Part 2 Battlestar Galactica Finding Humanity: Saving Grace

Chapter 1

I

Saul Tigh called a meeting for mid-morning the following day. Another transmission had come in overnight from Galactica, and they needed to start coordinating plans with their people out in the stars. Upon seeing the plan that the Admiral had laid out, he gave a low whistle. It was aggressive, and it was complicated. He had allowed everyone to sleep the night before. The Old Man couldn't move without knowing the plans on the ground. Everyone would need what rest they could get.

He laid out the general plan to the major players in the Insurgency.

"Only Galactica? No Pegasus?" Tom Zarek didn't understand cutting the use of Battlestars in half.

"That's what the Op Plan calls for", Galen said, harboring his own doubts. "I don't quite understand it, either, but that's what we have to deal with."

Laura slipped into her Presidential mode. "I understand it perfectly."

Everyone turned to the former President.

"I had a conversation with the Admiral shortly before The Cylons arrived. I told him explicitly that, if it ever came to the point that the Battlestars had to vacate this area, that anyone who escaped had to be the priority of his Command. If both ships come here, and we are beaten, then that will be the end of Humanity. The Admiral is hedging his bets."

"It still cuts down the firepower we can use on their Baseships", Saul pointed out. "But, that's the hand we're being dealt, so we can't cry over spilled milk, can we?'

As they were talking, Galen heard the wireless chirp that a message had arrived. He excused himself and retrieved it.

"One big problem", Diana Seelix pointed out. "The Cylons have the launch keys for all the ships. We don't know where they are, or how to retrieve them."

Galen was heading back to sit down, and had heard Hardball's comments. "We just received information on that very thing, Seelix. They're going to send an advanced party down here, that we will meet, and they will retrieve the keys."

They can't just waltz into Cylon facilities, and grab them", Zarek objected. "Who are they sending?"

Galen looked doubtfully at everyone.

"They're sending Sharon."

Tigh was chewing on a cigar, and he almost swallowed it. "I hope that's a fraking joke!"

The Chief shook his head. "No joke, Saul. The Old Man has given her a full Lieutenant's commission. Right now", he said with a wry smile that he couldn't suppress, "she out-ranks you and me, or any of us."

There was general grumbling among the leadership.

"I would remind all of you", Laura spoke up amid their consternation, "that we have to trust the Admiral and his forces, just as they need to trust us." She looked around at everyone like the school teacher she was, imparting an important lesson. "If Admiral Adama trusts Sharon, then we must, too."

"By the way", Galen interjected", she has a Call Sign: Athena."

"Whose to say 'Athena', won't betray us the moment she's down here?" Charlie Connor's son had been lost in a round-up by the Cylon-led, and Human-staffed New Caprica Police Force, just under a year ago. They insurgency had blown up the first graduating class, killing most of the recruits. A few had survived. But The skin jobs had recruited more people. "You can't trust a Cylon."

Seelix put a hand on his arm to steady him.

Roslin studied him for a moment. "I understand your concerns, Mr. Connor", she said in a precise Presidential manner, "but you have to trust the Commander on the spot. All of you", she said, looking hard at them all, "are instructed to assist Athena in any way when she arrives here, is that clear?"