"NO! Sir, you HAVE to take ALL networks offline! That's why Pacifica was vulnerable - she was networked!"

BSG 64, CIC

Citona responded instantly. "Copy, Two-Nine! Flight Deck, Actual. Take all, repeat all networks offline, now! CIC," she ordered, "likewise! Anything networked, cut it the frak out of our system! Drive Room, same! Isolate our FTL!"

"Sir," an officer protested, "without computers, how do we calculate a jump?!"

"Or even make one?" the Drive Room's CO queried.

"After all the frakkin' time we've spent bringin' 'em online?!"

"We'll worry about that later! Flight Deck, maybe you missed the part about it being a frakking ORDER! Right now we have to protect ourselves against that bogey! We've already lost one Battlestar to it, I won't lose this one! Gods damn it, I fought tooth and frakking nail for this command! So I - will - be - FRAKKED - if I'll lose her now!" Citona frankly snarled. "Wilson, repeat scan!"

"Scanning, Commander," Ensign Helena Wilson reported. "Still nothing - no, wait, I do have something," she corrected herself. "Behind the Raptors, 152 carom 318, closing. No Colonial transponder. Can't ID it yet."

"Is it within Viper range?" Citona rapped.

The junior checked, and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Flight Deck, Actual! Deadshot, time to earn your callsign! Get out there in your Viper and take out that bogey! Good hunting!"

"Sir," a voice protested, "if she's not been ID'd, then how -?"

"She's a frakking Cylon, Collins! BLAST HER!"

"Copy that, Actual! On my way!" came the reply from Captain Dave Collins.

"Comms, if you detect a transmission from the bogey, do not pipe it through!"

A mere two minutes later he reported, "Firing! Direct hit! I got her!"

The bogey obligingly vanished from the DRADIS screen. "Confirmed, Commander. Reading positive hit and destruction of bogey."

"Well done, all," Citona nodded. "Deadshot, Actual. Good shooting. Return to base."

"Copy, Atlantia."

Now she reported soberly, "It's okay, Adama, we got her. But I'll keep the networks offline JIC. You're...sure about Pacifica? She's lost with all hands?"

"I'm afraid there's no doubt, sir. We got out and jumped away just in time."

Oh, Gods, Citona thought with regret. I'll have to tell Simone.

She told him, "Lieutenant, there was an officer aboard Pacifica - Captain Belinda Bellringer. A...friend of mine." She sighed. "Frak it, I'll be honest. Belinda was the younger sister of one of my Viper jockeys."

"I met her briefly," Adama confirmed. "But an electrical short hit the Flight Deck - every online Viper and Raptor was affected. She took a lethal shock, sir. I wasn't able to give her CPR. The CAG died the same way when he tried to."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Citona nodded. "XO, you have the conn."

Gods, I hate giving bad news.

BSG 64, Wardroom

As Citona arrived, an officer who looked not unlike an older version of Bellringer saluted her cheerily with a mug of ambrosia. "Hey, Commander! Pull up a rock, sir, unless the Wardroom's too low-brow for an officer."

But the Commander's face was bleak as she ordered, "Give us the room."

The other officers did so, and she sat next to Major Simone Bellringer.

"Uh-oh," Simone said with foreboding. "I know that look. Bad news. I'm being transferred?"

Citona shook her head and looked sorrowful. "Simone...I...CIC just picked up two Raptors out of Pacifica. One of them is being flown by a Lieutenant Adama, transferred there from Galactica. He told me...oh, Gods, Simone, there's no easy way to tell you, so...I'm sorry to tell you that Pacifica is lost with all but six hands - seven, with Adama, plus three visiting civvies."

"What -?"

"She was destroyed when one of her FTL drives spun up without the other, he told me. A Cylon bogey transmitted a software weapon. We scanned for the bogey; the CAG got it, thank Gods."

"Destroyed…" Simone choked. "Belinda...oh, Gods…"

"She was already dead - hit by an electric shock, Adama told me. She never felt it, Simone. I'm so sorry." Gently she began an ancient Virgon mourning chant as tears streaked down Simone's face, so like her sister's. Sobbing bitterly, Simone joined in the chant.

