Adama's journals –

Integrating the warriors from the Zakar and the planet Dilmun has proceeded, but not without its difficulties. My chief concern had been for their safety and wellbeing. Physicals were set up immediately along with arranging housing for the warriors. Many seemed reluctant to be billeted on the Zakar, and if half of what has been intimated to me is true, I understand their reluctance. None of the warriors have confirmed with me or any of my staff the stories and inferences we have made about their treatment under Commander Dante, but I have chosen not to press the issue at this time, especially with the Zakar in need of a major overhaul. I decided the Dilmun warriors were in need of better billets and better treatment than before, moving Red Squadron over to the Zakar as well as most of the mechanics from the Galactica, replacing them with the mechanics from Dilmun.

Room was needed for the families and their already established and quite workable solution to raising multiple children in a collective manner. Many officers have shifted from the Galactica to the new ships we have acquired in addition to solidify proper military decorum. With the addition to our fleet I have been able to award some long overdue promotions including my own son to take Command of the Zakar. I have also given myself a promotion of sorts, using the privilege of my command to make decisions without the full consent of the council. For example, I chose to utilize some of the power I hold and had not abused until now to take possession of the quarters often reserved for the sires and siresses of the council of twelve for our new arrivals. While I do not agree with Dante's methods, he did have a point about refocusing our resources to the furthering of our future generations rather than making comfortable those who have already lived. Put simply, the council members are old and can sacrifice a little comfort for the benefit of the children. The Council of Twelve chamber has become a sort of family dining hall and child care center for the Zakar pilots that were rescued from Caprica. The council table is utilized for homework, meals, and even for diaper changing. Starbuck has taken to sitting at the head of the table on his off duty hours. I suppose he has found the family he was looking for. The star map is now covered with children's drawings. Frankly I am enjoying how lively the corridors of officer's row are with the sounds of children's laughter.

But what I have found most interesting is that many rescued from Caprica take their lead from Lieutenant Rene. Perhaps there is a trust born out of the flames of hades. She seems aware of it, and has in many ways become a model Colonial Warrior. In the public eye, she is stable, calm and seems to be managing her grief well over the loss of her brother and her home on the planet. It is the moments that she thinks no one is looking that has me concerned.

In those first days, the only sign that things may not be as normal as she would like to portray was the alarm on her Chrono. It went off constantly, nearly every centon it seemed, and she would calmly shut it off, each and every time, yet too soon it would be chiming again. What she had set the alarm for was never made clear, that is until I had summoned many of the Zakar warriors for a briefing on upcoming duty rosters, squadron assignments, and ongoing duties and details. I had felt it best that the commands for these warriors come from the top, a chain of command they were used to, and wanted to make it a more positive experience than the one they had known from the past.

The briefing appeared to be going well, that is until Rene's Chrono went off, and a micron later so did several others. I assumed it was a prank of some kind, but the only laughter was from the pilots from the Galatica and the Pegasus. The ones from the Zakar actually looked at those laughing with contempt. Five centons later, the same chronos chimed in unison. Just as before the sniggering as if this was some kind of prank, but the Zakar warriors flashed each other a knowing look and simply silenced the alarms. It was Colonel Gage who immediately asked to speak to me. I regret having brushed him off at the time. I was to learn the next day when the same incident happened on the bridge as Rene and a few other Zakar Warriors were discussing a detail, their chronos chimed and Colonel Tigh had had enough of the nonsense. He ordered Rene to silence her alarm permanently. It is the first order I saw her refuse. When her chrono went off again, Tigh was worked up to a full blown dressing down when Gage again asked to speak to Colonel Tigh and myself. He was insistent this time, stepping in to order the Zakar warriors to leave the bridge, an order they followed.

Colonel Gage explained it had been his fault. He had asked Rene, and several others to give it time, time to assimilate, time to recover, time to grieve, and time to move on. Rene had taken the advice literally. The alarm was to remind her of that advice. She was marking her centons that she was still alive and still working towards a better future. It was a sign she was not giving up yet. Gage assured us that in time, the alarms would stop.

