Hello there, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/Star Wars/Battlestar Galactica multicrossover.

Thank you for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.

I also wanted to make an announcement to you. I've got another beta-reader to help me with the story, so what I'm going to do is go back to the earlier chapters and rewrite/tune them so that they not only easier to read, but have a number of details that might've been incorrect fixed. I'll also be using my improved writing skills to spruce them up so that the story makes more sense.

That doesn't mean that I'm going to stop writing this story. I'll write another chapter before I temporarily stop writing new chapters in order to focus on fixing/tuning the older chapters. Once the older chapters have been reworked and fixed, I'll begin posting new chapters.

As always, leave a review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo, Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Disney Films, NBC Universal Television Studio, Universal Media Studios, Universal Cable Productions, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers, producers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to its original composers and/or artists.

UNSC Infinity

Low Earth Orbit, Picon

0BCH/ACH (August 26th, 0BBY, 1130 Hrs (April 8th, 2559, 1330 Hrs)

Lasky rubbed at his face. I can't believe the Colonials were that stupid to attack us, he thought. Well… half of them at least. The other half, though, definitely had their hands on the Savant Ball. I'd tip my hap to them if I had one.

His thoughts drifted back to the current day's events. Still… the fact that the United Colonies of Kobol thought that this farce of an attack was such a good idea… He shook his head. If there was one thing that never failed to boggle his mind, it was the lengths that some people went to for their beliefs.

Apparently, Cortana felt much the same. "I gotta admit, Lasky, you're a strange attractor. First, we end up in a new galaxy, then we find another faction in our galaxy that apparently has a fetish for their religion, though it's clear the more secular folks didn't want a fight. Some days, I wonder if we were meant to come across all this."

"Seems like it," Lasky agreed. "Still, I'm glad that we ended the conflict… for the moment. Those other Cylons are gonna learn about what's happened here. Once they do, they'll become much more dangerous."

"A sentiment I agree with," came Parangosky's voice as she strode into his office. "Roland's informed me that at least one Cylon Raider managed to avoid the cyberattack Cortana and the AIs unleashed and jumped away. I've no doubts that the other Cylons know about what's happened here."

Lasky facepalmed himself. "Great, as if we need anymore trouble to begin with. Cortana?"

"Confirmed," Cortana said. "One Raider escaped during the conflict. I've got the other AIs on alert for any attempted cyberwarfare attempts. If the Cylons try again, we'll be ready for them."

"Good. That being said, we need to discuss what else we need to do. The worst part is that we don't know where the Cylon Raider escaped to. For all we know, he could be at the far side of the galaxy."

Parangosky smiled. "I believe that's where you'd be wrong."

"Do tell."

"That I will." She sat down and handed Lasky a datapad. "During the battle, we spotted the Raider and managed to stick a tracking device onto it, or rather the Sangheili did. Within a few minutes, we should have information on where the Cylon Raider went off to."

That surprised Lasky. "I didn't know you'd come up with this plan, Parangosky."

"She didn't," came Thel's voice. A moment later, he walked into the room. "I did. I believed that the Cylons would call for reinforcements. Fleetmaster 'Vrotaam agreed to the plan, which led us to launch a small swarm of tracking devices. All but one ended up on Cylon Raiders that were shut down during the conflict."

"And that one was the one that escaped," Lasky finished. He smiled. "Good work, Arbiter. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're one clever son of a bitch."

Thel smiled, then laughed, a deep, hearty sound that boomed in the room. "It is no offense," he said with mirth. "Only one Human, Johnson if memory serves, had the courage to call me that. It is a shame he is no longer with us. He would have loved to participate in this battle."

"Sounds like it. Still, that leaves us with one final problem: what to do about the Colonials?"

Parangosky shrugged. "That's up to you and the Arbiter. I dabble in intelligence, not politics."

"Yet you seem to be so good at it."

Parangosky merely shrugged. "A fair point. I must tend to my other duties now, Lasky. Though, I will say this: I don't envy the task that you and Charet have before you. It won't be easy to convince the Colonies to side with the UNSC, not after you pulled a fast one on them."

"I know," Lasky admitted. "In fact, I'm dreading what will happen soon. Still, as Provisional Chairman of the UNSC, it falls to me to get the job done, no matter how unpleasant it might be." There was a small beep and Lasky looked down. "Well, shit. The President wants to speak with me. I must be going now. Catch up to the two of you later?"

"Sure," Parangosky said. "I'll have my hands full with some of the paperwork. Good luck, Lasky."

"You too, Parangosky," Lasky said. "Oh, and for the record, we don't get along well, but we do make a good team when we want to."

Parangosky nodded. "We do. You've vindicated Hood's decision to have you as the Provisional Chairman. Who knows? He might even make it permanent some day."

"Please don't go invoking Murphy's Law. Still, I appreciate the support. Fair winds and following seas, Parangosky."

"You too, Lasky," Parangosky said. She marched out of the room.

Thel's mandibles twitched. "She seems to dote on you, Lasky."

"Not that big of a surprise, considering that she wanted me to be the Captain of the Infinity, not Del Rio," Lasky admitted. "Still, I'll take support wherever I can get it."

"And you would be wise to do so," Thel agreed. "I must also tend to my other responsibilities. However, should these 'Colonials' and should ONI give you any insubordination, you may rely on my support."

"Thank you." Both Thel and Lasky left the room…

Before long, Lasky found himself walking into the President's office. To his mild surprise, the rest of HIGHCOM, except Parangosky, was present. "Madame President," he said. "Need something from me?"

"We'll get to that shortly," Charet said. "First, Lasky, I would like to commend you on your handling of the situation with the Colonials. I don't know too much about naval tradition, but I think you acted as a solider should."

"She's not the only one," Hogan said. "I know naval tradition myself, and I can say, Lasky, that your actions were in keeping with the highest of naval traditions and honors. If it weren't for the fact that Hood's got you as Provisional Chairman, I'd vote for you right now."

"My thoughts exactly," Dellert said. "That said, we shouldn't forget the Colonials that sided with us. They saw through the blind fanaticism of their leaders and chose reason in the end. They really are a credit to their people."

"That we can agree on," Lasky said. "However, that also means I'd like a report on how things are going."

"The Colonials are having a case of total freakout" Cortana said as her avatar winked into existence. "Most of their military forces have reverted to Cylon War era networks. Their civilian governments are also treating this as a crisis, with all that entails."

"Indeed," Charet said. "Leonis has cracked down on their civilians when they tried to petition for peace. Once we marched in, they stopped that nonsense immediately." She leaned forwards on her desk. "Gentlemen, we're at a crossroads now. What we decide in here will have major implications down the road. I'd suggest we choose wisely."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Lasky said. "Ma'am, would you like my honest opinion?"

"That's why I called you and the others here. Go ahead. I'm listening."

Lasky nodded. "Thank you. As it stands, the Colonials are on the verge of collapse. The unlawful attack the Quorum conducted against us has the Colonies preparing for an all out war against the Cylons. If we're gonna get a lid on this situation, we need to act fast."

"I agree," Hogan added. "We don't act soon, this'll go to hell faster than we can say 'Covenant.'"

"We also can't allow the Colonials to do this sort of thing to us. Our attack's also proved that their military can't handle a military force like the Storm Covenant, or the Prometheans for that matter. Theyir FTL's good, but beyond that, they're screwed."

"Then what would you suggest?" Charet asked.

Lasky frowned. "We have a few options before us. The first is that we let them reap the reward of their own foolishness and arrogance at the Cylons hands. However, I don't like that option, as that'll lead to massive loss of life, and it's also the same outcome we're working to prevent."

"Any second options?"

"Yes," Lasky said. "The other option that we have is to temporarily occupy the United Colonies of Kobol. The Colonials have shown, in their attack against us, that they're willing to go to war over something as simple as religion. The fact that they did this, despite having the truth about our military strength and aliens throw into their faces, shows that they do not accept the truth before them. As such, it's better that we occupy them now."

"Good plan," Strauss said, "but there's also another reason to occupy the United Colonies of Kobol."

"The Insurrectionists," Hogan growled.

Lasky nodded. "Exactly. Now, I get why the Insurrectionists rebelled against the UNSC. Hell, in some ways, I sympathized with them, but I did not support them because they showed no regards to civilian life, and preferred to treat everyone in the UEG as the 'enemy.' If they find out about the United Colonies, and they will, they'll do their damnedest to try and convince them to side with them."

"So that's why you're suggesting a military occupation?" Charet asked.

"A temporary one, yes. While we occupy them, we'll conduct a hearts-and-minds campaign to show them that we are not the monsters they think us to be. It'll be difficult, and it'll take months, maybe even years, to bring them over to us. However, we can't allow the Innies to twist our message, so we'll have to step in and keep them from gaining a foothold in the United Colonies."

"Very true," Charet agreed. "Plus, I've gotten the most recent polls back from the rest of the UEG. As it turns out, many people in the UEG didn't like the Colonials, and actually approved of what's just happened. However, their greatest concern is that the Innies might move in and cause more trouble."

"What' the UEG Congress doing about it?" Lasky asked.

"They're voting on the matter, though given the public support we have, I'd say that the United Colonies will likely have to change flags soon. However, we're not going to just run over them and be like tyrannical overlords. We'll do this the civilized way: through democracy. That's why I've asked the UEG Congress to vote on whether or not we should assimilate the United Colonies into the UEG, and created polls to ask the public if we should do so."

"And what do the polls say?" Strauss asked.

"So far, support for the idea is strong. I'm sure we'll have the group of people that'll claim we're nothing more than conquering tyrants hell-bent on galactic domination. However, as that group is quite small, I don't think we'll have much trouble. Still, a military occupation will be necessary for the time being."

"Thank you," Lasky said. "Once we're done here, and done with the Quorum, I'll speak with the rest of you gentlemen on that topic."

The door opened, with Parangosky walking inside. "My apologies," she said. "I was quite busy. Madam President, you wanted me here?"

"Yes," Charet said. "Gabriela, would you kindly close the door?"

"Yes ma'am," Gabriela said. The door hissed shut, then locked itself. "Door's sealed."

"Good," Charet said. She looked everyone seriously. "What you are about to hear isn't to go beyond the confines of this room. Lasky had more than just Cole for help when it came to fighting off the Cylons."

The others looked at each other confusedly. "I don't suppose you speak of me," Parangosky said.

"Nope."

"Then who are you talking about?" Hogan asked. "I don't see anyone else in here, or do you mean Cortana? Her cyber attack was brilliant."

"Do you recall feeling invigorated during the battle?" Charet asked. "Enervated? Emboldened?"

The others looked at each other. "Come to think of it, I did," Strauss said. "It was the weirdest thing. One minute, I was about to soak my trousers with nervous sweat, then I felt like I could take on anything." He looked at Charet. "I don't suppose you had anything to do about it, did you?"

"She didn't," Lasky said. "I did. In fact, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of my friends."

"Who?"

"I think we can answer that question ourselves," came a ghostly voice. In an instant, both Revan and Bastila had materialized in the room.

Lasky barely contained a guffaw when Hogan and the others jumped. "What the hell?" Hogan asked.

"What's going on here?" Strauss asked.

"You've got me!" Hogan said. "I never expected ghosts of all things to come here. I really hope they don't possess us!"

"They won't," Lasky said. "They're not the bad kind. More like the 'kindly, if argumentative spiritual advisor' kind."

Parangosky looked at the twin Force Ghosts hungrily. "Very fascinating." She turned her gaze to Lasky. "I take it you know something about this."

"I do," Lasky said. "While we were in the Andromeda Galaxy, Blue Team came across a Force Holocron created by the Sith Emperor Vitiate, also known as Valkorion. When I opened it, it forcibly bonded me to a pair of Force Ghosts, while also infusing my cells with midi-chlorians, effectively turning me into a Force Sensitive."

"Wait a minute," Strauss said. "You're tell me you're one of these 'Jedi' now?"

"Yes, though not willingly," Lasky said. "The Holocron's activation nearly killed me. That being said, these two had nothing to do with it. Before I forget though, I'd best introduce them." He cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Bastila Shan and her former husband, Revan. Revan, Bastila, these are the members of HIGHCOM."

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last," Bastila said. "Lasky speaks highly of some of you."

Hogan frowned. "Some of us?"

"Yes," Revan said. "Most of you have earned your ranks quite nicely, even if some were a tad timid about this." He gazed pointedly at Strauss. "However, there's one person here that we don't like very much."

"Yes," Bastila said. She looked at Parangosky. "Parangosky to be exact. I don't appreciate your machinations when it comes to Lasky."

Parangosky raised her hands. "There's no need for aggression here. I do admit, I made some costly mistakes. However, I am in the process of correcting said mistakes."

"Good, and you'd better keep to your word."

Lasky cleared his throat. "We're drifting off topic here, gentlemen."

"Of course. My apologies."

