Thanks for that JonnyG
Author's Notes
This chapter is called "The Dark Side…", the next one will be called "… Of Human Nature". I advise that there will be disturbing scenes in the next chapter. This story doesn't have the highest rating for no reason.
In my opinion, this one's pretty good.
Chapter 7 – The Dark Side…
BBC News Report
"The first three Anti Fighter Rail-Gun Batteries were installed in three cities around the World, Washington DC, Beijing, and Moscow today. The new batteries have been developed using the technologies discovered from 'The Great Ship', and are capable of launching shells into the upper atmosphere. Variants of the weapons are expected to be installed aboard the Triton, and later, the Poseidon class ships, adding to their already massive firepower."
"The IAO today has announced that a quarter of it's resources have been freed up today, as relief efforts for some regions come to a close. Already, the IAO has announced that it's primary goal, after relief efforts, is poverty alleviation in Africa, claiming that the rest of the world needs to be brought up to the standards of the developed countries. Further donations are coming in from nations all over the world for the poverty alleviation effort, as well as further donations for the relief effort."
"NASA has announced that it has successfully completed plans for a new International Space Station, which will dwarf the current one in size and functionality. It is set to act as a docking station for the PDO's fleet, as well as all other ships which will be deployed into space, and serve as a research station and a weapons platform. Construction of the new space station is set to begin once NASA's facilities have been upgraded within the month."
"The person who is believed to be responsible for the launching of one of America's ICBM's towards China four days ago. So far, the woman responsible has not released her name, and there are no matches in any database from any nation on Earth," the reporter, D'Anna Biers, said while a picture of an Asian woman trying to cover her face showed on screen, being led under guard into an armoured car with press surrounding them
Colonial Battlestar Galactica
Admiral Adama, Colonel Tigh, Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace, Lee 'Apollo' Adama, President Billy Keikeya, and Tom Zarek were sitting in the situation room on the Galactica, discussing the appearance of the new ship, and their situation in general.
"The Adriatic should be arriving at the Earth system within the week," Admiral Adama said. "But it will take them at least three weeks to get back to us and let us know what's happened, unless the Earth Civilization is equipped with better ships, and if they find us again."
"Didn't we give them our flight path?" Starbuck commented.
"Yes, but they could miss us. It will take them even longer if they have to come back along our predetermined path," Adama replied.
"We know that the Cylons know where Earth is. What do we do if we get there, and there's just a fragment of the civilization left," Zarek commented.
"Then we keep on doing what we've been doing for the last two and a half years, and wait until the Pegasus returns," Apollo replied.
"If the Pegasus returns. It was going back into Cylon occupied territory," Colonel Tigh replied.
"We haven't encountered heavy Cylon forces for months now. Only the occasional Basestar or raiders. They're up to something. They could even be waiting for us to reach Earth, and just wipe us out in one hit," President Billy Keikeya commented.
"Maybe we're starting to outrun them, and they can't bring resources out here fast enough," Starbuck said.
"They can jump a lot further than we can," Colonel Tigh replied.
"Yes, but we've come a long way in two years. Between us and the Pegasus, we've destroyed five Basestars, one of those large spherical ships, and a hell of a lot of Raiders. If they have gotten to Earth first, and Earth can put up a fight, that's some more Base Stars. Just say, they didn't expect us to get that many, they won't have many resources out here still able to search for us. They can bring up some more, but it'll take time for those reinforcements to get here from the Colonies, if that's where they are. If Earth has been wiped out, we keep jumping, maybe backtrack a bit, go around in circles some. We can lose the Cylons if they don't have many resources out here, and there's no more Cylons in the fleet," Starbuck explained. Admiral Adama nodded throughout her speech, indicating that he agreed. There was a silence throughout the room as everyone was thinking about what had just been said.
"The Cylons know that we have the map to Earth now. They'll expect us to go to Earth. The question is, do we go? Or do we go past Earth and try to lose them?" Lee Adama said.
"If we stop at Earth, and there are humans there, who can't defend themselves, we have no choice but to stay and defend them," Colonial Tigh said. "If they do have the technology to help us, then we could make a stand."
"We could leave our slowest ships with them, permitting they're willing to protect them, and just continuously jump onwards and lose the Cylons," Starbuck suggested. Everyone at the table looked at her in shock, but they knew that it was a viable option.
"I think we'll need to assess the situation first, but perhaps, when we do come across Earth, we don't send everything in there," President Billy Keikeya suggested to the conversation.
"We should jump past them," Adama said.
Osprey class shuttle 062 – Earth Orbit
They were now back in Earth's orbit, since a Baleen class cargo ship, with a limited range on their hyperdrive, was dispatched to retrieve them, or more specifically, the representatives of the mining companies aboard their Osprey. They had dropped them off at the Triton and gone back onto CAP duties until their rosters were over and done with in four hours. They had turned to the BBC News, and were watching that through the main monitor.
"The person who is believed to be responsible for the launching of one of America's ICBM's towards China four days ago. So far, the woman responsible has not released her name, and there are no matches in any database from any nation on Earth," came from the monitor. Flight Lieutenant Samuel Johnson sat in shock as he watched the monitor, as an image of Sharon Valerii played on it. He turned to look at her, but all he could see was the barrel of a gun pointed directly at his head. Before he knew what was going on, she had reached down and grabbed his sidearm, and was now pointing it at Captain Organ.
