We didn't have much time at breakfast, so we basically snatched up our food and went to work. That was fine with me, since we didn't have to deal with being privy to a summary execution until later. I wasn't happy with the gungho attempt at normalcy, the way the death we were all linked to wedged itself in the silent spaces between every word we spoke.

Per the standing orders since martial law, all incoming shuttles docked aft, at the cargo hold, with all the maintenance team armed at the door. I'm sure Bertrand wouldn't be happy with this reception, considering protocol dictated that Jeffers meet him. Tactical reality dictated, though, that we did--locked and loaded.

Diana's hair was pulled back in its familiar bun. Her black suit, was rumpled a little more now, after repeated wear and sitting most of the night in a pile on my floor. As she joined all of us, we exchanged tight smiles that would never indicate what happened the night before.

After we milled back to our racks, we didn't speak. I just sat up in bed, pounded down a couple cigarettes, as she laid out company stationary on the table, and scribbled on several pages, presumably about what happened. After she skimmed her words over, she folded the pages sharply in half and left them there. Then Diana slid across the covers, kissed me on the temple, and lay her head to rest in my lap. I smoothed her hair until the alarm went off and the new day officially began.

She never said it, but I knew she would want to prosecute Stengler, whatever that meant with no real judicial system in place, government or no. I still didn't know how I felt about all of this. I couldn't afford to think about it much either. Bertrand's shuttle just achieved hard seal, and the doors spread open.

Betrand looked tanned, rested, and ready as ever, in a crisp gray suit, white shirt and a blue patterned tie. He didn't seem to care, or notice, that gun toting knuckledraggers were his welcoming committee. He came straight to me, shaking my hand vigorously.

"It's great to see you Krenzik," he said, surveying the whole gang. "All of you! I'm so glad you've made a stand against…"

He trailed off when his eyes fell upon Diana, face falling. "Oh… um, Madame Secretary! Thank the Gods you're safe!"

Diana Thalyka's eyes narrowed for an instant at Bertrand's noted lack of happiness, but the Colonial One veneer took over, and her lips spread into their required smile. She shook his hand.

"Likewise, councilman."

Bertrand turned back to all of us once more.

"As I was saying, I'm glad you chose to make a stand against William Adama's tyranny and are joining us going to Kobol. And please accept my condolences on the unfortunate passing of Jim Caffrey. He was a good man."

"So say we all," I responded, the rest following suit in unison.

"So, Krenzik, I know this is short notice, but I'd like to freshen up a bit. We may be jumping any time. If you could have someone show me to my accommodations?"

I nodded. I was about to break it to him that he was getting my old bunk. But before I could, he looked around, quizzically.

"Hey, aren't you missing someone? Wasn't there a tall, lean fellow, about my age in this crew?"

Instead of having Toby escort him to our rack room while I spun up the FTL, I settled the councilman in myself. I figured the best way to explain our unique wake up call was to do it in front of the still, with cups in hand. He could focus on liquid fire cruising down his esophagus instead of the bedlam we waded through.

"Spaced? Spaced. As in shot him out the airlock?"

I poured him a shot, and he slammed it right down.

After some hacking and coughing, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

"You need to get your men up there and take control of this ship now! You outnumber him--"

"Look councilman, I don't think it was necessarily right either."

I surprised myself at my frankness with Bertrand. When I first met this captain of industry turned politician, I was so in awe of him, I could barely look him in the eye. Now, with him on my turf, without his wetbar and leather chairs, I was unable to imagine him in that light. I let our house brew slide down my throat, grimaced for a moment, and continued.

"But remember this: Mangan forced open the hatch to my quarters, and tried to murder Secretary Thalyka and myself."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"You and Miss Thalyka?"

"Yep."

"She was in your quarters?" He smiled widely then, patted me on the shoulders.

"That's what I said, Councilman, yeah."

"Way to go Krenzik! You play this right, it can only help us down the line."

It was then my turn to stare at him in shock. Most men would still be haranguing over the implications of spacing our FTL tech, and the captain's stability. Bertrand, though, wasn't most men. He possessed that fierce, brave shallowness that always managed to keep his eyes on the prize.

Milt Jeffers broke our dialogue over the intercom.

"All hands prepare to jump, T-minus ten minutes."

Bertrand's face still radiated satisfaction as he poured himself more of the house brew.

"Almost time, Krenzik! Adama will shit himself when he sees all of us break off."

I couldn't help but grin, too. We were about to make our stand. Through all the death and sorrow we were still here, and we were about to lay our eyes on the birthplace of all of us, of everything we ever knew--assuming Laura Roslin was still at least partly grounded in reality.

