DR: Today, we she what happened to the Pegasus after she took out those baseships... And Sheba's reunion with her father gets rather emotional...
Chapter 7: Back to the Land of the Living
"Are they… alive?" Apollo asked, staring down at the lined and smoke stained face of possibly the greatest commander in the Colonial Fleet. Cassie, despite the emotions running rampant through her, stepped forwards to run a scanner over the tubes.
"Yes, they're all alive." She answered him after several microns. "But some of them are seriously wounded… energy burns it looks like. I can't get anything more detailed until we get them out of these tubes."
"But, we can't do that until we fix the air." Starbuck moaned.
"Maybe not… Do we have a spare breath mask?"
"No sir, just a couple of emergency masks." One of the other med-techs said, lifting the small mask up. "Only good for a centar. The rest are still in the shuttle along with the other air packs."
"Okay, Cassie, wake Cain up." As she bent over the tube and started the revival process, Apollo turned to the gathered warriors. "I need a volunteer, make that two."
As one they all stepped forwards.
Apollo smiled at the show of solidarity. "Okay, one of you has to turn over your breath mask to the commander. You'll then take the emergency mask and return to the shuttle. The other volunteer will go with him and ensure he gets there safely."
The warriors glanced at each other, before two men stepped forward once more. "I'll do it sir." The shorter one said. "I've gotten good at holding my breath sir. Water-sports training, even if we don't have a pool."
"I'll make sure he gets to the shuttle." The second, a hulking bear of a man, growled. "Even if I have to carry him over my shoulder." The moment of humour touched everyone.
"All right, let's do this." With a nod, the warrior shut down the masks supply of air. He took several shallow breaths before sucking in the last of the air in the mask and pulling it off his face. Handing it to Apollo, he turned and caught the emergency mask tossed to him by the med-tech as he strode out. The other warrior followed him.
Apollo turned back to Cassie, who was ready to open the tube. Handing her the mask, he stepped back. Touching the last key, she began to reach in even as the cover slide back. The cold air within the tube began to seep out, chilling the gathered warriors. She noted that it didn't seem as cold inside the tube as she had thought, but then remembered that she had gotten used to the chill that pervaded the air on the Pegasus. With life support down and all other power diverted, there had been nothing to keep the heat in. And while it wasn't the cold of space, it was uncomfortably chilly.
Everyone there watched for Cain's revival with baited breath. At first nothing, then his eyes flicker, and he tried to take a breath…
x x x x x x
The last image Cain had held in his head as he felt the sleep of the cryogen tube taking him was the face of his beautiful daughter Sheba. As his sight faded, he had recounted in his head all the things he wished to say to, but had never got round to.
'Oh baby, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I tuned you out after your mother died… I'm sorry that I sent you out to fight so many times… I'm sorry for not coming back… Sorry for failing to keep my promise…'
The next thing he knew, he could feel the cold retreating, and light began to filter into his eyes. The smiling image of Sheba was above him. Feeling joy, he opened his mouth to speak to her…
The next micron his eyes shot wide as the dead, stale air entered his mouth, his lungs reacting violently. He gasped for real air, for oxygen that wasn't there. He saw nothing about him, heard nothing but the pounding of his heart and the roaring of his blood.
Feeling confined, he began to thrash about, trying to escape his bonds, escape the stale air that was choking him. He felt hands trying to hold him, the hiss of something being forced near his mouth. Blindly he tried to fight them off, yahrens of military learning telling him to push the hiss of the gas, most likely poison, away.
But then a waft of the gas entered his nose, and instinct took firm control of his body. He stopped fighting the others and practically ripped the mask from its owner to press it against his face. As he gulped down the sweet, clean air, he could feel his heart slowing down from maniacal to just frantic. At last the oxygen reached his sleep befuddled brain and he began to try to use his eyes. And his mind returned from the darkness.
