DISCLAIMER: The writer of this story does not own either "V" or "Battlestar Galactica." He only owns his own ideas and story line.
Chapter One
A Message Received
Starbuck and Apollo were up in the old navigator's tower trying to catch another sound bite of the transmission that they had earlier picked up when they and Cassiopeia and Sheba had gone up there to look around. They fiddled with the switches and knobs when they suddenly got a piercing sound on the speaker that was loud, piercing and shrill and what sounded like dragging something heavy across gravel with a microphone attached to it. "What did you do Starbuck?" Apollo asked. Starbuck looked up with astonishment and quipped "Oh, so it's my fault?" "Well, you are the one who is turning the knobs and flipping the switches" Apollo added. Before Starbuck could reply Apollo grinned letting his best friend know that he was just kidding. Starbuck moved the control knob back to 72 microns at 1420.4556 MHz. They found the sound again with its piercing scry and dragging sound and continued to play it as they tried to figure out what was going on. Then Starbuck discovered that it was a message; it wasn't a voice message, but it was a mathematical one. They recorded the message on a message disk and left the tower and took it down to the bridge to have it decoded.
Upon their arrival on the bridge they gave the disk to Col. Tigh who gave it to one of the techs. They started working on it immediately. Cmd. Adama was up on the upper level of the bridge watching over the crew as they went about their normal every day duties. Apollo went up to him and said "Father, we have recorded some sort of message, and according to Starbuck it is a mathematical one. Do you think it could be from Earth?" Adama looked at the stars ahead and said "I don't know son, for all we know it could be a Cylon trick to find our location. You didn't record it did you?" "Yes sir, we gave it to Col. Tigh, and he gave it to one of the techs" Apollo explained. Adama had a troubled look on his face, and went down the steps to the lower level and stood beside Col. Tigh. "Tigh" he said "what is the message? Is it a cylon trick?" "No sir" came a response from one of the techs. "Pardon me for butting in sir, but this is a mathematical message asking for help. It's a relatively simple code; one that every first year cadet had to memorize" the tech stated. Adama looked at the young man and asked "Can you tell us what it says?" "Yes sir, I mean it's unbelievable sir; it's from Earth!" the tech exclaimed. Tigh broke in and said "How do you know this?" The tech said "Because it says it is. The message says that one year ago a race of reptile like creatures came from the stars camouflaged as humans. Once they were accepted they started taking over. The resistance fighters on earth have found that these creatures had a race that defeated them in the past and this message is for them. They want this race to come there and defeat them again. It gives the coordinates to Earth." Adama looked worried as he scratched his head, and Apollo asked "What is it Father?" "I'm not sure" Adama replied. He then asked "Does the message say anything about what kind of reptiles these beings were?" "Negative sir, just reptiles, but they were able to mimic humans enough to camouflage themselves as humans" the tech advised. Tigh looked at Adama, and said "Adama I know what you're thinking, but they were wiped out a millennia ago. The machines wiped out every biological cylon in existence. They went on raiding parties and hunted them down. It is impossible that any survived." "Are you so sure that you will bet the lives of those on earth on that, old friend?" Adama asked.
Starbuck, who was silently standing by, asked "Hey guys, what is going on? What are you talking about?" Adama stared into the stars then he quietly said "I'm afraid that Earth's call for help has turned into a death sentence. If we picked up their call, then you can be sure the cylons picked it up." He looked at Tigh and said "Col. get the fleet together we have to follow these coordinates and get to Earth before the Cylons do, otherwise they might destroy Earth." "Yes sir" Tigh responded, and he left and went to his station on the upper level to start giving commands to the ships in the fleet.
Adama looked at Apollo and Starbuck and said "I need you both on ready alert at all times. We need to start training new pilots because I don't know how long it will take us to reach Earth. We might have a long time, and we might not have very long at all. But right now I need you both to do some recon and see if you can find the cylons anywhere in this sector." "Will do Father" Apollo said. "Should we take Boomer for a wider search?" Adama said "I think that would be wise" and Starbuck and Apollo left the bridge.