We all stood at the observation deck, transfixed on the perfect blue ball underneath us. Seas, continents, mountains, lush patches of green--this was where the Gods had lived with men and buried the secret of Earth.

My heart sank a little, wishing Caff would have been here to see it. Then I looked to Diana, next to me. Her eyes radiated the childlike wonder we all felt. I felt her hand touch mine and squeeze a little. Whatever came next, I knew then it could eventually turn out for the best. All the turmoil and strife that cut through and between us didn't matter as we orbited Kobol.

Then Bertrand had to ruin it all by talking.

"Just look at it won't you? It's just awe-inspiring! If we can get to the birthplace of the Gods, there's no telling what this fleet can do."

Before he could start rambling about the industrial base and infrastructure, the hatch spun open and Brad Stengler emerged, prompting everyone to turn away from Kobol, albeit grudgingly.

I'd never seen the captain down here before. Then again, I never saw him execute anyone either, so anything was possible. Besides, he had everyone from the cooks to the forklift drivers here. We were all together.

He stood straight, hands clasped behind his back.

"Everyone… I wanted you know that I understand that not all of you agree with my decision about Mangan. I hope you understand that I did what I did in the interests of protecting everyone aboard, and…" His eyes fell upon Diana then. "And I am willing to face any impending consequences for my actions. It is my responsibility and mine alone."

He paused, as if waiting for us to say something, but we all--even Bertrand--just stood in silence. Toby bowed his head a little, along with Marty.

The captain nodded. "Alright, then. I hate to tear all of you away from the view, but we need to do our post-jump checks. Secretary Thalyka and Mr. Bertrand will be receiving an escort in three hours to take them to the Astral Queen, per President Roslin's request. Currently they are waiting for a Lieutenant Thrace to return from Caprica with the Arrow of Apollo. If you miss it on the scanner, we'll notify everyone over the PA. That is all."

Brad Stengler's head hung a little as he returned to CiC. I didn't know if the hollow pit inside me would ever go away, watching Mangan flailing out the airlock, but I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the captain. The first time he tried to do the right thing was forever twisted into something horrible, which he would pay for the rest of his life--one way or another.

II

And I had thought I had nothing aboard Colonial One.

I really had nothing here. A couple of ration bars, some soap, and the papers and pens I had appropriated. Well, that and the t-shirt and make-up and hairbrush…But they weren't really mine, and their various real owners would not be distraught it I took them to the Astral Queen with me. So I gathered them up, and placed them on the table, to leave aboard. I left the soap also, after a bit of thought. It really wouldn't be needed….Not where we were going. The ration bars, papers, and pens I gathered up, moving back and forth as quickly as my legs could carry me, and formed into a neat pile in the center of the bed.

"I don't think Madame President will leave without you, Diana."

I realized with a start that in my frantic 'packing', I had nearly forgotten, if only for a few moments, that he was there. It was just I had never been the most religious of people. And I still thought the President was a nutcase. But this…this was real. Kobol was real.

"I know. I just want to be ready."

"Right...well, do you plan on washing on the Astral Queen? Or you could trade all that soap to one of the inmates for toilet privileges."

I gave him a quizzical look, wondering exactly why he was thinking I would be staying aboard the Astral Queen.

"I don't plan on being on the Astral Queen long enough to need much soap."

"Come to think of it, I can't quite understand why you're going at all."

I stopped for a moment and stared in shock. Was he completely clueless, all of a sudden?

"If I don't go to the Astral Queen, how the hell am I, assuming she gives me permission to, supposed to go down to Kobol?"

"You want to go down to Kobol?"

One of his eyebrows went up, and a look of extreme concern washed over his face. For my part, I resisted the urge to shake my head. He really MUST be clueless.

"Of COURSE I do."

"Look, I can understand it. Hell, I'd like to go too, but, I was thinking."

Usually, when someone said 'I've been thinking' in that kind of a tone, no good came of it.

"About what I mean, there's not much to think about. Whether she's nuts or not...that IS Kobol down there. The birthplace of humanity. The ancient home of the Gods. To set foot upon it..."

"That's right, but if the word's true. Toasters are down there, and, like you said, Roslin's nuts. You went to Sunday school, right?"

"Yeah, I did..."

"And, if--and that's a big if--Roslin is right, and the Arrow will show the way to Earth, then it must be true about paying in blood, like the scrolls say."

I stopped where I was, and just stood there, for a moment. Truth be told, I had forgotten about that part of the Scriptures, until now. But in the end…it changed nothing.

"Maybe it is. But they don't say everyone's blood. They don't say everyone who goes to Kobol will die."

"But somebody will die."

