Colonies of Kobol: Collection: Special Edition

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Naturally, I highly recommend viewing the entirety of the 2003-2009 series Battlestar Galactica before reading this.  Its prequel series, Caprica, and other associated films (Razor, The Plan, and Blood & Chrome) are also highly recommended.

If you have not yet read Lords of Kobol – Book One, Two, Three, and Prelude (or the Collection), I strongly urge you to stop now and go download them.  Like this novel, they are free.  You may do so HERE.

Colonies of Kobol is a sequel series to Lords of Kobol, and largely a prequel series to Battlestar Galactica and Caprica.  While the individual volumes groups chapters together with the goal of creating sixteen separate books featuring each of the colonies, this Collection presents nearly all of the chapters in chronological order.  I typed nearly because there are some chapters that take place outside of time and space and those are placed where they make thematic sense.  There is also the case of the chapters from Book Sixteen: Earth.  I felt that separating the chapters in that book according to chronology would hurt the narrative, so I didn't.

If you've read Lords of Kobol, you're familiar with the style of headings I used at the start of each chapter.  The same technique is used here, however, because the Colonies of Kobol Special Edition is presented in chronological order, I will be noting the book from which each chapter came.  For example:

II

GIDEON

34 Days After the Final Exodus

(Gemenon)

"(Gemenon)" means that the chapter came from that book in the volumes of CoK as it was originally published; not that it necessarily takes place on that world.  There are some chapters that take place on other worlds despite the fact that the chapter heading will note a different planet.  (For example, there are some chapters that take place on Leonis even though those chapters were in the Virgon book.  Those chapters will be preceded by the "(Virgon)" header.)  By and large, the headings will match the location in the story and I figure that will help readers.

There are some chapters that take place outside of time and space because they involve the Messengers interviewing various characters:

I

ACASTUS

Unknown Years Before Activation

(Gemenon)

I will include the source book for those chapters, too. 

In order to reduce the file size of this book, you may note that the pictures are relatively low quality.  If you would like to see higher quality and largeer versions of any image, click HERE.

As with Lords of Kobol Special Edition, at the end of most chapters, you will find a link to the Author's Commentary on that chapter.  When that is clicked or tapped, the text will jump to the commentary for that chapter.  At the end of that chapter's commentary, when you click or tap Next Chapter, the text will take you back to the book and the start of the next chapter. 

Thank you.

COVER

Author's commentary

PREFACE: REGARDING THE TIMELINE …

To alleviate confusion, let us look through time to pinpoint the major events in Colonial and Kobollian history.

About five thousand, six hundred years before the Final Exodus, the Lords of Kobol descend Mount Olympus to assume godhood over humanity.

About two thousand years before the Final Exodus, the Thirteenth Tribe – later revealed to be organic Cylons – depart Kobol for Earth.

About one thousand six hundred years before the Final Exodus, the oracle Pythia writes her famed contributions to the Sacred Scrolls.

The Final Exodus occurs when a portion of mankind flees the revolution of Cylons and the Blaze on Kobol, leaving behind the gods who guided them for more than five millennia.  The exiles from Kobol arrived in the colonies a short time afterward, settling first on the world later known as Gemenon.  This Colonization is the key chronological point alluded to in the headings of most chapters.

At about the same time as the Final Exodus, a Cylon revolution on Earth eliminates all but five members of the Thirteenth Tribe.

About two thousand years after the Final Exodus, mankind's one-time servants return decades after the Cylon War and the Twelve Colonies of Kobol are destroyed.  A ragtag fleet led by the Battlestar Galactica flees in search of Earth.

About four years after the destruction of the Colonies of Kobol, a planet populated by prehistoric humans is named Earth and settled by survivors of the Galactica, the rebel Cylon Basestar, and the ragtag fleet.

MAPS (STELLAR)

Author's commentary

MAP (GEMENON)

Author's commentary

I

ACASTUS

Unknown Years Before Activation

(Gemenon)

How do you feel, Mr. President?

Stephen crossed his legs and nodded.  I feel pretty good.  He took in a long, deep breath.  Yeah.  Better than I have in a while.

Glad to hear it.

We have to commend you, another voice said.  You performed the tasks set out for you by Apollo most admirably.

Oh, you know about that?

Of course.  Who do you think played the role of Leto?

Acastus smirked.  So you're the ones.  He wagged a finger and let it fall back into his lap.  Man, he hated dealing with you.

It was necessary.

I'm sure.  He squinted and looked toward the blackness beyond his sight, as though he had just remembered something.  Did it work?  Are the evacuees safe?

They are, thanks to you.

They have new worlds to explore and colonize.

Many new choices to make.

Good.  And Alex?

She led them, as you wished.

Good.  He smiled.  When it faded, he nodded, and said, That's good.

There was a long pause and one of the voices said, softly, I sense regret.

Regret may be too strong a word.  Acastus grinned.  It was an expression that didn't convey happiness or satisfaction as much as it did a desire to disarm.

Go on.

He sighed.  I thought often about the paths not taken.  The 'what-ifs' of my life.

Your husband and son?

Mostly, yes.

So why not regret?

The president smiled and nearly scoffed with a chuckle.  Regret implies that I wish I hadn't done it all.  I don't wish that.  I helped save nearly half-a-million people.  I spent decades working closely with Lord Apollo …

Not a god, one voice interjected.

I know, I know, Acastus waved his hand.  But being with him and doing the things we did gave my life a purpose that I am certain I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Still, you sacrificed so much.

He tilted his head.  I suppose so.

How were you able to do it?  How were you able to lose the man you loved and the child you had raised together for nearly ten years and continue with such a massive task?

A pained expression encroached upon his face and he leaned forward.  He stared at the black floor.  I had to learn … to let them go.

