Well Folks this is the end of book 1 but dont worry book 2 tittled "Brothers and Sisters" will be out shortly. Id like to thank you all for your time and your reviews. You have made this worthwhile. Well enough of my ranting and on to the story!

Chapter 14 End of the Road.

Battlestar Galactica

Doctor Gaius Baltar was troubled; not for the simple fact he had to come up with possible scenarios for a Cylon assault, but because he had failed. The future was filled with uncertainty and Baltar was apprehensive about this; wondering how his relationship with his love and guide would continue if he suddenly found himself at the end of the journey.

Baltar's mind had been so consumed by these thoughts that he really wasn't paying attention to where he was going and was surprised to find himself in Galactica's chapel.

The chapel was adorned like a traditional colonial temple; candles provided the only light and gave a warm and inviting atmosphere in subdued orange hue with isles leading up to a center dais. On the walls surrounding the chapel statues of the Lords of Kobol themselves were strategically placed along with the ancient symbols of the colonies. It was the first time Baltar truly saw its magnificence and felt its power.

"Careful Gaius you have already promised your heart and soul to God. Don't be fooled by this Idol worship."

"Idols you say?" Baltar turned to face his stunning angel in her scarlet red dress. Her more refined looks clashing with his usual scruffy appearance. "So tell me then, what are they really?"

"You will soon find the answers to those questions soon enough Gaius as you are meant too."

"Meant too?" Baltar asked in a near laugh. "Yes, as I was supposed to stop this alliance with Earth from happening, but we both saw how that turned out didn't we?" Six said nothing as Baltar whined. "And now we'll be parted. I'm not sure I can bear that." he said in a half whisper raising his right hand to cup her cheek, his eyes filled with a passion bordering on madness.

"We are coming to the end of one journey and the start of another." Six said gently removing his hand. "You must have faith Gaius."

"How am I to keep my faith if I have failed so utterly?"

"Gaius the reunification of the 13 tribes was always destined to happen. It was God's will, only your ego prevents you from seeing that."

"I don't understand." Baltar muttered thoroughly confused. "I thought...well that is to say you told me-"

"Gaius I know what I said. It doesn't matter now. All that is required is that you act on faith and follow the path God has set for you."

Baltar nodded but it was clear he was having a hard time accepting this.

"With your help I hope?" He asked suddenly meeting her eyes and holding them.

"I will always be here with you Gaius. I am your guide; here to help you fulfill your destiny. I will walk the path with you and guide you when you falter."

Baltar nodded again this time with more assurance than he had before, she hadn't let him down, had never let him down so he would do as she said acting on faith and her guidance. Baltar sat down in one of the rear isles' taking in the view of the chapel whose power was now lost on him before a thought struck him like a revelation.

"What did you mean a moment ago? When we spoke about the Lords of Kobol?"

Six smiled in delight at the question. "You will find the answers soon enough Gaius trust in that."

"Surely you can tell me something?" Baltar asked.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise. Trust me when I say it's a story more amazing than you could believe and the sacred scrolls barely scratch the surface; coming only towards the end of the story." She studied him for a moment her face clearly showing her excitement. "And you Gaius will be the man who unravels the mystery; you will learn the true origins of humanity."

"I must admit that does sound exciting." Baltar said feeling some of the apprehension ease away. "And you'll be there with me?"

"Every step of the way." She confirmed with a smile that made Baltar a little warm under the collar.

"Can I help you brother?" A voice interjected itself into Baltar's thoughts jolting him like an electric shock.

"I was uhh I was just...well suffice to say I'm not sure why I'm here really. I believe I'm lost." Baltar fidgeted slightly fishing for the first thing that came to mind to avoid the awkward situation as he stood up from the isle.

"One is never lost in the house of the lords." The elder man spoke again. "Have you come seeking solace from the Gods? Or perhaps to give thanks for our new home on Earth?"

Baltar studied the man for a long moment before he realized he was staring. "I'm sorry you seem familiar but I don't believe we've been introduced."

"My name is Brother Cavil." The man said with a smile that seemed a bit forced. "It is an honor to finally speak to you in my chapel Mr. Vice President."

"Ahhh that's right!" Baltar remembered. "You were the one who swore President Roslyn in during her oath of office."

"Yes; and I have been her religious council ever since the tragic loss of priestess Elosha on Kobol last year. May the lords cherish her soul." For some reason Baltar didn't buy the sincerity of Cavil's prayer.

'What are thinking Gaius?" a sultry voiced whispered playfully into his right ear. Realizing his professed angel from God had once again appeared Baltar had to force down a startled yelp at another surprise visitation.

"Yes a terrible tragedy to be sure." Baltar said caring nothing for the deceased zealot. Cavil nodded solemnly and again Baltar found himself studying the man.

"So I ask again Mr. Vice President. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You're suspicious Gaius." Six said with a smile. "Something seems odd…out of place and yet familiar. Maybe you should keep talking see where it leads you."

"I was just reflecting actually." Baltar turned to the statue of Athena. "The Gods and their plan for us, the loss and flight from the Colonies, the discovery of Kobol and the road to Earth... now our new home."

"Yes." Cavil agreed. "It's a lot to take in all at once; so much struggle and sacrifice, but it has validated our faith in the Gods."

"Really?" Baltar scoffed.

"Such a firm conviction of faith." Six whispered mockingly as she wrapped her arms around Baltar's shoulders. She received a glance from Baltar who quickly returned his attention to Cavil. "Oh come on Gaius you can't be buying this?" Baltar gave her a knowing grin.

"I for one have always found it difficult to believe in the Gods…or God." Baltar spoke up. "I can't see how one could justify the wholesale slaughter of a race based on the divinity of some archaic spiritual figure."

It was so subtle that Baltar almost missed it but something flashed in Cavil's eyes and was quickly replace by a polite smile Baltar knew wasn't genuine.

"Well they're machines, and we know machines can't really feel. They're just programmed to think they can. How could they understand God or the Gods? It takes heart and soul for that."

"To which the Cylons have neither." Baltar said. Again there was a brief flash in Cavil's eyes but Baltar didn't comment on it. He'd seen the signs before; the barely contained hatred and hostility which told him all he needed to know about the man.

"With respect Mr. Vice President why are you here instead of on Cloud 9 at the president's side?" Now something flashed in Baltar's eyes but if the good doctor was good at one thing it was how to quickly recover.

"My expertise was needed here on Galactica; I don't really care much for politics."

"I see." Cavil said thoughtfully.

"Beautiful recovery Gaius." Six said in amusement. She moved to Cavil and studied him carefully. "But I don't think he bought it."

"He's a Cylon." Baltar whispered so only his phantom could hear him.

"Bravo Gaius" Six congratulated with a cunning grin. "You know you really are getting quite good at this."

"Excuse me doctor?" Cavil asked.

"The Cylons." Baltar recovered quickly. "I'm here on Galactica to formulate a strategy with Commander Adama to get the fleet to Earth. That's why I wasn't on Cloud 9 with the President. Priorities you see."

"I see." Cavil said more thoughtfully. It was at that moment several Colonial marines came in for religious services, each one moving to a figurine of a Lord of Kobol and dropping to their knees in prayer.

"Well look at the time." Baltar said suddenly sounding like he was in a hurry after a brief glance at his watch "I must be going. The work of the Vice president is never done."

"Of course Doctor." Cavil said pleasantly. "May the Gods watch over you."

"Yes I'm sure they will." Baltar replied smugly before departing the chapel with a smiling six in tow.

……………

"Dee…Duella!" Billy called loudly from across corridor as he ran up to her nearly colliding with Dr. Baltar in the process. "Uhhm excuse me Doctor." Billy replied absently as he barely missed colliding with the distracted scientist. Turning to face him from the other end of the corridor Anastasia Duella had to suppress a smile as Billy ran up to her."

"Hey you." She responded with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see Commander Adama before he left. The President had some things she wanted him to look over but unfortunately she couldn't make it. She's not doing too well right now."

"Yeah we heard. Is she going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine." Billy responded a little too quickly.

"Uh huh. So is that the only reason why you came by?" Dee arched her eyebrows and smirked clearly questioning his motives a move that never failed to fluster the young man.

"No, actually…I was just…mmm Just-"

'Billy…" Dee said in a near whisper. "Its ok I know how hectic these last few weeks have been, you don't have to explain. You have your job to do just like I do."

"I had other reasons to come." He said with a nervous smile.

"Oh really?" Dee replied coyly. "And what would that be?" Realizing that the Corridor was probably not the best place to ask Billy grabbed Dee by her arm and moved her into an adjacent room. It wasn't exactly the romantic setting he had been hoping for but it would suffice.

"Billy?" Dee laughed. "What's gotten into you?"

"You have." He responded in all seriousness which promptly erased her smile. Seeing he now had an opening Billy for once decided to throw caution to the wind and go with his gut.

"Dee I love you…I've loved you since I first met you…you were half naked at the time but I was drawn to you. I've never felt this way about anyone."

"What are you saying Billy?" Dee asked nearly quivering in anticipation; she had a good idea what the next words out of his mouth would be.

"I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you." He produced a ring from his pocket and got down on one knee. "Anastasia Duella you're the only women in 13 worlds for me. Will you marry me?"

She knew it was coming but the passion in both his eyes and his voice had truly caught her off guard and struck her to the core. At first she didn't know what it was they had. A casual relationship born in the aftermath of a tragedy; two souls cut off from their worlds, bereft of their families who had found companionship in one another. Slowly with what little time they were allowed that relationship had grown and it had been tested. But now staring into his expectant eyes Dee suddenly lost her voice as she stared at the ring that symbolized just how much she meant to him.

Misinterpreting her body language Billy was quick to try to explain.

"It's my old high school debate ring…I uhh-" He never got the chance to finish. Using more strength then her petite frame would suggest Duella quite literally brought Billy to his feet and before he could mutter his surprise her mouth was on his giving him the most passionate kiss he had ever experienced…which he happily returned.

They stayed that way for a long moment each savoring this tender moment before they heard clapping and cheering behind them. Turning to the commotion they came face to face with Chief Tyrol, Cally and several of Tyrol's deck gang.

"Hope we're not interrupting anything?" The chief asked with a sly grin.

"I don't know chief." Cally added with a grin and a playful jab to the ribs. "He had me with you're the only women on 13 worlds."

"She said yes." Billy replied dreamily. "That was a yes, right?" He quickly asked her. Dee elbowed him in the ribs playfully. "Of course that was a yes."

"She said yes!" Billy replied happily receiving some more applause from the assembled group.

The group offered their congratulations before heading off to the port flight pod leaving the two lovers some time between themselves.

"How does Earth sound?" Billy said wrapping his arms around her.

"hmmm?"

"For the ceremony."

"It sounds wonderful Billy." Dee replied happily. "But were going to need a priest."

"Already got one in mind." Billy anticipated. "Brother Cavil said he'd be happy to do the ceremony on Earth."

"So you talked to him already did you?" Dee asked playfully. "Who else knows?"

"Well the President sorta guessed what I had in mind when I was insistent on coming to Galactica and."

"Billy?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up." She moved to kiss him again and for that brief moment of happiness two hearts and souls became one.

USS Saratoga

"Small but scrappy." Commander Bill Adama remarked as Raptor 147 swept over the blocky Earth built warship. "She isn't as big as a Battlestar but she looks like she knows how to handle herself in a fight."

Next to him Helo nodded in agreement. "Looks like she's taken a pounding."

"But she's still here." Adama pointed out. "That counts for a lot."

After Adama had shown the newly acquainted Earth officers around Galactica Admiral Ross had returned the invitation and offered a tour of his ship, the Saratoga. As a career officer Adama had never turned down a chance to take a look around a new ship or examine a new piece of military hardware, but this of course was something special.

It was an Earth ship. A vessel built by the hands of humanity but not part of the Colonies. The simple fundamental truth behind that was just shattering, and Adama was beginning to realize just how truly momentous this was.

Everyone in the fleet knew that the contact with Earth had defined their lives as much as the fall of the Colonies. They had been citizens of the twelve Colonies and that informed every aspect of their existence, then virtually overnight that had all vanished in Nuclear fire. Everything that meant something had been stripped away leaving them naked and alone in a big empty void surrounded by genocidal machines. All the comforts and achievements that made up a Colonials life no longer existed, there were no more executives or clerks or diplomats, just refugees.

And so they had found new definition, they were survivors, a rag tag fleet of the lucky or the fateful running for their lives from all they had loved and lost. They found new roles, ordinary men and women became leaders, some became heroes while others dropped into despair. The one and only thing that kept them together and going was hope, the hope that one day they could stop running and regain all that was so dear to them in that earlier life. It was all waiting on Earth.

It was a dream, and like a dream if you opened your eyes and looked closely in the harsh light of day it would just vanish like mist in the midday sun. But for some reason it hadn't, and as Adama had pushed the fleet on, and Roslyn had bound them together with this purpose the illusion of Earth did not vanish, but grew more tangible.

From the Tomb of Athena to Jupiter's Eye and Gaia's scrolls the way to Earth was sign posted until finally they had crossed Charybdis, Pythia had called it 'A blinding Maelstrom' while Gaeta had described it more accurately as a heavily EM charged gaseous Nebula, the same one they had been sheltering in for the past couple of weeks. For the UN cartographers it was simply called the Aris Nebula or more commonly known as Kappa Reticuli.

In any analysis, whether fate, chance or grand design the fleet had made it to the final obstacle before reaching Earth, the gates were open and they had been greeted with welcoming arms, and more importantly a line of well armed warships now preparing for the Cylon menace.

Adama had since taken it upon himself to help his new found brothers and sisters to prepare for that threat as much as possible. As Commander of the last known Battlestar Adama had been the lone sentry guarding his people, the most difficult and far reaching role in military history. It was one thing to defend the Colonies with seven hundred Cruisers, Destroyers and a hundred and twenty some odd Battlestars standing side by side with you, but to take on that task alone with no support and no reinforcements was like Atlas holding the world on his shoulders.

Sometimes it had threatened to crush him, and it would have been so easy to abandon the fleet and indulge his burning desire to hit back and hurt the Cylons, fighting a guerrilla war with his last ships. But Adama at his core knew there had to be more than that to his life. He had been the lone defender of humanity and had come to terms with that. That was until last week when they had met Shane Vansen.

Now that responsibility was no longer his alone to shoulder, there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions of men and women in uniform armed and ready to defend human kind to the death. The Cylons didn't know them, couldn't bypass their technology or infiltrate their command staff. The people of Earth had fought long hard wars throughout their history, their fleets and armies were the inheritors of millennia of experience, knowledge and change.

Earth had done to itself over and over again the worst they could devise; they had learned and grown from their wars expanding into space. They had battled AI's and Aliens, fought when woefully out teched and outnumbered, clung on by their nails to planets when the Chigs counter attacked and hit back. Earth had held the line and prevailed with all the cunning and bravery the spirit of man could muster, and they had won.

The Colonies knew war, between themselves and then the long bloody conflict with the Cylons. They had the gift of bigger and better ships and generally better technology, but when it came down to the simple art of warfare for all their skill and discipline they were like beginners compared to Earth.

But even so Adama knew there was a lot he could teach Earth. He had sworn to protect humanity and while he was no longer the sole guardian he wasn't about to give up. He would ask to join the Earth's defense fleet, make Galactica part of the 13th Colony and make sure the old dame continued to serve with honor until Earth could build a ship to replace her.

He knew he could relax a little, according to Admiral Ross there was several million tons worth of Battleships and Super Carriers removing the Cylon occupation forces on Aris available to protect the Colonial fleet, and against such a fleet the Cylons would need to concentrate more ships than had ever been deployed by their forces. He should have felt safe, but didn't. Some nagging instinct just kept working its way from the back of his mind warning him not to begin taking things for granted until he actually saw Earth with his own two eyes.

His journey wasn't over yet.

The Raptor landed on the main hexagonal landing pad and was swiftly lowered on the elevator into the pressurized hangar below. The two Viper escorts flown by Lee and Starbuck landed on the rectangular adjacent pads and were also lowered, the S/A-43 fighter landing arrangements being incompatible for the Colonial Vipers.

