Chapter 22
Battle Carrier Hermes – Admiral De Ruyter's Conference Room – Alliance Fleet
Laura Roslin and Admiral William Adama followed the three Alliance people into a conference room with a table and several chairs around it that looked to be both comfortable and modern. On the walls of the room were two images that appeared to the former teacher's eye to be oil paintings. One of the paintings depicted a tall and handsome man with an athlete's physique garbed in an ancient tunic exactly like those that had been worn on Kobol. The man also wore a gleaming winged helm and winged sandals.
"Lord Hermes," Roslin whispered softly.
De Ruyter apparently had overheard her. The woman turned and smiled. "Yes, the ship was named after him. The other painting is an ancient wet navy aircraft carrier from one of our oldest nation states, the United Kingdom. She was also called the Hermes. She was the last of the Centaur-class of warships and was that nation's flagship during a small war between the United Kingdom and another nation state thousands of years ago."
At that, Laura didn't know what to think. These people named their ships after the Lords of Kobol and the creatures that co-existed with the Lords and the tribes of humanity on Kobol. For a people who claimed to know nothing of Kobol, they were certainly free about the use of Kobolian symbols, she mused to herself. Perhaps these were signs that their brothers and sisters in the Alliance Fleet would step up to join her people in their struggle against the Cylons.
Moments later, they were all seated around the table, with de Ruyter at the head, Bill and Laura on one side and Jackson and Schlein on the other. After the Fleet admiral offered refreshments and everyone had politely refused to partake in any beverages, de Ruyter said, "President Roslin and Admiral Adama, I thank you for the trust you have placed in us this evening. I'm certain it wasn't easy for you to come aboard a warship of an unknown power. Your courage is a testament to the valor and fortitude of your people."
Laura simply nodded and said, "Thank you, Admiral de Ruyter."
"Now, Captain Jackson has informed us that you are being pursued by sentient artificial intelligences your people developed years ago. If these creatures are so persistent they would doggedly pursue you across the cosmos, they may be a headache the Fleet doesn't need at the moment, considering our war with the Sakqua."
Roslin frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. "Are you saying that you'll turn my people away because the Cylons are chasing us?"
The Fleet admiral's eyes shot wide open before the features on her face softened in compassion. "Madame President, please forgive my poor choice of words! Let me assure you, your people are now under the protection of the Alliance of Planets. We will help you find a home among us or a habitable planet if you so desire. However, I must be clear with you on this point. I have been instructed by our Sector Commander, Vice Admiral Amato, that the Fleet cannot initiate any hostilities against your adversary, the Cylons. Even though they may constitute a potential threat against the Alliance, we would prefer to engage them diplomatically at this point in time."
Adama, with a stunned look on his face, narrowed his eyes at his Fleet counterpart. "Admiral, what happens if the Cylons launch an attack against both of our fleets?"
"Rest assured, Admiral Adama; we shall defend your vessels to the best of our ability if it comes to that," de Ruyter vowed. "Nonetheless, if we encounter the Cylons, we will do our best to discourage them from engaging in hostilities, but, if we have no other choice, they will rue the day they attempted to attack any elements of this task force, your vessels included."
"Those things might not give you a choice," Laura noted with a grimace on her face. How could she make these people understand the menace the Cylons were to all of humanity? "Admiral de Ruyter, these…things carpet bombed all of our worlds with thousands of nuclear weapons. When our defenses were completely overwhelmed, our government offered to unconditionally surrender. Silence and the continuation of bombing was our only answers from them. It is clear that their goal is the eradication of the entire human race. Once we're all gone, they intend to replace humanity with their biological Cylons. They won't stop with my people. They will come for you, too."
"Perhaps, Madame President," de Ruyter agreed. "However, the humans of the Alliance were not the ones who'd created them and who they believe had mistreated or enslaved them. If they can ascertain that difference, we won't need to go to war with them."
A furnace of anger blazed as hot as the brightest star inside the pit of Laura's stomach at de Ruyter's words. How frakking dare this woman condemn the Colonial remnant for the sins of their parents! Hadn't they already paid too high a price for Daniel Greystone's pitiful attempt to obtain godhood?
When she shot a furious glare at the other woman, fortunately, Jackson apparently decided to interject himself into the conversation to keep the peace. "Madame President, Admiral de Ruyter, the issue may be far more complex than any of us believe. My investigation of the Colonial fleet's situation uncovered some interesting data. At one point, there was a Cylon who so identified with his human wife and her child from a previous relationship, he killed himself permanently rather than choose to harm his loved ones. Additionally, another Cylon infiltrator I've personally interrogated identifies so closely with members of the Colonial Marine Corps, she sees them as her staunch defenders. Furthermore, she has absolutely no desire to return to the company of her own people. Apparently, she becomes more actualized, dare I say, more human the longer she associates with humanity."
