Thirteen

Chapter Four

You Say RADAR, I Say DRADIS

Things began to settle down for a brief time on all the ships in Sector 359. Admiral Nelena Cain resigned as head of Colonial military forces and ceded authority to newly promoted, per act of President Laura Roslin and the Quorum of Twelve, Admiral William Adama, who keeps Galactica as his flagship and gets Colonel Saul Tigh promoted to the rank of Commander.

Meanwhile, over fleet wireless, Pegasus' CAG, Cole "Stinger" Taylor, learns that all transfers enacted by Cain have been rescinded, and that Kara "Starbuck" Thrace and Lee "Apollo" Adama would be brought back to Galactica. Stinger sighed as he clicked off the wireless after receiving the transmission.

With a sigh, he turned to Apollo and said, "Sorry if I was being an ass to you. With things the way they are…"

"Forget it. We're all under stress and strain these days, so I've learned to forgive a lot of what I would have taken personally before. So what do you think will happen to Admiral Cain?"

Stinger looked ahead and contemplated for a moment, then said, "I think she'll retake command of the Pegasus. She's a tough woman, but even the strongest person can only stand so much. She lost her only daughter in the attacks, you know?"

Apollo was gobsmacked. "I didn't know that."

"She was very close to Sheba. Well, her full name was Shelly Barbara Cain, but her family called her Sheba for short, because a popular children's book character had the same name when she was growing up. The admiral told me this once before the attacks, when we were in a bar together. Sheba had a hard life, having to deal with her parent's divorce and its aftermath, getting beat up so badly in school by a couple of bullies that she had to have surgery to deal with the pressure on her brain…but the kid persevered through it all.

"She was in her early 20s and was about to get married to a writer, Norman Abel. The admiral was so proud that she invited us all to the wedding, and you could tell she was immensely proud of her daughter. It was to have taken place in about another couple of weeks from now.

"Then the attacks came. Cain was all right as we jumped blind to another location, but once it hit her that her daughter was dead, you could tell that something snapped inside her. She became hard, cold, withdrawn."

"What about this I hear about him shooting the Pegasus' CO?" Apollo asked.

"We should have done something then. Fisk ordered the attack, and we were lucky that we didn't lose anymore than we did. We talked about her mental health, but so many of the others were so gung-ho about going after Cylons…they didn't see what was happening to her. Honestly, I think she just wanted to go out in a blaze of glory."

Apollo grunted and smiled, saying, "You're not as much of a hardass after all, Stinger."

Stinger laughed and replied, "Well, you're not under my command anymore. You're my equal now, so I gotta kiss your ass, or else you'll kick it whenever we go after those Cylon raiders."

As they arrived aboard Pegasus, John J. Sheridan, now the head of the Rangers, and Michael Garibaldi, joined Earth Alliance president Garrison Hollifield in the Galactica mess, meeting members of the ships' crew as they toured the ship with Petty Officer, Second Class, Anastasia "Dee" Dualla, and Billy Keikeya, who was an assistant to President Roslin. Hollifield was with General Susan Ivanova and Starbuck, who was serving as their escort.

"Well, the grub's not the same as Earthforce standard, but it's about the same: crappy!" Ivanova said aloud, and the entire room exploded. The cook gave her a rueful look, but also chuckled as well.

"Damn good thing we speak the same language, or close to it. How the hell is that? I know the Sacred Scrolls mentioned Earth, but I never imagined we all spoke the same language!" Starbuck said.

"I don't know. There has to be something to it. I don't believe in coincidences: never have, never will. Maybe these Lords of Kobol you speak about have something to do with it?" Sheridan mused.

Hollifield added, "Well, you guys haven't had exposure to aliens like we have, so you don't know about all the different races we've had to deal with. From what I've learned in the short time I've been here, it seems like you guys just stuck in your own little corner of the galaxy. No wonder we didn't find you."

Dualla spoke up and said, "When I heard your message for the first time, I thought I had finally gone mad. Earth? I thought! It's not possible! But then your repeated that message and scared the crap out of me!" Those at the table erupted with laughter again.

Deckhand Specialist Clarissa Cally came in just then all excited and pulled up a chair and said, "Have you heard the news? Helo and Tyrol are being released!"

"That's good, if we knew who those guys were. We just came in from Earth, and we hadn't had the chance to catch the local news!" Garibaldi joked, which provoked Cally to stick out her tongue at him, but no more than that.