Let them go?

Yes.  The survival of the human race was at stake.  He sat up again, As much as I loved my family, I knew I couldn't do both.  I couldn't force them to stay with me as I dealt with things I couldn't explain.  I had to let them go.  He cleared his throat and went still.  And it hurt.

Author's commentary

II

GIDEON

34 Days After the Final Exodus

(Gemenon)

She sat with the point of her pen on the blank page.  Alexandra sighed and glanced at the stack of manuals and the like she had repurposed for her writings.  She spent most of the first week after Acastus' death creating an account of all that transpired in the last days of Kobol.  For the first two days of that, she even wrote in a flowery and verbose tone.  Finally, she realized that she just needed to get the information on paper.  The writing continued for a time, until now.

A knock on the hatch saved her.

Come in.

The handle clicked and the large metal door was pushed into the room.  Hello, Madam President.

Gladly, she dropped her pen.  Hello, Ben.  Major Hustis had been with her and the president in the last days, before the Galleon launched from the meadow outside the City of the Gods.  What news do you have for me today?

He closed the hatch behind himself and handed a small slip of paper over.  To summarize, still no sign of the two ships that went missing.  No success from any of the search-and-rescue operations that went out.

"Damn.  Two thousand people.  There one jump, and … not the next.

"Food shortages reported on forty-nine ships now."

Right.

One hundred sixty-four vessels requesting tylium refueling with thirty-two now saying they're out.

Refuel those with enough for the last few jumps.  The rest can make it.

And Colonel Domosi is asking to speak to you again ahead of the last jump.

Gideon shook her head.  What now?

If I had to guess?  He wants to be the one to lead the charge into the system.

Why?

He'll say it's because he wants to be sure the planets are clear and safe.  But he wants to be first.  That's all it is.

The problem of Alcid Domosi.  The Kobollian military colonel was the highest-ranking officer left and he had often battled with Gideon since their exodus.  Rationing supplies, creating a staggered jump sequence, strategy meetings, drafting a militia …

Sit down, Ben.  She gestured toward her cot and he complied.  What should I do about him?

Hustis' eyes went to the ceiling and he thought, quietly.  I can't tell you what to do, Madam President.

I'm not asking you to.  I just, she rotated her chair, I need help.  You know that.  He nodded.  Stephen left me in charge and, she shook her head, I don't know what I'm doing.

You've done fine so far.

"I haven't had to do anything!  Just, 'keep jumping for the new worlds.'  That's not a decision.  Any moron can say that.  He smiled and she pushed her long, red hair behind her shoulders.  When we get there, real decisions are going to have to be made.  And I don't think I can handle it."

He straightened and folded his arms over his uniformed chest.  President Acastus wouldn't have designated you his successor if he didn't think you had it in you.  I was there that last week.  Don't forget.

I know.

No, he shook his head, I don't think you know what I mean.  I saw the way you interacted with the president and the people you conveyed his orders to.  You knew what you were doing.  You knew what had to be done.

That was different.  Stephen made the decisions. I just followed his directions.

Then, for right now, pretend the president is still here, handing out orders.  She closed her eyes and her shoulders sagged.  Does that make it easier?

Still tense, she said, I don't know.  Maybe.

I saw the way you spoke with Lord Apollo, too.  She opened her eyes and stared at him.  Even in the presence of a god, you were firm and sure of yourself.

Apollo.  She had tried not to think about him.  It was hard enough to write down her memories of the last days of Kobol.  Then she had to compound that with what she saw as betrayal by Apollo and Acastus.  They didn't tell me I was a Cylon.  And they knew the end was coming.  Her once redoubtable faith had been little comfort lately.

Did I say something wrong?

Alex looked at him and forced herself to smile.  No.  Not at all, Ben.

He realized it was a façade.  After a brief nod, Hustis said, Look.  The colonel doesn't believe you should be the leader of the exodus as it is.

I know.  He told me.

If he can't be the leader, he wants to be first.  Give him what he wants.

She rolled her eyes.  I shouldn't give in, though.  It'll make me weak in his eyes.

Good.  So, what will you do?

The Galleon's flight deck was a large room, nearly as big as the emergency operations center beneath the City of the Gods, but not as circular.  Instead, it was an angled rectangle that jagged in the center toward a bank of wall monitors.  There were twenty different stations with large screens, each occupied by someone in uniform.  Gideon stood next to the major at one marked for confidential communiques.

"Galleon to Moros, the ensign said into her headset.  I have the president.  She nodded and removed the device from her head, Moros actual, Madam President."

As the younger woman slipped out of her seat, Alex sat down and placed the headset over her hair.  Hustis knelt by her, picked up a small device, and pressed it against his ear.

Good day, Madam President.

She faked a smile so it would come through in her voice.  Hello, colonel.  How can I help you?

Today is an historic day.  We will first lay eyes on our new homes.

I'm already working on my speech.

He laughed.  I'm sure, Madam President.  I did, however, want to discuss the details of our entry to the Cyrannus System.

Oh?

Yes.  Since we have never been there ourselves, I feel it would be prudent for a military vessel to jump in first.  Alex and Ben locked eyes.  After we have properly surveyed the area, we can signal an 'all clear' and have the rest of the fleet join us.

Do you not trust the maps given to us by the gods?

Not at all, Madam President.  It is simply that Lord Atlas drafted those maps thousands of years ago.  No probes were sent to the Cimtar Star Cluster during our space age.  We just know so little.

Fair points.  There is a logic to what you say, colonel, but I am loath to alter our plans.  Two hundred eleven ships have each made ninety-one successful jumps in the last month.  I don't want to change procedures too drastically.

I understand.

