BSG: BUMP IN THE NIGHT
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. This is me playing in the dark. No copyright infringement is intended.
Update 4/6/16;
Sorry about the deletion. as I said before, I posted this as one half of an extra long chapter at about 4 a.m. It was a poor product. I had to take it down and clean it up and I just noticed I still haven't formatted it perfectly. Still, I'm going to finish this now that I have the chance. If anyone's still out there, thank you for your patience.
Chapter 18
Tigh walked out of the hatch towards the small group still standing on the landing deck. He twisted his neck a little, rubbing at the welt just beneath the edge of his collar. Zak saw him first, smacked Starbuck on the shoulder and pointed. Major Sheba turned, took a step towards him and opened her mouth to speak. Tigh cut her off.
"I just got word from Doctor Salek. Your serums work. They're being distributed now. I've also ordered your ships into landing patterns for this bay." His eyes flicked briefly over the blue clad pilot's jewelry. "Lieutenant Zak, I'm going to take a chance and guess that you want to see the Commander..."
"Yes sir," the young man nodded. "Very much so."
"Doctor Salek has told me that the inoculation should have no impact on his condition." His voice was clipped and businesslike; it was belied by his next words. "Commander Adama doesn't know the details of what's been going on. He's been... ill since Captain Apollo's rescue mission went awry. Starbuck, you will be responsible for our guest. He damages something, or attacks someone, I blame you, are we clear?"
"Um, yes sir."
"Lieutenant Athena will be waiting outside his quarters. Hopefully she won't faint this time." He made a gesture to send the pair on their way.
"Major Sheba," he checked his wrist chrono, "Elysium has been under attack for nearly a centar. I need to know if we're going over to reinforce a fleet warstar, or pick up survivors."
"It took you long enough, Colonel," she said bitterly.
"I can give you fifty thousand reasons for my caution," Tigh crossed his hands behind his back. "You can accept what aid we can give, or we can stand here and fence. Your choice."
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Doctor Salek walked out of the Commanders quarters as Starbuck and Zak arrived. Athena stood still half stunned as they drew near.
"A-are you real?"
"I am," he gave a somewhat timid grin. "I know I'm not quite the same..."
That was as far as she let him get. She lunged, throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing fiercely. Zak held her close, hugging as she sobbed.
Starbuck felt himself blush. This was a family thing, warmth that he longed for. He looked over to see Doctor Salek fighting a smile. Salek caught his eye and motioned him over.
The older man waggled his spent injector at them group. "I'm not sure this is the wisest course of action."
"Any other day, I'd agree with you," Athena said as she broke the embrace. "But this time there may not be an 'after'." She wiped her eyes on a palm. "We're going through the void. We'll be fighting hard, not running like we usually do."
"Is he going to be able to talk to me?" Zak asked.
"Yes," Salek replied. "Other than some pain at the injection site these drugs of yours have no side effects."
"Same as home, then," Zak nodded.
"Listen, I'm going to go get him ready," Athena squeezed Zak's arm. "Give me a couple of centons before you come in."
"Will do." Zak watched her slip into the room.
"I hope your visit is worth the risk," Salek grumped. "He's an old man. He's been through a lot and he's very, very tired. This could be one shock too many."
"I understand what you're saying Doc, but I don't think you know my father."
"But that's the point. He's not your father," the older man replied firmly. "His son is dead, killed by Cylons with the Peace Fleet. That's not our universe across the way. We're not yours. You're not ours."
"But you could be. I've got to tell you Doc, this Athena acts very, very much like the one on the other side. Starbuck too. There's no reason all you couldn't return from the dead in a good way." Zak volleyed. "I know you've compared DNA with at least one of us. We did on our side when we took Apollo's people off of Laurentia. This side's Lieutenant Starbuck is identical to our Captain Starbuck on the tiniest levels. His memories are a little different, because his experiences have been, but it's still pure Starbuck. He still gambles using those awful systems, doesn't he?"
"I urge you not to do this," Salek said. "People don't come back from the dead."
The blonde warrior shivers a little. "If you only knew, Doc..."
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"Hey daddy," Athena smiled as she approached the narrow bed. She gave the old man a gentle hug. The weakness in his arms almost made her weep again. He'd always been so strong.
"Hello Athena." His voice was soft but warm. "I'm glad you came to see me before..."
