Ch 19
On the Battlestar Galactica, Erica knew this was it. There were only a few marines left her to defend them, and the Cylons were closing in. The battles in the hallway were closer, and few wounded were able to make it back so she could help drag them to safety and get them at least patched up.
She was frantic in her worry. Once the cylons turned this last corner, there was nothing between them and the over full medical clinic. She knew those machines would kill all the wounded and keep going to kill all of them.
She then heard a familiar voice behind her. "They are right around this corner." She looked up. Two people in silver armor were behind her carrying weapons like she'd never seen before. Their helmets had visors large enough to see one was Bob. "BOB! We're being slaughtered!" she cried.
Bob didn't answer, but ran to the corner with the other one where three marines were shooting around the corner. Bob tapped the marines and pulled them back, the other one grabbed what looked like a bomb, pulled a pin and threw it down the hallway. They both joined the marines, back against the inside wall.
The explosion basted out loud, pieces of metal flew by. Bob and his partner then strode out into the hallway, both firing. Their guns lit the hallway up. They strode out of sight, shooting.
Getting their senses together, the marines followed.
Bob was right, Joan noted. A single hit was all but vaporizing these tall terminators. The ones still standing fired back, but their bullets bounced off the coltan reinforced armor Cameron and Mrs. Weaver had made. Joan with Bob beside her shot a dozen of these things, then went on, looking for more.
At intersections, they'd peek around the corner. If they saw a terminator, they terminated it. A marine got their attention and motioned which way to go. After a few intersections. The marines motioned for them to follow.
At one corner, A marine indicated for them to split up. Bob went right, Joan went left. As they went they passed dead marines and a destroyed terminator here and there. It was obvious the terminators had been winning.
Coming to a stairway down the marine looked down it. Bob tapped him on the shoulder and motioned him back. He went down the stairs quickly. Clear hallway met him in both directions. He motioned the Marine with him down. Hearing heavy footsteps from one hallway, Bob ran down it. At the next corner he saw four terminators facing away from him shooting. He got three before the last one turned round. He got that one also. At the end were a few colonials who were now eyeing him.
The marine got his attention again. He signaled he was going down to talk to them and for Bob to go the other way. Bob nodded and walked back the way he came.
Behind the hurried barrier they'd gotten up, Lee Adama asked the marine, "Who was that?"
"No idea, Sir. There's another one too. They showed up, we were backed up to the clinic, then here they come and blew the hades out of those Centurions. It's like they just walked right through them! Whatever those rifles fire is white energy and blows Centurions apart real good."
"We're clear here, let's go help them," Starbuck said.
.
Joan let one of the marine with her lead, but stayed close behind him. They traveled some hallway coming across noting but bodies and a single terminator that was trying to get up. Joan stomped on it's head. The head flattened and sparks flew. It stopped moving. Up ahead at another intersection a terminator appeared. Joan terminated it.
Coming to the intersection, Joan held the marines back and looked. This hallway went down and appeared to split after a ways. She moved down, watching the five way split. Getting to the split and not seeing any terminators, she motioned the marines down to her.
She pointed to her eyes, then each of them and the first splits. They understood and watched the first splits to the side. Joan scrutinized the dark splits ahead. She took her helmet off to listen. No noise was coming from the dark splits. She did her some noise from the first split to her right.
That marine said something quietly to her. She didn't understand a thing. She put a finger to her lips, then got her helmet back on. Slipping past him she went down this split slowly watching and listening.
The split curved down. Staying on the inside curve she saw the bottom. A man was talking and pointing up. In front of him were ten more terminators. She took her second bomb put an pulled the pin She tossed it down in front of the man and backed up to squat and cover.
BOOM
Debris rained past her. Joan jumped up and charged. Getting to the bottom, she saw were the man had splattered against a wall. Strewn out in a wide semi-circle were terminator pieces. There was also a small ship down here with a couple men and terminators by it. They turned to her, she shot them down. One terminator sprayed some bullets over her. She obliterated him. She then shot a round into the back of the ship. It blew out flame and flipped over.