Cain. That was his name. Colonial Commander. The Pegasus, his ship… Adama, and the Galactica. Gamoray... Those two basestars… their explosions charring his ship… Sheba as he last saw her, hurt and unable to move, being carried away off his ship… The long time he had spent decided on his course… the final realisation that Adama had been right all along… Turning the crippled ship around… The ' Eastern Alliance' who demanded that he surrender his ship to them. Their boarding… the viscous fighting… his people driven back. The celebration when they won… the terrible discovery of the wreaking of the life support… the last desperate gamble with the cryogen tubes…
At last his eyes began to work once more, and he looked about. Emergency lighting on, but barely. Figures near the door, silhouettes cast by the lights they held. And next to him…
"Cassie?" He croaked, his throat feeling dryer than a Scorpia desert in summer. "Apollo?"
"We're here commander." Apollo answered, the breath mask he wore slightly muffling his answer. But his eye revealed his relief.
Cain slowly blinked the last of the sleep from his eyes, before he grinned broadly. The Legend of Commander Cain, who made his own miracles, was still solid. It had been a hundred to one shot, at the least, but his plan appeared to have worked!
Slowly he began to draw himself out of the cryogen tube, at least enough to sit up. He felt a little woozy as he did so, but then he was asleep for…
"Ho… How long was I under?"
"Almost four sectares Commander." Cassie told him quietly, having got the information from the tube itself.
Cain sat there for a moment, thinking. 'Well, not too bad…' Slowly he looked up once more, the fire in his eyes returning. "So… the fleet is nearby?"
"That's why we needed to waken you sir. We need you to unlock the ships computers, so we can slow down and link up with the fleet."
"I see… not the correct course eh?"
Apollo grinned at the commanders pun. "Not quite sir. You would have passed us about five centares out had the Illuminati not seen you."
"Illuminati?" Cain's brow furrowed. "I don't recall that being one of your ships Captain."
Apollo was now grinning widely. "No sir, she's not. A second fleet escaped the Colonies. Another thirty ships, half of them warships."
Cain's jaw fell as he stared at Apollo. His mind tried to absorb what the young man before him had just said. 'Another fifteen warships… Gods we could take on the Cylons now!' But then he remembered what had nearly happened at Gamoray. No, despite his burning desire to go after the Cylons and hurt them as much as they had hurt the Colonies, he knew that his duty was to protect the people. After all, what was the point of fighting when there was nothing to fight for?
With a shrug, he stood up, using force of will to not waver. Grabbing his swagger stick from the cryogen tube, he faced the warriors before him. "Well then, let's get back to the Fleet men!"
As they made their way to the bridge, they made better time than before, the low lighting just enough to allow them to move quickly. As they moved up the corridor leading to the bridge, Cain once more saw the burn marks that scarred the corridor. Yes, they had fought hard, but his people had fought even harder. And he was proud of them. He also noted that someone had policed the bodies, not a pleasant task after this much time.
Stepping on to the bridge, he saw a pilot he vaguely remembered from the Galatica working one console, and another man on the command pedestal. Behind him he heard more feet moving, as the group which had been at engineering had moved forward to rejoin the group, after taking a detour to pick up more oxygen packs.
"Commander Cain, allow me to introduce Colonel Achilles, the one who rebuilt the fleet." Achilles turned to face him, and Cain swept his gaze over him. He was clearly a native of Scorpia, with his dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Average height, his face held a roguish charm. Even in the poor light, he saw that this Achilles wore the blue of a command officer, but also a warrior jacket. An interesting combination.
"Apollo, I only reinforced the fleet, not rebuilt it." Achilles smirked, and Cain took an instant liking to the man. He then held out his hand. "Commander Cain, it's an honour."
"No Colonel, the honour is mine." Cain grasped Achilles by the forearm in the ages old greeting. "Any man that can pull fifteen of our warships out of there has to be incredible."
"Personally I think any man which can get two hundred plus civilian ships clear without loosing one is better, but have it your way."
Laughing gently, Cain stepped to the main computer control board and unlocked the system. At once the controls lit up, and to everyone in there it felt as if some terrible beast had awoken from its dark and dreadful sleep.
x x x x x x
Adama was smiling broadly when Illa and Sheba returned to bridge. Blue squadron was coming in, escorting the Pegasus. Cain had been found alive and well, if a little dirty and chilled. He had been warned that the battlestar looked a wreck, but it was only skin deep for the most part. There was nothing that was fatally damaged, save the main life support system.
"Ah, Sheba good. I was just about to call for a search for you." He told her as the two women stepped onto the command pedestal.
"I'm sorry commander, I just… needed a moment." Sheba told him, her face flushed.