"Someone. Out of many, I would expect. You know Zarek will insist on going. And wherever he goes, some of his thugs go, too. Lieutenant Thrace is bringing the Arrow back. She'll want to go. The President is going. She probably has Billy with her, and if she could swing it, probably the Priest, Elosha, too. They grew...close...recently. And Gods only know who else."

My heart felt as if was being twisted in two, even admitting Billy might die there, or the President might die there.

"So, with any luck, it'll be one of them, right? Maybe they're all thinking the same thing. "

"With any luck, it will be one of Zarek's men, if anyone--though that does not leave this room. The others--the President, and Billy...Oh Gods no..."

"What about you?"

What about me, indeed. I hadn't quite figured that part out yet, myself, even.

"I hope not. Pray not. But life is risk, Jay...especially now. I have nearly died these last few months nearly more times than I have fingers to count upon. Should I forsake the opportunity to go to Kobol, just because of what may or may not be true, and what may or may not touch me, even if it is? And if it is, should I let them face whatever lies there alone?"

I was about to reach for the papers, to nervously straighten them for what must have been the 9th time, but he stepped in front of me, blocking my access to the bed and everything that lay upon it.

"You think Roslin ever thought about your safety? What would happen to any of you when she snuck behind Adama's back?"

Oh hell. Not THIS.

"Dammit, it doesn't MATTER if she ever thought about our safety! There's more at stake here than that! And more people than just her going down there! And yes, I do think she did. I KNOW she did. Not then, perhaps. But on Colonial One...when they boarded us..."

I could hear my voice crack, and every muscle in my body clench, at the memory of the stand off, and it was several seconds before I spoke again.

"...face off, a row of guns on both sides...Colonel Tigh was getting anxious. Who knew what he would have done. And then Captain Adama swung his weapon on Colonel Tigh...and all hell broke loose. I thought I was going to die, then. We all thought we were going to die. And she stepped out into the middle of it all. Told them to put their guns down. And she said...she would not have bloodshed, on Colonial One. Not us...and not them. And she made them stand down, all of them...and let them take her away."

"Well, she wasn't the grand prophet then, was she? She's crazy, and who knows what she'll do in the name of scripture?"

I had no idea. Unlike he seemed to be thinking, however, I WAS certain she was not about to indiscrimiantly throw us all to the proverbial wolves. And he still had not spoken to my other two concerns and points.

"And the others? Should I let them go alone? And the things that might await us down there--Should I disregard them"

I shook my head, in that way people often do when they wish to indicate that they are sorry, but a subject is not open for debate, and gave him a small smile.

"I will request to accompany her to Kobol. If the chance were yours...and if it were your friends and colleagues, set to venture upon the planet of the Gods, into great potential wonders, and great potential dangers...You could not let them go without you, either. I am certain of it."

He returned my smile, though his was of the sad sort, and accompanied almost immediately thereafter by a slight bowing of his head. Then, he took a few steps towards me, and slid his arms around my waist.

"You're lucky I'm too tired to come up with a good response to that. In those terms, I can see what you mean."

III

I decided we should greet the raptor coming for Bertrand and Diana with assault rifles. Zarek's thugs didn't mess around, if their little hostage drama aboard the Astral Queen was any indicator. So far, Zarek held all the cards with the President and the Quorum aboard his ship. Also, Bertrand confided to me that he was part of Phelan's distribution network now, albeit a small part.

"Roslin's out of her godsdamned mind," he said, as we sat around the break room Down Below, loading clips with rounds and slamming them into our weapons. "And Zarek knows it. He wouldn't mind making a move for an invisible freighter like this one. Hell, the only reason I'm going is that my name will be mud down the line if I don't."

Diana's heels clicked with authority as she walked into the rack room, a pillowcase filled with her few belongings dangling from one hand looking absurd in conjunction with her refined appearance. She didn't seem to care, carrying it as though it were a designer handbag.

"Mr. Jeffers wanted me to tell you all that he's in the cargo hold waiting for you. The raptor is coming in for hard seal, he said."

I nodded. "Whatever you do," I told her, before remembering to include Bertrand. "Make sure you stay behind us. We've had enough death on this tub for a while."

After a ride up the freight elevator, Milt Jeffers stood next to me with his sidearmn. Directly behind us stood Diana and Bertrand. Flanking us, in a semi-circle around the airlock, were the mechanics, plus Briar, Bobby and Dan. I kept us just far enough apart so we didn't inadvertently shoot one another, at least I hoped it would turn out that way if things got ugly. The documentation with the guns didn't include tactics.

The deep rumble and boom of steel on steel signified the raptor achieved hard seal.

"Remember," Jeffers said. "Do not open fire on anyone until you give them the chance to drop their weapons. We're not storming the Gideon, here."

