Record Keeping time: Hello everyone. This is part II of the previous chapter. Part three will be coming up. So to repeat, the previous chapter this one and the next is actually one super chapter. 'Shadows is coming up soon, but I had to get this one out first wouldn't drop dead (if he is still reading this). To everyone else, thank you for your patience.

Chapter Twenty-Five

'Glimpses'

Cyrannus Star system'

Orbit over Planet Caprica

Colonel Samantha Carter recognized the familiar tingling sensation that was the characteristic signature of being teleported by an Asgard transporter. It was to be expected the moment she found out that an Asgard ship was in orbit. She was very thankful that the transport hadn't happened on live television. The Colonials were already frightened enough and that would have sent many over the edge of paranoia. The vast majority didn't have an idea that such a technology even existed, and it was likely to cause a panic when seen on television. This happened on Earth when some e of the people saw it someone being transported live on TV for the first time when Thor did the same thing without concern for the ramifications. Several nations insisted that it the work of the Devil. She shook her head. Earth was stronger than ever before, but it still had a long, long way to go.

The first thing she heard was: "Greetings Colonel Carter."

The voice was so familiar. "Hello, Thor," she answered as she turned around, smiling at seeing her old friend once more. But she was also confused. "Why did you reveal yourselves?"

Thor didn't hesitate for a moment to answer her question. "Our civilization is in the process of being rebuilt. There were those on the Council that wished that the universe at large believes us dead. However there those who felt that hiding was counterproductive to our claims as being one of the four great races. Our society is growing quickly thanks to your suggestion that we incorporate Human DNA into our genomic pool. As you are aware many of my people were very apprehensive of such a radical procedure. It provided the necessary component we required to break the cloning cycle, allowing our race to survive. But this process fundamentally changed who we were as the Asgard. We are now hybrids of Human and Asgard. It saved our people but at a price. We have our science and culture, but we must deal with emotions we are unused to. It also lowered our overall intelligence quotient. We have found that we cannot retain as much as we used to. This change was the reason why so many were opposed.

Carter, suppressing a smirk at the irony of adding Human DNA into their mix casually said, "in other words, you're not as smart as you used to be,"

The Asgard commander shook his head. "As General O'Neill would say, 'we are a bit dumber than we used to be', but the benefits have outweighed the disadvantages. We can reproduce now."

"And you're taller," she added.

"There is that," he admitted. "This change allows us to change our species' direction. We were close to extinction. Now my species has a fresh start, to evolve and grow differently. We may be less smart, but we are like newborns. Everything is new and we will learn new things and see things from a different perspective. I admit this is rather exciting. Whether this is a good thing or not, only time will tell."

"Plus you can grow beards mow," smiled Samantha.

"Yes," he admitted. "My wife seems to like this new development. She has told me that I appear exotic." The Asgard actually smiled which caused Carter to do the same. "because we are increasing in population quickly and our civilization and rebuilding is occurring much quicker than anticipated, we have decided to openly reveal ourselves to the universe at large once more. We have maintained limited contact with Earth, and the Race because we see possibilities in their species. Like you, I believe they will continue to grow with continued contact with the Tau'ri. Coming here to the Cyrannus system has revealed our existence to both the Colonial people and the Goa'uld. I have no need to tell you that the Ashtorath are no better than their System Lord progenitors. Their methods are different but their motivations and desire for power are the same. The Asgard will not turn our backs on our allies nor will we turning our backs on those under the Protective Planets Treaty that we charged you with.

"Now that our race is no longer in danger of extinction, so we will take up our duty to honor the treaty as your people have begun to do. The Council has decided that the Colonial people should be given a chance to thrive. There are few civilizations that have not been influenced by the Goa'uld and fewer still that have survived to become a space-faring species without the threat of the Goa'uld. Your people cannot make such a claim. The Colonials have made mistakes. So have your people, Colonel. All of us will continue to make mistakes. The Asgard will also help others to thrive this universe. We will not rule over you, but we will offer occasional guidance to all of you if asked and when needed.

"Now for the reason why we have revealed ourselves. There is an invasion from another galaxy threatening this one. The Ashtorath are about to engage their main force. As much as I detest the Empire, we cannot afford their loss. The Asgard have made it clear that we will help counter this enemy. The United Coalition of Worlds agree and will join us in the battle. We will stop the enemy onslaught and discover how they are entering this galaxy. If we fail, then the Colonials should be made aware that their worlds will suffer as will the Coalition and the Race. The Nox are willing to help by providing indirect intelligence. They are…concerned."

