Outside Ila found a groundcar untouched by the holocaust, Sitting at the controls she started the engine. It purred quietly as she guided the car to the road and headed out of town. She knew when the fighting was over Adam would return home for her.
Moonlight illuminated the road before her so she left the transport’s running lights off in case the Cylons returned. She was at the bottom of the ridge to their home when she saw dozens of small lights making their way slowly to the summit. Pressing the accelerator further, the groundcar picked up speed. As the transport rounded a curve it rocked violently throwing Ila across the compartment. She struck her head against the control panel and blacked out. The groundcar came to rest in a long deep ditch that stretched across the road. Later it would be learned that the ditch was made by Cylon lasers.
☆★☆★☆
Sagittara. 3 Days after the destruction of the Colonies.
Commander Eyjan led SENTINEL Squadron intot he capitol coty of the largest contenant on Sagittara licated in the middle hemispohere and Phoenix took CAVALIER Squadron to search the cooler, northeren hempsphere. AVENGER squadron scouted the far southern hemosphere while GLADIATOR Squadron made ariel sweeps of trhe entire planet. Phoeni had chosen the north of a particular eason: Her parents lived on one of the smaller islands there., The eveingni before, Phoenix had told Eyjan that she didn’t expect to see her parents alive again. She knew that their chances for survival were slim and was preparing herself for what she knew she would find.
Three of the four shuttles under Eyjan’s command veered off on their mission to search for survivors, keeping low over the tree tops. Damp as the jungle world was, raging fires had swept across the land transforming everytnign in it’s path to ash. Gathering what few survivors they could find the warriors shuttled the battle-shocked citizens mid-continent to a gathering place where they would be protected, given food and medical attention then transferred off planet because not all if the fires had burned out.
The stench of charred flesh waft tot hem on the winds,. Eyjan wrinkled his nose in disgust. Captain Azriel looked as though her stomach might turn. The commander had always been proud of his keen sense of smell, but now he wished he could not smell so well.
With the last fo the survivors in their sector, the squadron made their way along the clifftops above the reservoir. Suddenly Eyjan signaled the group to hault and listened.
“Down flat,” he whispered.
A young pregnant woman said something in the ancient dialect of Sagittara and Eyjan replied fluently, telling her that she and her baby would be safe.
The droning of an engine became audible as a launch with six Cylon Centurions came into view, skimming the water of the reservoir in search of surviving humans. When they had passed, the group resumed their march.
☆★☆★☆
In the small family cemetery behind her hone Phoenix laid the last shovel full of dirt over the couble grave where she and Major Hera had just buried her parents, and wiped the sweat off her brown with the back of her durty tunic sleeve. She forced back the tears that welled up in her eues until she could no longer hold them. Salty drops streamed hdown her cheeks. As a last act, she picked flowers from her her mother’s garden and lay them on the mound of dirt.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I loved you two very much.”
Tossing the shovel down she walked to the tree where her gun abd sword hung from a branch by the belt. She fastened the belt about her waist and reached into the crook of the tree branches and withdrew a hologram cube of her parents that she had taken from the living room of their home. Then Phoenix and Hera walked back to the shuttle.
On the way back to the capitol. Phoeinx thought od the differences between her homeworld of Sagittara and that of Caprica, their first stop in the morning. Ther were scheduled to be at Virgon in four centars. Being somewhat closer to the sun than Caprica or Virgon, Sagittara was known as the Jungle World. There were large cities covering thousands of kilometers where a good portion of the population lived, leaving much of the jungle uninhabited. Here the different sects of the planet flourished. The people of these sects made it an unwritten rule to preserve the very ancuient rituals and practices of their forefathers from Kobol even though not many of the other colonies shared their entheusiasm. One of the main practices kept alive by the people was the practice of Matriarchy, or Amazon culture. Almost everyone of the populace belonged to one or more of the many cults.
Upon returning to the gathering place, Phoenix learned that SENTINEL Squardron hadn’t been heard from in almost two centars. They had gone to check out a distress signel from one of the small provences at the edge of the swamplands. There were several small towns out that way so she and CAVALIER Squadron set off in groundcars, Phoenix being alone, leaving the shuttle for transporting people back to the STAR KOBOL.
Sounds lf laser fire drew her attention as her groundcar entered the town square. She programmed the onboard computer to reverse direction ewhen a laser cut in half the fountain statute that had been on her right, Abandoning the vehicle she took refuge om a building at one end of the square. She caught a glimpse of a Cylon in a window on the 3rd floor of a building diagonal form where she was. The centurian aimed his laser and fired into a window in the main floor of the building across from it. Then she saw a human return fire.
