Disclaimer- I do not own or am affiliated with Battlestar Galactica, I make no profit from this.

'' for English

"" for colonial

Chapter three- A long story

Battlestar Galactica's CIC

"Dee, what's the status on the unknown ship" Adama stated over his solider to the comm. station.

"I think they received your message but so far we've got no response"

"Keep listening on all frequencies" Adama let out a sigh. Where is this ship from; could it be another battlestar that somehow survived the holocaust? Maybe it was too old to be considered a high priority target during the attack and it managed to get through. Maybe it was stuck in a scrap yard and a bunch of survivors commandeered it. So many questions and the only one's who can give him an answer aren't talking.

Geata broke the Admiral's train of thought "Starbuck's viper has just landed, sir"

Adama looked at the lieutenant"Have her report to the CIC…"He turned his gaze to the dradis "Maybe she can give us some answers."

Battlestar Texas CIC

Commodore Landry was starting to get worried. Here they were, about to make contact with the colonials, and nobody can talk to them.

'How's the search going?'

Kal was the first to answer 'We think one of the gunners took a colonial language course in high school, but it's iffy at best.'

Landry looked at her old friend 'I'm surprised we found anybody at all, I mean how many people know a language that nobody speaks.'

Kal was still buried in a book titled The 12 Colonies of Kobol: our lost brothers 'Hopefully Corporal Jack Hunt' He looked up at Landry 'What do you know of colonials?'

Landry took a deep breath 'Not a lot, when I was studying the archives at the academy, my focus was on technology and warfare only. I didn't opt for more work by studying the Cylons or colonials.'

Kal shook his head in agreement and went back to his book. As an officer, he too had studied the computer archives that was pulled off the cylon basestar that crashed landed twenty-five years ago.

The hatch opened and Jack Hunt stepped through. 'Corporal Hunt reporting in'

Alice Landry looked at the young soldier 'At ease Corporal. Now I understand you know a little colonial.'

Galactica CIC

"SIR, we have something from the other ship!"

Tigh replied "It's about time"

Adama heaved a sigh of relief "Dee, put it on speaker"

The whole CIC became quiet as the speakers crackled with the voice Jack Hunt trying his best to speak colonial.

"This…is….the…Battlestar Texas...Are..you…the colonials?"

Adama was planning to follow the book when it came to unknown contacts, but he threw all the protocols out the window and asked the question everyone wanted answered.

"Are you from Earth?"

Jack couldn't help but smile on the other end of the line

"So…you…have heard of us"

Adama always thought that if they find Earth the CIC would be deafening with the shouts and the applause of the crew.

But the CIC was dead quiet; disbelief was spread on the faces of the crew.

Adama broke the silence by continuing to talk to the Texas.

"May I ask why your ship is almost identical to mine?"

"That's a long…story. Can we meet face…to face?"

"Yes. One raptor with three representatives. No weapons."

Texas CIC

"…No weapons."

"Understood. We'll be there…in 20 min…" Jack realizes he doesn't know the colonial time system "… soon."

Hunt looked at his superior officers. 'They are the colonials, and we've been invited over to explain our selves.'

Kal gave him a glare 'Why do we have to explain ourselves?'

'There kinda freaked out that our ships are identical'

Landry shook her head in agreement 'I can understand that. How many are allowed over there'

'Only three, with no weapons'

'Okay. Kal you have command, myself, corporal Hunt, and…'

'Me'

Landry, Kal, and Hunt spun around to Frank Grimes walking through the hatch.

Kal gave a look of disgust 'What are you doing here Frank.'

Franks eyes showed no emotions 'My job, Mr. Kalashnikov' a smile formed on Frank's thin lips 'I even got our raptor prepped'

Battlestar Galactica Port landing bay

Admiral Adama and President Roslin along with a marine detachment were alone in the landing bay, and the Earth raptor was slowly descending into hanger.

There are many things about the Earth ship that would catch your eye if you spent all your time around their colonial counterparts. First off, the metal was painted navy blue instead of a copper brown. The second thing that hit the eye was the cockpit window was smaller with steel braces everywhere. Adama wondered if that was just really thick glass.

The raptor hissed as the door/ramp slowly lowered, and three people came out. The one in front, who was almost certainly the leader, was wearing a spotless white uniform with a sword on her hip. Despite being the leader she was surprisingly young and short, an inch or two shorter than Roslin. Her two companions were a man in his late forties in a bad suit and a younger man in a light blue uniform with two chevrons on his sleeve.

Landry came up to Adama and spoke the one phrase she remembered on the ride over.

"Hello, My name is Commodore Alice Landry and I represent Earth"