Chapter 5: Colonial Warrior and the Peacekeeper



Entering the bridge of the Galactica, never before did Colonel Tigh see Commander Adama looking older or more exhausted than he did now. The white haired battlestar commander sat quietly in his bridge chair staring at the seemingly endless stream of damage reports and casualty lists that resulted from the sneak attack inflicted on the fleet the day before.

In that sudden and terrible assault, an alien vessel, nearly as massive as the Galactica itself materialized over the fleet using some sort of cloaking technology. It wasted no time. But had instead immediately attacked, launching wave after wave of fighters. The Galactica had managed to launch her Vipers in time, but it was the bloodiest engagement they had seen in yahrens.

They had finally fought off the huge alien base ship by bringing the Galactica in close for a lethal exchange of broadsides with it. The alien ship had some sort of protective shielding over it but the Galactica's heavy guns eventually punched through. After suffering serious structural damage to their battle cruiser the aliens were driven off, but not before the Galactica had suffered a severe pounding as well.

Now sorely wounded, the Galactica and the fleet managed to high tail it to a nearby nebula for cover and to make quick and needed repairs. They lost ten civilian ships and six more were so badly damaged that they had to tow them to safety. They were still calculating how many thousands of civilian lives were lost. Losses to their Viper squadrons were running almost a third of their force.

For the next several centars, while remaining hidden within the giant nebula, they had launched patrols to the outter edge of nebula to see if the aliens were waiting for them. Colonel Tigh was now approaching Adama to give him the latest reports.

The tall dark skinned bridge officer said softly.

Adama looked up from the monitors, finally noticing his first officer and friend. He hadn't slept since the attack. He rubbed his tired eyes.

Yes, Colonel Tigh?

Situation report from Captain Apollo and Starbuck. The aliens have apparently moved off. Also, Lt. Boomer and Athena reported turning up nothing during their patrols.

Adama nodded at the apparent good news. As soon as they return, prepare to move the fleet out and place all remaining squadrons on standby for immediate launch in case they're still waiting for us.

Colonel Tigh said with a low whisper. Do you think we're moving too quickly. There are still more repairs that need to be made.

I understand your concern but more than half of the ships in the fleet don't have adequate shielding against the nebula's radiation. Even if we remain for even another single day, it may start to prove fatal for our people.

Yes sir. Also, Captain Apollo and the other pilots have been asking about Gamma Patrol, Lt. Sheba and Bojay.

Still no word? Adama asked.

No sir. What should I tell them?

The truth. Adama said, drawing a breath sadly, knowing how close Sheba was to his son, Apollo. We have to consider them missing in action. I wish we could launch a patrol to find them but we can't spare anyone to look for two lost pilots. Not after the staggering losses we suffered today. As it is now, it'll be a miracle if we can save the fleet.

I'll give them the news.

No, that's my job. Adama said then stood up to face his friend, ordering. Once our patrols return, prepare to move the fleet out of the nebula and make a run for deep space. If we survive the next few days, perhaps then we'll have time to grieve for our losses.

Aye, sir.

A little more than a centar later, the Galactica, showing several ugly battle scars across her grey hull slowly pierced out of the Nebula's perimeter with the fleet close behind, staying near their only source of protection. They were all closely escorted by several wings of Colonial Vipers flying combat patrol.

By a minor miracle, the aliens were no where to be found as the Galactica and the fleet made their escape for deep space and soon left the region called the Uncharted Territories far behind.

***

At times like this, Aeryn wanted nothing better than to be left alone. She deactivated her comm unit and went to the quietest place on Moya, the hangar deck.

Sitting under her Prowler, Aeryn leaned up against the left rear landing strut, trying to think of nothing, just wishing the pain would go away after her confrontation with Crichton. As with most things in her life now, it wasn't an easy task to do.

Aeryn had no idea how long she was there but the sound of approaching foot steps finally got her attention. Walking through the hangar double doors, she saw Sheba entering and heading towards her Viper, which was not parked far from Aeryn's Prowler.

Watching her closely, Aeryn had no idea to what she was up to. Sheba stopped to glance at a couple of DRDs lingering about her Viper before climbing up and lifting the Viper's cockpit canopy.

Sheba didn't realize that Aeryn was right there in the shadows, watching her every move. The Human female, reached into her Viper, placing a hand behind the pilot's seat and pulling out a brown duffel bag. She dropped the bag to the deck and reached in again and removed a coupled photos she had taped up in the corner of her cockpit control board.