Bullets pinged off her armor. She turned in a squat and shot two more terminators. There was another ship so she shot that too right in the front. It didn't explode, but the entire front melted down. Sparks flew out.
Farther down the large hanger looking hallway, there was a third ship. Someone was inside, a terminator came out the back. She shot the ship, then the terminator. Walking down the large bay, she searched for something else to shoot. Just up ahead, the marines she was with peeked out from the other tunnel. They gave her a thumbs up.
Joan didn't find anything else to shoot at, so she returned the thumps up.
.
Going down the hallway by himself, Bob watched ahead. Hearing a fizzling noise like a welder, he turned the next corner to see terminators cutting a steel door open. There were only five. A full power shot got three of them and the cutting unit. The other two he shot one then the other. A few bullets pinged off his armor, but nothing dangerous.
A loud female cry of joy sounded behind him. Bob looked to see the blonde that had shot him last time he was here. In a fast motion he grabbed her gun and crushed it as he glared at her.
A man got between them and held his hands up. Right, Bob had seen him before too. Bob pulled his helmet off and pointed at slag that used to be terminators. "Any more?" he asked.
The man pointed to the marine with a radio. The marine got on it and talked to someone.
Bob really wished he understood what they were saying. By the man's motions, he got that all the terminators were gone. He nodded and went back the way he came.
.
In CIC, Admiral Adama asked, "They are all gone?"
"They are," Saul Tigh said. "What I'm getting is that Earth man returned with another one. The two of them essentially just walked through the Cylons destroying them. They took all kinds of return fire but it didn't phase either one of them, and one's a woman."
"We need desperately to talk to them," Admiral Adama stated.
.
While Bob was making his way back the way he came, someone grabbed his arm. It was the blonde. He jerked free from her grasp and pointed an angry finger at her. "Don't you EVEN get close to me. BACK THE FUCK OFF!" he roared.
She backed up gaping at him. He turned and strode faster back to the stairway and up. Now, to go find Joan.
.
The marines led Joan back up through the tunnels and kept pointing her the way to go.
"You know where Bob is?" she asked.
One answered her by letting out a line of gibberish. He pointed ahead.
"BOB!" Joan yelled. She walked to another intersection, she called for Bob again. This time, she heard a faint call for her. It came from the way the marine was pointing.
Soon, Bob's call for her was louder. Seeing each other at the opposite ends of a hallway they waved to each other and jogged to meet in the middle.
"How are you doing? Any holes in you?" Joan called.
"Nope! This armor is good stuff!" Bob beamed in return.
Coming closer, Joan asked, "So now that we've kicked ass, how do we get back home?"
"Hanna! We're ready to go now!" Bob called out in a yell.
A marine listening to his radio replied to it then waved a hand at Bob and Joan. He motioned for them to follow. The marines all walked ahead a bit.
Hanna appeared in front of Bob. "Don't you want to at least go see her?" she asked.
"Danger's over, we want to go back home, please." he said firmly.
"You don't like these people," Hanna said sadly. Their environment changed, they were now in the parking lot at the hotel.
Montgomery was sitting on the stairs when they appeared. He snapped his head up and gaped at them. "What the hell? You just appeared in front of me. What are you wearing? Is that armor?" He guessed, seeing they were carrying some kind of rifles.
Bob and Joan looked at each other. Joan offered, "Just pretend you didn't see anything. Night, Monty."
"Yeah, night, Monty." Bob agreed. They went past him into the hotel.
.
"They just vanished?" Admiral Adama asked the marines.
The corporal said, "Sir, they were right behind us! When we didn't hear them walking we turned around and they were gone!"
"Sixty feet of straight hallway was behind us," a private said. "They didn't have time to run back, and there were no alcoves or doors they could have ducked into."
