"Councilors, we don't have time for you to take a vote on this. When we are out of immediate danger, I will be more than happy to give you and the rest of the Council a full report," Apollo replied in an attempt to forestall yet another request for a full Council hearing.
Apollo was certain he was in hostile territory as he sat facing the four Councilors in the relatively small command briefing room. They had been here for 20 centons already, and Apollo doubted they had talked about anything of any real importance, beyond the Galactica's damage. The rest was politics! He knew he wasn't very good at the game, his temper usually getting the better of him. Now, he strove for calm. All his instincts shouted at him to be near a com channel, to monitor the situation of his missing patrols, but he also realized he couldn't risk alienating the Councilors and the Council. At least not yet.
"You will give us a full report, now, *Captain*. We have waited long enough," Bracus contradicted in an angry huff.
"What more to do you need to know? I've already gone over the damage to the Galactica and the status of her crew."
"We know that, Captain." Bracus cut him off. "What we want to know is when will you move the fleet out of this area? The people are frantic to get away from here. We all know the Cylons could come back at any time to finish us off. With the Galactica damaged, we are defenseless."
"Bracus, with the Galactica damaged, we can't possibly leave this sector!" Apollo shouted, his anger getting the better of him. They'd gone over this argument a dozen times, at least, and he was very close to losing what precious little patience he had with the Councilor.
Apollo could see the storm signs brewing amongst the other Councilors. "Look, I know you are only concerned about the welfare of the fleet." Well, that wasn't the truth, but, Apollo thought, it couldn't hurt to pander to their egos. "It's my main concern, too. Our engineers are working as fast as they can to make the structural repairs necessary for the fleet to resume her journey. But, until then, the Galactica cannot be moved."
"Granted," Yogan said, forestalling Bracus in yet another round of needling Apollo about leaving the area. Apollo looked over at Yogan in surprise. He was up to something, that was for sure, but what? Not for the first time, Apollo wished he'd inherited at least some of his father's skill at handling the politicians.
"We're getting nowhere, and to be honest, the more we pester the Captain the longer it will be until we move this fleet." Yogan said to Bracus. "You've been straightforward with us, Captain. Now I'll be straight with you." That would be a first, Apollo thought, but held his tongue.
"You haven't been very forthcoming on keeping us informed in this emergency." Yogan held up his hand before Apollo could respond. "I know you have been busy, but you must understand that the Council needs to know these things, in order to relay what information is necessary to our people. To keep them calm," he added almost as an afterthought. Apollo felt 'Pacified' would have been a better word for what Yogan meant.
"You must realize, Apollo, that we must work at keeping the trust of the people, and no information during a crisis breeds distrust. We, of the Council, must work at preventing that at all costs," Yogan stated. He then smiled at Apollo and added, "You must understand this, too, if you plan to run for the regrettably vacant Caprican seat on the Council."
Apollo had always been very careful never to underestimate his opponent in battle. Now, he realized he had overestimated them in this case. Listening to Yogan, he realized that they didn't care about the ramification of this crisis to the fleet, as much as they cared about their political standing with the people of the fleet. And more importantly, what Apollo's political agenda was. "I have no intention of running for a political seat on the council, councilors," Apollo quietly explained. "You are mistaking me for my father."
"But, your father.."
"Was a politician as much as he was the Commander of this fleet. He was a member of the original Council of the Twelve as a politician first and a military commander second. He once told me he actually enjoyed locking horns with the other Councilors." Apollo paused as a flash of memory momentarily brought that conversation back to him. "Well, at least he did before the Destruction. The Interplanetary Military Advisor Aknon, was the one who worried about any decisions the Council made that would affect the safety of the Colonies." Apollo saw the light dawn in Yogan's eyes as he realized where Apollo was going with this.
"And a fine job he did, too!" Prate spat out, unsettled by the direction of the conversation.
Apollo nodded his head in agreement with her. "Yes, we'll never really know if Aknon was a pawn for Baltar and the Cylons, or just an old fool who was just too tired of war." Apollo could still feel the unpleasant shock when he'd first heard the Council had opened communications with the Cylons. They had stopped all negotiations with the Gorns; who where requesting an alliance with the Colonies. The Cylons had made it one of their conditions for the peace talks.
Apollo's maternal grandfather had worked long and hard at getting the volatile wing warriors to the negotiations table. They had been close to an agreement when the Cylons had asked for peace. Yes, if the Gorn Alliance had gone through, it would have changed the power structure in the galaxy. The Cylons knew that, and started their "peace" talks; making sure the Gorn Alliance was the first thing they destroyed.
Aknon, the Military Advisor, had been a fool to let the council start the negotiations before the Gorn Alliance was finished - or he'd been a traitor.
"But, since the destruction," Apollo continued, "my father also had to look at everything from a military viewpoint, and that's a hard place to be. The two objectives seldom match up, and trying to manage both factions was an enormous strain on him." Apollo looked at each of the Councilors in turn. "One that I do not intend to endure." He watched them carefully before he played his final card.
"We are still at war, Councilors." He went on, not giving them time to respond.. "Still under military law." Bracus began to stutter as he finally realize what Apollo was saying. Yogan narrowed his eyes and stared at Apollo with an icy look, but didn't interrupt. "I'm a military leader not a civilian leader. I plan to leave the domestic decisions to you; that's what you are here for. But," and Apollo stood up, "the military decisions are mine, and my aides, not the Council's."
"Very well, *Captain*," Yogan said into the shocked silence that had followed Apollo's statement. "But, be assured this is not the end of this discussion. The Council will require a full accounting when we are safely out of this sector."