Holding the pictures dearly to her chest, she climbed back down, closing the canopy shut. In no hurry to go anywhere special, Sheba stopped and looked over the photos again, of people who she loved and cared deeply for. Now she didn't know where they were or if they're even still alive. Not knowing was the hardest to bear.

It started slowly, with a single tear before Sheba had to let it out. She sat down on the floor and began to cry quietly, clutching the photos.

Oh, dren! Aeryn thought sourly as she watched Sheba crying. I don't need to see this.

The former Peacekeeper slowly got up and started to sneak away. Half way to freedom, Aeryn had a sudden change of heart. Something must have had happened to Sheba to make her cry like this. No telling what had occurred on the Command area after she left. Aeryn decided to go back and check on her and with some luck, Sheba would just tell her to frell off and that'd be the end of her good deed of the day.

Walking around the front of Sheba's Viper, Aeryn looked at the Human pilot and asked softly. Are you okay?

Sheba's head shot up in shock to see Aeryn standing there. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, murmuring.

No. We lost track of them... The fleet. The aliens found them first but I think... I hope they escaped.

Aeryn nodded, she was not exactly in a mood to let her shoulder to be cried on but she did her best, at least for a fellow fighter pilot. I'm sorry.

Well guess what, I'm sorrier. Sheba whispered, looking down are the pictures. I should have been there when it happened.

There was a moment of silence before Aeryn pointed to the pictures. What are you looking at?

Pictures of my father and friends.

Aeryn stepped closer, asking. May I see?

Sheba passed one of the pictures to Aeryn as she sat down across from her. Studying the first photo, Aeryn saw a smiling Sheba standing beside a strong looking middle aged man in a uniform, with blond but slowly whiting hair. He had his arm around her, beaming with pride.

Handsome man. Aeryn commented. What's his name?.

Commander Cain. Sheba said with a half hearted smile. The photo was taken the day I got my promotion becoming a full Lieutenant. My father was so proud of me that day.

Aeryn looked at the picture of father and daughter and grew envious of Sheba. Humans, no matter where they were in the galaxy, seemed to keep close ties with their children and the man in the photo did indeed looked very proud of his daughter.

Where is he now?

He's Commander of the Pegasus. Sheba said softly, wiping away a tear. Two yahrens ago, he engaged two Cylon basestars. He destroyed them both but his ship disappeared in the resulting explosions. Some say he died when his ship was destroy in the battle but others including myself believe he survived and is still out there fighting them. What about your family?

My father is dead and... I never knew my mother that well, Aeryn wanted to avoid that subject at all costs. What about that other photo?

Sheba handed Aeryn the last picture of herself with two young men and a woman. She pointed out the people in the photo for the former Peacekeeper, smiling. This tall good looking fellow on my right is Captain Apollo, the tall pretty brunette standing on my left is Apollo's sister, Lt. Athena and this sly looking one beside her is Lt. Starbuck.

Good friends?

The best and now like my father, I don't know if they're alive or not.

You'll find them. Aeryn said even though she couldn't imagine how.

Sheba looked down to the floor, and spoke barely above a whisper. I loved him.

Aeryn's curiosity picked up a bit.

Sheba said a little louder. He cared me for as a fellow warrior and friend but... He lost his wife, who was also a warrior about one yahren before we met. It took a while but we later grew close and.. I was badly wounded in a Cylon attack and almost died. When I recovered, I noticed the change in him. Apollo still loved me but he was now afraid to get too close to me.

He was too afraid to lose you. Aeryn said, seeing that part of Sheba's story a metra away, almost mirroring her own situation with John. Unfortunately, the former Peacekeeper was uncomfortable at the change in subject about lost loved ones but she tried to listen.

Sheba nodded. Apollo said that he was worried that the same thing could happen to me as with his wife because of our dangerous duties as warriors. He told me that as much as he would love for our relationship to grow, he wasn't ready to go through the pain over all again a second time if something were to happen to me. I understood what he was saying but...

You wished there was some way around it. Aeryn whispered, having a good idea the dilemma this Captain Apollo was going through with Sheba.

Sheba said, then laughed sombrely. Look at me, just dumping my problems on you.

It's okay. Aeryn said, but inside she was desperate to stop talking because it was bringing her even further down. She handed Sheba's pictures back.

After pocketing them, Sheba asked. So I hear that you're a fighter pilot. Is that your Prowler behind you?

Aeryn simply answered but glad to be talking about something else

Are you any good as a pilot?

I can hold my own. The former Peacekeeper eyed the Colonial Warrior closely, wondering what she was up to. Any reason why?

Sheba shrugged her shoulders innocently, tossing Aeryn a mischievous smile. Nothing really, I was thinking maybe we could have a race sometime in our two fighters.