In the control center for the Colony's defenses, Sam Carter could do nothing but watch the icon of the missile coming in. The sensors she had access to confirmed the warhead on the weapon as nuclear, big enough to wipe the Colony settlement off the face of the planet. The subbasement they were in provided no defense to a weapon of this size.

The only thing she could do was give the warning, "Impact in forty seconds."

"We can't get the shield up in time," Lindstrom warned.

"Then it would appear we are about to die," Teal'c remarked stoically.

Buck looked at the towering Jaffa. "Well, aren't you the optimistic type?"

"It's his way," said Jack.

"Impact in thirty… wait!" Sam blinked once at the screen. "The missile's gone. It's been destroyed!" A new contact was showing on the screen. "It was the Gonzalez."

"This is Technical Officer Getamanan. We have eliminated the missile. But I am showing enemy craft moving to intercept me. I will attempt to cloak and fool their scanners."

"Do what you can to evade," Wilma ordered. "Lindstrom, they've bought you more time."

"Not much," Sam warned. "More missiles inbound."

The Cylon ship remaining in orbit fired another barrage of missiles to destroy the Colony. Cylon raiders from the ship banked off of defensive formations to follow the missiles in and deal with the runabout. Their numbers, and the number of missiles, was enough that the lone runabout was about to be completely overwhelmed.

The Starship Koenig opened fire as soon as her form ceased to ripple from the cloaking effect. Amber bursts of energy blew apart one missile and then another. Phaser blasts from her arrays sliced through the Cylon raiders escorting the missiles in.

"Enemy Basestar is targeting us," Magda warned Apley.

"Evasive Pattern Bravo, Hajar," Apley said in response. "Do what you can to keep our weapons on target."

"Aye sir," said Hajar.

The attack ship twisted in space as missiles from the Cylon warship began to track it. The other missiles being rained upon the planet remained their primary focus, buying crucial time for the defenders below.

"It looks like a second Basestar is turning back from the others." Magda double-checked her screens. "Yes, that's what they're doing. They're targeting us instead."

"Well, we go their attention," Apley said. "Let's hope someone can take advantage of it."

A team came for the wounded militia woman Zack had found. He paid them no heed in his grief. He kept his grip on Clara. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "Oh God, I'm sorry." In his heart all he could feel was guilt. Guilt that he had been the reason Clara had come out here in the first place. Guilt that she had died because he wasn't here to help her. He had put the "mission" first. And because of that, Clara was dead.

"Hey, Zack." Thrace's voice sounded behind him. Zack recognized it but gave no further reaction. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It should be me." Zack's voice crackled with pain. "She deserved better. Better than this. Better than me."

"Hey." Thrace knelt down next to them. "I need your help. We're picking up local radio activity. It sounds like the Alliance came through after all. They're trying to keep the Cylons from nuking us. But it looks like they need help. Tigh's hurt and the other pilot is dead. We're it."

Zack said nothing to that. A deep weariness in his being, his spirit, had settled in.

"Hey!" A hand smacked him in the cheek. He looked at Thrace's grim expression with surprise. The imprint of her hand was now showing red on the paled skin of his left cheek. "Get a fraking grip, Zack! The Cylons are trying to kill everyone! I need your help to stop them and Godsdammit I expect you to try! Get on your fraking feet and help me!"

The slap alone couldn't be enough. Even the shouting couldn't. Zack looked back to Clara's lifeless face without any intention of reacting. He heard a huff of disgust from Thrace. She stood up, clearly giving up on him.

None of this is what finally broke through that abyss inside. It was the thought of the Cylons. The damned Cylons, who had killed Clara when all she was doing was helping the wounded. Who would kill every man, woman, and child on this world. Everyone here that Zack and Clara had befriended, cared for… all of those wonderful kids that he had taught baseball to, that she had tended to… all dead.

The emptiness growing inside of him filled with something new. Anger. Determination. He had lost Clara to the Cylons. By God he wasn't losing anyone else.

The tears were still flowing down his cheeks when he pressed his lips to Clara's forehead. "You deserved better," he said. "I wasn't good enough for you." With care he set Clara down. He pulled off the jacket he had put on that morning and settled it over her body. When he stood up his legs wobbled. He turned to where Thrace was heading toward one of the side shafts, where the two Vipers Tigh had brought with him were kept. "Starbuck!" he called out.

She turned back toward him to see him run up. His arrival was greeted with a nod. "They should have the fighters ready," she said.

"Good." Zack's voice was cold. "Let's go kill some fraking Cylons."