As the bay pressurized Adama noted the small honor guard file into the bay, a dozen brightly uniformed soldiers in dark blue with white peaked caps flanked Admiral Ross, dressed in his more practical khaki duty uniform. He was joined by Colonel McQueen also looking more at ease in a black flight suit covered in patches and markings.

Sharon powered down the Raptor and turned to look over her shoulder.

"Commander, I don't mind staying here. I mean if you don't feel comfortable with me looking around an Earth ship."

"The Raptor will look after itself." Adama answered simply. "I look forward to hearing your views on our new friends when we get back."

"I don't want to cause a scene; I can't ever forget what I am."

"You better not." Adama stated firmly. "You're an officer of the Colonial fleet; you've been given a position of trust and responsibility Lieutenant. I'd expect you to remember that until the day you die."

"Thank you Commander." She said sincerely.

"What you were made at the start isn't as important as what you chose to become." The Commander stated. "You've made your choice; you gave your word, If Apollo is willing to back you on this that's all I need to know about your character the rest is ancient history. Now open this door and follow me through."

She shared a warm smile with her soon to be husband beside her, a comfort so vital to her difficult life which was just starting to improve, then opened the side door and unstrapped her harness.

"Permission to come aboard."

"Commander Adama, welcome aboard the USS Saratoga." Admiral Ross offered a formal salute that was returned by Adama.

"Thank you sir, it's a true honor."

"I wish I could show you this lady in her prime, she's a sight to make your heart sing."

Adama smiled widely. "She still does Admiral, I can't describe what we all thought when we found an Earth ship that wasn't some myth or mirage."

"You know Colonel McQueen already." Ross spoke. "I'll be happy to give you a look around before we try and link to our local Fleet Commander."

"Thank you sir, and may I introduce the two lieutenant's Agathon, Karl and Sharon."

"You're two escorts are being met by a couple of my pilots." McQueen added. "They'll be getting a different tour courtesy of the Five-Eight."

"Sounds like fun." Adama resisted an urge to chuckle

"Let's take a walk." Ross led on. "So Commander, I guess you've never heard the blues?"

The tour was fascinating to the Galactica staff, from the simple but elegant flight deck machinery designed to minimize atmosphere loss during mass launching to the level of intelligence given to the pilots in briefings. It reminded him a lot of Colonial practice.

"It's a little different to our launch tubes, but you can see the principle is the same." Adama noticed. "Our older Carriers looked a lot like this before we came up with the Battlestar layout."

"We've been experimenting with faster launching systems." McQueen commented. "Perhaps we can learn from your flight operations?"

"Anything we can do to help." Adama stated.

The Tour moved to the engine room which was impressive but understandably dwarfed by the titanic engines Adama was used to. While the Saratoga was less than a quarter the mass of Galactica the Colonial ship could outturn and outrun the Carrier, something which Adama hoped to change in the future with access to all of the surviving Colonial engineering records.

"Here's our Eckerlie system." Ross pointed out. "its tachyon based, pretty complicated to explain but it allows us to bypass normal physics and achieve FTL."

"I think Chief Tyrol would love to take a look around this place." Sharon remarked.

"He's welcome over." Ross said. "When we can we use Wormholes for rapid travel but most of the time its down to the Eckerlie drive."

"How small can you make these?"

"Small enough for a fighter or transport." McQueen answered.

"Just like our own Jump systems." Helo said. "How do you guys detect tachyons?"

"It's linked to the Eckerlie principle." Ross said with a frown. "I'm no scientist, but it's given us FTL communications and some FTL sensors, but mostly we're limited to LIDAR."

"FTL comms huh?" Helo grunted. "Oh yeah, Tyrol would love this."

Next stop was the forward weapon control, a well armored box sunk deep into the ship's bow.

"This is our main gunnery director." Ross informed. "We've got three more back ups and a dedicated missile director further back."

"What sort of rounds do you use?" Adama asked.

"We don't, the main batteries are all high energy guns. Particle based pulse weapons."

"Hot damn." Helo grinned amazement.

"We still use rail guns for point defense, at the moment our smaller laser and pulse weapons don't pack the same punch as a good old fashioned slug." McQueen related. "But for our heavy weapons we can put up some nasty surprises."

"Energy weapons would be uninterceptable by the Cylons." Adama felt a smile. "Bet that came as a surprise."

"Our best gun is out of action." Ross said. "Five hundred meter long particle accelerator. The ones mounted on our battleships nailed a Basestar in a few salvoes."

"Good to here Admiral, very good to hear."

The final stop was the Saratoga command centre lodged in the middle of the command tower well away from attack. The thing that impressed Adama the most was the automation, the room was half the size of the Galactica CIC but seemed to perform the same tasks.

"This is Commodore Masterman, Commander Adama."

The two officers shook ands. "You run a hell of a ship Commodore."

"I was going to say the same thing."

"You've got a lot of automation here Admiral." Sharon said with concern.

"All locked down with the most sophisticated firewalls ever developed." Ross said confidently. "No one's hacked an Earth ship in decades."

"We learned that the hard way in the AI wars." McQueen added.

"All our systems have random encryption, at least five layers." Masterman explained. "Critical systems have up to twenty layers, but when initiating silicate protocols we double those layers and lockdown all but essential networking and command and control systems to minimize infiltration. Plus we have AHS."

"AHS?" Helo repeated.

"Anti Hacker Surprise." Ross grinned. "Anyone hacking our system gets the nastiest computer Virus the boys back home can think of back at them."

"Man I'd love to see that!" Helo laughed. "Give them a dose of their own medicine."

"Having fought AI's before we place a very high premium on our control system security." McQueen stated. "We don't take any chances anymore and we're constantly looking for ways to attack our own systems to find any kind of weakness an enemy could exploit and counteract it."

The Colonial officers shared a look at that, it was something Colonial fleet had never thought to try during the Cylon war preferring to keep the Cylons out of their systems by building ships that lacked networked systems preventing the Cylons from infiltrating. Colonial fleet had only gone back to networked systems with the flight 3 Columbia's and the newer Valkyrie's that later rolled off the assembly lines.

With the tour done the group headed for the Saratoga conference room and settled behind a large table. They were provided with glasses of water while the Comm officer tried to get through to the Yorktown at Aris.

"We're on the edge of the nebula so we should get a signal, but it's patchy." Ross said conversationally.

"I'm in no hurry Admiral, just enjoying the atmosphere. But first I have another small matter. Something I think could make a difference in the coming war. Helo?" Adama directed a questioning gaze."

"Yes sir." Helo answered and pulled a series of data CD's from his pocket and handed them to Colonel McQueen.

"What's this?" The Colonel asked.

"Our ships database. In it you'll find all the information we had at the time of the attacks but specifically schematics and design layouts for Our Battlestars from the older Columbia Class such as Galactica to the mainline Valkyrie variants and lastly the beasts of the fleet the Mercury class. It also has detailed accountings of our engagements with the Cylons, what tactics have worked and what weapon systems have proven effective. The records have been formatted to be compatible with your systems and software thanks to our little encounter with the Reuben James"

"We appreciate this very much Commander." Ross thanked Adama before tossing a nod to McQueen. The Colonel turned and gave the CD's to a nearby aid who took them and left the room."

"Can I ask a question sir?" Sharon spoke up.

"Go ahead."

"What does 'Saratoga' mean?"

"It's a town in my home country, a big battle happened there three hundred years ago." Ross informed. "There have been a lot of ships named after it, lot of proud ships that saw plenty of fighting. The first Carrier was an ocean going ship that made it through our Second World War, one of a very few ships to make it through from start to end and see so much action like the Enterprise our Navy's current flagship."

"You had two World wars?" She continued.

"I wish I could say they were rare, but we have a tendency to fight each other. Luckily that's becoming a thing of the past now we've entered the true Space Age."

"Too many other enemies to fight." Colonel McQueen shared his opinion. "We unite or we fall."

"Just like the Colonies had to." Adama added quietly. "Patterns of history."

At that moment the screen ahead of them came on, the picture was scratchy and some of the sound garbled but it was clear enough.

"This is Yorktown, that you Glen?"

"Admiral Monroe, this is Commander Adama of the Colonial Battlestar Galactica." Ross said by way of introduction.

The hard looking Admiral took in the calm blue suited officer for a moment before speaking. "Heard a lot Commander, good to see you."

"Likewise Admiral." Adama replied.

"Glen, what's your condition?"

"Saratoga is fighting fit sir." Ross answered. "Our FTL is repaired and we'll be heading home tomorrow."

"Good to hear it." Monroe nodded. "Take the Colonials with you to Earth."

"Earth? I thought we were going to Groombridge first?"

"Change of plans Glen, blame the politicians." Monroe snorted. "Though I can smell Aerotech behind this, they want your ship Commander Adama."

"With respect it isn't theirs to take, she's still a unit of the Colonial Fleet."

Monroe let a brief bellow of laughter. "Well said Commander, I like you already! Damn money grabbers think they own the Navy, we'll put 'em straight!"

"However I want to take this opportunity to put Galactica under your command Admiral." Adama said with deep sincerity.

Monroe paused, wondering if the translator picked that up right. "You're accepting our command?"

"Fact is Admiral you outrank me, and if we're going to become part of Earth I'd like to uphold my oath of defending humanity. The only practical way to do that is to become part of the Earth fleet, so that's what I'm offering."

"It's a hell of a step Commander."

"One that has to be made." Adama replied in confidence. "And I speak for the whole crew when I say we'd be honored to fight for Earth when the time comes."

The usually brusque Admiral seemed genuinely touched. "Understood Commander, consider yourself temporarily assigned to Admiral Ross's command until the Joint Chiefs can come to a final decision."

"Thank you sir."

"Be assured Commander, you're one of my people now and I will personally dismember anyone who tries to take advantage of you, and I really hope Aerotech gives it a try."

The Admiral lit a cigar, then changed the subject.

"You might be glad to know we ran into Metal Mickey on Aris."

"Cylons?" Adama checked.

"Yeah, say, do you guys have tanks?"

"I don't know the term Admiral."

"Well that explains a lot." Monroe smiled evilly. "I'm sending over the reports and some gun camera footage, hope you enjoy watching Cylons getting curbed stomped because that's what we got."

"How did we do sir?" Ross asked.

"Losses were acceptable, less than expected." Monroe relayed. "We cleared out Aris and picked up some prisoners for study. Very sophisticated AI's."

"I've sent Captain Reynolds to patrol our perimeter." Ross said. "Our Stealth destroyer works just as well against Cylons as Chigs."

"That's a bonus." Monroe agreed. "We're going to stay out here and watch for more trouble. With Commander Adama's help maybe we can look at where you've been and pick out some likely Cylon targets."

"Yes sir." Adama nodded. "Be a good feeling to hit them back for a change."

"That's the spirit Commander. I knew I'd like you guys; anyone who builds such a big badass battleship gets an instant 'A' in my book. Fair journey to Earth Commander, Monroe out."

"Looks like you made a good impression." Ross grinned widely.

"Thank you Admiral." Adama agreed.

"You sure you want to second yourself to the Earth fleets?"

"Without a doubt." Adama confirmed. "As you said earlier, united we prevail."

"Will the President approve?" Helo wondered.

"We're still a Colonial vessel." Adama said. "We still answer to her as Commander in chief and if she orders us to leave we will, but we make a stronger force fighting together than apart."

"We'll move forward and link up fully with your fleet." Ross said. "Then proceed together to Earth."

"A very powerful symbol." Sharon realized. "Earth ships working with Galactica to protect the survivors."

"Sign of things to come." McQueen added. "We're in this together now, nothing can change that."

"Admiral, I have a request." Adama raised. "The data from Aris."

"What about it?"

"I'd like to release it to our press." Adama requested. "Victories over the Cylons have been few, and we never stopped running even when we won. Showing the toasters getting their asses handed to them by Earth forces would make all the difference in the world to the fleet."

"It shows we can beat them." McQueen saw the same reason. "And that Earth can protect your people."

"Exactly." Adama confirmed. "It's more than hope, its proof that Earth really is a safe haven. It'll send morale sky high."

"Very well, I'll authorize it." Ross agreed. "After what they did to this lady I'm eager to see them walk into a world of pain myself."

A Few Hours later

Starbuck was a very, very happy little fighter pilot. The quick look around the Saratoga had been fascinating enough but the final stop on the tour had been like a gold plated dream come true. She had been walked into a fully stocked bar brimming over with a wide variety of alcohol and, most perfect of all, cigars.

"Earth is going to rock." She blew a smoke ring into the air above the table. "I mean really, really rock."

"They've got booze, cigars and five billion men." Lee Adama shrugged. "You'll get bored in a month."

Nathan West and Mickey Goins laughed at Kara's expression of wounded pride. The four of them were clustered around a table stacked with empty glasses and at least four cigar stubs, all of them Starbucks. At the neighboring table Hawkes and Vansen were catching up with the rest of the Wild Cards and Vansen's Silver Knights who were overjoyed to have their heroine back and safe.

Elsewhere Chief Tyrol and Cally were sharing a drink with a couple of the Saratoga's engineers. All four bore the grease and grime that was a mark of honor in their profession and were talking in great detail about the workings of each others systems. With Galactica now more or less an Earth ship in all but name information was flowing freely between the two groups with a great deal of appreciation on all sides.

"So will they let me try out a Viper?" Mickey raised the question for the eighth time.

"Somebody will have to." West figured. "You can have a go after me, and Vansen, and probably McQueen."

"I'd like to try out one of yours." Lee added. "Never flown something with that level of computer assistance, even our Mark 7 vipers don't have that much."

"Makes it easier to shoot stuff down." Mickey nodded.

"I love those tail guns." Kara enthused. "Come on toasters! Dakka dakka dakka!"

"Kara, ease back on the drinking huh?" Lee cautioned.

"Come on, live a little." She smiled widely. "I haven't even tried half these drinks on the menu, it's a whole new world Lee! Earth is going to totally Rock!"

"Well I guess I have to drink to that." Lee admitted. "You know Mickey, no way is Kara flying home like this. Maybe you can bring her bird home."

"I'm not even drunk, I'm just happy!" Kara defended. "Look, steady as a rock."

She extended her hand palm down, sure enough it wasn't wavering even a fraction of an inch.

"Damn, I love a girl who can hold her drink." Mickey grinned.

"Least of my skills." She smiled back with a wink.

At the side of the room the huge video screen came to life, usually it showed sports games from Earth or movies but today it would be picking up Galactica's news service.

"Take a look." Kara pointed. "It's the Commander."

Sure enough on screen Adama could be seen taking a podium in front of the reporters.

"Hey quiet down!" Vansen called. "Gutierrez, Riker, shut the hell up and listen!"

On screen the serious officer took his time and calmly addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know we recently encountered ships from Earth, and have been given asylum to end our journey. However as many of you feared, the Cylons have followed us."

There was a concerned murmuring.

"Cylon forces have also breached Earth space, and without warning or provocation, opened fire on Earth ships and invaded one of their colonies and massacred its population."

The room was shocked, while the gathered pilots watched on quietly.

"This is footage from Earth ships of that first battle."

The screen changed to show black space, in the foreground the unfamiliar but yet unmistakable shapes of human fighters. The edges of the screen displayed flight data familiar to Lee and Kara but likely a mystery to most civilians.

The orientation changed as the Earth fighter rolled, then suddenly flashed as the craft opened fire.

"Moondog squadron, break right and go hot." A squadron leader's recorded voice ordered. "Engage ACM!"

The images altered as different gun cameras were used to show different viewpoints. Mixing among the Earth fighters were the scimitar winged Cylons, and they were getting cut to pieces.

"Close in, close in!" voices called. "We lost Hutch!"

At the corner of the screen a dark grey Frigate was picking off Cylons with its rail guns like a kid with a BB gun popping balloons.

Suddenly the battle seemed to intensify.

"Holy... Capital ships on our flank, where the hell did they come from?"

"Cover the 'Toga, missiles on the way!"