It was a good reminder that we all must give the journey to salvation time. I can agree that this exodus is not the life any of us desired, but a fate thrust upon us by the enemy. Even I have had my doubts about the wisdom of continuing. There have been many quadrants and many planets that would have been a suitable place to begin again, and yet we continue onward. We cannot rest until we are certain we have escaped the enemy. For now, this our fate, and in time we will find Earth and if there is a population there, we will need time to assimilate our people to a new civilization.

We need to give Dante's warriors time to adjust to our command structure and following proper military decorum. Many of the Dilmun crew are thriving and those most harmed by Dante are recovering. My concern however still lies with those Dante rescued from Caprica in the days after our departure, more specifically Starbuck's newly adopted family. Lieutenant Rene is working hard to appear to be assimilating. She and Starbuck have continued to be inseparable and I have intimated to Starbuck that the cohabitation will need to end soon in either a return to the barracks or a sealing, but sooner rather than later as Rene's pregnancy becomes more obvious.

But away from Starbuck those brief times, Rene has been odd for lack of a better word. Unable to fly at this time, I thought most of what I had seen was the normal anger and frustration of a grounded pilot. The few times I have had to ground any pilots, especially Starbuck, Apollo, Boomer or Sheba, chaos usually ensued as they found other outlets for their frustration. But for Rene, it has been anything but predictable. For one, she has refused to step foot on the Zakar or any other ship as the others performed duties needed in repairing those ships. For another, she talks often to herself, even when others are near. She listens to a voice only she can hear, and often tells either the voice, or who is near her to be quiet so she can hear. She comments often on the poor quality of our air processors, interrupting others to make her complaints. She has lodged several requests for repairs to the units in the Council of Twelve chambers.

Then there is the fact that she has taken to scrawling messages in markers on corridor walls and floors. Most are somewhat inspirational, taken from classical texts or passages from the book of the word, but others are rambling and incomprehensible. I came across her one night in the middle of a sleep cycle in the corridor to the bridge writing out a long text. It spoke of realities and possible futures, it was almost nonsense. When I asked her what she was doing, she merely said she was fixing something. I let her finish and in the morning called maintenance to have it removed. When I returned to the corridor I found she had written another message. I had that one removed as well only to find the following day a very different kind of message. This was an anger filled rant, the gist of which was where I could go and how I could get there. That I could understand, but the end of the rant was a question that has bothered me. She merely asked why the messages couldn't stay. Who was it hurting?

It let me know we are dealing with warriors who are injured. While the wounds are not on the outside, they are there all the same. We have far to go in the healing process.

Due to this odd behavior and the obvious healing that needs to occur, I have chosen to put aside for now my questions and concerns about the powers Rene demonstrated with the help of Iblis. There has been no sign of the Count since that fateful moment. Starbuck claims the Ship of Lights intervened and once again brought one of my people back to life after Count Iblis had chosen to do them harm. I am unsure if I believe in these miraculous interventions by unseen but powerful beings, but I have no other way to explain how all the ships of the fleet moved in an instant to another place in space. Our scientists have theorized a wormhole that is created by focusing energy, but that explanation is stretching what we know of physics. Dr. Wilker agrees that it doesn't explain how all the ships, including nearly all the vipers in close proximity fell through the anomaly at the same time. He claims that a rift in space would still require ships progress into the anomaly on their own propulsion.

I am simply at a loss to explain our good fortune in the midst of a ruinous battle. Rene has not been forthcoming with answers. I have tried to speak with her twice now but she utters cryptic replies to my queries. She has met with Dr. Wilker, but he claims her knowledge on astrophysics is not at a level where she can provide adequate descriptions of what she is able to produce. Based on her scores on the Academy Final Exam, I believe she has chosen a route of deception rather than share her knowledge.

It is disappointing to say the least. I had hoped in time we may be able to use her abilities to shorten our journey to Earth. I had hoped to see the planet in my lifetime. But we have backtracked on our route losing precious time and I am unwilling to jeopardize Lieutenant Rene's life or that of her and Starbuck's unborn child to satisfy the desires of an old man. I know it is a selfish decision. The fleet needs answers, but at this time I am not willing to risk even one life. Besides, Starbuck assures me I will be officiating at his sealing, as well as godfather of his child. Starbuck's sealing may be more miraculous than the fleet can handle for now. Other miracles may have to wait while the fleet recovers from the shock.