The morning routine on the Aurora deviated from normal only in who was doing which job. With Julia off on leave mandated by Leo, Meridina on Gersal, and Zack at DS9, Jarod and Locarno found themselves in charge of all of the usual morning activities, including relieving Gamma Shift, seeing to Alpha Shift's watch schedule, and reviewing reports from the previous evening. They did this from the Lookout, enjoying breakfast in the process.

With the war over the fleet channels were fairly quiet, at least compared to the daily list of damaged and lost ships through much of the war. Locarno looked over the reports flagged for fleet-wide notification while Jarod signed off on Lieutenant Takawira's activity log for the shift. "Some unexpected Romulan activity in the Triangle, another ship disappeared in the Attican Traverse. The Olamte'se reported Jem'Hadar ships testing the Alliance frontier at Horizon. The Klingons had a skirmish with them just inside Federation space near Bajor." Locarno shook his head at the list. "Not as quiet as I'd hoped."

"It's a big Multiverse, there's always going to be trouble somewhere." Jarod set the planner down and went to finish the last of his scrambled eggs.

Locarno cut away at a breakfast ham steak. "Well, we've had one war. We may not have fought every battle in it, but we fought enough of them." He glanced to the Memorial Wall, where every member of the Aurora crew killed on duty was listed. Between Germania, 452TD, and Gamma Piratus there were over two hundred names. The Canary Wharf Incident more than doubled that, though it hadn't been part of the war. "I'd like to get back to how things were before the war."

"That's not happening and you know it," Jarod noted. "For better or worse, the war changed the Alliance. Made us stronger in some ways, maybe weaker in others." After finishing his last bite Jarod stood. "Well, I'll see you later. My family's waiting."

"Right, your personal day," Locarno said. "I'll leave the command chair warm for you. How much longer is this supposed to last?"

"Leo insisted Julia take at least two full days of no duty," Jarod said. "And Meridina's not due back from Gersal for another couple of days."

"Right. So until then, it's up to you and me to keep things going."

"And Scotty," Jarod reminded him with a grin.

"Scotty's not working a bridge shift," Locarno pointed out. "He refused to, as I recall."

"'I dinnae plan on sittin' in that chair ever again'," Jarod said, mimicking Scotty's accent. "I'll be back by 1600."

"You'd better," Locarno insisted. He watched Jarod go and returned to his breakfast, noting he only had half an hour to get to the bridge and commence his watch.

At Beth's insistence, Robert spent the night in one of her guest rooms, enjoying a comfortable bed and the use of the bathroom attached to it when he woke in the morning. He was surprised to find that once he was done with the routine, there was a message waiting for him from Angel, insisting he come straight to Colony Security.

It was there that he found Angel, Cat, and Tony Zah in one of the Security HQ's computer labs. A balding man sat in front of them - Broots, Robert remembered, one of the people from Jarod's Earth. On the screen was a building schematic and side windows showing what looked like financial statements and money traces. Robert noted the sisters and Tony Zah looked quite tired. Angel was holding Tony tightly, making clear their relationship to those who hadn't known of it.

Robert had, of course. Everyone on the Aurora knew. He was happy for her.

On Angel's other side, Cat had fallen asleep, her head resting against Angel's right arm.

"You look like you've been up all night," he said.

Cat stirred as Angel and Tony looked up at him. Broots turned as well. "Well, I've been up much of the night," he confided. "Granted, I'm the night shift data analyst now," he added.

"What's going on?" Robert asked. "Your message said something about a threat to the summit?"

"I thought you'd get here last night," Angel murmured.

Robert shook his head. It occurred to him that if the message had come while he was in the electronically-shielded room with Beth and Colin, it wouldn't have come to his immediate attention. Nor would his omnitool have alerted him afterward given he'd set his systems to only openly alert him to messages of the highest priority, that is, from Morgan or Maran. I shouldn't have had that last glass of champagne Beth insisted on, he thought. "Sorry, everything was set to quiet mode for the dinner," he said apologetically. "What's going on?"

"I got a note yesterday from Corelo, he wanted to meet," Angel said. "He says there may be a threat to the Colony from his end of things."

"Oh?" Robert remembered Hernan de Corelo. His type weren't why the Facility went after prisons in dictatorships, but then again, they'd been less careful in their early forays. "Get people out" had been the overriding concern, not vetting them to separate crooks from dissidents or the like. "What makes him say that?"