Admiral Adama frowned. "I'd love to know how they do that."
Adama went to the clinic that was spilled out into the hallway with wounded. He was familiar with the nurse who could speak to these Earth people. He found her dressing a lower chest wound. "Nurse, can I bother you for a moment?" he asked.
Erica eyed him. "Yes, but please be quick, Admiral, we have many wounded here."
"How do those Earth people come and go from this ship?"
Erica shrugged. "I don't know. I just ache for Bob and he shows up. I have no idea how he does it."
"This time, he saved the ship. Those Cylons damn near got to the engineering spaces, and CIC as well as this clinic. He and his friend saved us. Contact him if you can. I really want to speak to him as well as thank him for saving us." He also wanted access to those energy weapons that obliterated cylons and the armor that deflected their bullets.
"I will, Admiral. Just know I have no idea if he'll hear me or respond."
Adama patted her on the shoulder. "Just do what you can." he said and walked on his way. If Starbuck wasn't such a good fighter pilot, he'd have her condemned to the brig forever for shooting this Bob.
.
Despite wasting most of the night off shooting down someone else's problems, Joan and Bob had a good tumble. With only a couple hours sleep, they got up for the day.
At least she got some. Finding out today was going to be mostly Jackie and Monty doing scenes, Joan went back to bed. Allison took Monty and Jackie to the movie site so Bob wouldn't fall back asleep and wreck another vehicle. Bob decided to head back to bed with Joan.
.
A few days after the battle on board, Adama called Starbuck and Erica into a meeting in his office. He started by looking at each and said, "I want to talk about this Bob that keeps showing up then disappearing. From what I understand, he's from Earth. The place we're looking for. That is correct?"
"It is, Admiral." Erica said.
Intently, Adama said, "For whatever reason, he's shown up now three times to help first a party you were with, then you and some other women who were kidnapped by Sons Of Aeres, and this last time, him and another like him wiped out all those cylons who got on board. I'm thinking he's a soldier, and all of Earth's soldiers are damn tough."
Adama then eyed Starbuck. "And after he saved Erica and those other women, you come into sick bay and shoot him four times."
Starbuck let out a huff. "I did. I'm real sorry about that."
"Lee said when you tried to get his attention, he turned and yelled at you."
"He did, sir."
"Sorry's not enough," Adama said. "In the Colonial uniform, we all are representatives of the colonies. What we do reflects on all of us, military and civilian. This Bob sees us as criminals because of you, Starbuck. Yes, he did return to stop cylons from taking over the ship, but right after they did, he and his friend left. That tells me he did save us, but doesn't want anything to do with us."
Starbuck asked meekly, "What do you want me to do?"
"Been thinking about that," Adama said, then looked at the nurse. "You told me you want him, and however it happens, he knows and comes."
"Yes, Sir," Erica agreed.
Adama pointed to Starbuck. "However you do it, ask him to return so Starbuck can apologize to him. Think hard, meditate, whatever it takes. If we are to ever have good relations with Earth, we need them on our side and not thinking we are criminals that shoot people for no reason. Earth is the last planet humans are on. If they don't trust us, we will be in very deep trouble."
"I understand, Sir. I will do my best to try and call him again," Erica said firmly.
"Good luck, the fleet is counting on you."
.
Erica did her best, aching for Bob to return so Starbuck could offer her apologies to him. She also wanted to see him to explain not all of them were shoot first and ask questions later, freaks. The fate of the fleet was in her hands. All day for a few days straight, that's all she thought about.
Starbuck was to stay near her in case she did get Bob to return. She wasn't happy about it, but the Admiral was right. It was her rabid hate of Cylons that caused her to shoot him when he wasn't doing anything aggressive at all.
Heading for the chow hall, Erica and Starbuck stopped short upon seeing a glowing white figure before them. The woman that had dark hair wore a glowing white gown.
"You wish to apologize to Robert for randomly trying to kill him?" she asked, looking at Starbuck.