"Thor?"

"Yes, Colonel Carter?"

"This is the first time I've heard you monologue."

Thor sighed. "Yes, we have noticed this problem but so far, we have been unable to stop. It is another problem inherent in our Human-incorporated DNA. Our scientists are working to resolve this apparent error."

Samantha smiled most graciously as she wished them luck. "I need to contact my superiors for orders," Carter said quickly.

"Yes. Your squadron will be attached to our fleet lying just outside of the Cyrannus system. Together we will join the Ashtorath."

"Can we even trust the Ashtorath," asked a very suspicious Colonel. 'They're goa'uld with a different name."

"Can we trust the? Absolutely not. That fact will be explained to them as well. We are officially back. We are small but we are growing, and we are officially part of the Coalition–as we have always been," he said with a slight smirk. That was something Carter would have to get used to.

Several minutes later, after being transported to her ship, Colonel Carter reviewed her given her orders. After confirmation, she contacted Present Goesel.

Several minutes after that, the Coalition fleet and the Asgard left orbit, leaving stunned battlestar groups and defenders confused, worried and now alone.

Makaria Sector

Star Station Makaria

Same Time

Admiral Westergyne stood up slowly and somewhat dramatically as he prepared to speak. "I don't have to tell you what the situation is," he started slowly. "I will reiterate what Admiral Mettlar told you. New Picon, under the leadership of Governor Iblison, has officially broken away from the legitimate Makaria Colonial government body, effectively rebelling against all of the United Colonies. Colonial forces loyal to Iblison have changed their IFF and are gathering their forces in the New Picon system. Makaria Prime and Pontu-Nika are, as of four hundred hours Makaria time, under system curfew until this situation is resolved. We have spoken to the Terrans concerning Goa'uld aggressiveness, psychological profiles of the species, and we have asked for tactical data. We have also stressed to the Terrans and the Coalition that this rebellion by New Picon is strictly an internal affair and we do not want them involved. Standing orders are, for the safety of all non-Colonials, we will escort the vessels whether civilian or military, out of our territories whether they require an escort or not. In most cases this is not for their benefit but ours. We need to be seen as politically correct. We will protect or assist in protecting non-Colonial properties. Civilian couriers will be only allowed passage to and from Star Station Makaria. Incoming Colonial vessels will be directed to Makaria Prime only. Pontu-Nika is under curfew and has the smallest settlements and are the most vulnerable. Makaria and Makaria Prime are considered high value targets. I want all commanders to be on the lookout for any incursions by enemy or rebel forces. How we deal with this will reflect who we are to the Coalition and especially Earth."

Colonel Tigh sitting next to Adama was as pissed off as he'd had ever seen him. Thank the gods he was keeping his mouth shut for the moment.

Instead, Adama did it for him. "We're in a civil war for no reason," Commander Adama grumbled.

Every day, things slowly got worse no matter what they did. Adama wasn't happy with these latest developments and he wasn't alone. None of the crews had signed up for this crap. Their original missions were to hunt down Cylon remnants and terminate those toasters. removing their threat forever. And since their siblings happened to be the area where the Cylons fled, orders were amended to bring the lost tribe of man back into the fold after thousands of years. The CDF expected to rein in a small, weak long-lost colony called Earth.

Instead they ran head-first into a full-blown conflict with the world once believed to be the Thirteenth Tribe and that was just the tip of a very sharp spear. At times like these,

William Adama felt the urge to shoot something. It was a simplistic, elegant solution to solving problems. It was fantasy of course, but a nice one compared to the realities facing them. A possible shooting civil war and war with the Goa'uld that could have already begun three days ago gave proof to that fantasies were just that. For all they knew, their worlds could be burning right now, and he was a year's distant from home!

Like many others, he was hard-pressed to believe that, using an ancient phrase that seemed appropriate, things had fallen so far downhill so quickly. No one could have possibly predicted how events could have spiraled so out of control, or in what directions they had gone. These turns of events that happened during the last few years were so complex that all of his people were completely unprepared. For every forward step they took, it seemed that they were pushed back two. Terrans, aliens, the now civil insurrection by a rouge colony. Just the tip of the spear.

If only, Adar and this government had decided exploring peaceful overtures with the Terrans rather than trying to conquer them. The challenges the Colonials now faced might well have been mitigated instead of growing worse.