The bulk of the Cylon ships bore down on the Aurora and Pegasus. The raiders that flew ahead of them dwarfed the flight groups of the two ships with more than enough numbers to outright ignore them.

The particle interceptor batteries on the two ships opened up as the enemy fighters entered range. They launched missiles that could also, in turn, be shot down. And some were. But it was clear to Julia that they couldn't shoot down nearly enough to avoid taking hits. The first missiles impacted as the Aurora maneuvered, sending a shudder through the ship. "Shields holding at ninety-five percent," Lieutenant Neyzi said from Ops.

"Enemy ships are also launching missiles."

"Tactical, focus fire with the Pegasus," Adama ordered from his seat beside Julia. He glanced toward her to see if she had any objection to the order. She clearly didn't.

"Yes Admiral. I'm getting a target lock now."

At the press of a key, Angel opened up with the Aurora's bow weapons. The ship's expanded complement of pulse plasma cannons - ten now mounted in the bow - opened up. The sapphire bursts raced through space and struck the shields of one of the lead Cylon ships. Thick lances of phaser energy joined her shots from the weapons on the Pegasus. At another press of a key solar torpedoes erupted from the two bow launchers, full spreads of eight each. The torpedoes' drive fields flickered blue-white in space. Two were intercepted and destroyed by suicidal Cylon raiders. The remaining torpedoes hit home. The Cylon ship's shields held, but not by much. Not enough to prevent the next barrage from the Aurora's cannons from knocking the shields out entirely. Flame and debris spewed from the twisted frame of the Cylon vessel at the weapon impacts on its dark hull. The Pegasus' beams nearly sliced off one of the upper arms.

The Cylon ship retorted with another barrage of missiles. Already more from the raiders were hitting the Aurora. "Shields down to eighty percent," Neyzi warned.

"Implementing evasive maneuvers." Locarno's hands moved from control to control, shifting the Aurora's bearing and attitude compared to her adversaries to throw off as many shots as he could.

"I take it you have a plan?" Adama asked Julia.

"We do," she replied. "We just need to buy Jarod time to finish his work."

"Then I'll get you that time."

"You're the Admiral here, sir, and you've fought the Cylons more than we have. We're at your disposal," Julia said.

Adama nodded and went to work. "Commander Locarno, bring us into formation with the Pegasus."

"Aye sir," Locarno replied.

"Lieutenant…?"

"Neyzi, sir," the Human woman said, her accent faintly Turkish in tone.

"I need a tactical commlink with the Pegasus CIC."

"Working now, sir… I am establishing the link through the First Officer's controls."

"Confirmed." Meridina nodded to Adama. "We have a connection."

"Relay firing data into the link. I want all fire concentrated on specific targets. Order all fighter squadrons to remain within our defensive fire perimeter. They're going to pick up whatever's left."

"Sending orders now."

The Aurora flew into formation with the Pegasus and came about, aligning their bow weapons together. Their fighter groups flew into close formation around the two ships. The void of space was soon filled with the fire from their interceptor emplacements. Bursts of light and metal shredded and destroyed the incoming Cylon fighters and missiles. Some got through just to be set upon by the fighters.

Unfortunately, given the numbers, these efforts couldn't be entirely effective. There were just too many missiles, too many Cylon fighters. The Aurora shook again and Neyzi dutifully informed them that shields were at seventy percent. Julia breathed a silent prayer that Jarod and Barnes would get their project done, and done soon.

For his part, Jarod was well aware that everything relied upon him. It didn't make his job easier. He watched the compiling continue with immense impatience.

"Can't this fraking thing go any faster?" Barnes protested from beside him. "Are you sure you set the compiling parameters right?"

"I did," Jarod insisted. "But this program is extremely complicated. And if we don't get it right on the first try the Cylons will adapt to it."

The ship shook under their feet again. "Well, I hope the ship survives long enough for you to send the message."

"I do too," Jarod replied.

The fact that she wasn't dead from a nuclear blast gave Lucy a morale boost in the duel. This went with her growing confidence against her doppelganger. Whatever the Cylon had learned, Lucy was beginning to think she had little practical experience with it. With dueling another of their type specifically.

Whether it was true or not, Lucy wanted to go back on the offensive. She waited patiently, deflecting attack after attack. A swipe toward her head, a cut going for her arm, a lunge at her belly. Her Clone counterpart tried a number of attack avenues and none of them worked.