The reporters were unusually silent as they watched the Earth fleet taking on three Basestars, a force even the biggest Battlestars and their escorts would have a tough time with. One after another the escorting destroyers and cruisers threw themselves forward to protect the carrier and face either destruction or be crippled beyond use. The Carrier herself was venting air from a dozen breaches and seemed in dire trouble

Then a new ship arrived, and with a staggering amount of force smashed its way through one of the Basestars. The footage showed the black slab completely surprising the Cylons and taking down another star shaped vessel before the last enemy vessel retreated leaving the Battleship to linkup with the Carrier; the word Tecumseh and its colonial standard translation clearly visible.

"As you can see, the Cylons are not invincible." Adama offered. "Earth has the tools and the training to beat them. There's more."

The screen now showed a second group of Basestars orbiting a world; these two ships were engaged in a stand up fight with two Earth ships labeled New Jersey and Wellington. One was a black slab like the earlier vessel while the other was a narrower and more angular design. Both ships were throwing energy fire at the Cylons and shrugging off the handful of missiles that broke through their CIWS cover.

Like before the Basestars were eventually torn apart by the well placed fire, virtually none of the Earth ships rounds had missed their targets.

"After securing orbit the Earth troops landed to fight the Cylons on the ground and liberate this world." Adama explained. "They use weapons and tactics the Cylons have no idea about."

A new selection of scenery showed up, a fairly pleasant vista of blue sky's and open land suddenly filled with vehicles. Some could be identified as the armored cars familiar to war reporters, but others were much bigger packing the sort of gun usually seen on Corvettes.

The Earth ground troops bound forward exchanging fire with the silver Centurions and humanoid models, the big Earth rifles punching through their opponents while the medium sized armored vehicles shredded the Cylons enmasse. Even more fascinating were the heavily armored tracked vehicles which shrugged off anything thrown at them and proceed to gun down, blow apart or simply run over whatever got in their path.

The victory at Aris was news to the Saratoga crew too, and cheers went up whenever a Cylon exploded or Earth troops entered the screen.

"Get some o' that bullet head!" Kara yelled as a tank ground a centurion under its tracks. "Frak yeah!"

The Cylon resistance was hurriedly overpowered, gunships and air strikes lighting up the horizon as huge explosions from orbital warships leveled strategic targets.

"So Ladies and Gentlemen, as you can see Earth is ready for whatever the Cylons throw at them."

The bar burst into deafening shouts of Hooh Rah's. Which made their colonial counterparts raise their eyebrows in surprise and agreement.

"The full reports are available to download." Adama finished up. "Feel free to publish them in their entirety, all the sensitive data has been censored so you won't be harming our defenses."

He stepped back from the podium.

"They stopped the toasters cold." He spoke in conclusion. "We're done running, and we're done hiding. From now on we fight."

He moved away to the still stunned silence. The Cylon war had been covered vividly by the press of the Colonies and not one of the assembled reporters could remember seeing a Cylon force so utterly and decisively beaten. The affects of witnessing the battle fleetwide were just what Adama had hoped for.

Kara smiled widely. "Damn that must have frakked up their day."

"Cylons getting nuked from orbit?" Lee was also smiling. "Well it made me laugh."

"They had it coming." West stated. He raised a glass. "Junk the bastards!"

The room roared in approval and joined the toast.

"This is so sweet." Kara laughed again. "Earth is going to totally rock!"

USS Reuben James

She was running as silent as her damaged stealth systems would allow covering the retreating path the colonial fleet would take as they moved out of the system and to the safety of Earth orbit. Her sensitive laser and microwave systems were calibrated to their maximum sensitivity to ensure nothing would escape her notice. Since she had left the fleet the day before Reynolds had viewed stellar charts of Kappa Reticuli looking for the best avenues of approach a fleet might take to transit to the Colonials hiding place. After conferring with his XO both men had come to the same conclusion for the same reason. It was a long shot, but one that Reynolds was confident in for two reasons.

In a normal star system a fleet could practically take any avenue of approach with little concern for natural impediments such as asteroid belts, moons and stellar bodies. Each was taken into account and planned for or just avoided entirely, but Kappa Reticuli made that practically impossible; the thin gaseous clouds and electromagnetic interference of the systems binaries could not be ignored or avoided. The systems asteroid belt too could not be avoided it literally crisscrossed the entire system making any attempts to bypass it through standard means nearly impossible.

Captain Reynolds folded his arms and chewed on his bottom lip as he studied the main TAC board which for the moment was devoid of contacts. Looking over to the Lidar operator Reynolds noted his XO hovering over the man staring at his screen intently, something he did when he was nervous.

They were all nervous.

As Reynolds scanned his entire bridge he noted normal chatter was at an all time low; the crew looking tense and alert clearly on razor's edge and Reynolds couldn't blame them.

They were one ship with no backup still heavily damaged searching for a hostile fleet they knew had to be out there somewhere and unfortunately they had been the only ones best suited for the job.

The first few fights had gone Earths way but by now the Cylons had had a chance to study records of each battle and at least formulate some form of counter measure much as Earth had done.

He would not make the same mistake of underestimating his enemies; thinking that they would be so easily deterred after their spectacular defeat at Airis. It was that kind of thinking which had cost the United States Navy 3 of her precious carriers in the Chig war in the form of the Valley Forge, Bunker Hill and the Eisenhower; losses that had only recently been replaced. Looking ahead at the TAC board again Reynolds knew in his gut the Cylons were out there in large numbers, he was not to be disappointed.

The TAC board suddenly lit up with yellow question marks as the sensitive sensor system of the Reuben James detected the telltale sign of energy emissions ahead of her.

"Conn, LIDAR picking up something…." The Lidar operator spoke up. "Heavy microwave emissions to port."

"Distance?" The Captain asked.

"At least 2 MSK's" The Executive officer glanced back at the captain. "They must be radiating heavily for us to have seen them this far out in this soup."

"Understood. Helm swing us 20 degrees to port take us in at an oblique angle, nice and easy make sure to keep us out of counter detection range."

'Aye sir.'

"Lidar, start tallying numbers and type of ships. I want to know what were up against."

"Roger that sir." The lidar operator responded focusing on his board as the XO left his side and came to stand next to the captain. "There they are." He noted.

"Yup." Reynolds responded with a nod. "Following the yellow brick road."

The Reuben James moved silently through space her active stealth systems by now calibrated for maximum effectiveness against Cylon sensor systems ensuring she remained undetected as the ship steadily closed the range to the enemy fleet. On the TAC board the number of question marks steadily increased; each one representing a different microwave emission the ship had detected. As the range closed to just under twenty two thousand kilometers the question marks changed to red diamonds indicating positive enemy contacts.

"Contact, multiple contacts bearing 020 mark 151. Distance twenty two thousand and closing." The lidar operator reported, but Reynolds barely heard him as his eyes remained glued to the TAC board as more and more red diamonds continued to fill the monitor.

"Sweet Jesus." McIntyre whispered. "Look at all those ships..." The TAC board by now was completely swarming with red diamonds and still more were showing up.

"LIDAR what are we looking at here?" The Captain asked suppressing his dread as he worked the tactical situation.

"It's hard to get an accurate number without going active sir." The Lidar technician apologized. "But readings indicate there are hundreds of enemy raiders and more than 20 enemy capital ships and something I can't identify."

"Explain." The captain demanded.

"Its much larger than the enemy capital ships and encased in a virtual globe of fighters, I can barely see it through that many contacts, but its long and angular and its not putting out a lot of EM energy which makes it harder to detect."

"Those raiders appear to be protecting it." McIntyre noted as he pointed to the screen. "And those support ships are trailing back instead of foreword with the rest of their strike fleet."

"Acting as their support network." Reynolds surmised. "Whatever it is its important enough to task support ships and fighters, and yet; no capital ships? Why? What is this thing? What's its function?"

"A command ship?" McIntyre wondered thoughtfully.

"Maybe, but whatever it is they've tasked a considerable numbers of raiders to protect it." Reynolds studied the board stroking his chin as he tried to identify this new player. "Lidar where are they headed?" Reynolds asked feeling he already knew the answer.

"They're making a beeline for the refugee fleet sir." The Lidar operator responded. "And at their speed they'll reach them in just under two hours."

"Figures." McIntyre added bitterly. "Which leaves the question of how the hell they found us."

"Doesn't matter now, it's done." Reynolds squinted his eyes as he noticed something. "Are they spreading their formations?"

"They're separated into two formations sir." The Lidar operator reported. "The main formation consists of over 20 enemy capital ships identified as Basestars with heavy fighter screens and is surging ahead, while the second formation consists of a half dozen support tenders several squadrons of raiders and the unknown contact and is falling further and further behind."

"Ok so not a command ship." Reynolds guessed totally perplexed at the strange tactic the Cylons were using. "Command ships can usually look after themselves in a fight. Why hold back? Again we come back to it, what is this thing?" There was no response to the captain's question at first.

"A fallback point!" McIntyre realized suddenly. Turning to see that his captain wasn't following his logic McIntyre tried to explain. "Sir from our intelligence briefings with Commander Adama he said that once a Cylon dies they don't stay dead they resurrect somewhere else inside a new body. He said that for a while now the Cylons have been too far away from their Homeworld for the downloading process to work, and yet somehow the Cylons keep showing up and in every engagement that followed they never seemed that concerned with losses."

By now the Reuben James was close enough for a detailed visual of the Cylon force; using the ships sensitive optics the Lidar operator catalogued the fleet with the highly detailed camera before focusing on the unknown ship. It was a strangely elegant design long and angular made up of some kind of transparent plating and encased in an exoskeleton. It was definitely unlike anything Reynolds had ever seen.

"So you're saying…" Reynolds trailed off finding the thought a little absurd. "That this is some kind of…Resurrection ship?"

"Well…"McIntyre trailed off feeling slightly embarrassed at his captain's question noting half the crew was staring at him expectantly. McIntyre glanced once more at the TAC board which still showed the strange looking ship. "Yes sir that's what I'm saying. I know from our perspective it seems absurd, but these machines don't think like we do. We can't be downloaded like software but they're machines they can and when you think about it like that suddenly it doesn't seem so crazy to have something like that-" He pointed to the view of Resurrection "-Where you could fallback and regroup if things went wrong." McIntyre explained his logic. Reynolds regarded him for a second then turned his attention back to the TAC board.

"When you put it like that it does make a certain kind of sense…" Reynolds murmured. "The Silicates sure as hell never came up with something like this."

"Well the Silicates never had the resources or the tech base to-"

"-Relax Charlie you sold me." The captain cut him off. "But why bring the ship in system so close to the battle where it could be destroyed? Why not leave it just outside the system away from the Battle? Why take the risk?"

"Maybe the EM interference of this system's binaries clogs their connection." The XO wondered. "Or maybe they're that confident in their fleet's ability at finishing us off. I know for a fact even with the Saratoga and Galactica 3rd fleet would be hard pressed against a force that big."

Reynolds considered that for a moment. "That confident are you?" He whispered directing his gaze at the Resurrection ship as his mind churned; an evil smile slowly etching across his face. He was looking for a way to deliver some payback for what those bastards had done to the James and it seemed fate may have just dropped it right into his lap. Of course there was the tiny problem of the raiders surrounding it, but Reynolds hadn't become a warship commander by running away when faced with a tough challenge, one that had such a potentially big payoff.

"A target of opportunity." Reynolds said a little too loudly causing the entire bridge to go quiet and stare in amazement.

"Sir!?"

"Relax Charlie I have no intention of engaging that ship now. We'd be spotted long before we got in weapons range." Reynolds considered. "Look here, their main fleet is pulling away from this ship but those support ships are hanging back with those raider squadrons."

"Yes sir." McIntyre agreed weakly not following his captain's chain of thought and almost afraid to.

"We'll send a data burst back to Saratoga then let the fleet pass us by. Then we'll strike at the Resurrection ship cutting off their safety net.

"Sir with all due respect." McIntyre objected "But are you suicidal? We'd need a Carrier's air wing just to deal with those squadrons. If we do this alone we'd be toast in under a minute."

"We'll be fine." The captain responded. "Besides we took care of that last Basestar and those raiders."

"Only because they wanted us intact sir. This time they'll have no such reservations, in fact they probably want us dead that much more because of what we did to the first one."

Reynolds turned to face his XO with a sly smile McIntyre new meant trouble. "Don't worry Charlie I've got a plan."

USS Saratoga

"Admiral Ross sir," Lieutenant Alice Martinez grabbed the Commanders attention. "Tight beam message from our forward unit, highest level priority."

"Put it through." Ross ordered calmly and turned to the nearest screen. A brief row of text filtered through, the easiest message to send through encrypted channels and all but untraceable back to the stealth ship. The message was simple but its content devastating.

"Commodore Masterman, join me in the office."

They stepped into a tiny adjacent room to the Saratoga command deck.

"Problem sir?"

"Big problem." Ross nodded. "We have confirmation of Cylon Basestars on approach, profile matches the vessels encountered by the Reuben James and us a few days ago."

"Where they heading?"

"Right for the refugee fleet, and if they hold their course they'll eventually run into Earth. I am not about to let that happen."

"Affirmative sir, recommend we call in all our reinforcements."

"I hear that." Ross grinned. "With two full Battlegroups and a Battleship Division up our sleeves the Cylons won't know what hit them."

The two officers returned to the bridge, the crew glancing up but trying not to look conspicuous, holding down their curiosity and nerves.

Ross took up a microphone and put it on the shipwide channel.

"Can I have your attention please, this is Admiral Ross."

The ship stopped, each member of the crew falling silent.

"We have received word that twenty enemy capital ships are heading this way with the intention of destroying the refugees we are protecting. After that we believe they will head to Earth and finish the job of killing every last man woman and child of our race. Our job now, as it as always been, is to protect our homes whatever the threat. We will be going into battle once again with our allies, old and new, and whatever happens I know we will do our jobs today and we will not give in. Good luck, and man your battlestations."

The familiar alarms began blaring and warning lights flashed as the ship rigged for battlestations. She was still heavily damaged after her last fight but still more than able to put up a fight.

"Get a message to Galactica and the fleet; warn them of the incoming attack." Ross ordered. "Then get everything that can fly out there and ready to breathe fire."

"Aye sir." The well spoken female comms officer replied and set to work, she quickly began to frown in frustration. "Admiral, we're being jammed; I haven't seen anything like this before, long range communications are down."

"Can you break through to the rest of the fleet?" Ross asked.

"No sir." She snapped angrily. "We're being totally blanketed, short range comms only."

"Sir, Galactica on line one." Masterman reported.

"Let's have it." Ross unconsciously straightened himself despite the fact the other ships officers couldn't see him.

"Saratoga this is Adama, we're picking up heavy jamming."

"Confirmed Commander." Ross replied. "We just received word than a fleet of twenty Basestars are heading this way, ETA forty minutes."

"Twenty!?" Adama's concern carried over the translation device. "Admiral I'm sure you know we can't face that force alone."

"I've been trying to reach our reinforcements but can't break the jamming, are your systems any better?"

"Sorry Admiral, we're in the same position you are. I recommend sending a courier ship, something fast enough to outrun the jammers and deliver a message to the battle fleet."

"And meanwhile we delay the Cylons as best we can." Ross agreed.

"Leave it to me Admiral, I haven't seen anything that can outrun a Viper on full afterburners. I'll make sure the message gets through."

Battlestar Galactica

Captain Lee Adama and his long term friend Lieutenant Kara Thrace snapped a sharp salute as they entered Commander William Adama's quarters, both summoned at extreme short notice.

"As you were." The Commander returned their salutes. "I'll cut straight to it, there are twenty Basestars twenty just over 40 minutes out."

"Twenty!" Kara exclaimed.

"I've never heard of that many in one place before." Lee replied with a hint more emotional control. "It's gotta be for Earth, they want to destroy it along with us."

"That would be my guess." Commander Adama nodded sagely. "Problem is we're being jammed and can't raise the alert. There is an Earth fleet at Aris on the wrong side of this system. If we can get them here we have a chance."

"But how do we get in contact?" Lee wondered.

"Simple, we send a pair of Vipers to outrun the jamming and tell the other fleet in person. It won't be easy, two Vipers alone out there are going to be pretty vulnerable, but it's the only chance we have."

"So who are you gonna…" Kara stopped as the realization hit her. "No sir, there's no way."

"You wanna send us?" Lee asked in shock. "You can't do that, our place is here with the fleet especially at a time like this!"