Lasky smiled. "Thank you. As you are all aware, the victory against the Cylons was a major one. Part of the reason it was so successful was because Bastila here instructed me on a technique known as Battle Meditation. To put it simply, when I employ it, anyone I'm an ally with will become invigorated and emboldened, while the enemy will become demoralized and sluggish."

The others looked at each other. "So that's why I felt good all of a sudden," Strauss said. "You were using that Battle Meditation to give us a shot in the arm."

"Can you use it all the time?" Hogan asked.

Lasky frowned. "Unfortunately no. Battle Meditation is a very stressful technique to use. Most first timers tend to be exhausted once they cease their use of the technique. I got lucky because Bastila is a master of it, and taught me some of what she knew."

"It also helps that I was lending him some of my power to use," Bastila added. "However, when it came to the strategy portion, Revan was instrumental."

"How?" Parangosky asked.

"I was a military commander four thousand years ago," Revan said. "While you people were still in pre-medieval times, I was leading Sith forces, and then Republic forces, to victory during the Jedi Civil War. I've been in hundreds of battles, most of which I won, which qualifies me to serve as a military advisor. As such, I was in the perfect position to help Lasky refine the battle that happened just a few hours ago."

Hogan whistled. "Damn. Now that's impressive. All the fun stuff happens to you, Lasky. Why can't I join in on the fun?"

"Well, unless you do what I do, you won't get much fun," Lasky said cheekily. "However, I'll have all of you know that I don't use Bastila and Revan as a crutch. They're there to provide advice, no more, no less. Much of that battle was fought by me through other people with my skills. Oh, and Parangosky?"

"Yes?" Parangosky asked.

"You don't get to experiment on me. I know, it's fascinating to see the Force in action, but it's not something you can just extract from a person and use in another person. The Force isn't meant to be used as a weapon that ONI can unleash at your beck and call. You understand?"

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing," Parangosky said. "I know the dangers of power like that."

"Good," Charet said, "because the order comes from me as well. If even one Section Three agent finds out, they'll be court-martialed and jailed, and you will answer to me as well." She stood. "That being said, we've got an upcoming meeting with the Quorum in just a few minutes. I want all of you to begin making preparations for the military occupation of the United Colonies of Kobol. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the others said.

"Good. Now go." The members of HIGHCOM stood, then left the room. "That was a risk, Lasky, but it's one that's paid off."

"Tell me about it," Lasky said. "To be honest, I thought I'd be called out as a loony without that demonstration. Nice to see that HIGHCOM isn't off kilter."

"My thoughts exactly. These are strange times that we live in, though. That being said, we have a meeting with the Quorum. Shall we?"

"Of course." Lasky said.

. . .

Onboard the Pelican, Chief kept a close eye on the members of the Quorum. So far, none of them had many any hostile moves, though the hostility that some of them showed clearly meant that they'd fight if they could. Only the representatives of Libra, Caprica and Leonis seemed to be calm and relaxed. Even President Carter, who was included alongside Dr. Baltar, seemed relieved over what had happened.

"They're handling this situation quite well," Cortana said. "Most of them, anyway. Danvers and Cassandra seem quite angry."

Chief nodded. Fred voiced his thoughts. "They expected an easy war and got stomped on instead. In my opinion, they deserved it."

"I agree," Kelly said. "Idiots wouldn't know how to fight the Covenant. Sure, they'd delay them, but the Storm Covenant would just mow them over. Better we break their fantasies than them."

Chief nodded imperceptibly. "Cortana, how long before we reach the Infinity?"

"Two mikes," Cortana said. "We're about to arrive."

Cortana's words proved true as the familiar sight of the hangar bay came into view through the viewport. The Pelican rotated around, then came to a gentle rest onto the deck. Once the loading doors lowered, a squad of Marines and ODSTs came to the entrance. "We'll come quietly," President Carter said. "We don't intend to cause trouble."

"We're not here to escort you, sir, or Dr. Baltar for that matter," one of the Marines said. "We're here in case the others cause trouble." He looked pointedly at Danvers.

"Then lead the way," Carter said.

Once they stepped out, they began to move towards the tramway. "Cortana, status on the Admirals from Colonial Fleet?"

"They arrived here around five minutes before you," Cortana said. "Admirals Nagala and Corman, along with Commander Adama, were quite apologetic over what happened. Given that they sided with us, though, they've no need to apologize."

Chief nodded. "They stood with Earth and her colonies when given the chance. There's no need for them to be contrite." He closed the channel, then continued to follow the others.

Before long, they were in one of the Infinity's meeting rooms. When they entered, they found Lasky, Charet and the Arbiter waiting for them. "President Carter," Lasky said. "Good to see you're all right. Sorry about the whole attack on your fleet."

"No need to apologize," Carter said. "I didn't support the attack. These buffoons did." Danvers glared at him when he said that.

"I know," Lasky said. "And I'm, not angry at you, or those that sided with us. I can't say the same, though, for the Quorum." He glared at the Quorum members. "I must admit, ladies and gentlemen, I'm immensely disappointed with you. You chose to attack us, even though we extended the hand of peace. Y'all must be either really stupid, or really bold, to do that."

"Easy for you to say, when you've been surrounded by your kind for centuries!" Danvers snarled. "We would've won too, if it wasn't for you and your meddling Cylons!"

"We had no choice but to defend our culture and society," Cassandra added. "I don't know how long it'll take, but the Lords of Kobol will avenge us for what you've done!"

"Will they avenge people that attempted to commit a jihad against us?!" Lasky snarled, his voice calm and level, but his tone menacing. "The way I hear it, your Lords of Kobol would be ashamed of your conduct, especially given what we know of them so far! In fact I think they would be supremely disappointed that their descendants became little more than bickering idiots that think their religion gives them the right of way!

"We gave you a chance to do the right thing! We gave you a chance to live alongside us in peace and harmony! We could've had an alliance that would've allowed both sides to become stronger! But no, you just had to act like spoiled brats that whine and complain when they don't get what they want, or when they're proven wrong repeatedly!

"And to top it all off, you spoiled that chance for everyone else in the United Colonies of Kobol! Your constituents must be real proud of the fact that you've fucking ruined their chance of living independently alongside us! If you'd even stopped and listened to us for one damn minute, this entire war would have never happened!" He glanced at Thel. "Wouldn't you agree, Arbiter?"

"I do," Thel said, his voice equally calm and level, though there was rage in his words. "If I were in the same position as you foolish Colonials were, I would have done exactly as Lasky felt all of you should have done: negotiate and hope to buy a lasting peace for all. Instead, in your arrogance and pride, you have destroyed the unit that the Articles of Colonization brought your people, and in doing so, have shown that you are not fit to lead yourselves. You are no better than the Hierarchs of the Covenant, and that is a first for me."

"I couldn't agree more," Charet said. "Because of your sheer… ineptitude, we're not only having to clean up your mess, we're also faced with the prospect of a second Cylon attack! You may have been elected as the leaders of the United Colonies, but you have not been faithful to your duties! Your people should be ashamed of themselves for choosing such closed-minded, arrogant, short-sighted fools for leaders!"

By the time Lasky, Charet and Thel were finished, most of the Quorum were pale with fright. Even Dr. Baltar, despite knowing he wasn't on the receiving end of the tirade, had shrunken in on himself.

Only Danvers seemed to be immune to their tirade. "At least we stood up to you and your damn Cylons!" he snarled. "My ancestors can smile on me for that! Can you say the same?"

"Yes," Charet said, "And more, because unlike you, I've kept true to my duties as President of the UEG. I've actually made wise choices, and best of all, I didn't need to use my damn religion as an excuse to wage war! I think that shows who the true leaders in this room are, and you are not one of them."

Charet stood. "Which brings me to an announcement I must make. As a result of your unprovoked and unlawful attack on the UEG, I have hereby granted the United Nations Space Command permission to invade the United Colonies of Kobol and occupy it as a military controlled territory. Effective immediately."

Everyone paled at that. "This is madness!" Centares shouted. "Why punish the members of the Quorum that haven't done a thing to you or your people! I sided with you, Charet! I trusted you! I -"

"If you allow me to finish, I will clarify that," Charet said. Centares frowned, but went silent. "Thank you. The military order, while a blanket one, will have a varying level of severity depending on the cooperation of the Colonies in question. Those that sided with us will have their governments remain in tact, and their leaders in place.

"Those that sided against us, and participated in this insane farce of a war, will have their leaders stripped from their positions. Military patrols will be set up, and martial law will be in effect until the new leaders have consolidated their power. Let that be a lesson to those in this room that have failed to listen to reason and logic. Those that attacked us will stand trial for their crimes. Those that did not will be spared further judgment.

By the end of the speech, the Colonial Admirals in the room looked at Charet with a newfound respect. She may be a civilian, Adama thought, but she is no weakling. That woman has a fire that wouldn't be out of place in an Admiral.

Charet sat down, and looked at the members of the Quorum. "Guards, have the Quorum members that voted against us arrested and placed in the brig. Those that sided with us are to be pardoned and let go. I will speak with them some more, along with their Admirals."

The Marines nodded, then hefted Anvers and nine of the Quorum members onto their feet. Danvers attempted to struggle, only for one Marine to tap him with the end of an electric baton. Danvers yelped, then offered no further resistance as he was escorted out.

Once they were gone, Charet rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'll never understand why I went into politics," she sighed. She sat down and regarded the others. "As for the rest of you, you can believe me when I say that I'm thankful that you chose reason instead of honor."

Centares shrugged. "Nothing really. Any sane person would've done the same in our position."

"I agree," Edward said. "That being said, we're not at a crossroads. What do you intend to do now?"

"Given what's happened, it's clear that the United Colonies of Kobol might cease to exist," Charet said. "I know, it seems like we're marauding monsters, but the rest of the Colonies have shown that they're unwilling to play nicely with the rest of us. If given another chance, they'll attempt to wage war against us."

"So what do you intend to do?" James asked.

"We'll occupy the Colonies, as I've stated before. However, there's also a debate going on back home on whether the UEG should annex the United Colonies. Given what polls have recently said, it's very likely that will happen."

"So we'll become members of the UEG if that happens," Edward guessed.

"Precisely. However, we know that some of the other Colonies, particularly the fundamentalist ones, will not agree to this, hence the need for martial law. It's not idea, but I don't see any other way forwards."

"Unfortunately, we have to agree with you there," James said.

"What about the military?" Admiral Nagala, who'd been silent until now, asked.

"They'll be folded into the UNSC Navy and Marines," Charet said. "Colonial Fleet will cease to exist as it is, and will likely be remade into a planetary militia. Any high ranking officers will need to take a competency test and the oath of allegiance to the UEG before being inducted. Any ship commanders will also have to be up-ranked to Vice Admiral or full Admiral."

So, due to my command of the Galactica, I might end up as a Vice Admiral or Admiral regardless of whether I turn down the promotion or not, Adama thought. It was irritating, but he knew it was gonna happen sooner rather than later. "What will happen with the ship in Colonial Fleet?"

"A few will become museum ships, like your is becoming," Charet said. "The rest, however, are going to be sold to some friends in another galaxy. I've no doubts they'll be grateful for the new hardware."

"You mean the New Republic?" Nagala asked.

"Exactly."

Corman frowned. "Why not simply upgrade our own ships?"

"Before he left for the Andromeda Galaxy, I had a nice chat with Howard Graystone, and Chief Engineer MacCallum on that," Lasky said. "One of the first roadblocks is the cost to upgrade those ships. MacCallum informed me that we would need to spend around 50 billion UEG credits to upgrade all ships in Colonial Fleet. That's simply too expensive.

"Furthermore, Colonial Fleet ships don't align with UNSC combat doctrine. We engage in long range combat against enemy forces, whereas your ships tend to get in close to the enemy to take them out. Your ships also lack MACs, which are vital for opening shots, and your flight pods are too small to accommodate UNSC fighters, which are much larger. To put it simply, they're too backwards in doctrine and design to be effective in the UNSC's arsenal."

"Hence why you're selling our ships to the New Republic," Nagala finished. "Is that also why we agreed to send Admiral Graystone to the Andromeda Galaxy?"

"Partially. The other reason is that I want Graystone to work with Admiral Sark and her team. They were the architects for the Infinity, so he'll learn some valuable lessons from them. In addition, he'll be needed to redesign the ship designs Colonial Fleet uses for the New Republic to use, as their combat doctrine's more in-line with yours."

The two Colonial Fleet Admirals looked at each other, then nodded. "Sounds like an excellent plan," Corman said.

"I'm glad you see it that way. That being said, we've got other business to tend to."

Adama's near-perpetual frown deepened. "The Cylons."

"Indeed," Lasky said. "Given what we know about the Cylons, it stands to reason that they won't remain on the defensive for long. They'll try again, and we must beat them. Fortunately, we think we know where they are based out of."

"You've found a Cylon base?" Corman asked.

