Chapter Nine: The Ax Falls
Olympica, Olympica Security Entrance:
Dante Solis recoiled at the message he had just received on his phone. All of his planning over the past eight months, the careful preparation he had undertaken to lead to this moment had all been for naught. He began to feel less like a man drunk on victory and more like a man scared of the unknown. He locked eyes with Governor David Rush and he judged that the man had no idea about the text message he had received. It was then that it happened…
A searing pain hit his right arm as a bullet ripped through it, causing him to drop his phone to the deck. There was a scream on his lips that was never released as another bullet found its mark on his forehead; he was dead before he could hit the deck.
From his position in the ventilation duct Cain saw Shan aim his sniper rifle and take two shots. He then saw the remainder of Solis' people open fire on Governor Rush and his people. The only recourse of action he had was to start sniping away and hope that he could eliminate enough of them to make a difference. What he could not have seen was that Shan, who had seen one of Solis' people, raise a rifle to fire and he had taken the person out, but not before two shots had been fired at Solis himself.
Aurelia Gilliam was frozen in place as she watched the shots hit Solis and take him down. She heard a woman screaming and for an instant she wondered who it was until it dawned on her that she was the one screaming. She felt a searing pain as a bullet impacted her in the abdomen and she spun around from the impact. Hitting the deck with a loud thump she screamed out again. She tried to stand up but found that no matter how she willed her legs they would not move. The gravity of her situation began to dawn on her and mentally she screamed that it could not be possible. Several more bullets impacted her body and her upper body fell down to the deck and she was in such agony as she had never experienced before. She looked up at the ceiling above her and gradually the world around her blurred until at last she slipped into darkness.
Major Mark 'Archangel' Hunter saw that Eli Hunter had already moved to a spot behind a nearby column and he had to wonder if the man could even move that quickly. He did not have time to ponder it as he saw both Aurelia Gilliam and Dante Solis collapsed with pools of blood forming underneath them. He was thankful to see that Karin Briggs, the head of Olympica Security, had found cover but was not yet exchanging fire with Solis' people.
He heard a muffled cry for help and saw that Governor Rush was also lying in a pool of blood but was still alive. He quickly started to make his way over to the fallen governor and try to pull him out of the line of fire.
"Let me help you," Magnus said as he came to assist Archangel pulling Rush to a safe location.
"Medic!" Archangel cried out as he heard the advance of Maxwell's Marine force.
"Who's hit?" a corpsman said when he responded to Archangel's call for help.
"It's Governor Rush; he's alive but he sounds weak," Archangel said.
The medic looked at Rush and for a brief second he looked as though he wanted to say something. "I'm going to get him to the medical wing. You two stay here until the fighting is done."
The medic and two other Marines picked up Rush and carried him away.
"Did you see that look on his face?" Magnus asked.
Archangel nodded. "I don't think the Governor is going to make it."
"That's the look I've seen many times," Magnus said solemnly.
"Do you have a firearm?" Archangel asked.
Magnus nodded. "In my line of work it helps to always have one."
"Let's go help these Marines clear out these bastards," Archangel said as he took his firearm and made sure it was ready to be used.
"Archangel, I like the way you think," Magnus said as the two of them got out from their hiding place and joined the Marines.
"Thanks, I think," Archangel said as he pondered the compliment from the man known as the 'Pirate King' according to the media.
"Just to make sure, how well a Viper jock like you knows how to handle a weapon," Magnus asked with a hint of teasing to his voice.
"Better than you realize," Archangel retorted.
"You two look like you're planning something either brave or stupid," Briggs said as she bounded in from where she had been hiding.
"At the rate this going it's probably going to be a combination of both," Magnus said.
"We know the Marines are going to storm that place any minute, we might as well join them," Archangel said.
"You won't hear any complaints out of me," Briggs said.
"If the three of you are done standing around talking about the weather you can join my Marines in taking out these bastards," General Otus Maxwell said as he led his troops toward the barricade.
"Looks like he took a few hits," Briggs said.
"That's one tough old bastard," Magnus said.