“Just great,:” she said to herself. “I leave him alone for a few centars and he has to go get himself into trouble.”
She snuck out the rear exit and made her way around the back of the buildings intil she came to the structure where she had seen the human.
“Eyjan<” she called out softly, stepping into the dark interior, gun drawn. “Eyjan, are you in here?”
A figure stepped out of the shadows brandishing a blaster.
“FREEZE!” a woman ordered. The Colonel stopped, startled. He heart lept to her throat.
“Gods, Azriel!,” Phoenix called, recognizing the voice.
“Sorry Colonel,” the captain apologized, lowering her weapon. “I didn’t know it was you.”
“That’s alright. Where’s Eyjan?”
“Up front,” Azriel replied, leading the way through the building. “He was shot by the Cylons when we entered the courtyard, The distress signel was a trap.
She stopped Phoenix before they entered the front room, “He’s hurt real bad.”
Commander Eyjan lay on a pile of old blankets and pillows in one corner of the room. Most if the warriors were stationed at the windows and doors of the first color. Three warriors were on the second floor. Eyjan opened his eyes as the two women approached.
“You finall did it, didn’t you?” Phoenix said as she sat beside him. “You just had to go insulting them and they shot you in return.”
“I guess IM; not as fast as I thought I was,: the nam said, pulling back the gauze bandage from the wound on the right side of his chest. Blood oozed slowly from the wound. The young woman looked away and laughed half-heartedly.
“Be thankful they didn’t get you where you sit.”
“Yea. I’d be a real goner.”
The smile faded from his face replaced by pain. The Colonel met Azriel’s gaxe. The Captain shook her hear and turned her attention nack to the battle.
“Phoenix,” Eyjan whispered. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s been almost a centar. “He coughed violently, every muscle in his body contracting against the pain. Phoenix put her arms around her commander and eased him back onto the blankets.
“Do you know what happened in the past few centars?” she demanded. “I buried tow of the three people I love dearly in this universe.” Anger flared in her eyes. “Don’t you dare die on me, Old Man!”
“Listen to this. My Colonel is giving me orders.” Then he took on a more serious tone. “What was once mine is now yours. Take good care of my ship… Commander.”
☆★☆★☆
It was Eyjan’s wish that no fuss be made over him when he died, but Phoenix was determined to see that he got all the military honors that were due him – and a few more. After the ceremony Phoenix consigned the commander’s body to the cold vastness of space, chooseing an appropriate course. A centon later she dismissed the crew, but they stopped at Azriel’s command.
“There’s one more ceremony that has to be attended to before we go on and now is just as good a time as any.
Azriel pinned the badge of command to the front collar of Phoenix’s tunic and placed the last symbol of command about the young woman’s shoulders – one of Eyjan’s command robes. The Captain stepped back and saluted, and everyone in the room did likewise. The new commander of the STAR KOBOL returned the salute.
☆★☆★☆
“Hello, m’dear,” Cleo said when Ila finally opened her eyes. “How are you feeling?
Ila recognized the recovery room around her and wondered how she had gotten back to the Life Center.
“Terrible,” the blonde woman replied. “What happened?”
“You tell me. All I know is that some people found you in a groundcar in a ditch outside of town and brought you here.
“Adame!” Ila exclaimed, remembering the lights heading up to her home. “He was there. He was home looking for me, but I couldn’t get to him.”
She was almost in hysterics. Cleo put her arms around her friend to fomfort her as spoke in her normally softly accented voice native to one of the islanmds in the southern hemisphere of Caprica.
“Shhh. Hush darlin’. It’s alright. At least Adama and your children are still alive.”
Cleo’s eyes clouded with memories if the day before. She had learned that the GALACTICA had survived the ambush without any loss of bridge personnel. That would mean that her husband, Tigh, was still alive.
“How long have I been unconscious?” Ila asked.
“About a day and a half,” Cleo replied. “I’ve got some good news for you and some not so good news.”
“Oh?”
“It seems that ships have been rendezvousing in space with a Battlestar, the Galactica, for a long journey to seek help for us. Any ship that could fly has already been launched. “She paused, not wanting to say any more. “They left yesterday.”
Before the news coujld fully sink in, Cleo went to the closet and returned with Ila’s clothes.