However, she interjected before he could continue, "I would acquiesce to having both the Galleon and the Moros jump into the system alone.  Ahead of the rest of the fleet.  We can conduct a brief survey and have the rest of the ships join us no more than an hour later."

As you wish, Madam President.

Alexandra glanced at Hustis and then said, "Another thing, colonel.  Once your survey of the first system is complete, I will want you and the Moros to survey the other three star systems."

There was a delay and then Domosi replied, I would be honored, Madam President.

Not a full survey.  Just a quick one, but detailed enough so we can make an educated guess on which planet would be best for our first settlement.  Understood?

Absolutely, Madam President.  Thank you.

Of course, colonel.  I'll talk to you after we jump.

Acknowledged.  Domosi out.

She removed the headset and placed it on the workstation.  She faced Hustis and saw his confused expression.  What?

The major put his device on the terminal as well and seemed confused.  That was a big gift you gave him.

She nodded.  It was, but I figured I needed to soften the blow of him not being my choice for minister of defense.

Still confused, Ben turned his head, You're picking a cabinet now?  She nodded.  Who's your minister of defense?

Alex punched his shoulder.  You are.

"Synced with Moros," a navigation officer said.

Very good, Galleon's commander said.  Thirty seconds.

Gideon stood by the center command console next to the commander and Hustis.  She gripped a small waste bin between her knees, just in case.  She hadn't vomited after a faster-than-light jump in more than a week, but she'd hate to be unprepared now.  Nervousness crept up her chest from her stomach.  She was afraid she would puke before the jump even happened.  She pursed her lips and exhaled loudly.  She breathed in through her nose and exhaled again.

You OK? the major asked.

Maintaining her breathing rhythm, Alexandra nodded.

Ten seconds.  She braced her hands on the console's edge and stared at a deformation in a bolt.  A slight divot in the rounded surface.  The panel appeared to be secured, but the bolt …  Jump.

Her stomach lurched through the floor and her head felt like it was pulled in the opposite direction.  Like a rubber band, both snapped back into her body and her skin tingled.

Jump complete.

Gideon raised the bin and felt something rise in the back of her throat.  She exhaled a few more times until the feeling began to recede.  She nodded and set the bin back on the deck.

We're there? Hustis asked.

Yes sir.  The commander looked at the scope.  "TARIS contact.  Moros is where she should be and, he grinned, there's a planet.  Three hundred ninety thousand kilometers distant."

Ben looked toward the wall of monitors.  Currently, they showed status indicators, TARIS sweeps, and the like.  Can we get external cameras?

Stand by.

Alex looked at a TARIS screen and saw the large half-circle at the top.  A planet.

Here we go.

The monitors blinked off and then they were filled with a blurry shape surrounded in black. 

One second, a lieutenant said as he adjusted a dial.

The shape came into focus.  A circle, featuring a green and brown mass islanded in dark blue.  It was marbled with white clouds and there was a faint glow at its edges.

Gideon's eyes danced over it again and again.  She knew it was a planet, but because she couldn't find the shores of Galatia or the islands in the Thracian Sea, it seemed as if she didn't feel like it was real.

Madam President, Colonel Domosi said over the speakers, we are home.

Yes, we are, colonel.  Applause erupted throughout the command deck.  She spoke over the noise, Go ahead and begin your survey of this planet and the system.  The rest of the fleet will arrive in one hour.

Right away, Madam President.

The cheering resumed and she turned to face Ben.  He was smiling and he offered his hand.  Congratulations.

She shook her head and hugged him.  You know I didn't do anything, she whispered, but thank you.

When she pulled away, she looked at the monitors again.  On the left side of the planet, a smaller circle was appearing.  Slowly, it crept out from behind the first world they spotted. 

This must be the Gemini pair of planets, Hustis said.

A tear came to her eye and she nodded.  What a wondrous place.

Author's commentary

III

DOMOSI

35 Days After the Final Exodus

(Gemenon)

In his fifties, tall, dark haired with streaks of silver, the colonel stood on the grass and stared at the world around him.

It was blue.

The grass, the leaves on bushes and in trees … when looked at directly, they were green.  But there was a kind of haze that surrounded everything, making it all seem blue.  With relaxed eyes or with one's peripheral vision, all the plant life appeared to be blue, or, at best, teal.  It was an electric glow that grew in the bright midday sun and overcame the greenness of plants focused upon.  Even in the dim light created by a passing cloud, the world remained blue.

Sir, a lieutenant said behind him, we're finished.

Domosi didn't answer.  He couldn't stop blinking and staring.  Finally, he felt a sting in his nose and a tear fall over his cheek.  When had he last been so moved?  He remembered thinking he might weep at his promotion ceremony a few years ago.  His battalion marched before him as the triumphal Anthem of Ares was playing.  His commanding officer pinned the new rank on his collar, and when he pivoted and saw the fluttering of his unit's flag, row upon row of uniformed soldiers, and the clear, beautiful rendition of his favorite song … yes.  He very nearly wept then.  It was personal and beautiful.

This was the same.  His feet were the first to tread upon this world.  His eyes were the first to behold its untouched and exotic allure.  His ears first heard the cries of some unknown bird in the forest nearby.  He felt the first breeze blow gently on his face and smelled the crisp air with hints of ozone and a faint mineral oil-like scent.  Alcid could stand there, just outside his ship, and take it all in.  Entranced.

Very well.  He closed his mouth and swallowed hard.  Get aboard.  We're going to the next one.

Domosi backed onto the ramp and kept his vision fixed on the landscape.  Finally, and with great effort, he turned and looked at the cold, gray metal of the vessel.  He walked away from the airlock and back to the command center where he took his seat at the center of the rear wall.