"Don't think about operations, okay?" She released him and pulled up a stool. "I'm sorry I haven't been in as much as I could have..."
"But it's been very busy, I know. First Bojay, then Starbuck and Apollo..." He cut the thought off, forcing his pained moue into a reassuring smile for his remaining child. I understand Starbuck has returned and he's brought a lot of people with him. Is Apollo..?"
"No dad," she stroked his hands a frown began gathering. "He's still over there, but he's alive. He's on board the Warstar Elysium."
"Warstars? They have warstars?"
"Yes, and according to Starbuck, they're huge." The smile she gave her father didn't reach her eyes. "He says they're almost twice as long as Galactica. They have four launch bays instead of two and each has two levels. Almost eight times the number of fighters and the Vipers they have are ridiculous."
"Elysium is the ship asking for help," Adama nodded. "Tigh told me." He shook his head with a sigh. "I don't see how we can be of service so mighty a vessel."
"Please dad, don't worry about that right now. Listen, I have something to show you," Athena squeezed his hands lovingly, "something that you wouldn't imagine in a thousand yarens."
"Well what is it?"
"What if I told you Zak was outside?" Athena watched her father fearfully. His eyes looked confused for a moment, then began to fill.
"Is that possible?"
Athena nodded, her own eyes beginning to tear up again. "He's outside. Do you want to see him?"
Adama couldn't speak. His chin trembled with emotion and he bit his lip to keep from sobbing. He nodded in short hard jabs.
"I'm just going to get him," Athena rose. "I'll hurry."
She rushed hurriedly from the room and returned alone. She knelt by the bed and took reclaimed her father's hand. "Ready?"
Adama nodded.
"Zak?" she called. "Come in."
A tall young man appeared at the door to the bed chamber. His uniform was bridge blue, but cut warrior style. Adama saw the way about him, the one so many warriors had, the aura of 'I've fought in the wars', but when he stepped into the room, he did so timidly, like a small child.
"Hello, sir," Zak said.
Adama's eyes widened and tears began to fall. His slow, unexpected stirring, captured the young woman's attention. Zak also rushed to the bedside.
"No, please, don't get up. Doctor Salek said..."
"This is amazing. A miracle," Adama whispered thickly. He reached out for the young officer. Zak obliged, reaching around the old man's shoulders and burying his face in his neck. Adama looked up at his daughter. "Help me."
It took a moment but they got his legs off the bed. When he was sitting, Adama pulled Athena into the unreleased embrace with his free arm.
"It's a miracle, it's a miracle," he wept.
The three held on to each other tightly for a long time before Zak finally pulled away. He kept his arm across the old man and woman's shoulders.
"I know I'm not really your son..." Zak began.
"From this moment you are," Adama said. "I've been given one of the greatest gifts of my life. What should I care about reason? Miracles are impossible by nature." He looked at Athena. "Does this mean that there are two of you as well?"
"I think so," she replied.
"Yes," Zak nodded. "On our side, Athena is a warrior too. She's a command and control officer on an Asp... And she's married to a med tech I think you know."
"Not Salek," Adama's eyebrows rose.
"No. Cassiopeia. They've been together now for a little more than a yaren," Zak said.
Adama looked to his daughter. "Is there something you need to tell me? It would be poetic justice, I think, but..."
"No," Athena grinned and wiped at her cheeks. "Although it does give me an idea of something to do to Starbuck the next time he strays."
Adama couldn't help but smile and pull them both in briefly. "I never imagined I would feel this again." A sudden thought knit his brow and he drew back, looking at the young warrior. "Zak, is Ila..?
"Yes sir," Zak nodded. "She's still on Caprica. She looks up at the sky pretty often. The Galactica appears sometimes, you know. Galactica sometimes appears to warn us when the Cylons are about to attack."
"So we're ghosts, then." It was a statement.
"Yes sir. The best kind. You bring hope. You save lives," Zak's own eyes were moist and let slip a tear. "You and Colonel Tigh, Omega, and about two thirds of the crew..." he swallowed hard. "...were killed when the Peacefleet was attacked. You saved her. You saved Caprica."
"I'm not that Adama," the old man said bitterly. "I failed."
"If I use your reasoning, father, you could be that Adama." Zak nodded affirmatively. "Miracles are impossible by their very nature."