"Let's not get left behind," Archangel said as he got out of cover and charged with the Marines toward the barricade.
"I like your spirit," Magnus said as he and Briggs joined in.
Archangel focused on the barricade ahead and mentally ignored the bullets that zipped by him. He was grateful for the near misses but felt a twinge of regret when he saw one of the Marines collapse from a hit.
When he reached the barricade, the Marines had already cleared it away and he ran through with his gun raised and ready to shoot whoever came his way. He did not wait long until one of Solis' people came up with some sort of long knife drawn. Archangel did not hesitate to shoot the man in the chest and he immediately fell to the ground.
He surveyed the room and saw the Marines engaged in hand to hand close quarters combat with the remnants of Solis' forces. He knew that the snipers were up in the ducts helping to make quick work of the unsuspecting enemy, and he felt a sense of relief at that thought. He did not have long to ponder it before another man ran up and knocked his weapon out of his hand.
Archangel tried to reach for it and was rewarded with a sharp pain to his ribcage as the man slammed the butt of a rifle with enough force to possibly break a few ribs. Gasping for air, Archangel fell to his knees and saw that the man was now going to try to ram his face with the rifle butt. Quickly, Archangel grabbed his handgun off the floor and drilled the man with a shot to the forehead.
Archangel got to his feet and felt a sharp pain on the left side of his ribs where the blow had landed. Looking around he saw the remnants of the enemy forces had either been killed or had surrendered and were being taken into custody.
The battle had been decidedly fierce, but the Marines ultimately prevailed against the last remnants of Dante Solis' forces. The attempted takeover of the Olympica and the coup against the civilian government was now over.
Olympica, C-Deck, Lanier Art Gallery:
Mitchell Cain, Sarita Torrance, and Kang Shan exited the ventilation system as soon as the last of the enemy had been taken out of action. The three had little to say.
As Cain put the access panel back in place and made sure it was secure he turned to see that there was somebody in the gallery.
"Don't tell me you're here to arrest us," Torrance said with no attempt to hide her annoyance at the two visitors.
"I don't think we were told to expect company after we were done," Shan said.
"General Maxwell asked that we escort you to the Governor's Suite for a debriefing," Colonel Jake Krulak said. He was Maxwell's second-in-command and normally not far from the general.
"So who's the guy with the serious look on his face?" Torrance asked as she took in the sight of Krulak and the other Marine that had accompanied him.
"Corporal Lance Edmonds, he's here just in case we run into trouble. You'll have to forgive him if he's not eager to talk," Krulak said.
"Why is that?" Torrance asked defensively.
"It's hard to feel like being civil when dealing with pirates," Edmonds said.
"Didn't you get the memo that we're part of a private security company?" Shan asked.
"I know how you work. I had friends on the Nalgora when you bastards attacked," Edmonds said.
"I don't recall that being something we were a part of, then again it could have been the Erebea disguised as us and doing that daring piece of work," Torrance replied.
"For what it's worth," Cain offered, "The Erebea were notorious for disguising their raids as those of their rivals so they wouldn't get the blame."
Kulak felt the situation was growing more tense," Corporal Edmonds that is enough and you will stop talking about things that happened in the past."
"Yes, sir," Edmonds said stiffly.
"I am sorry for what happened to the Nalgora, the crew and passengers didn't deserve to go out like that," Torrance said in an attempt to be diplomatic.
"I think you'd be proud of the way the Marines fought," Cain said as he tried to change the subject.
"I'm surprised Solis' people didn't try to take the General out right away," Krulak said.
"They tried,' Shan said before adding, "It seems that General Maxwell is able to move well for a man of his age."
Krulak let out a laugh. "Don't let him hear you talking about him like that, but it's true, he's a tough bastard."
"That would explain why he was right in the thick of the battle with his Marines," Cain said.
"If it's okay to ask, why do you need our statements on what happened?" Shan asked.
"Because the three of you had a different perspective from the other people involved," Krulak said without offering more on the subject.