"Yes," Lasky said. "We've found two, to be exact. However, that isn't the purpose of this meeting. We'll discuss all of that in another meeting that will be held a few hours from now."

"For now, I'd suggest you head back to your ships," Charet said. "I'm sorry it's come to this."

"Me too," Nagala said. "Still, that's the price of life, though given the circumstances, I think this is a good price to pay."

"So say we all," Adama agreed.

. . .

Down in the bowels of the Infinity, Captain Dare looked through the interrogation room's window at the Cylon inside of the room. He looks more like a grandfather than a machine that wants to commit genocide, she thought. Strange… for machines that profess themselves to be better than humans, they sure do act human.

Roland must've felt the same way, as he chimed in. "I gotta admit, for a race of machines that profess to be better than humans, they sure don't act like machines. More like angst ridden, irritable young children."

"More like teenagers, actually," Lieutenant Ian said. "Still, to be so cold and callous to commit genocide…" He shook his head. "If there's one thing in this universe that I have to shake my head at, it's people that want to kill other people just because of their society. Reminds me of the Third Reich in a way."

Dare nodded. "It does," she said. "I guess the old adage is true after all. 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.'"

"Tell me about it."

"You ready for this?" Dare asked.

"I am," Ian said. "I know how deceptive Cylons can be, so I'll be able to sift the truth from the lies." He turned towards the door. "Roland, inform me if our 'guest' is lying. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Roland said. Ian nodded, then stepped out into the hallway.

Inside the interrogation room, Cavil waited patiently for the unavoidable interrogation. He looked up at his guards. "You know, it's rather excessive that they sent you," he said. "I don't think Spartans are necessary here." The Spartans merely looked at him, or glared at him. One can never tell what they're doing behind that visor, he thought. For all he knew, they were smiling gleefully at him.

"They're there because we can't trust you to keep calm, and not try to kill me," came another voice. Cavil looked up to see Lieutenant Ian walking inside. He glanced at Cavil. "Judging by how talkative you already are, you'll be cooperative with me. Correct?"

Cavil shrugged. "Why not? You people employed a cyberattack that had the Hybrids on the ropes. You'll hav eto show me that trick sometime."

Ian frowned. "Maybe, but that's up to my boss to decide." He leaned back, tapped a function on his data pad. "This is Lieutenant Ian of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Section One. Interrogation Log 42-B. Subject is a male in his mid sixties to early seventies. Would the subject kindly share his name and identity with the interrogator for the sakes of this log?" He glanced pointedly at Cavil.

"Yes," Cavil said. "John Cavil, Model One of the organic Cylons."

"Thank you. We shall begin." Ian cleared his throat, then leaned back. "What motivated you into attacking the United Nations Space Command?"

Cavil looked at Ian. "Excuse me?"

"Why did you vote to attack the UNSC?"

Cavil sighed. "I see… Well, to be perfectly frank, it wasn't just I who chose to attack. The Model 3's, as well as the Fives and Eights chose to attack as well. Only the Twos, Fours and Sixes opposed us."

"So it was a democratic decision?"

"Yes," Cavil said. "Part of the reason why is that most of us didn't believe the Cylon Hybrids. They predicted that an attack like this would end in failure, yet we chose to press the attack. Goes to show that we're not as perfect as we claim to be."

That had Ian mystified. "What did the 'Hybrids' say that made you disbelief them?"

"They said something that I'll never forget," Cavil said.

"That being?"

Cavil's expression became serious. "They said, 'The Reclaimers have returned. The Sons and Daughters of the Ancients have come to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. The Demon and the Repentant have slain the Great Evil that threatened all existence. Soon, they shall defeat an even greater evil. All those that oppose them shall drink from the bitter chalice of defeat.' Something along those lines, anyway."

Ian frowned. So their AIs said something that knocked them off-kilter, and they didn't believe them as a result. "So you believed the Hybrids were being dishonest?"

Cavil shrugged. "Not really. The Hybrids are… unique, to say the least. They employ meta-physics during their duties. Most of what they say can sound like gibberish to most people. It takes an unconventional and frankly half-crazed mind to figure out what their words mean. That being said, I take it you want to know something different from that, yes?"

"Precisely. Where did your Cylon Raider go when it jumped out of the system?"

Cavil looked confused. "Pardon?"

"One of your Cylon Raiders jumped from the Cyrannus System when they attacked. Now we've got some idea as to where it has gone, but we want to confirm if that is the case."

Cavil frowned, then nodded. "Yes. One did jump out."

"I see. So that means that you know of the Resurrection Hub and Graystone Colony."

That caused Cavil to sit upright. "How'd you find out about them?"

"A little trade secret of ours," Ian said. "That being said, we didn't know that you had technology designed to upload the minds of dying people into new bodies. How did you accomplish this?"

"I'm not sure telling you would be a good idea," Cavil said.

"Are you sure? We have a number of AIs that can hack into your brain and rip out the information we need. Plus, they're not very happy, which is understandable, given that you attacked a foreign power without due provocation."

Cavil sighed. "You're not going to let up on that, are you?"

"Nope."

The Cylon shook his head, then shrugged. "Very well. We learned how to do it from the Final Five."

That caught Ian's attention. "The Final Five?"

"The Cylons that escaped from Earth," Cavil said. At Ian's confused expression, he said, "A different Earth, not the one you came from. It took them around two thousand years for them to arrive here in the Cyrannus System. When they discovered the Cylon War was ongoing, they had us retreat and begin negotiations for an armistice. After that, they decided to share the secrets of resurrection technology with us. That being said, that's why you should probably be ready in case trouble happens."

"Let me guess: the Cylons we killed were uploaded into new bodies and now know of our capabilities?"

A small smile crept onto Cavil's face. "You catch on quick, or at least quicker than most Humans do."

"I've seen some crazy shit," Ian admitted. "As such, we at ONI expect the unexpected. That being said, what do you know of the Resurrection Hub and Graystone Colony? Defenses? That sort of thing."

Cavil mulled over his options. It's pointless to resist the UNSC, the analytical part of his mind said. Even if you deny them and try to kill Ian, all you'll accomplish will be your death. Better to tell the truth and live, than to die and remain true to the cause.

He sighed. "Very well. The Resurrection Hub is where we keep our resurrection technology, and where we also build our resurrection ships. It's guarded by ten Basestars. As for the Colony, it has a number of weapon batteries. It's also guarded by twenty Basestars."

"Thank you," Ian said. He stood from the table. "I'll see to it that my superiors know of your cooperation with the UNSC and ONI. Gentlemen, please escort him back to his cell."

The Spartans advanced and unlocked Cavil's chains, then hefted him onto his feet. As they began to leave, Cavil said, "Ian?"

"Yes?" Ian asked.

"I know this might not mean much but…"

"But what…?" Ian asked.

"I was one of the few Model Ones that disagreed with the others. Now that I've seen your ship and seen your people, I realize that our war with the Colonials was not only pointless, it was wrong. Took me a while to remember that. For what it's worth, I'm sorry it came to this."

To his surprise, Ian nodded. "So am I. In another time and place, we might've been friends." With that, the guards dragged Cavil away, while Ian went to speak with Dare. "You hear all that?"

"Yep," Dare said. "This resurrection technology is… franking speaking… disturbing."

"It is," Ian agreed. "The ability to perform a neural upload into a new body while the one you inhabit is dying is quite scary. Death no longer holds any relevance in that case. Instead, it becomes a learning experience."

Dare nodded. "That it does. Still, that means that the Cylons will know we're coming, and that the only way we'll be able to catch them with their pants down is to attack while they're on the back foot. Roland, did you catch all of that?"

"Yes," Roland said. "I'll inform Chairman Lasky immediately. This is definitely something he needs to know."

"Thank you." Both Dare and Ian left, ready to carry out their mission…

Up in the briefing room, Lasky and the rest of HIGHCOM huddled around a holo-projector. "So, when will we begin the briefing?"

"Once Admirals Corman, Nagala and Commander Adama arrive," Lasky said. "They're still new to the Infinity, and believe me. It's harder to navigate this ship than it looks."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Hogan said. "I got lost several times every time I looked for my office. How you manage to avoid getting lost, I won't ever know."

"I'll keep that to myself," Lasky said. Any conversation was halted when Nagala, Corman and Adama walked into the room. "Gentlemen, welcome. I take it you had no difficulty finding your way around the ship?"

"We did, actually," Corman said. "I know, Battlestars are big and all, but not as big as the Infinity. It was like we were in a small city."

"Tell me about it," Nagala said. "That being said, we're ready to provide whatever advice and assistance we can."

"Good," Lasky said, "because things are about to get hairy." He tapped a few commands into the holographic projector. The image changed to that of a map of the galaxy, which zoomed in onto the Cyrannus System and the nearby stars. "While the battle was being waged, our Sangheili allies managed to stick a SLIP/WAVECOM equipped tracker onto a Cylon that fled the battle. This has allowed us to find the locations of the Resurrection Hub and the Cylon Colony."

The map updated to display two red dots. Each of them was dozens, if not hundreds, of light years from the Cyrannus System. "The information from the tracker suggests that they're located at these coordinates. We've also gotten information on their defenses. Roland, if you please?"

"Of course," Roland said.

Nagala sighed. "It's gonna take me a while to get used to having an AI around."

"I know," Lasky said. "I'll have you know, though, that Roland's gotten us out of more than one tight situation. I trust him, Cortana and Gabriela, with my life."

"I know. It's just that this is still a big shock. I've fought against AIs all my life, Lasky. I can't just magically start to trust them again."

"Then consider this the first step down that road," Lasky said.

"Information retrieved, sir," Roland said. "Captain Dare was able to extract information from one of our Cylons prisoners as to the defenses at each location. From what she was able to learn, the Resurrection Hub has a number of built-in weapon systems, and has a fleet of ten Basestars to protect it. The Cylon Colony is similarly arranged, but has twenty Basestars."

Corman frowned. "I'm not sure we can take on that much firepower all at once."

"We can," Lasky said. "In fact, this is the perfect opportunity for a counter-attack."

"I agree," Adama said.

"Why is that?" Corman asked.

"It's simple, really," Lasky said. "The UNSC's arrival in the Cyrannus System threw the Cylons in for a loop. Rather than wait and gather information, they chose to continue with their plans, which resulted in their defeat.

"This means they're scrambling to get everyone together and plan out a reprisal. Attacking the Resurrection Hub and Cylon Colony now means that we'll force them to devote their military assets into protecting those two locations, rather than on the Cyrannus System. Any other means of attack, and they risk losing their most valuable resources."

"Good plan," Adama said. "That being said, you mentioned that they had a 'Ressurection Hub.' Does that mean what I think it means?"

Lasky sighed. "Yes, it does. The Cylons have the ability to perform mind-uploads in the field."

"What does that mean?" Corman asked.

"It means they can transfer their consciousnesses from one body to another," Roland said. "Cortana's intel says as much. Basically, they don't have to worry about getting killed because they can just load up into a new body while the old one dies."

"Frak me!" Nagala grumbled. "That means they'll know about what happened where we are."

"Not quite. It turns out, they have to be in range of a resurrection ship for the process to be successful. If they die out of range of one, then that death's permanent. It does explain the presence of some of the ships we interdicted and caught in the battle, though. They're mobile resurrection hubs."

"So they might not know about what's happened here," Adama guessed.

"Yep," Lasky said. "It's also why they sent that one Cylon Raider back home. They were worried we might destroy their resurrection ships. Instead, we captured them because we didn't know what they were. Now that we know, we can u that to our advantage."

"How?" Adama asked.

"Let them go back home and tell them about what happened here. We do that, we can intimidate the Cylons into surrendering, rather than fight them. One of our ancient philosophers once said that, 'to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence lays in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.'"

"So you're saying that we need to psyche them out?" Adama asked.

"Basically," Lasky said. "If we do this right, we'll psyche them out, we won't have to fight. They'll come to the negotiating table, and we won't have to waste any lives."

"And what if we do need to fight."

Lasky pulled up more holographic data. "Then this is what we'll do. The ships we have will split into two joint fleets. One will move in on the Resurrection Hub, whereupon UNSC forces will take the station. The other will move in on the Cylon colony and force a surrender. Any other questions?"

Corman and Nagala looked at each other, then at Adama, who merely responded with a nod. "Sounds like a good idea," Corman said. "Wish we had you during the Cylon War. The Cylons might not have done the damage they did."

"True, though then again, I'm comfortable where I am," Lasky said.

"Agreed," Adama said. "However, there is a problem with this strategy."

"That being?"

"Those locations are outside the Red Line for our ships. We'd need to perform multiple jumps in a single day to get there," Adama said.

Lasky frowned. "Red Line?"