The old man looked down unexpectedly, wiping the wetness from his face. "Athena, go get Doctor Salek. Quickly please. Also, see if Tigh has a moment. My son has given me an idea." He looked at Zak as Athena rose hurriedly. "Tell me more about my death."
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Starbuck sat in the medbay, on the edge of Cassiopeia's bed. "It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen," she said with a shudder. "I mean he was obviously dead, but he just kept coming. Then he caught Miranda..."
"I know what you mean," Starbuck replied. He looked into her blue eyes and saw the same fear he felt. "On the Laurentia there were so many them and they moved so fast. A mob of them tore Hektor apart." He felt her shudder. The sensation made him reach for her and squeeze tightly. He pulled back after a long moment and looked into her eyes, hoping to find something that would take his fear away, make it all okay. "It's what we're going to be flying into... Sorry." He looked away, trying not to share the terror that tried to bubble up. "You know, I wish you would go with the others to one of the other ships."
"Not happening," she took his chin in a gentle hand, turning him, probing his heart with her eyes. "I'm a medical technician. This is where I belong. I've got to be here for my warriors."
His head dipped forward. Her soft, warm lips tasted of tears and love.
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Tigh stood on the catwalk watching one of the big, foreign fighters take on a full load of tylium. The Adders were marvelous. The big bird's pilot and ordinance officer were outside, getting a quick bite and something to drink.
"Something wrong, Colonel?" Major Sheba asked as she approached the rail where he propped.
"I'm commanding a battlestar about to cross into another universe where the laws of physics are different. I have a bay full of someone else's attack ships and no way to know with certainty that I'm not flying into an ambush. I'm also abandoning fifty-thousand unarmed civilians, the last humans in the universe." He straightened up from the rail. "My ship has airborne viruses on board that will poison, kill and reanimate all it infects." He looked over at the blue clad major. "All in all, it feels like a Tirsday."
Sheba laughed. The sound beat the edge off of his fierceness. He looked back out across the bay before she could see the corners of his mouth tweak up.
"I was really just thinking about the art on your ships," he nodded at the birds on deck. "It's a bit garish for my taste, but I imagine such symbols could become quite important to a pilot."
"They're very important," Sheba nodded. She paused thoughtfully, then spoke again. "Captain Apollo was telling us that your Cylons are basically robots."
"Yes."
"Ours aren't. The hordes we run into are usually mindless drones, but as the individual enemies become more powerful the greater intellect they possess." Sheba turned and set her backside to the handrail. "There are squadrons out there that have skulls in their heraldry, or dragons, or any one of a hundred other shapes. And they've had those symbols for hundreds of yarens. There are Deathlords out there who can look at certain squadron markings and know for a certainty 'they killed my master', or 'that's the squadron that killed deathlord such-and-such'. Yeah, we get pretty attached to our symbols, but there are beasts out in the big dark that know and fear them." Her grin was wolfish. "I love making my enemy afraid."
Tigh nodded. He was about to say more when Athena strode hurriedly out onto the catwalk. "Sir, Commander Adama wishes to speak with you as soon as possible."
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The flight crews had gathered in an open section of floor in Hangar Bay Alpha, somewhere between the approach apron and the scurrying bay tractors. The men and women waited in a speckled hemisphere, some in brown, and some in blue, crouching or standing. All murmured to each other.
Close by, Galactica's ground crews hurried Vipers into launch tubes and secondary positions. The heavy Adders were already crouching at the head of the bay, hungry for launch. Just behind them were the fat, turreted Asps, just waiting to head out and wallow in blood and fire. Tigh cleared his throat and stepped into the center of the formation. The murmuring died away.
"My people, by now you've all heard about the alternate universe. You've probably heard that the Colonies still exist and that some of our warriors are over there on a Colonial warstar. All of these things are true." He surveyed the room as he spoke, daring anyone to speak. They all knew better. "You've probably also heard that our Vipers don't work as well there as they do here that our fighters can only manage two-thirds of their maximum speed. Even turbos are not what they should be. Our sensors only work out to about a light centon, our communications are similarly impeded. This is all also true."
"Last, by now you know Red Squadron has launched and is landing on various ships of the fleet, so Blue Squadron will be the only fighter group from this battlestar over there." He looked at the men and women in warrior brown. There was no murmuring. They were all attentive, all intense. They didn't look pleased, but most of them had been expecting to be killed by Cylons for the last two yarens. "These are all facts. They are all bad news. Now that they're out of the way, we'll get on with the battle plan and tell you how we're going to win."