"If we don't get help there won't be a fleet." Adama emphasized. "I need my best pilots on this, my most trusted pilots. That's you two."

"We need to be out there leading Galactica's fighters!" Kara continued. "You can't send us away from this!"

"Yes I can, and yes I will." Adama said firmly. "This is not a discussion, it's an order. Without help we're going under, getting the Earth fleets out here is the biggest priority this command has. There is no other way, the fate of the last survivors of the twelve colonies and the future of the thirteenth rests with your speed. In the long run two fighters here mean nothing, but two full sized Battlegroups would."

Lee looked down, it was obvious this had to happen but he didn't want to leave the ship in what could be its final fight.

"We came all this way." He said. "All this way and we're nearly in sight of Earth."

"And we will still see it." Adama spoke. "We will see it if we stop the Cylons here. You have your mission, head to the launch bays and leave immediately."

"Yes Commander." They saluted.

"And Kara," Adama spoke quietly. "I know you didn't have much before joining the fleet, but you know you have always been like a daughter to me. We might not be related by blood, but you are family, you've always had a family. Never forget that."

Kara was not someone to express much emotion, but she still had to turn away to hide her feelings.

"Lee."

"No dad." His son held up his hands. "No goodbye speeches, I'll see you again in less than an hour. That's a promise."

The Commander nodded. "Alright then, I'll be seeing you."

"None of us is going anywhere without each other." Lee said plainly. "We started together, we finish together. That's all there is to it. Now, we've got a deadline to meet."

They stood too and then departed, Adama watching them go with pure pride.

USS Saratoga

"Just what the hell are you doing Ty?"

"I'd have thought that was obvious sir." McQueen commented as he pulled on his boot, the one on his artificial leg was permanently attached.

"Don't make me explain this to you again." Ross sighed. "You are not flight worthy."

"I beg to differ sir." He straightened up and grabbed his metal flight harness and began wrapping it around his torso. "You're going to need me out there."

"Ty, you lost your leg, you don't have flight status." Ross reminded him. "There's no way this is going to happen."

"Before World War Two Douglas Bader lost both legs in a flying accident, it didn't stop becoming an Ace during the Battle of Britain." McQueen replied. "I'm going to do this sir, and that's all there is to it."

Ross shook his head. "Damn it Ty why do I always end up talking to a brick wall?"

"I've had plenty of practice sir." He finished strapping on his flight gear. "We both know there's no coming out of this, and I'd rather meet my end out there in a fighter than sat here worrying about my people and doing nothing."

"I don't want to send you out there to die old friend." Admiral Ross said sympathetically.

"You don't have to, it's my choice." McQueen stated. "I have to do this, it's the whole point. You never really know what your purpose in life is until right at the end. Well now I know my purpose, and in twenty minutes those robots out there are going to damn well know it too."

Battlestar Galactica

"Enemy ships 30 minutes out." Colonel Tigh's familiar braying voice announced as Commander Adama arrived in the CIC. "All Vipers are in the tubes and ready to go."

"Launch Vipers one and two." Adama ordered. "Tell them the lords go with them."

In the Port bays Apollo and Starbuck were catapulted forward and out into space, the elegant MK VII Vipers immediately going to full afterburners and heading away for the distant world of Aris and the hope held there. Adama didn't know if he would see them again, but he hoped.

"Civilian ships have the coordinates for Earth." Tigh continued. "But the radiation in this system is still preventing a jump, its going to take them a while to clear the affected areas and lock it into the navigation consoles."

"Then our job is to cover them until they can retreat." Adama said. "Just like the old days." He picked up a microphone. "One M.C"

Dee switched the Commanders microphone to the ship wide channel.

"Galactica, this is the Commander. As you know Cylon ships are on their way and once more we must face them, but we do not face them alone. Our allies from Earth stand beside us, and our long journey is now coming to an end, we're almost done here. We set out to bring the last of our people to safety on Earth and we have just one more obstacle to face before that becomes reality and we can finally lay down our arms. This is going to be our greatest challenge, and we might not live through it. It has been my greatest wish to make sure you all arrive at Earth and see it with your own eyes, that we could all make a life there. Some of us today might never have that chance, but tens of thousands of others will if we accept this final responsibility. Three dozen Earth warships are heading this way to help us, all we have to do is keep the Cylons busy." He paused and gauged the faces of his crew in the CIC, it was a mix of trepidation and determination, a familiar look for those ready for battle.

"This could be our last day, but it will not be the last day for our people. If this is the last fight of the last Battlestar, then by the Lords of Kobol we will make it a battle the Cylons never forget! We will make sure humanity has a future, we will fight for it, we will die for it. People die, mankind lives on. So say we all!"

"So say we all!" the command crew chorused.

"Activate battle stations, set condition one." Adama ordered. "One last time."

Vipers roared out of their launch bays, a mix of venerable Mark II's and sleek Mark VII's racing out and forming up in their standard formations around the Galactica. The ships main weapons began to activate, heavy gun turrets powering up and rotating into position while the point defenses armed themselves and prepared for massed fire. The ship had seen plenty of action over its career and its weapons were well used, its hull a patch work of repairs but each battle had seen Galactica survive and fight another day all the way up to the present. The ship adjusted its course to put itself between the Cylon advance and the rapidly retreating civilian ships and prepared.

Alongside the US naval ships also prepared, the Saratoga's hangars were heavily damaged and its ship length particle cannon out of action, but the ship was still able to defend itself and others, and the surviving members of its battle group were equally ready to fight. Launching fighters took longer than normal as S/A-43's were shifted between damaged and working hangars but eventually two thirds of the Saratoga air wing was space borne and ready for action. Like the Galactica the Saratoga took up defensive stations with its Battlegroup forming up loosely to protect the civilian vessels.

The fighters and warships had barely finished deploying their protective screen when the first of the Cylon ships hove into view crossing from behind a lifeless rock and conducting a full scan of the area. Another ship followed, then another. The Cylon fleet moved out of hiding and began dropping fighters from their ejection ports, hundreds of raiders gathering into their squadrons and massing for a huge attack.

"Twenty Basestars." Gaeta confirmed. "That's all of them."

"The radiation is going to affect their FTL drives too." Adama pointed out. "So long as we keep them pinned in this system they can't go after our fleet."

"So instead they all come after us." Tigh grunted. "Great plan Bill."

"It's what they used to pay us for." Adama smiled despite the situation. "All batteries prepare for suppression fire, we'll stop their long range fire and force them to close the range, which suits us just fine."

The Galactica's systems made final readjustments and engaged their ammo feeds, likewise the Saratoga's heavy weapons came about and prepared to engage. The USN ships couldn't match the pure weight of fire the Galactica could throw out but their energy based weapons were more effective against the enemy warships and could not be intercepted.

"Warships will hold the centre, fighters cover the flanks." Adama ordered. "Good luck people, here it comes."

The Cylon raiders broke away and began driving straight for the civilian fleet, they barely seemed to be paying attention to the small group of warships in their path. The human piloted fighters quickly cleared the line of fire and in the space of a second space turned red and orange as the fleet began to engage. Galactica's batteries gutted the leading Cylon squadrons; the point defenses swamped their close formations while flak bursts took down two or three fighters at a time. The USN vessels added their fire, pinpoint rail gun rounds from the escorts picking off raiders in one shot while the Spartan cluster missiles scored multiple kills each. Yet despite the huge waves of fire radiating out from the task force more and more raiders swept forward past the burning trails of their predecessors or trying to bypass the firestorm altogether.

"Look alive people." Colonel McQueen warned the pilots. "Bogey's coming in fast, keep your formation and look out for each other. Weapons free, fire at will."

The Saratoga's combat wing skirted the tremendous barrage and moved to intercept a group of raiders heading for the civilians, locking weapons on as they accelerated. When the range came up they opened fire, a hail of purple tracers and cluster missiles bearing down on the enemy fighters. The flank of the Cylon force vanished in fire and debris, and then the Earth fighters were among them closing to point blank range where the turreted cannons and superior agility of the S/A-43 would hold an advantage over the faster Cylon ships. Even so they were badly outgunned and the first of the Navy fighters were blown apart as fresh Raiders piled into the battle.

A trio of missiles ploughed into the upper deck of the Saratoga flinging wreckage out into space, the ship and its group were bringing down scores of missiles, but sometimes one or two slipped through the net. The pulse cannons struck back angrily blasting apart raiders that tried to slip past but the carrier was in trouble, it wasn't built to take the same punishment as a Battlestar.

"Weps, get me a targeting solution on that Basestar!" Ross yelled above the thunderous vibrations wracking his ship. "Standby to redirect fire!"

Two raiders pounded the command deck of the Saratoga emptying six missiles each into it. The outer hull ripped open and exploded outwards, pressure doors sealing the affected areas as the ships heavy turreted guns changed targets from fighter to warships.

"Solution locked in!" Masterman confirmed.

"Open fire!"

The heavy guns engaged sending pulses of energy into a closing Basestar, white and yellow strobing bolts punching deep into the centre of the Cylon carrier's center axis. They broke through the lightly armored command section and opened gaping holes in the ship briefly gouting flame and sparks. Following up were the Phalanx missiles, the ships point defenses were too badly damaged to take action against them and one after another the Saratoga's missiles smashed into the Cylon ship tearing further into its hull. Almost in slow motion the Cylon Basestar broke up, split in half by the weapons fire before its reactor finally detonated in a silent Nova.

The ranges were closing and the sky between the two sides was choked with activity, from wrecked fighters to debris from the shattered Basestar all highlighted by the glowing tracer fire and exploding missiles. While S/A-43s tied down the Cylon squadrons in close combat the Viper squadrons darted back and forth picking off any raiders that got through. The USN anti fighter Frigates were excelling in their roles while the cruisers escorting the Saratoga were helping keep the Cylon heavy ships at bay with their own heavy weapons. The Cylons were having a hard time getting into position, their inertialess drives were being affected by the same radiation that was hampering jump travel and the Basestars were moving at little more than a crawl and couldn't get into position to swamp the small defensive force with overwhelming fire. But that wouldn't last forever, and already the first set of Basestars were receiving support from their sisters.

More and more missiles were saturating the defenses, a US destroyer lost control as its engines were blown out of its hull. Four high speed projectiles rocked the Galactica while yet more impacts opened up the Saratoga's weakened hull. Each ship continued firing but attrition was beating them, simple numbers working against them. Wave after wave of Raiders drove through the battle scattering missiles in all directions, bringing down preoccupied Vipers or S/A-43s before they knew what was happening. The human pilots were fighting hard but gaps were beginning to open in the screen.

Another four missiles hit the Saratoga, the last one sending a pillar of flame clean through its hull tearing out two hangar bays. The ship twisted and groaned as support structures melted and buckled in the heat of the impact.

"We're losing her Admiral!" Masterman yelled. "Hull integrity collapsing, we can't maintain our rate of fire!"

To emphasize his point the ship jolted again, with a tremendous tear one of the fore turrets was thrown from the hull in a cloud of dissipating fire. The Saratoga's defensive fire was wearing down and the escorts were being pressed hard to stop the storm of incoming missiles and fighters. The ship wasn't going to last much longer.

"Sir, Basestar moving away, she's trying to outflank us!" one of the officers called.

"She's going for the civilians." Masterman confirmed. "She's moving slow but steady."

"I see it." Ross said calmly. "Set an intercept course, I want ramming speed."

"Ramming speed?" Masterman questioned for a second and then stood straighter. "Aye sir, diverting power to engines."

The carrier's main engines burned into life and it began to leave its place in the formation. Ross left orders for his escorting force to hold position and to keep the Cylons from breaking through to the civilians for as long as possible. The stream of fire from those ships provided a curtain for the Saratoga to move through as it closed on the huge caltrop shaped enemy vessel. The ships dark hull was peppered with holes and stripped away armor, but the core of the vessel was still fighting and what defenses it had left did not stop shooting as the range closed.

The Cylon ship opened fire on the Saratoga, missiles ripping massive chunks out of the forward armor slabs. The squared off shape began to deteriorate into a tangled metalwork as impact after impact tore home. The Saratoga's surviving guns punched into the Basestar further slowing it down and weakening the point of impact.

"Admiral, sensors show a nuke priming for launch!" Masterman warned.

"Too late for that now." Ross said quietly. "You ain't going anywhere."

Another volley of missiles hit the Saratoga, but it was too late now. The USN carrier slammed into the Basestar almost exactly in its centre section boring deep into the enemy vessel. The Saratoga was not moving fast enough to plough straight through the Basestar, instead it ground to a halt with about a third of its length embedded in the Cylon ship, secondary explosions radiating out from the point of the impact and detonating throughout the enemy carrier. The Cylon ship lost power and began drifting, the crippled Saratoga being carried along with it.

Battlestar Galactica

"We're losing our escort screen." Colonel Tigh growled. "Cylons are pushing forward!"

"We're not going to be able to hold them much longer." Adama said calmly.

The ship jolted under missile impacts, the glass partitions between the CIC deck and the comms centre shattering.

The DRADIS was full of contacts, friend and foe, weaving and tangling across the battle zone.

"The civilian ships are still in the radiation field, it's gonna take too long for them to clear it and jump." Tigh snarled. "We're going to get outflanked!"

Adama remained quiet, listening to the frantic battlefield chatter. He heard reports of the Saratoga drifting unpowered in space locked in a death grip with the enemy Basestar. He heard Vipers and S/A-43's spinning through space between life and death. He heard the remaining US Naval ships warning they were running out of ammunition. Every report emphasized what he already knew, they were losing.

"Colonel Tigh, order our Vipers to maintain their cordon." Adama spoke calmly and clearly. "Then bring the engines up to full military thrust. We aren't going to wait for them to surround us."

"You're going to attack!?"

"We're going to show the Cylons that no matter how long they study us and how ever hard they try, they will never be able to predict Humans. Load armor piercing rounds into the main cannons; keep secondary guns on flak duty for now. Plot course straight down the middle, fire on each target as it bears."

Tigh stood still for an instant as his mind worked, then with a quick nod relayed the Commanders orders.

The Galactica altered course suddenly, throwing off the aim of two Basestars deluging it with missiles. The weapons grazed harmlessly past as Galactica's four heavy bow turrets aligned on the closest enemy ship and clunked into position.

"Alpha strike Colonel." Adama ordered. "Let's show these toasters how it's done."

The Galactica heeled over a little so its bow and ventral guns could hit the same target, then they opened fire. The rapid fire heavy guns punched clean through the Basestar, within eight salvos it was nothing more than a glowing wreck.

"Helm, come about thirty degree." Adama ordered sharply. "Increase thrust and roll forty degrees to port. Topside batteries fire on the next target."

The large ship moved with surprising speed and precision, a curtain of glowing defensive fire lashing out on all sides knocking raiders out of the sky. Missiles raced for Galactica, some impacting, others being thrown off by the twisting warship or destroyed by defensive fire. In response the Colonial warship struck another Basestar with massed fire from her heavy guns, shattering its armor and breaking it apart. The Cylon fleet had been spreading out to encircle the human ships, and faced now with a direct attack it couldn't focus enough firepower to deal with it.

"Enemy fleet changing formation." Tigh called. "They're closing in on us."

"Good, means they aren't closing in on the civilians." The ship shook again. "Continue firing, full attack!"

The vicious close range fighting drew the Cylons away from the civilian ships, bright flashes marking the exchange of fire.

"RADIOLOGICAL ALARM!" Dee shouted above the battle chatter. "Incoming nukes!"

"Redirect defensive fire, brace for contact!" Adama ordered.

The ships guns redirected against the incoming missiles, shooting down most of them but 3 made it through to detonate against the Galactica between the main hull and the port flight pod. Illumination went out as power was cut across the ship; the crew was literally weightless for a few seconds as gravity cut out with the lights under the sheer force of the impact. The emergency generators kicked in and gravity returned, dropping the crews back to the deck with a thump.

"Holy Frack." Tigh spat out a mouthful of blood. "Somebody get me a report!"

"Main power fluctuating!" Gaeta replied. "We've got reports of fires and heavy damage across the entire port side."

"What about the landing bays?" Tigh demanded. "Can we reel in our Vipers?"

Gaeta shook his head. "I don't think so. Chief Tyrol is making the assessment but he say's its taken massive structural damage."