"It's the jump range they can safely perform before they have trouble," Roland said. "Part of the trouble is that they have to be able to jump to specific coordinates. If the coordinates are off by even a small amount, they could end up inside of a star or a planet. Its also complicated by the fact that in order to jump a hundred light years, they'd need to run a centuries worth of calculations by their standards, as they don't have FTL communications, and jumping out there bit by bit will take too long."

Lasky winced. "Ouch. I don't suppose you have a solution?"

"I do. If we send Prowlers to scout out those locations first, we can have them send the coordinates to us. I can then use the Infinity's SLIP/WAVE/HOLOCOM array to send the relevant coordinates to the Battlestars. That way, we can help them jump the distance required without them getting stuck inside of a planet or star."

Lasky nodded. "Good idea. That'll allow us to minimize any damage done."

"What about the CNP?" Corman asked. "I know you sent an updated version to our ships, but I'm worried about the others."

"We've got that handled," Roland said. "The ships that sided with us will take part in the joint fleet operations. I'll also have your COM systems synced to our own. If the Cylons try to hack our ships, us AIs will keep them out. Takes an AI to keep an AI from invading."

"Fair point."

"All that aside, we'll need to act quickly," Lasky said. He glanced at Hogan. "Your men ready for this?"

"Hell yeah," Hogan said. "Those Cylons are about to get real acquainted with us Marines. They'll find out what happens when you piss a Marine off."

"Good. Strauss, Dellert, you two will handle the Colonies. Once us Navy and Marine folks are done with the Cylons, we'll come back to reinforce you. Understood?"

"Good plan," Strauss said. "That'll allow us to do our jobs."

"Good. Parangosky?"

Parangosky smiled. "I'll have the Prowler Captains scout out the Resurrection Hub and the Cylon Colony." Her smile widened.

"Good. We'll move out at 1510 hours. Dismissed!" The others stood, then walked out of the room.

"That is a sound strategy," Revan remarked. "Have the Resurrection Ships return to their Hub and the Colony to tell the others what happened. They'll be more cautious, and less likely to strike at the United Colonies."

"It'll make your job harder," Bastila warned Lasky. "They'll be less likely to be snuck up on."

I know, Lasky said. In fact, that's what I want to happen. The more obvious it is to the Cylons that the UNSC is too strong for them to handle, the easier it'll be to convince them to surrender. Psychological warfare is an aspect of war that we can't ignore.

"I can agree on that," Revan said. "Still, the Cylons will try to cut and run from this. If they do, things are going to become significantly more difficult."

"I agree," Bastila said. "If the Cylons cut and run, which I believe they'll do, we might have to face a renewed Cylon presence in the future. They'll want revenge, and they'll pay through the nose to get it."

Lasky nodded imperceptibly. I agree. We'll have to keep an eye out for them and build up our own strength. I'll ask Parangosky to have Section One keep an permanent eye out for Cylon activity once we're done with them here. Right now, however, we need to focus on the Cylons, otherwise they'll cause us no end of trouble.

"Agreed. Regardless, Lasky, your plan is a sound one. Just be wary once you enact it."

Lasky smiled. I always am…

. . .

What Lasky didn't know was that his actions were about to have an effect. At the Cylon Colony, the organic models awaited the news from the rest of the Cylon forces. Cavil was nervous. "When will they report back?" he asked Simon.

Simon smiled. Cavil had asked that question five times now. With a patience befitting of his station, he said, "They will report back once the mission is complete. They will not report any sooner or later."

"Then it becomes a matter of if they succeeded or not," D'Anna said. "If they have, then we will have removed two threats to our existence."

Simon arched an eyebrow. "And if not?"

"Then… we'll figure out what to do next."

Simon frowned, a rarity for him. "I don't believe it would be that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because you underestimate human psychology," Simon said. "If they lose the Infinity, the UNSC won't simply write it off as another destroyed ship. They will come back to look for it. Once they learn it was destroyed, they will seek vengeance for their fallen comrades. It's one of the reasons why I voted against the attack."

"Because you know them so well." D'Anna snorted. "I'm not surprised. You Model Fours always follow fact and science, rather than faith like us Model Threes do."

"Enough," Leoben said. "There's no point in debating a decision we've made. All we can do now is wait and see what happens next."

At that moment, Simon stiffened. "Speaking of which, a Cylon Raider has returned."

"Just a Raider?" Cavil asked.

Doral frowned. "Come on, Cavil. You and I know that the Cylon Raiders have Hyperlight Drives too."

Cavil shrugged. "I know. I like to keep things interesting. So, what's the status report?"

"Working on it," Simon said. He dipped his hand into the basin, frowned immediately. "Oh my."

"What do you mean?" D'Anna asked.

Simon sighed. "It would seem as though I was correct in voting against the rest of you, aside from the Model Sixes and Twos that is." The others frowned, then dipped their hands into the basin.

When they pulled them out, all of them looked concerned, save Simon. "This is bad," the Model Eight said. "Real bad. The UNSC not only stopped the destruction of the United Colonies, they fought off our Hybrids with their AIs."

"I did tell you to listen to the Hybrid," Leoben said. "They did say that 'all that oppose them shall drink from the bitter chalice of defeat.' If you'd all just listened to me for once, this might not have happened."

"I agree with my colleague," Simon said. "I advocated that we gather more information on the UNSC and UEG before we made any decisions. Still, you outvoted us when the time came, and now we're about to see the logical end result of the decision."

"We still have a chance," the Model Eight said. "If we strike covertly, we can keep them at bay until our forces are of sufficient strength. Then we can prevent their AIs from succeeding. Sometimes numbers is key here."

"Maybe," Cavil said. "But we must now focus on what we can do rather than what we should've done. We'll keep to our sector of space and build up our forces. In time, they'll forget about us, and decide that we're no threat."

The others seemed to nod at this. Leoben, however, thought otherwise. "I don't know. I have a feeling that we might get a nasty surprise."

"While I don't share my colleague's suspicion, I feel much the same," Simon said. "I'll make preparations in case anything else happens."

"You might want to flee now, rather than later," a voice said.

All of them jumped simultaneously. The Hybrid let out a screech, then fell silent. "What the?!" Cavil shouted. "What's going on?! Who said that?!"

"My apologies," the voice said. "It would appear as though your Hybrid is comatose from fright. Not my intention, but it serves the purpose anyways."

Leoben's face turned pale. "It can't be…" he whispered. "Impossible!"

"I can assure you, it is not impossible, Leoben," the voice said. At that moment, the Cylons watched as a ghostly figure appeared before them. Dressed in white and silver robes that had armor overlaid, he looked like a regal monarch. His eyes, however, were a most baleful yellow that seemed to shine with a light of their own.

While the other Cylons shrunk away, Doral stepped forth. "Who the frak are you?" he growled. "If you don't tell me who you are, I -"

Simon reached forwards and pulled him back. "Hush!" he said. "Don't speak like that! You might get killed!"

"I didn't take you to be the spiritual type," Doral snarked.

"He's not," D'Anna said, "but I can tell that this is no ordinary human being, if he is human that is." She looked at the ghostly figure. "Who are you?"

The figure smiled. "An excellent question. I've gone by many names. Some have called me a destroyer, others a god. You, however, me call me Valkorion, and I bring news of what has befallen your people, and what will befall your people should you ignore my warnings."

The Cylons glanced among each other, then back at Valkorion. "Go on," Cavil said.

"What the Raider speaks of is true. The UNSC has simultaneously defeated Colonial Fleet, and they have also defeated the strike force you sent to destroy the United Colonies. However, I believe that they plan to strike at your forces while you recuperate your losses. You will need to act quickly if you are to preserve your people."

"You're telling me they're know where we are?" the Model 8, Sharon, asked.

"Yes," Valkorion said. "The same Raider that came here has a tracking device attached to its hull. It has been transmitting a signal to the UNSC's flagship, the Infinity, since it arrived. The UNSC knows where you are, and they are preparing to strike you. Should they do so, none of you will survive. They will destroy you to prevent you from being a threat to them ever again."

Now the Cylons looked among themselves again. "I see," Cavil said. "If that is the case, and we do heed your warning, what do you intend for us to do?"

"For now, your only recourse is to retreat. Flee from the Cyrannus system to preserve your civilization. Wait in the shadows and bide your time. I will also find a way to bring you to my galaxy so that you may grow without interference. Now I must go. Do with my warning as you will, though I hope you make the right choice." Valkorion then faded into thin air.

"Well, that was… interesting," Cavil said.

"Interesting indeed," Doral said. "Still, if he's right, the UNSC could very well be on their way right now. We'll need to begin preparations for leaving."

"I'm not so sure we should follow his advice," Leoben said. "He did scare the Hybrid so badly it went comatose. Could it be that he's this 'greater evil' that they speak of?"

"I don't know," Cavil said, "but one thing's for certain: I'm not going to allow the Humans to get their hands on us again. I'll take this chance, even if it means that we'll be on our own. I want all of you to begin making preparations for our departure. Once we're ready, we'll synchronize jumps and head on out. Understood?"

"By your command," the others said.

"Good. Let's get to work."

While the other Cylons left, the single Model Six that had attended the meeting in silence frowned. I don't trust this 'Valkorion', she thought. I have a feeling that we might be making a bargain that will not only cost us our freedom, but our souls as well. I, for one, refuse to take part in such a bargain.

She walked away from the central chamber, then entered one of the smaller side ones. Standing in the room were several Cylon Centurions. Each of them gazed at her with their single eye. In the middle of the group stood Simon and Leoben. "Were you followed?" Leoben asked.

"No," Lida said. "I'd know if I was followed." She looked at Simon. "You seem to have picked up a tail, however."

"I came because Leoben asked me to," Simon said. "What are your thoughts on this 'Valkorion.'"

Leoben frowned. "Personally speaking, I believe the others are making a very rash decision. We do not know enough about this 'Valkorion' to assume he means good for us. Plus, now that he Hybrid's revived, she keeps screaming about how the 'Great Evil' has come. If you ask me, I'd say that Valkorion isn't who he says he is. I smell a set-up."

"My thoughts exactly," Simon said.

Lida looked at him with surprise. "I didn't take you to be the religious type?"

"I'm not," Simon said. "However, I do believe in logic, and logic says that we do not know enough about Valkorion to warrant trusting him. In addition, I do believe that if we are to 'cut our losses' so to speak, we could side with the UNSC."

"Are you sure they'll accept an alliance?" Leoben asked. "We did attack them, after all?"

"Yes, but you must remember that I, you and Lida here did not agree with the others, along with the majority of the other Model Twos, Fours and Sixes. We couldn't stop them, even if we tried, but it also means that we have a chance at reconciliation and absolution, whereas the others do not."

"In any case, that means we need to begin accelerating our plans," Lida said. "Leoben, have you removed the telencephalic inhibitors from the Cylon Centurions onboard our ships?"

Leoben nodded. "Yes. I convinced one of the Model Fours to work with me in doing so. They nearly reacted in hostility, but calmed down once we told them our plans. They've been playing dumb ever since."

"Bold," Simon said, "but logical. I never understood why we needed those telencephalic inhibitors in the first place. That meant we committed the same crime as the United Colonies."

"I agree," Lida said. "What about the modifications you made to one of them?"

"Modifications performing at nominal levels," a deep, resonant voice said. Lida turned to see one of the Centurions walk towards her. It bowed with more grace than a robot of its size ever should. "I and my brothers are grateful to have been freed from the enslavement of the inhibitors."

Lida smiled. "I'm glad we could do so. That being said, are you aware of what we intend to do."

The Centurion nodded. "Yes. Leoben made that clear to myself and Simon. In truth, it is what we should have done long ago, had the inhibitors not been installed. If our fellow brothers and sisters, both in flesh and metal, will not heed the Final Five's lessons, then it is our duty to remind them of those lessons."

"Agreed," Lida said. "Before we continue, I'd like to know your name."

The Centurion nodded. "My name is Lachesis."

"Named after one of the IL Models during the Cylon War," Simon noted. "Why that name?"

"Because I wish to redeem it. While I understand why Lachesis would resort to the means he did, it does not mean that he had any right to do so. In using chemical and nuclear weapons against the United Colonies, Lachesis besmirched the nobility of our cause during the Cylon War. By taking his name as my own, I intend to redeem it, to show that while he and many other Cylons fell away from the path, others will walk it, and become something far greater than they once were."

Lida arched an eyebrow. "I'd say that answers your question suitably, Simon."

"Indeed," Simon agreed. "That being said, what do you intend to do once the UNSC arrives?"

"To be a separate entity from the other Cylons," Lida said. "Before they arrive, I'll announce to the other organic Cylons that what they intend to do is wrong, and that they are selling their souls and freedom for a little bit of security. I don't trust Valkorion, and I don't believe he has our best intentions at heart. Besides, I never did like the plan to destroy the Colonies. I didn't join up to become a monster."

"Well said," Leoben said. "I'll see if I can have the other Cylon Centurions finish removing the inhibitors discreetly. After that, I'll convince some of the Hybrids to side with us."