"I understand Sheba." He nodded wisely, deciding not to mention the red-rimmed eyes or the puffy cheeks. Looking at Illa, he saw that one shoulder looked damp. Meeting her eyes, he saw that his wife liked this woman. "And I have some good news for you."
Sheba lifted her head, hope shining forth.
"Our pilots are inbound, with the Pegasus. Turns out her damage is not as bad as it looks, despite the best efforts of both the Cylons and the Eastern Alliance." Both women frowned, Sheba since she wondered how the people of Terra were involved, and Illa since she had not yet heard about this faction.
"But the most important news is…" Adama began, but then Omega interrupted him.
"Commander, we have an incoming message on fleet line Alpha."
Shaking his head ruefully, Adama took a step towards the monitors. "Put it through here."
When the picture resolved, Adama was not surprised to see who it showed, not this time. "Greetings Adama, you old war daggit." Cain smiled as much as the breath mask he wore allowed.
"Cain, didn't we go through this once before?" He asked shaking his head. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sheba's face light up when she heard her father's voice.
"Indeed we did Adama, but this time things will work out differently, I swear. Now, I don't suppose my…" Cain was cut off however when Adama stepped back a pace, allowing Sheba to rush forwards.
"FATHER!" Her outcry of relief caused several crewmen to look up in surprise. They all quickly returned to their duties as Tigh glanced about. But she took no notice at all, as she was entirely focused on the small screen before her. While she didn't show it, a small part of her mind was in shock at seeing her father looking so… scruffy. Soot dusted his shoulders and smudged his face, while the emergency lights bathed him in red, making the breath mask he wore look like some permanent attachment to his face.
"Oh baby… I missed you so much…" He sighed. "It's been so quiet here since you left… But I'm back now." The cheer in his voice made up for the lack of expression, and it clearly hinted that from now on something's would be changed between them.
"I missed you too…"
"I'll come aboard as soon as I can baby. I swear I won't do this again."
"You'd better!"
Cain chuckled. "That's my girl. Now put Adama back on would you? I need to arrange a parking space. I'll see you soon." Sheba smiled sweetly before stepping back, allowing Adama to resume talking with his old friend.
"Cain, you have no idea how I feel to see you back."
"Believe me Adama it was touch and go for a while back there, many a time." Cain sighed deeply. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask that you move yourself. My ship is in a right mess." Adama was taken aback for a moment at Cain's admission.
"Of course. The repairs to the Galactica are almost done anyway. We'll soon be able to get you back into fighting form."
"I can see that. And you know what? Next time those gulmogging Cylons come for us, we'll really kick their teeth in!" Cain grinned broadly, almost enough to slip the mask off.
Adama shook his head at Cain's indomitable sprit. "Let's hope that they won't Cain. I will be quite happy to live the rest of my life without seeing a Cylon again."
"Ah, but if wishes were cubits… Still, miracles do happen. You just have to make them."
x x x x x x
The news of the return of the Pegasus spread like wildfire throughout the fleet, so much so that by the time Cain set foot on Galactica there was a vast crowd gathered to greet him. But it was to Adama that he first spoke to.
"The Lords of Kobal must truly have blessed you Cain."
"Well, I guess a little help from on high never hurts." Cain smirked, before he turned towards the figure that stood besides Apollo, almost unable to stay still. " Sheba…" he said, opening his arms.
The next micron he had to stagger back to remain standing as Sheba had rushed over to embrace him. While the gathered warriors cheered his return, the two of them were locked in their own little world, reforming their bond together.
To one side the warriors who had been stationed on the Pegasus before Gamoray cheered louder than most as they witnessed the women they considered the 'child of the Pegasus' be reunited with her father. She had spent a lot of time on the ship even while very little. She had practically grown up within its armoured shell, and in a way they all felt that it made her special to all of them.
Unheard by all both Cain and Sheba spoke quietly together. "Oh my baby… I'm sorry…"
"Father its okay… your back now, that's what matters."
"No, it's not. I'm sorry about everything Sheba. I pushed you away when you needed me, and then I threw you out again and again to fight. When you got hurt, I… it tore me up inside."
"Father… I always knew about the risks, and I accept them."
