Basestar in orbit of Caprica

"Isn't anyone at all suspicious of how the battle over Zeus went?" The number Eight asked.

The number One couldn't hide his annoyance, "We drove them off and at last stopped Mars at one of their attacks. I call that a step in the right direction."

The number Six frowned, "I think Eight maybe correct. Taylor has always employed jumps directly on top of his target to use surprise. Here BSG-38 appears to have jumped to the far side of Zeus and then moved towards our blockading force. They let us know they were coming."

A Five frowned, "Perhaps but there are advantages to this new tactic. The Colonials were able to jump away very quickly once our reinforcements arrived."

"What about their Viper and Raptor deployment at Zeus? They kept them very close to their ships and never engaged in general dog fighting and had a low number launched." The Eight observed.

The One openly scoffed, "Clearly they are taking losses and didn't have that many to launch."

A Three pulled out a report, "One of our sisters has reported in. As we hoped their ship was picked up when the Colonials swept the Erebos belt."

The One smiled, "The days of Battlestar Mars are numbered."

XXX

Commander's quarters on Battlestar Mars

A marine announced the visitors had arrived, "The Commander and XO of the Virgon to see the Admiral."

The two were let in and they were a vivid contrast. The man with the rank tabs of a Colonel had an age scarred face with white thin hair. The man with the rank tabs of a Commander was in his early thirties, perhaps younger as he had a crew cut and it made him look almost child like.

"Commander Marcus of the carrier Virgon."

There was a frown on the Colonel's face, "The Commander is also his Royal Highness, the Duke of Hadrian."

Admiral Taylor hadn't given deep thought of another Colonial ship being found. On some level Taylor knew this had to be a sign of constant stress distracting him. The comment from the Colonel triggered a memory. The Virgon was the last of the Atlas Class carriers, which were old by the time of the first Cylon War. The Atlas' had formed the core of the Virgon fleets in the Leonis – Virgon Wars before the colonies were unified. She was also the official Yacht of the Virgon Royal family.

"I didn't realize the the ship we found was the Virgon." Taylor couldn't help but shake his head. The Virgon was over 70-year-old! "I have to ask Commander but what type of shape is your command in?"

"She is old girl I give you but she was built to last. Not counting the ceremonial 1st squadron with its mix of Imperial era light craft the Virgon has three squadrons of Viper VIIs and three squadrons of Raptors. Also, we picked up several homeless Raptors since the attack. No major material defects we completed a Complex Overhaul nine months ago. Our one issue is we are short of munitions despite having tried to avoid prolonged fights with the Cylons."

Taylor was pleased and quick wrote a note to check on munitions productions with Vickers. Munitions production was one of the things she planned to work on. "What of the Royal Family?"

The young Commander gave a unhappy shake of his head, "My Great Aunt I believe died when the Cylons bombarded Virgon and none of the immediate Royal Family have been heard from since."

The grizzled XO coughed again before he spoke up, "Which makes his Grace the rightful heir to the throne of Virgon."

Marcus turned and gave a smile but with a slight shake of his head to his XO. "A throne to a nuked world isn't significant right now. I am the Commander of the Carrier Virgon." The Commander gave his XO a meaningful stare, clearly this wasnt the first time the two had talked over this subject.

After a few moments the Colonel frowned but gave a cut off nod, "Yes Sir."

Commander Marcus then gave a brief history of their time since the fall of the colonies. The Virgon's crew watched helpless as their namesake world died but unlike the majority of Colonial fleet the Carrier Virgon didn't have the CMP. As a 'living' museum ship the Virgon's command and control systems were First Cylon War configuration and the CMP was incompatible. The Carrier Virgon escaped into deep space and only later went to Ragnar in responses to Adama's call but with no Galactica and Cylons waiting they jumped away again. In the weeks since the Virgon spent filled jumping from place to place around the system picking up other survivors along the way.

XXX

In the port hanger deck of Mars a Raptor was brough down from the landing deck. Once parked the side of the Raptor opened and out stepped a woman.

"Lieutenant Valerii?"

The Number Eight turned to the Colonial Officer another Lieutenant. "I am, reporting as ordered." Turning to a Chief inspecting her Raptor, "Be sure to run a diagnostic on the navigation, the gimbal lock is buggy Chief."

"The XO wants to meet with you. We understand you were assigned the Galactica."

"That's right, Lieutenant Sharon Valerii late of the Galactica but I call the Virgon home today."

XXX