"We'll humor him, but Kang and I are heading back to the Revenge the first chance," Torrance said.
"That's not really surprising to hear," Cain said.
"It's not personal; nothing at all against you Cain," Torrance quickly replied.
"You're on a ship with the Marines, a heavily armed security force, and at least one well-season Ministry of Intelligence officer. I can see why you would be just a little nervous," Cain said half teasingly.
"I don't expect you to understand the life we live in the Eastern Alliance," Torrance said.
"You're a paramilitary group that tries to pass itself off as a legitimate enterprise when in reality it is not afraid to get its hands dirty with regard to illegal activities," Cain said.
Torrance slowed her pace down and Cain matched. The two were behind Krulak, Shan, and Edmonds but not too far away to where it would seem like they were going to lose track of the group.
"You know I was a part of the Ministry of Intelligence, so you can imagine what I've seen," Cain said.
"Care to tell me one of the stories?" Torrance asked.
Cain thought about it for a moment before he said, "One of the last missions I was given was to infiltrate a crime ring on Aerilon. They were known as the Eusten and their leader was a man by the name of Vlad Zeris. It took me a couple of years but I worked my way up in the organization and then it got me in the position where I could take Zeris out once and for all."
"Didn't he have bodyguards or some sort of security team?" Torrance asked.
"The MoI had a special assault team known as The Argonauts, they made quick work out of Zeris' people," Cain said before adding, "It paved the way for my operation on Virgon where the Basileus was trying to set up a branch of their syndicate. That sadly did not end so well and I have the scar on my face to prove it."
"What happened?" she asked.
"Someone sold me out and I barely made it out with my life, and no, I never found out who it was but it had to have been someone in the Ministry. After that I was considered damaged goods and quickly put out to pasture. Do you have any stories to tell?"
"Maybe another time," Torrance said as she sped up and caught up to the group.
Olympica Medical, Hospital Wing, Room 09:
The small hospital wing of the Olympica consisted of fourteen rooms designed to be used for those who required hospitalization during a voyage. Now all fourteen rooms were in use because of recent events.
Brooke Bowman rested in her hospital bed with her head pressed against the one pillow that had been provided. Compared to the bed she had at her home in Delphi it was a step down, but it was luxurious in comparison to the thin mattress she had while on the freighter Pandion. She noticed a stack of books on the nightstand by the bed, and hoping it would help her to stay awake she picked up one and it was not long after she began that she put the book down and sighed in frustration.
"You look completely bored," Marian Sanders, the Aquarian representative to the Quorum, said from the doorway.
"Marian, you're looking great considering we both got tossed against the wall in that explosion," Brooke said. Almost the entire Quorum had been lost when a bomb was exploded in the Jarrell Conference Room. Brooke and Sanders had been with two of the other delegates when the explosion had occurred. Picon delegate Alfred Newton had died in the explosion while Libran delegate Peter Halle had survived but had sustained serious injuries.
"I suppose luck was on my side; you didn't come out too badly either," Sanders said.
"I feel like I head butted a brick wall and the rest of my body isn't feeling all that great. I'd swear I was sore from head to toe. I wonder what my husband would say if he could see me now," Brooke said as she thought of Artimus.
"I'm sure he'd make sure you were properly spoiled and cared for. If he brought your meals to you in bed it would probably be better than hospital food," Sanders said.
"He'd give it his best, but is it wrong for me to think that if I had died at least I'd be reunited with him?"
Sanders shook her head, "You don't know if he's dead though, and even if he is you're needed here. I'll allow you to feel sorry for yourself only so much."
"You are such an Aquarian," Brooke said though the statement came out as more of a tease than an insult.
"Yes I am! Here you are in a hospital bed after getting tossed against a wall and you're making the hospital staff wait on you hand and foot. If you ask me you're being every bit a Caprican," Sanders shot back in the same teasing manner.