Despite wishing about what could have been he was also honest with himself, knowing that he was just as ready to bring the Terran-Apellai back into the fold as everyone else. He was as guilty and responsible for the resulting disaster.

Unlike a few the others who needed someone to blame, he refused to use the long defeated Cylons as an excuse for their woes. 'If only the Cylons had fled in another direction opposite from Earth, everything would have turned out fine'.

It wasn't the fault of the Cylons or Terrans how things were going. This was their fault alone. No one was perfect, not his people nor the Terrans, or anyone else. There were plenty of mistakes to go around. One made mistakes, tried to correct them and moved on hoping that the consequences of one's actions weren't unsolvable, or caused more grief in the future.

William 'Husker' Adama's personality was choleric, a strong-willed commanding trait, but that was mixed with a melancholy temperament that made him known for his distinctive lack of humor even among his closest family members. Those traits helped ruin his marriage and help cause his eldest son to stop speaking to him. He didn't share his emotions lightly and that inability to do so cost him. But those same traits made him a good commander and he relied on those traits now to keep him navigating through this mess.

Who could have predicted that after four thousand years of recorded civilization that offered not a hint of non-human intelligence, the Colonials were literally tripping over a half dozen worlds filled with unknown humans *with hundreds more throughout the galaxy), a reptilian Empire having three distinct species of intelligent lifeforms, the much feared and much hated Ashtorath Goa'uld Empire whose earlier incarnation's rule once spanned this galaxy, alien pirates and gangsters like the Lucian Alliance who had no connection with the Colonials. They had encountered technologies beyond–well not beyond imagination–but beyond expectations and Colonial ability to reproduce, littered the galaxy.

Then, of course, there were the Tollanians.

In his opinion those people should be called the much feared Tollanians. He was certainly wary of him. Making enemies of those people was, in his opinion, a worst mistake than trying to conquer the Race and not expecting the Earthers to respond to the threat in their own backyard. He almost felt sorry for the Lucian Alliance since the Tollanians had made it clear that they were number One on their list to neutralize. He didn't know what the Alliance did, not in detail, but he was glad that the wasn't one of them. Those traumatically distressed people with an extreme hatred for the Lucians, and their phased weaponry and floating nukes still kept him awake at night. The Galactica still had some unrepaired stress fractures as a result of their weapon's strike. As he thought about it, his arm throbbed in memory of being broken, the result of the Tollanian strike.

All of this brought absolute clarity of the place of the Colonial people in the scheme of things. Now he was faced with the strong possibility that he would be in a shooting war, fighting his fellow officers and crews, friends and associates that he'd gone into battle with and would have died for.

6

New Picon

Karota City

The city of Karota was a modest sized settlement which housed most the colonists located on New Picon. The majority the people there were either military or military contractors. There were few actual civilians there, a fact that was scheduled to change in less than a year. The nineteen thousand men and women now occupying the planet were militarily trained with most of them assigned to the battlestar groups now located in the New Picon star system.

All was not well since, approximately two thousand of the original settlers had left the colony world, not approving of the governor's actions, and also fearing an all too predictable clash between rival battlestar groups with the other colony worlds. The ones that left wanted nothing to do with incoming civil war and had gotten out before New Picon and the others started lobbing nuclear missiles at each other, and before the colony was locked down by Governor Iblison.

Gazzim, a unit commander of the Second Battalion Special Operations Command of the Empire of the Race, had a deep contempt for trees. The male was a desert creature and the plants there rarely grew above three meters and those of that size were only found in the polar regions of Home. Home was a glorious sea of sand and rocks. Several small seas filled with water-breathing life. Contrary to the Terrans original assumption, Home had a frightening amount of very hardy plant life, but they were low to the ground and could survive the harshest of temperatures. Without them, the Race would have died out long ago. Lizardians loved Home and Home II and both were beautiful desert worlds just ripe for the species of the Race to live and grow in comfort.

Both imperial controlled worlds, Halless and Rabotev were, 'Lizardian-formed' into desert worlds over the thousands of years of Lizardian occupation. They were now worlds of natural beauty, not like this world filled with plants that stretched into the sky high enough to interfere with low flying craft.

Yes, he disliked trees and he disliked this world. The Cyrannus faction were terrible creatures. They had taken males and females of the Race and brought them here and enslaved them. They were truly civilized, not like these Big Uglies. The Race weren't meant to be slaves. The Race was meant to rule, were they not?