Starbuck swallowed her initial question of, 'What the frack are you.' and said. "Yes, I was wrong and I want to try and make amends."
"I see, then I shall give you the opportunity."
.
Malinara had no scenes to do today, so she went with Bob to go deliver some fish to JJ's farm and get a few gallons of alcohol and some grapes in return to snack on and make some wine. Allison was taking her turn to do the gardens in town, so after they dropped her off, Marinara was happy to have a day with Robert by herself.
They got up to the farm to meet Kaede and one of the white haired girls.
"Hey Kaede! We brought fish," Bob announced with a wave.
"Good," Kaede replied. "We saved a tote of grapes just for you. You do know we can make the wine if you want."
Bob got out and picked up the tote of fish on ice. "I know, but Patricia said she wanted to make the wine herself. Some sort of family recipe she knows."
Malinara got out. "Hi Kaede, and…"
"This is Cindy," Kaede prodded.
"Hi," Cindy said with a wave.
"Johnny around?" Bob asked.
"He's out spreading fertilizer with a couple Atlantians," Kaede told him. "Follow me, we'll get the fish put away and get your grapes."
"Malinara, heard you were in the big movie?" Kaede asked.
"I am. I only got a few parts though. It is interesting to see how it's done. I always though movies and shows were done in order. Far from it. It's done kinda randomly, then they have to put the whole thing together," Malinara explained.
"Why do they do that?" Cindy asked.
Malinara shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe because Joan and Jackie start making up script in the middle or start giggling and have to start again."
"That would be fun to watch," Kaede noted.
"Yeah, it is, but Charlie and Cameron get irritated at them." Malinara said with a grin.
They went up to the Atlantian house first to put most of the fish in the freezer, then headed down to JJ and Kaede's place. The rest of the fish went in their freezer. Next the headed to the barn to get the grapes and a pair of cans of alcohol.
Kaede showed Bob the tote, he picked it up. Kaede then grabbed a bottle of grape juice and added it to the tote. "See if Patricia can make you some grape jelly too. "
"Yeah, that's good stuff!" Cindy chimed.
"I'll ask," Bob assured her. They headed back out to the truck. Bob put the tote of grapes in. Right after he did, a blonde in a military uniform appeared and stumbled into the tailgate.
Right away, Bob recognized who this was. He gaped at her. "What the HELL is SHE doing here?" he cried.
Kaede eyed the blonde. "Who is she?"
Pointing to her, Bob said, "That's the bitch who shot me four times for no reason at all."
Malinara glared at her. In a growl she asked, "You shot Robert, huh?" Flame appeared on her hand. Luckily Bob was close enough to knock her wrist up so the flame went over the blonde's head. The blonde backed up fast and tripped.
"STOP!" Kaede commanded. "Malinara stop it."
"But, she shot Robert!" Malinara cried.
"Mal, stop it," Bob said.
"I'll get rid of her. Bob and Mal, just go," Kaede said. Kaede then grabbed the blonde with her mind arms and picked her up and dumped her to the side.
The blonde said something and shot to her feet. Kaede glared at her and pointed down the driveway. "GO." she intoned.
The blonde tried to speak again. Kaede used her arms to turn the blonde to face down the driveway and gave her a shove. "GET LOST!"
Stumbling the blonde got her feet under her and tried to talk again.
Bob was turning his truck around, the blonde tried to get in front of it as she babbled.
Kaede jerked the blonde to the side so Bob could get past her. Once he was down he driveway, Kaede gave the blonde another push. "Go before I lose my temper!" she snapped.
"Kaede," Cindy said, laying a careful hand on her arm. "She doesn't understand. What I'm getting is she came to apologize to Bob, but she can't understand what we're saying. She speaks another language."
Kaede turned to Cindy. "That may be, but I don't think Bob wants to hear from her after she tried to kill him for no reason."
"But, she's sorry," Cindy pleaded.
