Seeker
Part Three of the Mailman Saga
by Chaoseternus

Chapter 9: Eat Fish Or Cut Bait

"Our best option is to report to Earth for reinforcement and replenishment," Cade pointed out reasonably, her eyes not leaving Cains face as he pondered her words.

"That much is true, our best option is to head home but I don't think their best option is for us to head home"

Cade raised an eyebrow considering, and then reached across for the jug of water, "I'm listening"

"The Cylons seek Earth and the survivors, that much is known and is certain,"

Cade nodded, "doubly so as their agent, Commander Helva would have been able to confirm not only the existence of Earth but a few details of the system and give them a general idea of the distances involved"

Cain grimaced, "Indeed, that is part of the problem. The cylons know that the distances are too great for them to launch effective attacks or even properly manage a search in regions that for them are uncharted. We, that is the Pegasus have observed that they are taking the safe option here. The cylons are heading in the correct direction, but they are doing it slowly, building up all the support they will need, supply depots, refineries and mines, construction facilities, everything along the way"

"Damnation," Cade replied, "are you sure of this?"

"Unfortunately yes," Cain replied, "I trust you see the risk here"

"The safe approach," Cade shook her head annoyed and unamused, "dangerous. Gives Earth and the survivors more time to rebuild and prepare but it means when the Cylons do hit it won't be piecemeal, they will attack in force"

"They will need too as well," the aged Commander agreed, "in a one on one fight, a reasonably modern Battlestar can defeat even the new Basestars. That is almost certainly why they chose the stealthy assault method they used to take out the colonies"

"They had to destroy the bulk of the military strength fast or they would be defeated"

"Precisely," Cain grimaced, slumping backwards in his seat, "and whilst as a Commander I can appreciate the tactics they chose and their effectiveness, as a human, well…"

"The shoe is on the other foot now though," Cade pointed out, "Whilst I have not engaged the cylons if I could avoid it, from the times I have seen their ships I received the distinct impression that they had fewer capital ships then we did prior to the fall"

"I am afraid that I cannot argue the point," Cain shook his head, "that too would have encouraged them to use the stealthy approach, but now, as you say, the shoe is on the other foot. At the least, they currently have numbers equal to our own, probably a few more but with the build-up they are currently pursuing, by the time they reach and find earth, even assuming Earth has managed to construct more hulls, they will greatly outnumber our own forces"

"Then we must return to earth and warn them," Cade replied.

"No," Cain firmly asserted, "we must strike at their rear, force them to divert ships and resources to pursue us, to picket their facilities and to repair the damage we will be causing them. We buy time, with our life's blood if necessary"

" Seeker is in no shape to support such operations," Cade shook her head, "between us we have crew enough to get both hulls to Earth, at which point we refit and recrew as best we can and we present our plan to whatever command structure is in place. If necessary, we go AWOL but if, as you say, the likes of Adama are in Command then I doubt that will be required. He would send us to our deaths if he felt the need, he wouldn't like it, but I have heard enough of the man to know he would do it"

Cain sighed, shaking his head, gazing around the battered breifing room, "having served alongside him in the last war, I agree, he would do it. Then again, he was only a Commander, he might not be the one to make the decisions"

"Then we do what we must," Cade shook her head, "but if we are to be truly effective, then we had best be at our full strength"

"It's a long journey, several months. Does Seeker have food enough for that?"

Cade shook her head grimly, "we were due to head home for refit when the end came, our medical stores are empty, most of what we have is aged beyond safe use, the same goes for much of our perishables including the survival rations. Fortunately, we do have some hydroponics and much of the crew have taken to having some plants, tomatoes and the like, in their quarters to provide some greenery and brightness. We also have empty storerooms and quarters we could perhaps modify and seed, but all this will push our water usage up"

"Increasing the number of stops we must make and thereby increase our chances of discovery," Cain replied slowly, then nodded, "nevertheless, it must be done. You have won me over child, we go home"

"Home?"

Cain sighed, "The Colonies are gone, lost to us forever. The radiation damage alone was not enough to make them unliveable though certainly it would not be healthy. Unfortunately, radiation corrupts… how many bacteria have now been mutated? How many viruses previously defeated have become something else? And with the increased radiation levels they will keep evolving, keep mutating"

"Biohazard," Cade replied flatly, "the true bane of the Exploration and Evaluation corps"

"And worse, we know not what surprises the Cylons will have left," Cain grimaced again, resisting the urge growl in disgust, "and unlike the last war, they have had completely unmonitored access to the worlds they've seized making it far harder to find and destroy any surprises"

"And home has to be somewhere," Cade replied softly.

"Quite Child," the youthful commander shot Cain a disgusted look at that comment.

"Do not glare at me," Cain pointed out, "remember, I served in the last war, you would not even have been a twinkle in your mothers eye then. Indeed, you mother was probably too young to have child at that time. To me, you are a child and far too young to be in Command, let alone command of a capital ship sized hull!"

"Then," Cade replied firmly, "if you think I am unable to do my job, I suggest you try and take Seeker from me"

"These may be desperate times child," Cain replied soothingly, "but no so desperate that I would be willing to abandon the rule of law I swore to uphold. The Command is legally yours, I have less authority over E&E then I would a civilian vessel"

Cade nodded, "don't forget it either. In the meantime, the crew are arranging a 'surprise' birthday party for my nineteenth tomorrow, so if you want to continue this discussion then I'm sure they wont mind setting an extra place so long as you are suitably surprised"

Cain shot Cade a startled look, then laughed, "I see child that you have already learnt the most important part of Command, know everything that's going on"

"I try," Cade replied grinning slightly.