“The doctor says the bump on your head isn’t serious and you can get up whenever you feel like it. Why don’t we go down and get something to eat. You must be famished.”
“I’m going to find them, Cleo. If it takes every ounce of strength I’ve got I’m going to find them.” Ila was saying as they made their way through the emergency room corridors. They barely had enough warning as the emergency room doors swung open and two attendants flanked by a couple of Colonial Warriors raced into the building carrying a litter with a young pilot on it. The young man’s face was turned towards the women.
“ZAC!” Ila gasped. “Cleo, that’s Zac!”
“He can’t be. Zac’s aboard the GALACTICA.”
“That’s my son, I tell you, and he;s hurt.”
Ila raced after the attendants.
“Wait! Please stop!”
The attendants stopped and all four turned their heads. Ila knelt beside litter and stroked the boy’s right cheek.
“Zac,” she whispered. The young man opened his eyes an squinted, trying to focus his vision.
“Mother?” he choked, deliriously.
“Yes, darling. I’m here.”
“I Don’t want to die, Mother.”
“You won’t die, Zac. The doctors will take very good care of you and I’ll be close by in case you need anything.”
In through another door came two men supporting a young woman between them. She was a few centons taller than them and her head was slumped against her chest. Blood soaked bandages were wrapped arounf her middle and he head. The two men seemed to know where they were going and carried the woman directly into an empty room ignoring the head nurse’s outbursts.
Ila had recognized her as being Selket, Zac’s fience’. Selket had taken leave from the Colonial Fleet two yahrens ago when her parents had become too old to care for their small farm by themselves. Since then it had been rumored that she was working with the Caprican Underground Assault Team. The news people had made the the CUAT out to be terrorists and planetary militia had found nmo clue as to the location of their headquarters. Selket was under suspicion, but they could find no evidence to back up their suspicioins. Ila made a mental note to see Selket later.
A female pilot gently pulled Ila away from the litter and the attendants carried Zac down the hall to a waiting examination room. The door closed behind them and the second warrior stationed himself outside.
“What happened to my boy?” Ila demanded.
Don’t worry about him, ma’am. He’s tough. He’ll make it.” The major assured her.
“But what happened?” Ila insisted.
“Perhaps we’d better sit down,” the warrior suggested, gesturing to the lounge.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2014-11-05 04:15 am (UTC)Moonlight illuminated the road before her so she left the transport’s running lights off in case the Cylons returned. She was at the bottom of the ridge to their home when she saw dozens of small lights making their way slowly to the summit. Pressing the accelerator further, the groundcar picked up speed. As the transport rounded a curve it rocked violently throwing Ila across the compartment. She struck her head against the control panel and blacked out. The groundcar came to rest in a long deep ditch that stretched across the road. Later it would be learned that the ditch was made by Cylon lasers.
☆★☆★☆
Sagittara.
3 Days after the destruction of the Colonies.
Commander Eyjan led SENTINEL Squadron intot he capitol coty of the largest contenant on Sagittara licated in the middle hemispohere and Phoenix took CAVALIER Squadron to search the cooler, northeren hempsphere. AVENGER squadron scouted the far southern hemosphere while GLADIATOR Squadron made ariel sweeps of trhe entire planet. Phoeni had chosen the north of a particular eason: Her parents lived on one of the smaller islands there., The eveingni before, Phoenix had told Eyjan that she didn’t expect to see her parents alive again. She knew that their chances for survival were slim and was preparing herself for what she knew she would find.
Three of the four shuttles under Eyjan’s command veered off on their mission to search for survivors, keeping low over the tree tops. Damp as the jungle world was, raging fires had swept across the land transforming everytnign in it’s path to ash. Gathering what few survivors they could find the warriors shuttled the battle-shocked citizens mid-continent to a gathering place where they would be protected, given food and medical attention then transferred off planet because not all if the fires had burned out.
The stench of charred flesh waft tot hem on the winds,. Eyjan wrinkled his nose in disgust. Captain Azriel looked as though her stomach might turn. The commander had always been proud of his keen sense of smell, but now he wished he could not smell so well.
With the last fo the survivors in their sector, the squadron made their way along the clifftops above the reservoir. Suddenly Eyjan signaled the group to hault and listened.
“Down flat,” he whispered.
A young pregnant woman said something in the ancient dialect of Sagittara and Eyjan replied fluently, telling her that she and her baby would be safe.