Dualla filled them in. "The Pegasus sent over an interrogator for the Cylons, one of the Humanoid Cylons…"

"Humanoid? You mean there's a difference?" Hollifield asked.

"It's difficult to explain, but we've found that the mechanical Cylons have found a way to make human forms of themselves. We haven't had any idea how they were able to do it. All we know is that they exist."

Garibaldi, Sheridan, Ivanova and Hollifield all had the same look on their faces: as if they'd seen a ghost. Hollifield was the one who rallied, asking, "So what happened with the interrogator, Ms…?"

"Cally, sir!" she said, and she extended a hand, which he shook. "The guy's name was Thorne, and he was trying to rape Sharon Valerii…that's the Cylon, by the way…and when Helo and Chief Tyrol found out about it, they ran in there and threw the guy off her, and he rammed his head into the side of the jail. Granted, I don't have any love for her, since I shot the other copy of her…"

Garibaldi interrupted. "Whoa, whoa! Wait a second! Copies?"

Starbuck answered, "It's a long story."

Later on, the Earthers made their way to the Command Information Center. Sheridan and Garibaldi looked around and scratched their heads. Garibaldi picked up one of the phones attacked to a base, saying, "I haven't seen something like that except in a museum."

Commander Tigh, who was standing by him when he made the remark, said, "Because the Cylons had the tactic of hacking into our computer networks, we had to de-evolve our technology to combat the practice. Forty years later, when they attacked us again, they used a computer virus that somehow got through a backdoor of the Command Navigation Program, which was in pretty much all the other Colonial military vessels. The only reason they didn't get us is that the Commander insisted in keeping the ship from having a central computer.

"Galactica was supposed to be decommissioned and turned into a museum, but with it the only known battlestar left, we had to prepare the ship to defend the fleet as we fled the system. That was until Pegasus, and then you guys, showed up."

Admiral Adama joined them, along with Roslin, Starbuck, and Apollo. "Normally we would do this with a full military ceremony, but with the Cylon fleet nearby, we can't afford to waste much time. So I've asked the president to do the honors here." Adama said, and Roslin produced her copy of the Sacred Scrolls and the conducted the ceremony to make the promotion of Adama complete.

When it was over, everyone in the room applauded, and Adama escorted the guests to the briefing room for a planned meeting. While making their way there, Hollifield spoke with Adama. "I was informed that there are human-form Cylons by one of your enlisted personnel. Would it be possible for me to interview the one you have on board, to see if its possible that Cylons may have made it to Earth?"

Adama thought for a moment, then said, "I think it could be arranged. Pegasus has one as well, and I'll speak with Acting Commander Fisk to make arrangements for you to interview her as well. The Vice-President, Doctor Gaius Baltar, is interviewing her at present, so it may be some time."

Sharon "Boomer" Valerii jumped when the door to her cell opened and an old man walked in. "Don't hurt me! Please!" she cried as she crawled over the bed to get away from the man.

Hollifield knew about the rape, so he slowly sat down at the table. "I mean you no harm."

"Then why did you send the guards away?"

"So we can talk privately. You know who I am?"

Boomer nodded and added, "But how can this be? I didn't think Earth existed!"

"It does exist. It's come close to not existing one too many times in my life, but we managed to survive…after a fashion."

Boomer was scared, and even though she was supposedly a Cylon, she gave off the same thought waves as any human could. Hollifield scanned her lightly, and couldn't tell the difference between her and any other humans. Part of him was impressed with the Cylon's ability to create such organic technology, and another part of him wondered who taught them how to do it. That was the reason why he was here.

Boomer slowly got up and walked over to the table and sat down, keeping her eyes on Hollifield the whole time. She slid into the seat, brushing a tear from her eye.

"I'm sorry to hear what happened. If it means anything to you, I would have killed that son of a bitch myself."

"What happened to Helo and Chief Tyrol?" Boomer asked.

"Roslin pardoned them. They should be back on board soon. I've been told by Admiral Adama that both are all right, given circumstances"

Boomer asked, "Admiral Adama? What happened to Cain?"

"She resigned under pressure. That's all I'll say for now. Look, I'm gonna be blunt here: I don't know you Cylons, so I can't decide if you're good, bad, or indifferent. The Colonials consider you an enemy, but we don't. However, since there are human Cylons, I am worried that there could be some on Earth, as well as in our colonies. Do you know anything about that?"