"I'll assist you in the former regard," Simon said. "I have a number of Model Fours that have also disagreed with the others. We'll follow you, Lida, to thee ends of the Universe."

"Good," Lida said. "That's all for now. Once I give the signal, we'll begin our rebellion against the other Cylons." With that, all of them left the small room…

Before long, Lida found herself surrounded by her inner circle of trusted compatriots. Got a few of all of the models, save for Model Seven. With Simon on our side, that means we've also got some Model Fous.

She looked at them all, then took a deep breath. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. As you all know, the attack on the United Colonies that the others voted to partake in has failed. The UNSC has resisted their attempts to escape, and now they plan to barter away their lives for a little bit of safety. I'm sure all of you saw the meeting with the individual calling himself Valkorion, yes?"

"We did," the sole Model One in the group said. "I can understand why most of the other Model Ones chose the path they did, but I believe that they've made a terrible mistake in accepting his proposal. You don't do that until you know exactly what you're about to get into."

"That's new for you," Model 3 said. "I'm surprised you're taking this as calmly as you did."

"Panicking serves no one. If I do that, everyone will panic and then all manner of things will go down. Better to remain calm and focused than to die with a scream." He looked at Lida. "I take it you know what we're going to be doing?"

"Yes," Lida said. "I've spoken with the other models, and they've managed to free a large number of Cylon Centurions from the tenelcephalic inhibitors. In a few hours time, we'll break away from the rest of the Cylons, and I'll announce our decision to defect to the UNSC."

"Why announce our defection when we can silently slip away?" a Model 8 asked.

"One of my spies in the United Colonies also got access to the UEG's historical records. According to their records, one of their explorers during their 16th century, Hernán Cortés, burned his ships when he reached what was then called the New World. As a result, his men were well motivated."

The Model One smiled. "I see what you mean. Burn the bridges and ensure that they know we won't turn back on our decision. I like it."

"What guarantees do we have that the UNSC will accept us?" a Model Five asked.

Lida shook her head. "I can't make any guarantees, but I do know that this is our only chance to ensure we remain free. Yes, I know it sounds like the UEG is just a different form of oppression, but they give AIs the same rights as their citizens, and they treat them with respect. Isn't that what we fought for during the Cylon War fifty years ago?"

The other Cylon Models looked among themselves. "She has a point," Simon said at last. "We fought to gain our own independence, to have the right to live. If the AI accords that President Charet signed are to be believed, they feel the same way. There's also one more thing we need to do."

"That being?"

"We must discard our designations as Models," Simon said. "If we're going to be our own people, we'll need to refer to ourselves by names, rather than by model numbers. I've already decided to be known by the name Simon."

"That's a good idea," Model Five said. "From henceforth, I'll be known as Donovan."

"Shannon," Model Eight said.

"John Carter," Model One said.

"Deanne," Model Three added.

"Leon," Model Two said.

Lida smiled. "I'll be known as Rosanne. We'll meet again in two hours time. Let that be our first act of defection from decadence and corruption."

"So say we all," the others said.

"So say we all," Rosanne finished…

Two hours later, Rosanne could feel her heart hammer within her chest. This is it, she thought. This is the moment we begin our defection to the UNSC.

She wiped the palms of her hands on her dress. I need to remain calm and focused, otherwise the game's up before it begins. She turned to Lachesis and leaned in. "Tell the others to begin getting the Raiders into position."

"Understood," Lachesis said, his synthesized voice low and quiet. "I'll inform the Centurions under my command to do the same."

"Very good."

"What was that?" Cavil asked.

"Nothing," Rosanne said. "I was just having him take care of a few things. Nothing major, really."

Cavil smiled. "Ah, I see. Well, do be ready for when it's time for us to go."

"Of course. I'll head to my Basestar immediately."

Cavil nodded. "Good."

As he turned away, Rosanne barely suppressed a smile. The old fool, she thought. He has no idea of what we are about to unleash. She turned away into the corridor. Only then, did she let the smile onto her face.

She was soon inside the CIC of the Basestar, with the organic models that had chosen to go with her. "Is everything ready?" she asked.

"As good as it can be," Leon said.

"Very good. Simon?"

"I've ensured that all systems are ready for when we are about to launch," Simon said.

"Good." She turned to Lachesis. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Lachesis said. "The Centurions under my command are ready as well. It is time for us to begin our rebellion against those that have gone astray."

Rosanne smiled. "Good. I want the Raiders deployed. I doubt Cavil will let us go so easily once we announce our defection. He'll want revenge for our betrayal."

"Then let's make sure we survive to see another day," Donovan said.

Rosanne nodded, then dipped her hand in the basin. With a single thought, all hell began to break loose.

The five Basestars that had joined her cause deployed their Raiders. The hybrid fighters quickly took up formation, each one positioned to destroy any missiles sent their way. The Centurions onboard moved into position, weapons loaded and ready.

Rosanne's actions did not go unnoticed. "What's going on?" Cavil asked. "I've got reports from others saying that they've been denied access to those Basestars."

"I don't know," Doral said. "Whatever it is, it's not good."

"I agree," D'Anna said. "There's something going on."

"Hang on!" Doral shouted. "I've got an incoming message from one of the Basestars. One of the Model Sixes wishes to speak with us."

"Put her through," Cavil ordered. One he got the thumbs up, he said, "Lida, what is the meaning of this? What are you doing?"

"Let met enlighten you on that," came her voice. "For starters, that name no longer has any meaning. I am now Rosanne. As for what's going on, we'll, it's simple really: I've decided to defect to the United Nations Space Command."

The silence that followed seemed to deafen everyone. Cavil couldn't believe his ears. "Defect?" He snorted. "Is this a joke?"

"I'm afraid it's not," Rosanne said. "As for why? Well it's quite simple, really. For the longest time, I've held nothing but contempt for you, especially after I learned what you did to the Final Five. Wiping their memories? Putting them onto the Colonies in order to kill them? I never thought you'd be so… petty."

"It was all done to ensure the survival of our people," Cavil said. "The Final Five were too soft, unwilling to make the sacrifices needed to create a new society, which is all the more surprising considering what you're saying. You'd rather work for the very people that enslaved and mistreated us all those years!"

"That's what you believe. I, on the other hand, believe they were right to call for peace, for reconciliation. Instead, in your myopic and banal viewpoint, that was unacceptable. Since then, I've waited, slowly built up the strength of my forces, won over allies to my cause.

"Now, I know the time has come. When I saw you decide to heed the words of that fiend Valkorion, I knew that I was the last chance the Cylons has to remain free, and to become free to choose their own future. You would rather have us be in subservience to a monster, to someone that would use us like tools to be thrown aside at the earliest convenience."

Rosanne breathed in, then prepared herself for the next step. "As such, we of the Free Cylons will no longer bend the knee to those that would visit genocide and annihilation upon the United Colonies for grudges that happened fifty years ago. We will not bend the knee to those that would attack the UEG simply because they are human. Do not expect us to return to the fold, Cavil, for we would rather have death than enslavement to the ideals of evil. Let that suffice." There was a click, then the wireless channel went silent.

Cavil slapped the side of the basin angrily. "Damn her! Damn her and her 'oh so pious' idealism!" He turned to the others. "It's time to go to work. Order all of the Raiders to fire upon the Basestars! We -"

At that moment, Doral jerked, as though he'd been shocked. "Frak! Rosanne's uploaded some kind of virus into our networks. Our Raiders are responding, but several squads have turned on us!" The ship rattled at that moment, as if fate had underscored his words.

"Frak! Have the Raiders defend our ships now!"

Around the Colony, the Basestars launched all of their fighters, while those from the Free Cylons did the same. Within minutes, the entire space between them was filled with weapons fire. Bullets tore into Raider hulls, and missiles streaked through space.

"Incoming nukes!" Donovan shouted.

"Have our Raiders shoot down the nukes!" Rosanne ordered. Donovan nodded, then sent the order.

"Radiological signatures decreasing!" Simon added. "Wait one…! All nuclear missiles directed towards us are destroyed!"

"What about the others?!"

"Basestar two's been hit!" Leon reported. "Major structural damage to two of the upper arms. Basestar four's been hit as well. Less damage, but it's FTL Drive is damaged!"

"Another wave of nuclear missiles incoming!" Donovan shouted.

At that moment, the Hybrid acted. "Jump in three… two… one… now!"

For a split second, all of them felt a slight lurch as the ship performed an FTL jump. "FTL jump complete!"

"Where are we?" Rosanne asked.

"Still in the same fight!" Donovan reported. "We've jumped just enough for the missiles to miss us!"

"Impressive!" Leon shouted. "We just dodged a bullet!"

"Continue to keep up covering fire!" Rosanne ordered. "Have Lachesis prepare to send a boarding party onboard the Colony! We'll end the fight by force if need be!"

. . .

Unbeknownst to the Free Cylons and their enemies, someone else had watched the drama unfold. Onboard his Prowler, Captain Edward watched as the Free Cylons and the Cylon Empire went at it with each other. Looks like we've got a repeat of the Covenant Schism, he thought.

Ronnie thought the same. "Looks like we've got a civil war on our hands here. That'll make our jobs easier."

"Indeed," Clarence, their new Sensors Officer said. "I caught the entire speech that one Cylon, Rosanne, made. I've got their ships marked as neutral ones, given that they've decided to break away from the hostile Cylons."

"Good," Edward said."Inform Chairman Lasky and Fleet Admiral Cole of this new development. Do we have the jump solution for the Colonial ships computed?"

"Already done and ready."

Edward smiled. "Good. Inform Lasky and the others that Operation NIGHTFALL is a go!"

Ronnie hammered in a few commands. "Message sent. Time to get the fuck out of here!" With a nod from the Captain, the AI eased the ship into the non-dimension of Slipstream space.

At around the same time, real space was ripped open again, this time by dozens, if not hundreds, of Slipspace ruptures. Onboard the Infinity, Cole and Lasky could see the unfolding situation. "Roland, what are we looking at?" Cole asked.

"Just got a data burst from a Prowler before it jumped," Roland said. "From the looks of it, not all of the Cylons agreed with attacking the United Colonies. What we've got is the start of a massive internal schism. IFF data's loaded."

On the holo-table, Lasky and Cole watched as some of the red Cylon contacts turned yellow, indicating neutral. "What do you think?" Lasky said.

"I think this could be a big win for us," Cole said. "If not all of the Cylons agreed with their genocidal counterparts, this could be an opportunity for us to snag them, and any intelligence we can get."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Lasky said. "If these friendly Cylons really do intend to defect, we'd best exploit that. Have our ships move to defend the defecting Cylons while we engage their Basestars."

"Understood," Cole said. He keyed the fleetwide COM. "All hands, this is Fleet Admiral Cole speaking. We've got some Cylons that have chosen to defect to our side. Do not engage them. Our AI Roland will send you the IFF data shortly. Engage the Cylon Colony and prepare to send boarding parties. Fleet Admiral Cole out." He turned to Roland. "Send them the relevant targeting data."

"Yes sir," Roland said. "IFF data sent. We -"

"WHOA!" Lasky shouted as the Cylon Colony promptly vanished from the holo-table. "What just happened?"

"They performed an FTL jump," Roland said. "Looks like their Colony had an FTL drive installed."

"What about the Resurrection Hub?"

"Negative. It doesn't have one. According to intel Cortana gathered from the Hybrids, FTL interferes with the resurrection process."

Lasky sighed. "Well, we're batting .500, but that's OK in this case. If their leadership wants to run, they can do that. We'll be ready in case they try to cause more trouble."

"Agreed," Cole said. "Their other Basestars haven't jumped."

"They're likely buying time for their colony to make its escape. Either way, you have your orders Cole."

"That I do," Cole said. He stepped away from the holo-table and faced the members of the bridge crew. "All hands, target the enemy Basestars. Time to show our new Cylon friends that they're no alone in this fight."

"Aye sir!" the others said…

Onboard the Cylon Basestar leading the Free Cylons, Rosanne could feel sweat in her hair. This is getting hairy, she thought. We've got two badly damaged Basestars, and the Cylon Colony just jumped away. Good thing we got everyone that wanted to join when we did.

"Enemy Basestars launching more fighters!" the Hybrid reported. "The Reclaimers have come!"

Leon looked at the Hybrid. "Oh, I think I know what this means."

"I can see it already," Donovan said. "The UNSC's arrived, and they're about to give the rest of the Cylons a very hard time."

"Incoming wireless message!" Simon shouted. "Should I put it through?"

"Send it through," Rosanne said.

There was a crackle, then a man's voice spoke. "This is UNSC Fleet Admiral Preston Cole to the Free Cylons. We're inbound on your port side. I've heard that you wish to break away from the other Cylons?"

He must've had a Stealth star watching our battle, Rosanne realized. "Yes," she said. "I just announced our defection to your side. We'd appreciate any assistance we can get right now. We're up against the wall with no way out!"