I looked over to Nick, Toby, and the others. Most of their faces were shiny with sweat, as was mine now. None of us had ever really killed someone. Well, except maybe for Nick and Toby, who threw Mangan into the airlock. Hell, Nick was the only guy who even shot someone--and that was last night.

The red light on the airlock control panel switched to green, indicating hard seal, and adequate pressure within the airlock chamber. Up above, Stengler probably gave our visitors permission to board.

"Dempsey," Jeffers said, nodding to Toby, who walked up to the gate, and pushed the button that slid the inside glass open. Never taking his eyes off the raptor's still-shut hatch, he returned to our concave front line.

Hydraulic lines hissed as the ship's door opened as if it were a lazy beast's mouth. I could hear Ed's uneven breathing next to me over my pounding heart. I first thing I saw was a man in Fleet camos, thick dark hair, around Diana's height, with several days worth of beard on his face. He was Lee Adama, the Commander's rogue son. On either side of him, were two thugs--white guys, and they were packing automatics a lot like ours. Jeffers looked to me, in a silent order to step up with him.

We took two steps forward and I saw another figure behind Adama and the two goons--Tom Zarek, in a leather overcoat. These were two guys I never expected to be on the same page, ever, let alone in a triumvirate with the President. My knees trembled as I saw the two thugs raise the barrels on their weapons, and take a first step out of the raptor.

"Hold up," Jeffers ordered them. "No weapons aboard the Lady of Libron II. Captain's orders--"

"We're security," Zarek's man on the left said. "For the Councilman and the President. We--"

"Do not take one step further or--"

Captain Adama stepped in line with them, gestured for them to lower their guns, but neither complied, as Zarek strode out behind them.

Jeffers nodded to me, and I raised my rifle's butt to my shoulder and everyone else followed suit, and closed in our semi-circle, but they still kept moving.

"Drop it!" My shouts echoed, and it didn't sound like me. I had never pointed a gun at anyone before, except as I loomed over Mangan the night before. Hell, my stomach twisted at the burnt-flesh smell in the air at the time. Now, I had to be ready to kill, and I had no idea what would happen after that.

"We…can't… do that!"

"DROP IT NOW! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! DROP IT!"

Words came out of Adama's mouth, but I couldn't hear them for the pounding in my ears. Zarek stood by, watchful, seemingly unsure if he should call off his dogs. I couldn't blame him. People either loved or hated the guy, anymore, and we were definitely on the hate side of the room.

"DROP IT!"

Just then, as I felt the rational fabric that held everything together fray and split, another figure emerged from the raptor. She was frail, and very thin, a shawl draped over her bony shoulders. Laura Roslin. The President took crisp authoritative strides down the ramp, approaching as if we were all just pointing flowers at one another. One of Zarek's goon squad and I stood only two meters, maybe less, from one other, staring down one another's rifle barrels. With plenty of firepower behind me, he would be dead as soon as he pulled the trigger. The rub was, so would I.

"M-Madame president--" Lee Adama began, but was silenced by a wave of her hand, as she focused on me, Jeffers, and Zarek's man.

"Yes. Drop them," she said, every syllable radiating that same quiet authority that I remembered on Colonial One. She looked past Jeffers and I to the crew. "All of you."

"Madame President, may I suggest that you order these men to stand down before your guards do," Adama asked, his eyes scanning each and every one of us.

"Captain Adama. It is clear to me that no one here is going to lower their weapons of their own accord."

She made a point to meet the eyes of every man in the room. I hoped she didn't notice my quivering legs-- I was on the verge of pissing myself.

Maintaining her unwavering authority she continued. "So let me make it very simple for all of you. On the count of three, anyone holding a weapon WILL lower it."

Jeffers looked to me, nodded, then did the same to the rest of us behind him.

"One," she began, not raising her voice, even though her words filled the hold. "Two… three."

I let out a deep breath, lowered my rifle, still glaring at the man across from me, and heard everyone else do the same.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Now, where is Councilman Bertrand?"

Before I could turn to beckon him, Jasper Bertrand rushed forward, as if all his wildest dreams came true. His face was shiny with perspiration.

"Madame President," he exclaimed, as he barreled past me. "Thank the Gods you're alive!" Then, his eyes fell on Zarek, and he immediately regained his composure.

"Hello…Tom."

Zarek nodded in return. "Jasper."

I heard Diana ease behind, then around me and blankly regard Laura Roslin, hands clasped in front of her.

"Madame President…"

Roslin's eyes grew wide, and she straightened at the sight of her Secretary in exile.

"Diana?" The two women blankly regarded one another, although I saw a hint of a smile play at the corners of the President's mouth.

"It's a long story," Diana replied, dropping fifty megatons of political understatement.