A loose translation (Author's Note: Virgon is to other Colonial languages as Basque is to English) would read:

Lords of Kobol, hear our prayer.

Keep safe the soul of our departed, Belinda.

Take her into your loving embrace

That she might dwell amongst the Gods.

In your infinite mercy, Lords

Hear our prayer.

After a time Citona gently disengaged. "Are you okay?"

Simone drew a deep, shuddering breath and answered, "As okay as I'll ever be, sir." She sighed. "We're taught how to deal with death during our training. We know we could die at any time. It's the price we pay for wearing our wings."

"That it is," Citona agreed, having seen too many friends and colleagues die.

"But nowhere do they teach you how...personal it can be," she sighed again. "Gods, I'll miss her."

"So will Fleet," Citona nodded, "I heard about some of her exploits. She was a terrific pilot." Though Simone already knew that, Citona was acknowledging it because she knew Simone needed to hear it. Now she stood. "I have to get back to CIC, inform Fleet about the new weapon. Then we'll need a strategy to deal with it." She clasped Simone's left hand. "And I swear by all the Gods, we will deal with it, Major."

Reminded of her duty, Simone stood and saluted. "Frakkin' A, sir!"

Citona nodded, squeezed Simone's hand once more and left.

Simone sat. All she had left now, all she could think of, was her grief.

Flashes of memory protruded:

Belinda telling her saucily about the clit, and why they had it (Simone was at first shocked, then delighted).

The two of them climbing a tree, each egging the other on despite their eight-yahren age gap (a gap of two yahrens was far more common on Virgon, as well as Tauron, Aerilon and Picon, but Mom had had an accident which put her in a coma for six yahrens, though thankfully she made a complete recovery, getting pregnant with Belinda soon after coming to).

Belinda falling from the tree, unknowingly (at first) fracturing her arm - and resuming her climb nonetheless, with the steely determination that would later stand her in good stead.

The first time Simone, aged 21, had taken Belinda to a bar, only for a drunken Scorpian to maul her, overestimating her age (to be fair, Belinda did look older than her tender yahrens). A furious Simone had shown how much she'd learned in her unarmed combat classes, tossing him through a window (neither girl was required to pay damages; they had witnesses, and Virgon law always protected the victim...plus, ironically, the case was taken and won by one Joseph Adama, travelling from Caprica).

(Hmm, I thought the name was familiar.)

Her sister actually managing to look shy as she confessed to losing her virginity to a young Sagittaron charmer. A blushing Simone, very much the proper Virgon lady, was still a virgin - until she got off with the guy's dad, one Mike Zarek.

Bell's Ceremony of Clarity, where she shocked everyone, though they were accustomed to her impish shenanigans.

Her Academy Commandant passing her with flying colours (literally - Dad had brought his old Colonial Marines flag depicting the insignia of all twelve Colonies, with Virgon prominent as Caprica would've been for a Caprican, and was in full dress uniform for the first time since his honourable discharge). Not since she herself had been awarded her wings had she been so proud.

So many memories, some bad, but mostly good.

As she sobbed, she prayed to the Gods to cherish Belinda's immortal soul.

And prayed Bell wouldn't pee on Athena's feet or something.

BSG 64, CIC

Soon after

"Comms," Citona ordered, "in code to Fleet Command: Have received intel on new Cylon weapon. Appears to be software-based, and all, repeat all networked Battlestars are vulnerable. Battlestar Pacifica destroyed, all but six hands and two Raptors lost. Request orders and new battle plan. Signed: Citona, Atlantia Actual."

"Coded and sent, sir," the tech soon reported. "ID codes verified."

"Good. How are we doing?" she asked Colonel Isaac Torens, her sturdy Gemenon XO, late of the Marines.

"All systems nominal, Commander. The CAP is flying. No sign of Cylons so far."

Then Sara Ferris looked startled. "Commander, I have Columbia CIC on scrambler." Now her expression was one of awe. "Sir...Columbia Actual is on the line."

Citona raised an eyebrow. "Frak me, that was fast. Patch it through." She did. "Columbia Actual, Atlantia Actual. What can I do for you, Admiral?"

