Chapter Five: A Soldier's Lot
One Week Later:
Gray, Picon; Ministry of Intelligence Complex, Tamara Bruce Medical Center:
Major Arthur Wallace strode through the corridors of the medical center with a single purpose. He had placed his activities on the Gemenon on hold and assigned his top lieutenant, Curtis Bond, in his place so he could tend to a matter that, as far as he was concerned, took precedence over the Erebea mission.
His eyes scanned the various doors until he found hospital room 353.
He had been here many times over the past week since he had received the news.
He pushed open the door and saw the figure lying in the hospital bed.
She was sleeping; the pain meds that had been given to her must have done their work well.
Whitney Thompson had been injured along with a majority of the crew of the Robert Smith.
Wallace had read the report from Colonel Arleen Baines and he gained a new respect for the crewmembers of the faststar.
It seemed Baines' damage control drills had paid off and actually managed to save the ship.
Otherwise, it was doubtful his fiancée would have made it out alive.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice Thompson begin to stir and weakly say, "Hey."
"I see they're giving you the good stuff," Wallace said through an almost choked and tender voice as he looked at the bag of medicine that was connected to her IV.
Wallace then walked over and kissed her ever so gently on the forehead.
"It's helping; did you remember that my parents want to meet you?"
"I remember, wasn't too sure just how well that was going to work."
"Once I'm out of here I want to go on that camping trip they were talking about."
"Alone with your parents and your siblings on a trip into the Picon forests. Mind if I bring backup?"
"I don't mind, especially if it will get you to stop being so evasive about meeting my family."
"You get some rest and I'll make a couple of calls. I'll be back when I finish some paperwork in my office," Wallace said and then he leaned over and kissed her again before leaving the room.
When he got outside of the building, he fished out his mobile phone and made a call to David Robinson. He was going to need the Robinson brothers if he was going to go into the wilds of Picon with the Thompson family.
Caprica City, Sosa's Tavern:
Seated in one of the private rooms in the back of Sosa's Tavern was a group of pilots from the Libran's Viper Squadron One.
Along with Major Alexander 'Ironhead' Mason was Chase 'Griff' Griffin , Adrian 'Whiplash' Henry, Alfred 'Matchbox' Chambers, Craig 'Fireball' Singleton, Dane 'Bobcat' Odom, Latisha 'Raven' Miles, and Graciela 'Tempest' Vinson.
They had hoped to hear something from the scuttlebutt involving their ship but nothing of any substance had materialized yet.
The door to the room opened and the group turned to see Colonel Susan Minerva, the Executive Officer of their ship, enter the room and close the door behind her.
"Colonel Minerva," Mason said as he raised a glass in salute.
It was then that he saw another of the Libran's pilots walk in behind her, Lieutenant John 'Tornado' Bruin of Raptor Squadron One.
"Hello, Major," Minerva said as she walked up to the table where the pilots were sitting.
"Have a seat with us; you're a pilot so you qualify," Mason said as he motioned for Henry and Miles to make room for the XO.
"Good to see you, CAG," Bruin said as he took a seat on the opposite side of the table.
"You too, Tornado," Mason said before adding, "Let's create some room for the XO and our Raptor Wrangler."
"Is there any word yet on where we're heading?" Miles asked.
"There are rumors circling that we are headed to Tifton, Fort Gaines, Lavonia, and other places where we have former military installations," Minerva said pausing to examine the effect her words would have.
"Sounds like they want to pick the most remote location to send us to," Bruin commented.
"We're technically in a war with the Erebea. A war of silence is still a war and I'm sure the Admiralty doesn't want word to get out about that. If the Erebea knew we were after them it would not go well for us," Minerva said.
"You know, Colonel, scuttlebutt says this isn't your first time taking part in a mission like this," Henry said.
Minerva's eyebrows went up, "In that case, just what have you heard?"
"Word is that you were involved with that mission three years ago. You know the one where Aperlae rescued President Adar's sister and niece."
"Someone really likes to talk. OK, here's the story behind that, and it does not leave this table. I was originally scheduled to pilot the shuttle that boarded the SLA base where Rachael and Renee Adar were being held prisoner. At the time, I was the CAG of the Battlestar Vanguard. To make a long story short, I came down with appendicitis and they had to scrub me from the mission."
"Do you wish you had gone on the mission? Aperlae and her team got all of those awards and the pick of any posting in the fleet," Odom said.
Minerva shrugged her shoulders, "Things happen for a reason. I'm not bitter about it and I am fine with serving as the Libran's XO."
It was her CO, then-Commander Scott Tolan, who had given her the basics of the story to tell.
She was not lying about what had happened. She was supposed to be piloting the transport shuttle to the base where the Sagitarron Liberation Army had set up their headquarters.
She had come down with appendicitis and had to be scrubbed from the mission, her replacement being then-Major Artimus Bowman from the Battlestar Valkyrie.
Tolan had informed her that it would be best if she make it sound as though she was supposed to be with Aperlae's team.
The whole thing was some sort of deal he had worked out this Admiral Peter Corman.
"What are you going to do while we're out of commission?" Mason asked.
"My husband wants to go visit Tybee Island on Caprica so we may try to do that with our kids. Really, it depends on what we hear from Fleet Headquarters," Minerva said.
"I couldn't think of anything better than relaxing on the beach right about now. As long as I don't have to go up to Fort Milledge, again I'll be happy," Bruin added.
"That's right; you were sent there when we first went to Caprica. Was it as cold there as everyone says it is?" Griffin asked.
Bruin took a drink from his glass and said, "I honestly believe the rumors don't do justice to just how cold that place is. I wondered if the guards felt every blast of cold air down to their bones. I just have a hard time imagining all of that protective gear doing so well against a bitter cold like that.
"Enough talk about this depressing stuff. As your XO, I order you to change the subject to something a little more cheerful," Minerva said and was relieved that the comment drew a round of laughter from the pilots at the table.