"I know everyone can relate to it, but lately I feel like I've been put through the emotional ringer. First my husband and his ship may or may not be out there, then I have the same issues with Scott and the Colossus," Brooke said. Thinking of Artimus and his ship, the Battlestar Hermes, might still be alive had filled her with hope at the thought but also a dread that perhaps she was wrong. Now that Fleet Admiral Scott Tolan and the Battlestar Colossus were missing after the Battle of Ostarsis she was facing that same feeling regarding man who was a dear family friend.
"You and Admiral Tolan were close then?" Sanders asked.
"I was closer to his wife and his cousin Lacey, but Scott was a friend who I could count on if Artimus couldn't be there. Did you have any friends like that?"
"Besides the man I was dating back on Aquaria I had some very close friends from my hometown of Port Leopold who I stayed in touch with," Sanders said.
There was the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the hallway and it was not long before a group of six Marines had entered the room with a look of seriousness on their faces that were almost enough to give both Brooke and Sanders a strong feeling of unease.
"I'm Captain Kenneth Bailey, and my Marines and I are here to protect you," the lead Marine said.
"Protect us from what?" Brooke asked.
"There was a threat made against the members of the Quorum; considering recent events it was decided to give the two of you and Delegate Halle a Marine guard in case someone acts on the threat," Bailey said.
"What about Delegate Gilliam?" Sanders asked since she found the omission of Aurelia Gilliam's name odd.
"Delegate Gilliam was shot and is one of the casualties, the three of you are the only surviving members of the Quorum," Bailey said.
"Gods…" Brooke said as the revelation sank in.
Four Hours Later, Olympica Medical Examining Room 7-A:
Archangel found himself in the examining room with nothing to do except wait for the doctor to arrive. His chest had been x-rayed and he was certain that the doctor would come back and tell him that he had a number of broken ribs.
"Major Hunter, I hope you weren't injured too badly," Eli Hunter said from the entrance to the room.
"Hunter, what brings you to visit?" Archangel asked.
"I know things got crazy there at Olympica Security. I didn't know how you were," Hunter said as he walked over to an empty chair and sat.
"How is your boss?" Archangel asked although he had seen Aurelia Gilliam's body and knew that she was more than likely dead.
"It's unfortunate that she lost her life today, I know there are those on her side of the political aisle who will mourn her deeply," Hunter said.
"Are you among those?" Archangel asked.
"So what can you tell me about your life on Saggitaron?" Hunter asked.
'Deftly avoided' Archangel thought before he said, "My family lived on the outskirts of the small town of Freedom. Have you heard of it?"
Hunter nodded. "I've heard of it; my family was from Culloden originally, but when I was ten we moved to Tawa."
"Freedom was about three hundred miles from Tawa. We lived there until I was sixteen; it was then that my father moved the family to Caprica in order to take control of the tylium refineries he owned."
"I didn't realize you had such a wealthy family!" Hunter exclaimed before asking, "How did you like life on Caprica?"
"Truth of the matter is, I hated Caprica and I tried everything I could think of to get back to Saggitarron. When I joined the Fleet I was hoping to get assigned to the Cian Testing Range as a test pilot or even to Fort Augustus Fleet Air Station."
"Did you father know any of the Culloden family?" Hunter asked.
"They have a city named for them and control most of the businesses located there, so naturally my father did business with the family," Archangel said.
"I'm surprised your family didn't try to arrange a marriage," Hunter said.
Archangel was becoming annoyed with the line of questioning but he kept his cool, "Our fathers arranged for me to take Hannah Culloden on a date so that perhaps we'd fall in love and in the process make both of our families financially happy."
"Still hard to imagine a man like Daniel Culloden using his daughter's love life as a way to improve his bottom line."
Archangel shrugged. "Both of our fathers were perhaps more in love with their businesses than they were with their children."
"It's interesting; you've known we have the same last name but have yet to ask if we're related in some distant way," Hunter said.
Archangel smiled at him. "That's because I don't even know if you're being truthful with me."
Hunter arched an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
"Back there at the barricade you were very quick to hide behind that column. It was like you knew what was going to happen before it even took place."
Hunter shrugged. "Survival instinct; something told me that I should run and hide."