And all she needed was an opening, just the slightest opening…

The fighting around the emitter was picking up. It seemed like every Cylon in the colony was bearing down on Lindstrom and his people. A couple of wounded meant that only a dozen of them were actively holding the line against the Cylon centurion-models. The ground before them was covered in destroyed and damaged models. The latter still moved sometimes, crawling forward with the help of their long, wickedly-sharp fingers until someone took the moment to blast them. Lindstrom caught one just before it could try to dig its clawed fingers into the leg of one of his security officers.

"Are you two done yet?!" he shouted into his short-range commline.

"Almost, sir," Kripkt replied. "Our estimates are slightly off. We have to attach higher capacity wiring or the entire thing will melt down."

Lindstrom peered skyward again. Another explosion appeared in the atmosphere. "I shouldn't have to tell you two to hurry it up, if you don't want to get nuked."

"It is unnecessary, sir. We are well aware."

If only I'd been able to bring one of the senior engineers with us, Lindstrom thought. This would be done by now. It was an unfair thought, but one he couldn't suppress in time.

Getamanan had not signed up for this kind of thing. He had, indeed, known he would never work as a combat pilot. He didn't have the nerve.

He was therefore a bit surprised that he was still alive, weaving through the atmosphere to blast the missiles that got past the Koenig before they could get to detonation altitude.

The Gonzalez wasn't a normal combat runabout, but it did have a fair degree of maneuverability due to its role as a stealth insertion craft. This let him dodge some of the fire converging around him. The Cylon raider fighters and their weaponry was superior to what had been previously known. Hits against his shields were slowly degrading them, and Getamanan had no illusions what would happen when those guns started hitting bare hull.

Beside him Technical Officer Rachel Wang was directing their fire. As she wasn't a dedicated tactical officer her shooting was not the best and Getamanan found himself ceasing some of his maneuvering to ensure she had a stable shot at a missile. The missiles' lack of evading made her job significantly easier.

Unfortunately their success looked to be at an end. "More raiders above and below," she warned. Getamanan did what he could to evade while the runabout started to shake from the hits it was taking. "Our shields are down to fifty percent effectiveness."

"I am doing my best to evade," he said.

Meanwhile she was shooting at the next missile. But with all of the foes after them Getamanan had to keep maneuvering. Her shots kept failing. "I can't hit it," she protested. "I need a better angle of attack."

"I cannot give it," he responded. "Too many foes are around us." His point was punctuated by another hit.

"Shields down to forty percent. If we don't get that missile, then…" Something drew Wang's attention. "Wait, I've got something…"

Debris flew from the missile for several seconds until explosions flowered up around its exhaust end and toward the warhead. The entire missile exploded a second later.

"Two contacts," Wang continued. "Colonial Vipers."

On the Koenig Apley overheard that. "Vipers?" His expression betrayed his surprise. "From the Pegasus? How did they get here through the battle?"

"I don't think they came from the Pegasus," Magda said. "Their drive trails indicate they launched from the planet. I'm tying them into our commlinks."

A moment later a voice they were all familiar with came through. "This is Starbuck to Koenig. We're providing cover here, you focus on what you can do up there."

"I read you, Starbuck," Apley said. "We'll whittle them down for you."

"That's good to know," the other pilot said. Shock showed on the faces of the bridge crew at their recognition of Zack's voice.

"Commander?" Apley asked.

"I'm here. Busy. I'll see you when we're done," was Zack's reply. The way he spoke made Apley and Magda exchange uncertain looks. Something sounded off to them.

But there was no time to consider that, as more Cylon missiles came after them or after the colony below.

Working to keep his pilot status had been a hobby for Zack that some found silly, given his primary posting. That he enjoyed flying seemed insufficient for the work, all of the simulator time and mandatory flights. After all, his role in a combat was to be commanding from the Koenig. When would he be flying a fighter?

All of that training work paid off now, however. Zack kept his Viper on Thrace's wing, letting her lead their efforts to shoot down the Cylon raiders harassing the Alliance insertion runabout that was currently keeping any of the enemy missiles from getting through. Mobility was the key in the fight. He had to keep moving, keep maneuvering, and prevent the Cylons from being able to predict where he would be with enough accuracy to hit his craft. He kept his mind on the battlespace with the help of the sensor readout in the Viper cockpit, allowing him to evade enemies attempting to attack him while he kept Thrace's rear clean.

For her part, Kara Thrace was ripping into the enemy fighters with enthusiasm. She whooped with delight as another Cylon fighter blew apart under her guns. Above them another missile was blasted apart by the Gonzalez.

