Starbuck looked down at his instruments, as the computer beeped the time signal. They had entered the asteroid belt some time ago. Even with the coordinates given to them by the Galactica, the Vipers had almost missed the source of the bizarre energy waves, their irregularity making localization difficult. They passed it by twice before Apollo spotted the inconspicuous spheroid. Despite the distance from this system's sun, the object was strangely visible, as if bathed in an ambient light. A light that had no apparent source. Both ships went to full scan.

"The war book doesn't have a clue." Apollo muttered, trying to get a closer look at it. "Nothing remotely like it in the databanks."

"Kind of looks like a keg from the OC." Starbuck mused with a smile.

"Yeah, leave it to you to notice that." Apollo returned. "It's a lot denser than your average keg." Apollo watched as data scrolled up his small screen, a breakdown of the object's composition. "Made of composite metals, according to the spectro on it. I've never seen alloys or ratios like these before." For a moment, Apollo had a flashback; he and Zac, finding a supposedly derelict Cylon tanker. It too had seemed so innocuous at

first glance . . . "Wonder what it's for?"

"Well, if it's putting out energy readings that the Galactica is picking up, at her distance and at those levels, it obviously does something noteworthy." Starbuck replied

"It's not doing anything noteworthy right now." Apollo pointed out.

"Lords, look at the specific gravity on that thing." Starbuck interjected, looking at his screen. "And the mass . . . it's enormous! Larger than some of these asteroids." His naked eye was once again drawn to the spheroid, marveling how something that appeared so small could in reality contain such a large quantity of matter. He dragged his attention back to his readouts. "Can't tell if it's hollow or not. More questions than answers, buddy."

"Exactly, Bucko. I've never seen anything quite like it. Doesn't look Cylon. What do you think?"

"Bait?" The lieutenant checked his rear scanner. Nothing.

"The Galactica's preliminary scans for life signs were negative. Not another Empyrean plot out to get you?" Apollo bantered, as he checked his scanners. Nothing. "The Galactica's scans didn't pick up that Base Ship waiting for us either. But no, I don't think it's Empyrean." Starbuck chuckled at the very thought. "Unless it's really just a large luncheon meat in disguise."

"On that note, stay put and watch my back. I'm going in for a closer look."

"I'd just like to point out how often something goes wrong when you tell me

to . . ." He sighed as he watched Apollo's turbos flame to life, his Viper accelerating ahead of him. "Never mind."

The spheroid was tucked away like someone had put it there intentionally. But why? And who? Fracking thing was so small, he couldn't even target it with his computer's attack mode. Starbuck angled his ship to get a better visual shot, just in case it was necessary. "Well?"

Apollo cut his thrusters, and moved in slowly, approaching the spheroid from the side. "The casing looks . . . unscarred and textured. Almost armour-plated, though I can't scan any seams, or see any visually. It's rotating, one full spin every third of a centon. Spinning as if it's reacting to the gravity of the nearest large mass. Or . . ."

"Or, it's active, and watching you back. Careful, buddy." Starbuck warned him.

By then Apollo was already slowly moving his ship in the opposite direction, waiting to see the spheroid's reaction. Nothing. It continued to rotate as before. He moved in closer still for one final look, coming close enough for the object to fill his canopy. "One last pass, Starbuck. Then the Commander will have to be satisfied with our tele . . ."

"Apollo!" shouted Starbuck, as alarms began blaring through his cockpit. "I'm getting a massive surge in meson and tachyon radion. It's scanning us!" His thumb paused over his laser, as he realized the captain's fighter was effectively blocking his shot. "Get the
frack . . .!"

Apollo never heard him, as a brilliant flash of light blinded the captain and his breath caught painfully in his chest. He felt his limbs go limp and nerveless. For a fleeting moment he was vaguely aware that his ship was engulfed in an energy wave, then, against his will, he submitted to the pull of the encroaching darkness.

----------

Oriana deftly set up her computer station, brushing aside collected paraphernalia as she accessed her files for Luana. "Fausto runs sports betting in the fleet. He's the official bookmaker. All bets go through him, or are handled by his people." She explained. "The Council of Twelve has insisted upon strict regulations for the betting, which is why it's all handled officially through the Rising Star, as a subsidiary of the chancery."

"Generally, Fausto makes a ten percent commission on all bets placed, won or lost. It's in his best interest to get equal action on both sides of the bet to minimize his own losses. And of course, it certainly looks more respectable from an outside perspective."

Luana interrupted. "What does this have to do with Starbuck?"

"Patience, Luana." Oriana smiled. "Fausto is from Skorpia. He used to handle the bookmaking at the Dragon's Eye. It was one of the largest chanceries in our system. People came from all over the twelve worlds to gamble and to watch professional sports. A lot of the playoff games in Triad were played there."

"Starbuck mentioned that Borka was connected to that chancery." Luana interjected, thinking about the goon who had attacked Oriana.

Oriana raised her eyebrows. "How did he find that out?"

"Security's data base."

The dark-haired Empyrean woman nodded slowly. "I knew they went back further than the Rising Star. I just couldn't find the link. Lords, if I could only hack into . . . " She stopped her musings as she felt Luana's eyes upon her. "Never mind." She smiled innocuously.

"Go on." Luana encouraged her.

"Research is a challenge sometimes." Oriana shrugged. "Designational hazard. Anyhow, the Dragon's Eye was infamous for the amount of action going on off the books. There were ongoing accusations and suspicions of fixing games. Fausto kept himself at a distance from it, but in the meantime his life style took a substantial turn for the better."

"So he was obviously benefiting from the sports betting in more lucrative measures than his wages."

"Never proven, but strenuously suspected. He kept his hands clean. Still does." Oriana remarked.

"But don't the athletes have to be involved in throwing the games?" Luana asked. "Starbuck would never do that."

"Yes, in a game like triad, traditionally the athletes need to be involved."

"But this time?" Luana encouraged her.

"There's something else. I'm just not quite sure what yet." Oriana changed screens. "Finally, I got a list of all the big winners who have been there for the games since Starbuck started playing like a dance hall girl."

Luana stared hard at the woman.

"Uh . . . sorry. No offense intended." The journalist shrugged. "Unfortunately, there have been five separate individuals who have been there and have won substantial amounts on every occasion."

"Oh." Luana frowned, looking at the list of statistics.

"But . . . " she narrowed her parameters, "only two of the five didn't bother going to any of the other games played by other teams."

"Oh!" Luana exclaimed, looking curiously at the two remaining names. "Let me guess, only one of them is Empyrean."

"You got it."