Archangel nodded. "You ran and hid and left Ms. Gilliam to die; that means you have great instincts of a coward."
"I'm not proud of what I did," Hunter admitted.
"I bet you're not, but something tells me that you're hiding something; maybe it's just my instincts but something in the back of my mind screams that there is more to you than you seem."
"I promise you I'm hiding nothing, it's just the nature of politics," Hunter said in the same relaxed casual manner that he had kept throughout the conversation.
"You'll have to forgive me for reminding you that I'm not a big fan of politics. Your former boss was doing just that when she wanted to award me a medal just for being a Sagitarron," Archangel said in reference to a conversation he had with Aurelia Gilliam, it was also the first time he had met Eli Hunter.
"You are still going to get that medal, it will be good for morale and I know you would hate to do something that could damage the morale of the people," Hunter said.
"So you expect me to voluntarily stand there and let you pin some medal on me just for being a Sagitarron?" Archangel asked before continuing with, "That's like giving a gold star to an elementary school kid just for bringing a pencil to class!"
"You'll do it because you're a good soldier and if I get a superior officer to agree with me then you will do like all good soldiers do and follow orders," Hunter said with a more serious tone to his voice.
"Good luck with that, you should find something better to do with your time," Archangel quickly responded.
"You shouldn't underestimate me Archangel, I did learn a few things during my time with Aurelia," Hunter said.
"I see Gilliam taught you well, if she were still alive she would certainly be proud of you. Of course if she were still alive she would also be ashamed at the way you so cowardly ducked out of the line of fire and left her there to get shot," Archangel retorted.
"Am I interrupting anything?" a woman wearing the uniform of a Colonial Fleet officer asked from the doorway.
Hunter stood up and straightened his shirt and suit jacket. "Not at all, I was just leaving."
"Until next time," Archangel said.
"Yes, we'll finish our conversation later," Hunter said before leaving the room.
"So, should I come back later?" Captain Alisa 'Dagger' Stark asked.
"Have a seat, I'm sure you would love to be here to hear just how I was injured in that battle," Archangel said.
"You think I would come all the way here just to hear that you were injured after storming a barricade and engaging in hand to hand combat with terrorists?" Stark asked in mock horror.
"That is exactly what I'm thinking!" Archangel said with a laugh that caused him to grimace in pain.
"You know me well," Stark said as she took the seat where Hunter had vacated. "Despite what you may think, you're not a superhero and you can be hurt."
"You are such a ray of light on a dark day. Shouldn't you be trying to find Leon Delroy to make sure he didn't sprain a thumb while trying to run from the firefight?" Archangel asked sarcastically. It seemed as though Stark had become somewhat smitten with the star pyramid player when the two had met on the Olympica.
"I'm sure he'll have plenty of women more than eager to soothe his bruised ego. Are you sure you're not sounding just a little too critical of the man?" Stark asked. It was par for the course for her and Archangel. The two had served together before the Cylons had attacked the Colonies and since then they had become the two most senior pilots on the Battlestar Ark Royal where Archangel had taken the position of CAG.
"As an athlete he is great, he's able to change the flow of the game in his favor when he's playing at his best. However, as a person he is the epitome of arrogance!" Archangel said.
Stark arched an eyebrow. "Are you still sore about that incident with the logo?
"I know you're a Panthers fan and just a little biased but let me set the stage for you. The Gemenon Twins and the Saggitaron Archers are tied at the end of regulation so it's a matter of seeing who can come out on top in overtime. Near the end of overtime, Delroy strips the ball from Carlo Bassoli and takes it in for a goal to end the game," Archangel said.
"What's wrong about that, besides the fact that some people thought the way he went about it may have been illegal?" Stark asked.
"Delroy then decided to run to the Archers' logo in the middle of the field and proceeded to wipe his feet on it before spitting on it in disgust," Archangel said in a tone that dared Stark to defend the action.
"It was just done for show, I'm sure away from the court he's a nice enough guy."
Archangel shook his head. "How come I knew you weren't going to agree with me?"