"That second Cylon ship is in position to start hurling missiles down," Apley warned. "We can't get them all."

"We'll do what we can."

"We just need to hold them until our ground team gets the colony shield up."

"Roger that." With that said, Thrace returned her effort to flying.

Another missile barrage slammed into the Aurora's shields. "Shields now at thirty-eight percent." Neyzi examined the ops board. "We have a hull breach on Deck 20, Section G."

"Damage repair parties are responding." Meridina tapped another key. "We can take but a few more hits like that before our crew becomes overstretched."

"Hopefully we won't take that many more," Julia said, wondering just when Jarod would get his project ready. "What's the status on that ground team?"

"Still no shields over the Colony," Cat replied. "The Koenig and Gonzalez are trying to deal with missiles, but there are so many…"

Julia nodded. All she could do was hope their teams prevailed.

Zack corkscrewed his Viper around the fire of two Cylon craft to keep his bead on a Cylon tracking Thrace. His thumb found the trigger for the Viper's cannons. The first burst he fired missed. He corrected, spinning the Viper as he did, and hit the trigger again. This time the rounds ripped into the Cylon craft's engines and blew it to pieces.

Thrace got her target in turn. But there were more to shoot. More, in fact, than they could handle, as the Gonzalez was once again spending more time evading than shooting. The runabout straightened up for a moment and fired a phaser beam into one of the descending missiles, destroying it, before it jinked to one side to avoid a strafing attack by a Cylon fighter. Another missile flew past the one falling apart from the Gonzalez' attack. "One's getting through!" he shouted.

"We are trying to engage it, but the enemy fire is too thi-."

The transmission cut. Zack watched as fire erupted from the rear of the runabout. One of its warp nacelles had taken a direct hit. The main impulsor on the runabout died out a moment later.

"This is the Gonzalez, we have taken heavy damage to our impulsor drive. Main power is failing. We cannot maintain altitude."

"Frak it!" Thrace shouted, and for good reason, as another missile soared by. Below them the runabout began to descend rapidly, out of the fight for good.

"I've got it." Zack turned his Viper toward the nearest missile and sent his throttle to full. He corkscrewed and jinked to avoid incoming Cylon fire. But he never let the missile leave his sight. As soon as he confirmed his weapons were on target he opened fire. His rounds ripped into the missile's thruster assembly first, producing the explosion that tore the missile apart.

Another missile was even further down. It was less than a minute from detonation. Zack kept his speed up to get the range. His first shots were slightly off. The second series blew away parts of the missile's guiding fins. The third volley finally got the thruster.

Before he could fire a fourth volley, he spotted the debris hurtling toward him. Or, more accurately, the debris he was about to hit. He banked the Viper away, barely evading the incoming debris. The Viper shook and warning sounds went off from small pieces of debris that hit the fighter.

But that wasn't why Zack let out a cry of frustration. No, the reason for that was that the missile he'd just damaged was still descending toward the Colony, its warhead still active and primed to initiate. And because of his maneuver, he was no longer in a position to destroy it before it hit.

"Impact in five seconds!" Sam shouted over the sound of fighting.

"Here we go," Jack said to the others.

In the housing of the emitter, the Alakin security officer and trained engineer Ensign Kripkt finished slotting the last of the heavy-duty wires into place. "All is ready!" he called.

"I'm punching it!" Reubens replied. Her finger hit the key to activate the emitter.

In the command center, Sam saw the screen shift to show that the generator was active. All that remained was to see if it worked, as at her command a force shield activated around the Colony.

When the missile hit the shield, the weapon detonated. The flash was blinding, which was why Lucy had intentionally closed her eyes at sensing the weapon was set to go. She prepared herself for the blast wave that would rip her apart.

It never came.

Once the flash died down, the faint blue of a force shield dome was visible over her head. The shield had held.

A snarl appeared on the face of her Cylon counterpart. "This isn't the end," she vowed. "You can't stop what's…"

Lucy didn't reply with words. She swung her lightsaber in a blow toward the Cylon's torso. Her doppelganger's lightsaber came up to deflect the blow. Lucy allowed their weapons to strike yet again. By the time they were pulling back her focus was complete. She reached out with her hand and felt her energy, her connection to the universe and the Flow of Life, flow from it in a concentrated burst. The strike hit the Cylon-Lucy directly. She went flying back into the Presidential Mansion. The glass doors smashed at the impact, showering the Cylon with shards of glass that cut and injured her. Lucy charged and slashed at her counterpart's head. In desperation the Cylon-Lucy threw her arms up to get her blade into position to stop the attack.

