Man and Machine

"Alert! Alert!" a strong male voice announced over the loudspeakers of the Draconian Star Fortress Draconia, "Hostile forces have invaded the ship! Hostile forces have invaded the ship! Prepare to repel boarders!"

Kane, sometimes known as the notorious Killer Kane, betrayer of Earth, regained his footing. An explosion had overloaded the ships gyroscopes, causing the entire ship to lurch, knocking him from his feet.

On the video screen in front of him he continued to watch as wave after wave of his hatchet fighters were being wiped out by strange spacecraft. The Draconian fighters were putting up a terrific fight, but they were outnumbered three to one.

The enemy ships, round flying wings, liked to isolate a target, then surround it. They would then destroy the ship utterly with laser fire, their target being the center of a deadly pinwheel.

"Find the base ship for these attackers," Kane commanded, "If we can go toe to toe with that, then we still have a chance of winning this engagement.

"I have located their base ship," one of the Draconians reported.

"Well, where is it?"

"Out of range," he reported, "It's too far out of our range, we will never make it before we are destroyed by their fighters."

"I don't care!" Kane ordered, "Set intercept course, and make for it at full speed!"

"Yes Commander!"

The sound of laser fire could be heard outside the bridge.

"Lock the controls!" Kane ordered, "I don't want anyone altering our course away from their base ship!"

"Princess Ardala's escape craft has left the area."

Kane allowed himself to breathe a little easier. The Princess had escaped. She would take word of these new invaders into Draconian space back to her father, Emperor Draco. While Kane and his crew may not survive, they could rest easy in the certain fact that they would be avenged!

In a shower of sparks and billowing smoke, the door to the bridge burst open. First through the door were two Draconian guards who flew through the air back first, their brown samurai style armor smoking from laser hits. The guards were followed by two giants in shiny black and chrome armor, each holding a laser rifle.

It took a moment, but Kane began to wonder if maybe it wasn't body armor. The invaders may be wholly mechanical. While humanoid, were their eyes should be was a single glowing red light that ominously swept back and forth, surveying the entire room with each sweep.

The Draconian running the command console whipped out his pistol and aimed a shot at the nearest invading Centurion. The reflective chrome served to dissipate most of the laser damage away from the robot. The Centurion coldly leveled its own rifle and fired a disabling shot that caused the Draconian to drop his weapon without killing him.

The Centurion shouldered it's rifle, and drew a broadsword, which it leveled at the Draconian.

"Identify your species and planet of origin," the Centurion intoned in a heavily modulated voice.

More robotic Centurions entered the bridge, followed by another one in gold. The remaining Draconian's were quickly disarmed.

"This is the ship, Draconia, of the Draconian Star Empire!" Kane spoke for his crew, "Lord Draco is the undisputed ruler of over three fourths of this galaxy! Free us if you hope to live!"

"I am unable to interface with the ship computers," a Centurion reported.

"Your species is catalogued as Draconian. Surrender now, and there may be a future for you within the Alliance," the Gold Centurion said to one of the bridge officers.

The officer spared a glance at Kane's impassive face before answering, "never."

Without hesitation the sword moved and one by one all the Draconians were cut down.

"Your species is not Draconian," the gold one said to Kane.

"No," Kane answered, keeping his gaze impassive, "I am a human, from Earth. I serve Lord Draco—"

"Earth," the Gold Centurion cut him off. "The mythological home of the thirteenth tribe of Humanity; the intended destination of the Battlestar Galactica and its ragtag fleet of human survivors. You will reveal to us the location of this planet."

"I will not," Kane answered, his voice carrying a sense of resolve he so rarely felt.

"Take him for interrogation," the gold one commanded, and two silver Centurions moved to obey.

Struggle as he might, Kane was powerless as they dragged him away with them back to their boarding craft and then back to their Base Ship.

-o-

"By Your Command," a Cylon centurion waited to be acknowledged by his Imperious Leader.

"Speak, Centurion," the Imperious Leader said. His voice was not modulated, but was deep, rich and timeless.

"One of our extra galactic Base Ships has reported contact with a new force. The initial engagement was won, but the enemy displayed considerable resistance. They claim to control more than half their galaxy."

"It is of no consequence. They will either serve the Cylons as part of our Alliance or they will be destroyed."

"The report is not complete."

"Continue, Centurion."

"The Base Star took a captive; a human claiming to be from the planet Earth."

"Mobilize the fleets," the Imperious Leader commanded, both to the reporting Centurion and along the invisible data ports that connected him to the rest of the Cylon Empire. "At last, the final refuge of the life form known as Man is within our grasp."

"What of the ships pursuing the Galactica?"

"They shall continue. Their task will become that much easier once the Battlestar Galactica's destination is no more."

Author's Note:

Just what I needed, my muse demands that I start on yet another open project in addition to the others that I am still working on. There are other Battlestar/Buck Rogers crossovers out there, although most of the predate 's crossover section. I promise that this will include a few twists that are completely new.

When it comes down to it, this is not Just a crossover between the Original Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th century. It will also make some references to the new BSG series, as well as two previously unrelated properties. It will build from a story that is on my flickr account.