Roslin then turned to Zarek and Bertrand who radiated the most civilized hatred I had ever seen.

"Wait for me a moment please, Councilmen."

Then she looked back to Diana again. "Walk with me."

I started to follow, as did Lee Adama, and Roslin looked over her shoulder at the captain.

"It's alright, Captain Adama," the President said. "I hardly think I am about to be assassinated by a member of my own Cabinet."

At that moment, Diana's eyes locked on mine.

"I'll be fine, Jay," she told me. Adama and I exchanged uneasy glances and backed off, letting the two most powerful people in what was left of our government confer, alone.

IV

She led me as far away from the crowd as we could get without straying out of sight. I was sure she felt everyone's eyes on her back at that moment, as I did on mine. I thought she would ask me to elaborate on everything, but she surprised me.

"The man with you. He is one of the men who came aboard once to fix our engines."

I nodded.

"Yes, Madame President. And with you—Captain Adama."

"Yes."

She looked thoughtful again for a moment, but said nothing, so I finally spoke. I felt odd saying this, and hoped she would not resent it, but I knew I could not rest—nor relieve the tight knot I felt in my stomach at the moment—until I knew the answer.

"Madame President? Where is Billy?"

A dark shadow suddenly passed over her face.

"He…did not come."

The knot in my stomach clamped down even harder, and I knew my face gave away everything, as much as I tried to control my expression.

"Is…he…"

I couldn't finish my words, but I did not have to. I felt every muscle in my body loosen, as she slowly shook her head.

"He's fine."

I waited through a few more moments, then spoke again.

"Madame President. When you go down to Kobol—"

She shook her head again.

"No."

I knew better than go 'But, why?" to the President of the Colonies, even if I WAS a Cabinet member these days. So I waited, for whatever she might say next, whatever reasoning she might reveal. She turned away from me briefly, and when she turned back, and put a hand on my arm, turning (and gently guiding me to do so as well), until we were both at angles that accorded us a view of everyone else.

"Diana. You will not accompany me to Kobol. And you will not accompany us to the Astral Queen."

This time, to my everlasting shame, the 'but' escaped my lips and was spoken aloud, before I could restrain it.

"But—"

She didn't look angry at the interruption, but instead very serious, as serious as during so many other crises--but never looking quite so alone, quite so sad. And for two people off of Colonial One, that was saying something.

"One third of the fleet made the jump. A third that does not include any defensive capabilities to speak of, nor anyone—"

Here, her voice wavered for just an instant, though so slight I doubt anyone but those who hadn't spent the last few months living on top of her day and night (as I had) would have noticed—No doubt thinking of whatever it was that had prevented Billy from joining her here.

"—from Colonial One. Other than myself. And you."

She paused for a few more moments, and when she spoke, her voice was even lower, and even more serious, than before, and her eyes were locked directly with mine.

"Do you understand?"

Do you understand, indeed. Because what she was saying could not risk being said, if there was a chance the others—especially Zarek and Bertrand, I suspected—might hear. But I understood only all too well—the things she mentioned before hand, the things she specifically pointed out. She knew the Kobol prophecies. Hell, she had wrapped herself in them, for frak's sake. Do you understand. Do you understand that this is all there is, that no more will be joining us, that this is all there will ever be, that we will not be reuniting with the others. Do you understand that there are only two members of the Executive Branch left alive, left free, left in this portion of the fleet. Do you understand that if something happens on Kobol…the order of succession dictates that the Presidency will fall to you?

Ridiculous. If she came to grief on Kobol, they would not follow me. Not all of them, anyways. They followed her, so many of them, because they believed she would lead them to salvation, lead them to Earth. I didn't have a reputation as a religious leader and messiah. If something happened to her…Everything would shatter.

I knew that…and she had to know that as well, on some level. But this was chaos, uncertainty, more than ever before. And in such times….procedure, tradition, the illusion of control…that meant everything. Neither of us would admit out loud her directives to me would mean little, lawful though they might be, based in the Articles though they might be. I doubted she would even admit it silently to herself…her knowledge of it was most likely buried deep in her subconscious. But whatever I might know…and whatever she might know deep down….that did not change this moment. Because…this was all we had. All we had left. And if we didn't have this…

"Yes, Madame President."

We stood there together for a few more moments, her hand still on my arm where she had laid it a few minutes before. Finally, she withdrew it, and turned to walk back towards the others. I followed, and I realized, even if only in my own imagination. My steps seemed a little heavier on the deck, now, then they had been just hours before. Fitting, because whatever weight had been upon my shoulders after the bombs fell, the world ended, and I was sworn in—and which was increased after the Quorum was dissolved and the fleet went mad—felt heavier now than it ever had before.

