Trust and distrust

Summary: The Battlestar Galactica and her fleet meet the Excalibur class battleship and her commander, Admiral Necheyav.

Ch 1

"Anything interesting?" Adama asked.

"Nothing going on. No Cylons, no fleet protest, thank the gods." Tigh said.

"Good. I'm sending Lee over to the beast to see how Garner is holding up." Adama said.

"Let me guess. Starbuck." Tigh said.

"That's what rumor mill says. More than likely true." Adama said.

"Galactica, CIC." Dee said, picking up a head phone.

"Admiral, the Gemonese representative wants to speak to you." Dee said.

"What for." Adama said, picking up the phone.

"This is Admiral Adama." He said, speaking into the phone.

Adama listened to the delegate and put the phone away.

"Trouble?" Tigh asked.

"Depends on our next few steps." Adama said, heading to sickbay.

Entering the sickbay, he talked with doctor Cottle.

"I heard the young girl asked for you personally. Mind telling me what that's about?" Adama asked.

"Pretty straightforward. I get word that a girl is on the way, wants work done on her, I perform on her, and she leaves. No questions asked." Cottle said.

"You're gonna start asking." Adama said, as he opened the privacy curtain.

"I'm Admiral Adama."

"I'm not changing my mind." The girl said.

"Your parents contacted me thru the Gemonese representative. They're concerned about you." Adama said.

"My parents." The girl said, realizing the gravity of her situation. "Do you realize what they will do to me?"

"You're a stowaway, aboard a military ship. I can't allow that." Adama said, when Cottle butted in.

"Fleeing from religious persecution. Hell, some would say she could apply for asylum." Cottle said.

You dumbass. I could put her on a different ship in the fleet. Adama thought as he glared at Cottle.

"Asylum. That's what I want. Asylum." She said.

Adama walked out of sickbay to talk to President Roslin.

"This gets better and better." He muttered.

Utopia shipyards, Mars orbit

Admiral Alynna Nechayev looked over the information about the brand-new Excalibur class starship, Graff Spee. It was a true successor to the Galaxy glass starship, now being phased out of service. It shared the same shape and design features as a Sovereign class, yet had more firepower than a Sovereign class battleship, able to take own two Jem'Hadar battleships and win. It had the most advanced technology and systems the Federation offered, and was built for exploration like its predecessor. It could also take immense punishment, and give plenty in return, thanks to its honey-combed hull.

"Hell of a ship. Warp 9.9, cruising warp at 9. Time for its shakedown." Alynna said, walking onto the bridge.

"Admiral on deck." The XO said.

"At ease. Helm, take us out. Full impulse." Nechayev said, sitting in the captain's chair.

Leaving the shipyards, they entered warp for the Graff Spee's maiden voyage.

"Admiral, we're getting power fluctuations from engineering."

"Engineering, what's going on?" Alynna asked.

The Graff Spee, then began to veer off its original course, and it was increasing its warp speed.

"Warp 9. 9.1, 9.3." LuFan said.

"Cut the engines off, now." Alynna said.

"We can't!"

"All hands, brace yourself!" Alynna shouted thru the comm system.

The engineering crew quickly shut down the warp engine, by ripping out vital components and hoping the core would drop dead.

The Graff Spee roughly dropped out of warp, and the ship was dead in space.

"Report!" Alynna said.

"All systems are dead. Emergency backups are coming online." Commander Price said.

The bridge light up again, and crewman resumed their posts.

"Where are we?" Nechayev asked.

"Admiral, I don't know." LuFan said.

"What do you mean?" Nechayev asked.

"We're in a section of space that is completely uncharted. Nothing is in our databanks." LuFan said.

"Go to yellow alert. Price, start breaking out the arms lockers. I want to be prepared if something attacks us." Nechayev said.

In engineering, Lt. Godfrey is running diagnostics on the warp engine, wondering how it all went wrong. She soon found that that the dilithium matrix wasn't calibrated before it left space dock. Thanks to that, they were stranded in the middle of nowhere, with a damaged warp drive.

"So that's what caused it?" Alynna asked.
"Yes. Some asshole failed to calibrate the matrix, and we're paying for the results." Godfrey said.

"Chyort. How long will repairs take?" Alynna asked.

"A week, and that's conservative. I won't know how much damage the core has taken for a few days." LuFan said.

"Get it started." Alynna said.

Nechayev was in ten-forward, and looked at the stars greeting the Graff Spee.

"Our first maiden voyage, and it's a fubar. God, this will go well on my report." She said, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Admiral, we're receiving a distress signal." Price said.

"On my way." Nechayev said.

A million thoughts raced thru the admiral's mind as she headed to the bridge. Who was out here, and who was sending the message?