Chapter 8

I went to speak with Admiral Adama and Colonel Tigh the following morning. I felt tired but I had been unable to sleep after the incident. My adrenalin had been going full tilt and I was suffering from paranoid delusions about being put in a strait jacket and locked in a cell like the Cylon.

"Lieutenant," Adama greeted me when I arrived at his office. "Please sit down."

I quickly sat on his couch and looked back and forth between Adama who was sitting at his desk and Colonel Tigh who was standing in the corner staring at me. I tried to guess what he was thinking behind those eyes, but found myself becoming paranoid once again and decided to drop it.

"First of all I'd like to thank you for discovering and destroying the Cylon spy," Admiral Adama said.

"It was nothing sir," I said modestly. "I was just looking out for my own neck."

"I understand you're a little wary about the Cylon prisoner we have onboard," Adama said.

"I don't trust those things at all," I replied.

"I can understand that," Adama said. "I don't trust it either but I have my reasons for keeping it onboard and I expect you to respect my decision."

"Yes sir," I said respectfully.

If Admiral Adama felt that it was necessary to keep the thing on board Galactica I could tolerate that. Didn't mean I had to like it, and didn't mean that if that thing ever got loose I couldn't shoot it.

"Now I would like to discuss your, situation," Adama continued.

"What do you want to know?" I asked. "Do I know when the next Cylon attack is coming? Do I know where Earth is? Because I don't."

Colonel Tigh stepped forward furiously, "You will start treating the Admiral with respect!" he threatened.

"Saul, it's alright," Adama said. "I can understand how he might be a little antsy."

"Okay then what do you want to talk about sir?" I asked.

"We have knowledge of a small resistances existing on Caprica," Adama replied. "They're largely civilians but they've managed to at least train themselves in to a moderately effective fighting force."

"How do you know this?" I asked. "I though Caprica was occupied by the Cylons."

"It is," Adama answered. "But we've been able to sneak small ships in past their defences. We're looking to do the same thing once again."

"What for?" I inquired curiously.

"We've got reports that the Cylons are interested in breeding. How or why we don't know. However we do know that the Cylons are at the least experimenting on Caprica, largely with women." Adama explained. "The plan is to send in a force to assault and gather information on these experiments and if possible make contact with the resistance."

"Why are you telling me?" I asked.

"Caprica will be dangerous," Adama said. "And nobody is better at predicting when danger will occur than you are. I am sending you Apollo and a squad of Marines to Caprica."

"Sir we might need some engineering support when we get there," I said. "Just in case we need to make repairs."

"Alright," Adama agreed. "I'll assign Specialist Cally and Specialist Socinus to the team as well. You're dismissed."

I stood up and saluted both Adama and Colonel Tigh before leaving.

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We were packed into a modified Cylon transport vessel. The ship had managed to be salvaged from when it crashed into Galactica long before I joined the crew. It was much more comfortable than a Raptor since it had been built to accommodate the much larger Cylon centurions rather than humans. The controls were completely unlike anything I had seen before.

"Are you sure you can fly this?" I asked Apollo.

He looked at me like I was crazy, "Of course I can." He replied in a cocky tone, before getting serious. "But pay attention, you're the backup pilot if I can't fly us back."

I turned around to check up on the marines and our two engineers. "You guys ready back here?" I asked.

There were nods and small affirmatives from around. I turned to Cally who was in a makeshift seat that had been put in near the 'hatch' that connected to the 'cockpit'.

"Are you alright?" I asked in a whisper.

She was the youngest member of the crew, although I was not even a year older. Everyone else was at least four years older than us. She put on a brave face and nodded but I could tell that she was scared.

"Don't worry I won't let anything happen to you," I said.

Then something happened that I did not see coming. Cally grabbed me behind the head and pulled me closer as she planted a kiss on my lips. I quickly began kissing back enjoying the sensation of our lips embracing each other. However, it was quickly interrupted by Apollo.

"Beanpole get up here for takeoff," he called back.

I gave Cally one last kiss before I worked my way to the controls with Apollo. I pulled myself into the 'seat' behind Apollo.