"The gangs have been pulling out," said Angel. "Without someone coming in to replace them. When he looked into it, he heard rumors that those red-eyed bastards from A5R0 want payback over some of theirs that died."

"The Aristos." Robert wondered about that. The Alliance government was still investigating just what capabilities they had, although they were clearly a powerful civilization. "From what we know they don't have IU tech of their own. They rely on shipping things through the Earth government of A5R0. If they're going to attack it's likely a terrorist attack of some kind."

"Like, say, a summit," suggested Tony.

"Good idea, but they'll be disappointed if they think New Liberty is easy to deal with," Robert said. "The best security tech in the Alliance is here. Either way, they'd have to have pre-positioned resources given their lack of IU tech."

"That's the other part of Corelo's info. A warehouse down at K and Farmer."

"Currently rented by the M'nhra Clan Trading Company of Ys'talla," Broots noted. "I've got all of the relevant paperwork. Standard-sized warehouse, consumer goods passing through."

"Nothing too suspicious," Robert noted. "The Miqo'te have been expanding their trade networks since signing their defense treaty with the Alliance." Even as he said that, Robert felt something within him make him want to cringe. There was something here, something elusive. Something…

For a moment he was elsewhere. Standing in the Market Square, watching as buildings around him were ablaze.

As quickly as it came, it ended. It was clear to all that he was disturbed by what he saw. "Consider me a believer," he said quietly. "What can you tell us about this warehouse, Broots?"

"Well, we don't normally track cargos once they pass customs," he noted. "Not unless they're flagged, and M'nhra Trading isn't… woh."

Angel and Tony sat up straight. Cat, still seeming very tired, didn't. "What is it?" Angel asked.

"I'm getting a flag on the company now," Broots said. "From the Dorei Federation Security Service. They've got M'nhra flagged as suspected of criminal ties to a Jeaxian warlord. Uharas avam Tithsa?"

"Tithsa," Robert groaned. Seeing the looks on the others, he explained, "Uharas Tithsa isn't just a Jeaxian warlord. He's a slaver, one of the most powerful still in operation in the statelets, with political and economic connections inside the Coserian Empire."

"How high?" asked Tony.

"High enough to hire an entire company, hell, a battalion of cybertroopers, among other things," Robert said, glowering and thinking of Tau Atrea. "Odds are the Aristos would sign up someone just like him to do dirty work."

"Would he go terrorist though?" Angel asked. "Slavers are usually more interested in taking slaves, I mean. Terrorism doesn't help."

"He may not be involved in the actual attack, just acting as a transport middle man," Tony said.

Robert nodded in agreement. "Exactly." He drew in a breath. "I need to see this warehouse. If there's a threat we may need to call off the summit."

"What about us?" Cat asked.

"You'll need backup, sir," Tony said. "Colony Security's stretched pretty thin."

"I wouldn't want them along," Robert remarked. "Too much noise, they might trigger whatever they're planning. Mister Broots?" He looked to the analyst.

"Yes sir?"

"Inform Chief Almerda of what's going on. Lieutenant Zah, let Commander Richmond know. I know she's got a team helping with the summit security, but we'll need more ready if things go bad."

Tony nodded. He didn't look dressed for business - neither did Angel or Cat - but he made up for it with his serious look. "Yes sir."

"What about us?" Cat asked.

"Broots, we need an ops vehicle," Robert said. "Just one. Cat, you and Jarod are our ops control, you stay in the vehicle. Lieutenant, Angel, you'll be with me." Robert reached for his omnitool. "I'll be right back." He finished typing a sequence in and vanished in a burst of light.

When he returned two minutes later, he was wearing combat armor, and he had two cases with him. He handed one of each to Angel and Tony. "Go suit up," he instructed. "We've got an infiltration mission." He smiled slightly at Angel. "Just like old times."

"Old times," she agreed. "What about Julia? Should she know?"

"I've already alerted Locarno and Jarod," he said. "They'll let her know. Jarod's on his way to join us. We'd better get busy."

It was well past dawn when Julia stirred. The presence of daylight through curtains laid over the window was a novel experience, showing how used she was to living aboard a starship. Equally novel was the warmth of another body pressed up against hers, and not even under the sheets.