V

As Diana walked with the President, Apollo looked over to me, rolled his eyes, as our soundtrack waiting this out was Zarek and Bertrand mimicking civility.

"Well…of course Tom. I understand, after all, the Astral Queen is your ship, and it's your prerogative if you want to go down to the planet's surface. I'm sure you'll be glad to…tell us all about it."

Zarek grinned with minimal effort. "Don't take it personally, Jasper. Really, this was arranged before we even knew you or any of the other Councilmen were joining us…"

Finally, the women returned. I steeled myself to say my goodbyes. I didn't want to let Diana out of my sight. So much had to fall in place for her to even be alive, and my universe was a better place with her in it.

"Diana, be careful--"

She briefly squeezed my hand, grinning sadly.

"I'm not going," was all she said.

Roslin headed straight for the raptor, not looking back as Zarek and Jasper Bertrand continued their cordial exercise in fuming hatred. Finally, she turned around, her gaze washing over all of us, I noticed she lingered on me for an extra breath.

"Thank you all, Gentlemen." She looked over to Zarek and Bertrand, who finally noticed she wanted to leave. "Councilmen, it's time."

She ducked into the raptor, the councilmen following in silence. Lee Adama nodded toward me, and followed, with Zarek's goon squad. The hatch sealed behind them, and Jeffers gave the cue for Toby to shut the airlock. Within a minute, their ship roared to life, detached, and was gone.

We put up our rifles in the firearms locker (courtesy of Phelan) near Briar's office, and everyone gradually filed off to where they needed or wanted to be, leaving Diana and I sitting on the observation deck. We sat for a time, in silence, as Kobol rolled gently by.

Diana's shoulders slumped a little, and her gaze was far away. She still looked a little sad, pensive after telling me she was staying. Who could blame her? I knew there was no way in hell I was getting down there, but who wouldn't be sad they couldn't place their feet upon the birthplace of the Gods.

"Hey," I told her, reaching over and gently squeezing her left hand. She looked up, gave a slight grin, pressed back. "I know I wasn't crazy about the idea… but I'm sorry you couldn't get down there."

"I'm not... not anymore. I was too caught up in it all. So much so that I forgot certain things."

"Like what?"

Diana's long neck craned behind us, and her eyes smoothly and habitually scanned the long aisles of the hold. She turned back to me. Her thumb gently smoothed back and forth over mine.

"Billy didn't make the jump. And Colonial One couldn't make the jump. And I forgot what that meant."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow."

This time, it was her turn to look a little confused.

"Jay, as screwed up as things are some things stay the same. One of those things is that the Order of Succession to the Presidency does not include the Quorum of Twelve. There are only two people in this section of the fleet legally allowed to hold the position, through that chain. And one of them is already in the position. "

She took a deep breath, and for a moment, squeezed my hand a little tighter.

"The only other one...is me," she said, the words coming as if she couldn't believe them herself.

I couldn't help but smile a little. Even though not much good had gotten us to this point, I had to admit, I was proud of her. She had endured to so much, and now, with what I knew now to be a customary grace under pressure, she was telling me that Diana Thalyka was technically the Vice President of the Twelve Colonies.

"It's not every day we have the--hopefully--interim VP of the Colonies aboard the Lady," I replied.

"It had better be interim. They follow her for now. They would not follow me in her stead. And even if she returns from Kobol, this will only last so long. Because as much as I could not say it then, your men were right. We're alive now. But without defenses against the Cylons, we won't last long enough to reach Earth, even if it's real. And without the others... What are we, anymore? So little was left, even before this."

My men. MY men. I thought of how we just silently parted ways, after the President's raptor disembarked. Mangan hung over us, still. Maybe he always would. As she said, so little was left, even before. They were my guys, and somehow, I had to figure out a way to at least begin the process of moving on. I slid my hand out from over hers, and eased my arm around Diana, and she leaned into me easily.

"Well… I know that right now, for the first time in…I don't know. For the first time I feel like we're doing something that's going to ultimately work."

"I hope so." Her eyes returned to the immense window, to Kobol. "It will."

I sighed, joining her in repose. For the first time, I looked into the void and saw possibilities instead of cold indifference in the stars. We were moving on, whatever happened, next. All everyone did was react, hope and pray our worst fears didn't come to pass, that things would somehow get better. It may have been the wrong way to get the right thing done, but Roslin was doing it. Now, I had to proactively try to get all of us Down Below to look each other in the eye again, and maybe not always see Adam Mangan.

"Diana, there's something I gotta do."

She turned to me, her gray eyes wide, serious.

"Then you should go do it," she said. It was as if she knew what I was thinking. Or maybe it was because she knew a thing or two about pressure.

"I'll see you later."

