The Hour of The Wolf
Chapter Seven

Authors note:-

Well this chapter was a pain to write. For months I've been trying to get it to work. eventually I took all my notes, threw them out of the window and started again. This is not the chapter I wanted here, but half way through writing it just mutated into this. Which is a lot better in my opinion.

Will looked out of the ready room's full sized window at the fleet of ships beyond, they stretched out into the darkness of space. More than two hundred according to the scans. From tiny transports to oversized mining ships, all of them old and worn, most shouldn't have been space worthy. God help them if they ever had to do anything more than fly in a straight line.

'Will.' Deanna stood next to him, her ghostly reflection superimposed on the inches thick transparent aluminium.

'Tens of thousands of people Deanna. I can't get it out of my head.' he admitted. 'It's just numbers, then you look out there. Ships full of people grasping on some slim thread of hope.'

He could see her smiling as she shook her head. 'It's not like that at all. They never gave up on hope. They've traveled for generations and now they found us. I can feel it, the joy, the anticipation. Their faith has been rewarded and they know whatever happens they have a home now. It's wonderful.' his imzati rested her head on his shoulder. 'You can only see the struggles of their past. So could I, but give it time. Give it time.'

His hand found hers. 'Thanks Deanna.' There was so much more he wanted to say right then, but he didn't have half the words needed. Instead, for a moment, they just stood there.

Then the comm bleeped. 'Doctor Crusher to Riker.'

Sighing Will let go of the councillor's hand and sat at, what was still in his Mind, Captain Picard's desk. 'Riker here.'

'Will, sickbay is getting full of patients and we're getting requests for transfers from across the fleet. They tried to decentralise their medical facilities, which means every ship has people injured in one form or another.'

'The Enterprise can't handle that many people doctor.'

'I know, I've asked them to limit transfers to those that are emergencies only, and I have my team screening them after that. I'm asking permission to put up some in guest quarters, including Captain Apollo's wife. She's heavily pregnant but otherwise in good health.'

'I don't see any problem with that.' Will frowned. 'I thought you'd have done that already anyway.'

'I would, if Commander Shelby wasn't insisting on a strict quarantine. She's got me screening everything for pathogens I wouldn't be able to identify, even if I knew what I was looking for.'

'Is there a threat?'

The Doctor paused. 'It's an acceptable risk Will. I've got the patients isolated in the cargo bays and secured the corridors but it's a waste of time to screen blood samples and sterilise every gurney.'

Will shook his head. 'Do whatever you think is necessary Doctor, I'll talk to Shelby.' He'd thought he'd finished butting heads with the headstrong young woman. Obviously not.

'Thanks.' Doctor Crusher closed the comm line and the new captain sat back. Scowling at the door

'Whats the matter?' Deanna asked.

'Shelby's getting over zealous.' He admitted. 'I'm going to have to pull her short, the question is how.'

'What do you mean?'

'Beverly knows quarantine procedures, probably better than we do. If she thinks something not necessary it isn't. Shelby's just micromanaging.'

'It's a valid concern. An unknown pathogen could be lethal. To both them and us.' She reminded him. 'Their equivalent of a common cold could be a plague

'Yes, but Beverly knows that. She's got enough to worry about without the ships executive officer chasing around after her, second guessing her decisions.' He laughed. 'Captain Picard had me do a manual docking with the saucer section first day on the job. That woke me up!'

'Shame we can't do the same with her.'

'I'll think of something.' Will promised before they were interrupted again by another comm message.

'Captain Riker to the Bridge.' Shelby said in a tone of voice close to being an order.

'Might have to think of something soon.' Deanna suggested as Will stood up and straitened his jacket.

'You might be right about that.' he agreed. On the bridge his crew were staring at the View screen. A ship was approaching their position. 'Data?' he asked.

'Captain, the ship appeared fifteen seconds ago with a distortion in subspace similar to the arrival of Captain Apollo's vessel, however this distortion was several magnitudes stronger. The vessel is currently twenty thousand kilometres out and approaching rapidly.'

'Contact Captain Apollo, have him report to the bridge.' Will ordered over his shoulder.

'Aye sir.' the securiy gold shirt at tactical responded.

'Mr Data, What type of ship is that?' Shelby asked, frowning at the screen. 'And how big is it?'

Will saw what she was getting at. Twenty thousand kilometres wasn't very far, but the ship was already filling the view screen. 'Unknown, there is no match in our ships registry. From prow to stern the vessel measures more than three kilometres. Nearly two in width.'

'Behind them the tubolift opened and Lieutenant Troy stepped out. 'ahh she's here.'

'Lieutenant?'

'That's the Galactica sir, our base ship.'

'No wonder you took out a Cube.' Will heard Wesley mutter and had to agree.

'Hail them Mr Data.' after a moment Will cleared his throat. 'This is the USS Enterprise to Galactica. It's good to meet you Commander Adama.'

The view screen flickered and was replaced with an aged face, there was a hint of blond hair left in the grey. He wore the same uniform as Lieutenant Troy, only with golden wreaths over the shoulder pads and a short scarf around his neck. 'Wrong Ship Enterprise. This is the Pegasus and I'm Commander Cain. Now who are you and what do you want with our fleet?'

Alyssa Ogawa looked up from her patient. The pregnant officer was awake. Slamming a vial into her hypospray she injected them with a combination of pain relief and mild sedative.

A lot of the problems came from borderline malnutrition. The people just weren't strong enough to heal anything more than superficial injuries without help. Putting down the spray on a nearby cart Alyssa headed to the officer. 'I see you're awake.' she offered her best smile. 'I'm Nurse Ogawa, but you can call me Alyssa.'

'Sheba, my name's Sheba. What happened, I feel like I wrenched my neck.'