Ministry of Intelligence Headquarters, Major Arthur Wallace's Office:
Wallace had an office in the main building of the Ministry of Intelligence Headquarters though he only used it for moments such as these when he had to conduct 'official' MoI business.
In this case, there had been a person recommended for his Gemenon team and he was here to make sure this was actually a good move.
Despite throwing himself back into his work like a good soldier should his thoughts seemed to linger on Whitney and how the battle she had been in had shaken her.
He was certain this was her first brush with near death; if only he could get her to open up about it then maybe he could be more helpful to her mental recovery. He knew that post-traumatic stress had a way of tumbling inside the mind of its victims unless they could be opened up and release what was trapped inside.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door.
He turned to see a woman standing there as though she was waiting for his permission to enter the room.
She was tall, maybe not six feet tall but close, and her hazel eyes seemed to make an instant appraisal of him.
Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and seemed to accentuate her facial features.
"Please come in," Wallace said and motioned for her to take the seat in front of his desk.
"Thank you, Major Wallace," she said.
"I'd rather be called 'Arthur' if it's all the same."
"Very well then, Arthur, I'm Lieutenant Shaylyn Rexana. I've been assigned to your team as a weapons and explosives expert."
"You're sure about that. I mean no offense, but you don't strike me as a weapons and explosives kind of person."
"I graduated from Abry Military and entered the Colonial Army I worked in the ordnance division at Fort Neyland in Hades."
"Been to Canceron and survived on the home turf of the Basileus, now that impresses me for many reasons."
"I was trained in weapons and explosives by a former Army officer who was hired by the MoI."
"Indulge me then, who was this person?"
"Duke Lorentson."
Wallace paused for a moment; he had heard of Duke Lorentson. The former Army officer was known as a genius with explosives. It had been said that there was no bomb or explosive device he could not find a way to disarm. When he had been sent back into civilian life the Ministry of Intelligence swooped in with an offer he could not refuse. Currently, he was serving on the Faststar Eurylade with none other than Galit Malka.
"Lorentson is an impressive mentor to have. If you were trained by Lorentson then that alone should be good enough to get you any posting in the MoI. Why did you ask to be assigned to my team?"
"You're going after the Erebea and I have a score to settle with them," she said.
There were rules about snooping through high-level communications between the departments of the MoI but that had not stopped him from finding out about the people who were scheduled to be assigned to his team. Because of the rules in place, it was something he could never admit to anyone. The more he read about his new explosives expert the more he began to understand why she would be so adamant about joining his team. Shaylyn Rexana had been engaged to Ethan Todd, a member of the Caprica City Police Department. An Erebea assault team had killed Todd four years ago when the passenger ship he was on, the Covington, was boarded during a supply raid. It was something he had read that would put him in trouble if he ever admitted to it.
"Alright, Shaylyn, I want you to get on the next transport to the Genesis Orbital Facility above Aerilon. Welcome to the team," Wallace said as he stood up and offered Rexana a handshake. After she left, he sat down in his chair and poured a glass of water. His team was strong, and with this addition, it had become even stronger.
Lampetia, Leonis
Valdemar Fleet Air Station:
Commander Nicholas Tattnall pulled his car up to the guest parking slot in front of the Administration Building and put the authorization tag on the rear-view mirror.
Without it, he would have a large amount of cubits to pay in fines and towing fees.
He had been away from the Libran for a week and in a way, he felt as though he were away from home.
He had managed to 'catch the bug' when he took command of the battlestar, and knowing it was docked at Lampetia Shipyard in the care of someone else for repairs caused him more than a bit of unease.
He entered the building and took note of the map of the different floors.
He would be needed on the fourth floor in Meeting Room C.
What awaited him there he was unsure of but he figured there would be little for him to worry about.
"Commander Tattnall, I see you're here early," a familiar voice said from behind.
"Admiral Jennings, it's been some time," Tattnall said, after saluting.
Rear Admiral John Jennings was the flag officer of BSG-87, and had been Tattnall's CO when he served on the battlestar Romulus.
"Admiral Benson asked that I join you for this little meeting," Jennings said.
"Glad to have you here, how's Jessica?"
"She's doing well at the Fleet Academy, wouldn't surprise me if she ends up near the top of her class."
Seated at the head of the oval shaped table was Admiral William Benson, the flag officer in charge of all Colonial Fleet operations for Leonis.
"Commander, if you would sit, we can get started," Benson said.
He was a man with a large frame that gave him an imposing look.
Both Tattnall and Jennings took their seats and waited for Benson to speak.
"To begin, one of the first things we did was to have our intelligence officers go over the footage from the cameras on the Vipers. It confirms that you did, in fact, engage the Erebea. The questions after that are how did they manage to get their hands on our decommissioned vessels and how did they manage to get experimental weaponry."
"I've sent patrols out into that area and my battlestars have not encountered any signs of the Erebea in any of the outlying areas of that system," Jennings added.
"The survey on the damaged ships has been completed," Benson said, "The Libran is going to be out for a period of four to five months so proper repairs can be made. Just between us, I'd say that your battlestar is a tough ship."
"I take that as a compliment, sir," Tattnall said.
In truth, the Libran had grown on him since he had taken command.
Most would never know the reason the ship was brought back into service but that was something he could deal with.
Now that he was away, he felt as though he was leaving his home for an extended vacation.
"Lampetia's supervisor has also informed me that there will be several modifications made to the Libran while it is being repaired. Nothing too serious, just more work done to bring the old girl back up to current Colonial Fleet specifications," Benson said.
"Very good, Admiral; is there anything else?"
"One last thing," Benson said as he shuffled through some papers, "Normally the air group would be disbursed among the battlestars in the Fleet. In this case they are to be sent to Tift Air Station until the Libran is ready for deployment."