The room was small and hexagonal with a workstation built into each wall.  The commander's station, however, faced outward toward the others and his three screens displayed a synopsis of each department.

Ready for launch, he said.

Nav ready, the lieutenant said.

TARIS ready, a captain said.

Alcid nodded.  Let's go.

A couple of the officers shared a look because the colonel hadn't adhered to his usual by-the-book routine.  He didn't get a check of the other stations.  He didn't signal the rest of the crew.  Still, the officers complied and the Moros lifted off.

His fingers tapped on keys and he guided an external camera toward the planet.  Viewing the world through a lens only seemed to amplify the effect, making the vegetation appear either blue or turquoise.  He shook his head and marveled at what set this world apart from the rest.

Like this one, he had been the first to walk on the first planet they saw when they arrived in the Cyrannus System, with its massive plateau and enormous trees.  Its twin world was dominated by a wide, green continent and vast oceans.  The third was mostly blue ocean, but he had walked on its largest continent.  The last habitable world in the Alpha System was unique with red-orange soil and pale, brackish seas.  He was the first to walk there and the first to pick up a handful of that red dirt. 

Domosi looked into his left hand at the long grass blade he still held.  It didn't seem blue here in the ship, but when he rubbed it, he could feel the slight oily texture.  He brought it to his nose and sniffed.  Instantly, he was transported back to that first moment when he had exited the vessel.  He had made up his mind.

Approaching habitable planet two, sir, the navigation officer said.

Choose the largest continent and set down.

Aye, sir.

Sir, the TARIS officer said, there's almost no axial tilt.  When the colonel didn't react, the captain continued, That means there's no seasons.  A temperate place today will be just as temperate in a few months.

Interesting.  Domosi rubbed the grass blade again.  Ready the crew for quick deployment and sampling.  I want to wrap things up as quickly as we can.

Surprised by his sudden lack of enthusiasm for exploring, the man said, Yes sir.

This planet was lush and green, but the colonel didn't bother being the first to walk on it.

Author's commentary

IV

GIDEON

The Day of Colonization

(Gemenon)

Why can't we land?

Sitting on the command deck of the Galleon, Alexandra rolled her eyes at the repeated question.  "As I said earlier, we are waiting for the return of Colonel Domosi and the Moros to see …"

We've got a planet right in front of us! the speakers barked.  Gunships have been patrolling …

Gideon spoke over the interruption, "To see if there are better possibilities for us!  To see if there are worlds more suitable!"

A different ship captain spoke next, Madam President, we understand the need for caution and the desire to find the best location, but with all due respect, we have hundreds of people on board who are going hungry …

Yes! another captain said.

And we're almost out of fuel!

… and we need to set down soon to deal with these issues.

I appreciate the situation, Alexandra said, as calm and soothingly as she could, but there is no market waiting for us down there.  Once we land, we will have to create farms from scratch.  Build fishing boats …

Madam President, Major Hustis interrupted, look.  He pointed at a TARIS screen.  A single dot was leaving the swarm of more than two hundred ships and heading for the atmosphere.

Identify that ship, she ordered.  All ships' captains, stand down.  Do not approach the planet.

It was too late.  Seeing one leave orbit, others began to follow.  Within the first minute, more than twenty vessels were headed toward the surface.

Alexandra leaned back in her chair and stared at the screen.  Ben looked toward her, waiting for orders. 

Dammit, she thought.  I don't know how long I can hold them together.

Commander, she rotated her chair, take us down.  And send permission to the rest of the fleet.

Yes, Madam President.

As the Galleon banked away and toward the planet, Ben knelt by her side.  There's nothing you could have done.

She blinked slowly.  I should've just landed.

Maybe.  He looked toward the monitor and saw more than one hundred ships now headed for the surface.  Those first ships, you'll need to do something.

What do you mean?

The first few ship captains disobeyed a direct order from the president.

She nodded.  I'll remove them from command of their ships.  For all the good it'll do.

That's the best you can do, I think.  He stood, Too harsh, and they'll fight back.  Nothing at all, they won't respect you.

Less than they do now?  She grunted, That's difficult to believe.

It'll come.  What you do next matters.

Her eyes drifted toward the deck and she stared at the metal, thinking.  The vessel was shaken as it lowered through the atmosphere, but her gaze was distant and unfocused.  She didn't move at all until the Galleon rocked and the commander said, We're down.

Alexandra stood and faced Hustis.  He was waiting for her order, as were the rest of the officers on the deck.  She sighed and said, Let's disembark.

She moved through the corridors and was met with a throng of civilians on the lower decks.  Her eyes widened, surprised by the raucous crowd and their pushing toward the exits.  Was I so insulated that I didn't know how they felt?  How eager they were to get out?

Several soldiers pushed ahead of the president, yelling, Make a hole!  Make a hole!  The group parted with Gideon, Hustis, and others filling the new gap.  Soon, they descended to the exit bay where they had boarded just over a month before. 

Standing before the closed hatch, Alex took a deep breath.  Open it.

With a loud click and slight hiss of air, the hatch lowered and the ramp extended to the tall, amber grass below.  She gasped when she saw the scope of the site's beauty.  Her eyes trailed from the right with an open view of the blue sky, across the endless golden blades, toward the impossibly tall, green trees of the forest on the left.

Slowly, she descended.  Gideon scanned every detail she could of the landscape and she only glanced down when her foot first left the Galleon and stepped on the soil of this new world.  She walked farther from the ship and let her arms hang by her side, her fingers splayed, and felt the brushing of the grass against her skin.  She paused and inhaled deeply, taking in the cool, earthy smell and the perfume of some unknown wildflower.