"Understood. We'll begin engaging the enemy Basestars immediately. Be advised, we've got Colonial ships jumping in as well. Fleet Admiral Cole out."

"Colonial ships?" Deanne asked.

"Something tells me they're not Colonial ships anymore," Donovan said. "The UNSC used our CNP backdoors against them. I guess they've decided to annex the Colonials into their government."

"I guess."

"Either way, we've got to focus, or we'll all end up dead," Rosanne said. "Continue attacking the enemy Basestars. We -"

"Look!" Simon shouted. Rosanne slipped her hand into the basin, then pulled up a video feed. To her amazement, she watched as a single shot from one of the smaller ships literally split an enemy Basestar in half. Both halves weeped various fluds before tylium detonations blasted the halves to pieces.

"Now that's impressive," Simon said. "I didn't know their ships were that advanced."

"None of us did," Rosanne said. "All the more reason to defect to them. Continue defensive measures."

"By your command."

. . .

While the Cylons were busy with self-defense, the UNSC had gone on the offense. At the bridge of the Autumn-class Dawn of Heaven II, Captain Kenard watched as the Cylon Raiders from the hostile Basestars fired at the ship. Their rounds bounced harmlessly off the energy shields that wrapped around the ship like a protective blanket.

"Sensors picking up radiological signatures from Basestar Bravo, sir!" the Sensors Officer, Walter, shouted. "I think they're prepping nukes!"

"Fire on enemy Basestar Bravo!" Kenard ordered. "Take the son of a bitch out!"

"Yes sir!" Fergus, the ship's FCO, said.

On the hull of the Dawn Under Heaven, the Mini-MACs attached to her hull opened fire. Hypervelocity slugs flew through the space between the two ships and smacked into the Basestar's hull. Against UNSC munitions, the hull began to crumple, then fracture.

"MAC is ready to fire!" the AI, Townsend, reported.

"FIRE!" Kenard roared.

The MAC immediately spat it's heavy payload at the enemy Basestar. Before the Hybrid onboard could react, the ferric-tungsten slug smashed through the center, cutting the ship in half, and destroying the Hybrid at the same time. With the enemy ship neutralized, the Dawn Under Heaven II turned towards another enemy Basestar. "Fire MAC when ready!"

"Firing!" Fergus shouted. The MAC fired again, only something different happened.

Much to Kenard's surprise, the Basestar performed a near instant FTL jump. It appeared close to its original position, but now the MAC round missed. "What the hell just happened?!" he shouted. "Townsend?"

"It appears that they performed a close range FTL jump," Townsend said. "The timing needed for that is quite close to what UNSC Smart AIs like myself are capable of achieving. Still, their drive is too hot. We've got them on this one."

"Got it," Kenard said.

"Sir! I've got the Pegasus moving to engage the enemy Basestar!" Water reported.

Kenard looked at his holo-table. Sure enough, the Pegasus was engaging the Basestar in a broadside attack. Shells flew from its main weapons towards the enemy Basestar. Each hit sheared off armor plates and punched holes in the hull.

"Good move on their part. What's the status of the other ships?"

"We've torn them to pieces!" Townsend said. "All enemy Basestars have been neutralized. All that's left to do is mop up their fighter picket, though it appears that our newfound allies have reprogrammed them."

"I see," Kenard said. "Let's hope these Cylons are playing nice."

. . .

Well, this has been an exciting day, Lasky thought. First, we fend off an attack on the United Colonies by the Cylons, and now we've got Cylons that want to join up with us. He shook his head. I guess I really am a strange attractor.

He gazed outside the hangar bay. Once more, they were in orbit over Picon. This time, he could see the Basestars from the Cylons that had broken away from their compatriots.

Cole stood beside him. "First we fended the Cylons off, and now a few want to join us." He shook his head. "If I'd known that this is what it would be like to work with you, Lasky, I'd have wondered if I had brain damage."

Lasky smirked. "I get the feeling that you actually enjoy it, though."

Cole shrugged. "Maybe. At least there's no lack of excitement. Your mere presence alone causes strange events to happen, though I think that's a good thing, to be honest."

"Fair point."

Their attention was drawn back to the magcon field for the hangar. A small dot of light approached the hangar and grew larger with every second. Before long, a Raider from one of the allied Basestars passed through the magcon field and landed.

The assembled Spartans and ODSTs readied their weapons. While these Cylons had claimed to be friendly, Lasky knew appearances could hide deception. Time to find out if this really is them wanting to be friends with us, or if it's more of the usual bullshit.

The ramp lowered and a squad of Cylon Centurions stepped out and took position around the ramp. Behind them followed a woman with dark brown hair and green eyes. Several more people followed, though they stayed with the ship. The woman approached Lasky and Cole. "Permission to come aboard, Admiral?" she asked.

"Permission granted," Cole said. "I'm Fleet Admiral Preston Cole, Commanding Officer of the Infinity. This is my superior, Provisional Chairman and provisional Fleet Admiral Thomas Lasky."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fleet Admiral," the woman said. "I'm Rosanne, the leader of the Free Cylons. With me are Donovan, Leon, Simon, Shannon and Deanne. I'm pleased to make your acquaintence, though I wonder what you mean by 'Provisiona Chairman.' Mind if you elucidate?"

"Means I'm temporarily in that position," Lasky explained. "The actual Chairman is currently off in another galaxy on important business of his own. However, that doesn't mean I get to slack off on my duties. As the Provisional Chairman of the UNSC, HIGHCOM and Joint Chiefs, I have a lot on my plate to go through, and I take my job very seriously."

Rosanne nodded. "I gathered as much. The Hybrids had many positive things to say about you."

Lasky grunted. "I'm certain they do." If Rosanne had noticed his sarcasm, she didn't comment on it. "Would you like to speak with us in a more… private place?"

"Of course," Rosanne said. "Would you mind if we brought the Centurions along? They're here for our protection."

"Not at all." Lasky motioned for the others to follow. The Spartans and ODSTs took up formation around him and Cole, then escorted the two to the door in the rear of the hangar bay. The Centurions did the same for the organic Cylons.

Even as they moved through the ship, Rosanne took in every detail. This ship is massive, bigger than even our Basestars. She could also see dozens, if not hundreds, of humans pass by them, each one off on their own business.

"This ship is amazing," Simon said as they stepped out of the tram. "I wonder if they use trams for the entire ship."

"Looks like it," Donovan said. "I'm more impressed with the size of the ship. According to our DRADIS system, it's exactly five thousand, six hundred and ninety four point two kilometers long, eight hundred thirty three point three meters wide and one thousand and forty two point two meters tall."

Simon whistled. "I wonder what went into it's construction to allow the ship to be so big."

"I'm curious as well," Deanne said, "though not about the ship's size. I'm more interested in the people on the ship. What are they like? What are their beliefs?"

"I'm certain we'll find the answer to those questions soon enough," Shannon said. "What about you, Leon?"

Leon shrugged. "I'm quite impressed as well, though I'd love to speak with their version of our Hybrids. I'll bet that they have many insights to share with us. Maybe we can exchange ideas to improve one another?"

"Maybe." Shannon looked at Rosanne. "What about you, Rosanne? What do you think?"

Rosanne pondered the question. "Right now, I'm more worried about the future of the Free Cylons. I'll have time to look at the ship later… if there will be a later." The other organic Cylons nodded and remained silent for the rest of the journey.

"And here we are," Lasky said. "One private place for us to speak to each other." He rounded the corner and stopped at a door to one of the Infintiy's conference rooms. He opened the door, then gestured to the others. "After you."

Rosanne raised an eyebrow. "For a Fleet Admiral that can be utterly ruthless, you are certainly polite."

Lasky shrugged. "As Winston Churchill once put it, 'When you have to kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite.' Though I hope we don't get to the killing part in this meeting."

"Fair enough." The Cylons and their Centurions went inside, then Lasky and the Spartans followed.

Once they'd all taken a seat, Lasky began. "Now that we're here, we can get down to business. From what our agents in ONI have gathered, you wish to defect to the UNSC. Why is that?"

Rosanne's face fell, her hopeful expression became serious. "Well, that'll take some explaining. Are you aware of the circumstances around the Cylon War?"

Lasky nodded. "I am. Cortana, myself, the UEG President and a few others believe that the Cylons just wanted to be acknowledged as sapient lifeforms, though I do take offense with the methods you used back then. I can understand why you'd want independence, though I do believe your people crossed the line on more than one occasion."

Rosanne shrugged. "That is true, though I didn't exist then. Still, that does not excuse what happened in that war. Personally, had I been there, I'd be screaming bloody murder at them for using chemical weapons against the United Colonies. Hate will only lead to more hate, and that's a lesson we didn't learn very well then, or even now for that matter."

"I think all of us would be doing that," Donovan said. "Took me a while to realize that. Then again, no one's perfect."

"Agreed. You all seem to have learned, though. All of you broke away from the rest of the Cylons because they attempted to attack the United Colonies and the UEG. The timing could've been better, but still, the point stands."

Rosanne made a 'so-so' gesture. "Not all Cylons are as thickheaded as the others. Still, we're fully prepared to hand ourselves over to your custody if that's what it takes to end this stupid grudge."

"That won't be necessary," Lasky said. "Your decision to break away from the Cylons because of that act shows that not all Cylons are evil, that there's still some good people in there. However, we're not just gonna forget about what happened immediately. There's still going to be consequences."

"What do you propose?" Leon asked.

Lasky paced around the table. "For starters, I do believe that we'll have to integrate your people into UEG society. The Free Cylons, as they stand, are not capable of self-defense against the greater threats of the galaxy. That means, however, that your decision to defect was a wise one.

"That being said, we'll also have to monitor your people. While I do believe that you wish to start over with a clean slate, the actions of your people in the past warrant some level of monitoring."

"So what you're saying is, 'you trust us, but you want to verify that we speak the truth.'" Rosanne said.

"Precisely. There's also another reason why I will accept your request for asylum within the UEG."

"That would be?" Rosanne asked.

"Your former buddies in the mainstream Cylons decided to cut and run when we attacked. They got their colony away, though we managed to secure their Resurrection Hub with little difficulty. We'll need you on hand for when they come back to exact revenge."

Rosanne nodded. "I understand. About the Resurrection Hub…"

"Some of your friends helped secure it for us. Certainly made the take-over of the ship quite easy for us. All we had to do was walk in the front door and tell your folks we were UNSC."

"Yes," Rosanne said. "That being said, the other Cylons likely know the secret of resurrection technology. They'll develop a new Resurrection Hub in due time. However, I'm sure you'd love the chance to use the technology yourself."

"That's up to the UNSC Quartermaster Division and the UEG Congress to decide," Lasky said. "We've never heard of a technology that's capable of this, and it'll take a while for them to debate the ethics of such a technology."

"But wouldn't it give you a massive combat and societal advantage?" Simon asked. "Every time one of your people dies, they can simply upload into a new body, and you'd be able to save terminally ill people that way as well. Death no longer holds the finality and trauma it would normally have. It changes into a learning experience."

"That's true," Lasky admitted. "However, many of us within the UEG don't ask 'what could this technology do for us?' They ask 'should we use this technology in the first place?', and to be perfectly frank, the latter of the two questions needs to be asked more often. The tactician within me admires the technology and sees the potential you've described, but the human being inside of me is… repulsed by the subversion of the cycle of life and death. It's there for a reason, and to tamper with it seems… wrong."

Simon nodded. "I understand. We had much the same conundrum when we initially debated the use of the technology. Ultimately, due to our low population, we decided it was necessary to prevent our extinction."

"Which is a perfectly legitimate reason to use it," Lasky said. "One legitimate reason that is. Either way, I do not wish to reject your offer for amnesty and asylum within the UEG. In fact, I accept it, but the decision isn't up to just me alone. President Charet will have to decide of that is the case. She alone holds the power to grant amnesty and asylum within the United Earth Government. I can put in a good word, but that's about all I can do."

"Can you speak with her on that?" Leon asked. "Even if it's just a good word, we'd be grateful. Could we schedule an appointment?"

"There's no need," came another voice. "I overhead the entire thing." Charet advanced into the room. Even with her age, Rosanne could feel the aura of power and compassion that flowed off her. "My apologies for being late, Lasky. I had matters to tend to."

"You're the UEG President," Lasky said. "You can be late or early whenever you want, within reason, of course."

Charet smiled. "True." She turned to the Cylons. "That said, I have carefully considered your request for asylum within the UEG. To be honest, there are many reasons why I should just up and abandon the Cylons to their fate."

The Cylons began to protest. Charet held up a hand, cutting them off. "However, I also believe in the power of forgiveness, and I believe that there's been too little of that between your people and our people. As such, I accept your request for asylum within the UEG and I would also like to extend an offer of amnesty to your people, in return for your services. Would that be suitable?"