Tigh paused. "I don't feel our guns firing."

"No sir, power to the weapons is out, working to restore."

"Then I suggest you get it fixed right the Frack now!" he yelled.

The warship rocked again, conventional missiles striking the now defenseless ship.

"Hard to starboard." Adama barked. "Present minimum aspect to the enemy."

They had to hold on as the ship slewed around, burning its left side engines as hard as it could to get them into a better position.

"Point defenses back!" Gaeta exclaimed in euphoria

"Restore barrage settings Tigh." The Commander said calmly, despite the ship growling in pain all around him. "Resume course, shove this old girl right down their throats."

Battered and burning the last Battlestar swung into battle once more, the allied pilots cheering the old bucket on as she refused to give up and die in the face of Cylon calculations. More Basestars closed on her but every time they plotted a firing solution Adama made a sudden course change or used a debris field to catch incoming missiles.

The curtain of fire draped around the ship made coming anywhere near it suicide. Raiders of all types were flayed in sheets of flame and showers of blood like fluid. The Viper squadrons held the line, taking losses but inflicting far more in their turn, the Saratoga air wing fighting with the ruthless skill of men and women with a purpose. Their ship was gone, their lives all but unsavable, but the mission still in their grasp if they sold themselves as dearly as possible.

Colonial or Earth born, humanity was fighting tooth and nail to protect the refugee fleet and the Cylons were paying for it.

A Basestar fell out of formation, crippled by anti ship rounds from the Colonial warship. Adama stayed with her, using the damaged vessel to shield him from its colleagues. Missiles aimed at the Galactica from its sisters were confused by the improved jamming from the Battlestar and struck the Basestar instead cooking it in Cylon Nuclear fire.

But the Cylons could take the losses and every ship commander and crew who died would be reborn later, perhaps close enough to watch the inevitable final results of this battle.

Tigh had to grab onto the central console as the ship bucked hard, the shock running through the deck.

"That sounded bad."

He had to grab on again as two more hits peppered the ship.

"That was worse." Adama grunted. "Helm, I want us closer!"

"Working on it sir, but the closer we get the harder it's gonna be to stop missiles!"

"Works both ways." Adama glanced at Tigh. "You got your key?"

The bald officer reached to his neck and the chain hung there. "You mean that one?"

Adama flipped open a panel on the main console and took a key from his neck chain, Tigh following suit. They both inserted the keys and turned together.

"Nuclear weapons armed." Adama stated.

"No kidding." Tigh swallowed.

"These are our last ones, Lets make em count. Disable safeties and set for impact detonation." Adama took his resting pose again stretched over the central console with both arms held tightly to the ship, to his ship. "We'll feed it to them point blank. Get ready on the launch button."

The bow guns blew one of the spines off the closing Basestar in a shower of flame and blackened metal, but the ship itself continued firing, a nuclear missile impacting the bow of the ship. Galactica drove on, tearing through the blast like a bullet through a gleaming curtain, locked in a fight to the death with the Cylon ship.

"Bow guns are dead!" Tigh warned.

"Hold course." Adama stated. "Ready to break to port, put everything you can in the engines."

Galactica was trailing air and debris like a comet, its head burning with impacts and its own return fire while the tail was made of frozen air and broken metal. Every second brought another hit, and every second put her closer to the target.

"We're alongside!" Gaeta called, and all eyes turned to Adama. He waited one heartbeat, then gave the order.

"Launch."

The 4 Nuclear missiles blasted from the ship's side, they were in space for less than three seconds before smashing into the Basestar. A second later it exploded, gutting the Cylon ship in a bright blaze of light and energy immolating several nearby raiders.

The Colonial vessel caught the edge of the explosion with little complaint; it wasn't the worst hit she'd taken today.

"Alter axis, set weapons for final barrier fire." Adama commanded. "Take us to the next in line."

A pair of fighter launched nukes burned into the ships bottom side decks dangerously close to the reactors, causing massive power loss as safety systems kicked in to prevent melt down.

"We lost DRADIS!"

"Go to local fire control." Adama said. "We're not accelerating."

"Main power to engines is down." Tigh noted. "Those hits blew the emergency systems."

"Frack the safeties, override and get me full engine power Colonel."

"Yes sir." Tigh shook his head. "Hell by the time the reactor goes critical we'll probably be toaster bait anyway."

"That's the spirit Tigh." Adama couldn't resist a grin. The ship began to rumble forward again. "Hit them with whatever is left."

By now the Cylons were in place boxing off every exit and opportunity, and with the Battlestar's weapons falling silent from damage there wasn't much more she could do.

A salvo of missiles caught her dorsal surface completely destroying the topside batteries and finally crashing the reactor. The whole ship fell dark for several second as the roof of the CIC dented in and sent overhead consoles and screens smashing to the deck in a welter of spark and jagged metal.

"That's it, main powers gone!" Gaeta cried. "We lost the relays!"

"Reroute." Tigh ordered. "Get Tyrol and his teams down their now!"

"Orders sent sir, but we're running on emergency batteries only."

"Colonel Tigh." Commander Adama said quietly. "Colonel, take command, keep our knife at the Cylons throat."

"What are you talking about Bill?" Tigh frowned from across the ops table. "We need to keep focused; the Cylons are about two seconds away from reloading and slapping us stupid!"

Adama was breathing heavily, and it took Tigh a couple of seconds to see the growing bloodstain on the Commander's uniform. "Ship's yours Saul." He said before collapsing.

"Medics!" Tigh ran around the table. "Get me some damn medics down here now!"

"Colonel, DRADIS is back," Dee warned. "Multiple contacts on the way!"

"Guns?"

Gaeta shook his head.

"Well then," Tigh shrugged. "Guess that was the shortest commission in history."

He watched the missiles closing on the now defenseless Battlestar, hoping that at least they had bought enough time for the civilians to stand a chance at escaping.

Suddenly the missiles disappeared, replaced by a cluster of green contacts.

"Friendly fighters!" Dee yelled in joy. "They've taken out the missiles!"

"Galactica this is Colonel McQueen, we'll watch your back as long as we can. Head for cover."

"Understood Colonel." Tigh grinned "you've got our thanks. Alright Mr. Gaeta, get me weapons and propulsion right now."

"On it sir."

"And get me some medics up here!"

……………………………

"Sound off." McQueen ordered.

"58th checking in." West reported.

"51st reporting in." Vansen responded.

"47th reporting."

"35th reporting Colonel."

"Alright people listen up; we'll stay close to the warship and stop any incoming ordinance, use your agility to avoid enemy fire but do not pursue retreating fighters. We do this quick and clean."

The Hammerhead fighters spread out taking a loose formation between the Battlestar and the largest group of enemies, scores of missiles burst from Cylon ships and thundered towards the wounded Galactica.

"Light 'em up people. Weapons free."

The chin mounted guns opened fire tracing purple rounds across the path of the incoming missiles and detonating anything they touched. It wasn't close to the sheer weight of fire Galactica could throw out at full ability but it was taking the brunt of the attack. A pair of projectiles rocked West's fighter as they passed by, his rear turret taking out one but the last hit Galactica adding more damage to the ship.

"Fighters!" Warned Cooper Hawkes. "What's the call Colonel?"

Staying as a stationary screen in the face of a fighter attack was suicide, the Marines had no choice. "Accelerate to combat speed and engage, watch the Galactica but watch your own asses too."

The fight started with a flurry of missiles from both sides, the Marines strafing and jinking to avoid the massed strike while the Cylons simply sent expendable raiders up front to take the hits. Some of McQueen's comrades weren't fast enough or lucky enough and their fighters vanished in a rapidly cooling fireball, but in return the entire first wave of Cylons were blasted from the sky, the Hammerheads taking evasive action to avoid the shower of razor sharp debris.

The Marines were heavily outnumbered and fighting desperately, despite their best efforts the Cylons drew them away from the Battlestar and lined up for fresh strikes.

Battlestar Galactica

"Colonel sir, we're wide open for more strikes." Gaeta warned. "Main weapons still not responding."

Tigh looked down to where Doctor Cottle was working on Adama. "How is he?"

"To early to say." The old surgeon grunted. "But he'd do better if the ship stopped taking hits."

"So would we all doc, do what you can." Tigh returned his attention to the CIC crew. "Any estimates on main power?"

"No sir." Dee said as she devoted most of her attention to the station. "Energizers are still out."

The thumping impacts started again, even in the well protected CIC the explosions and crunch of metal were clearly audible.

"Would somebody just get me engine power?" Tigh demanded. "Hell, give me half a chance and I'll ram the Frackers!"

"More Nukes!" Dee shouted.

"Brace for contact!" Warned Tigh. "This is getting old."

Most of the missiles were stopped by a few unengaged Hammerheads, but two were not. They burst against the ship in a series of bright lights, directing their force against the already damaged port flight pod. Once again the ship was pushed sideways and began to roll out of control, conventional missiles hitting it along side the nukes saturating the ships armor and tearing holes in the battered vessel.

"Colonel, they're going for the flight pod, major breaches in all sections!" Gaeta warned.

"Jettison the Viper stores!" Tigh ordered. "Get them out before they…"

he was cut off by a terrific rumble which grew louder and louder and threw everyone to the deck. Tigh didn't need Gaeta to report what that was.

The flight pod split open like a tin can as the aviation fuel and weapons detonated inside, the multiple nuclear strikes burning through the safety systems and triggering the catastrophic reaction. Gouts of flame lit up the ship as the fireballs traced the course of the explosion all along the side of the pod, shredding it from the inside out and hurling thousands of tons of metal into space. The chain of explosions left the pod totally destroyed, with just a few hollow scraps still attached to the crippled warship.

In the CIC nearly every computer went dead, emergency lighting was flickering and still the Cylon missiles hit again and again.

"Mr. Gaeta, can we divert power to thrusters?" Tigh asked.

"Barely sir, not enough to get us moving."

"It doesn't have to be." Tigh said sternly. "Rotate the ship forty degrees; put our dorsal surface to the Cylons. Then order all crew to the Ventral escape pods."

Gaeta and the other officers froze in disbelief. "Sir?"

"The order is to abandon ship." Tigh clarified. "This battle is over for us, we can't run, we can't even fight back. I won't have the crew die for a principle, now issue the order and get the hell off this crate before she goes up!"

The lieutenant hesitated for a second, and then sent the message ship wide. Evacuation alarms sounded and the crew orderly began to head for the escape pods.

"Try and make it to the fleet." Tigh ordered. "Take as many Vipers and Raptors as survive, with luck we've bought enough time." He looked at his wounded friend. "Sorry Bill always knew I wasn't cut out for a ship of my own."

"Keep your nose level!" Kat yelled. "Dammit Hotdog hold still!"

Hotdog's white Viper rolled hard as a pair of raiders tried to make Swiss cheese out of him.

"Hold still!" He yelled. "What've you been smoking!"

"Nothing much." She grinned as she lined up. "That's why I'm so jittery."

"Kat, don't you dare Frack this up!"

"Relax." She assured him, lining up on target. "Break in three two one, go!"

Hotdog blasted his RCS thrusters and slung the Viper out of the Raiders line of fire, in the same moment Kat opened up with both barrels, blasting one raider out of the sky in a heart beat.

"Oh yeah! I am still Da man!"

She side flipped the Viper and zeroed the second raider, it was halfway through its own flip to target her when the red tracers cut home.

"Two more for the tally." She cheered. "You cool?"

"Cool." Hotdog confirmed, "Whoah Kat, break left!"

Without thinking she followed his warning, rolling hard and accelerating as blue tracers filled the space she had just been sat in.

"Jink right!" Hotdog called, I'll… Ah Frack, got one on my six!"

"Stay on it Hotdog!" She slammed the controls narrowly missing another volley. "Dammit, somebody wanna do me a favour?"

She twisted hard again before suddenly the raider flashed into a storm of fragments. Sweeping up from behind game a US Navy S/A-43.

Kat laughed in relief. "Guess our allies are pretty useful."

Though they couldn't rig translators on all units the S/A-43 dipped its wings in a friendly salute, Kat could see the pilot wave and she waved back, human to human.

"Kat," Hotdog called. "Gods Kat, check out Galactica…"

She looked through her canopy and saw the wounded ship, its flight pod cooling debris and hull blackened by impacts.

For once there wasn't a word she could say.

The Battlestar rolled, expending the last of its energy to do so. More missiles carved out the top of the ship but it's vast bulk allowed escape pods launching from the underside to flee without worrying about the Basestar. A few Vipers and Hammerheads fell in to escort the escape pods to the relative safety of the remaining Battlegroup while their comrades continued fighting.

"Half the crew is evacuated sir, five more minutes and we'll be empty." Dee reported.

"Very good, now head out yourself." Tigh ordered. "I can finish up here."

"Sir," Gaeta spoke up. "You'll need some help to set the self destruct."

"Let me put it another way, Frack off people!" Tigh snapped. "Go on, get to the pods, you've done your duty here, we all have. Now try and save yourselves. Go!"

"Sir, I can't…"

"Your orders are to continue the fight." Tigh snarled. "Get to Earth, join the Navy and drive the Cylons from the Colonies! Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Dee and Gaeta said in unison.

"This ain't over. Remember this ship, and remember this day. So say we all."

"So say we all." They replied.

For a few moments Dee and Gaeta hesitated, and then ran out of the CIC leaving just Colonel Tigh alone on the command deck, lights flickering around him and the deck shaking.

"I'm not going to let you become part of some Fracking Cylon museum so those tin bastards can gloat over you." He activated the ships self destruct system. "You and me, we're going to go out in style."

McQueen's fighter units broke away from the Battlestar and instead focused on protecting the crew and the escape pods leaving the ship wide open to attack. Assault raiders broke through the damaged and inactive museum flight pod and began deploying Centurions to take the ship.

Tigh felt the impacts stop, knowing that it meant the Cylons were committed to taking the ship.

Like hell.

Raptor 147

Helo watched the DRADIS screen in a mix of utter despair and awe. "They're tearing the Galactica apart."

"I'm heading there as fast as I can." Sharon spoke with pure determination. "I'll get us aboard!"

Since the evacuation was ordered the crew of Raptor 147 had only one concern, the well being of their daughter Hera. Helo trusted the crew and he knew they would get their kid out, but he wouldn't know for sure unless he was there holding her as they left the ship. His wife felt exactly the same, so while most ships were fleeing the Battlestar Sharon was coming in to land.

"Flight pods gone!" She said. "I'm going to hard dock on the bow docking tube."

"That's gonna be tough with all this firing."

"The Cylons have eased off." Sharon said. "They want her alive."

"Ahh hell, confirmed." Helo Spat. "Heavy raiders clamping on the hull and burning through."

"We better be fast, couple of minutes and she'll be crawling with Centurions."

The Raptor clamped on to the Galactica and Helo popped the boarding tube more often used for deploying Marines. Swiftly and silently he and Sharon clambered onboard with sidearms drawn and began to move quickly through the ship.

The ship was as familiar as home to them, it was their home and even with the lights failing they knew every inch of its corridors. They didn't see anyone on the journey meaning the ship had to be all but evacuated. They arrived at their quarters to find their room empty, and Hera gone.

"Is she hiding?" Sharon asked.

"No, no look, her favorite Doll is gone; I bet she grabbed it on the way out." He felt relief wash past him. "It's alright, they must have taken her."

There was a sound at the door and both trained their weapons on the culprit.

"Don't shoot!" Baltar covered his head. "It's me!"

"Doctor?" Helo frowned. "Why aren't you off this ship?"

"I got, well that is to say," He sighed. "I'm lost."

"Then you better come with us." Sharon grunted. "Come on, we've got a Raptor."

They had just begun moving when a sudden burst of gunfire split the air.

"This way!" Helo sprinted towards the noise. "Come on!"

"You're running towards the shooting?" Baltar muffled a yelp.

"You can wait here." Sharon suggested. "Good luck if you see a Cylon."

"I see them everyday." He muttered. "Fine, stay with the armed soldiers."

The trio skidded to a halt right behind a pair of Centurions firing on a group of Galactica's officers huddled behind some crates. On instinct Helo and Sharon put three rounds each into weak points on the Cylon troopers backs, shattering metal joints and dropping the robots uselessly to the floor.