After a moment of waking up, she realized she hadn't stirred from any arrangement of an internal clock, but from the repetitive electronic tone coming from the nearby nightstand. She looked over to see a blue light showing over the frame of her omnitool. She blinked, if just to get the haze of sleep out of her eyes, before reaching over to tap the omnitool. "I'm here," she said.

"Sorry to disturb your rest," said Locarno. "I'm just calling to give you a warning. There might be trouble at the summit."

"Oh?"

"Robert called it in," he continued. "A possible terrorist threat. He's investigating with Angel."

Behind her, Lee began stirring as well. Julia stifled a little yawn. "Does he need me for anything? I can come back up to the ship."

"That won't be necessary. I've got things handled up here and security's ready to send more personnel to help out," Locarno replied. "If Robert needs anything more, he'll call."

"Still, if there's a threat…" Julia felt Lee's arm move across her belly. He said nothing for the moment. "Keep me informed, and be ready to transport me back to the ship the moment something happens."

"We'll keep a lock on you. Locarno out."

"Work?" asked Lee.

"Maybe. You might want to call Shaw or Hoshi and give them forewarning. There might be a terrorist attack of some kind." Julia turned and laid flat on her back on the bed. Lee laid on his side beside her, his arm still draped over her belly.

"We'll be ready to provide assistance," he promised. "I'll give them a call if you want to use the shower first."

"That sounds nice." Julia gave him a peck of a kiss on the cheek in thanks before sliding out of the bed. Her uniform was laid out over a chair. Everything under it had been thoughtlessly left on the floor. Julia might have blamed the wine from the dinner at Beth's if not for the fact that it had more to do with impatience than inebriation.

When she got out of the shower Lee was waiting with a towel. "The Pegasus is on standby," he informed her. "We're ready to help."

"I just hope it's a false alarm," she said. "I'll call Richmond and see how preparations are going while you shower. Then we can go enjoy a late breakfast?"

"That works for me," he said.

A short time later they were in the Visitors' Lodge's cafe. A host of breakfast meals from various cultures were available. Julia opted for plain cereal with eggs while Lee gave the kimchi a try, along with a bowl of fish stew. Given the situation both were in uniform. "Any plans for the day?" Lee asked.

"Well, I had been considering taking you on a hike to the Carrey River Falls," Julia remarked. "They're gorgeous."

Lee noted the name, but instead asked, "Where is that, again?"

"About a hundred kilometers to the northeast, along the Carrey River. The falls are at the edge of the mountain range."

Lee noted the name. "You named a river for Zachary?"

Julia responded with a bemused laugh. "It's an old joke from the surveys after we founded the Colony. He fell into it. And since he was the first to touch the river in any way, we decided to name it for him."

Lee chuckled at that. "So the name of the water falls derives from a pun?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Another chuckle came from Lee. "I suppose it's not surprising that things here would be named after you and the others. You founded this place, settled it with the people you helped…"

"Yeah. Although we've asked them to refrain from naming anything in our honor. At least until we're passed on," Julia said. "The river was an exception that was too funny to pass up."

"That works for me," Lee said, grinning. After he took another bite of his food he folded his hands on the table. "So… I've been meaning to ask…"

Julia finished swallowing a piece of fluffy egg and looked up. "Hrm?"

For a moment Lee hesitated, as if he wasn't sure what he was going to say or how he would. Finally he drew in a breath and asked, "So, I'm trying to get a handle on things. On us."

Julia pursed her lips and set her fork down. "Yeah, I imagined we'd get to this eventually."

"I've never been the best at relationships," Lee admitted. "And I'm not sure where this one is going."

Julie folded her hands on the table. "Lee, to be honest, I… I don't see this being a long term thing. For me, it's about having a peer who understands what I go through. Being able to… to find an outlet for a part of me that I've always kept bottled up."

Lee nodded slowly. "So… you want to spend time with me for the sex?"

That prompted a sigh. "Not entirely," Julia answered. "I suppose there's a 'peer with benefits' angle to it…"

"'Peer with benefits'?" asked Lee, confused.

"There's a term, 'friends with benefits'. It means people who are friends and have casual sex without a romantic attachment," Julia explained. "That's… not quite how I see us."

"But it is, a bit?"