Despite her recent doubts, despite her internal conflicts, she prayed.  Thank you, Goddess Aurora, for guiding us here.  Goddesses Hera and Hestia, keep our families and protect them as we establish our homes.  Lord Zeus, thank you for all our blessings and share my love with the Pantheon.  She hesitated, opening her eyes again, and then thought, Thank you, Lord Apollo.

Madam President.  Hustis trotted to her side, We need to take care of this.

She turned, feeling suddenly refreshed, and said, What?

He jerked his head to the left and said, Over there.

Gideon looked around herself again and realized that no other ships were visible.  Galleon had landed on the outer edge of most of the rest of the fleet.  As she and Ben ran through the grass, sonic booms descended from above and they looked into the clouds.  More ships were approaching the area to land. 

We're going to need some kind of containment, the major said.

Alex became aware of a murmuring.  A thin, distant rumble.  They passed the open ramp and Galleon's passengers who were taking in the view and moved toward the forward sections of the large ship.  When they came around its prow, they saw it.

Down the slight slope from their position, nearly one hundred ships of varying sizes and colors filled the plains that stretched for kilometers.  All had opened their bowels and spilled tens of thousands of people onto the golden fields.  Most were congregated around the ships, but groups of people were wandering away near the forest or farther out into the plains toward the distant mountains they knew to be in the west. 

Frak.  Gideon looked at Hustis and said, What should we do?

I recommend contacting our military units.

Let's do that.

Yes, Madam President.  He turned and ran back toward the ship.

She put her hands on her hips and stared at the scene.  Tall ships, long ships, rounded ships, and rectangular.  Gray ships, white ships, red ships, and blue.  Thousands of people milled in the grass.  Some fell and seemed to kiss the ground.  Children laughed and ran.  Alexandra felt a queasiness in her stomach.  Similar to an FTL jump, she felt as though her belly was being pulled away.  The discomfort rose through her chest and into her throat.  She became dizzy and blinked to try and dispel the sensation.  It wouldn't stop.

Stephen, she thought, I wish you were here.  I don't know what to do.  I don't know what you would do.  She looked at the crowds moving into the forest.  I don't know how to keep us all together.

We're here, Hustis said loudly and out of breath.  He was standing behind her with the commander of the Galleon, two captains, and a lieutenant with a communications pack.

She closed her eyes and lowered her head.  When she opened them, she saw the flowing, yellow grass.  To her surprise, she saw an insect climb one long blade to the very tip.  As it whipped in the breeze, the insect held on.  It shimmered an iridescent blue and green and, finally, deployed large wings splashed with orange, yellow, and black.  It fluttered and left the blade, moving in an erratic yet graceful path away from the group.

With a smile, Gideon turned toward the officers.  Gather as many soldiers as you can and create a perimeter around these fields.  Go into that forest and bring back whoever went in.  Set up a line there, too.

Yes, Madam President.

Get the gunships.  Have a couple stay in orbit and then post the others nearby here, on the ground.  I don't want people wandering off into the wilderness.

Yes, Madam President.

Now.  The people.  Pool our supplies, starting with the food.  Share it as equally as you can.  Then start dealing with medical issues.  People can stay in their ships tonight, but they're not going to want to do that too much longer.  So check on tents and things like that.  If you need wood, she pointed at the forest, there you go.

The commander of the Galleon said, And for replenishing our food supplies?

I was coming to that.  She looked to her right, away from the trees.  The ocean is south of here?

A few hundred kilometers.

OK, good.  Get some people to start making boats and nets.  In the meantime, take a group to the ocean and look for fish.  Get another ship and scout for good farmland, she looked at the ground beneath her, assuming this isn't it.  Send out groups to look for wildlife in the forest, the mountains, wherever.  Barring all that, let's hope someone packed some algae farming equipment.  That would certainly help if they did.  The officers nodded and she clapped her hands, Let's go.

The commander took a device from the communications pack and the captains ran back to the Galleon.  The major smiled and said, Very good, Madam President.

I hope that's enough.

I'm starving!

A sergeant answered, Join the club!

The man pushed the soldier back and the crowd swelled behind him.  The rope barricade collapsed easily and hundreds broke against the side of the gunship Alala.  Men and women began grabbing ration packs from the bins while hands held back the arms and legs of the military crew tasked to guard the stores.  A few tried to enter the ship, but armed soldiers stepped off the ramp and raised their weapons in the air.  A lieutenant fired her sidearm three times before the rabble ceased and began to withdraw.

Clear out! she ordered.  Go!  All of you!  A few of the civilians dropped what they had gathered but most fled with their arms full.

What about the food? a corporal asked.

They need it, she said.  They have to eat something.

After Hustis relayed all of this to the president, she said, Promote that lieutenant.

Yes, Madam President.

In her cabin on the Galleon, she leaned back on the cot until her crown rested on the bulkhead.  What are we going to do?  Fishing's underway.  Hunting is underway.  But … she shrugged, there's four hundred eighty thousand people out there.

We're setting up pools for algae, but it will take weeks before enough grows to actually feed anyone.

Alexandra sat up and said, What about the farmland?  Maybe start planting now, if we can.

We're talking with experts about the weather and soil.  We'll know soon.  Ben wrote a note on his pad.  There are some animals in the fleet.  Not a lot.

Make sure it's not common knowledge.

Too late.  As Gideon groaned, Hustis continued, The crews already let them out because the smell was unbearable.  They're wandering around in a pen on the other side of camp.

They're not for food.

Of course not.

But … if we can start breeding them, maybe they can be.  She tilted her head, Any chickens?

Yes.

Her eyebrows lifted, Eggs?

Yes, ma'am.

OK, good.  I wouldn't mind an omelet once the worst of this is done.