"Galactica we are go for launch," I said manning the radio we had put in.

"Copy that Beanpole," came the reply. "You are cleared to launch."

I gave Apollo a nodded.

"Let's do this then," Apollo said.

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We came out of the jump at Caprica right near a Basestar.

"Let's hope that they don't get suspicious," Apollo said.

"Let's start our scans for one of these breeding camp things that we're supposed to be looking for," I said.

"Hold tight," Apollo called back. "We're entering the atmosphere."

The ship began to shake roughly as it entered the atmosphere. I felt my jaw rattling about loudly with each jerk of turbulence that hit the ship. My head began throbbing. I saw the ship getting hit by a missile.

"Apollo, get the ship down, fast!" I said. "They're firing missiles at us."

Apollo didn't question, he immediately began taking evasive actions and lowering altitude.

"What's going on?" Cally called from behind.

"We're pretty sure we've been discovered," I replied. "Just hang on and it will be alright. It might be a little rough though."

"Shit this ship can't level off," Apollo said. "We're going to crash."

"No we're not," I said.

I looked forward through the narrow view screen we had.

"Aim for that lake," I suggested. "We might be able to skim it off the water and make it look like a crash."

"I still can't find the retro rockets," Apollo said. "We're coming in too fast."

I scrambled about trying to find something. My foot accidentally bumped into something. I was jerked back as the ship decelerated quickly.

"What did you hit?" Apollo asked.

"I don't know!" I replied.

"Strap in," Apollo said. "We're about to hit."

I was barely able to get back in my 'seat' and I had just buckled my restraints when the ship hit the water. My head was bounced back and forth and I was sure I had suffered some whiplash. The ship skimmed across the water. I could hear the spray as it gradually slowed down. Then as I looked through the view screen I saw a tree.

"There's a tree," I exclaimed.

But it was too late. The ship hit the tree and ripped the tree right out of the ground. I then noticed that we were flying into a forest. All around us were tree. The ship began bouncing roughly off trees tossing everyone inside around before it finally came to a stop rested on a slight angle.

"Quick let's get out," Apollo ordered, unbuckling and scrambling out the back. "The Cylons will be coming to inspect the crash site soon."

"But how will we get off this rock?" one of the marines asked.

"We'll have to find another Cylon ship," Apollo replied.

"Maybe we can protect the ship," I suggested. "This is a pretty good place to ambush them."

"Fine, get explosive rounds ready. They'll likely be sending in centurions." Apollo said.

Everyone ran and took up positions in the forest. I had a battle rifle with explosive rounds ready. However my job was to protect our two engineers.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier," Cally apologized.

I was caught off guard. "What for?" I asked.

"I shouldn't have done that," Cally said. "I was scared."

I realized that while I might have feelings for Cally they weren't necessarily reciprocated. She had probably kissed me more as a way of quelling her fear than out of feelings for me. I felt stupid for think that there was something between us.

"Don't worry about it," I said flatly.

"We've got a transport in bound," Apollo relayed. "Ready the rocket launcher lets see if we can take them out before they land."

I got up and ran to the marine with the rocket launcher. "Give it to me," I ordered.

"What are you doing?" Apollo demanded.

"Shooting them down," I said as I hefted the rocket launcher onto my shoulder.

I pointed the barrel at a specific spot in the sky and then closed my eyes. I closed my mind to the outside world focus just on my breathing which was slowed to hibernating like levels. Then something in my mind told me to fire. I squeezed the trigger and the missile went flying. The Cylon transport suddenly appeared right in the missiles path as it slowed to land. It saw the missile in bound and tried to move but it was too late. The missile hit its target ripping the ship to pieces. I tossed the launcher back to the marines.

"Thanks," I said simply heading back towards the engineers.

Apollo looked at me in disbelief at what he had just seen but then he quickly regained his composure.

"Prepare to move out," Apollo said. "There was a set of buildings about five miles west of here. We'll try and take shelter there."

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The party is now on Caprica, but what awaits them, and will Beanpole be able to keep up his streak? Also find out whether or not the relationship between Cally and Beanpole develops at all.