Part Two

Prologue

Previously... from this story

Colonel TC McQueen and the 58th Fighter Squadron escaped the destruction of the USS Saratoga in a battle against the Chig species. They had stumbled across the survivors of the Twelve Colonies fleeing the Cylons searching for Earth. They are now in a distant part of the galaxy not knowing where they are heading.

Commander William Adama, last Commander of the Battlestar Galactica, ready for retirement finds himself leading more than eighty civilian ships and the last known survivors of the Twelve Colonies.

President Laura Roslin, formerly Secretary of Education, is the last surviving member of the Colonial Government now leads a civilian fleet who have barely gotten over the destruction of their civilization now believe she will bring them to Earth and safety.

The Cylons, they were created by man. The evolved and took human-like form. There are many copies. And... they have a plan.

One

"Com'on, Apollo wakey wakey!" the voice said bringing little reaction from the groggy pilot who was tied to a chair in a room nearly devoid of decoration. "Apollo!" The voice shouted again, this time it was followed by a bucket of water.

Lee "Apollo" Adama coughed away the water shaking his head his return to Caprica wasn't exactly going to plan. He'd planned on returning to rescue survivors from the Cylon holocaust instead he'd seen "Gianne?" He whispered looking up it was followed by an immediate punch. As his eyes cleared Lee looked up "you" he said quietly looking up at the man who seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. "Where is she?"

"Lee" a voice whispered off to the side Lee looked down seeing the woman he'd fallen in love with her face was cleaned a dirty towel laid in the corner. "What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for... survivors" he stammered "and..."

"And the ships!" The man shouted following it up with a punch

"Ships?" Lee stammered "you finished the other one?" He said getting over the punch

"See I told you Gianne, that's all he cares about!" The man shouted again following it up with another punch, Lee heard Gianne burst into tears and rush out the room slamming the door behind her. "You see Apollo once again you ruin her day!" He followed up with another punch.

"You already did that John" Lee muttered "the day you married her mother." He cursed

"I'm still the closest thing she has to a father Apollo. I'm a better father than you will ever be." John cursed punching him again "you couldn't even be there for the birth of your son." He cursed again walking from the room.

"My son?" Apollo whispered realizing "John!" He then screamed at the door "JOHN! You son of a bitch get back here!" He shouted at the closed door.

Elsewhere on Caprica Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, who had returned to Caprica with Apollo and the others, screamed in delight as her Viper's missile destroyed several Centurions who were assaulting a group of survivors. "Starbuck to survivors, I got them!" She shouted her eye catching further Centurions to the left "more to the left, turning in" she called out pulling back hard on the stick strafing the trees the Centurions however had been ready for her and been setting up a missile battery. Even as her KEWs cut down several Centurions a missile launched from the battery, the missile flew from the launcher to Starbuck's fighter connecting with the port wing destroying the wing and the engine there. "Oh frack!" Starbuck screamed as the Viper began to lose control and fall into an uncontrolled spin "Apollo, Starbuck, I'm going down! Repeat going down!" She shouted into the wireless before pulling the eject cords.

The canopy blew away from the dying fighter and was quickly followed by Starbuck's ejector seat throwing her away from the fighter into Caprica's cold air. Almost immediately her parachute deployed slowing her descent as she drifted towards the ground three Centurions below her raised their arms and began to fire into the air. Several bullets grazed Starbuck's parachute drawing her side-arm she blasted off several shots as she descended hitting one of the Cylon Centurions but the other two continued to fire at her making more holes in her parachute canopy quickening her descent.

Moments later a hail of bullets tore into the two remaining Centurions knocking them out quickly Starbuck descended among the remains of the Centurions just as resistance fighters arrived. Starbuck cut away her parachute and dropped to a crouch drawing her side arm. "Thanks for the cover pilot" one said he was tall with dark hair, very good looking and somehow familiar to Starbuck.

"Killing toasters is part of the job and plenty fun, Lt Kara Trace" she said introducing herself

"Samuel T. Anders" he replied introducing himself.

"Anders? As in Captain of the Caprica Buccaneers?" She said naming the planet's successful Pyramid team. "Helo, would kill me to be here" she said laughing.

"Plenty people have said that, how did you get a Viper airborne?" Anders asked

"I returned from the Battlestar Galactica, we're searching for survivors and plan to evacuate people." Starbuck explained scanning the area for any further Cylons.

"We?" Anders asked

"The rest of my team is near the Great Gorge." Starbuck explained

"Just as well we have plenty transport." Anders said with a smirk "follow me, it's time to rally the troops." He said heading into the surrounding woods Starbuck followed and was followed by two other resistance members.

Lt Karl "Helo" Agathon stared at the woman he had shot, she was identical to the woman that was knelt behind him other than the bullet holes. "What the hell Sharon?" He repeated just as several more figures emerged from the trees in front of him "HALT! Who the hell are you?"

"What the hell is this!" The lead man said he wore a Colonial uniform and his hair was cut short "Boomer!" He shouted at the downed pilot but got no response "what the frack have you done? Who the hell are you?"

"Lt Karl Agathon, Battlestar Galactica, and I was defending my friend" he said taking a step to the side showing Sharon still crouched on the ground.

"Shit Boomer's a Cylon" one of the others cursed Karl didn't recognise the curse, the uniform or the guns the others were armed with.