'Vulcan neck pinch.' Alyssa explained. 'Dr Selar didn't want to risk drugs and was concerned you might injure yourself, and the baby.'

'Can all… Vulcans do that?'

Alyssa tried, badly, to hide a smile. 'Most. Don't worry, there are no lasting effects.'

Sheba huffed and Alyssa could just tell she was going to be a difficult patient. 'Well, you'll be needing this bed.' the Officer tried to get up but Alyssa pushed her back down.

'We do, for you. Now stay where you are, I've been ordered to restrain you if I have to.'

'This is Federcarb!' She swore. 'I'm not crippled, I don't need to be waited on…'

'I'm afraid Dr Selar disagrees, and so do I.'

Before she could argue the doors opened and another officer came in. It only took him a heartbeat to look around the room. 'Sheba.' he gasped and in a blink he was by her side. 'I heard you were onboard. How are you both.' He took her hand and kissed it

'Apollo.' She half sighed. 'Can you tell this med tech I'm fine and there are others that need her help.'

The dark haired man looked up and Alyssa repeated herself. 'I'll give you some time to talk, then we'll go over what to do next.'

She left to deal with a few other patients. One was a boy with a chest infection. Nothing serious, but again a poor diet and what had to be cramped conditions on the refugee fleet didn't help. Another was a young woman that had broken a couple of ribs a few weeks earlier that hadn't healed right.

After taking a few minutes to diagnose and plan treatments Alyssa headed back to the couple. 'So are you both okay?'

They took a moment. 'We're good.' Apollo told her. 'What's the problem?'

'Its a combination of different issues.' she told them, pulling out the padd Dr Selar had given her. 'Put simply your diet, as well as certain difficulties with your hormonal chemistry means that while the child is ready your body isn't. Now there are a number of treatments. What I would suggest is artificially inducing. We can simulate the correct hormones and it would be a natural process. We could also perform a C-section.'

'A what?' they asked

'Surgery, to remove the child from you directly.' Alyssa explained.

Sheba looked disgusted. 'You mean carve me up like a bovine. Not a chance. I'll take the first one.'

'It will take a moment to prepare the hypospray.' Alyssa nodded.

'How long, after I mean until…'

Alyssa shrugged. 'I couldn't say. No more than a couple of days.'

Sheba stroked her swollen stomach. 'You've got your father's patience and my stubbornness already haven't you? Oh you're going to be a terror growing up.'

Apollo did the same before pushing his forehead against his wife's 'Who knows, they might grow up on earth.'

With a smile Alyssa headed to her cart.

Elizabeth followed her Captain and the Colonial Lieutenant into the turbolift along with Ensign Crusher. It had taken them a few minutes to convince the Commander that they were offering aid to the fleet and weren't a threat. When Lieutenant Troy idenfied himself and told the Commander that his daughter was onboard he insisted on sending a shuttle.

'What can you tell me about him, the Commander I mean?' the Captain asked.

Troy frowned. 'Cain is a legend. We thought him lost at the Battle of Gamoray. he took on three Cylon Basestars with only a pair of vipers for support.'

'A ship like that, I don't doubt he'd win.' Crusher announced But Troy shook his head.

'Basestars have nearly a thousand raiders each and enough firepower to dominate a solar system. Even alone a single Basestar is more than a match for a Battlestar.' he told them. 'It only took a couple to destroy all twelve Colonies.'

Elizabeth didn't like the sound of that. 'How did they survive those kind of odds?'

'Like I said his actions were legendary. They say he's never lost a battle without meaning to.'

The turbolift stopped and the opened into the main shuttle bay. 'Could it be a trap?' she asked him.

'I don't know. I never met him but my father did.'

'And your mother?'

Troy smiled sadly. 'Captain Sheba isn't my mother Commander Shelby. My mother died on Kobol early on in the exodus. Captain Sheba is Commander Cain's daughter.'

Elizabeth blinked at that. It was hard to know what to say. The far off hanger door opened and what she guessed was their shuttle came in for a landing. It was a box like thing with four short landing legs and a raised control cabin on the front. It looked very much like someone had put engines on an old box. The vessel bounced along as it began to land, until eventually hovering in place and then lower itself.

Almost before it landed the hatch on the side opened and Commander Cain leaped out and landed on the deck. For an old man he didn't lack energy.

'Where is she? Where's my daughter?' he demanded.

'Sickbay, with Captain Apollo.'

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Alyssa loaded the hypospray. 'Now this will change your chemical balance quite quickly. You might feel dizzy, even a bit of vertigo at first. If you feel sick don't try to stand up, I'll get you something.'

'Just get on with it' Sheba snapped and Alyssa pressed the device against her neck. 'Didn't feel a thing.'

'You weren't supposed to. Not yet.'

Alyssa was about to head towards another patient when the door opened and in stepped another officer of the fleet. Behind him were Captain Riker and his new first officer. 'Father?' Sheba asked breathlessly.

'Oh Sheba.' the man, even though he was obviously a lot older than Apollo, moved just as fast as his son in law. 'Are you alright.'

'Of course father.' she said automatically 'Ready for action.' Alyssa suspected that would be her response even if she was missing leg.

He smiled at Sheba and stroked her hair. 'Now I have a promise to keep.' he looked over at Apollo. 'Captain, can I have a word.'

'Of course Commader.'

The grandfather to be, without changing his expression swung and punched Apollo. Hard 'I promised my daughter that I'd strike down the first man that had the nerve to ask her to marry him. ' The Commander said as his son in law shook some sense back into his head.

Security at the door were reaching for their phasers when the Commander pulled Apollo close and hugged him. 'Welcome to the family.'

End Chapter Seven