"They're going to Tift, as in the city of Tifton on the southern-most continent of Caprica?" Tattnall asked.
"That's correct. As you know, Tift was closed during the latest round of budget cuts but we worked out a deal. It is to be reopened and will serve as the home of your air group and crew for the time being. The last thing we need is for word to get out as to what the Libran was actually up to," Benson said.
"You have to realize that the crew will not be happy about this. Will they get to leave and spend time with their families?" Tattnall asked.
Jennings spoke up, "I'm sure you can understand the security issues surrounding this. You and your crew were selected to go on a mission with the highest security clearance. It might be best for them to be confined to Tift just out of concern for what they might say."
"You are going to treat us like we're criminals?"
"The officers will be allowed to leave to visit friends and family but the enlisted will not have that."
"When word gets out there'll be a riot and you know it. It'll be something the officers and NCOs will not be able to control. Perhaps we can find a way around this," Tattnall offered.
"I'm listening," Benson said.
"We do groups of officers and enlisted. I'm sure the Admiralty can find some way to explain the turn of events. You can even get the MoI or Colonial Military Intelligence to come up with some story."
"I will talk to Admiral Corman later today about it. Maybe we can come up something but no promises."
"Thank you, sir."
After being dismissed from the meeting, Tattnall boarded the nearest elevator and took it down to the bottom floor.
"How'd the meeting go?" a man said as he walked up beside Tattnall.
Tattnall turned to see Ministry of Intelligence Major Evan Windsor.
The intelligence officer was impeccably dressed in a black business suit and looked like he had stepped off some magazine cover.
The contrast between Windsor's suit and his own blue duty uniform was obvious.
"Hello, Windsor, I didn't think you'd be here for this meeting," Tattnall said as he mentally wished there was a way to make the man disappear.
"I'm here on orders from Gray. I would have been there in person but it seems Admiral Benson misplaced my royal invitation to come and attend."
"It was a Colonial Fleet matter and therefore not something that concerns the MoI."
"Commander Tattnall, you should know by now that everything is the business of the MoI even fleet matters. It's simply a part of the job we have for keeping the Colonies safe from harm. The price of peace is eternal vigilance."
"With you there standing guard I feel safer already," Tattnall said with a reassuring pat on Windsor's shoulder.
"Besides, I refuse to let those jackasses in the CMI have a chance to steal this little project from the MoI," Windsor said. Colonial Military Intelligence, CMI for short, was the military equivalent of the Ministry of Intelligence.
They would have more power during a time of war, but since the end of the Cylon War, they had been relegated to more mundane tasks.
However, Windsor's nemesis, Major Arthur Wallace had managed to smooth over some of the hurt feelings.
In Windsor's opinion, this was simply not a good idea.
Unfortunately for him, the higher ups in the Ministry of Intelligence did consider it a good idea and that meant that Wallace was allowed to continue.
"Are they really that bad, I thought your people had the monopoly on that," Tattnall teased.
"Commander, if I told you what we had going on…well you should know how that sentence ends."
"I do indeed know how that ends. What are you going to do with the downtime?"
"I think I may go back home to Virgon and spend time with my friends and family in Boskirk."
Tattnall looked stunned. "You're telling me you have friends. Wow. Does your family know what you do for a living?"
"My family believes I'm a traveling insurance salesman. No need to let them in on what I really do. What are you planning on using your free time for?"
Tattnall thought about it, "Probably go visit my family on Caprica and then go to my place on Picon for some alone time in the woods hunting and fishing."
"I should have known you were a guy who enjoyed being in the woods. Though I have no idea why," Windsor commented.
"Because I spend all of my time at work in a pressurized hull flying through space. When I'm not working the idea of spending time in the outdoors just appeals to me."
"You and I have different ideas of what qualifies as 'fun' Commander," Windsor said.
"I think you and I have a lot of different ideas about things Windsor," Tattnall shot back.
"My people are going with you to Tifton, by the way," Windsor said.
"I just heard about this piece of information. How did you - never mind that statement. Why will they be there?"
"I'd tell you but then I'd have to shoot you," Windsor said and saw the look on Tattnall's face was anything but amused, "I don't get it; the one time I make a spy joke and you look ready to kill me."
"The difference is when you say it I don't know if it's really a joke or not. To go back to my question, why will they be there with my crew?"
"They are going to analyze the data we have gathered so far, and doing it in Tifton will lessen the interest it might receive if it were done back at Headquarters."
"Will you be joining them?"
Windsor shook his head, "No, Leonard Harmon will be in charge of the group. I'm being assigned to another operation once I visit my family. I'd tell you what it involves but it's something unrelated to the Libran's mission."
"I have a reason to smile at least."
"Why is that?"
"I won't have to deal with you during my time in Tifton," Tattnall said as he turned a corner and walked away leaving Windsor shaking his head at having taken the bait that led to the comment.
Sago Station:
Cinta Melati sat at the desk in her office that was adjacent to the quarters she called home whenever she was away from Tauron.
The incident that had taken place in the Naylor Sector was a headache she would have preferred not to happen and like so many such days previously it lingered like a shadow as a constant reminder to her.
The door to the office opened and in stepped James Thorn, her top lieutenant, with a look of concern on his face.
"Lay it on me, Thorn, you know I love hearing bad news," she said with a rueful smile.
"It's about Savedge," Thorn said.
William Savedge, the cover identity of Ministry of Intelligence officer Arthur Wallace, was an arms dealer who was promising to procure a decommissioned battlestar for the Erebea.
"What about him?" she asked, a part of her mind tried to say that it would not be something serious.
"It appears he was arrested by the Colonial Military and is being held in a secure location," he said.
"Where is the location?" she asked.
"Unknown, but we believe it to be either a secure MoI facility or Fort Milledge on Caprica," he said as he waited for her reaction.
"That's not a good sign," she said.
Fort Milledge was on the Isle of Brenna in the Issus Ocean on Caprica.