" Sheba… I went into that battle expecting to die. I… don't know just how I survived this time. Maybe the Lords that Adama is always speaking of truly are watching over us. Maybe they decided I deserved a chance to make amends for my mistakes. I don't know why, but I do know I'm going to take this chance with both hands, and not let go."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I've seen how wrong I've been over these last few yahrens. And now, I'm going to put things right." With that he pulled away slightly and turned towards Adama once more.
"Adama, will you accept this crazy old war daggit back?" Adama smiled warmly, before clapping him on both shoulders.
"Dear friend, you are most welcome."
"Well, I'm sure I'll wear it out soon enough." Cain grinned "I won't say I haven't given up on ripping the Cylons a new one, but I have seen the light, so to speak. From now on, we'll play it your way, Fleet Commander." A hush fell over the bay as he said the last much louder, to ensure that everyone knew that Adama was The Fleet Commander, and even the irrepressible Commander Cain would toe the line.
Adama realised what Cain meant, and was momentarily stunned by it. Cain had practically sworn on his honour that he would follow Adama's lead. It was quite humbling.
x x x x x x
"So tell us, how did you get away at Gamoray?"
It was now evening, and Adama had insisted on dinner with his close circle of friends and colleagues. In addition to his family, Starbuck, Boomer, Cain, Sheba, Cassiopeia and Achilles were gathered together. The Ambrosa was flowing, and everyone had been catching up. Cain had been as surprised as anyone to met Illa once more. They had met at brief points yahrens ago, mainly before he and Adama were promoted and dispatched to different ships. In many ways Adama, Tigh and Cain had been the Apollo, Boomer and Starbuck of their day.
Throughout dinner, Athena had been watching Achilles when he wasn't looking. She couldn't help but mull over her mother's words. She had to admit, he had a similar roguish appearance to Starbuck, but while Starbuck was flighty, Achilles was a much more down to earth man. She recalled those days when he served on Galactica. Although at the time she had had a big crush on Starbuck, Achilles had almost drawn her away from him. He didn't do it on purpose, but something about his slightly hidden past, the air of mystery that hung about him, it all was very tempting.
So intent on Achilles was she, Athena didn't even glare when Starbuck and Cassie shared an intimate moment. Cain had looked a little peeved, but he accepted it with good grace. If he had stayed, then she might have chosen him, but then again they might all have been dead. No, he didn't blame her for her choice.
Course, that didn't mean he had to like it.
Someone else who had been casting long glances was Apollo. But while his sister's looks at Achilles had been speculative, his ones towards Sheba had been pensive. He still had not truly decided on which way he felt about her. He tried to hide those thoughts whenever she looked his way though.
Sheba too was making longing looks, right back at him. She wasn't sure what it was that was holding him back, but she had seen the look in his eyes. He tried to hide his inner turmoil when she was looking at him, but he could never shield his eyes. It deeply troubled her.
Illa had noted all the glances that were being cast across the table, and secretly she smiled. Outwardly she showed no reaction what so ever to what was happening, but inwardly she sighed in frustration. Both young men were being offered a beautiful thing, and neither was acknowledging it! Apollo was too unsure, and Achilles must have been blind! And she had thought Scorpio's were supposed to be intuitive!
However she had missed one set of looks, those that Achilles had been sending towards Athena. Being a Scorpio not only made one intuitive, it also made one very good at putting up a smokescreen. And Achilles was very good at hiding his emotions. He kept stealing glances at Athena out of the corner of his eyes, when he lifted his glass, even when he was looking over the food he allowed his eyes to rest on her a half-second longer than anyone else. He could tell she was interested in him, and it fired him. He hadn't been joking with Apollo earlier that day.
Now, after the main meal, Adama had dared to ask the question that was on everyone's mind. Cain rested his arms on the table, cradling his glass. His humour drained away.
"Honestly Adama, pure luck. When those two ships blew, I thought for a micron that I had finally bitten off more than I could chew. I remember the blast waves washing over us, the crashing of debris into our hull. The shock knocked both energisers offline. We drifted, knocked off our old course.
"Things got tense. We couldn't see what was happening nor could we actually do anything. Took us nearly two centares before we got energiser one going again. I have to tell you, if it hadn't started we wouldn't be here." He looked over Adama's shoulder out the view-port, to where he could just see the blackened Pegasus wrapped in the embrace of the Matriarch's web. The off white arms of the slipway made a stark contrast to the charred hull beneath. With a shudder he pressed on.