At least that is what he believed before he was sent to Earth for a year. Now everything was different. Because he was secluded, it gave him time to think while hidden the huge plants less than a kilometer from a dwelling where dozens of males and females were housed.

The Emperors had chosen differently after meeting the Terrans. What the Race had wanted in these last few years wasn't what the Emperors of Ancestors past had decreed. Only a few short years ago as a responsible and civilized male of the Race, he would have agreed without exception of the captives' actions. He quietly hissed in annoyance. Things had changed so quickly. He and his fellow males were now exposed to and then trained by the American, Chinese, and Russian Special Forces. His whole perspective was radically altered. He never imagined training could be so…vigorous.

There was a soft crack of breaking branches and he instantly froze like the Raptorvites he fought so hard against on Home II…

It was just a fur-covered animal and not a Big Ugly moving though the forest.

Three fellow male soldiers were hiding with him secluded among the trees of New Picon, observing and cataloging various roads, troop movements and civilian transportation routes in preparation for the liberation of the enslaved members of the Race that were forcibly taken by the Colonials and transported to this water-logged planet. Unlike on the other two worlds that had captives, here 4iplomacy had failed, and all signs pointed to an invasion of this world to retrieve and return members of the Race to Home, or if they chose, Home II. That included the two clutches of eggs and younglings born on this world. This Colonial faction was hostile and dangerous not only to the Race but to their own people. Gazzim was just thankful that the Terrans and the other secretive species were helping them move around this planet without the New Picon Colonial faction being aware of their presence and trying to put holes into their bodies.

For the last four months, soldiers of the Race were on a secret recon mission and had been on New Picon quietly cataloging and identify every target of value. Until the incident, the Colonials weren't aware of the Special Forces' presence. They were too busy worrying about the other Makaria sector Big Uglies which was fine with him. But nothing ever lasts and two weeks ago, that quiet observation had turned into a quiet shooting war between the Race and soldiers of the Cyrannus faction. Both sides were playing a deadly version of what was called 'hide and seek.

The New Picon soldiers couldn't see the soldiers of the Race using infrared-red or any kind of heat sensitive detectors because the Terrans had supplied uniforms that prevented their heat emissions from being seen. It was an advantage that kept the males from being detected and continued to do so. When the shooting began, the Terran uniforms helped keep the small band of males alive in hostile territory. Emperor be praised.

The planet was very sparsely populated. On Home, there were small townships that held more males and females than this entire planet held people. The lack of people made his job easier and harder. Cyrannus faction soldiers were good, but they clearly were not trained for this type of warfare. In this the males had an advantage. That advantage allowed them to remain undetected until recently.

Cyrannus Star system

Caprica City:

Presidential Private office

Looking at his watch, President Antonius Goesel quickly motioned for the, what was becoming his closest advisors in this debacle, to sit and get comfortable. Not for the first time had he wished that he never thought of running for President and if he'd known what was coming, he wouldn't have.

However, the alternative made him grimace. The quorum leader, and he almost sneered at that title considering the current official, now somewhere either in Terran or Makaria territory, would most likely be President of the Colonies at this moment, all of which sent a chill up his spine. With him in charge, the Colonies would most certainly be, at the very least, in a cold war with the Terran Coalition who would have just looked on while the Goa'uld slaughtered his worlds. His pride and short-sightedness would have gotten everyone killed.

Aunt Livia was right, more than she knew. He was the right man for the job to lead the Colonies at this moment in time, even if it were in directions neither one of them could have possibly predicted.

Despite the headaches, sleepless nights. despite the gray hairs and wrinkles and his desire to ingest a lot more of the anti-ulcer medication that was recommended, and despite the fear of death not only for himself but his entire people, he thrived in the position. As if he needed reminding again it also gave him an appreciation for the challenges of the previous presidents as they navigated their own political hurtles.

Richard wasn't perhaps the brightest president of the Colonies but, he truly understood how to govern in peaceful times, Cylon war notwithstanding. He was a bit corrupt and somewhat of a womanizer, but he did his job well enough–before the Terrans started knocking at the door.

"Gentlemen, I have fifteen whole minutes free before I have to meet with the council and then the Quorum Assembly. These aliens have brought up a storm of headaches and questions I have to answer." Sitting down he folded his hands as he prepared himself. "I'm using you four as sounding boards. Lead Admiral, you're my resident expert on Terra having been there and I need your input." He openly smirked at Cain's derisive snort. "I may let you re-retire one day, but not before the current crisis is over."