It was located in the frigid northern hemisphere of the planet and was virtually escape proof.
"No it is not, but may I suggest we deal with the other matter before we decide how to proceed with Mr. Savedge."
Melati nodded. "Right, bring him in."
Thorn put his head out of the door and muttered something to whoever was outside. A moment later, the door opened completely and in walked a handcuffed man escorted by two guards.
Melati had been waiting for this moment and had pondered what to do with Aurelio Castaneda.
He had been in command of the raider group that had attacked the supply convoy, the one where he had ordered his ships to fire the Tiger-Cat missiles at the Colonial battle group that had responded to the convoy's distress call.
The problem was that there was a standing order to avoid confronting the Colonial Fleet.
The Erebea were still a serious threat to poorly armed security vessels but if the Colonial Fleet threw the bulk of its forces against them, they would be overwhelmed easily.
Castaneda had violated that order when he opened fire, and to her that would set a bad example for the commanders of her raider groups.
She would spare his life this time.
As much as she hated to admit it, the Erebea was at a decided disadvantage in terms of manpower and she needed every person she could get.
He would probably have to spend some time in the brig, but once she was sure he had learned his lesson he would be able to return to commanding a ship.
Later, after making her decision about Castaneda, Melati was still in her office with Thorn when there was a knock, Melati said, "Come in."
Three men walked in and Melati said, "Hello, you must be Savedge's men."
"Correct, I'm Tank, this is Heavy and this is Little Tank," replied Darrell 'Tank' Robinson.
"It nice to meet you, but Savedge is under arrest by the Colonial Military and he is at Fort Milledge."
"No, he is under arrest by the MOI and at their headquarters in Gray."
"How do you know that?" Melati asked as she did what she could to keep her voice level and impassive.
"Savedge got us a message informing us of his location and that he was arrested because the MOI believed he is working with the Erebea."
Melati and Thorn had identical worried looks on their faces when they heard that.
Thorn was going to say something but he was quickly tackled to the floor by Little Tank, as Heavy blocked the door.
It was then that Tank pulled a gun out and leveled it at Melati.
Melati was speechless, though she had to admit their bravado was impressive.
These men had the stones of a Tauron, no doubt about that.
"Listen bitch, if Savedge goes to prison or is killed because of this, I will kill you. Trust me it will not be a nice death; it will be long and painful. Do you understand me?" said Tank.
Melati nodded her head before asking in the same cool voice she had used earlier, "How did you get a gun on the Station?"
"Your security is a joke…"
"Clearly that is something I will have to address once you leave," Melati said as she began to decide ways to punish her security people for causing this fiasco to take place.
Tank was not done yet, "Also Savedge doesn't know anything about this. You just need to remember what I said."
"Then why are you doing this?"
"Sometimes Savedge needs to be protected from himself. While Savedge cares about you, that doesn't mean I'm going to let you cause him to go to prison or get killed. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes."
"In that case we're done here, best to wait until we leave before you tear your security forces a new one," Tank said and with a motion of his head, the three men left the room.
Before leaving, Little Tank kicked Thorn one more time just too add insult to injury.
"What the frak was that all about?" Thorn asked when he finally stood up.
From the way he was clutching the side of his chest it seemed he might have broken a rib.
"I think our plans may have hit a speed bump. Get Mr. Ridgely on a video conference. I need to know what is going on. Once you've done that, get my security teams available. We're going to have a much-needed talk about searching for weapons."
"Right away," Thorn said as he left the room.
Battlestar Gemenon, Executive Officer's Quarters:
Captain Curtis Bond had become accustomed to thinking of himself as the XO of the Gemenon; hence, he was comfortable with appropriating the XO's Quarters of the old battlestar.
It was as close to a home as he could get, especially since he was needed here far more than he was back on his native Aerilon.
With Arthur Wallace back on Picon, it was up to him to continue the preparations on the Gemenon.
At this point, he was reviewing the list of items brought over from some of the Orianos class escort battlestars that were still in reserve.
A few stayed on as training ships but over time a majority of the thirty-six ships had been lost to enemy combat during the Cylon War, to weapons tests, or the scrap yard.
The Serapis, Latona, Torrington, Cygnet, and Trevor served mainly as a source of spares to keep their sister ships going, but in this case, they provided parts to help refurbish the Gemenon.
'We're going all-out on this one,' Bond thought as he looked over the inventory list.
The idea was to convince the Erebea that they were getting a battlestar that was operational. The equipment they were salvaging from the bone yard was going to accomplish just that.
The hatch to the room came open and in walked Lieutenants Victoria Bryant and Darya Ravenscroft.
"Captain Ogden needs you in the War Room ASAP," Bryant said.
Captain Josiah Ogden was now second in command with Wallace gone, and Bond began to wonder what was going on.
"Bryant, I want you to come with me. Ravenscroft, I want you to head to the CIC and stand watch until I return," Bond said as he stood up and exited the room with the two MoI officers in tow.
Battlestar Gemenon War Room:
"Ogden, what's going on?" Bond asked when he came into the War Room with Bryant following behind him.
"Cinta Melati is on the other end of a conference call. She wishes to speak with you immediately," Ogden said in his decidedly Caprican accent.
"Did she way why?" Bond asked though he already suspected what the matter involved.
"If you don't mind me saying, I believe you know why she's calling you."
"I have my suspicions but if I'm wrong then there's a chance of blowing our cover. Remember that and let me know what the bitch wants," Bond shot back.
"She is inquiring about the status of Major Wallace."
"Of course she is," Bond said before turning his attention to the screen where the words 'Call Waiting' flashed in red lettering.
"Ogden, go to the CIC and take charge there. If you or Ravenscroft need to report any developments to me make sure I am not talking to Melati before you send them."
Ogden left and Bryant sat at a nearby computer terminal looking as though she were there to take notes on the upcoming meeting.
