1Wander My Friends
I came to Galactica to tell a story. In all honesty I thought I knew what that story was before I ever set foot there: how an arrogant military let their egos get in the way of doing their jobs, safeguarding the lives of the civilian population. But I found out that the truth was more complex than that. These people aren't Cylons. They're not robots blindly following orders and polishing their boots. They're people. Deeply flawed, yes, but deeply human too, and maybe that's saying the same thing. What struck me most is that despite it all - the hardships, the stress, the ever present danger of being killed - despite all that, they never give up. They never lie down in the road and let the truck run them over. They wake up in the morning, put on their uniforms and do their jobs. Every day. No pay, no rest, no hope of ever laying down the burden or letting someone else do the job. There are no relief troops coming, no Colonial Fleet training new recruits every day. The people on Galactica are it. They are the thin line of blue that separates us from the Cylons. Lt. Gaeta told me a remarkable statistic; not a single member of Galactica's crew has asked to resign, not one. Think about that. If you wore the uniform wouldn't you want to quit? To step aside and say "enough! Let someone else protect the fleet"? I know I would. But then, I don't wear a uniform. Most of us don't, most of us never will. The story of Galactica isn't that people make bad decisions under pressure, it's that those mistakes are the exception. Most of the time the men and women serving under Commander Adama get it right. The proof is that our fleet survives. And with Galactica at our side, we will endure. This is D'anna Biers, Fleet News Service.
The broadcast ended, and the image of the young woman was replaced by the United Federation of Planets insignia. Captain Kathryn Janeway turned off the desktop computer and placed her hands on her desk.
Seated opposite of her was her most trusted friend. A colleague of whom Janeway had known for many years, even before she was the first officer on the Billings. She turned to him for advice when she was in a difficult situation, and if there was someone who should've been the first officer, it was him. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok raised a brow, but said nothing.
"How did we receive this message?" Tuvok asked after a long silence.
"A letter from home." She said, looking down at her desk. The fact that there was another faction of humans trying to reach Earth as well was staggering. So many questions filled Janeway's head. Should we try to locate this fleet? How many more humans are in the Delta Quadrant? What if this is some alien trick? Should we trust what we see?
"It came in with the latest communication with Earth. I really can't explain it."
"Captain, if I may. This Galactica that was mentioned, it is obvious that it is a starship made for combat. We could ally ourselves with them-"
"But on the other hand, they may not ally with us."
"Perhaps. But they are humans nevertheless, as are most of this crew. There is no reason they should be hesitant to join us."
Janeway paused for a moment, considering her possibilities.
"Tuvok, I want you to scan for ships within an area of one hundred light years. We're going to find that fleet."
I know, I know. It's a crappy beginning, but at least it's a beginning. I promise the writing will get better!