Kaede clapped Cindy on the shoulder. "Hon, blondie has to deal with what she's done. Shooting someone four times indicates more than a bit of hate, don't you think? We don't want her here."
Cindy cast a sad look at Kaede. "You might kill her."
"She tries to hurt anyone here and yes, I will spread her remains over the fields like fertilizer. Don't care if she's sorry after she hurts someone, Is she really sorry she shot Bob?"
Cindy looked at the blonde who was standing and looking back at them fearfully. Cindy winced. "Actually, she was made to come apologize."
"Then she's not sincere, and we want no part of her," Kaede stated.
The blonde raised a hand up and said something. Kaede eyed her, then threw her halfway down the driveway to bounce and tumble to a stop.
"No, please don't hurt her any more," Cindy begged.
Fine, Kaede called the sheriff to come get rid of her.
The blonde was still trying to get up from her tumble when Anne arrived, flying down to meet Kaede. "Problems?" she asked.
Kaede pointed to the blonde who was gaping at them. "That woman appeared her, we have no idea who she is. Bob said she'd shot him four times. Bob left to go home, but that woman refused to leave. You can take her away or she'll be a blood spot on the driveway here soon."
Anne chuckled. "Tried to kill Bob huh? That would be an exercise in frustration. Where was this, here?"
"Not here, Bob just told us what she did. Shot him close range four times."
Anne looked at Cindy. Cindy nodded. "That's what Bob said, and I strongly feel she did."
"Wow, we haven't locked up anyone since Judas was here. This will be our first murder suspect!" Anne beamed. She pulled out the handcuffs the Sheriff had her keep and walked down to the blonde staring at her.
The blonde tried to get up and run. Anne flew over and pounced on her, driving her face first into the ground. Anne cuffed the woman, hands behind her back, then flew off to the Sheriff's office with her.
As Anne flew along holding the blond by the back of her pants, the woman cried out.
Anne understood the meaning. In old Latin she replied, "We're a hundred feet up. Sure you want me to let go?"
"I have to talk to Bob!" the woman cried.
"Why? To try and kill him again? Sorry, you're going to see the Sheriff. Attempted murder is very highly frowned upon here."
Anne flew down into town and to the sheriff's front porch. OK, she misjudged a little and ran the woman's head into the door.
Oops.
The Sheriff looked up as Anne carried the blond woman inside. Anne sat her up in the chair across the desk from him. "She speaks old Latin. She was up at JJ's farm and didn't want to leave. Kaede told me she tried to kill Bob, four shots. Kaede got Bob headed home. I brought miss trigger happy here to keep Kaede from making her a blood spot on the road."
Connor let out a sigh. "This is going to be paperwork you know. A whole bunch of paperwork. Where'd she come from?"
"No idea. She's not from around here."
He nodded. "Call Bob, Kaede and any other witnesses. If she can't speak English, then I'm going to have to write everything down. After you call those involved so they can come give their statements, get yours done too."
He pulled his lower drawer open and drug out a suspect statement to slap it on the desk.
Eyeing the sad looking woman, he asked in Latin, "What's your name?"
"Kara Thrace. I just want to apologize to Bob for shooting him," she replied in a dull tone.
"Where do you live?"
"On our ship, the Battlestar Galactica."
Connor raised an eyebrow. "What is this battlestar thing?"
"A deep space ship made to fight," Kara replied, eyeing him.
"OoooK," Connor said as he wrote. "You admit to shooting Robert Tanner?"
"Yes, I came to set things right," Kara replied firmly.
Connor shook his head and grabbed another all but unused item. "Miss Thrace, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Robert Tanner. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have or cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you…"
"I just need to speak with Robert!" Kara cried.
Eyeing her, he said, "No, you admitted to me you shot him. That's attempted murder unless my investigations shows that's not the case, and the Judge agrees. Before you say anything else, I need to finish reading you your rights, so please be quiet until I am finished."
