Chapter 30 - Honoring the Fallen And the Shocking Truth
Cloud Nine Biodome - 6DAH
Leo was standing in the front row of the gathered crowd of mourners as the memorable service was held for all those lost in the battle at Ragnar and by extension all those lost since the attack started. He watched the priestess read from the scriptures and although he wasn't religious he still understood that in a time of desperation that people needed something bigger than themselves to believe in to make sense of everything that's happened.
The religious part of the service came to an end and Bill Adama approached the center of the stage and started to give a speech about duty and sacrifice that resonated with everyone in uniform. "We are gathered today to pay our respects and give thanks to those who paid the ultimate price for the future of all those gathered in this fleet. In the last 7 days we have faced the ultimate test of courage and fortitude and i can confidently say that i couldn't be any prouder of the men and women who even though they have lost so much continue to give there all to guard the last traces of our race as we seek out a new home safe from any more attacks by those who would see us exterminated." Adama paused as he finished commending those who gave their lives so others could live and changed the way he was speaking.
"I could speak for hours praising those who gave everything for us and how we should not mourn but celebrate them but we all know that those words are not enough. So with that in mind we have decided to immortalize their deeds and the names of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice." He then turned and pulled a sheet of the large object behind the stage. "Now future generations will know the names of those who gave their last full measure of devotion to safeguarding race."
Everyone that was gathered looked up at the large obelisk with a stone model of the Battlestar Hades on the top. If you looked closer you would see names chiseled into the dark gray stone that made up the obelisk. Adama then continued. "This monument will stay here for all those who wish to give thanks to those who we have lost not just in the last battle but all those lost since the betrayal of those we sought peaceful existence with. It will remain here until it can be moved to its permanent home at the center of a larger memorial that will be built when we reach safety. So I ask you now to not lose hope as we have a plan and a place to go that will be safe for us to rebuild in safety. So believe in and support those who are defending you, to those who are producing the food you eat, the bullets we fire, the fuel we use to make our next jump. So stay strong and resolute in the time to come. Now let us give those lost one final send off and continue forward without forgetting those we leave behind."
After that Adama stepped down the military band played the colonial anthem as the gathered people stood in silence till the anthem ended and the end of the memorial service as a whole. But for Leo it was not the end of the day as later that day he was to address the whole fleet along with Roslin about where they were going and what the plan was going forward. They were going to broadcast the address through short wave radio and video to those ships with monitors and they hoped between Adama's speech and something to aim for that it will reduce the likely drop in morale that will happen due to having time to think things through now they have some breathing space.
Colonial One - 6 DAH
Leo was once again aboard the center of the colonial political body, sitting across from him is the current president of the colonies Laura Roslin but she made no attempt to talk to him. He knew she was just here to be part of the bigger picture but wouldn't take center stage at this moment as she was afraid of the backlash from some of the revelations that would be revealed today.
He was going over his notes as time ticked away before he would be addressing the fleet and informing them of their plans for the foreseeable future and what the future holds for the colonials.
"Admiral, we go live in 10 minutes." Said one of the technicians manning the broadcast equipment. He waited for Leo to nod and then turned back to doing his job.
Leo stood up and straightened his uniform before making his way towards the curtain that separated the room from what has become the press section of the ship. He took note of the President getting to her feet to follow but stayed back so that Leo is seen as the main instigator today.
He took a deep breath and moved forward through the heavy curtains that separated the two areas. The minute he stepped through he was hounded by what press there was and considering the size of the fleet there was a lot which just goes to show that even during an apocalyptic event the vultures will survive to pick at the flesh that is human society.
Leo put aside his hate for reporters and stepped up to the podium and put his notes down and looked up into the lights. While he was standing there preparing himself Roslin walked in attracting little attention at the moment and stood to the side close enough to offer support but far enough that would ethicize that she wasn't part of his group.
He took a breath and said. "Quiet please, you may ask your questions at the end of the address." He waited for them to quieten down and sit in their seats. "I am before you today to address our future not just as a fleet but as a race going forward but before that there are some truths you need to hear." He took a breath while glancing at president Roslin from the corner of his eye.
"The first truth is that we will not be able to stay in the colonies so our first objective is to leave the colonies, this may be temporary or it may be permanent. I know that some of you may fear what is out there and some of you may not want to leave the only home you have known but unfortunately circumstances have put us in a position where we have no other choice but to leave." Leo looked at the reporters and was ready for the commotion he was about to start. "What you need to do is not to lose hope for we have a place to go to due to the preparations made by the few members of the fleet who never believed that the Cylons were gone for good. A collection of high ranking officers devised a plan to start a new colony away from colonial space. Well I can tell you that the plan was a success and that is our final destination." Leo finished and prepared himself for the frenzy that started with what he revealed.
The moment the reporters processed what he said they jumped to their feet and shouted questions at him and the commotion was only getting worse as they got louder and louder to be heard over each other. The questions varied from. "Did the Fleet know the Cylons would attack?" to "Did President Adar know and support the building of the new colony."