"Whenever that'll be," Cain muttered.

"What was that, Lead Admiral?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Goesel merely stared at him for a moment. "The problem is, you're exactly right. You may be around for a while so get used to being around me for the foreseeable future. General Doytor, Guas, you know why you're here. Before we continue, you need to know that before the Asgard left an hour ago, I received a message from Colonel Samantha Carter concerning her abrupt departure from her interview after the Asgard vessel removed itself from Caprica airspace. I don't need to tell you that what you ae about to hear is classified."

The scheduled meeting with her was been abruptly canceled due to the presence of the alien spaceship of the people known as the Asgard. He didn't exactly know who they were since intelligence was lacking on the very powerful aliens. Earth never felt the need to inform the Colonies of the vast amounts of alien life they had encountered, not that most of the people would have believed them. Still, the fact that they hadn't told them was a bitter insult as the Colonials really wanted to know about alien life and the threat levels they possessed. Earth was too tight-lipped about critical, need to know information. The relationship was improving rapidly but like most Colonials he subconsciously felt that the Terrans were obligated to pass on such data to their cousins. it was still difficult for him to acknowledge that they were a completely separate people although he knew better.

They weren't obligated to tell the Colonies anything. That independence and superior attitude was a continual sticking point for many, and a lot of people were still getting used to them and really didn't want to be bothered catering to what should be a minor tribe. But then the Terrans left and no one knew why they left during a time of crisis everybody was worried that they might not come back and protect the Colonies. His people were rightfully schizoid about the current predicament. That was a situation he intended to change. For the safety and survival his people, it had to.

The Asgard's presence frightened the Colonial collective in a way that the power of the Terrans never came close to doing. Antonius remembered his almost overwhelming fear as the Asgard ship descended over the capital, unconcerned while battlestars and cruisers fired everything they had at it, and they did it simply to deliver a message.

During his talks with Colonel Carter and the Terran and Coalition ambassadors had told him that the Goa'uld were afraid of the Asgard. Now he knew why.

That encounter represented the culmination of yet another highly threatening First Contact. Earth, the Tollanians, the Race, the Goa'uld, and now the Asgard; he had almost forgotten that there was another threat out there. In his heart, there was little doubt that he knew of the threat they were worried about. The Asgard presence brought that other fear home and crystalized why they had come. The Asgard ship hadn't come simply to reinforce the truths told by the Earthers. No, that would've been too simple. Instead, they have come to give a short galactic history lesson to the people of the Colonies, proving once and for all that the planet Earth was the home world of Humanity, not Kobol. He already knew and grudgingly accepted the truth and now with utter certainty, the Colonies knew it, too. What the supreme Asgard commander Thor, had told them confirmed everything that the Earthers had told him of their culture and history. Unfortunately, Colonel Carter's abrupt departure and the reason why she left only served to make his job more difficult.

The Asgard also hammered home another statement: if the Colonies wanted to go it alone, then they were doomed to be left behind at the very least. Naturally, there would be many doubters and naysayers who would insist that this 'visitation' was just an elaborate trick engineered by the Earth people to try to strengthen the argument that they weren't really descendants of Kobol but something else entirely. Those same people would never be convinced and if truth be told, Goesel didn't care as long as they stayed out of his way and didn't interfere with what had to be done.

"You're aware that I've been in meetings with the military and government officials from every colony in the system during the time the emperor's visit. We've informed Makaria of the situation here. They're no doubt upset as their information suffers a three-day lag time. That can't be helped but they're being continually updated so that problem will correct itself. We don't need them worried if the Colonies here are at war. This Asgard and Ashtorath situation has left our people in a state of near panic. I was forced to declare martial law on Gemenon, Canceron isn't much better," he growled. "These three days have fundamentally changed the course of Colonial history. Gentlemen, if we didn't know it before we know it now. We are only small fish in a very huge ocean. Our people are at the breaking point. any more so-called unnatural surprises may push us over the brink."

"Thank the gods she didn't use the transporter on live networks," Cain said thoughtfully. "She had the foresight to use a secluded room instead of a hallway full of people. You are correct sir, there's no need for another reason add to the panic."