"This is Helo!" he called. "Hold your fire!"

"Daddy!" A small voice yelled.

"Wait sweetheart." A man said. "Alright!"

Helo and Sharon stepped out of cover and instantly Hera ran for them, behind her Chief Tyrol followed on.

"Hey there!" Helo grabbed his girl and lifted her up.

"The Chief took me for a run." She said. "We just played hide and seek."

"Thanks man." Helo said with total sincerity.

"Don't mention it." Tyrol slapped his arm. "When the order was given Cally and I were close by."

His fellow tech raised her head. "Hi."

"Hey Cally." Sharon waved and hugged both Helo and Hera. "Alright, come on, we better go."

"Not that way." Tyrol said. "Crawling with Toasters."

"Our Raptor's that way!"

"We're heading to the other pod." Tyrol said. "I got a plan. And I'll need your help, we've got a mission."

Tyrol lead them over to their group, beside Cally there were four Marines, Doc Cottle and a stretcher holding Commander Adama.

"Frack! How is he?" Helo gasped.

Sharon held back, the badly injured Commander bringing back images of the assassination attempt made by another Cylon model that shared her identity.

"We need to get off here now." Cottle said.

"There's a shuttle in the other Pod." Tyrol said. "It'll fly, but we need to get there before the Cylons."

"I'll take point." Helo said. "Chief, with me. " You two Marines watch our backs, you two on either side. Doctor Baltar, help Doc Cottle."

"Me, but I'm…" he tailed off. "Alright."

"Sharon…"

"I'll keep her safe." She took Hera from Helo and held her tight. "I promise."

"I know." He kissed her. "Alright, let's move it!"

The journey was fast even with the stretcher as no one wanted to be left on the dying ship when the Cylons took control. The familiar corridors were dark, lit only by emergency power and even then whole banks of lights were missing either from recent damage or years of neglect.

Helo rounded the corner and ended up almost nose to nose with a Centurion. Reflexes kicked in, he instantly rolled and dropped as the metal warrior lashed out with its claws, slicing a long gash down his left forearm.

He gasped and hit the deck hard, still rolling to avoid the inevitable downward slash. It never came, instead his ears rang with the sound of gunfire in the confines of the metal corridor as Tyrol and a Marine put a dozen high velocity rounds through the centurion.

It dropped with a heavy clang to the deck.

"You can bet his buddies heard that." Tyrol winced. "You good Helo?"

"Apart from the gaping wound? Yeah, I'll live."

He picked himself up, tested his grip and found all his fingers still moved. "It missed the nerves." He noticed Sharon was giving him a deeply concerned look. "I'll be fine, really."

"Flight pod is up ahead." Tyrol waved them on. "Nearly there."

"I thought this pod was decommissioned?" Baltar asked nervously

"It is." Cally answered. "We can't fly out of here with Vipers and since that heavy raider took out the window the flight deck is open to space."

"So why the Frack are we here!" Baltar demanded. "What the hell is the point?"

"The Point," Tyrol squared up. "Is that the Commander ordered me to restore anything useful in the museum. The Vipers were easy, but I also did some work on an antique shuttle, just past those doors."

"An antique?" Baltar scoffed. "That's your plan?"

"You're welcome to stay and wait for the next ride off doc." Tyrol turned. "Rest of us will take this one."

Without another word the Chief opened the blast doors and made his way into the dull hangar deck, an assortment of old vehicles and stalls that would have one day been a gift shop filled most of the scene.

"There she is." Tyrol pointed to a blocky twin engined vessel at the far end of the bay.

"That'll fly?" Helo asked seriously.

"If we've got a pilot." He looked to Sharon.

"You got one." She nodded. "Come on, we better get the Commander aboard."

The team dashed across the open deck, the hull shuddering beneath them as the Galactica began losing power.

"Grav is starting to go." Tyrol pointed out. "We haven't got long."

An all too familiar clank and whir sounded behind them, the sound of twin machine guns priming.

"Cylons!" Baltar screeched.

"On the floor!" Helo yelled, already dragging Sharon and his child to the cold deck plates.

The Cylons opened fire, three Centurions barely twenty yards away filled the air with whistling rounds. One of the Marines watching Adama took six rounds in the back completely ignoring his body armor. He was dead before he even began to fall.

Tyrol depressed the trigger on his rifle joined by fire from Cally as they scrambled behind a heavy duty pillar drill. The Cylons began to spread out, maintaining fire as they advanced.

"They're moving to flank!" Sharon warned.

"Look, the Shuttles just over there." Helo pointed. "Can you make it?"

"No way." She shook her head. "Not over open ground."

More bullets clanged and ricocheted over head, one of the spent rounds striking Adama in the thigh. He didn't even notice.

"Well why not?" Baltar spoke up. "You're one of them, they won't kill you!"

"Of course they would." Sharon snapped. "I'd just download back home somewhere, they don't care."

"Nice Girlfriend you have there." Baltar said bitterly, hiding his own bitterness at the parting he had experienced with Six.

"Cut it!!" Tyrol snarled. "Helo, Corporal Taylor, ready to give covering fire. Sharon, you need to run for that ship."

"I'll go with you." Helo promised. "You need cover over there anyway."

Tyrol didn't have time to argue the point. "Okay, on three."

Tyrol made the count, then raised his weapon and fired from cover, the Marine and Helo following suit. One of the Centurions sparked and fell over in a cloud of blue smoke while the others were forced to move faster into cover, throwing off their aim.

Sharon took Hera and bolted for the shuttle, Helo by her side firing from the hip. It wasn't accurate but it served to keep the Centurions cautious.

The two females made it to the shuttle and disappeared inside, running up to the antique flight deck to start the preparation to launch.

"We're in!" Helo called from the doorway.

"Alright everyone, go, now!" Tyrol ordered. "Move it!"

Baltar struggled to run with Adama in tow, but he daren't drop the stretcher in front of Helo's gun. He forced himself to keep up with it as bullets whistled back and forth. He looked up just long enough to see a ripple of a scarlet dress and welcoming blond hair drift into the shuttle, and he made sure he was right behind that delectable vision.

Helo expended his last round as the stretcher passed with Cottle and Cally bustling past him.

"Come on chief, we're ready!"

Tyrol and the Marine Corporal fell back step by step, carefully laying down fire as they pulled back. Another Cylon hit the deck, everything was shaking and rattling as the Battlestar convulsed, they were fast running out of time.

The last Centurion waited until the Marine was reloading, then darted out of cover and fired on the shuttle, striking Tyrol just before he reached the shuttle. He began to topple backwards, mouth open in a silent cry of pain when Helo and Corporal Taylor grabbed him and half pulled, half threw him in the shuttle.

With a final yell of anguish Cally fired an explosive round from her sidearm, with an aim born of vengeance the round hit home cleanly and blew the Centurion in half.

"Come on Chief!" Helo quickly applied pressure to the wound in the engineers back. "Come on, this is nothing!"

"Get up to the flight deck." Cottle dropped beside them, his duty blue uniform already black with blood. "Go on, this thing needs a co-pilot."

"The Chief…"

"Think I need you to tell me my job?" Cottle arched an eyebrow. "Get out of here Lieutenant! Cally, come here, pull it together and fetch my bag from the stretcher."

Helo staggered away, wiping sweat from his brow and succeeding in smearing blood across his forehead. He stumbled up the stairs to the flight deck and saw the Chief was as good as his word, every light was blinking green.

"We're ready." Sharon said. "I just need…" She stopped cold when she saw Helo. "Karl, blood."

He shook his head. "It's not mine. The Chief…"

"Gods!" Sharon began, the pain clear in her face.

"The Doc's on it, he'll be okay." Helo hoped, he really did. "But we have to go right now, or we're all finished."

Sharon took a breath, looking quickly to the frightened child next to her and seeing all her priorities falling neatly into place.

"Alright, sending airlock override codes."

The Shuttle was parked on the hangar ramp, to get out it first had to ascend to the flight deck, a lengthy process which likely wasn't going to happen in the warships current state. By overriding the system she basically just opened every door from the hangar to the flight deck.

Air exploded out in a hurricane of freezing atmosphere, taking anything not secured with it including a pair of Centurions arriving late to the party.

"Engines up." Sharon said. "Better hold on, this will be fast."

"Wait, don't you need to Taxi?"

"Not this time."

Sharon activated the main engines, thrusting the shuttle off the deck in a blaze of sparks amid the gale of escaping air. The old craft bounced once, then barely angled up through the wide open airlock and emerged into the cold hollow of the flight deck. Beneath them hundreds of Centurions were marching into the ship, the deck itself smothered in troop carrying heavy raiders.

They fired on the shuttle, but its heavy hide shrugged off the bullets and hurtled the small ship out of the dying vessel and into open space.

Colonel Tigh watched the shuttle go with a thin smile, the last of the crew that could leave was now gone. The only living human left on the ship was now him, and he had plans. He took a bottle of Vodka from his uniform, glanced at it, then with a harsh chuckle threw it aside. He didn't need that anymore.

Two centurions blew open the CIC door and clanked to a halt on either side, guns pointing at Tigh who made no move. From the corridor walked a tall and attractive blonde woman, a number 6 model who gave the colonel a long stare.

"You lead us quite a chase, but the outcome was inevitable."

"Is that a fact." Tigh said plainly.

"We will hunt down the survivors; maybe use this ship to do it." She smiled. "We have a sense of irony."

"For a toaster you sure talk a lot." Tigh grinned. "Good night sweetheart."

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't talking to you." Tigh said finally, and then dropped the last control.

The great Battlestar shuddered as explosives detonated across the ship at key locations, blowing out structural supports and collapsing the ship. Hundreds of detonations destroyed the ship by degrees slowly working their way across the hull leaving nothing in their wake. Finally the fuel tanks hidden deep within the ship were triggered, and a new star was born.

The light shimmered for a few long moments and the battle seemed to stop as both sides were distracted and awed by the sight. Then slowly, very slowly, it receded once more into darkness. Of the Galactica, last defender of the 12 Colonies, no trace remained; nothing to be venerated by her charges or lorded over by her enemies. But the most important part of the ship had survived, its heart and soul split among a dozen raptors and a thousand life pods streaking away from the battle.

They raced past the last few Earth warships, the Saratoga's escorts by now critically short of ammunition and preparing to use their own vessels as weapons, ramming the Cylons as a last form of defiance.

"All remaining fighters form up here!" McQueen ordered. "No one gets past us, not while we're still breathing."

A mixed force of Viper and Hammerheads took up position around the Earth destroyers and cruisers and watched the still vast Cylon fleet closing. They armed what little they had left and stared their enemy straight in the eye.

Suddenly an assault raider exploded without either side firing a shot, from the wreckage spun two gleaming Vipers followed by a squadron of Hammerheads.

"Starbuck? That you?" Helo yelled from his overloaded shuttle.

"Hey Helo, sorry we're late!" the officer cheered. "But we got a lift back."

Helo's DRADIS system began to beep incessantly as contact after contact began filling it, it took a few seconds to confirm but the IFF codes were translated as allied.

"Keep in formation." McQueen ordered. "This isn't done yet!"

The embattled human defenders who had been looking at certain death now saw something different. They were still looking at certain death; it just wasn't aimed at them anymore. Ship after ship fell into formation and began locking its weapons, the combined battle groups from Aris had arrived and it was time to deliver some payback.

USS Yorktown

"I'll make this simple." Admiral Monroe of the Yorktown said. "Kill them all."

"Aye sir." The ships Captain confirmed.

"I want them dead. I want them dismembered, I want them annihilated, I want whatever it is robots fear to be happening to them in the next thirty seconds." He fished a cigar from his pocket and cut it to size. "Deploy our Battlegroup and the Kennedy between the Cylons and the civilians. Let them get through us first." He took a lighter. "I want battleship units on the move laying down enfilade fire right into their guts." He lit the cigar, exhaling blue and grey smoke. "And I want them out of my face by the time this cigar is a stub, now let's get to work."

The sudden massive reinforcements engaged the Cylon force, their combat formation strung out and disrupted by the valiant defiance of the Saratoga and Galactica. An air wing two hundred strong tore into the raider units while an almost equal number moved to reinforce the exhausted survivors of the early battle. A vast array of missiles, guns and particle weapons erupted from the Earth battle groups and began removing Cylon ships from the universe.

Raiders pressed the attack, trying to get close enough to launch tactical nukes against the Earth carriers but there was no way that was going to happen. The handfuls that were fast enough to evade the fighters were shredded by anti fighter ordinance from escorting frigates and destroyers.

"Targeting solution locked on nearest enemy forces."

"Kill them." Monroe ordered.

The Yorktown and Kennedy opened fire with their heavy weapons, blasting gaping holes in a trio of Basestars. They were soon joined by their escorting cruisers blasting pulse weapons and firing off missile salvos into the Cylon armor. The return missile fire was intercepted before it got anywhere near close by AA fire from the escorting cruisers and destroyers, the nuclear warheads lost before they could arm as the punishment continued. The Basestars structures collapsed under the attack, their hulls falling apart and drifting away as the heavy weapons tore them to pieces.

The Cylons reordered their forces into a wall, sending waves of raiders to buy them time by distracting the Earth warships.

"Enemy fighters massing for attack in sector 3." The Yorktown sensor officer reported.

"Weps, explain to them why it's a bad idea to mass aircraft in tight formation." Monroe said. "Codeword Hades, I authorize full deployment of strategic nuclear weapons, now paste them!"

The Yorktown and Kennedy unleashed a wave of torpedoes from the amidships launchers followed by a salvo from the nearby Battleships, turning and rising to the location the Cylon raiders were gathering. The fighters were too busy organizing to respond in time, and had no idea what hit them. The strike removed most of the surviving Cylon fighters, immolating them in several hundred megatons worth of fire, a small copy of the Galactica's departure.

As the carrier groups pinned the Cylons and drew them in the real strength of the Earth battle fleet was flanking the Cylons, the hereto silent black shapes of two Battleship formations, the US 8th Division and the British 5th Battle Squadron. The ships had replaced their ground bombardment ammunition with armor piercing or nuclear tipped rounds, and the Cylons were about to be on the receiving end.

The USS Tecumseh opened their contribution with a staggered volley from its four ship length particle cannons, soon joined by the New Jersey and Wellington and their sister ships. The heavy weapons punched straight through the nearest two Basestars leaving vast holes from top to bottom. After a few seconds their systems completely gave up and the ships exploded. The British warships moved to a different location and opened up with rapid fire turrets hurling kiloton yield rail gun shells up into the Cylon flank. More Cylon ships were turned to fluttering wreckage as the flanking battleships and solid line of carriers and escorts set up a crossfire.

The Cylon ships began to give ground, trying to consolidate their defenses before they were isolated and picked off by the Earth warships. The fleet finally turned its attention away from the civilian vessels and focused on trying to buy itself some space to escape, with their jump systems inoperative in this system they had to try and fight their way clear, and that meant taking on the Human battleships.

Every missile the Basestars could fire was thrown at the battleships, every nuke or conventional warhead that could be hauled to a tube was ripple fired while any raider that wasn't fighting for its existence was ordered to launch a suicide strike on the warships. But the battleships were built to operate alone in deep space without escort, each ship was a gliding self sustaining fortress armed for any encounter with a gun for every occasion. The defensive batteries on these warships were far superior to anything on other Earth warships, scores of rail guns and missiles lit up the sky as the massed fire of the two fleets met and overwhelmed the Cylon attack. Three missiles got through and expended themselves uselessly against the immense armor belt of the Tecumseh.

The battleships loosed another salvo, ripping apart more enemy ships while the carrier fighter wings could now focus on throwing missiles at the Basestars, the raider units now more or less destroyed. The Cylon force lost its cohesion, descending into chaos as attackers fell in from all sides picking apart the last warships. The last three Cylon Basestars bunched together for mutual support and fired a final defiant volley of missiles which barely made it ten miles before being picked off.

"Alright Captain." Monroe nodded. "You know what to do."

"Aye sir." He activated the fleet wide communications net. "All vessels time on target, time on target. Begin pattern now."