That drew another exasperated sigh. "I see you as someone I can spend time with for whatever reason. Someone who knows the pressures I live with," Julia explained. "Who understands what it's like to do this job. And you're kind and you're trying to do the right thing. I appreciate that." She leaned forward slightly. "Is that enough for you, Lee?"

Lee's expression made it clear he had to search his thoughts. "Well, like I said, I've been bad at relationships," he admitted. "They always go wrong. I suppose I was hoping that I'll finally find one that works."

"I hope you do. But I'm not going to commit to a long term relationship, Lee. I don't think it'll work. If this means you want to put an end to it…"

"I'm not saying that," he said, a little too quickly. "I'm just… I'm tired, Julia. Tired of my relationships blowing up in my face. Of things going wrong."

"I understand that. I just want things clear between us. No unintended expectations." Even as she spoke Julia could see Lee's eyes fall a little. Damn. "I'm sorry if I let you think I felt differently."

"It's not that," he said. "It's… Gods, listen to me. You're being up front and honest. I'm the one making this complicated."

"You wanted more."

"Yeah, I guess I was hoping for it," Lee admitted. "But I think I'm okay with this. Maybe it's what I need. No expectations beyond, well…"

"Hanging out and really good sex," Julia offered, smiling.

The response was a chuckle. "Yeah."

Julia wasn't sure he entirely meant it. Robert has it so much easier, being able to sense feelings. She scraped the last bits of egg onto her fork and ate it. After enjoying the taste for a few seconds and swallowing she said, "Well, given the situation, my plan for a nature walk is out. I don't want to be a hundred kilometers away if something happens. Is there anything you'd like to do?"

Lee seemed to think on it for a moment. "Well, that sport you play, the one like pyramid…?"

"Basketball?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind giving that a try."

"I'm a little rusty these days," she admitted. "But sure. We'll use the courts here at the Lodge."

"Sounds fun to me."

Meridina, Lucy, and Talara awoke early for their planned trip to the Temple. When they left their rooms they quietly accepted a breakfast made by Drentiya. Meridina's mother was a strong telepath and sensed their emotional states. It is still early, why not rest more? she urged.

No. We have something to do at the Temple, Meridina insisted. We will be leaving shortly.

Your father has already left, Drentiya cast back, her concern plain on her face and in her thoughts. Whatever is wrong… please be careful.

We'll try, Drentiya, Lucy promised.

Once they finished their meals, they departed.

For safety's sake Cat parked the operations van Security provided a block away, putting another warehouse between her and the M'nhra Trading warehouse. She went to the back where Jarod, in civilian wear but with a pulse pistol in a belt-mounted hip holster, activated holo-monitors, tying the van's onboard systems into the omnitools of the others and accessing the Colony's database, including the schematics of the warehouse.

By the time they were ready, the others were in position. Angel and Tony were in dark suits, each armed with a pulse rifle and pulse pistol, and like Robert they had personal cloaking devices. These were active as they crossed an open lot and arrived at the side door of the warehouse. "I'm opening the door now," Jarod said over their secure comms.

Moments later the electronic lock on the door released, allowing them entry. The side door didn't leave to the warehouse proper but to adjacent offices and restrooms. They passed through there to the storage area, where crates were stacked. Some were on the floor, others on anti-grav pallets. Robert walked up to one and noted it was empty.

"They're all empty," Tony noted, looking in another one.

Robert ran a scan. He found something he'd been hoping not to find. "Residue from explosives," he confirmed. A bad feeling came to his gut. "They've already unloaded whatever they're using. Their plan must be in play."

Lucy flew the aircar through the assigned lanes over Jantarihal with some urgency. Today there was no sightseeing from Talara, only deep concern at the chilling, foreboding feeling all sensed. "Something is going to happen, isn't it?" she asked. "This feeling in my being. This coldness."

"I wish I could assure you otherwise, Talara," Meridina said. Below were some of the commercial areas of Jantarihal. They were coming up to the roadway that led up to the Temple, used primarily by anti-grav and wheeled vehicles. Lucy gently pulled the craft up. "Mastrash Ledosh undoubtedly believes he protects us by not speaking on the matter. But we must prevail on him to trust us."

"We'll persuade him," Lucy promised.

While a river and the road beside it wound below them, the aircar rose to the mountain plateau where the Temple stood. In the dawnlit sky the Temple looked impressive indeed, as it always did. Lucy kept them on course. Something on the display beside her made her blink. "That's odd."