The blow was deflected, barely, but that was fine by Lucy. Her attack had achieved its purpose of putting her counterpart's hands and weapon in position for her maneuver. She twirled about and made another cut with her saber, this time from a new angle level to the ground. This time the Cylon-Lucy simply didn't have time to react. Lucy's weapon cut cleanly through the Cylon-Lucy's forearms, severing them from the rest of her body. She screamed and toppled back again, bereft of her weapon.

Lucy had seconds to live at that point. She sensed the danger. As she turned to run her own mocking voice called after her. "You can't save them! We still have the poison!" More laughter followed that taunt in the seconds before light and flame erupted behind her. Lucy was out of the door at that point and back in the open. She dived for cover. The maneuver allowed her to avoid the blastwave from the Cylon's self-destruction. When she turned back, the Cylon-Lucy's destruction had carved a hole right out of the Presidential Mansion.

Lucy hit the comm key on her omnitool. "Lucero to Carter. Lucero to Deering. Is anyone there?"

Tense seconds passed. Lucy feared that the blast had collapsed the subbasement in some way. Had she just gotten her allies killed?

"Carter here. We're still alive." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief at Sam Carter's voice. "Do you know what just happened? It felt like a bomb went off."

"One did," Lucy replied. "I need directions to find the ventilation systems for the colony bunker, now. The Cylons are going to fill the ventilators with poison gas."

"I'm relaying the position to you now. Good luck."

The display on her omnitool showed the location she'd asked for. Lucy broke out into a run to get there as soon was was humanly possible.

"They got the shield up!" The surge of triumph briefly pushed away the raw pain in Zack. He laughed in relief.

"The colony shield is holding," Magda said. "Another missile is impacting…" Below there was a bright flash. "The deflector is still operating at ninety-eight percent effectiveness."

"I've got a bogey on my six. Carrey, where the hell are you?"

Thrace's call for help brought Zack's attention entirely back to the fight. He pulled the Viper into a climb, banked to his left, and in moments had the Cylon fighter trying to shoot up Thrace's Viper. "I've got you." A warning tone told him another enemy fighter was behind him. He twisted the Viper around to throw off the enemy aim enough that he could get a clear shot on Thrace's tail. Her Viper turned and dove toward him. The angle was good, giving him a clear shot at her tail. The resulting burst of fire from his guns chewed up the front of the Cylon craft until it exploded. As Thrace flew by her weapons lit up.

A second later the warning tone ceased.

There was no time for a celebration. More enemy fighters were descending. "I'm almost out," Zack said.

"Same here," was the reply. "Let's make it count."

"Roger that, Starbuck."

Sam finished sending the position data to Lucy and brought her weapon back into line with the attacking Cylons. The distinctive sound of Wilma's laser pistol directed her aim to Wilma's target, a Cylon with its arm dangling uselessly from where Wilma's weapon had nearly melted the limb off. She squeezed off a burst of fire from the Alliance-model pulse rifle she was carrying. The brilliant blue bolts of energy smashed into the Cylon's torso and sent sparks and smoke flying from trashed internal parts.

"She isn't coming to help?" Daniel asked.

"The Cylons are going to dispense gas into the bunker system," Sam answered. "Lucero's heading there instead."

"She made the right call." Wilma poked out of cover long enough to squeeze off a shot. A small streak of blood exploded from her arm the second she took the shot. She grunted and pulled her wounded limb back.

"It would appear their numbers have thinned out," Teal'c said from his place by the door. He squeezed off another shot with his staff weapon.

"Yeah." Jack squeezed off another burst toward the models coming through the hole in the wall. "But I don't think they care. So, any bright ideas?"

"Isn't there a way to short these things out?" asked Buck.

Sam activated the omnitool on her wrist. "I'll see what I can do."

A few hundred thousand kilometers from New Caprica, the Aurora and Pegasus maintained their formation. The debris of over a hundred Cylon fighters and missiles filled space around them, along with what remained of their lost fighters. Missiles continued to slip by their defenses, detonating against their deflector shields with increasing effectiveness.

On the Aurora bridge Neyzi reported their status. "Shields down to fifteen percent. Hull damages reported on Decks 16 through 34."

"And the Pegasus?" Adama asked.

"Ten percent shields, multiple points of hull damage."

"Our respective fighter squadrons are down to fifty and forty-eight craft," Meridina added.

