Disclaimer: I do NOT own Battlestar Galactica or any of the characters therein. Any original characters introduced from this point afterward are my property. The fighter craft that are introduced in this chapter are a fallback to the Sony Playstation game Philosoma. To give you an idea of what they look like, somebody made a model of one on Deviant Art.

Gaeta was finally beginning to feel as though he had never left CIC, even for that year and four months on New Caprica. He had fallen back into his duties on Galactica with the greatest of ease after his near execution by Tom Zarek's death squad on board Galactica.

Today was one of the days he wish he didn't have to worry about his duty. He had a splitting headache like some tiny elven figure was inside his skull working it's way out with a power drill or plasma cutter. So when the Dradis beeped at him, indicating contacts where there weren't supposed to be any, he cursed under his breath momentarily before reporting it.

"Dradis contact! Two unknown contacts bearing 050 carom 137! No identification on the IFF!"

"Action Stations! Spool up the FTL drives and prepare the fleet to jump. Set Condition one throughout the ship and launch the alert vipers!" Admiral Adama's response was clear, crisp and direct. Now was not a time for indecision. Unknown or not those contacts had to be kept from getting to the fleet long enough for the jump to be made if they were a threat.

"Admiral! I'm getting authentication codes transmitted from the contacts!" Dualla chimed in quickly, recognizing the codes on the readout on the panel in front of her.

"Are they trying to access our computers by way of the codes now, you think?" Karl "Helo" Agathon asked

"Whatever it is we can't allow it to happen."

"Sir! The codes…they're old colonial standard encryption protocol!"

"Confirm that! It sounds like a Cylon trick to me," Adama answered, picking up the handset on the main console "Patch me through to Apollo."

"Apollo here, go ahead Actual." Lee Adama's voice answered the request for communication by way of the loudspeakers in CIC.

"Apollo, get in close if you can and identify those contacts. If they make any aggressive move toward the fleet of any kind, you have permission to persue and destroy. Until then hold fire."

"Roger that Actual. We'll be in visual range in 2 minutes."

Meanwhile, out in space, approaching Galactica and the fleet unknowingly are two harbingers of a new era in human history. Capt. Lance Grimm, call sign Hades and Lt. Katherine Devereux, call sign Ashura were on what they assumed to be just another long range recon patrol just like all the rest. Of course that was all about to change.)

"So Hades, when we get done with this sweep first one back to the barn buys drinks?"

"You're on Ashura, I don't mind taking your money at all and…"

"And what?"

"We just got spiked by a what appears to be a DRADIS sweep…Switching to long range scan…oh Lords, Ashura strap up and get ready to rock and roll. We've got about 50+ unidentified contacts bearing 217 carom 241. Could be Cylons, but we need to go in for a closer look to identify. Have your FTL spooled up to jump in case we need to."

"Roger that Hades, let's kick in the burn."

(Almost instantaneously, the two of them, in their F-A 37 Strega fighter craft accelerated into a hard turn and set off in the direction of the unknown contacts.)

(The change in course of the two contacts was immediately noted by Gaeta.)

"Sir the contacts have turned to intercept. Estimated time of contact 45 seconds."

"Galactica, Apollo. I don't know what they are but we have visual and…FRAK ME!"

"Apollo, what do you see?"

"This is Starbuck, Actual. They just burned right past us like we weren't even here. Turning to pursue but you've got two heavily armed fighters inbound. I've never seen anything move that fast, we might have a hard time catching up to them before they get to you, Galactica…" came Starbuck's voice over the intercom.

"Standby all batteries for enemy suppression fire."

(As they raced toward the larger bunch of contacts, Hades and Ashura raced past a group of ancient and very beaten up looking fighter craft. Just moments before contact Hades and Apollo apparently shared the same thought.)

"FRAK ME! Ashura break hard!"

"What the hell were those?"

"It's funny Ashura but they almost looked like the old colonial Vipers from our academy history books."

"Some of them did, you're right. I'm less concerned about them than I am that big ship in front of us, though."

"Oh my dear sweet Lords. Ashura, that…that's a looks like a Gen 1 Battlestar, one of the original 12 ever built!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"The configuration fits what I've seen in command study."

"You're in command out here Hades, what do we do?"

"I'm about to break net and attempt contact, keep an eye on those fighters and let me know if we're going to have to engage."

"Roger that."

(Gaeta flinched slightly in CIC, something which Adama immediately picked up on.)

"Something wrong Lieutenant?"

"The contacts were closing and now they've suddenly slowed to almost cruising speed, sir."

"Admiral!"

(Adama turned and faced Dualla, whose wide eyed expression told him that something was amiss.)

"I'm receiving transmission from one of the contacts. You're going to want to hear this yourself sir."

(Adama picked up the handset once again and put it to his ear.)

"Unidentified contact, please restate your request." Dualla asked over the wireless.

(Hades flinched, he hated repeating himself, and according to Ashura talking in his other ear, the fighters were closing fast.)

"Unidentified fleet, this is Captain Lance Grimm, of the Neo Colonial fleet, call sign Hades. Please identify yourselves or you will be fired upon."

(The looks of wonderment couldn't be counted in the CIC, but Adama held his steely gaze on the Dradis as his air wing surrounded the two unknown contacts.)

"Captain Grimm, my name is Admiral William Adama of the Colonial Fleet Battlestar Galactica. What exactly are you doing out here Captain?"

"All due respect Admiral Adama but I could ask the same of you. From the looks of it your ship has taken a hell of a pounding and the vessels with you are definitely NOT military. We were on a routine patrol and picked up your DRADIS sweep and came to investigate when our scanners picked up a large number of ships." Came the reply over the handset.

"Captain, is there any chance we could meet in person, I think there's a few things we need to discuss."

"I'll have to communicate with the chain of command but I think that can be arranged."

"Very well, in the meantime you don't mind if my fighter wing takes up station around you do you?"

"Not at all Admiral, I'd do the same thing if I were you."

(Adama turned to Dualla and mouthed the word "Apollo" to her, which got a nod. Immediately the channel clicked from Grimm over to Apollo. Meanwhile he could hear Dualla informing Captain Grimm that the Admiral would be back on the line shortly.)

"Apollo, what do you make of the two ships?"

"Sir, they're way more advanced than anything we've seen, maybe even moreso than the Cylons. These things are armed to the teeth and I think they'd be more than a match for us in the Vipers if things were to go bad here."

"Starbuck, what do you hear?"

"Nothin but the rain, and two sets of huge engines."

"Elaborate."

"These things have an over and under four engine configuration unlike anything I've ever seen. The boost output they can probably produce would bring the Chief to tears of joy if he ever got to work on one."

"What do both of you think?"

"I say we hold off on any action until we know who and what they are."

"I agree, sir, as much as I hate the waiting game."

"Thank you both, keep station around them and if they make any aggressive moves you know what to do."

"Yes sir!" came the reply from both simultaneously

(The channel clicked back over as Dualla let the Admiral know that Capt. Grimm had obtained an answer from his superiors.)

"Captain Grimm, I understand you have some news for me."

"Yes Admiral, I've been given permission to come aboard and talk, if permission is granted that is."

"Permission granted Captain, I'll see you on the hangar deck. And Captain, there will be marines on guard there, I'll explain when you get here."

"Roger that Admiral, Grimm out."

(Adama nodded to Dualla, who clicked the channel over to Apollo again.)

"Apollo, I want you and Starbuck on deck in 10 minutes. Re-establish the CAP and land the rest of the birds."

"Aye Aye sir, are we having company for dinner?"

"You could say that…and I think there's more to these visitors than we know just yet."