Bond hit the button to begin the call.
Immediately the face of Cinta Melati came on the screen and she looked rather annoyed for some reason.
"Mr. Ridgely, you have kept me waiting for some time," she said.
"Do you have somewhere to be?"
"No…"
"Well anyway, it's the downside of being in this situation," Bond said.
As far as Melati was concerned, he was Calvin Ridgely, a highly placed member of William Savedge's weapons smuggling operation.
"I am curious as to what you are planning to do about your boss?"
Bond shrugged his shoulders, "Right now he's in an unknown MoI facility for interrogation before he is to be shipped to Fort Milledge. I'm working with our people to come up with some sort of plan. As it is, we had to bribe a few of the civilian guards at MoI headquarters to get this information."
"You're telling me the guards there can be bought off; I had figured the MoI paid well."
"We discovered that while it is true that the MoI does pay well it would appear they do not pay that well."
"I would like to think that you will keep me informed as to what is going to happen in regards to Mr. Savedge."
"I never thought otherwise. When my people know something then I will be happy to let you know what it is."
"You are a wise man. Now if you will excuse me, I have to have a word with my security forces. Good day to you, Mr. Ridgely," Melati said.
It was then she ended the call before Bond could have a chance to wish her well.
Ministry of Intelligence Headquarters, Gray, Picon:
Arthur Wallace sat at his desk looking at the photos that adorned the walls of his office.
There were plenty of photos of his native Aquaria but there was a healthy representation of the Stryker family.
He looked at the one taken by Alan Stryker at Wallace's graduation from Aquaria Military Academy.
Wallace was standing between Fleet Admiral Jonas Stryker and his wife, Elizabeth Stryker, outside the Kevin McDougal Tower after the graduation ceremony had ended.
He had always had a close connection to the Stryker family, so much that he was considered a part of the family.
He saw another picture; it was of him and the woman who trained him, Galit Malka. There was always talk that they would work together one day, but because of the rescue mission that freed Rachael and Renee Adar from the clutches of the Sagitarron Liberation Army and the Erebea that was not meant to be. Outside of the MoI Galit Malka was dead but there were those who knew that she was alive and rumored to be leading a specialized team in a shadow war against the Basileus crime syndicate on Canceron.
Wallace took a sip of water from his glass and before checking his watch. In truth he was not so interested in the time, he had maintained a keen sense of its passage, but it was something to keep him occupied.
In about fifteen minutes, he would head back to the on-site medical center to check on Whitney and see if she was awake again.
If not then he would simply sit there and wait for her to wake up.
The door opened and in walked Darrell 'Tank' Robinson.
"I was wondering when you'd be back," Wallace said before asking, "Where's Heavy and Little Tank?"
"They're back at the Gemenon conferring with Bond about what to do about your Tauron 'friend'."
"I'm assuming Curt is giving Cinta the different version of the story you told her. How well did that go?"
"Just between the two of us, her security team is a joke," Tank said with a laugh.
"You may have just caught them sleeping. The fact that they believed you were there on my behalf may have caused them to be sloppy. You didn't do too much damage, did you?"
Tank shook his head, "It was nowhere near like that bar fight we had a couple of years ago."
"Ah yes, I remember that one," Wallace said.
It had been almost two years ago when they were on Caprica that a fight broke out between the Robinsons, Arthur and a group of Colonial Fleet officers who were discussing some incendiary remarks Admiral Stryker had made about the possible promotion of then-Commander Scott Tolan to flag rank.
"Not to change the subject, but Cinta must have ice in her veins. We had her dead-to-rights and she looked at us like we were having some sort of polite discussion about the weather."
"She's the head of the Erebea; I think it comes with the territory. If they think she's weak then it's like blood in the water to a shark."
"Just so you know, her second-in-command got slammed to the deck hard by Little Tank. I wouldn't have been surprised if the man broke some ribs from the impact with the deck."
"You got Thorn good then, glad to hear it. We have never gotten along."
"Someone not get along with you? I have no idea why that would be."
"At least for now she believes I'm in a secret MoI facility. That will buy me some time to do what I need to do."
"Let's hope Bond can keep her out of our hair while the Fleet fixes their ships. How is Whit holding up?"
Wallace shrugged, "She got hurt but I'm hoping she'll bounce back from it quickly. Seems her family wants us to go camping out in the woods here on Picon. You and your brothers are coming with me."
"You didn't mention that earlier!"
"I told Heavy, but must have slipped my mind to tell you and LT. But the important thing is that you know now."
"You asked me to deliver the news to Cinta that you were in jail but this is something different!" Tank protested.
"From what I've been told the Thompson family has wanted to meet me for some time. I can only imagine the interrogation that awaits me the moment we are alone in the woods. You know that if I'm going to walk into Hades I need someone to back me up."
"So you devised a plan that has me walking into Hades right beside you."
Wallace nodded, "That about sums it up."
"I don't mind so much but next time you could ask me first. If I'm going to get screwed then I would at least like to know it's coming," replied Tank with a chuckle.
"Listen, Tank, I'm heading to check on Whit. Why don't you come with me?"
"I was going to go see her anyway so I might as well come with you."
As the two made their way down the hallway to the elevator, Wallace noticed three men he had dealt with before, and had a feeling as to what was going to happen.
"Hey, Wallace," one of the men called out.
"Who's that?" Tank asked.
"Those are three of the members of the Argonauts. The special attack unit of the Ministry of Intelligence," Wallace whispered before smiling and waving at the three men.
"I take it you know them," Tank said.
Wallace replied, "If you want an official MOI answer then I've never heard of them but unofficially…."
"Where've you been, Arthur," one of the three asked when they finally closed the distanced between Wallace and Tank.
"You know how it is here. I can't tell you what I've been doing anymore than you can tell me about your business."
"Rumor has it you're up to something big," the man said before turning his attention to Tank, "Who's your friend?"