"With our older population that might certainly have caused an additional panic," General Doytor agreed. "But it's the younger I am banking on. They're actually excited about this whole mess than you think. It's about the future and what it holds, wars notwithstanding. It's opened up a new world for them. Older people are running to the temples. The younger ones are glued to the televisions desperate for more information. They like this." He smiled and it wasn't pleasant. "Current and future voters," he mused.

Goesel was too preoccupied with the unfolding events, to think about that now. "Gentlemen, this is the reason why the Terran ship left so abruptly. The Colonel was recalled, by her government to participate in a joint operation conducted with the Goa'uld, Coalition, Asgard battlefleets being sent to engage an enemy that has threatened over a three hundred inhabited systems, mostly situated in Goa'uld controlled territory. The Terrans and Goa'uld hate each other and they are joining forces. The purpose of that fleet is to repel this enemy from said territory. Gentlemen, I don't have to tell you how serious this is. Isolation is no longer a viable option."

"We're about to be squeezed in the middle," Defense Secretary Feya answered. "If these Asgard aliens, and by the way, I do have some information on them sir, plus the Terrans and Goa'uld are about to start fighting, then we have a pretty good idea who this enemy is. There are too many variables that can destroy the Colonies before we have a chance to fight back effectively. I'm sorry, but I think this pre-empts the Race situation."

You're not looking at the big picture here. Everything is related. The enemy the Terrans and the others are about to engage, there's no confirmation who we all suspect," Goesel said, not that he hadn't come to the same conclusion as everyone else in the room, but he did want to ensure both sides of the argument.

"Sir," responded Feya. "We're not the ones in control. We are alone, without allies. We can't depend on the Terrans, not that I believe they are our enemies, but we have no real treaties, no secured military treaties signed with them. They came to help us out of their own self-interests, not out of a unified front of brethren. Sir, if this fight goes badly, then either those unnamed aliens or the Goa'uld will hit us and the Terrans might not be around to help. They might not choose to help us if they are worried about their own survival. It doesn't matter. Without some sort of real agreement, they don't have to do a thing."

The President nodded. Those were his conclusions as well. Antonius Goesel, not to mention the entirety of the Colonies were terrified and had a lot to think about. More importantly, he needed answers, many of which Colonel Carter could have provided. "For our own survival, we need to formally ally ourselves with the Terrans and their Coalition."

"Yes sir," Lead Admiral Cain said. "I think I can say for all of us in this room that we agree, this is an absolute necessity for the survival of the colonies."

Rilson Guas, head of the Colonial Intelligence Division, General Doytor, and Augustus' Cain were sitting across from him each in deep thought. Defense secretary Freya looked particularly stone faced, not revealing any emotion whatsoever. None of them however argued against Cain's summation. Events were unfolding so quickly that there was barely time to absorb all of the possible ramifications of the threats that kept be coming like a rogue asteroid towards the Colonies. All of them were tired.

Mister Guas opened his secured briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. "Mister President, I have here a brief summation of the current projects we've been working on for the last few weeks." Quickly, he handed the papers to the president who accepted and placed them on the side table next to him. "Our top scientists and engineers are hard at work on researching and developing new weapons and technologies brought to us by Commander Eddlison, but the fact is that we are months, if not years away from even developing usable prototypes. I don't like saying this, but my opinion is that we can't rely on anything that he's brought back to be brought into the Colonial military within the next six months at the very earliest."

"We're knew this," Goesel responded. He was bothered by this fact, but he wasn't expecting any miracles on that front, either. "We're all very aware that and in the short term we couldn't rely on those technologies. I will need to go through all of this when I have the time," he told them while glancing at the papers, "not unless I delay the meeting with the council and that can't happen. He stood up. "My time is up in five minutes. "We couldn't rely on Research and Development, so I had a contingency plan. I sent Vice-President Willius to Earth to request weapons and technologies even if outdated. That was his real mission. I believed that Earth will help us through back channels."

Everyone perked up. "Do we know the results?" blurted Cain.

"I am cautiously optimistic at this point," Goesel answered. "I have to leave. I want you four to discuss the Race situation amongst yourselves. I also want to be briefed on everything we have on Governor Iblison. He just performed an act of open rebellion. The man isn't stupid, whatever forces he has won't protect him. He has another plan." Goesel looked at his advisors just before he opened the door to leave. "He has a plan. We need to discover that plan. Everything is connected. I'll be back. I want you all to put your minds together and let's figure out his game plan before it bites us all. Gentlemen, I strongly you get something to eat and be ready for a long night."

TBC

End: Part two of a very long chapter