Kara dropped her head. She'd really fracked up bad agreeing to come here.
It took a while for Bob, Malinara, Kaede and Cindy to show up. One by one, they each gave their statement to events, Anne typed the statements up, Connor listen to each of them.
Bob admitted he was 'some place else', but didn't know where he was when Thrace shot him four times, two in the back then two in the chest. He did describe the incident in detail. Malinara only added what Kaede and Cindy did, what happened up at the farm. After he had all their statements, he asked Kara if she had a lawyer or if she needed one.
She needed one, so he called the town lawyer to come down and be her defense attorney.
When he came, he was told of the charge and got to look through the statements made against Thrace. He read these, then asked, "I really have to defend her?"
The Sheriff shrugged. "She needs a lawyer, you're the only one in town, so I'm appointing you."
"Then I think the insanity plea is my best bet."
"That might be wise," the Sheriff agreed. "Thrace doesn't speak English, but Latin. Anne here can translate for you and her if you want."
"Yes, please but Anne cannot speak about anything we discuss."
"Anne, write up a confidentiality agreement not to discuss anything you hear from either of them. You both will need to sign it." To the lawyer, he said, "Mr. Perkins I need to put Thrace in a cell, or the conference room if you want. You can talk to her there."
"Thank you Sheriff."
.
Kara Thrace had her world turned upside down and inside out. Women who shot fire from their hand, being pushed and thrown by nothing, then another frakin scary woman with wings flying her to ram her head into a door, then being arrested for attempted murder.
Worse yet, it was clear to her that here she was nothing. All her combat experience and time in service counted for nothing. No one was going to come charging into demand her release and chew her out later. She was at the mercy of these fraking frightening people.
.
Sitting and sorting out the paperwork, Connor was about to call Johnson City courthouse to ask for a prosecuting attorney when Anne cam in from the back, followed by Mr. Perkins. Mr. Perkins let out a sigh.
"Sheriff, to clarify some things, Thrace is from a space ship. She was sent here specifically to beg Bob Tanner for forgiveness for shooting him unprovoked. Anne read her mind for me. The shooting did happen on that ship, far away from Earth. I submit that is not in our jurisdiction, so we cannot legally act against Thrace."
The Sheriff eyed Anne. "That's true? Or is Thrace deranged?"
"It's true," Anne said. "Apparently an angel of some type brought her here and has been stealing Bob to go help them out now and then. That is not an angel's job. I need to go inform some very higher ups on the spiritual plane of what she's been doing. Angels and devils are to give prods and coax unconsciously, not blatantly interfere in mortal lives."
"At least we won't have to worry about prosecuting her," he said with relief. "Sure, go report this angel and get Thrace back where she belongs. While you're at it, let those people on that ship know we don't want any more to do with them."
"Yes, Sheriff," she then disappeared.
.
Admiral Adama was in CIC talking to Helo when Kara Thrace appeared with a strange looking woman with big leathern wings on her back and horns on her head behind her. As everyone stared, the dark haired woman released the handcuffs on Thrace and pushed her a little forward. Kara looked a little beat up and stayed silent as the woman spoke.
"Kara Thrace has been proven to willingly and in an unprovoked attack, shoot Robert Tanner four times. That is attempted murder! We have decided this woman is your problem, deal with her as you will. We also expect not to hear from you, or you from us again!" The woman then vanished.
"Kara, what did you DO!" Adama roared.
Blank faced, Starbuck gazed at him. "Admiral, I tried to talk to Bob. One woman shot fire at me out of her bare hand. Something I couldn't see picked me up and threw me, then this woman with wings, horns and a tail flew me to a building where I was charged with attempted murder. The lawyer assigned to me concluded that the crime happened here, so it was out of their jurisdiction. Then I was brought back here. I never got the chance to speak to Bob." In a pleading tone, she added, "Admiral, we really don't want to go to Earth. Those people are more terrifying than the Cylons!"