"Yet you know you would expect nothing less of me," Stark said before asking, "So about the visitor you had before I got here. I just thought you should know that you looked like you wanted to belt that guy; you did a terrible job of hiding what your feelings."
"That was Eli Hunter; he was with us when everything went south at Olympica Security. Before the shots were fired he ran and hid behind a column, then I swore I saw him running away from the action before we charged the barricade."
Stark nodded. "So the guy is a coward of the worst sort."
"It's more than that, I just can't shake this feeling that he somehow played a part in this," Archangel said.
"Well that may be true, but right now you look like you need some painkillers, a warm shower, and a comfortable bed. Not to mention you look like you took a few punches during that fight; your face isn't hiding that very well either."
"You're right about needing to rest, but why did you have to go saying all that about my face?" Archangel asked.
"Because, thanks to you, I am probably going to have to take over as CAG until you're healed up, that cancels my shore leave and adds plenty of paperwork for me to take care of!"
"I know you were worried about me, it's nice to know you care more than you let on."
Stark shook her head. "I don't think you'll mind if I stay here to listen to what the doc has to say."
"Be my guest. I doubt I'd have been able to convince you to go back to the Ark earlier than you would need to," Archangel said as the two waited for the doctor to show up.
Battlestar Stryker, War Room:
Located aft of where the CIC was located was the War Room for the Battlestar Stryker. Standing at the large table that dominated the room along with Admiral Naomi Sakura were Rear Admirals Nicholas Tattnall and Lewis Ware and Commanders Jerome Cyprian and Susan Minerva. It had not been that long ago when they had met to discuss Sakura's strategy for how to keep the Cylons from discovering the existence of the secret space station Amasen. Now Sakura had a battle plan that she would share with them.
"I thank you for your prompt arrivals," Sakura said to begin the meeting. "With me is Lieutenant Nolan Kindell from the Tactical Department. Both he and Lieutenant Hirsch were able to come up with a plan of attack for our next operation."
"I take it the trip to Canceron paid off?" Ware asked.
"When the Libran jumped to Canceron there was no telling what we would find, but we discovered a Cylon task force that has massed around the planet," Tattnall said.
"If there's a chance to disrupt whatever plans it has, then we have to jump in before we lose the opportunity," Minerva said.
Sakura nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking. We know there are at least eight baseships gathered around Canceron, and there could be others in the area. It appears to be a mix of Cylon War era baseships and the modern ones we've encountered since the Colonies were attacked."
"A battlestar group composed of three battlestars and the various support vessels might be on the losing side of that battle," Ware said.
"I've already contacted Admiral Kronus and he has called in a favor, we'll have help soon enough," Sakura said.
"Where is our extra firepower coming from?" Minerva asked.
"The Eastern Alliance will be joining us. They have a Cylon War era baseship that they captured and renamed Revenge, and Magnus Ah-Mun has agreed to join us in the battle. That should give us plenty of extra firepower," Sakura said and she saw the mixture of looks among the officers in the room.
"In that case, what's our plan of attack?" Cyprian asked.
"A little over six years ago I was involved with the rescue of President Adar's sister and niece from a space station that was a base for the Saggitaron Liberation Army. I believe we can modify that into a pincer attack that will allow us to divide the Cylon forces into smaller groups that will be more manageable," Kindell said.
"I believe that will give us the greatest chance for success. Head back to your ships and make sure everything is ready for battle, when the Eastern Alliance arrives; we won't be waiting long before we attack," Sakura said.
Battlestar Ark Royal, Commanding Officer's Quarters:
Commander Audra Ortiz sat on the edge of her bed and turned on the wireless set. She had no idea what would be broadcast but the fact that there would be something to report was a small comfort to her. It was something she had come to appreciate about the new arrivals that they had discovered, there was enough activity in the civilian sector to make it feel like life before the Cylons had come and decimated the lives of all Colonials.
There was a crackle as she set the frequency to the one that broadcasted from the Olympica. The luxury liner had become the equivalent of Caprica City; it was the heart of this new society that had been formed from the ruins of its predecessor.