Julia tapped the comm key on her chair. "Bridge to Science Lab 1. We are almost out of time, Commander."

"Standby!"

In Science Lab 1 Jarod held onto his station to keep steady while the ship rocked again. Barnes checked his own station. "Tell me you're almost done!"

"Compilation is above ninety-nine percent," Jarod said. "Ninety nine point six five. Ninety nine point seven."

Barnes growled incoherently and smacked his own station. "This is taking way too fraking long dammit!"

Jarod ignored him. "Ninety nine point seven eight," he murmured. "Point eight four… point eight eight…"

Again the ship rocked, even more viciously. "Jarod, I need that now!" Julia cried.

Point nine two. Point nine five. Point nine eight… nine nine… Jarod let out a laugh when it hit one hundred percent. Immediately the screen shifted to show the program was ready. "I've isolated the Cylons' subspace communication channel!" he declared. "Transmit it now!"

"Transmitting program," Neyzi announced.

The ship took another hit after that. "Shields at six percent. Cohesion failing." Neyzi checked her panell. "Transmission complete."

At first nothing seemed to happen. Just long enough that Julia worried nothing would. On the viewscreen one of the Cylon Basestars suddenly seemed to tilt off-side. Its spinning subsided and it began to drift through space, completely lifeless.

One by one the other Cylon ships all started to shut down. Their fighter complements went inactive with them. The assault on the two ships ceased.

Adama watched the Cylon fleet go silent with clear satisfaction. "How did you do that?" he asked Julia.

She smiled back at him. "We studied the virus they infected the Aurora with back at Caprica. And Jarod used it to put together his own anti-Cylon virus." She turned to Cat. "Status on the enemy fleet?"

"They're all inactive," Caterina confirmed.

"So we got them all?"

After a moment Caterina shook her head. "No. The two in orbit over New Caprica jumped out right after the virus hit."

"We can handle two ships," Adama said. "But I get the feeling they're not coming back. Captain, if you would do the honors?"

Julia nodded. "Mister Locarno, assume a geostationary orbit over New Caprica Colony."

"Aye sir," Locarno replied.

She looked to Meridina next. "Downgrade our status to Code Yellow."

"Doing so now, Captain." Meridina tapped a key on her chair. The alert-level running lights switched to yellow.

"And what do you want me to do about those disabled Cylon ships out there?" Angel asked.

"Target their weapon systems and engines. Relay the same targeting orders to our fighters. Cripple them, but do not destroy."

Adama nodded in agreement. "Relay those orders to the Pegasus. I want those Basestars intact."

"Doing so now, Admiral," Meridina confirmed.

Buck looked back from the door after taking the last shot in his pistol's power supply. "I'm out!" he shouted.

"Same here." Daniel tossed away the inactive pulse rifle and pulled out his sidearm and a grenade. He tossed the latter, his last, over the desk he was crouched behind. The grenade landed between two Cylons and went off, pelting them with shrapnel. The force of the blast briefly stopped them before they continued on.

Gina was on one knee, her hands up as if she were pressed against a wall. A pile of high powered rounds were on the ground before her from where her power had stopped them cold. She was pale from effort and her hand was leaking blood again. "I don't know how much longer… I can do this…"

"I think I've got it," Sam said. "Give me a moment to configure this thing."

Jack crouched down beside Gina and resumed firing from his weapon. "Any time, Major," he said aloud.

"One moment… there." Sam stood from cover and held her hand out. An electric charge surged from the omnitool glowing blue around her left forearm. It struck one of the Cylons directly. It began to tremble violently, as if it was struck by a seizure, while the charge crackled inside of it. The charge made a sudden leap, or rather two leaps, becoming two charges that now claimed two more Cylons. And then more were claimed with the next jump, and more, until within ten seconds every Cylon left was trembling in place or already crashing to the ground.

Teal'c observed as the same happened to the remaining Cylons outside of the main door. "It would appear that Major Carter has succeeded," he said.

"I modified an EM pulse to follow their active communications network," she explained. "I just didn't think it would work that well."

"The important thing is that it actually worked, and we're here to talk about it," Buck remarked.

"Carter and Teal'c, stay here and secure the room." Wilma stood up while favoring her injured shoulder. "The rest of us can go secure the rest of the building."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack agreed.

Every muscle in Lucy's body was crying out for rest by the time she arrived at the central bunker support structure. She was surprised to see no Cylons present. That emotion became a little fear when she thought of how this might mean they were inside poisoning the air. Lucy went for the door which she found to be open already.