"Here's how it's going to work," she said.
Colonial Ship Adriatic – Outer Sol. System
Riley Tuoa watched as the strange shaped shuttle craft came towards them. The Adriatic was now surrounded by various types of fighters, and so far, they had been refused entry into the Solar System. A strange looking ship had emerged from some kind of unknown FTL travel, and two smaller ships which looked like shuttles, the ones which were approaching them now, had detached from the sides. They were a strange design, with two large engines jutting out from the side of the ship, and it looked to be a little larger than a Raptor.
Their Raptor had returned minutes ago and was inside their docking bay. The crew had reported that the object on DRADIS was a platform or satellite of some kind. They had finally found the people of the Thirteenth Tribe of Kobol, and so far they weren't exactly as Riley had thought that they would be, although most people of the Colonial Remnant had put the people of Earth up onto a pedestal. He had expected to be welcomed with open arms, as brothers. Instead, they were being held at gunpoint on the outer region of their system.
The fact that they had the capability to do that was what kept Tuoa happy. That they would be able to help them beat off the Cylons, that they could finally take a rest. For the last two and a half years, he hadn't done much else than pilot the Adriatic along with his co-pilot. He had mingled with the passengers that were onboard, but it got limiting. He needed to get off of the ship and do something besides fly the ship and listen to the Fleet News Service.
For two years, they had lived in fear from a massive Cylon attack. Although that had never happened, everyone in the fleet knew that there was a possibility that the Cylons were herding them into the one place, so that they could destroy the last known humans in the galaxy with one swift blow, but somewhere deep down inside, he knew that everything was going to be alright, that that wouldn't happen.
The fact that Cylons could look like people now, down to their very blood, sweat and emotions still had people throughout the fleet scared when they had departed. Not too long ago, a Cylon agent had blown up the FTL engines of The Rising Star, crippling the ship from escaping from the next Cylon attack. Luckily, no Cylon attack came and the engines were repaired.
They had lost a couple of civilian ships with all hands because of Cylon attack, but for the most time, they had stayed one step ahead of the Cylons.
He snapped back to reality as he heard clanging sounds coming from the top of the ship. He got out of his seat, and moved to the deck above them, to where one of the airlocks was situated. A couple of people came with him, most of them technicians, and the military advisor from the Galactica. They stood around the ladder leading down from the airlock and looked up as sounds could be heard coming from beyond the airlock hatch.
The sounds finally stopped after a couple of minutes, and the light went green indicating that both sides of the airlock were pressurised. They opened the door and looked up, and the brief view that Riley Tuoa saw was that the Earth ship's airlock was larger than theirs, but they must have established a seal with the outer hull of the ship and enclosed their own airlock. Bright lights came down from the Earth ship, blinding him and the others.
"Move away from the ladder," a voice boomed from above them. They hesitantly complied and took a couple of steps backwards. A figure descended, a human figure, dressed in combat gear and with a weapon. He reminded Riley of the Galactica's marines. If he wasn't light years from the Galactica, and he ignored minor details, like the differences between the weapons and combat fatigues, he could have sworn that it was one of Galactica's marines. Another figure was right behind him, and then another, and then another. They formed a semi-circle around the base of the ladder, until someone dressed differently descended. One of the marines stepped aside and the woman approached the group of Colonials.
"Who here is in charge?" she asked harshly. Riley Tuoa stepped forward and offered his hand.
"I am. Riley Tuoa, pilot of the Colonial ship, the Adriatic," he said in his calmest and most confident voice. He was shocked as the woman in front of him just about dismissed all that he had said.
"I am Colonel Beda. What is your destination and purpose?" she asked almost immediately. He was taken back and had to find the correct words to continue.
"We're an exploratory vessel, and our ultimate destination is Earth," he replied to her. He saw the military advisor from Galactica nod his head at what Tuoa had just said. He saw another movement out of the corner of his eye, and didn't believe what he was seeing. One of the technicians had was raising a gun towards the Earth personnel. Before Riley Tuoa knew what was happening, he heard a shot fired which hit one of the marines. Another shot rang out before it hit Colonel Beda in front of him. He watched as Earth's marines reacted instantly, and in a hail of automatic gunfire, mowed the technician down.
Riley Tuoa had no thoughts, there was nothing going through his head. He barely recognised the marine in front of him, almost shouting in his face before it was too late. He felt a heavy fist go into his stomach, and he automatically bended over.
"Lie down on the ground and put your hands on your head!" the marine in front of him was shouting, with his weapon raised towards Riley. He was pushed violently down onto the ground, and was sure that his nose broke as it impacted the floor of the Adriatic. He felt the barrel of a gun placed firmly against the back of his head, and as he turned his head to the side, he could see more marines descending the ladder into their ship. He finally thought that the person with the gun must have been a Cylon, and how much he had gone and fracked up the first contact with Earth. He realised that Earth's marines were storming the ship, holding up everyone at gunpoint.
He couldn't discriminate between the noises around him, and after what seemed like an age, but was probably a few minutes, he was dragged to his feat, and his hands were bound behind him. He vaguely saw the barely recognisable shooter being pushed towards the ladder, his hands unbound and a gun pointed at his head and being told to climb.
"KILL HIM! HE'S A FRACKING CYLON!" He heard someone shout at the top of their lungs. He turned to see that it was his co-pilot, and that he received a very heavy backhand across the face for the outburst.