain appeared in sitting in Captain's chair from the Warstar's bridge.
"Tigh, it looks like you have your hands full," he said and looked away for a moment. "I've never seen so many ships!" He turned back and smiled. "I guess none of us have – not even the Cylons! I guess you heard from Lucifer and his nine Baseships. Don't worry I'll keep an eye on him and I'll be there in three hours or so." The screen went dark.
"It seems Commander Cain is an interesting man," Yang said and smiled.
"Sir, you don't know the half of it," Tigh said and chuckled. "Wait to meet the other one!"
Commodore Yang and Admiral Lohengramm waited with the others as the Cylon Raider and Colonial Raptor arrived in the landing bay. The Raider landed first and then the other. Both groups touched the deck simultaneously and made their way to quickly to the people waiting, keep their respective distance.
"Commander Tigh by your command," IL series robot said respectfully and then looked at other group of new comers.
"Commander Tigh," Commander Cain said and looked over the group, "I see you've rescued some of our new refugees."
"Please let me introduce you," he said and turned to them. "This is High Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm."
"Commander Cain," he said and took the man's hand and shook. "Your ships look interesting."
Rachael translated.
"Kircheis and I will give you a tour of my flagship once we are finished here," he said and looked at the Cylon robots. "I meant both of you."
"I am Lucifer," he said.
"You are..."
"An IL series Cylon robot."
"And you commanded those ships."
"My series was built to command Basestars," he said in German and indicated the other robots that had accompanied him, "and the Centurions fly Raiders, crew the Baseships, and are ground troops when necessary."
"And you are sentient."
"Correct Admiral von Lohengramm," he said. "Does your civilization have robots?"
"They do some maintenance on our ships and move cargo, but they're not as sophisticated as you or your Centurions."
"This is Commodore Yang Wen Li," Tigh said, indicating the other man.
Blacky translated.
"I'd be glad you give all of you tours of my ships too," he said and shook Cain's hand. Then he looked at Lucifer. "We have robots too, but like Admiral von Lohengramm said nothing like you."
"Interesting," Lucifier said. "I've brought thousands of Centurions and they should be a great help in salvaging and repairing your ships."
By that time large portion of the crews of the two disabled fleets that either woke on their own or with help of the people from the three Earths and their allies. Also, a certain percentage of them were in comas and couldn't be revived. A much smaller number had died either by falls when they passed out, piloting single ships no longer under manual or computer control, striking objects in space, or simply the stress on their bodies of passing out – most these were old crewmen. Later by agreement of both fleets the bodies of the dead were placed into several unsalvageable ships and then towed into decaying obits of Astarte.
Rescue of crewman from disabled and wrecked ships continued and accelerated now with the help both fleets. Organic Cylons from that universe also sent help using their newly acquired jump drives. The Quads brought in two of their newly completed shipyards using interlinked jump drives to move them in a single piece from their home system. They quickly began to fill up as salvaged and heavily damaged ships – but still in one piece – of both fleets were towed in. The ships that were moderately damaged and could be repaired by crews were brought to the shipyards, but not docked. Ships that were unsalvageable were towed there too and scavenged for parts and then broken down for their metals and any other useful materials.
After a month the Admirals and Captains of both the Imperial and Alliance fleets met separately to discuss their next steps.
"As I see it all we can do is go to Earth and join these people," Admiral von Lohengramm.
"But the Empire!" one of the Admirals exclaimed.
"There is no Empire!" Lohengramm said and sighed. "We all sent ships to both our capital star systems and there was nothing there, but empty worlds. Admiral, if you like you may go there start your own empire, but as you know we're all men." The Admiral in question opened his mouth for a moment and the shut it. Reinhard heard Kircheis cough and smiled. "If anyone gets it into their heads about staring a war of conquest they'll be facing me, Yang, and them. This is our only option – please accept it!"
A few hours later a similar meeting occurred aboard the Free Planets Alliance flagship.
"As I see it their governments are much like ours," Commodore Yang said.
"But our homes and families!" one Captain said.
"They're somewhere else and I don't know how to get us back."
"Then..."
"We go to Earth and make a life there."
No one ever noticed the remains of an asteroid near the center of the ring that had been reduced to rock and metal dust when it was struck by arrant weapons fire. It had only then functioned one last time. Over thousands of millennia the dust had collected and solidified on the device which had been abandoned after it had moved the solar system. It was a testament to the its creators engineer skills that it still had functioned, but when two circuits were fused it worked in a way that they'd never been considered or actually intended.