As she expected, the inside was mostly empty space. A hatch across the room undoubtedly provided direct access to the bunker system. A series of short, squat units provided the external air supply. It was likely meant to be closed off within the bunker itself if the air was dangerously radioactive, but given the Cylons were in control those failsafes to switch to internal air circulation were going to be inactive, turning these grates into a weapon against the colonists within. Lucy approached the grates and found nothing attached to them, nothing to show the Cylons were ready to poison at a moment's notice. Curious, she walked around the grates, trying to see what they were doing.

Within a few moments she found what she was looking for in the shape of numerous green cylinders piled near the grates. A quick scan confirmed their murderous contents.

The fact they weren't prepared and rigged for use was a surprise. So was the fact that they didn't look stacked and ready for use, but rather like someone had tossed them to the side.

The real surprise lay when Lucy stepped past the pile and found the body. She knelt down and pushed the remains over, revealing the dead as one of the male Cylon models. From the way his head was turned it looked like someone had broken his neck.

"Deering to Lucero."

Lucy raised her left arm slightly and tapped the glowing blue light above the back of her hand. "I'm here."

"Did you stop them?"

Lucy glanced back to the dead Cylon. "It looks like I didn't have to. Someone else already did. Are you secure?"

"We're securing the Presidential Mansion now. Lindstrom and his people are still holding their position. It looks like the Cylons have run out of units."

"Then it's over." Lucy let herself sigh with relief. "We won."

"They're gone." Apley's voice betrayed his pleasure at the announcement. "The Cylons have retreated, all remaining ships are disabled. It's over."

For a moment Zack enjoyed their victory. Despite everything, they had saved New Caprica and its people from the Cylons.

Within moments the taste of victory turned to ash. Victory had come too late for Clara. It wouldn't bring her back.

Nothing would.

"Hey Zack."

Thrace's voice got Zack's attention. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Clara would be proud of you."

Zack tried, and mostly failed, to fight the sniffle that came. "Yeah, I know," he agreed. "I know."

Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 12 January 2643. Captain Julia Andreys reporting. The Cylon attack on the Alliance has been defeated. We have successfully secured New Caprica from the Cylons. Admiral Maran reports that General Jinam and his fleet were also victorious, destroying most of the Cylon attack force at Hal'tiram. Despite everything going against us, we've won, and I could not be more proud of this crew.

The victory was not a cheap one, though. Many people on the Colony lost their lives. And one of them has hit particularly close to home.

There were a number of things Julia could, or even should, have been doing. Reports, certainly, or maintaining a bridge watch just in case the Cylons came back. But that could wait. She needed to be here.

The transporter system activated and a single figure materialized on the pad. Zack appeared in a burst of white light in his civilian clothes. His eyes were red and his cheeks showed of dried tears.

Julia embraced him as soon as he stepped off the transporter. "I'm sorry," she said. "I can't believe she's gone."

"I didn't want to believe it." Zack's voice was hoarse. It wavered, as if at the slightest push he would descend back into sobs. "I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed. She'd be alive if I'd…"

The door to the transporter station slid open. Tom Barnes stepped in, looking worn down himself from the repair work. However tired it might have made him, he clearly had no thought for it as he went right for Zack, putting an arm around his neck. "Holy crap man, you're okay." His voice betrayed his immense relief. "You made it."

"Clara didn't."

"Oh frak, man. I… I don't…" Clearly uncertain of what to say, Barnes refused to pull away from his friend.

"I can't imagine how much this hurts," Julia said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't think so," Zack said, his voice weary. "Honestly, right now I just want to be alone."

"Well, before you do that, you should hear the good news, man." Barnes sensed that Zack was not at all interested in the idea of "good news" given his grief, so he pressed on. "Rob's awake!"

The misery on Zack's face didn't disappear. But it did falter. "What?"

Julia nodded. "He woke up just before the fight. I still don't know what all happened, just that he felt we were in danger and rushed to the shuttle bay. If he hadn't thrown those Cylons out of the shuttle bay with his powers, they would have killed everyone there."

Zack chuckled bitterly at that. "Well, that's how he is, isn't it? Rob the White Knight, riding to the rescue." He shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make that sound bad. I'm happy he's awake. And that he saved you, Julie…" Zack shook his head. "God, I can't imagine what it would be like, losing you and Clara in the same day."

"I was about to go see him," Julia said. "Would you like to join me?"

"Yeah," said Zack. "I'd like that a lot."