"I've increased security around the Alala, Cratos, Adrestia, and Nemesis.  These four gunships have been designated as the food storehouses."

Alex swung her legs off the cot and planted her feet on the deck.  Good.  If there's any way we can make things orderly, do it.  Please.  You don't even have to clear it with me.

Will do.

Is four ships enough?

I wouldn't mind using a couple more.

She nodded.  Go ahead.  Now, what about water?

We found that stream two clicks into the forest, …

Yeah.

It's fed from a lake another hundred in.

A tone sounded from the wall speaker.  Madam President?

She reached over and pressed the switch.  Yes.

"It's the Moros.  They're back."

Just four days?  Ben stood from the chair, That was fast.

"Tell them to land near the Galleon and have the colonel meet us here."

Yes, Madam President.

She flicked the switch and stood.  This should be interesting.

Twenty minutes later, Colonel Domosi and his executive officer entered the nearly empty command deck of the Galleon.  Major Hustis and the president were seated at the center table and the commander stood near the TARIS station.

Good to see you, colonel, Gideon said.

Madam President.  He smiled and bowed slightly, bearing the same sanctimonious expression that had put her off weeks ago.  I must say that I was surprised to find you planetside.  I had thought you were waiting for our surveys to be completed.

Unexpected, but necessary.  She gestured toward him, Please, colonel.  I am very eager to hear about these planets.  Let's have your report.

Certainly.  He waved his XO forward and she handed a small device to the commander.  After a few button presses, the tactical monitors all showed the same image of the planet they were on, taken from orbit.  We landed on each of the planets and took samples of the soil, air, and groundwater.  He had no experts among us, but I am certain there are some in the fleet who may be able to examine what we collected.  Until that time, I believe there are ten options in the four systems and a possibility for more in the future.

Ten?  She and Ben shared a look before she said, That sounds great.

He bowed again.  First, we have Gemini.

She looked at the screen and recognized it as the world they had just settled.  We've taken to calling it Pollux.  Seeing the colonel's confusion, she said, The twin who was the son of Zeus.  The other would be …

Castor, yes, Madam President.  He forced a grin and said, You'll have to forgive me.  I named a few of these worlds on my own.  They needn't be final, of course.  She nodded.  Diverse plant and animal life, though not on the same level as Kobol as far as we could determine.  The forest nearby, as I'm certain you've realized, will prove useful.

Agreed, Gideon said.

Its twin world, he pointed at the screen and the captain pressed a button on the TARIS station which caused Castor to appear, is much greener than this world and with larger oceans.  On the whole, were I to choose between the twins, I would choose Castor.  When no one responded, he gestured again and a circle covered with deep red land masses appeared.  Wide plains on this planet with large bodies of water that seem to vary between being salt or fresh water.  An odd lack of flowering plants and tall trees, from what we saw.  He pointed again and a deep blue planet appeared.  I call this one Pisces.  There are some continents and chains of islands, but the oceans dominate, as you can see.

Did you go fishing? the commander asked.

Perturbed by the interruption, Domosi didn't look fully at the man, As a matter of fact, we did see large schools of fish.  With a cargo net, we caught some.

Alexandra's eyebrows raised.  Really?

"Yes.  We have them aboard the Moros, ready for study."

That's great.

He nodded.  Elsewhere, there is the gas giant.  Its atmosphere is riddled with lightning, so I named it Zeus.  There are two moons there with atmospheres, but nothing habitable.  Dozens of smaller moons.  He flipped the page.  There is a world near the sun with a molten surface and another planet, dwarf planet, farther out.  Ice world.  Unusable.

The president raised her hand, Can we stick with the habitable planets for now, please?

He blinked once, just enough to show that he was wounded, and then lowered his head before continuing.  In the second system, the screen shifted and showed another blue world with teal land masses, we found this remarkable planet.

What makes it so remarkable? Hustis asked.

Staring at the monitor, the colonel spoke softly, The plant life.  It seems to secrete some kind of oil.  In the sunlight, this casts a blue haze over the entire world.

Really?

It is … beautiful.  He faced the Gideon for the first time in some minutes and said, It is unspoiled, not only by human hands, but even by the imagination.  Alcid looked at the planet again and said, I called it Virgo.

You seem quite taken with it.

I am, to be honest.  He glanced at his notes and continued, It has a moon with an atmosphere.  Habitable, barely, but I believe it could be kobolformed to make it more pleasant.

Alex squinted and faced Ben.  The major said, Scientific theory.  We can do things to the planet to make it more habitable, like crash comets into it for water, or meteors at the poles to increase the release of carbon dioxide.

Or grow algae to increase oxygen, Domosi said.  It would be time consuming and require generations of effort, but it is possible.

Interesting, Gideon said, but I'm not worried about that yet.

Of course.  He pointed and the monitor showed the next planet.  Another lush, green world.  It has no axial tilt so there are no changes in the seasons.  Just the two possibilities in that system.  The captain pressed a button and a pale blue and green shape appeared, but with a ghostly crescent stretched across some of its face.  I called this planet Scorpio because of that half-ring there, likely a moon that was destroyed ages ago.  The primary landmass is filled with forests and ringed with mountains.  The next one, another pale blue and green one, but streaked with dull brown, "is very mountainous.  Outside of the ranges, the soil seemed poor to our untrained eyes, but the valleys and sides of the mountains appeared to be much better.  There is a third world that is technically habitable, the circle that appeared showed dark green landmasses, its atmosphere is breathable, very oxygen rich.  But the land is simply choked with jungles and wildlife of sorts we've never seen.  To clear it would require far more effort than we're willing to expend at this stage, I'm certain.  And that is the third system."

The president had been making notes. She didn't look up from the page as she said, The fourth?