The Earth ships began firing their weapons in sequence, slowest first, all timed to arrive on target at exactly the same time, a solid wall of explosive or energetic firepower. The Battleships fired one more coordinated volley in conjunction with the Carrier's particle guns, and the space occupied by the Cylon ships was lost in a series of glowing flashes. When they dimmed nothing but shattered hulks and burning embers were left.

"Outstanding work." Monroe grinned. "Outstanding. Now get SAR teams in the air and begin picking up any survivors you find. Give priority landing clearance to the Saratoga air wing and we'll try and find space for the Colonial ships." He took a final look at the tactical display. "Those guys fought like hell, guess we must be related after all."

Reuben James 6 AU's from Earth controlled Aris

As the Titanic battle reached its zenith another more subtle one was taking place elsewhere. Moving swiftly and silently like a panther stalking its prey in the dead of night the USS Reuben James was inching closer and closer to the enemy formation waiting for the perfect moment to spring her trap. Captain Reynolds plan was a bold one and its payoff potentially huge but it didn't come without its risks.

"We're on station Captain." The helmsman reported.

"Roadrunner decoy is ready sir."

"Understood. Initiate silent launch of the decoy then move us to holding point alpha."

"Aye Captain." The weapons officer confirmed.

On the seamless bow of the ship an armored door opened steadily and using minimal power to the VLS tube ejected the Roadrunner decoy. Instead of activating immediately like most roadrunners were programmed to do this one did not. Following orders programmed into its advanced computers system the roadrunner ignited its engines on a predetermined course until it came parallel on the other side of the enemy formation. The Weapons officer of the Reuben James tracked the progress of the Roadrunner through a secure line of sight laser link to the decoy practically undetectable to the Cylon forces. When he was confident that the decoy was on station the weapons officer activated the decoy.

The Roadrunner immediately began to project a false hard contact DRADIS signal to the nearest Cylon raiders. The raiders responded just as Reynolds had hoped with more than half of them broking off their englobement of the Resurrection ship to engage this new target allowing the Reuben James to get that much closer to strike. As the Cylon raiders were moving to engage their target a meeting was taking place on Resurrection.

………

Dianna Biers was not pleased when news of the Battle finally reached her and the other replicants on Resurrection.

"We lost the entire fleet?" she asked in shock and disbelief. Around her the remaining Cylons from a Cavil, five, Six, Simon and an Eight remained utterly quiet. Not even in the heaviest fighting in the war for independence had the Cylons lost so many ships in a single battle. Their spectacular failure to hold Aris and eliminate the Colonial refugees paled in comparison to this latest catastrophe.

"Well actually, you did." Eight couldn't resist a smile. It had been Biers's idea to send the entire assault fleet against the Galactica and Earth forces believing in Cylon superiority over the human forces. Now just like another model of her number who had battled the Pegasus fleet she had been utterly defeated.

"I think when we get back everyone is going to be really, really pissed at you."

"Doesn't matter." Biers snorted. "This is a Resurrection ship, we can easily replace our lost people in new bodies, and we know where the Colonials are going. Besides Galactica is no longer an obstacle it'll just make it that much easier when we bring our entire fleet upon them."

"I still think they'll box you for gross incompetence. We have never lost so many ships in one engagement; this could literally set us back years!"

"Not when I give them my information." The Three model replied haughtily. "Then we can come back here and finish what we started with our full might. God does not want the humans to live, that is why he spared us."

"Are you defective or something!? And strip bare our defenses elsewhere?" Six retorted hotly. "Need I remind you that a full Battlestar group is still out there somewhere!? If these Earthers were to somehow link up with them it would be a disaster!"

"Yes about that." Three looked to Doral. "I was told that Pegasus and her fleet were irrelevant. I could of-"

"-Wait Three we have a faint contact on sensors." Eight spoke quickly. "It just came out of nowhere!"

"Impossible, I thought our raiders were already dealing with the human ship. What is it?"

"Another ship and two smaller contacts." Eight swallowed hard. "Missiles."

"Where are the raiders! Initiate jump!"

"We can't jump, and the missiles are too close!"

"Well do something!" Biers screeched. "Fire! Shoot at them!"

USS Reuben James

"Captain they've seen us!"

"Action stations, Action stations!" Captain Reynolds ordered, the resonating alarm echoing in the hull. "Secure from silent running and go weapons hot!"

The USS Reuben James had been keeping a close watch on the enemies escape route trying to close the distance as much as possible with the Resurrection ship before engaging her. This had the advantage of using Resurrection as a shield to hide from the Raider squadrons still maintaining their formation ahead of the ship.

With most of the enemy raiders diverted away and with orders to torpedo any targets of opportunity trying to get away from old 'Smoking Guns' Monroe's kill zone. Whatever this ship ahead was it counted.

"Raider contacts at five one through five zero!" The Lidar operator reported.

"Weps, deal with them quickly." Reynolds ordered. "Missiles get me a firing solution on that ship and prime some show stoppers."

Under silent running the Rueben James was a dart, a long near featureless black hull with razor sharp edges designed to absorb or deflect enemy scans. However once the order was given everything changed, armored doors popped open to reveal missile tubes, targeting scanners flipped up and activated while gun batteries rose from their hiding places to engage. She was no longer stealthy, but she had achieved a perfect striking position behind the Resurrection ship.

"Rail guns firing!"

The sensation was hardly noticeable, but Reynolds was so in tune with his ship he could sense the slight vibrations in the hull caused by the recoil of the defensive weapons. Outside Cylon raiders were picked apart with perfect precision, the computer aided targeting so rare on Colonial ships slashed through the Cylon flights, annihilating ships in showers of steel and red mist. Return fire was practically non existent for the simple fact the raiders were more worried about hitting Resurrection than the Reuben James, which was exactly what Reynolds had hoped for.

"Forward guns have a solution Captain." The weapon officer called.

"Let 'em have it!" Reynolds ordered with some glee. "Missile room, how are those Show Stoppers?"

'Show Stopper' was the colloquial name for the Mk 126 Tactical Nuclear weapon, though the US Navy's definition of 'tactical' was a little vague. While technically anti-ship weapons they packed a hefty hundred megaton warhead each. Very useful for ambushing and gutting Chig fleets which was originally the main mission of the Stealth destroyers.

"Three minutes Captain, we're racking them now."

The forward guns fired with a blast of light and gas sending highly charged particles into the flanks of the Resurrection ship, passing through the vessel effortlessly and shredding hundreds of inanimate Cylons in each shot.

Resurrection Ship

"FIRE! FIRE DAMN YOU!" Biers wailed like a banshee, her composure rapidly vanishing.

"This isn't a Baseship!" The nearest Eight Model snapped. "We have no weapons, and that ship is intercepting what return fire our raiders do throw at it!"

The vessel jolted hard as a railgun shot punched out an engine.

"We're out of Raiders." One of the Blonde topped Sixes said. The rest won't make it back before we're destroyed."

"The human ship is pulling back." Eight said. "I can't see… new contact! Radiological alarm!"

"The Earth ship is launching Nukes!" Six remarked frantically.

"Without a Resurrection ship, we're dead!" Biers gasped; the irony of death by nuclear strike lost on her.

"Ten seconds to hit!"

"No, this isn't what's meant to happen, we are the chosen children!"

"Well I guess you can complain to the man Himself!" Eight snarled. "See you in hell."

Captain Reynolds of the Reuben James smiled as the Cylon ship vanished in a nuclear fireball. He didn't know why it was out here lurking away from the battle, but it was fair game and he took the opportunity to lay down a little payback of his own. Using the distraction and momentary sensor blindness from the nuclear blast Reynolds ordered the Reuben James to stealth in a decoy evasive pattern away from the blast. The remaining Cylon squadrons had returned and though it seemed to Reynolds that they would attempt to locate the James the raiders surprised him by turning tale and running full burn to exit the system. He was glad to see them go.

"Message from fleet command, enemy fleet destroyed sir." His XO reported. "We're ordered to report back for repairs and debrief."

"Acknowledge signal, then set course." He said with a final look at the retreating raiders. "Take us home."

Earth Expeditionary Force

The guns were silent now, charred and blackened by their extended use they rested in their turrets while the crews took some sleep. The lines of Battleships, Cruisers and escorts under Admiral Monroe held their stations across the nebula waiting in case a Cylon ship had evaded destruction or a fresh wave was inbound. But so far everything was quiet, serene amid the red and blue filtered light of the gas cloud and the scattered wreckage and detritus of war.

Earth had earned itself both a treasure trove of technology and a graveyard at the end of this fight. Two dozen Cylon Basestars waited in varying states of disrepair to be recovered, analyzed and exploited. Aerotech had a small fleet of salvage ships on the way, dispatched even before the last gun fell silent to see what could be used amid the alien wrecks. Countless Raiders drifted between the wrecked heavy ships and every so often there would be a piece of Viper or even from the Galactica herself, all of which would be invaluable to Aerotech.

At the heart of the battlefield resting in the scene of the hardest fighting Monroe's two Carriers stood vigil, the Kennedy and Yorktown had recovered the surviving fighters from the Galactica and Saratoga and were now busily conducting further search and rescue missions to bring in escape pods and ejected pilots.

Dominating their efforts was the Saratoga herself, the massively damaged ship was wedged in the shattered remains of a Basestar, the vessel it had rammed in a final act of defiance. The Carrier itself had not exploded, but it had the minimum of power and had been torn to pieces by enemy fire, it was barely recognizable as the ship it had once been.

Plastic sealant was sprayed from rescue ships, the white polymer solidifying over hull breaches to create an air tight seal and allow gradual re-pressurization of affected sections. The rescue teams entered the vessel, feeling their way through the zero gravity sections lacking power.

Admiral Monroe watched the events intently; giving the Search and Rescue missions his full attention.

"We've brought in over half the Saratoga Air wing." His second in command reported. "We've run out of hangar space."

"Dump the jets into space." Monroe ordered. "Keep them together; we'll get a cargo ship to pick them up. The pilots are more important."

"Yes sir." The officer took notes. "Also we've brought in all the Colonial fighters, over twenty of them split between two distinct fighter types, and six support ships like shuttles or ISSAPC's."

"How's the communication situation?"

"We've got electronic translators wired up with the Data from the Reuben James; they seem to be working just fine."

"Okay, bottom line Captain. How many did we lose?"

"About thirty percent on Galactica, probably a similar number on Saratoga though rescue operations are still underway. Rest of the fleet got off lightly, less than five percent."

Monroe accepted the information. "Considering what we were up against that's better than I expected."

"Yes sir."

"What's the situation in sickbay?"

"We've had to set up a triage on the port hangar deck, but the Docs say things are looking positive. Some good news there actually sir, we brought aboard the military leader of the Colonies, a Commander Adama, he's injured but stable."

"Well it's something to be thankful for."

"The last refugee ships will be leaving within fifteen minutes, after that it'll take them a day or so to reach Earth based on their jump system. We've given them the coordinates but it's a pretty long winding route from here, it'll take them a while to get all the way home."

"All the way home." Monroe repeated wistfully. "After all they've been through the deserve it, finally."

"No arguments here sir."

"Keep me informed of the situation with the Saratoga." Monroe said. "If they've taken Glen from us then by hell I'll see their planet burn before this year is out."

Yorktown Medical bay

Sharon remained completely still as the huge ring of the medical scanner swept up and down over her, making her feel slightly tingly. A few feet away Helo watched intensely as the Yorktown Doctor glanced at the screen.

"It's amazing." He said. "You know everything about you looks human, but to a more perfect degree."

"Well thanks." Sharon said tongue in cheek. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I'd like to run more tests, and I can bet you the medical professionals on Earth will too, I mean you are a new form of life!" He beamed excitedly. "But basically you're clear of any pathogens; you can land on Earth without needing more than the usual inoculations and quarantine arrangements."

"Well that's great news." Helo grinned. "We're going to Earth!"

"I'd just like to give your daughter a scan too." The Doctor said. "Just to be safe, but I don't foresee any problems."

"You know what this is?" Helo asked. "It's a normal life, no more running, no more fighting. We can just settle down and raise our child."

Sharon smiled emptily. "I truly hope so Karl, but I don't think we've seen the last of the Cylons."

"Earth kicked their butts."

"In this battle, but they won't stop, not after just one defeat."

Helo's good humor vanished. "But at least now we have a chance to win."

She nodded. "Yeah, yeah we do."

"Come on." Helo stood. "Let's go see how our friends are doing."

The pair made their way across the immaculate deck while Hera slept on a nearby bunk, fully gorged on ice cream and treats from the Yorktown galley courtesy of the crew who fell in love with the little angel.

The bay was filled with familiar faces from Galactica, both the slightly injured who were patched up and now waiting for somewhere to go and the more seriously wounded who were laid up in beds parked in every available space.

In one corner Helo spied Starbuck and Lee chatting and made a straight line for them.

"Hey Helo." Starbuck greeted. "Glad you made it."

"Likewise guys." He shook hands, followed by Sharon. "Hell of a fight."

"Hell of a fight." Lee agreed. "I can't believe they took Galactica."

"You should have seen her fight." Sharon said quietly. "She gave them hell right up to the end, she never quit."

"It won't be right without her." Starbuck said. "She was the last piece of the Colonies we had."

"Still plenty of civilian ships." Lee remarked.

"It's not the same." She replied simply. "Just not the same."

"Colonel Tigh didn't make it." Helo said after a moment of silence.

"Does my Father know?" Lee asked.

"Not yet."

They were stood at the foot of Adama's bed, an assortment of cables and wires attached to his chest accompanied by the universal beeps of a heart monitor.

"It's gonna gut him." Kara sighed. "Tigh was a son of a bitch but they went a long way back. Damn toasters."

"Present company accepted." Lee nodded to Sharon.

"Whatever." Starbuck shrugged.

"At least the old girl went out in style." Helo brought them back. "She made a legend for herself."

"And the civilians made it to safety." Lee added. "She did her duty, we all did."

Their thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Doctor Cottle.

"Doc! Doc, any news?" Lee asked quickly.

"Your Father is going to be fine." Cottle said. "The guys here patched him up good, hell they've got one or two devices I haven't seen before. He's in good hands, should be awake in a few hours."

"What about the Chief?" Sharon wondered.

"He took a bullet but they got it out, used a laser scalpel." Cottle chuckled. "Chief Tyrol is already awake down there; you can try and talk to him but good luck getting a word in past Cally!"

Despite herself Sharon still held a soft spot for the Chief.

"I hear the first thing he did was propose to Cally." Cottle informed. "Kind of Romantic, course he should have done it sooner and saved us all a lot of ear ache." The old Doctor huffed.

"Well its one happy ending." Sharon said.

"There's more than one, we've made it." Helo said. "We made it to Earth."

"Not all of us." Starbuck reminded. "Not all of us."

"Excuse me," A voice spoke through a translator. "Am I interrupting?"

They were confronted with a squat red faced man in a tan colored uniform, four silver stars rested on his collar. He had a hard look, but showed a deep concern in his expression.

"No sir." Lee addressed him. "I'm Captain Adama, former CAG of the Galactica."

"Admiral Monroe, this is my fleet."

"Your people kick ass sir." Starbuck announced. "Pleasure to watch them fight."

"You guys ain't too shabby either, guess we must be related after all." Monroe grinned. "I hear he's gonna make it."

The group looked to Commander Adama.

"That's what the Doctors say." Lee confirmed.

"Good, we could use people like him." Monroe nodded. "Hell of a fighter, because you can guess we ain't done with the Cylons."

"You think they'll come back?" Starbuck asked.

"I don't plan on giving the bastards the chance. We're at war, so we fight it our way." Monroe stated. "And that means gathering strength, gaining intelligence, then launching a massive counter attack. They don't get to kill a bunch of our people and then go home. They owe me blood and I'm gonna collect."

"Got space for me to come along?" Starbuck grinned.

"Always space on my ship for a qualified pilot." The Admiral stated. "Heard you people had some of these." He produced a Cigar. "Complements of the Navy."

Starbuck gladly took the Cigar. "We're definitely related."

"What happens next sir?" Lee asked.

"We're going to Earth." Monroe stated. "We've taken on the wounded and will take you back, the United Nations has approved settling you on Earth and a small refugee community is being setup in the United States, the civilian ships are already pretty close."