Meridina and Leo were already present when the three arrived in the medbay ward. Robert was laying on another bed. With his eyes closed Zack wondered if the others hadn't been wrong about him being up.

"Zack." Robert's voice sounded hoarse, but strong. His eyes opened and his head turned. "I'm sorry."

"They told you?" Zack asked.

Robert shook his head stiffly. "No. I… I felt it."

"When you got up?"

"No. I was… I was somewhere else. In my mind. And I could feel your pain. I saw you holding her."

Zack went quiet at that. Julia turned her head to Leo and Meridina. "How long is he going to be in here?"

"He needs physical therapy," Leo noted. "After two and a half months in a coma, his muscles need to get used to movement again. He's lucky he didn't tear anything when he dashed to the shuttlebay."

"His swevyra assisted his movement," Meridina said. There was a sense of awe in her voice. "I have never seen anything like it. His inherent connection to the Flow of Life is deeper and stronger than it has ever been."

"Could that explain how he accidentally sent us flying like bowling pins when he woke up?" Leo asked.

"I cannot know for certain either way, Doctor," she answered. "For his connection to have strengthened without time and effort… this is without precedent in our history."

"I'm glad you're okay," Zack said, ignoring the discussion entirely. "Losing Clara's been hard enough."

Robert nodded. "I wish I could have done more."

"You already went above and beyond anything we could expect of you, Rob," Julia pointed out. "The important thing now is to rest."

Robert nodded and laid his head back on the bed. "Congratulations, by the way" he murmured. "On your promotion to Captain."

They looked at him. His eyes focused on Julia. "Thank you," she said.

"You earned it," he replied. "And I'm sensing Leo wants me to get 'real sleep', so you'd better leave before he starts getting ornery."

"Too late," Leo said emphatically.

The others shared a laugh, but all noticed that Zack barely managed more than a chuckle.

It was getting late in the day when Julia finally returned to her quarters. Now that Robert was awake she didn't feel quite so conflicted about planning to move into the Captain's Quarters. She wouldn't rush it, however, and she was more concerned on that matter with what Robert planned to do.

A fresh shower proved to be more enjoyable than any late meal could have been. She left it and was in her pale red terry-cloth bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her wet hair, when she was informed of the incoming call. She waited patiently until Admiral Maran's image appeared. "Captain. I see you're ending your day."

"I am, sir. I've already transmitted my preliminary report to Defense Command. I should have the final one done in the morning once everything is settled."

"That's good, though I'm not calling you about reports." Maran nodded. "I've been informed that Doctor Gillam has updated Robert's status. He's awake?"

"Yes. Although I think he's sleeping right now. Doctor Gillam is concerned he is overstretching himself. And Meridina's not sure what's going on with him."

"I can imagine. I'm just pleased to hear he's fine." Maran settled his hands together before him. "Well, I'll let you get some rest. I look forward to your final report, and I expect you back in drydock within a day or two. We still have to get Aurora back into proper fleet operation, after all."

"I'll get us back within 60 hours, sir," Julia pledged. "We're just helping the Colonials clean things up."

Maran nodded in approval. "Maran out."

With that over and her night done, Julia exchanged the bathrobe and towel for her nightie. She went to her bed and dropped into it. Her eyes drooped and she felt ready to go off into sleep.

Her omnitool toned again.

A low, impatient groan was followed by Julia turning to her nightstand and tapping the glowing blue light from her omnitool frame. "Andreys here," she muttered.

"Captain." She recognized Lucy's voice. "I'm sorry if you're going to bed, but I thought I'd tell you. We have a problem."

Julia sat up. "What kind of problem?"

"President Baltar is missing."

Hundreds of light years away, Gaius Baltar looked up from the uncomfortable cot he was forced to use for rest. It was a far cry from the warm, soft bed he had enjoyed in his Presidential estate, especially when it had included a warm, soft woman to provide pleasure and company. The lights around him were low, almost too low to see anything.

Surprisingly, the Cylon in his head appeared as if the light was sufficient for him. She was wearing the sexy red dress she always used to rile him up with. "You seem uncomfortable Gaius."

"Because I am uncomfortable," he protested.

"You allowed the creature comforts of your position to soften you, Gaius. To fulfill God's Plan, you will need to be stronger than this."

"So this is God's Plan? Being abducted by the Cylons?"

"Oh yes. The Cylons need you, Gaius. That's why you are still alive." The head-Cylon smiled at him. "And if you use this opportunity well, you will decide the fates of not just your people and the Cylons, but of the Alliance as well."