Two habitable worlds, the screen showed a planet with dark blue water and thick, white clouds, This one may have great mineral resources.  We found a range of mountains, bright red in the sunlight, that came to the shores of an ocean.  There were exposed veins of ore, visible to the eye.  The beaches nearby swarmed with a kind of crab with a silver shell …

Lemme guess, Hustis said, Cancer.

Again, with a forced smile, Domosi said, You are correct.  The other planet, a large landmass with pale green and yellow bands appeared, could also be agriculturally beneficial.  Most of the primary continent is a sweeping plain.  There is a third planet, however.  It is almost entirely ocean with much of it frozen.  When the captain moved to the next picture, the brightness of the white surface caused the viewers to briefly wince.  Aquarius.  We discovered a single landmass, so I think it may be habitable at some point in the future with kobolforming.

Alexandra put her pen down and said, Thank you very much, colonel.

Alcid stepped away from the screen, I have additional information on all the planets in the systems located on that drive.

I'm sorry to interrupt, Madam President, the Galleon's commander said, but did you find any tylium?  Our supplies are nearly gone.

Such is the case, I believe, across most of the fleet.  We were not explicitly looking for it, so no.  If it can be found on any of these planets, I would suggest looking on Cancer.  However, there are many moons and asteroid belts in all four systems where the ore may be found.

Gideon glanced at Ben and then the colonel, What's the status of the tylium refueling ships we have?

Domosi said, They have some capacity for refining it, but they lack any more raw ore.

Hustis shook his head, And their tanks are running low, as it is.  Certainly not enough to refuel all of the ships.

Alcid ticked his head to the side and spoke almost under his breath, I do not understand why we have been so ill prepared.  Tylium should have been a priority.

Alexandra glared at him and then softened.  Stephen … President Acastus assembled this fleet in secret, very nearly.  As tylium was a rare commodity on Kobol near the end, it was difficult to gather and refine enough.

The colonel nodded.  I see.  I understand and meant no offense, of course.

Of course.

Madam President, the commander began, I recommend that all our vessels power down.  If we're almost out of tylium, relying on our engines to provide power to the camps will just drain our tanks that much faster.

She thought for a moment and then said, No, commander.  Our people still require electricity.  But, colonel, let's add that to your next survey mission.  Finding tylium.

Understood.  He turned a page in his notebook and wrote a line down.  May I ask, Madam President, if we are to continue to use our tylium supply, what will your recommendations be for the people, with regard to these other worlds?  Without the fuel, they will not be able to leave.

She leaned back in the chair and said, I intend to keep everyone together here on Pollux.  Cautiously, the major looked toward Domosi to gauge his reaction.

He cocked his head and said, I did not conduct a thorough survey, but are all of the fleet's ships present here?

Alexandra spoke haltingly as she gathered her words, Most are.  Some have gone to other places on the planet and not this one site.  Some are believed to have gone to other worlds altogether.

If I may, Domosi began, I would suggest we follow their lead and allow the people to spread out to as many worlds as possible.  If some catastrophe were to befall one, the others would be spared.

Gideon said, Prudent, perhaps, but overly cautious.  I believe the gods and President Acastus would have wanted us to stick together.  She and Hustis then stood, preparing to leave.

The colonel stepped in their path.  Forgive me, but what happened while we were gone?  His gaze danced from one to the other and when he landed on hers again, he said, If it is your desire and, I presume, your order that we remain together, why are not all ships here in this field?  Why have you allowed some to go elsewhere on Gemini or to other planets?

Alex looked down for a moment before she realized that would be a betraying gesture.  It couldn't be avoided.

Ben tried to intervene, I considered dispatching gunships after them, but I was hesitant to expend such resources.

Alcid's eyes narrowed and he smiled.  Miss Gideon, with all due respect, I must renew my objections to your being president.  It is clear that you are not up to the task.

At that, her shoulders squared and she stood ramrod straight.  Hustis stepped forward and said, I was there with Stephen Acastus and Lord Apollo before the exodus outside the City of the Gods.  I saw her interacting with them, repeatedly.  The president clearly designated Alexandra Gideon as his vice president …

To you?  Alone? Domosi interrupted.

Yes.

No one else was present?  As the major opened his mouth to reply, the colonel said, Well, those were busy and trying days.

As his vice president, Ben continued, she takes over the office of the presidency in the event of his death.  So, by the laws of the Lords of Kobol, she is president.

Thank you, major.  He lowered his head in deference and then raised it again, along with a long finger.  I do so hate to highlight the obvious, but we are no longer on Kobol and gods are not with us. 

Alexandra stared at the older man.  She felt an anger that surprised her and she grabbed Hustis' arm, pulling him back.  "Colonel, we may no longer be in the presence of the gods, but the gods are with us.  Her voice was firm and unshaken.  We will govern according to their design for as long as we are able."

Domosi spun on his feet and looked toward the commander, then the major and Gideon.  He put on his fake smile and bowed his head again, Very well.  What are your orders, Madam President?

She inhaled through her nose to calm herself.  As you are the highest-ranking military officer remaining, I am naming you general over all the forces on this, the first colony of Kobol.

He blinked.  He took a single step back, wrapped his right arm over his chest until his hand was over his heart, and bowed more deeply than before.  I am honored.  Thank you, Madam President.

You will report directly to me or to the minister of defense, she pointed to her right, Major Hustis.

The general glanced to the young man and saw his slight smile.  He raised his chin and weakly asked, What are your orders?

The minister will update you on the crowd control and food gathering efforts we've undertaken while you were gone, she picked up her notebook.  Please see to it that these continue.

Yes.

She then walked past him toward the corridor, And draw up your plans for a tylium survey.