I got up, my steps feeling heavy, but right as I headed for our rack room. I didn't know how the gang would react, but for the first time, since Caff died, I felt good doing something besides touching Diana.

VI

I watched as he walked away. Though I had not asked for what reason, I knew he was going to attend to his men. And for the first time since he had become foreman, I knew with certainty that he would succeed.

I wished I could say the same about the rest of us. Despite my words before, I was far from certain we would succeed. And if something should go wrong on Kobol, and she died, then I was positive we would not. The people would not follow me. And the Quorum certainly would not—they barely followed her, in fact. Everything had hung by a thread, since the bombs fell. But now, it all hung by a single strand. The slightest action, the slightest change, the slightest event could break us now, and shatter it all. And there was nothing I could do about it, once again. Nothing but wait. And pray.

I remembered seeing a statue of Zeus once, on the desk of one of the officials my father interviewed, when I was young. Leaders, leadership, democracy, civil service, the people, the Colonies themselves, and the protection of such things. He would be the one to direct such things to. Unlike the more devout, however, I had never owned any statues, of Zeus or any of the others, for that matter. So I just took a deep breath, and centered my eyes once again on Kobol. What better focus could there be, after all, then the place where it had all began?

"Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer. Protect the President, and the others on the surface of Kobol, your ancient home. Please, also protect my people…both here, and with the other fleet."

This was the place where it had all begun. I could only hope, now, that it would not be the place where it all ended, as well.

VII

Ed Coursen was the first one I saw in the machine shop, cleaning his crescent wrenches with a wet rag by the sink. I told him to spread the word to the others about our meeting in the break room. Then I went to my bunk, my old locker--which had yet to be cleaned out. Marty shambled by in his robe and flipflops, just out of the shower. I gave him the word, too.

Near the bottom, wrapped in purple velvet, sat my obsidian Hephaestus figurine. Mom gave it to me, as my Dad glowered before I took my first shuttle up to the company's orbiting shipyard. Hephaestus was the primary God worshipped on Libron, a planet where heavy industry was the only thing going for it. He was the patron of mechanics, artisans, anyone who worked with his or her hands. This figurine stood about 15 centimeters in height, with the God standing in all his hard-muscled divine glory, hammer raised above an anvil. It was said he was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the estranged husband of Athena--depending upon which interpretation of the Scrolls a person believed. I hadn't unwrapped this thing in years. Dust nestled in between the contours and hard lines chiseled into the black stone.

In a few minutes, everyone was in the break room, around the table. I stood at its head, the figurine before me sitting on its velvet wrap. Toby, Ed, Nick, Marty--they all looked up at me, and I felt the same weight of what we had seen and done the night before. The only way I knew to begin was to simply do it. I pulled up a chair and sat down with them.

"I don't know what to…" I shrugged, shook my head, and they just sat. Nick folded his arms, head tilting quizzically. I didn't believe we were haunted by his spectre, but Mangan was among all of us, with that hard glare in his eyes, before he was sucked out into the void. Nick shot him, saved my life. Then he eagerly grabbed an arm. Toby followed orders, as if he had to will his body to clutch Mangan's other arm. Before Ed pushed the button, opening the double doors, Marty slammed the butt of his weapon into my would-be murderer's face. I didn't know what good this would do, but I needed to get rid of Mangan. Maybe this would be a good start.

"We all… we all went to Sunday School, right?" They all mumbled in assent. "So we all know that the Scrolls say every soul deserves a prayer, now and again, right? You don't have to do it, if you don't want to."

"Hey man, you an' her were the ones he was offing," Toby said. "If you want to, what the hell? I'll do it."

He looked behind him, to the other three, who didn't move. I tried to think of something else to say, words Caff would have uttered, to leave us with some semblance of feeling better. Nothing came, so I just cleared my throat and began.

"Lords of Kobol, hear our prayer, for the soul of Adam Mangan. We ask that his fate, whatever it is, be just and in the light of your almighty mercy. We ask, on behalf of Hephaestus, so say we all."

"So say we all," my men repeated.

"Okay," I told them, wrapping my figurine up again. "That's all I got. Schedule's clear until morning. When Lieutenant Thrace returns with the Arrow, Up Top will send the word. See you at breakfast.

They all said their good-nights, shambling off, except Nick, who sat, arms still folded, glaring at me.

I felt his eyes burn into me, but chose to let him speak first. An eternity of silence hung as he obviously waited for me to finish bundling up my totem.

"I don't like you, Krenzik. Never did."

I couldn't help but smile. He waited all this time to say that?

"What else is new?"

"I don't like you, but you're the boss. I just gotta do my job--and hold up my end."

"Right."

He laughed then. It had a bitter, barbed wire texture.