"This is Danya Wright with a special news report," the reporter's voice said over the wireless.
'Wonder what's happened?' Ortiz thought. She had been apprised of the action that had taken place on the Olympica a few hours ago, but the situation seemed to have settled down. When she went off duty there had been no new reports delivered to her.
"It is with a heavy heart that I report the death of Governor David Rush. Any moment now we can expect Lieutenant Governor Michael Fowler to be sworn in as the new leader of our government. David Lloyd Rush was born forty-eight years ago on Caprica. He spent his childhood in the city of Oxford, ultimately graduating from East Ridge High School before attending Dinarchus University in the city of Clermont. Rush would graduate with a degree in Political Science and Journalism. After college, he went to Caprica City to take a job as a political correspondent with the Caprica City Herald. After seven years with the Herald he was offered a job as a talk show host on the Channel Nine political program The Agenda. Rush would gain greater notoriety a year later when he was given his own talk show that he dubbed The Daily Rush. He was a vocal critic of President Adar's administration and never missed a chance to criticize the President and his performance as the leader of the Colonies," Wright said.
Ortiz had remembered hearing his name when the political experts would debate the merits of Adar's policies. Some people had said that his remarks were controversial and that perhaps he should tone down his rhetoric.
"In the aftermath of the Cylon attacks, Rush was one of four candidates for the office of President of the newly formed civilian government, and he would ultimately in third in the election. However, he would become President after Hector's downfall. The reason for this was the fallout from then-President Alonzo's activities having made Vice President Michael Fowler 'radioactive' as a viable candidate to lead the civilians. In what many said was a stroke of magnanimity Rush did allow Fowler to keep his position. In the process he took the title of Governor and gave Fowler the title of Lieutenant Governor. David Rush was known to be considerably more friendly to the military, giving the Admiralty plenty of leeway with how they carried out their desired operations. I am sure I speak for everyone when I saw that Governor Rush will be mourned by many and that there will be nothing but wishes of success for Michael Fowler," Wright said as she concluded her broadcast.
Ortiz reached over and clicked the wireless over to a musical station that broadcast from the Olympica. She thought about life on Amasen, the space station that she had called home for a little more than half a year. Major Arthur Wallace, an officer with the Ministry of Intelligence, was the undisputed leader of the station and it was said that nothing happened on Amasen without his knowledge. There was a group called the Civilian Council that handled the non-military matters for the most part. However, it was generally assumed that the council existed because Wallace allowed it and the major decisions were passed on to him for his approval. Perhaps she should be thankful that there was no major upheaval like the type that had just taken place on the Olympica. It was yet another facet of life in this new world that had been created when the Cylons had unleashed their devastating assault.
She also thought of the fact that at this point in time the Ark Royal, her ship, was the most important ship in the fleet. With Admiral Sakura taking the Stryker, Libran, and Gemenon on whatever mission had been given to her along with the fact that the other battlestars were in drydock for various repairs and overhauls that were needed to be carried out…it was up to the Ark to hold the line should the Cylons find them. Then there was the matter of her earlier visit from Commander Andre Graystone and Colonel Alejandra Santos from the Victorious.
She knew that they had experienced things differently than she had and she knew it weighed on her mind. They had not had to make the kind of decisions that she had been forced to make, to deal with the kind of issues that had befallen her during the time that her ship was on the run and hiding from the Cylons after the initial assault. Could either have them been able to relieve a Commanding Officer of duty the way she had? That was a decision she dwelled on but ultimately realized it had to be done, but deep down how did the crew feel about it…
Her mind was tired and it finally gave in to the urge to sleep. Her last thoughts before sleep completely took over her mind was that she was more than likely in a better position than she had been in before.
Olympica, Governor's Suite:
Lieutenant Governor Michael Fowler and Fleet Admiral John Kronus were watching the news reports of the shootout at Olympica Security in stunned silence. They had heard that Governor Rush was in emergency surgery but no other reports had come in regarding his condition.
"Aurelia Gilliam was confirmed as a casualty," Fowler said.