"She's also saved my ass plenty times" Karl said standing his ground "now if you want to kill a member of the Colonial Fleet to get to her, that's what you are going to have to do." He said he'd only just learned Sharon was a Humanoid Cylon but she'd been with him all this time on Caprica, and he cared for her a lot more than even he had admitted so far.

"There will be no more killing" an older man with grey hair said from behind the first male "Crashdown, we need to get back to the ship before some of the Cylons see us out in the open. Lt Agathon my name is Colonel McQueen, you and your companion will not be harmed if you come back to my ship."

"Colonel, this is a Colonial mission" Crashdown complained "I am the ranking officer present."

"Lieutenant, Captain Adama is the ranking officer. We should fall back." McQueen pointed out "5-8 exit strategy now" he ordered the others around him who immediately began to fall back "Lt Agathon, you are welcome to join us." He said turning his back on Crashdown as they all began to retreat, Helo and Sharon both moved passed Crashdown away from Delphi Spaceport and their immediate way off the planet.

The Battlestar Galactica hung over the world of Kobol, the birthplace of humanity, her guns blazing as she fought off three Cylon Baseships looking to finish off the civilian fleet the ship and her crew had vowed to protect. Now they were heavily out gunned by the Cylons and trying to cover an disorganized civilian fleet.

All around the ship civilian ships from cruise liners to freighters to science vessels which had all survived the Cylon Holocaust and been dragooned into service by the surviving Colonial civilians. "Have the Zephyr dive and roll to port" Adama called out "and have Cloud 9, change course by six degrees starboard, Colonial One should remain in our shadow" he said naming the ship that carried President Roslin.

"The Adriatic has Ship-to-Ship missiles order them to use them to cover Cloud 9's ass." Colonel Saul Tigh the ship's XO said. Adriatic was an illegally armed civilian ship before the fall of Colonial Civilization now it was the only other armed Colonial vessel. "Have our Vipers engage the raiders ahead of us and have the Hammerheads stay close to the civilians." Tigh said naming the ships that had escaped the Saratoga with the other crewmen from Earth. Those ships were better armoured and armed but were far slower than the Cylon Raiders against them.

"The APC pilots are requesting permission to launch, they have got superior guns and could cover the Civilians." Lt Felix Gaeta, the tactical officer said.

"There less manoeuvrable, slower and not jump capable" Saul Tigh pointed out, "sitting ducks for the raiders even with their guns." He said Adama nodded

"Tell them to stay in the bay, it would take forever for them to land anyway, but thank them for their enthusiasm." Adama agreed

"The Gemenon Traveller just took a missile hit!" Petty Officer Anastasia "Dee" Dualla reported from communications "they report they are still space worthy and in control but the compartment that got hit is open to space, it had sixteen souls in it."

"Gods Damn-it! That's just the start" Tigh stated to Adama they both knew it was true.

"Mr Gaeta, jump status?" Adama called out as the Galactica shook heavily under several missile impacts.

"Thirteen ships away, six 90% charge, a further 50% more not far behind." Gaeta reported "our own FTL is charged and ready." He reported as the Battlestar shook more under the impact of more missile hits.

"Roll 33% starboard bring guns on the port Basestar." Adama ordered, have the Vipers and Raptors cover our starboard flank.

"Outnumbered and going on the offence?" Tigh asked seeing a deadly look in Adama's eyes as the ship took even more fire. Galactica's new course exposed her to more fire from one of the Baseships but allowed some of her main guns lining her upper hull onto two of the others. The ship shuddered heavily under Cylon fire but the old ship could take the hits. "Release the Hammerheads from the Civilians, have them make a single attack run on the starboard Basestar, keep her attention away from our belly after that they are to land in the Starboard Flight Pod." Tigh ordered seeing a way to exploit the Cylon's focus on Galactica. As the Battlestar closed on the Cylon vessels the port Basestar began to take more and more hits as Galactica's cannons punched through the Cylon missile volleys.

"Direct Damage Control Teams to forward ventral sections." Adama ordered seeing the Galactica's internal sensors activate indicating an internal fire. As Galactica's guns began tearing one Baseship to pieces the seven Hammerhead fighters dived in on another covering the ship in cannon and missile fire. The star shaped vessel began to burn heavily as the Hammerheads turned

"The centre Baseship is pulling back!" Gaeta reported "DC team reports forward fire is under control."

"25% roll to port, defensive fire. Jump Status?"

"Eight civilian ships remain, Colonial One is away." Dee reported

"Bring our Vipers home, have the Raptors jump to rendezvous coordinates we will dock them on the other side." Adama ordered leaving Dee to pass the message.

"We won this round" Tigh said quietly knowing they had gotten very lucky.

"So far" Adama agreed as the last civilian ship disappeared from DRADIS scans.

"All Vipers accounted for, Raptors away, landing bays secure." Gaeta reported as Galactica shuddered heavily again from Cylon weapons fire.

"Jump!" Adama ordered, the Galactica vanished in a flash of light leaving the remaining Cylon ships alone in space. One Basestar was destroyed another crippled and dozens of Raiders had been lost most importantly the Galactica and all her civilian ships had escaped. Moments later the battered Battlestar emerged on the other side of the jump rejoining the fleet.