Apollo held back the quick retort that came to his lips, *If we get out of this sector,* and with a nod of agreement, he marched out of the briefing room.
Apollo was certain he was in hostile territory as he sat facing the four Councilors in the relatively small command briefing room. They had been here for 20 centons already, and Apollo doubted they had talked about anything of any real importance, beyond the Galactica's damage. The rest was politics! He knew he wasn't very good at the game, his temper usually getting the better of him. Now, he strove for calm. All his instincts shouted at him to be near a com channel, to monitor the situation of his missing patrols, but he also realized he couldn't risk alienating the Councilors and the Council. At least not yet.
"You will give us a full report, now, *Captain*. We have waited long enough," Bracus contradicted in an angry huff.
"What more to do you need to know? I've already gone over the damage to the Galactica and the status of her crew."
"We know that, Captain." Bracus cut him off. "What we want to know is when will you move the fleet out of this area? The people are frantic to get away from here. We all know the Cylons could come back at any time to finish us off. With the Galactica damaged, we are defenseless."
"Bracus, with the Galactica damaged, we can't possibly leave this sector!" Apollo shouted, his anger getting the better of him. They'd gone over this argument a dozen times, at least, and he was very close to losing what precious little patience he had with the Councilor.
Apollo could see the storm signs brewing amongst the other Councilors. "Look, I know you are only concerned about the welfare of the fleet." Well, that wasn't the truth, but, Apollo thought, it couldn't hurt to pander to their egos. "It's my main concern, too. Our engineers are working as fast as they can to make the structural repairs necessary for the fleet to resume her journey. But, until then, the Galactica cannot be moved."
"Granted," Yogan said, forestalling Bracus in yet another round of needling Apollo about leaving the area. Apollo looked over at Yogan in surprise. He was up to something, that was for sure, but what? Not for the first time, Apollo wished he'd inherited at least some of his father's skill at handling the politicians.
"We're getting nowhere, and to be honest, the more we pester the Captain the longer it will be until we move this fleet." Yogan said to Bracus. "You've been straightforward with us, Captain. Now I'll be straight with you." That would be a first, Apollo thought, but held his tongue.
"You haven't been very forthcoming on keeping us informed in this emergency." Yogan held up his hand before Apollo could respond. "I know you have been busy, but you must understand that the Council needs to know these things, in order to relay what information is necessary to our people. To keep them calm," he added almost as an afterthought. Apollo felt 'Pacified' would have been a better word for what Yogan meant.
"You must realize, Apollo, that we must work at keeping the trust of the people, and no information during a crisis breeds distrust. We, of the Council, must work at preventing that at all costs," Yogan stated. He then smiled at Apollo and added, "You must understand this, too, if you plan to run for the regrettably vacant Caprican seat on the Council."
Apollo had always been very careful never to underestimate his opponent in battle. Now, he realized he had overestimated them in this case. Listening to Yogan, he realized that they didn't care about the ramification of this crisis to the fleet, as much as they cared about their political standing with the people of the fleet. And more importantly, what Apollo's political agenda was. "I have no intention of running for a political seat on the council, councilors," Apollo quietly explained. "You are mistaking me for my father."
"But, your father.."
"Was a politician as much as he was the Commander of this fleet. He was a member of the original Council of the Twelve as a politician first and a military commander second. He once told me he actually enjoyed locking horns with the other Councilors." Apollo paused as a flash of memory momentarily brought that conversation back to him. "Well, at least he did before the Destruction. The Interplanetary Military Advisor Aknon, was the one who worried about any decisions the Council made that would affect the safety of the Colonies." Apollo saw the light dawn in Yogan's eyes as he realized where Apollo was going with this.
"And a fine job he did, too!" Prate spat out, unsettled by the direction of the conversation.
Apollo nodded his head in agreement with her. "Yes, we'll never really know if Aknon was a pawn for Baltar and the Cylons, or just an old fool who was just too tired of war." Apollo could still feel the unpleasant shock when he'd first heard the Council had opened communications with the Cylons. They had stopped all negotiations with the Gorns; who where requesting an alliance with the Colonies. The Cylons had made it one of their conditions for the peace talks.
Apollo's maternal grandfather had worked long and hard at getting the volatile wing warriors to the negotiations table. They had been close to an agreement when the Cylons had asked for peace. Yes, if the Gorn Alliance had gone through, it would have changed the power structure in the galaxy. The Cylons knew that, and started their "peace" talks; making sure the Gorn Alliance was the first thing they destroyed.
Aknon, the Military Advisor, had been a fool to let the council start the negotiations before the Gorn Alliance was finished - or he'd been a traitor.
"But, since the destruction," Apollo continued, "my father also had to look at everything from a military viewpoint, and that's a hard place to be. The two objectives seldom match up, and trying to manage both factions was an enormous strain on him." Apollo looked at each of the Councilors in turn. "One that I do not intend to endure." He watched them carefully before he played his final card.
"We are still at war, Councilors." He went on, not giving them time to respond.. "Still under military law." Bracus began to stutter as he finally realize what Apollo was saying. Yogan narrowed his eyes and stared at Apollo with an icy look, but didn't interrupt. "I'm a military leader not a civilian leader. I plan to leave the domestic decisions to you; that's what you are here for. But," and Apollo stood up, "the military decisions are mine, and my aides, not the Council's."
"Very well, *Captain*," Yogan said into the shocked silence that had followed Apollo's statement. "But, be assured this is not the end of this discussion. The Council will require a full accounting when we are safely out of this sector."
Apollo held back the quick retort that came to his lips, *If we get out of this sector,* and with a nod of agreement, he marched out of the briefing room.