"And we're going to be okay to join the Earth fleet?" Starbuck asked.

"We'll have to wait and see, but I'll be arguing for it. You guys know the Cylons and that's an advantage we need. Plus you've got some serious fighting skill."

"Plenty of practice." Helo admitted.

"Well at least you don't have to run anymore." Monroe said. "Welcome to the end of the line, I for one am glad to have you here. Been a long road. Now you can stop and rest for a while."

"We all can." Lee nodded. "Thank you Admiral, for everything."

"Least I could do." He shook hands. "Just sorry we weren't there to help on the first day of the war."

"At least you'll be there on the last." Lee said solemnly. "Thank you sir.

USS Saratoga

A few hundred miles away the rescue teams finally broke through the tangled innards of the Saratoga, sparks falling like rain as they cut through twisted supports and collapsed corridors. They found sealed off sections with one or two survivors locked in a gun room, or a dozen people in engineering, or a handful in an armory or repair bay.

Ultimately one crew cut away the blast doors and entered the bridge.

"Bulldog!" a voice barked.

"Chesty!" the rescue team replied. "Don't fire, I'm Lieutenant Maddox, Yorktown SAR."

"Admiral Glen Ross." The voice replied. "Of the Saratoga."

"Sir we've got orders to evacuate all survivors to the Yorktown. Marines from Kennedy have since cleared the Basestar and you're the last group here on the Saratoga."

"Did we win?"

"Yes sir, we sent what few that survived packing."

Ross grinned. "Outstanding. What about my ship?"

"A salvage team is due to take her to Groombridge, see how much of her we can keep."

"Alright son, but you tell the salvage team to treat this lady with respect." Ross ordered. "She might be beat up but she's still a ship of the fleet, and she will be honored as such."

"Absolutely sir."

"Well alright then, let's get going." Ross said. "Commodore, lead them out."

Masterman nodded and gathered together the bridge officers. With a noticeable limp he began to head out the way the SAR team came in.

"Careful sir, most of the ship is still zero gravity; we've set up guide lines and lanterns to get you to the medevac."

"Noted Lieutenant." Masterman confirmed then moved away, leaving Ross until last.

"Sir?" Maddox prompted.

"In a minute lieutenant." Ross said. "Go on ahead, I'll be along presently."

The lieutenant disappeared leaving Ross by himself. He exhaled deeply and grabbed the rail around the tactical station, leaning on it the way he had countless times in the past.

"Well this is it." He said gently. "Here we go our separate ways. I guess I knew this would happen one day, just sad it had to be like this."

The bridge was lifeless and silent, lit only by the faded yellow of the emergency lanterns. A sallow dying light dusting the blank screens.

"We had some close ones, Ixion, Kazbek, Anvil. You always got us home, guess this was just too much." He sighed. "But we're alive, and we won, and you saved tens of thousands of people, the last of a civilization. One hell of an epitaph, and you still did your job even if you aren't coming home this time."

He unlocked one of the lockers by the doors, forcing the bent metal open. Inside there, miraculously pristine, was Ross' guitar.

"That's my girl." He patted the bulkhead and retrieved the guitar. "So now they'll use your bones to build a new ship, and one way or another you'll get a chance for payback. "

He looked over his shoulder at the broken bridge. "We fought a good fight, heart and soul. So that's what I'm taking with me. You can't kill the soul of a ship, not while its crew still lives. So long as we breathe, so do you old girl."

He stepped through the door a final time, resting his hand on the cold steel.

"I owe you. We all owe you. So get some rest, and I'll see you in another life."

Outside a glinting piece of metal glided slowly past, caught by a beam of light filtering through the nebula like a ray of sunshine on a stormy day. The mostly intact plate proudly bore the name 'Galactica' and as it passed by the light caught every letter in glittering detail.

Cylon missiles may have broken their ships, but no weapon could kill their memories or diminish the heroism displayed by their crews defending the Civilian fleet. The two sundered halves of humanity had fought together, bled together and prevailed together. Now there was just one human race, and it would never forget as the fleet set a course for home.

However what no one knew was that a third player had been watching the battle with great interest and as soon as the Earth fleet left the Chig recon fighter came out of its hiding place, then almost with a final glance back made its way home with the intelligence that would surely intrigued its leadership.

Four days later.

The Yorktown returned to a riotous welcome, hundreds of small ships fell into position beside it flashing lights and performing rolls and loops as the Carrier eased towards dock. A flotilla of warships were on hand to provide an official honor guard for the Carrier and escorted it from the moon to the Lovell orbital facility where she would undergo some brief repairs before returning to duty. Following close behind were the civilian ships from the Colonies under military escort, drawing a great deal of attention from the welcoming groups.

"We are cleared to dock." The helm officer said.

"Ease us to a stop." Monroe ordered. Nice and steady, then drop anchor and begin power down. Welcome home boys and girls, we earned this bit of leave."

The blocky ship came to a relative stop and latched on to the orbiting station, its skeletal arms already entwining two other nearly complete built US warships, a Carrier and a Battleship.

At the core of the facility was a large disc like station, and that was where the wounded would be transferred to before moving Earth side to Bethesda.

"Pretty to look at isn't it?"

Baltar tried to ignore the radiant blonde at his side as he left the Carrier and found a space in the lobby of the Lovell space station with a view of Earth.

"Blue seas, clear skies, mountains and forests." The phantom lamented. "All wasted on humanity."

"These people are different." Baltar whispered. "They might be nothing like us."

"You cannot change your birthright Gaius." Six whispered, her breath exciting his ear. "You cannot change what you are, and neither can they. Whatever they appear on the surface humanity is one and the same. Lost, misguided, flawed."

"Is that your opinion, or that of your God?" Baltar asked.

"Our God Gaius, remember that." Six corrected gently but firmly.

"It just seems he didn't really want you to win."

"There is a plan for everything." Six said. "Clearly we were not ready to come to Earth, it wasn't the right time."

"Perhaps it will never be time?"

"It is not for us to decide, we just follow the path."

"How do you know it is the right one?"

"Through faith Gaius, just faith."

"I prefer something a little more substantial if you don't mind."

"You are a man of destiny Gaius. Trust in that, have faith, and you will soon have power worthy of your position."

"Doctor Baltar?" a woman was calling to him. "Doctor Gaius Baltar?"

"Yes, yes actually." He blinked back to the present, his apparition nowhere to be seen.

"Good to meet you, I've been told by almost everyone that you are the man to talk to about science and technology."

"Well, I suppose I have some background to draw upon there, yes."

"I'm Catherine Connelly, but you can call me Cathy." She introduced herself. "I'm Vice President with Aerotech."

"A company?"

"Aerotech is Earth leading manufacturer of space craft and high technology." She informed. "As part of the acceptance of the Colonial refugees we have full access to Colonial technology."

"I see." Baltar nodded.

"We intend to combine it with our own knowledge and understanding to improve technology for all humanity in general, and give us an edge in the inevitable Cylon war."

"And you want my help?"

"Correct Doctor, it will make life easier for us to implement this technology if we have someone familiar with it on our team already. Aerotech would like to recruit you as a consultant Doctor Baltar, a role I'm told you have already worked on?"

Baltar nodded, finding the Aerotech official not unattractive and immediately slipping into his most charming persona.

"Well I'm not adverse to helping Earth understand the gifts we have brought."

"You'll find us a generous employer Doctor, one that rewards skills like yours."

"I'm already very tempted." He said, hoping some of the double meaning got through.

"Well, I'm glad we can find some common ground." Connelly answered, finding Baltar entirely predictable. "There are one or two others I'd like aboard too, namely a Sharon Valerie?"

"Boomer?"

"Well, yes, if that's her name. She has an intimate understanding of Cylon technology, and we are recovering quite a lot from the battle field."

"That's because she is a Cylon."

"But a good one I understand, loyal to her husband and child." Connelly paused. "I'm sure in the best interests of her daughters future she will come to help us. It would be a shame if something were to happen."

"Wait a second, did you just threaten Sharon's child?" Baltar asked in mild surprise.

"Of course not Doctor, but she faces the same threats we all do. I'm sure we can convince her."

"Well, you have convinced me."

"Excellent." Connelly beamed. "Then we'll speak soon, but for now you should relax. You've had quite a journey, take a week or two to savor it. Then we'll talk business."

"How do I contact you?"

"Don't worry, we'll find you Doctor." Connelly turned away. "Welcome to Earth."

A gentle laugh made Baltar's hair stand on end.

"A man of destiny." Six recited as she leaned of Baltar's shoulders watching the fading form of Connelly. "Fate has a way of putting you in the right place at the right time."

"Is that what you think?"

"It is what I have faith in." Six whispered. "Work with that woman, see the true face of Earth, then we're going to have a chat about Gods plan. I'll be seeing you soon Gaius. Don't forget me."

"How could I ever?"

But she was gone, leaving him sat alone with a new world and an old job.

……………

Tom Zarek and his aid strode through the cramped corridors of the Yorktown like a man lost in a daze. He had shuttled over to the Yorktown from Cloud 9 upon reaching Earth orbit so he could give a report to the Quorum about the condition of Galactica's survivors. He'd been amazed and heartened by how much resources were being utilized to save those critically injured personnel that they could. He noted many familiar faces and offered what comfort and praise he could to the true hero's of the Colonies and generally tried to express the heart felt thanks of the Civilian population to those who had been their guardians for so long. It was all he could do not to break down and cry. There was just one more person on Zareks list to talk to and as he made his way to Commander Adama's bedside to give the man the much deserved thanks from both himself and the Quorum he was intercepted by someone behind him.

"Excuse me? Uhmmmm excuse me sir?" A voice called out behind him. Zarek turned and came face to face with a young and rather attractive female reporter and her camera man.

"Yes?" Zarek asked in surprise unconsciously readjusting the headset translator wrapped around his ear.

"My name is Gina Robertson Yorktown's embedded reporter with SNN news service." She extended her hand which Zarek took in a firm handshake. "Can I ask who you are sir and what your relation is to these people?" Zarek opened his mouth to speak but then stopped cold as a light switch just switched on in his head causing him to completely forget his original reason for coming.

"My Name is Tom Zarek. I am a member of the Quorum of 12."

"The Quorum of the 12? Please forgive me but I'm not sure I know what that is."

"It's quite alright; The Quorum of the 12 is the legitimate governing body of the 12 Colonies of Kobol."

"So you're a member of the government." Robertson repeated with a smile. "Would you be willing to tell us what happened here and where your people come from? All of Earth is just eager to learn about you."

"All of Earth?" Zarek asked with a growing smile. "My dear I'd be happy too." He motioned to a nearby empty room. "It all started about 50 years ago…"

San Diego

Earth

The ISSCV touched down in a swirl of dust, several more pressing down heavily on the concrete apron of the Marine air base. No sooner had the engines powered down the band outside began to play a jaunty medley of songs written for those days when the troops came home.

"Quite a crowd." Vansen observed from the window.

"Least we're getting a warm welcome home." Hawkes smiled. "Nice to be appreciated."

"You hear the Admiral is going to be okay?" Mickey Goins chipped in. "Found him on the bridge of the 'Toga still laying down the law!"

"Good old Ross, take more than an Alien Armada to keep him down!" Hawkes laughed.

"Shame about the Saratoga." Vansen observed. "I'll miss her."

"She was our home." Nathan West spoke for the first time in nearly half an hour. "She might have been destroyed, but she was never beaten. She never lost, she just stopped."

"Think they'll build another one, a new Saratoga?"

"I'd bet money on it." Mickey nodded. "Bigger and badder than ever."

With a change of lighting the door of the ship opened letting in a tremendous cheer from the crowd.

"Hero's welcome." Mickey grinned. "Let's go milk it."

"What about that hot little blonde from Galactica you were into?" His brother David Goins asked. Mickey smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Well she is a stranger on our world, who better than me to show her around. I'm supposed to meet up with her later; until then let's go mingle." With a wave he stepped out onto Terra Firma.

Chris Porter and Matt Brody were both standing not too far away from the Goins brothers as they leapt into the crowd.

"Wish I had his skill with the ladies. Did you see the way that hottie from Galactica was eyeing him?" Brody remarked dryly.

"Cheer up Matt." Chris said next to him. "Knowing Mickey as we all do I'm sure he'll screw it up before the week is over."

"Probably." Brody allowed. "So whatcha got planned after the welcome home ceremony?"

"Go home and read a good book." Porter answered honestly causing the young Brody to stare. "God you suck. How did you get to be my wingman?"

"It wasn't by choice." The two shared a laugh as they descended from ISSCV and quickly spied a group of College girls from the nearby university of San Diego eyeing them appreciatively.

"Looks like they're happy to see us." Brody waved which elicited some giggling from the ladies.

"Let's go talk to them." Porter said. He didn't give his young friend the chance to protest as he grabbed young Matt and dragged him along.

"I think I saw Kylen." Vansen said quietly to West. "Over there."

"Thanks." The Captain nodded. "Good to be back home with you Shane. Really, Corps wouldn't be the same without a Vansen in it."

"You better believe it." She smiled widely. "Now get out there and find your wife, go."

He suddenly grabbed Vansen in a brief hug, then with a grin joined the rest of the squadron leaving the shuttle. He was quick to find his very emotional wife and twin boys and with the biggest smile ever seen plastered on his face he scooped them into his arms.

"I don't think there's anyone left out there for us." Hawkes said. "No family and all our friends are here."

"You owe money to a couple of guys." Vansen corrected. "They might be waiting for you."

"Thanks for never letting me forget that."

"You play cards with a guy called 'Captain Shark' what do you expect?"

"I thought it was just his name!"

"He was a Commander in the blue water navy, it said so on his uniform!"

Hawkes laughed. "I missed our bickering."

"I missed your stubbornness."

"I missed how you were never wrong."

"I missed how you're never right." Vansen smiled. "Well, almost never."

They embraced closely.

"Been too long Shane."

"Means we've got plenty of lost time to make up for."

There was a cough. "Not in the Corps CV you don't."

Colonel McQueen stood glaring at them.

"Sir, no disrespect sir."

"None taken, now get the hell out of my Cargo Vehicle, smile for the crowd, and then… well I don't need to see you for three days at least. So get gone!"

As they piled out Hawkes could have sworn that for just a heartbeat he saw the Colonel crack a smile. Just for a heartbeat.

Colonial One Earth orbit

"That's it madam President." Billy leaned over his seat. "Earth."

Laura Roslyn looked out of her window with a mix of emotions she couldn't put words to, such joy and sadness she had never guessed could exist. They had all been running for so long constantly trying to survive none of them had time to truly just stop and look at themselves. They had not had time to grieve for their lost worlds and lost people, but now finally they could stop.

"By Kobol's light." She smiled "It's more than I had dreamed." The bright blue and white orb gleamed in reflected sunlight, she could feel the tears on her cheeks and knew she had no power to stop them. She did not care.

"We did it." Billy exclaimed. "We actually did it!"

"We really did, we found a place where we can live in safety." From the window she saw the various dark shapes of Earth built warships, the silent guardians who would now pick up the mantle of the Galactica in defending humanities last hope.

"It's all thanks to you Madam President; your strength kept us all going."

"We made it because we believed." Roslyn said. "Not because we believed in Earth, but because we believed in ourselves and in each other. We made it together, we made it home."

"I still can't believe it."

"Earth." She smiled widely, her body relaxing for the first time since all this began. "Home..."

"This is the best day of my life, I just…just can't describe it." Billy was smiling like an idiot. "Shall we set up a press conference? Madam President?"

She did not answer, could not answer. Billy leaned across his seat, his smile fading. "Madam President? Laura?"

She was no longer breathing, the illness she had fought for so long had finally defeated her, but not before she had fulfilled her duty to lead her people to safety. Her last words and last thoughts had been of this sanctuary, and the sure knowledge that everything she believed in was safe.

Billy looked for a long time at her peaceful face; eyes still open and mouth still smiling warmly as she looked out of the window down at Earth.

Billy knew he should get the doctor or do something, but he couldn't. He stepped away with tears in his eyes and left her by the window, he did not close her eyes. After so long she deserved to have their new home be the last thing she saw or knew. He left her alone, the glorious blue world still reflecting from her smiling eyes