"When we looked around, we were alone, having drifted almost right out of Gamoray. While my crew tried to repair what we could, I retreated to my quarters to think." Cain leaned back in his chair.
"I thought about everything you said Adama, both you and Apollo. And I realised something. I had been the 'Living Legend' for so long, I was starting to believe it myself. I began to believe that I could get out of any situation. Moalcay was my first wake up call, but I missed it.
"You were right Apollo, when you asked if I was thinking of my people, or my reputation. The legacy I would leave behind. When you came back with Sheba hurt, that woke me up to the fact that nobody is perfect. I was no longer thinking of my warriors as people, but tools, weapons. Things to be used when needed, discarded when they failed." Everyone around the table looked shocked, but sympathetic.
"It is a trap we must always guard against, the feeling of superiority." Adama gently stated. "Our many successes make us believe that we are untouchable, that we can never be stopped. And yet it takes just one moment of bad luck, and that dream, that illusion is shattered."
Cain nodded humbly. "You're right Adama. I'm just ashamed that it required my own daughter getting hurt for me to see that." Sheba laid her hand over his in support. Cain smiled at her before continuing the tale.
"Once we managed to get going again, I decided to follow you myself. I figured that at some point the Cylons would try to catch you again. And I had a plan, to be there to hit them from behind, and squeeze them between us. Then we could have finally gotten that snake Baltar. But it seems that you lost them when Baltar left their ship.
"After that, it was more a case of me acting as a rearguard. I figured if they did start following us again, I could draw them off."
"That explains that then…" Everyone looked at Achilles. "The ion trails we followed after Gamoray had one very strong trace. We figured that one of your ships had a leaky engine or something."
"Sounds like we made quite a convoy across the stars." Cain quipped, and smiles flowed all round the table. "We decided to bypass Terra by slipping past one of the outer planets." Cain's smile slipped. "That's when things went downhill."
"The Alliance?" Adama asked gently.
Cain nodded. "It appears that the seventh moon of that world was a major off-world base of theirs. But we didn't realise this until after we past it by. Almost a dozen small ships pursued us, and demanded that we surrender, as prisoners of war for aiding their enemy's."
"Sounds like not all the Alliance people accepted the decision to sue for peace after our little stunt." Starbuck commented.
"It appears so. We managed to get most of them, but those four slipped through. After that it was time to repel boarders." Cain sighed. "We had to kill them all. Not one surrendered. When we checked their craft we found five men and two women from what they called the Western Nationalists. They were scientists, kidnapped from their homes to discover the secrets of the Pegasus. They knew that they were never going home, since the Easterners had already declared them dead, and held their 'funerals'. So they asked for, and I agree, asylum.
"But I have to admit, when I learned that both life support systems were down and couldn't be fixed, I almost gave up. The Destroyers could not support us; they had exhausted their fuel to catch us. It had been a 'victory or death' mission. But when my last remaining doctor told me that he was going to put the wounded into cryogenic suspension, I came up with my last idea."
"A sleeper ship." Achilles muttered.
Cain grinned. "Correct. I knew in principle it worked, so all I had to do was get my ship on course with yours and then wait. When you had detected the Pegasus, I knew you would get us out." He shrugged. "Though it looks like I was just out with my calculations of where you would be now."
"Well, we have made better time since we had to ditch the Scyer." Adama chuckled. He then rose his glass. "Friends and family… to hope."
"To hope." Everyone echoed. As they drank, Athena's eyes met Achilles's, and Illa saw this. She realised that he hadn't been ignoring her daughter after all!
DR: Well I hope that answers any questions about how the Pegasus got away. And I hopw I've given a reasonable explaination if Cain is acting a little OOC.
Shadow: So, what now?
DR: Oh a few things... a romantic moment, setting up the future setting, tidying things up. Plus a little foreshadowing. Nothing that really would interest you Shadow.
Shadow: Figures. (curls up once more) Wake me when a good scrap starts.
DR: might be a while... anyway, we're almost done here. Just one more chapter to post. Stay tuned! Oh, and reveiw, please!