He clenched his jaw, knowing so much hung on the way he presented the plan. "Galactica is going back into the business of war..." A murmuring had started to his right. He drew breath, about to shut them down when he saw which way they were looking.
Warriors began to stand. Tigh turned. Adama marched across the deck. His posture was stiff, forced. Tigh glanced at the others. No one seemed to notice. He did. Commander Adama was in pain. He joined the formation.
"Please continue, Colonel." The old man's voice was firm as he took position behind his protégé.
Tigh nodded.
"Modern designers would consider her an antique, probably ready for the breakers. We know better. As you know, when we cross the terminator into that other place, all electronics will go down. That will be an annoyance for us, not a crippling fault. Our base ship has computer controlled guns and engines, certainly, but ladies and gentlemen, we are a battlestar. A slugger. One of the old school. Galactica is built to take hits and respond, not fold."
"Our guns will function without computers. Our engines will breathe fire without all the electronics modern designers love so much. Galactica's main battery will speak to the night and will do so without all the felgercarb that dies when it takes a jolt."
The blue clad warriors looked at the Colonel wide-eyed. They couldn't imagine fighting a modern war without sophisticated gear. Tigh was preaching black magic.
"Ten microns after we pass through, our defensive turrets will be online. One centon after translation our engines will reignite and we will begin maneuvering. Major Sheba has reported that an enemy battlestar is near to us. Within five centons I expect our main batteries will be applying some much needed Colonial authority to that ship. Within ten centons, guidance systems on our cyclonic torpedoes should be up and running, as should most major systems."
He gave the crews a razorblade smile and pierced them with predatory eyes. "None of you will be here to see that because you will have already launched. When the battle lights come on, you will board your ships and power them up, that way you'll know when we go through. The instant we pass through the void, fire your ships up again and launch. There will be no order. It will take a centon or two for basic commo arrays to come back up. Even then, our first broadcast will be on epsilon channel."
"Sir," one of the blue shirts raised his hand. "Epsilon is pretty old. Even the wraiths will be picking it up."
"Good," Adama said. "We want them to. In your universe we are ghosts that still fight for humanity. I want them to know that the Battlestar Galactica has returned in living metal and come for them. I want the dead to know fear. And then I want them to stop existing." He gestured for Tigh to continue.
"The launch will be simultaneous. Blue squadron will launch with Lieutenant Boomer in overall command, Boomer will also be in command of his section, Lieutenant Starbuck will be in command of the second section."
"Um, sir?" Starbuck raised his hand. "Over there I was a captain. Wouldn't that put me in command of the squadron?"
"That Starbuck was probably a grownup," Tigh replied to the laughter of all assembled. "However if, for the sake of misdirection and the confusion of our enemies, other pilots wish to address you by that rank and if you should respond in similar fashion, we have decided not to charge you with impersonating a superior officer."
Starbuck was instantly pummeled with good natured blows. The good nature in his signature nod and grin was entirely faked.
"Now you know what we'll be doing. Major Sheba will tell you what you'll be doing." Tigh gestured for the foreign officer to rise.
"Thank you, Colonel, Commander," she nodded to the two officers. "I'm Major Sheba of Warstar Elysium. I will be the command and control officer for Green and Griffin Squadrons. I will also be in command of the smallcraft in this operation."
"Galactica's Vipers will be performing at less than their best. Our side's magnetic fields are far more dense than here. Some of you have doubtless heard of the adverse affects it has on humans. Don't concern yourselves. Doctor Wilker has produced enough modified helmets for Blue Squadron. The only effects you should suffer are mechanical. You'll definitely notice a lag in your inertial compensators, but I have a feeling when the knife fight starts, you won't have time to feel it."
"Your thrusters are going to work at about sixty percent efficiency, long range sensors and communications at ten." Sheba looked at the brown shirted pilots. "Your turbolasers won't kill the wraiths permanently, their wavelength is wrong. However, if you burn one, it should take anywhere from twenty centons to several centars to reform. That will be the case until Galactica can destroy the lyche that lives inside Battlestar Laurentia." She looked at the frowning mass. "I will tell you now that nothing can stand up to a main battery pulsar blast."