The droning of an engine became audible as a launch with six Cylon Centurions came into view, skimming the water of the reservoir in search of surviving humans. When they had passed, the group resumed their march.
☆★☆★☆
In the small family cemetery behind her hone Phoenix laid the last shovel full of dirt over the couble grave where she and Major Hera had just buried her parents, and wiped the sweat off her brown with the back of her durty tunic sleeve. She forced back the tears that welled up in her eues until she could no longer hold them. Salty drops streamed hdown her cheeks. As a last act, she picked flowers from her her mother’s garden and lay them on the mound of dirt.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I loved you two very much.”
Tossing the shovel down she walked to the tree where her gun abd sword hung from a branch by the belt. She fastened the belt about her waist and reached into the crook of the tree branches and withdrew a hologram cube of her parents that she had taken from the living room of their home. Then Phoenix and Hera walked back to the shuttle.
On the way back to the capitol. Phoeinx thought od the differences between her homeworld of Sagittara and that of Caprica, their first stop in the morning. Ther were scheduled to be at Virgon in four centars. Being somewhat closer to the sun than Caprica or Virgon, Sagittara was known as the Jungle World. There were large cities covering thousands of kilometers where a good portion of the population lived, leaving much of the jungle uninhabited. Here the different sects of the planet flourished. The people of these sects made it an unwritten rule to preserve the very ancuient rituals and practices of their forefathers from Kobol even though not many of the other colonies shared their entheusiasm. One of the main practices kept alive by the people was the practice of Matriarchy, or Amazon culture. Almost everyone of the populace belonged to one or more of the many cults.
Upon returning to the gathering place, Phoenix learned that SENTINEL Squardron hadn’t been heard from in almost two centars. They had gone to check out a distress signel from one of the small provences at the edge of the swamplands. There were several small towns out that way so she and CAVALIER Squadron set off in groundcars, Phoenix being alone, leaving the shuttle for transporting people back to the STAR KOBOL.
Sounds lf laser fire drew her attention as her groundcar entered the town square. She programmed the onboard computer to reverse direction ewhen a laser cut in half the fountain statute that had been on her right, Abandoning the vehicle she took refuge om a building at one end of the square. She caught a glimpse of a Cylon in a window on the 3rd floor of a building diagonal form where she was. The centurian aimed his laser and fired into a window in the main floor of the building across from it. Then she saw a human return fire.
“Just great,:” she said to herself. “I leave him alone for a few centars and he has to go get himself into trouble.”
She snuck out the rear exit and made her way around the back of the buildings intil she came to the structure where she had seen the human.
“Eyjan<” she called out softly, stepping into the dark interior, gun drawn. “Eyjan, are you in here?”
A figure stepped out of the shadows brandishing a blaster.
“FREEZE!” a woman ordered. The Colonel stopped, startled. He heart lept to her throat.
“Gods, Azriel!,” Phoenix called, recognizing the voice.
“Sorry Colonel,” the captain apologized, lowering her weapon. “I didn’t know it was you.”
“That’s alright. Where’s Eyjan?”
“Up front,” Azriel replied, leading the way through the building. “He was shot by the Cylons when we entered the courtyard, The distress signel was a trap.
She stopped Phoenix before they entered the front room, “He’s hurt real bad.”
Commander Eyjan lay on a pile of old blankets and pillows in one corner of the room. Most if the warriors were stationed at the windows and doors of the first color. Three warriors were on the second floor. Eyjan opened his eyes as the two women approached.
“You finall did it, didn’t you?” Phoenix said as she sat beside him. “You just had to go insulting them and they shot you in return.”
“I guess IM; not as fast as I thought I was,: the nam said, pulling back the gauze bandage from the wound on the right side of his chest. Blood oozed slowly from the wound. The young woman looked away and laughed half-heartedly.
“Be thankful they didn’t get you where you sit.”
“Yea. I’d be a real goner.”
The smile faded from his face replaced by pain. The Colonel met Azriel’s gaxe. The Captain shook her hear and turned her attention nack to the battle.
“Phoenix,” Eyjan whispered. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s been almost a centar. “He coughed violently, every muscle in his body contracting against the pain. Phoenix put her arms around her commander and eased him back onto the blankets.
“Do you know what happened in the past few centars?” she demanded. “I buried tow of the three people I love dearly in this universe.” Anger flared in her eyes. “Don’t you dare die on me, Old Man!”