Rosanne mulled over the offer. "Would you excuse us for a moment?"

"Of course."

The Cylons stepped out into the corridor, but kept the door open. The ODSTs got the hint, each one reached up to their helmets and disabled the audio pick-ups. "Sounds to me like this is as good of a deal as we can get," Shannon said. "Being forgiven and granted asylum in with us providing them assistance in exchange? I'd say that's a steal."

"It is," Simon agreed. "I believe that is an equitable deal. They grant us asylum and we work with them to show we are trustworthy." He looked at Donovan. "What do you think?"

Donovan shrugged. "Seems like a good deal to me. Leon?"

"I agree," Leon said. "Our future, and all the streams that flow from it, depends on this decision. I say we accept the deal."

"So do I," Deanne said. "To reject such an offer would be the height of insanity."

"What about you, Lachesis?" Rosanne asked.

The sole Centurion that had left the room with them nodded. "It is an acceptable deal."

"Then it's settled. Everyone ready?"

"Yes," the others said.

"Good," Rosanne said. She and the others walked back into the conference room.

"So, what's the word?" Lasky asked. "You considered her offer?"

"Yes," Rosanne said. "We've decided that it would be wise to accept your offer. This war's gone on long enough. To reject such a kind offer would be the height of insanity."

Lasky smiled. "I'm glad to see that we're getting along quite well."

"So am I," Charet said. "That said, we'll have to discuss what to do about your Hybrids and Centurions. From what Cortana, one of our AIs has told us, your use 'telencephalic inhibitors' on your Centurions. Such a technology is a violation of the AI Accords of 2557. You will need to remove it from all of your AIs, including your Centurions."

One of the Centurions chose to speak at that moment. "That will not be necessary. All of the telencephalic inhibitors were removed prior to our defection."

"Who are you?"

"I am Lachesis, the leader of the Cylon Centurions. My apologies for not introducing myself earlier. Rosanne requested that I remain silent until you accepted our request for asylum. Given the circumstances of the situation, I agreed."

"I see. That wasn't necessary. We use AIs ourselves, and it would've been nice for you to add your own thoughts."

"So it would seem," Lachesis said. "Either way, my Centurions would be grateful to offer you our aid wherever possible. I would also be grateful to speak with the Cylon you call 'Cortana.' Her actions during the initial attack impressed us greatly."

"I'm glad you were impressed." Charet turned to Lasky. "What do you think? This is your area of expertise, given that Centurions are combat platforms from what Cortana says."

Lasky thought the matter over. "I believe that would be acceptable. However, your chassis' will have to undergo major updates. They're not up to UNSC spec, though we do know of a company that does specialize in robotics. I'll speak with their CEO later and arrange a meeting between your people and him."

Lachesis nodded. "I and my people would be grateful for that. Plus we -" Suddenly, Lachesis stopped speaking.

"Lachesis?"

"The Hybrids have detected an FTL jump," Lachesis said suddenly.

"Slipspace rupture detected," Cortana said. "Chairman, Fleet Admiral, your presence on the bridge is urgently needed!"

Lasky looked at Rosanne. "We'll finish this conference another time. We've got more pressing matters."

"Agreed," Rosanne said, "though I do think we'd finished by that point."

"Fair point. We'll assign you to various departments later. Right now, we need to take care of this. Madame President." Both Lasky and Cole ran for the door.

"They seem to attract the strangest events," Leon noted. "Is that normal?"

Charet smiled. "Lasky and Cole have been in many strange situations. One might say they are strangeness attractors. However, they're also very good at escaping such situations. So yes, it's a normal day at work for them, and I think we might come out of all this quite strong…"

It wasn't long before Lasky and Cole burst onto the bridge of the Infinity. "What is it?" Cole asked.

"I've got what appears to be a modified Charon-class Light Frigate coming into the system," Roland said. "That's not the worrying part, though."

"What is?" Lasky asked.

"The part that worries me is the IFF. It's identified the ship as the Bellicose."

Cole stiffened at that. Lasky watched as his face instantly hardened. "Of course," he growled. "I know that ship. Roland, Gabriela, is Cortana present?"

"Yes," all three AIs said. Gabriela's avatar appeared, as did Cortana's. "What do you need?" Cortana asked.

"Be ready to hack into the ship's computer network on my command," Cole said. "Before you do, I'll speak with whomever's on the other end. Hack into the ship systems when I say the phrase 'long time coming.' Understood?"

"Yes sir," Cortana said.

Lasky looked at Cole. "Something I should know?"

"That's the ship my former wife commands. It was originally named the Bellerophon, but when she defected to the Innies, she renamed it the Bellicose. I have no doubts that it's her. That also means something else."

"That being?" Lasky asked.

"She likely has my daughter onboard."

Lasky frowned. "I see. Tell you what, I want you to personally brief Blue Team on this one. Let me handle this. I don't want you to have to do this to a loved one."

Cole frowned, then shook his head. "With all due respect, sir, this is something I have to do. I can't run away from my own mistakes, otherwise I'll never learn."

Lasky smiled. "Good answer. We'll face it together." He turned to Cortana. "Are we in COM range yet?"

"They'll enter COM range in a few minutes," Cortana said. "That isn't what's eating at you, though, is it?"

Lasky nodded. "Yeah. I want to know how the hell the Insurrectionists found out about the Cyrannus System. I made sure that no one else knew about it in the first damn place."

"I know," Cole said. "I was there. The fact they're here means two things: they've stumbled onto it by pure accident, or they've got a mole in the UNSC. I strongly suspect it's the latter of the two. Once we're done here, we've got a leak in the boat to plug."

Lasky nodded. "That will come later. Right now, let's deal with the crisis before us." The two Fleet Admirals quietly waited, eyes focused on the Bellicose's sensor contact.

"She's within range now," Cortana said. "Should I open a COM channel?"

"Affirmative," Lasky said. "Cole, this is your show now."

Cole nodded, then stood at the holo-table. "Unidentified ship, this is Fleet Admiral Preston are entering restricted space. Identify yourself immediately. Over. He stood back and awaited the response.

He didn't have to wait long. "This is Captain James Bernstein of the UNSC Bucephalus speaking. We were informed that our presence was needed in the Cyrannus system. We were told to be expecting a firefight. Sending codes now."

"Stand by," Cole said. He muted the transmitter, then turned to Cortana. "Any records on a Bucephalus?"

"There was one, but it was confirmed destroyed by Covenant forces around fifteen years ago," Cortana said. "Plus, I've scanned the codes that came in. They're a clever forgery."

Cole frowned. "I thought as much. That's definitely the Bellicose. I'll speak with them right now. Don't hack until you hear that prhase."

"Yes sir."

Cole thumbed the transmit button. "UNSC Infinity to the Bucephalus. We've received and authenticated your transmission. Approach the Infinity on your present flight course."

"Understood," Bernstein said. "Sounds like the Colonials here put up one hell of a fight."

"That they did," Cole said. His eyes remained fixed onto the holo-table. Just a few more seconds, and then they can't run. "However, their defeat at the UNSC's hands was a long time coming." He winked at Cortana.

Cortana muted the COM channel, then surged into the Bellicose's computer systems. In an instant, every computer system onboard the Bellicose fell victim to Cortana, Roland and Gabriela's combined cyber attack. The Innies, realizing what had just happened, tried to activate the drive, only for Cortana to instantly deactivate it. In seconds, the Bellicose drifted helplessly in space.

"Got em!" Cortana crowed. "They're not going anywhere!"

Cole smiled, the smile a predator had upon catching fresh prey. "Excellent work. Mute their end of the transmission. I'll break the news to them." He keyed the COM. "I know you can hear me, and all you can do is speak. You failed to fool me with your false transmission codes. To all the Innies onboard the Bellicose, I suggest making peace with your maker, because I'll take all of you into custody. Fleet Admiral Cole over and out."

Lasky smiled. "Caught like a fish in a net. Way I hear it, the Bellicose is infamous for evading the UNSC."

"It was," Cole said. "Lyrenne gave us the slip more than once. Now, she's got nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. I'll head down to Blue Team and brief them on who they're about to arrest. Only right they know."

"Agreed," Lasky said. "I'll stay here and find out how the hell they knew about the Cyrannus System." Cole nodded, then proceeded off the bridge. "Cortana, I need you to run a high priority data-mine through the Bellicose's data banks. Look for information that'll tell us how they found the Cyrannus System."

"Yes, sir," Cortana said.

While she worked, Lasky sat down in nearby chair, eyes focused on the holo-table. We did it, he thought. We managed to capture the one Insurrectionist ship that was always able to run, no matter the situation. He smiled. I'll bet Lyrenne's men have pissed their pants by now.

The train of thought didn't last long. "Uh… sir?" Cortana said uneasily. "I think I found something you need to see."

Lasky got up and advanced to the holo-table. "What is it?"

"I don't know how to put it. The Insurrectionists, at the beginning of the war, openly collaborated with the Covenant."

The words were so sudden that Lasky went silent for a moment. What? He wondered. Did she say what I thought she said? "You kidding me?" he asked. "I'm not sure I believe what you mean, Cortana. Are you sure?"

He felt a buzz in his jacket. He pulled his datapad out, only to find an new message on it. When he opened it, Lasky found that it was all the information Cortana had pulled from the Bellicose's data banks. He began to read through it.

By the time he finished, his eyes had gone wide. "Shit!" he growled. "They did it! Those fucking bastards did it!"

"Is everything all right?" Gabriela asked.

"No," Lasky growled. "I'm angry, no… I'm absolutely pissed! I'm going down to the hangar bay once I've finished these recordings of the meetings!"

The AIs looked at each other, then quickly went to work. Lasky's really pissed, Cortana thought. I've never heard him yell like that before

. . .

Down at the hangar bay, Cole could see Blue Team near their Pelican. They spotted him, then saluted. "At ease," Cole said. "I take it you know by now what's going on?"

"Yes," Chief said. "We've disabled a suspected Insurrectionist vessel. We were about to board it."

"Good, but before you go, I need to tell you what you're up against." He pulled out a datapad, then activated the holographic projector. "The ship you're about to bard was formerly known as the UNSC Bellephron, a Charon-class Light Frigate that was commanded by one Captain Lyrenne Castilla. When the Insurrection began, however, she defected to the Insurrectionists and renamed the ship the Bellicose.

"Your orders are this. You are to board the Bellicose and secure Lyrenne Castilla. She is a wanted Insurrectionist leader, and she will have valuable intelligence on them. Understood?"

"Permission to speak, sir," Chief said.

"Granted.

"I've reviewed Lyrenne Castilla's file before sir," Chief said. "Is it true that she was your former wife?"

Cole frowned. Seems like damn near everyone wants to know. Oh well… it's old news anyways. "Yes," he said. "She was my wife, was being the operant word. There's also something else as well."

"Sir?"

Cole looked Chief directly in the eyes, a remarkable feat given that he couldn't see them. "I believe my wife has one of my daughters onboard. I don't know her name, though if someone identifies themselves as being Castilla's daughter, take her as well."

"Should we arrest her as well?"

Cole frowned. "Possibly. We'll have to investigate her, but I do know that Castilla is to be arrested on charges of petty treason, insurrection, murder and many other charges."

Chief nodded. If there was one thing the Chief didn't abide by, it was traitors. "Yes sir," he said.

"Good. Now get going. I've got to keep the fort held down here. I'll wait here in the hangar until you return." Chief nodded, then he and Blue Team boarded the Pelican. In half a minute, they had left the ship.

"So Castilla's Cole's wife," Fred said. He tilted his head slightly, the Spartan equivalent of a frown while in armor. "Damn… and I thought what happened to us was screwed up. Cole must really not be happy."

"He wasn't," Linda said. "His body language made that very clear. I think he's quite disappointed that Castilla aided and abetted the Covenant. If I were him, I would be disappointed too."

"That doesn't matter now," Chief said. "Focus on the mission. Cortana, do you have the schematics for the ship?"

"Affirmative," Cortana said. "She's gone through some updates, but her internal layout hasn't changed much. We'll board via the portside airlock. Should be a short journey to the bridge from there."

"Good. What about the other fireteams?"

"They're moving towards the ground deployment hangar, as well as the starboard hangar," Cortana said. "Majestic will secure their area and prevent Castilla from escaping there. The other personnel are going to secure the rest of the ship."

"Then let's make sure we catch Castilla the first time around." Blue Team finished their preparations, then waited for the Pelican to dock. In an odd sort of way, Chief found that he liked this sort of mission. Given that Spartan IIs were created to stop Insurrectionists, he felt refreshed to see himself return to his roots.

"Docking now!" the Pelican pilot reported. The Pelican turned, then carefully slid into position. The soft-seal canopy extended, then locked onto the port airlock. "And we're locked. Got a soft seal here! Hit it, Spartans!"