"I know this all seems pretty dire for you. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be rough. There are probably about a hundred wraiths waiting to pounce, but their reflexes are slow. We can get out and sweep them away with minimal losses."
"Blue Squadron, we're going to play to your strengths. When you launch, Lieutenant Boomer's group will have a dorsal rendezvous point, Lieutenant Starbuck will go ventral. You're going to fly CAP on the Galactica. You won't be far from home, your fire will be augmented by the battlestar's defensive armament. You'll be close enough for easy rescue and resupply." She looked across the sea of faces half expecting to see relief. Instead she saw anger. "We need you to protect Galactica, people."
"By now my baseship is a wreck. Deathlords don't destroy cripples right away. Fear feeds them. So after they kill our fighters and silence our guns they'll start punching little holes to let the air out slowly, or lighting little fires to burn people alive." Sheba didn't like to say this in front of her people, but in their hearts they already knew. She did. They had to. They'd all seen it before. "Creel and his bunch eat souls. They animate corpses. Their armies are the dead. In the event of a lengthy battle, their forces will grow while ours dwindle. They will continue to grow until their controlling lyche is destroyed. After that the ones within arms reach are still dangerous, but they're undirected. Easy meat. You people are going to protect the Galactica so she can burn down anything that keeps us from regaining Elysium. Blue Squadron keeps her alive, she keeps us alive, we take back my warstar. That's how it is."
She turned her eyes to the blues. "For my people, this is going to be a normal, if prolonged attack. Green Squadron has been put in launch positions in Beta Bay. You will launch as soon as you can power your Vipers after translation, form up at Galactica's bow and assist in CAP until auxiliary craft have launched. It shouldn't be more than ten centons. Griffon Squadron odd numbers are at the front of Alpha Bay, evens are in Beta. Launch as soon as we translate. Form up on the bow, but low."
"As soon as the Adders are out, we will launch the Asps. Corpsefly One will be overwatching Green Squadron, Corpsefly Two will be overwatching the Adders. Blue squadron will be under local control."
Sheba's eye traveled over her own people. So far they were calm, but angry. She could definitely use that..
"Here's where things get entertaining. At last report Laurentia was just outside the hole. When we pass through, we will all be vulnerable for as long as it takes to fire up our birds and launch. It will take approximately ten centons for Galactica to power up enough systems to be truly combat effective, so all of us will be part of the CAP effort. At the end of that time, the decision will be made whether or not we put main battery pulsars on that bitch. The command for our Adders to hit Laurentia will be ogre, ogre, ogre. Only the even numbered craft will release their torpedoes at the target."
"If Laurentia has left the area, or after Creel has been killed, you will hear the command wrath, wrath, wrath. At that point you will break off whatever you're doing and attack the hulk I designate. Odd numbered Adders will launch torps at that hulk."
She glanced over at Colonel Tigh. He was looking out at the crowd, portraying the confidence of command.
"If we discover Elysium is gone or dead, you will hear the command reaper, reaper, reaper. If you hear that command, and I strongly doubt you will, you will return to CAP and follow Galactica back through the void. At that point we'll land and try to figure something else out."
"Know this," Tigh broke in, "Cylons from that side of the anomaly cannot function here. Get through, relight your engines and get out of the way. If they try to follow you through, they'll fall apart. However, their debris will still have terminal velocity and vectors. Don't ever assume you're completely safe."
"Exactly. If we do have to retreat, don't worry, Fleet knows where we are. However, it is not my belief that we will be the ones retreating."
Captain Boomer sensed the end of the briefing. He rose from the mass and looked hungrily at the assembled pilots. When he began speaking again his voice got louder and louder until he was all but shouting. "What's going to happen is we're going to ride the most famous battlestar in history through that hole. We're going to thunder out of these bays and while Galactica is killing Commander Creel, we're going to be smashing Cylons into bone dust. We're going to keep crushing everything in our path until we get to Elysium. We're going to save our base ship and then we're going to get wildly drunk in the O-lounge."
The assembled pilots cheered and clapped. Major Sheba and Colonel Tigh joined them. After a few moments the Colonel raised his hands to quiet them down.
"Ladies and gentlemen we will be at battle stations in ten centons. Be ready. When the battle lights come on, Galactica will begin moving towards the void. Ready yourselves and good luck."