"This is Darrel 'Tank' Robinson. Tank, allow me to introduce you to Leif Atkins, Roland Sellers, and Mitchell Jordan of the Argonauts."
"You look like you're a soldier, Tank, where are you stationed?" Atkins asked.
"I'm with the Marines but I'm on a special assignment right now, something I can't tell you about. I'm sure you know how that is," Tank said.
"We know how that is, our missions are so classified they can't be revealed until fifty years after we're dead and gone," Jordan added.
"Truthfully though," Wallace began before continuing, "There's going to come a time in the future when I'm going to need you. In fact I may need all of the Argonauts but I can't say more until that time comes."
"We understand, Wallace, if you need anything let us know," Atkins said before motioning for the men with him to leave.
"You have the Argonauts offering to do you a favor if you need it?" Tank asked.
"I helped them out once and their leader owes me for it," Wallace said as he pressed the button for the elevator.
Tank said nothing but his mind was trying to figure out just what Wallace had done for these people.
Two Weeks Later:
Tift Air Station, Tifton, Caprica:
In Hangar One, there had been a stage and podium set up behind which the unified flag of the Twelve Colonies served as the backdrop for the occasion.
Colonel Susan Minerva surveyed the crew of the Libran and mentally went over the points she had hoped to hit during this brief speech.
"Greetings, crew. I know this is the first time we have been assembled in the past couple of weeks," she began before continuing, "Our ship is currently being repaired along with the faststars that were severely damaged when we encountered the Erebea. Even though he was unable to be here at this time, I have spoken at length with Commander Tattnall about the status of our ship. The Libran is going to be out of commission for a period lasting from four to five months so that proper repairs and upgrades can be made."
She paused to let that sink in with the crew before continuing, "Our new task is to reopen Tift Fleet Air Station as it is rumored that the New Green Army is using the southern continent as a base of operations against the people of Caprica. We shall do flyovers for reconnaissance purposes and launch attacks if the rumors are found to be true. For the purpose of security, travel to and from the base will be limited. However, I have received assurances from Commander Tattnall that there will be a system worked out that will allow groups to leave base to visit friends and loved ones."
She saw the looks of concern on some of the faces but hoped that her words were somewhat softening the blow. "We will be holding a memorial service here in the morning for our shipmates who were lost in the encounter with the Erebea. Anyone who wishes to speak about a lost shipmate will have the chance to do so. In the meantime, I expect you to go about your duties in the way that the Colonial Fleet expects. Just remember that once the Libran is repaired we will be back on our ship where we belong. This is only a temporary assignment for us but do not forget that it is an important one. Dismissed!"
With that said, the crew disbursed to go to their berthing assignments and prepare for the upcoming duties that were expected to begin.
"Colonel Minerva," Major Alexander Mason called out once he had stepped onto the stage.
"What can I do for you, CAG?" she asked.
"You're telling me that we are reopening this base to fight the threat of the New Green Army?" he asked with a trace of incredulity in his voice.
"Well for what it's worth there have been rumors that the New Green Army was expecting to expand beyond Scorpia this time around."
"Yes and there's enough of a threat from them to warrant reopening a closed Fleet Air Station?"
"It wasn't my call but it seems to serve the purposes of those with a higher pay grade than us."
"I hear you, Colonel; my pilots will do what they can to not rock the boat. We'll be ready to fly in the morning," Mason said as he saluted Minerva and walked away.
Picon, Aglaia Forest:
"I think we've gone far enough. Let's pitch camp here for the night," Bruce Thompson, Whitney's father, said as he surveyed the clearing in the forest they had come to.
"I was thinking the same thing when I saw it," Carissa Thompson, Whitney's mother, said in agreement as a younger girl walked up behind them having trailed several paces behind them for much of the walk..
"I thought we'd never stop," Keri Thompson, Whitney's younger sister, said as she slid her backpack off onto the ground.
"Couldn't agree more with you sis," Ryan Thompson, Whitney's older brother, said.
"We should split into groups. One group will gather wood for a fire and the other will set up the tents," Wallace offered.
"Not a bad idea, since you came up with the idea which would you rather do?" Bruce asked.
"I'll go with my friends to gather wood," Wallace said with a nod of his head toward the Robinson brothers.
"I'll go with them, too," Whitney said as she walked over to where Wallace stood.
"I won't complain; after all we're going to be sharing a tent later," Wallace said.
"I don't think so, there's no way we're going to let that happen," Carissa stated emphatically.
"I don't see a problem with sharing a tent with my fiancée," Wallace said and then he saw the dumbfounded look on the face of Whitney's parents.
It seemed they were either unaware he was engaged to their daughter or their memory of the event had been wiped from their minds.
"I hadn't got around to that yet," Whitney said in a tone that did little to hide her embarrassment.
"How long ago did this happen?" Bruce asked.
"At least, you could have had Arthur ask your father for his blessing," Carissa said.
"It's not like that. It just sort of happened and I thought I would know the right time to tell you about it," Whitney said.
"Is he a travel agent like you?" Keri asked.
"Yes, he is. We both work for Blakeley Travels on Picon. Arthur is a fellow travel agent and that's how we met. He was there when I started working there and he showed me the ropes and taught me how to become a better agent," Whitney said and she had to wonder if this cover story would actually hold.
"Perhaps when we get back to our home in Eastbourne you and I can sit down and actually have a talk about my daughter. For now, get the firewood and know that there will be no sharing tents," Bruce said firmly.
Wallace held up his hands, "Understood, Mr. Thompson."
No one said anything as Wallace, Whitney, and the Robinson brothers left the area to go gather firewood.
As the group made its way through the forest to gather wood, Wallace and Whitney separated, something he had discussed with the Robinsons to make sure they understood, and they found a spot where they could be alone.
"Looks like we're at a ridge," Wallace said as he looked out at the wilderness of Picon below them.