Rear - now Vice, if Fleet scuttlebutt was correct - Admiral Sasha Masters answered, "I wanted to talk to you about this intel, Commander. Where did it come from?"

"Courtesy of Galactica and Pacifica, sir," Citona replied. "A Lieutenant William Adama was mistakenly transferred to Pacifica, and just barely got out after she was hit by a Cylon software weapon. We got at least one similar bogey, but I don't doubt the toasters have more."

"I'll submit a wild guess and say his auth code started with DX-723?"

"Somehow, Admiral," Citona said slowly, "that doesn't sound like a guess."

"Mmm, Fleet said you were shrewd," Masters applauded. "You're right. The Strategic Software guys looked into this rash of transfers. In their opinion, this is not an accident or a Fleet frak-up."

The conclusion was obvious, but Citona said it anyway. "The Cylons."

"Exactly," Masters agreed grimly. "Lieutenant Saul Tigh's third spurious transfer tipped the SS guys off. But since then, we've allowed the transfers to occur, to lull the toasters into a false sense of security by making them think their apparent plan to disorganise Fleet is working. Straight out of Covert Tactics, Carmen: When you have a spy, but he doesn't know that you know he's a spy, the last thing you should do is to -"

"- expose him," Citona finished with certainty.

"Right on. This is one of the few times in this Godsdamn war when we have the advantage. I fully intend to use it. But I need your help, Carmen."

With not the slightest hesitation Citona replied firmly, "Admiral, Atlantia stands ready to serve in whatever capacity Fleet requires."

A little out of line, Sara stood, saluted and cried, "So say we all!"

The salute and cry were both echoed by every single officer Citona had in CIC, including the two Marine guards. "SO SAY WE ALL!"

Not for the first or last time, Carmen was moved to tears by her crew's steadfast loyalty. "So say we all," she murmured.

The scrambled channel was silent for a few seconds. Then Masters said in a hushed voice, "Now that is one loyal crew, Commander."

"Bloody, bold and resolute, as they say, Admiral."

"Excellent. They'll need to be all three. So will you. This is my plan..."

The plan was essentially a simple one. Atlantia's software would be reworked such that a false layer would be created - over the toughest firewall SS could devise. On a Mercury-class Battlestar, with her malleable software, it was a cinch. The Cylons would be allowed to think they'd successfully subverted Atlantia - then she would wipe the entire suite of affected software and go into battle fully prepared...and wired. Galactica and Columbia would both have their networking removed, and Solaria, a Jupiter-class, would remain wired.

Every Battlestar except Galactica had been equipped with Viper IVs and the newest design of Raptor. She would stick with her IIs and IIIs, just to confuse the toasters further - if newer ships were available, surely it would be logical to deploy them.

It was that very logic which Masters was counting on.

Plus she had a Pyramid Ace up her sleeve: the new Pegasus, commanded by the very young but very capable Harry Forrester of Aerilon. She would wait in reserve until needed - as was likely, Masters admitted in private to Forrester. He shrugged. "We'll be ready, sir. And," sight unseen he grinned, "we have some of the brand-new Viper Vs aboard. Their pilots are just itchin' to try 'em out."

"So that's it," Masters finished. "Your thoughts?"

Citona nodded. "Sounds good, sir. Except two things: first, I'd like to transfer Adama temporarily to Atlantia. He was the one who warned us. He saw Pacifica destroyed. He deserves to be in on this."

"As of now, consider him transferred," Masters agreed. "Second?"

Soberly Citona said, "Sir, one of my best Viper pilots had a sister aboard Pacifica. She's in mourning. You know Fleet regs, sir: You do not interrupt a mourning Virgon. The C-in-C is Virgon, sir, and he ordered that to be written into Fleet regs when he assumed command of Fleet."

"He did indeed," Masters sighed. "Okay, I can give her a day. Two, max, but you'd better be ready otherwise."

"We will be, Admiral," Citona vowed.

"Good hunting, Commander. Columbia out."

Citona gazed at her XO. "Let's start making it happen, Isaac."

"Copy that, Commander," Torens nodded.