"Frak. I was aiming for his godsdamned head. I saw him grab his holster, and head up the ladder. I called over to him, right? And he said I was right, that shit was gettin' outta hand. He was gonna fix it. I let him go, then made the call to the Cap'n's quarters. He sounded still asleep, right? So I went up, too. Saw him after he jimmied open your door…"

He bowed his head, ran meaty fingers through his hair. "I don't regret spacin' him."

"Hey, man. If you would've made the head shot, I wouldn't have any problem. We… just didn't have to send him out the airlock, you know?"

He nodded. "Like said, Krenzik. You're the boss. And I don't gotta like it. I just gotta do it. We're stuck on this tub with each other, right?"

"Yeah. We got a decent thing going here, all things considered. I want us to keep it."

Without another word, Nick left. A shadow that lingered over me seemed to recede, let in a little warmth. I didn't know what would come next, but at least we could look one another in the eye again.

Diana waited for me, in my quarters. Clothes fell in little piles across the room, and, as she guided me inside her, there was nothing lingered except our own heat. I thought of sliding out from under her again, to feel along the floor and keep my sidearm close, but I knew I wouldn't need it. Not that night.

VIII

By the time I woke, he was gone, no doubt to start the day's work. I ran my hand along what had been his side of the bed—it was already cold. I paused, lifting up my hand and staring at it, strangely.

I hadn't thought I would ever have this chance, these feelings, again--love, companionship, the touch of another, beyond a handshake in the course of business. Humanity. I had thought they—and it—were lost to me forever—precluded by my position, the inability of meeting anyone 'off the clock', the inability of getting time off Colonial One and off the job for anything to ever develop.

When the Cylons had bombed Caprica, I had lost my family, my friends, everything I had ever known. And yet, at the same time, I had found a strength inside of me I had never believed I had, a resolve and purpose far beyond even that I had held before—and a level of responsibility and rank I had not planned to hold for decades, and had before only hoped to someday achieve. And now, when the remnants of humanity had all but shattered, leaving us mere shadows of what we had been before—mere whispers, even, of what had initially been left after the bombs fell—now, I had found what I had thought would be forever denied me.

What was this place we found ourselves in the condition of the human race? What was this place, that only when everything else fell silent could we find what lay deep inside?

I could only hope to keep it, now. The road ahead was even more clouded and uncertain than it had ever been before, and each possible end to this current dilemma would bring with it trials and challenges to what had developed here. If only—

"Cylon Incoming! Cylon Incoming!"

The announcement blared from the speakers overhead, and I froze where I was (inasmuch as I had been moving much in the first place). Cylons.

We were defenseless here. All of us. Even the so-called "armed" ships wouldn't stand a chance against the Cylons.

"Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer…."

Before I could say anything else, the system came to life again.

"Civilian vessels, civilian vessels! This is Starbuck! Do you read? Do you read? Say again, this is Starbuck. Is anybody getting this? Hello? Hello?"

Relief washed over me for the 9 millionth time, since this saga had begun. The Raider. Of course. She had left in a Cylon vessel. Not surprising, if one stopped to think, that she would return in one as well. It wasn't the Cylons. It was the last of our hope…returning to us at last, perhaps, in my wildest dreams, to provide us with a new hope.

I could, given the circumstances, think of only one way to finish my interrupted prayer.

"….Thank you."

EPILOGUE

William Adama, Tom Zarek, and Laura Roslin were sitting in a raptor. No, this wasn't the beginning of a joke. I saw Diana's face light up, as the President told her, into Mitchell's headset, everything she saw in the ruins on Kobol, within the ruins of the very real Temple of Athena. There was an Earth, and we now knew how to get there.

We returned to the fleet, after giving the beginning of everything one last glance. It was beautiful, and I would have loved to set foot on Kobol. I knew, like everyone else, that we could never stay, as basestars lurked in the vacuum, waiting for their chance to finish the job. Now, though, I felt like we were running toward something better, instead of fleeing from certain death.

Finally, as we lay in bed, where we belonged, nestled among the rest of the fleet, with Galactica leading the way, Diana described to me what Roslin told her.

"She didn't give me the exact location. That's classified—beyond me, even—but, she said it was beautiful…"

I tried to picture the tall, green grass, the clear sky with the twinkling starlight. The monoliths all held the ancient names and sigils of the Twelve Tribes: Libra, Capricorn, Aquarius, Leo, all of them. High above was a nebula. It was a long way from here, but beyond that was our new home. Earth.

The danger was still just as palpable, but at the end was our reward, for all those before us, and for the rest of the human race that would carry on after we were gone. We had a future.

TO BE CONTINUED IN "KRENZIK'S WAR II"