“Listen to this. My Colonel is giving me orders.” Then he took on a more serious tone. “What was once mine is now yours. Take good care of my ship… Commander.”
☆★☆★☆
It was Eyjan’s wish that no fuss be made over him when he died, but Phoenix was determined to see that he got all the military honors that were due him – and a few more. After the ceremony Phoenix consigned the commander’s body to the cold vastness of space, chooseing an appropriate course. A centon later she dismissed the crew, but they stopped at Azriel’s command.
“There’s one more ceremony that has to be attended to before we go on and now is just as good a time as any.
Azriel pinned the badge of command to the front collar of Phoenix’s tunic and placed the last symbol of command about the young woman’s shoulders – one of Eyjan’s command robes. The Captain stepped back and saluted, and everyone in the room did likewise. The new commander of the STAR KOBOL returned the salute.
☆★☆★☆
“Hello, m’dear,” Cleo said when Ila finally opened her eyes. “How are you feeling?
Ila recognized the recovery room around her and wondered how she had gotten back to the Life Center.
“Terrible,” the blonde woman replied. “What happened?”
“You tell me. All I know is that some people found you in a groundcar in a ditch outside of town and brought you here.
“Adame!” Ila exclaimed, remembering the lights heading up to her home. “He was there. He was home looking for me, but I couldn’t get to him.”
She was almost in hysterics. Cleo put her arms around her friend to fomfort her as spoke in her normally softly accented voice native to one of the islanmds in the southern hemisphere of Caprica.
“Shhh. Hush darlin’. It’s alright. At least Adama and your children are still alive.”
Cleo’s eyes clouded with memories if the day before. She had learned that the GALACTICA had survived the ambush without any loss of bridge personnel. That would mean that her husband, Tigh, was still alive.
“How long have I been unconscious?” Ila asked.
“About a day and a half,” Cleo replied. “I’ve got some good news for you and some not so good news.”
“Oh?”
“It seems that ships have been rendezvousing in space with a Battlestar, the Galactica, for a long journey to seek help for us. Any ship that could fly has already been launched. “She paused, not wanting to say any more. “They left yesterday.”
Before the news coujld fully sink in, Cleo went to the closet and returned with Ila’s clothes.
“The doctor says the bump on your head isn’t serious and you can get up whenever you feel like it. Why don’t we go down and get something to eat. You must be famished.”
“I’m going to find them, Cleo. If it takes every ounce of strength I’ve got I’m going to find them.” Ila was saying as they made their way through the emergency room corridors. They barely had enough warning as the emergency room doors swung open and two attendants flanked by a couple of Colonial Warriors raced into the building carrying a litter with a young pilot on it. The young man’s face was turned towards the women.
“ZAC!” Ila gasped. “Cleo, that’s Zac!”
“He can’t be. Zac’s aboard the GALACTICA.”
“That’s my son, I tell you, and he;s hurt.”
Ila raced after the attendants.
“Wait! Please stop!”
The attendants stopped and all four turned their heads. Ila knelt beside litter and stroked the boy’s right cheek.
“Zac,” she whispered. The young man opened his eyes an squinted, trying to focus his vision.
“Mother?” he choked, deliriously.
“Yes, darling. I’m here.”
“I Don’t want to die, Mother.”
“You won’t die, Zac. The doctors will take very good care of you and I’ll be close by in case you need anything.”
In through another door came two men supporting a young woman between them. She was a few centons taller than them and her head was slumped against her chest. Blood soaked bandages were wrapped arounf her middle and he head. The two men seemed to know where they were going and carried the woman directly into an empty room ignoring the head nurse’s outbursts.
Ila had recognized her as being Selket, Zac’s fience’. Selket had taken leave from the Colonial Fleet two yahrens ago when her parents had become too old to care for their small farm by themselves. Since then it had been rumored that she was working with the Caprican Underground Assault Team. The news people had made the the CUAT out to be terrorists and planetary militia had found nmo clue as to the location of their headquarters. Selket was under suspicion, but they could find no evidence to back up their suspicioins. Ila made a mental note to see Selket later.
A female pilot gently pulled Ila away from the litter and the attendants carried Zac down the hall to a waiting examination room. The door closed behind them and the second warrior stationed himself outside.
“What happened to my boy?” Ila demanded.
Don’t worry about him, ma’am. He’s tough. He’ll make it.” The major assured her.
“But what happened?” Ila insisted.
“Perhaps we’d better sit down,” the warrior suggested, gesturing to the lounge.