"Yeah, I think it's a long way down," Whitney said as she walked close to the edge and looked down.
"Look at you! Here I was wondering if you were going to do something risky," Wallace gently teased as he took a sip of water from his canteen before passing it to her.
"It's not like that, Arthur. I nearly died not too long ago. I just needed to do something to keep me from feeling like a coward," Whitney said before accepting the canteen..
"Well maybe that's why you should be here," he replied.
"What do you mean?"
"You won't tell me about what happened. Yeah, Whit you nearly died there on the Robert Smith but you need to get it out and not keep it bottled up inside like you have been."
"In all the time I've known you I don't think you've ever had anything close to what I went through," Whitney shot back.
"That's not true," Wallace said.
"Oh really, in that case, Arthur, do you care to unburden yourself since that seems to be what you want from me."
"It was about three years ago, the same year as the Valkyrie mission. I was sent to Canceron to gather intelligence material for Galit Malka and Keene Barron to use for when they met their contact. We were in Iopolis when one of the Basileus higher-ups got suspicious about us, one of our rookie agents was acting like a rookie. Well, when we returned to our hotel room the Basileus were waiting for us and a firefight ensued. We managed to make it out of the hotel and I was out in the parking lot heading to our car to make our getaway. One of the Basileus hitmen drew his gun and I fired at him. The only problem was that my gun was empty and I had no time to put in a fresh clip and fire without being shot."
"What happened after that?" she asked.
"He didn't fire right away. He looked at me with a smirk that seemed to say he knew he had me and I mentally prepared myself to die. Thankfully, Adam Roosevelt, the agent in charge of the operation, had the good sense to see what was happening and open fire. I managed to reload and then I shot and killed the bastard with a well-placed shot to the head."
"You never told me about that," she said.
"Not exactly my proudest moment to be honest with you, I'd rather focus on the times when I didn't almost lose my life. I've told you my story, how about you return the favor," Wallace said as he held Whitney's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze.
Whitney took a calming breath, "Ok, it started when the ship went to Condition One…"
Three Weeks Ago:
Faststar Robert Smith:
"Action Stations, Action Stations, set Condition One throughout the ship," the voice of the Robert Smith's Tactical Officer announced.
Whitney Thompson stood up and immediately left her quarters.
She heard the reverberations of the Smith's guns as they began to fire at the unidentified vessels.
This was going to be serious; were they engaging the Erebea, the Eastern Alliance, or some unknown enemy?
There was a ladder up ahead; a few more levels to go up and she would be at the CIC where she would have a better idea of what was going to happen. She started up the ladder when there was a loud explosion.
The force alone lifted her off the ladder and slammed her down hard onto the deck below.
Her survival instincts kicked in and she started making her way down the corridor to try to get to a different access ladder to the deck above.
She saw smoke up ahead and began to wonder if perhaps she was going the wrong way.
"Don't go that way," a crewman she did not recognize said as he came stumbling towards her out of the smoke.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Missiles hit us and that's all I know," he said before another explosion rocked the ship.
Whitney saw a wall of flame come down the corridor and before she could react, the crewman grabbed her and shoved her into a nearby room.
He closed the door behind them and managed to secure the hatch before the whole room shook violently.
The room seemed to be heating up and it was as though she was suffocating. It was at that time that Whitney thought she was going to die and she tried to make peace.
"Do you think this is going to be it?" she asked the crewman who had thrown her into the room.
"Depends on how quickly the DC teams can get to us," he said.
"I don't know if we've met before. I'm Whitney."
"Vincenzo Suarez; pleased to make your acquaintance."
The two of them sat there talking and waiting for the inevitable. It was actually a surprise when the door opened and the Damage Control teams rescued them.
Present Day:
"So that is what I have been dealing with, the fact that I came so close to dying. I probably should have died when I look back on it. In that moment, I gave in to the weakness and doubted myself. Do you understand why I can't share that with anyone?"
Wallace was quiet for a moment before he answered, "Yes, I can understand that. With that incident on Canceron I only shared it with one person and that was because she read the report and went to check on me."
"The famed Galit Malka?" Whitney asked.
"That would be the one. She and I were…close. Not close in the sense we are, but I think she cared about me more than some of the other agents she trained."
"I've been reliving that day on the Robert Smith and I can't make any sense as to why I survived when others didn't. I suppose I was in the right place at the right time but it just doesn't make sense as to why things happened the way they did."
"There will always be things in life you can't make sense of," Wallace said as he moved in close to put his arms around Whitney.
"Thank you, Arthur; it has helped to get this off my chest."
"Anytime, Whit, what kind of man would I be if I didn't take care of my fiancée. Listen, before Tank and the others get suspicious, I think we should start gathering some firewood. The way your dad was looking at me was enough to give me some reason for concern."
"Sounds like a plan, let's go," she said as she gave him a kiss and freed herself from his grasp.
Four Hours Later:
Wallace quietly stepped out of his tent and crept towards the tent he knew Whitney and Keri were sleeping in. If it were possible, perhaps he would be able to convince Whitney to sneak out and join him in his tent.
The fire had died down considerably; the embers were glowing but they were not giving off quite as much light as they were earlier in the evening.
"Going somewhere?" a man's voice asked from the darkness.
Wallace turned and his hand instinctively went to where his sidearm would have been.
He noticed that Bruce was sitting there in a folding camping chair of some sort.
"Just thought I'd go find a nice tree to use…you know how that is," Wallace offered.
"I can understand that, I'd hate to keep you from doing your business," Bruce said as he watched Wallace move away from Whitney's tent.
"Can I ask what you're doing up this time of night?" Wallace asked as he walked past where the line of trees began.
"Couldn't sleep so I thought I'd stay up and enjoy the beauty of nature; and spend some time cleaning this gun of mine. You never know when one might come in handy in the wilderness."