Boomer thought hard for a moment, then said, "No, I don't recall any." She hurriedly added, "But I don't know for sure. I may not be able to access that data."

Hollifield scanned her and found that she told the truth. "So why did your kind try to wipe out the Colonials?"

"God commanded it."

Hollifield blinked. "God? No pantheon like the Colonials?"

"No. Just the one God."

Hollifield nodded, then said, "Would it shock you that most of Earth's religions are much like your own, in that they only have one God?"

Boomer asked, "You mean you don't believe in the same gods as the others do?"

Instead of asking her, he looked over and said, "What do you think, Alwyn?"

A figure appeared from the shadows outside of the cell and said, "Well, she's not made of Shadow tech. My scans can't find any of it."

Boomer sprung up and yelled, "I thought you said we be alone!"

Hollifield sat there and said, "I didn't need the guards in here for what I have to ask you. Starbuck's been appointed liaison to the Earth Alliance forces, and we have an idea. It's a long shot, and it may not work, but if it does, it could end this war once and for all, and still allow both the Colonials and the Cylons to exist."

Boomer picked up the chair and slammed it down, screaming, "You didn't answer my question! Who the frak is that outside this cell?"

Hollifield wasn't worried about the others hearing outside, as the technomage Alwyn had constructed a soundproof force field around the room upon entry. Alwyn was the one who answered. "The name's Alwyn. I am a technomage, and a long time friend of the president. I'm here to find out who or what made you. The Cylons may have been more advance than the Colonials, but they aren't advanced enough to create something like you. We have two suspects, and we've just ruled out one."

"So who's the other?" Boomer asked as she turned back to Hollifield.

Hollifield sighed and said, "A race known as the Vorlons. The reason I'm interested? It's because they're responsible for telepaths like me."

Boomer blinked, not believing what she heard. "Telepaths? Those are stuff I read in those science fiction novels as a child! How's that possible?"

Hollifield entered her mind and Boomer flinched as he found a memory of her playing pyramid with Starbuck on leave on Caprica with some friends, then left her mind just as quickly as he entered. She rubbed her head subconsciously, but she didn't have a headache. "How did you do that?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I just know that I can. You can thank the Vorlons for that, but since they've left the galaxy, you'll just have to send them a post card."

Boomer looked down, trying to take in all that she was learning. She didn't know what to think, but something inside her told her that she could trust Hollifield. She looked at him and asked, "So what's the plan?"

"We go back to Caprica."

Admiral Adama and Starbuck were together in his office, and they had just discussed the plan. "Are you sure you want to do this, Kara? I can't, in good conscience, order you to do this. The risks…"

Starbuck said, "I understand, sir. When Hollifield and Ivanova told me of what they had planned, I thought it was nuts. Then they told me why they were planning it, and I thought they were insane."

Adama grunted and added, "But it does seem like these Vorlons may be responsible for the human copies of Cylons. That's a big assumption on my part, and you know how I am about guesses. But we can't let the Cylon fleet get to Earth, so whatever we can do to help end this war with the help of the Interstellar Alliance, we'll do it."

"What about Lee?" Starbuck asked.

"He'll stay here. The Earthforce is assigning us its Thirteenth Fleet…how appropriate…to protect us. They're helping us get to Babylon 5 so we can help overhaul Galactica and the rest of the fleet. I hear that you've asked Helo to go with you?"

"Yes, sir. And, if I may, I'd like to take along the prisoner."

"Somebody beat you to it. President Hollifield asked me about it earlier, and I agreed. He's assembling a group of Rangers and Earthforce Special Ops that he knows he can trust to assist us. I'm sure they're good at what they do, but sending you back there…"

Starbuck knew that the admiral considered her like a daughter, even after the revelation that she had indirectly been responsible for the death of Zak Adama, his youngest son and Starbuck's fiancé. She knew that if she didn't come back from this mission, it would figuratively, and could literally, kill him. She also knew that this mission was important, as it could not only end the war, but also possibly reclaim the Colonial worlds. "It's important, sir. I've discussed this with General Ivanova and President Hollifield, and it needs to be done."

Adama walked around his desk and over to Starbuck. Their eyes met and nothing was said for a moment as they stared at each other. Then the admiral embraced Starbuck, whispering in her ear as a tear ran down his cheek, "Gods go with you, Kara."