Roslin sighed deeply and shook her head. "Captain, of course, there will always be exceptions to any rule," she chided. "But to expect the majority of those machines to accept peaceful coexistence with us is wishful thinking! Why, even you had to engage in hand-to-hand combat with a Cylon infiltrator to keep it from detonating a nuclear device it stole from our military, the same infiltrator that killed a Colonial flag officer who'd captured it when it tried to destroy that officer's battlestar! If it weren't for your gallant actions, that thing probably would have killed thousands of my people!"
After the beautiful administrator of the planet Xanadu had gasped loudly and all the color had drained from the woman's face, followed by the icy, stoic look that Jackson shot her way, Laura then realized how royally she had frakked up.
Now, it was de Ruyter's turn to pull Laura's butt out of the fire. "Madame President, although your description of Captain Jackson's gallantry is something that reaffirms the Fleet's faith in him, it is probably best for us to avoid discussing it any further until Malcolm has had the opportunity to brief me on the subject. With that said, I do believe that your concern about the infiltrators is quite warranted. We'd also like to keep them away from Xanadu at all costs. If they decide to approach the planet, we would have to annihilate their vessels completely to keep them from relaying her location to their other forces."
Utter surprise showed on Adama's face then. "You could take out every single Cylon ship?"
De Ruyter simply stared at the Colonial fleet flag officer. "Admiral, this task force has weaponry that can lash out at an enemy two light seconds distant. Some of these weapons could seriously wield damage on ships protected by magnetic shielding and heavy armor. The Cylons don't have any shielding. We could destroy their vessels before they even knew what had hit them."
Then Jackson said, "Imagine then what the Cylons would face if they ran across the two battlestations and the thousand ships stationed at Xanadu." As Adama nodded thoughtfully, Jackson added, "Although I would like nothing better than to have all of your ships under the guns we have in the Xanadu system, we can't take the chance of taking you there until our Medical Corps has scanned every single person on your vessels to uncover all of the infiltrators."
De Ruyter nodded. "I agree, Malcolm. How long would that take?"
"I don't know, ma'am. We need to discuss the matter with Dr. Dalle. I'm certain he could provide you with an answer."
"So," Adama asked in his gruff, soft voice, "what are we going to do if the Cylons launch an attack against my civilian ships?"
"Sir," Jackson said, "may I suggest that we provide your civilian vessels with the coordinates to place them in orbit above the planet where your scout ship encountered our destroyer, the Huntress. She's still stationed there and can protect your ships while we deal with the Cylons, who'll have no idea where to search for them. Besides, the nebula's gases are so impenetrable, even the scanners on Fleet vessels are next to useless inside that thing."
Adama appeared to consider the issue for a moment. Then he smiled. "That's a good idea, Captain. I can also have the Pegasus jump with the civilians for additional protection while the Galactica stays with your task force to help deal with the Cylons. Also, we can wait here with your ships while our scout ships return from their rescue mission."
"I like this plan," de Ruyter declared. "If your civilians are gone, it will allow my people more latitude to engage the Cylons in a more…aggressive manner if they decide not to play nice," the woman observed with a predator's grin on her face. Moments later, though, her mood sobered. "Madame President, Admiral, my people are prepared to deliver relief supplies to your warships at this time. Once you give the word, Admiral, we can begin."
"Then, by all means, the word is given, Admiral de Ruyter," Adama offered graciously.
"Thank you, Admiral Adama."
"Madame President, Admiral, sir," Jackson said. "If it would be of comfort to your people, we could broadcast some documentaries about our aerospace fighters and our warships to your fleet. They may find the broadcasts to be reassuring to them."
Roslin smiled at the Fleet captain. "I think that's a wonderful idea. I know I'd like to see something new for a change on our video channel. Watching reruns of our Fleet News broadcasts has grown quite stale."
"I'll see to it," de Ruyter said. "Now, if we have nothing further to discuss at the moment, I shall escort you both back to the flight deck. Madame President, Admiral, it was a genuine pleasure to have you aboard the Hermes."
Laura smiled in response but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Although de Ruyter had committed to protect them from the Cylons, the woman and her government were not at the point of being prepared to take the fight to the genocidal machines. However, the Opera House on Kobol wasn't built in a day. She simply would have to work harder to convince these people that engaging in diplomacy with the Cylons was a dangerous and wasteful game to play.
Now, though, she derailed that train of thought and said, "The pleasure, Admiral de Ruyter, was ours. On behalf of Admiral Adama and my people, please accept my gratitude for all of the help you will provide to us."
De Ruyter simply nodded her way then turned toward Jackson. "Malcolm, could you call down to the officers' mess and inform the Colonial pilot to meet us at her ship? Also, if you'd be so kind, could you please escort Administrator Schlein to her quarters?"
The man graced them all with a genuine smile and snapped, "Aye, aye, Admiral!"
Chuckling softly to herself, Laura allowed de Ruyter to lead both Bill and her into the corridor while the good captain remained in the conference room with Xanadu's administrator.
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Hello everyone. I apologize for taking so long to post a new chapter. Real life has been extremely hectic for me recently. Thank you for sticking with this story. I will try to get the next chapter posted much sooner!