"When it comes to the likes of Gilliam...well let's just say I won't exactly be mourning her loss," Kronus said.
"No, but she is going to be a martyr for the opposition now. I think she may become more powerful as a symbol than she could have had she lived," Fowler said.
"We'll have to deal with that when and if it arises, but for now I think we should be proud of having defeated Solis and his coup attempt," Kronus said.
The door to the suite opened and in walked Mitchell Cain, Arthur Wallace, David 'Heavy' Robinson, and Darrell 'Tank' Robinson. Walking in behind them was Erica Abbott, Fowler's Chief of Staff, with an ashen look on her face. Combining that with the serious looks on the men's faces made it clear that something bad must have happened and they were not here to bring good news. In the middle of the group was someone neither Fowler nor Kronus recognized.
"Gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Fowler asked.
Wallace was the first speak, "It's more of a matter of what we can do for you."
Fowler felt a sense of dread building as he asked, "What do you mean, what you can do for me?"
Cain was the next one to speak. "Governor Rush passed away twenty-three minutes ago. You're next in the line of succession."
"The people need a President," Kronus said to Fowler.
"I think that title would carry more weight than 'Governor'", Fowler admitted.
"We brought someone to administer the Oath of Office," Cain said as he stepped aside to let the unknown man pass by.
"I'm Chaplain John Leishman, one of the chaplains on the Olympica. David Rush was a good friend of mine, and it would be an honor to administer the Oath of Office to you," Leishman said.
Fowler nodded. "Thank you; I know Governor Rush would appreciate your doing this."
Leishman gripped the Sacred Scrolls in his hands as he held it flat to administer the Oath. "Please put you right hand on the Sacred Scrolls and repeat after me."
Minutes later, President Michael Fowler was sworn into office.
Olympica, Elliott Marchant Restaurant, Meeting Room:
The announcement had yet to fully circulate among the ships in the fleet that Michael Fowler had become the next President of the Olympica based government. The news was still buzzing about the downfall of Dante Solis. Now was the perfect chance to strike while the iron was still hot.
Eli Hunter had taken the time not only to arrange the press conference but also to change his attire to a suit more fitting for a leading political figure as opposed to the attire of a subordinate. He walked up to the podium and tapped the microphone to make sure it was working properly.
"Good evening; for those who aren't familiar me, my name is Eli Hunter and I had the pleasure of being the chief of staff to Aurelia Gilliam, the now deceased Saggitaron delegate to the Quorum of Twelve. As you all know by now, Ms. Gilliam accompanied Governor David Rush to hold talks with Dante Solis in hopes of solving the hostage situation at Olympica Security peacefully…" Hunter said and he stopped briefly before delving into the next part of his speech.
"I was one of those who accompanied Ms. Gilliam for this important mission of mercy. She trusted in the ability of peace and negotiation to lead the way to victory. Sadly, she and the principles she held dear were betrayed by those in the military. I stood there as one of the Colonial Fleet mercenaries shot Dante Solis before we could even negotiate his surrender. I saw as one of those people in our group turned his gun on Aurelia and then tried to shoot me. I managed to get to cover and escape with my life; however the woman I so faithfully served was not so fortunate. I watched as she lay there on the deck with not a single person trying to tend to her injuries. I saw the Marines trample over her body as though she were a piece of garbage. I witnessed the man who shot her glance down at her with contempt before he charged the barricade in order to kill more people. It was then that I decided that I would not be silent on this and that I would pick up the torch that Aurelia Gilliam so righteously held and I will not rest until those responsible for her death are brought to justice. Starting with the man who shot her and then tried to shoot me, I will make these military thugs pay for the lives they ended!"
"Who shot Ms. Gilliam and tried to shoot you?" a reporter asked.
"I will reveal that in time. I have sworn witness statements that will back up my claims against the lies the military will throw up in an attempted defense," Hunter said before turning to leave the podium.
He smiled as he left the room. If things went the way he wanted, the plans he and his people had set in motion would come to fruition soon enough.