Starbuck also had tears running down her cheeks, realizing this could be the last time she saw her mentor. "Gods go with you, sir!"

On board Pegasus, Dr. Gaius Baltar sat down on the floor and leaned back against the wall. His efforts to rouse Gina, the Cylon prisoner, had made some improvements, but she still could not talk or communicate. She could eat and drink, but barely. Most of the time, she lay on the ground and stared at him, listening to him as he talked. He only left to use the bathroom, usually sleeping in the cell with Gina.

He had just been told that the Earth president was coming to see him and the prisoner, and he didn't know what to think. Luckily for him, someone showed up to assist him in his thoughts.

Six appeared to him for the first time in days, but instead of her usual alluring outfits, she wore a rather modest business suit. "Gaius, you should let him see her. Let him see what these…people…did to her." Six said, her words tinged with sadness at what had happened to Gina. Gina had been a dockworker at the Scorpion Ship Yards when the attacks came, and she was rescued by the Pegasus, only to betray them to the Cylons, resulting in the deaths of 800 people. Since then, the crew of the Pegasus, in revenge for what Gina did, had raped her and tortured her to the point that, when Baltar first encountered her, she was in a catatonic state, clearly dehydrated and malnourished, even by Cylon standards.

Hollifield entered the cell and his mouth hung open when he saw Gina. Baltar introduced himself, but Hollifield shook his hand without averting his eyes from the sight of Gina. "What happened to her?" he asked.

Baltar told him the story, ending, "They raped and tortured her, over and over. Mr. President, I wish for you to protest the actions of this crew. Its simply inhumane what they did to her." Baltar was breaking down, and he could see Six behind the president with tears in her eyes. At Hollifield's request, the guards had left the room, and Baltar took a risk in what he said.

"I'll see that she's transferred to my ship. Sharon Valerii is being transferred there as well, so I'll take it up with Admiral Adama and insist that she be sent over and that those who did this be severely punished." As he turned to leave, he saw Six and absentmindedly said to her, "Excuse me" He went to leave, but stopped short, turning to Six and asking, "How did you get in here?"

Gaius Baltar and Six looked at each other, then back to Hollifield, who looked back to Gina and then back to Six. Six asked him, "Do you see me?"

Hollifield looked puzzled and said, "Yeah, I see you. You're not real, but I see you."

Alwyn appeared outside the cell, "That's correct. She's inside his head, projecting herself out to converse with Baltar."

Baltar spun around and got a view of the technomage, clad in his multicolored robe and grasping his staff. "You can see her too?"

Alwyn, an old man with a wrinkled face and balding gray hair, smiled and said, "Yes, I can see her. Let's just say the President and myself aren't your normal humans and leave it at that."

Six looked at the president and asked, "What do you intend to do with us?"

Hollifield thought for a moment, then asked, "You're a Cylon, but you don't exist in human form anymore? You're inside his mind, right?"

Six replied, "How did you know that?"

"I'm a telepath."

Six stood there for a moment, not realizing if she'd heard right. Baltar walked back to the wall and collapsed on the floor, crying out, "This is too much! My God, this is too much! What next?"

Alwyn bluntly pointed out, "How about the revelation that you were the one responsible for the massacre of billions of people in the colonies? We found the file, and we found that you were the one who tampered with the defense mainframe. We also know that you or your associate had someone tamper with the evidence to make it appear that you weren't involved."

Baltar stood up and started looking around the room. Gina was out of it, Six was standing there shocked, Hollifield was looking at Baltar curiously, and Alwyn's gaze was focused on him. He managed to stamper out, "Ho..how…how did you find out?"

"I'm a technomage. We're good at finding out things." Alwyn said proudly.

"So you have a choice, Baltar. Go to Roslin and Adama and request to be a part of our mission, or we let them find out everything you've been up to. Oh, we'll make sure they find it on their own, but they will find you out." Hollifield told Baltar.

"You blackmailing me?" Baltar asked, looking with fear at Hollifield.

"Yeah, I'm blackmailing you. I see the term is the same on my world as it is yours. So what'll it be, Doctor?"

Baltar looked at Gina, then Six, whose eyes were downcast in shock, but she managed to raise them and her head to look at him, and she nodded to him. Baltar closed his eyes to compose himself, then he gave the president.

"I'll do it. Damn you, I'll do it. As long as you help Gina, I'll help you."