Leo let them continue like this for a few minutes before he shouted. "SILENCE!" The room immediately went quiet as years commanding ships in combat had led to him having an authoritative tone to his voice that demanded they obey. "I said I would answer questions at the end of the address so you will let me finish then you may ask questions like civilized people not a bunch of uncontrollable animals. Is that understood?"
He waited for them to sit in their seats before continuing. But what Leo didn't know is that his words caused more chaos amongst the civilians of the fleet and the marine patrols that had been strengthened for this address were struggling to keep order.
Leo took a breath before continuing. "What you need to know now is that we are on our way to a hidden space station some distance from the edge of colonial space to regroup with any other survivors and prepare the fleet for the long journey that is ahead for us. The station has the supplies and the personnel that will make this possible so I ask for your patience and continued support going forward. Now are there any questions."
The small press core that inhabited the room raised their hands like school children asked to answer a question in class. Leo picked out one amongst the group and she stood up and asked. "Did the fleet know that the Cylons were going to attack?"
He looked her in the eyes before answering. "No the fleet did not know the Cylons would attack but we believed they would at some point but with continued cuts to the fleet budget and the plans of the quorum and president's office to continue with the cuts we knew that is a all out attack was launched then we stood little chance in actually coming out ahead." He took a breath and continued. "The two main reasons behind the decision was the continued downsizing of the fleet's assets, especially battlestars. The second was the readings picked up by sensors on the edge of the armistice line picking up what we suspected was testing of nuclear ordinance but when reported to the president's office for approval of more detailed research we were denied due to the costs."
President Roslin who was standing to the side gasped at what was revealed and started to panic at what these revelations would mean for her future as the current president considering her place in Adar's cabinet. She was going through scenarios where she could turn this around when Leo pointed at the next reporter.
"Can this new colony support the influx of people given its relative age?" Asked a male reporter.
"It might be a struggle to begin with but yes the colony will be able to house and support the influx of people as the design of the colony emphasized rapid expansion as being a fail safe location it needed to have the ability to take in refugees and be able to support them." Leo paused to let that sink in then finished his answer. "Also the system chosen for the colony is abundantly rich with resources that will allow construction of new ships to protect the colony should the Cylons be able to follow us there."
He picked out another reporter. "Do you plan to maintain Martial Law indefinitely?" A reporter asked while holding what looked like an older model recording device towards where he is. The question also seemed to break Roslin out of her thoughts as she wanted to know the answer herself.
"No Martial Law will be rescinded as soon as the safety of the fleet is no longer at risk but until we reach the new colony and a new government can be fully put into place decisions that involve the safety of the fleet will be made by the highest ranking fleet officer present at that time." Leo started with a no nonsense attitude.
Roslin was relieved but also troubled by his answer as he didn't want to take over the government but also would not allow her to meddle with the running of the military.
"One last question and then this address finishes." Leo pointed to an older man with glasses on for the last question.
"Do you plan to rescue any more survivors still in the colonies?" His question seemed to silence the room as they all waited for Leo's answer.
Leo smiled and answered. "It is my intention once we have reached the station to send raptors to scout colonial space for surviving ships and perform scans of each colony in the hope of finding survivors we can rescue as if we are to survive we need to save as many people as possible." He then added. "But my priority will always be the safety of this fleet first. Now that is all for today but more information will be made available as we make our way to the hidden station and to facilitate that exchange a press section will be established on Ragnar station while it maintains its position as the current fleet HQ."
Once he was finished he left the room through the curtain he entered from and was quickly followed by President Roslin.
Ragnar Station - Admiral's Office - 7DAH
Leo was currently hosting a meeting of all officers ranked commander and above for fleet officers and colonel and above for marines. They were seated in two ranks with the Admirals and General in front with the other officers behind.
Leo sat at his desk and started speaking. "I take it you all heard the address on the wireless yesterday?" They all nodded before he continued. "I left out something critical that I don't think people are quite ready for yet as emotions are still running quite high after everything that's happened."
General Ferguson said. "Well it can't be worse than finding out that your home world has been nuked by the enemy you thought was gone." He sadly smiled.
Leo looked at each of them and then decided just to pull the band aid off. "When we reach Waypoint Station Alpha you will find that the station doesn't belong to the colonies and does in fact belong to a separate government from a separate colony started by my family about 15 years ago but was planned for nearly a decade before that."
The group of officers looked on in shock at what they were being told, the only officers that didn't look shocked were the members of Kronus securities fleet. It was Commander of the Poseidon that asked first. "So you're telling us that over a decade ago you started a colony that fell outside the colonial government system?"