As they walked down the passage way towards their squadron birthing quarters Starbuck continued to prod Apollo with questions about why the Commander was so worried. Finally Apollo turned and said "I think he is afraid that some of the bio-cylons escaped the extermination and are on Earth, and that signal we picked up was a cry for help from Earth. However, it wasn't directed at us. It was directed at the original enemy of the bio-cylons." Suddenly everything became clear and Starbuck said "The machines!" "That's right my friend, the machines, and if we picked up that signal you can bet that the cylons picked it up as well. You, Boomer and I need to see if we can find out where the cylons are at this time." About that time Boomer came around the corner and said "Did I hear my name mentioned?" "Yes you did, and it is for a very important mission" Apollo replied. "Now you just hold on one centon, I just pulled a 12 centar bridge watch and I need some sleep. It's my sleep period!" the agitated warrior exclaimed. "Boomer" Apollo started "I know you have worked hard, but you and Starbuck are the only ones I really trust on this. The three of us need to scatter out and see if we can find the Cylons. We picked up a signal from Earth, and if the Cylons pick it up they could very well destroy Earth." "What do you mean that Boomer and Starbuck are the only ones you trust?" Apollo bowed his head for he knew that he had been caught; it was Sheba. Sheba said "What am I? Am I not a viper pilot? Was I not part of the Silver Spar squadron on the Pegasus?" Apollo slowly turned and said "Sheba I don't want you out there…" "Oh no, you don't get to do this to me. Just because Serena died while on duty, and we are seeing each other, this does not give you the right to leave me out of dangerous missions; especially when Boomer is so tired that he can hardly stand." She looked at Boomer and said "Boomer, go hit your rack, I'll fly your mission, I have had a full sleep period." Apollo stood firm and said "Does my being Squadron Strike Leader not have anything to do with it?" Sheba smiled and said "Shall we talk to the Commander about it? I'm sure he will agree with me on this." "Fine" Apollo said "let's talk to him."
When they got to Commander Adama's quarters Apollo rang the buzzer and heard his father say "Enter." The four of them entered the quarters and Adama immediately knew that something was wrong. He said "What is it?" and everyone started speaking at once. Adama held up his hands and in a loud voice said "Everyone quit talking, I will talk to you in turn. Apollo, what is it?" Apollo started "I wanted Starbuck and Boomer to join me on this mission. Now granted Boomer is in need of sleep because he hasn't had a sleep period, but I don't want Sheba to go with us." Adama looked at Apollo, then Starbuck, then Boomer and then finally Sheba and asked "Why don't you want Sheba to go?" "Because, it's dangerous out there Father!" Apollo emphatically stated. "Yes, Apollo, it is. It was dangerous when Zac went out. It was dangerous when everyone who has been lost went out, but that didn't mean that they shouldn't go out. Son, if we don't let our pilots fly because it is dangerous out there, then the fleet will be destroyed. I suggest that Boomer be given his sleep period and that you take Sheba in his stead." Apollo started to object and Adama held up the index finger of his right hand and said "Enough Captain!" Apollo turned just in time to see a slight smirk on Sheba's face and the thought came to his mind "I'll never live this one down, she'll want to go to dad every time we disagree." When Boomer, Sheba and Starbuck left the room, Apollo said "I lost Serena because she was bull-headed about becoming a warrior, and I don't want to lose Sheba too." Adama rose up slowly embraced his son and said "Apollo, your fears are unfounded. there are worlds of difference between Serena and Sheba. Serena was new and was still in her probationary status. Sheba, on the other hand, was a warrior long before you two met; she is a seasoned warrior, and she knows how to take care of herself in battle. I have as much faith in her as I have in you, Starbuck or Boomer or any of the rest of my senior pilots. Now go get ready to go on mission, and be careful." Apollo said "I guess I'm just afraid I am going to lose her." Adama asked "Have you talked to her about your feelings for her?" "No" he said "every time I think the time is right something happens." Adama smiled and said "The time will come when you will have the time. Now go." With that Apollo walked out the door towards the launch bay.