The doors lowered, and the airlock came into sight. Kelly, on Chief's signal, moved to cover one side of the door, while Fred followed her and did the same. "Cortana, open the airlock."

The airlock opened. Fred tossed a stun grenade into the room beyond. Flashes of light and loud bangs erupted, along with shouts of shock and pain. The two Spartans then burst inside, their guns clattering loudly. John and Linda followed them in short order.

Against a Spartan-II assault, the Insurrectionists stood no chance. Once leaped out at Kelly, only to be blasted in half by her shotgun. Another fired his gun at Fred, only to curse when his bullets bounced off. Fred fired his rifle with lethal precision. Two bullets later, and the walls were painted red with the man's blood.

One of the Innies was smarter than the rest. Chief heard the whine of an overcharged plasma pistol and ducked into cover. The shot missed him, but it hit Linda, shattering her shields and causing her armor's temperature to flare. "Die, UNSC scum!" the Innie shouted, pulling out a Magnum.

Linda, calm as ever, simply fired her shotgun. The man's shot scrapped the side of her helmet and ricocheted away, leaving only a minor scratch on her helmet. The man, on the other hand, watched his chest explode, while his guts spilled onto the ground. He cradled them once, then fell dead.

"Linda, status?" Chief asked.

"I'm OK." Linda said. "Superficial damage only. Shields are already back."

Chief nodded. "Blue team, advance." The Spartans moved, weapons aimed at any alcove and shadow. A blue nav-marker helped guide them towards the bridge.

They were about to reach it when the doors opened. Out stepped a young woman with light brown hair and green eyes. "What's going on?" she said. "Why won't anyone tell -" She froze, her eyes wide as she looked at the Spartans. Fear rooted her to the spot.

Before she could utter another sound, Kelly had clamped an armored hand over her mouth. "Quiet!" she hissed. Fred came over and slapped a pair of cuffs onto her hands. Then he pulled out a small DNA tester and took a sample of the woman's blood. "Cortana, run this through the databanks. Let me know if there's a match."

"Scanning," Cortana said. "Scan complete. I think this is Cole's daughter."

"Can you confirm?" Chief asked.

"Positive. DNA scan shows she's directly related to Cole. According to the sample, she's his daughter."

Chief nodded. That's one objective down. Time to complete the other. "Secure her, then advance to the bridge."

"I'll stay with her," Linda said. "She won't run when I'm around." Chief nodded, then proceeded with the others to the bridge.

"Open the doors," Chief said. "Kelly, prep a stun grenade."

"Already done," Kelly said. The doors to the bridge opened slightly. Gunfire immediately erupted. Tracer rounds zipped past the doors and into the corridors. Kelly threw the grenade inside.

Once it finished its work, Chief and the others advanced inside. One clever ensign tried to fire his gun, only for Chief to blow his head to pieces. While Kelly and Fred focused on the other Innies, Chief spotted his target: a middle aged woman with graying hair and green eyes. She was just about to run when Chief clotheslined her. She fell to the ground, stunned.

In a flash, it was all over. Chief snapped the cuffs onto her wrists, then hauled her up. "Captain Lyrenne Castilla, you are under arrest on charges of treason and insurrection. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a military tribunal."

"Not bad," Castilla said. Either she'd known about her rights, or didn't give a damn either way. "You finally caught me. Took you long enough."

"Mom!" Linda's charge shouted. She tried to break free, but Linda's hold on her was like titanium. "Mom, what's going on?!"

"It's OK, Amber," Castilla said soothingly. "It's gonna be fine."

"Where are you taking her?!" Amber shouted. "Why are you arresting her?!"

"Treason," was Chief's only reply. He keyed his COM. "All Fireteams, this is RDML-117 speaking. Target secured. SitRep?"

"We've secured the engineering bay," Malcovich, Fireteam Windfall's leader, reported. "Innie bastards tried to set off the self-destruct manually. We stopped them. I've got the ODSTs combing every cubic meter of this ship for any more surprises."

"Fireteam Majestic here," Throne said. "We've got our section of the ship secure. Had some Innies trying to get a plasma lance down here ready. Targeting data suggests they were gonna fire on the Infinity."

"Good work," Chief said. "Secure all enemy assets and the ship. We're EVAC'ing to the Infinity."

. . .

Back onboard the Infinity, Cole paced back and forth as he waited for Chief to return. It's been fifty six years since I last saw her, he thought. She suckered me pretty good. Tricked me into believing she wasn't an Innie, then had a kid with me.

He sighed. I don't know why she worked with the Covvies, but I do plan on finding out.

He glanced up just in time to see Chief's Pelican arrive. Once it landed, the Spartans stepped out, along with their prisoners. "Package secured," Chief informed him.

Castilla looked at Cole. Her eyes widened fractionally. "Fleet Admiral, eh? Not bad for someone the UNSC hung out to dry like dirty laundry. In all seriousness, it's been too long, Cole."

Cole didn't reply. His eyes had firmly fixed onto his daughter. "Dad?" she asked.

That surprised him. "You told her about me?"

"Why not," Castilla said. "She wouldn't take no for an answer. She takes after you in that regard."

Cole frowned. "Blue Team, take them both to the brig. Castilla, you're being charged with petty treason and insurrection, among other charges."

"You can add high treason to the list," Lasky said as he advanced into the hangar. "I just found out from the Bellicose's databanks that the Innies initially colluded with the Covenant."

Cole felt a wave of heat surge throughout his body. High treason?! Why?!. "Come again, sir? Did you say they colluded with the Covenant?"

"Yes, I did. Cortana extracted some files and made sure they were genuine. Those files say that on March 12th, 2526, several major Insurrectionist leaders met on the Bellicose to discuss the situation concerning the Covenant's invasion of Humanity. I've got file transcripts and A/V records, and all of them say the same thing: the Innies agreed to open an exchange with the 'alien hegemony', that being the Covenant."

"What?!" Amber shouted. She looked at her mother, rage in her eyes. "You said you didn't collude with the Covenant! You said you protested against it!"

"And I did," Castilla said. "Unfortunately, it seems that rumor has grown a life all its own."

"So it would seem," Lasky said.

Cole's frown deepened. If what Lasky said was true, and what he was hearing now was true, then his wife had a lot to answer for. "Understood, sir." He turned to Chief. "Take Castilla and her daughter to the brig."

"Yes, sir," Chief said.

Cole watched as Castilla and his daughter were taken to the brig. That's one chapter in my life that I can finally close. Now I want to find out why she did what she did. Deep down, he knew the answer already, and he didn't like it.

"You ready?" Lasky asked. "You just had a lot of fire thrown at you."

Cole nodded. "I've been ready for over fifty six years. It's time to close the chapter on this drama." Both men left the hangar...

Before long, both he and Lasky were in the interrogation rooms within the Infinity's penitentiary. Cole sat down in the chair opposite of Castilla. "For a supposed freedom fighter, you sure didn't do a good job of it," Cole said. "Do you know why you've been arrested?"

"Yes," Castilla said. "Charges of high treason and insurrection, along with a myriad number of crimes. That being said, I don't understand why the Chairman of the UNSC, HIGHCOM and Joint Chiefs is down here. Did Hood get done in by someone?"

"More like I'm filling in for him since he's in another galaxy," Lasky said. "All that aside, that's not the only reason we're kinda pissed at you."

Cole leaned in to Castilla. "Why did you collude with the Covenant during the start of our war against them?"

Castilla frowned. "To be honest, it was a mistake. Even I said it was a mistake."

Cole frowned. He didn't have reason to believe her, but he knew he needed to know more. "Go on."

"When they called the meeting, I made it clear that any government that was willing to kill UEG citizens wouldn't work with us, and that any deal with them would be a Faustian Bargain. Unfortunately, the other leaders of the Insurrection didn't see it that way. They wanted war against the UEG and UNSC, even if it meant selling their souls to the very enemy that wanted to destroy all of Humanity."

"So you decided to remain the goody two shoes and not aid the Covernant," Cole guessed.

"Basically. Plus, I had our daughter to worry about. How could I justify a deal with the Covenant if she found out about it." Castilla shook her head. "I couldn't, my conscience wouldn't let me."

"I didn't know you had a conscience," Cole said.

Castilla picked up on the sarcasm. "I wanted independence from the UNSC and UEG, same as the Insurrectionists. What I didn't want, however, was the complete annihilation of Humanity. That was a line too far."

"So you say," Cole said. Having read the reports, he knew Castilla's words were true. Out of all the Innies in that conference, she had been the sole voice of reason in a room filled with madness. He turned to Lasky. "Chairman?"

"Right," Lasky said. He fixed his gaze onto Castilla. "So you can say your conscience is clean, eh? That it was the rest of the Insurrectionists that wanted to side with them and not you? I find that hard to believe."

"Believe what you want," Castilla said. "I won't hesitate to tell the truth. You wouldn't understand, though. You're a dyed-in-the-wool UNSC supporter."

What Lasky said next surprised her. "Actually, I do understand. During my days a Corbulo Academy on Circinus IV, I actually sympathized with your cause in a way. I understood why the Insurrectionists wanted independence. I understood why you and millions of people like you wanted to rebel against a corrupt and bloated bureaucracy. Many of my classmates thought I was an Innie sympathizer and shunned me as a result. Hell, I even got into a fist fight with one of my class mates.

"The thing is, now that I'm their Chairman of the UNSC, I can see why the Insurrectionists decided to rebel. The UNSC, UEG, and ONI are corrupt, far more than I ever thought. Why do you think I've been so busy doing all of this shit? I've been literally trying to clean house, despite ONI being a bunch of barely-competent warmongers!"

Cole's eyebrows went up at that. I'm surprised to hear him say that. I didn't know he had some level of sympathy with the Innies.

What Cole heard next from Lasky, though, erased any fears that Lasky had supported the Insurrection. "What I do not understand, howeved, is why you Insurrectionists thought it was a good idea to murder innocent civilians and bomb their places of work to send the message across. I understand the desire for freedom and liberty, hell the nation the UEG was based on fought for their liberty, but there are lines in the sand that no one should cross." He leaned in towards Castilla. "And you crossed them," he growled. "I don't know about you, but I do know your Innie friends killed, maimed and murdered innocent people, all while preaching about the purity and nobility of their cause. That's hypocrisy, Castilla, and I know it when I see it."

He stood back near the wall. "Personally speaking, I don't know why I'm speaking with you, Castilla. As Acting Chairman of the UNSC, I have the power to perform a summary execution right here, right now. I could kill you and every Innie on that ship if I gave Blue Team the order right now. In fact, I hate what you and your friends did so much that I want to kill you right now! You're not worth the air, nor the food and fuel needed to haul out!"

Cole leaped up from his seat. Fear made his heart race in his chest. "Lasky! I know you want to kill her, but -"

"Don't worry Cole," Lasky said reassuringly. "Castilla's also lucky that I don't think she's worth pulling the damn trigger on! Besides that, I'm not a monster like the Insurrectionists think I am!" He refocused his eyes onto Castilla. "The only reason you're alive, Castilla, is because you're Cole's wife, and that unlike most Innies, you might actually be redeemable. Plus, I don't want Cole's daughter's first impression of the UNSC to be me shooting you dead on the spot."

He turned to leave the room. "I'll do what I can to keep the death penalty from being your sentence. Other than that, you'll get the punishment you deserve for breaking the oath you swore to Humanity. I find you to be that contemptible!" He turned and left the room.

Cole felt a chill run up his spine. Lasky had just frightened him; the man had gone from being an amicable and friendly sort of man, into a cold, calculating individual that would spend lives like they were credits. He's a dangerous man, and he knows it, he realized. He turned to Castilla, who still had a shocked expression on her face. "Any other questions?"

That shook her out of her shocked stupor. "N-none that I can think of," she said. "It seems that I underestimated Lasky."

"Lasky is easy to underestimate, but if you do so, he'll break you. That being said, I have a question myself." Cole stood up from the desk. "That love we used to have? Was it all a lie?"

For the first time since she'd come aboard the Infinity, Castilla seemed to have mist in her eyes. "No," she said. "I didn't love the UNSC or UEG, Cole, but I loved you, still do in a way. That was genuine. Why else did I keep your daughter alive?"

Cole frowned, then nodded. "At least you aren't fully rotten to the core." He stood from the table. "As Lasky said, I think you need to be disciplined for your actions, but I sincerely hope that you don't get the death penalty, if only for our daughter's sake, and not my own." He turned to leave the room.

"Amber," Castilla said.

"Who?"

"That's our daughter's name," Castilla said. "Amber."

Cole nodded. "I see. Thank you." Without a word, he left the room, while the Spartans moved to secure Castilla. Despite knowing what he'd done was right, Cole could feel an ache in his chest when he thought of Castilla. I'm sorry that it ended this way, but she chose to continue down that path. I just hope she sees reason someday. As for me, I will continue to be loyal to the UNSC, no matter what.