"What?"

"The traffic control net just went down," Lucy said.

Meridina activated her omnitool. "I will…" She blinked and her face began to pale. "The commnet is down."

Lucy did not want to hear that. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. I am attempting to raise the orbital stations on Stellar Navy channels…" Meridina shook her head. "It appears the entire planetary comm network is out."

Talara was double-checking while Lucy tried to keep the feeling in her gut from becoming nausea. "Try connecting to the Rio Grande," Lucy urged. "It's got an IU…"

That was when the first explosion flowered from the Great Temple.

In the Security ops van, Caterina looked over the chemical composition from the readings Robert and the others were sending. "A plastic explosive derivative," she noted. "If you kept it properly separated, it wouldn't show up on customs scans. At least not as obvious explosives."

"So there is a terrorist threat," noted Jarod. He tapped a button on his board. "I'm raising Colony Sec… wait."

"What?"

"The comm network is down," Jarod said. "I can't get through." Jarod tapped at a key. "Robert, Angel, can you read me?"

"Loud and clear," came Robert's response. "We're just…"

"...checking everything." Robert moved to another empty crate. This one didn't have explosive residue. "Another empty, no explosives," he called out to the others.

"Same here!" Tony shouted.

"And here!" added Angel.

"What's wrong, Jarod?" Robert asked. Inside he felt a growing sense of wrongness, a chilling feeling of dread.

"Planetary comms are down. Since we can talk, whatever it is isn't jamming."

"Can you raise the Aurora?"

"Trying now… not through the ops van. Let me tie in through our omnitools."

"Good. I've got a bad feeling about all of this."

"Hey, we've got a non-empty over here!" shouted Tony.

Robert and Angel converged on Tony. He was in the corner, facing a single crate. It wasn't a large one, two meters long, still on an anti-grav pallet. As they approached Tony generated a hardlight blade from his omnitool and used it to pry the lid open. Blinking lights played over his face. "Is that what I think it is?"

Robert and Angel arrived at the same time to spot an object that, yes, looked fairly familiar. It was not exactly what they were familiar with, granted, but it was clearly based on the same thing.

A green light lit up on one end.

Robert slapped at his arm, bringing his omnitool up. "Dale to Aurora, raise the shields now!"

On the Aurora bridge Locarno heard the priority call from Robert. As surprised as he was by it, training kicked in. "Raise shields, set ship to Code Yellow," he ordered, after which he added, "This is Locarno on the Aurora, just what is going on?"

"There's a jump anchor down here," Robert replied, his voice tense with worry. "And it's been activated."

At Ops, Lieutenant Tra'dur spoke, in an accent that bordered on Anglo-Indian, "Sir, the Pegasus and Charleston are both inquiring as to why we are raising shields."

"Relay what Captain Dale just told us," Locarno said.

"Yes sir." After several moments Tra'dur noted, "Several vessels are raising shields as well."

"Multiple IU jump points opening!" cried Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad, currently at the Science station.

Locarno was not used to the idea of such a thing being a sign of danger. IU jump points usually meant help. It meant friendlies. But with everything going on, he knew it likely didn't mean the same now. Even as his mind wondered just who would have the technology and become hostile - One of the Citadel Council races? The Clans? - he barked, "Code Red! Put them onscreen!"

Tra'dur flipped the shipwide intercom. "Battlestations, Battlestations, All Hands to Battlestations, On the Double! This is not a drill…"

The holo-viewer activated to show open space just beyond the orbital space of New Liberty. Green vortices were forming, at least half a dozen. Ships zoomed out from within them. Locarno's eyes widened as he took in the vessels, of designs he'd seen before, black hulls, sharp angular shapes, and nacelles with blue ramscoops and blood-red plasma chambers.

And on each one was a black-on-white field swastika and the double lightning bolt rune of the Schutzstaffel.

Even as the ramifications jolted through Locarno like lightning, a stunned al-Rashad read off the identification. "Multiple Reich warships of varying classes! Their shields are up and weapons are online! They're firing…!"

As one, the SS vessels opened fire, the emerald energy of their disruptors striking at the Aurora, the ships around it, and New Liberty below.

Lucy hit the accelerator on the aircar's engines as soon as the explosions flowered from the Great Temple.

The act saved their lives.