Wallace came out from the trees and went back to his tent, "Yeah, there's a lot of dangers out here in the woods."
"More than you realize, Arthur," Bruce said as he kept cleaning his gun by the dim light of the fire's embers.
Battlestar Gemenon, Hangar Deck:
The specialized Ministry of Intelligence Raptor was maneuvered into is berth on the hangar deck. Essentially the Raptor resembled the type used in the Colonial Fleet. There were some subtle differences, some classified and others not so much.
"Welcome to the Gemenon," MoI Lieutenant Cassandra Foster, a former pilot with the Colonial Fleet, announced once she had powered down the engines and opened the Raptor's hatch.
"Good job, Lieutenant," Shaylyn Rexana said as she grabbed her bags and stepped off the Raptor and onto the hangar deck.
"Lieutenant Rexana," a man with a gray MoI ship uniform said as he walked up to her, "I'm Captain Curtis Bond, Major Wallace's Executive Officer, and the one in charge of operations on the Gemenon at the moment."
"It's a pleasure to be onboard, Captain Bond," Rexana said as she took in the sight of the hangar. There was a mix of different types of Vipers, mostly the ineffective Mark Vs, and Raptors. The Raptors she had deduced were for transport but the Vipers were undoubtedly for show, unless the MoI was going to start up a Viper squadron of its own.
"I've been informed that you have received training from Duke Lorentson and that you come highly recommended by him. You're going to be working with our onboard strike team, the Gladiators, under the command of Captain John Ashe."
"I can't say I've heard of the Gladiators," Rexana admitted.
"Arthur got permission from Director Reno to form a group solely for this mission," Bond said.
"How was Arthur able to get permission from Reno?" Rexana asked. Director Walter Reno was a notoriously hard man to get along with, and most requests sent to him were refused outright unless it was truly a case of emergency or in the best interests of the MoI.
"It seems Arthur did Reno a favor sometime after he was done with his training at The Ranch. The Gladiators are a mix of MoI agents and officers who have served either in the Army or in the Marines. From what I've seen of them so far, I would have to say they could give the Argonauts a run for their money," Bond said as they stepped through a hatch that led off the hangar deck and down a corridor toward the area that was reserved for the Gemenon's Marine Detachment.
"Captain Bond," a tall man in camouflage fatigues and a matching green t-shirt said from down the corridor.
"Sergeant Wren, we were heading your way. Your newest Gladiator has arrived," Bond said as he motioned for Rexana to follow him.
"Sergeant Solomon Wren," the man said as he stopped to salute Bond and Rexana.
"Lieutenant Shaylyn Rexana, I'm your new explosives expert," she said as she returned the salute.
"Captain Ashe is eager to meet with you. Follow me," he said as he started walking back toward the Marine Detachment area.
"When you're settled in come see me in the CIC," Bond said as he turned and walked away.
Rexana followed Wren and as she was walking, she mentally took stock of the materiel condition of the ship. Outside it looked like it was in decent shape, albeit with several pieces of weaponry missing. The inside had faded paint and some of the lights had yet to be replaced. All of this would be window dressing however. It was her job to rig the Gemenon to explode once the Erebea had taken possession of the battlestar. The thought of it brought a smile to her face. Perhaps that would finally bring her the closure she had sought for the past few years.
"Before we go meet with Captain Ashe I was told to swing you by Medical so the Doc can look you over," Wren said, as he turned left down another corridor.
When they finally arrived at Medical the doctor was waiting for them, along with two women whom she assumed were the doctor's assistants.
"You must be Lieutenant Rexana," he said as he welcomed her to Medical, "I'm Doctor Benjamin Tusten. These are two of my assistants, Jayne Riley and Tameka Lindsey."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rexana said as she sat down on an examining table and waited for Tusten to begin.
She felt excited to be on the Gemenon, she genuinely felt as though she was doing something that would prove to be beneficial to the people of the Twelve Colonies.
Gemenon, CIC:
Bond stood at the Command and Control Station, picked up the receiver from its cradle, and motioned for Bryant to establish the connection.
"Mr. Ridgely, I hope you have a good reason for calling me this time of night," the very annoyed voice of Cinta Melati said after she picked up the phone. It had taken five rings but he had finally managed to wake her up.
"No time for pleasantries," Bond began before continuing with, "I have a plan that may be able to get Savedge out of prison. I'm currently putting the pieces together and in the next few days I should be able to put my plan into action."
"This is promising but how what will it involve?"
"Don't worry about the details; just know that I've put our money to good use to bribe the necessary people. I will need one thing from you," he said. "I need your people to stay out of the way and let my people do their job."
"Unacceptable, the Erebea have more than enough experience in these matters."
Bond shook his head, "You underestimate the types of people I employee. Not to take anything away from you and your people of course."
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Bond heard her say, "Very well then, Mr. Ridgely. However, if you find that you need my assistance you may ask for it and I will spare you any version of the line 'I told you so.'"
"If I need the Erebea for this I will let you know the first chance I get," Bond said before motioning to Bryant to sever the connection.
"In my opinion she took that quite well," Bryant said.
Bond nodded, "That she did. I want you to get me in touch with Directors Reno and Cobb; I need them to get Shea onboard with this plan."
It was one thing to get a fake story out there about a weapons dealer being broken out of prison. The trick was to do it in such a way that the story would hold up to the highest scrutiny. Cinta Melati did not get where she was by taking unnecessary risks. From what he had learned of her was that she did not trust easily, and if this was to work she would have to believe that weapons dealer William Savedge had escaped from a high-security location and that there was nothing at all suspicious about the story.
He looked over at Bryant she mouthed the word 'Reno' to him and he nodded and picked up the receiver once again. He and Arthur had talked about this during the last couple of weeks. Now the time had arrived to get the green light for the plan they had dubbed 'Operation Bowery'. Only time would tell just how successful it would prove to be.