The others looked at him waiting for an answer. "Yes but before you get upset you have to understand that I was born during the first Cylon war and lost my father so as soon as I was old enough I learned everything I could about our society and do you know what I found?" Leo didn't give them a chance to answer. "I found that our society is full of corruption and those who put their own interests above the interests of the colonies. Then when I turned 16 years old I experienced a revelation and learned the truth about our ancestors which led me to break away from the colonial system when I reached retirement age."
The looks he was receiving were a mixed bag as some were curious while others wanted to argue but they were held back by his title and rank but it was Adama who asked the question on everyone's mind. "You said you learnt the truth about our ancestors, What is that truth?"
The others nodded wanting to know more and even the Kronus fleet officers looked at Leo with interest. "Well let's start from the beginning but please let me finish before you ask questions. Millions of years ago there was an advanced race of beings called the Alterans. They had technology we could only dream up and even that would seem low level to what they invented..." He then went on to tell them the story of who the Alterans were and about their true history. "... So by the time we reached the colonies our race had devolved into what we are today but given the right leadership and given time we have the potential to rise again."
General Ferguson asked. "So you're saying you were given a vision where you were approached by this ascended being claiming to be Athena and asked to lead a new generation of Alterans back out into the universe and rebuild their civilization but you don't have any actual proof that this is true?"
Leo answered truthfully. "Well the only proof I have is the technology they gifted me that includes basic FTL engines that are faster than Jump Drives for long distance travel. They also provided the location of the system that has become the new Alteran home world. Lastly if i didn't have all this information there would be no Station to get supplies, There would be no new Colonial colony and we would all probably be dead one way or the other as we would have had no choice but to fight the Cylons here and we would have had nowhere to go."
They all looked a little calmer now and there was less chance of an outburst but someone still asked. "So what do you plan to do, As right now you're in charge of what's left of the colonies?"
There were some murmurs at that question but he answered none the less. "Well I still want to see you survive and already had a mutual defense and aid pact in place with Admirals Corman and Nagala." He then decided to inform them of something that he hasn't revealed yet. "Also if all goes to plan in a little more than 2 days from now Admiral Corman will be rescued off Picon and brought to Waypoint Station Alpha and will take charge of the fleet again while I will retire. Once i have retired i will take up command of the Alteran forces and use the technology advantage we have over the Cylons to rescue who we can from the Colonies and that will also include recovering crucial items such as historical items, Data Servers and other items that will be crucial for the recovery of the colonial civilisation."
The Fleet officers present were really happy to hear about Corman and were more than aware of the risk that Leo was going to be taking to rescue people so didn't really have the grounds to complain about his commitment to the colonials.
Leo decided to give them some time to think about things. "Ok why don't we end this meeting here and give you time to talk amongst yourselves and decide what you wanna do going forward. Although I've revealed this to you this information is still under embargo until I reveal it to the fleet as a whole when we get closer to the station as at the moment I believe emotions are still running too high for people to think logically."
Colonial One - Same Time
President Roslin was sitting in what has become her office around her are her most trusted advisors and supporters. They were discussing the address that Admiral Kosta had given the previous day and what fallout had come from it.
The Union Vice President was asking a question as she refocused on the conversation. "Do we know what else he is planning to reveal in the coming days or weeks as it seems to be something relatively important that he would willingly create his own press core on Ragnar?"
The others all looked towards her and she had to think of something to say. "Well I can't be certain but all I can think of is more revelations about how Adar's cuts to the fleet budget could be responsible for the defeat we have suffered." She then thought of something else. "There is also the fact that Admiral Corman is still alive and is just awaiting rescue on Picon."
The representative of the more wealthy members of the fleet spoke in response. "That's not good as we have enough trouble with Admiral Kosta that if someone with the reputation of Admiral Corman turns up then we would really be on the outside looking in going forward and that's if they don't dissolve the government altogether."
There was several angry rebuttal's to what he said including from the person who Laura hoped would become her vice-President. "No one would stand for the dissolution of the government but they may try and put a puppet into power. As you are only finishing Adar's term and will be required to hold an election soon and if what Kosta reveals are the dirty secrets of his administration then you could be painted with the same brush."
They spent the next 20 minutes going back and forth about what Admiral Kosta could be revealing in the weeks to come but ultimately they had no idea so couldn't commit to any counter measure.
"Well Gentlemen, What I think we should be doing is to secure support from all areas we can influence and try to break into those we have little sway over. We should be careful though as we dont want to alert the Admiral of our intentions as he still has the support of the marines and the majority of the colonial fleet remnants. There is also the matter of the ships from his company's fleet that needs to be addressed soon." President Roslin said as she tried to move the meeting along.
They all agreed with her when their meeting was interrupted by her aide Billy who came up to her and whispered something into her ears that made her smile. "Well gentlemen it looks like whatever they talked about didn't go over well with some of the officers as they finished their meeting and some of the ship commanders stormed off as if they had a major falling out with our dear admiral."
After that was revealed they all smiled and started to make plans about how to approach those disgruntled officers and gain support from within the fleet.