As the seconds passed, multiple lights burst into existence in the air over the Temple. The brief flashes resulted in the presence of Cylon raiders, fighter craft that immediately commenced attacks on the temple itself, strafing its structures and its denizens. One fighter, having noticed them upon jumping, immediately bore down on them and fired. Without accelerating the aircar would have been destroyed.

It might still have suffered that fate, but Lucy's piloting kept them from taking hits. She flew onward to the Temple, seeking to land where she could, as it was only a matter of time before the Cylons overwhelmed them in the air. Her concern was proven a few moments later when a flurry of fire blew out the engine just as they neared the Temple proper. "A little help!" Lucy cried out, trying to keep the aircar from hitting too hard with the emergency anti-gravs set to full.

Meridina and Talara came to her aid, concentrating. Together they slowed the vehicle enough that it merely jostled them violently when Lucy planted it in the middle of the courtyard garden. After a moment to gather their bearings they pulled off their safety belts and got out of the car. Around them robed figures were in constant motion, running for cover or, in some cases, not. Several purple-robed figures, as well as some of the red and blue-robed ones, were already reaching skyward or at least looking skyward. One by one, the Cylon fighters started to go out of control, slamming into each other or into the ground.

But that wasn't all. Beyond the clouds, against the dawn sky, lights streaked far above.

The Gersallians were no strangers to threats. On several occasions the Coserians had sent raids into their space deeply enough to nearly reach Gersal, and so the planet was well-defended.

The issue was that, like many defenses, it took time to fully bring them into operation. Ships had to be sortied. Theater and deflector shields raised. And the system had been geared to expect early warning from long-range sensors.

The arrival of the Cylon fleet in orbit gave no warning. One moment there was nothing, the next, the twisted shapes of Cylon Basestars flashed into existence. Fighters poured from their hangers and the Basestars opened fire with missiles and powerful energy weapons.

The ships in orbit had little time to react before the Cylon fire started ripping through them. Those that managed to raise shields survived the longest, but just as many did not, or had no shields; they were the first to die.

But they were not the last, as the Cylon ships started raining fire down on the surface of Gersal itself.

Talara was the first to watch the emerald streaks descend from the sky and strike Jantarihal. Beam after beam lashed at the shining capital city of the Gersallians. To her horror, one of the gleaming spires started to collapse after a hit cleaved it in two.

"Swenya's Light," gasped Meridina, now observing the scene. Other members of the Order showed similar shock and horror at the sight of Jantarihal's scourging. Overhead the last of the Cylon fighters was gone, destroyed or escaped. The attack seemed to be over.

Gina approached them. "I need your help," she said, panting. She looked haggard and worn. "The offices, they were bombed… Mastrash Ledosh is still there!"

Before Lucy or Meridina could react to this news, a roar filled the air. Heads turned to witness the pods rain down from the sky. All sensed the presence of dark, cold energy as the pods slammed into the ground, one by one. One pod smashed into the rubble that had once been the Temple Knight barracks, another near the Temple Hall and the Council's meeting place.

Many of those present drew their weapons. Some ignited or activated them, the snap-hiss of lightsabers joined by the metallic shriek of lakesh blades taking form. Lucy, Meridina, and Gina joined them.

The pods opened. From each came a dozen occupants. And they were the same for each pod. Flashes of recognition came from many as they recognized, among these numbers, copies of Gina herself… and of Lucy.

Cylons.

But that wasn't why gasps of horrified familiarity came from some of the Order, or Meridina herself.

The familiarity wasn't from the copies of Gina and Lucy, but rather their garb. For each was clad in a black hooded robe, the hoods lowered, over dark suits of armor with gray belts. Each Cylon had a headband on their brow, black as well, with a red insignia upon it. The insignia was a hexagon divided into twelve parts - two per side - with a sword bisecting the whole.

There was something Lucy found familiar with the garb. As if she'd seen it, or something like it, before…

"It's them," Meridina gasped. "After all this time…"

One of the older models, the "Brother Cavil" one, spoke aloud. "At long last, our time has come." He pulled from his belt a dark-enameled hilt. A blood-red energy blade flashed to life with a snap and hiss. "Death to the enemies of our Lord!" he roared. "Death to the followers of Swenya!"

The courtyard echoed with the snap-hiss of dozens of blood-red lightsabers igniting. "Death to the memory of Swenya!" roared the other Cylons.

And then the battle began.