After she and the minister of defense had left the command deck, Domosi said, As you wish, Madam President.

The sun had set and the half-disk of their sister-world hung in the sky.  She sat on a chair in the grassy plain and watched as some small mammal leapt from place to place, its wide eyes visible between the stalks and illuminated by the light from Castor.  Alexandra went still and tried to see it better, but as the crowd noise increased, the animal vanished. 

We're ready, Ben said.

OK.  She stood up from behind the shuttle and then climbed a ladder.  Hustis offered his hand toward her and she took it.  When she rose to the top of the shuttle, she looked and beheld almost the entirety of the human race.  She gasped at seeing over three hundred thousand people before her and watching her.  Her eyes moved about in the low light of the stars and Castor, trying to take in the sight.  She saw a line of officers and soldiers to the right.  A large group of civilian pilots and workers who helped get the ships operational to her left.  In the north, kilometers away, she could spy the lights of many of their vessels, and she knew that the people who didn't come to this ceremony were still there.  This is everyone.  Everyone who remains.  She corrected herself once she remembered there were ships that went elsewhere on Pollux and even, perhaps, to the other worlds.  Still, she felt awed and she placed her hand on her chest as her breathing became shallow.

Madam President, Ben said, here you go.  The button on the side will need to be held down when you speak.

She nodded quickly and then sniffed.  Alright.  Her hands trembled and she shuffled a book and a group of cards from one hand to the other, around the aluminum cylinder of the microphone.  Hustis held out his hand and offered to take something, so she gave him the cards.  Gideon nodded and opened the book of the Sacred Scrolls to the place where her thumb lay.  She raised the microphone to her mouth and then looked at the mass of people again.  She took a deep, wavering breath, exhaled through pursed lips, and then pressed the button.

My friends, her voice boomed across the fields through the speakers at several parked shuttles and many people were startled by the volume.  A spotlight from another shuttle pointed at her, forcing her to squint.  My fellow children of Kobol.  She paused and wondered where all her careful planning had gone.  She looked down at the book and realized she needed the cards, but she had given them to Ben.  We … gather here on the surface of our new home, our new world … we gather here after a long and dark time.  A time of death and despair.  She closed her eyes and tried to remember all she had written.  We have lost our friends and our families.  We have lost our homes.  The gods who have guided us for thousands of years, her throat tightened and she swallowed to clear it, are not among us, ready to guide us again, hand in hand.  They are here, in spirit, and we shall honor that spirit and pray that they hear us and help us however they may. 

Many across the crowd softly said, So say we all.

She began to remember the structure of her speech and then she was able to recall most of the key parts.  On this world, we will make our new homes.  We will raise our families and become friends.  We will honor the gods and we will build for ourselves a society that honors what came before.  It will be a difficult task, but it is one we can accomplish.  I have faith in the Lords of Kobol and in all of you.  As we work to make our way, do it for yourselves, your families, and your neighbors.  Let us all remember that the Scrolls said, 'The gods shall lift those who lift themselves and lift each other.'

Many more in the crowd nodded and answered, So say we all.  Though most said it softly, because there were so many, it was nearly a blast of sound.

Gideon flashed a brief smile at that, then she recalled what was next.  She glanced over her shoulder into the darkness but didn't see it.  She whipped her head forward and raised the book closer to her body.  We have come here tonight to honor those who could not join us in this promised land.  Many of them remain on Kobol and we pray that their suffering is at an end.  Some, however, came with us on our ships, but they were not able to feel the warmth of this new sun on their faces or to see the magnificence of another planet in the night sky.  She glanced at Castor, cleared her throat, and looked down toward the top of the shuttle.  She repositioned her feet as she struggled to continue.  I will speak now of my friend, the former president, Stephen Acastus, and hope that my words may comfort those of you who have lost someone.  Her eyes stung and she lifted her chin, To say he was only a mentor would be a slight.  A teacher.  A good example.  None of these words are enough, for me, to describe what he meant to me.  He was, in many ways, more of a father than my own.  He cared for me and … and worked to keep me safe, to keep us all safe, from the horrible events that unfolded.  Briefly, she was distracted by a feeling of frustration, a hint of anger, toward him for keeping so much a secret, but she continued, It is because of him that we have survived the destruction of Kobol.  It's because of him that we are still alive and here today.  She felt a tear on her cheek and she sniffed.  I take comfort in his memory.  I take comfort in it, because I can see the hands of the gods in that memory, and not just because I saw the president working closely with Lord Apollo.  I see evidence of the gods in Stephen because he was dying.  Before everything that happened, he was sick, and I remembered another passage from the Scrolls.  'The Lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland, and the Lords did this, knowing that this leader was afflicted with a wasting disease and would not live to enter this new land.'  Another tear fell over her cheek and she took a deep breath.  "And so, he died on the Galleon just days after we left.  Like many others.  They would not live to enter this new land, but let us take solace in their memory and let us pray that the Lords of Kobol will guide us now that we have arrived."

So say we all.

She turned away from the crowd and looked south toward the darkness.  Ben leaned toward her and whispered, Is that all?

She nodded.  Yes.

He looked toward the ground and said, OK.  Go ahead.

A few moments later, springs of light awakened in the darkness as torches were lit and officers marched slowly toward the waiting pyre.  There, eight hundred fifty-nine bodies lie, wrapped in canvas, plastic, and more.  The dead of the voyage from Kobol.  Most of them, like Acastus, died from radiation sickness and had somehow made it aboard the many ships before they launched.  A portion died from injuries sustained in the Cylon attacks.  A few others, it was said, died of grief.

Fire crept onto the corners of the pyre before reaching the liquid accelerant.  It all became engulfed shortly after.  The yellow and orange flames leapt into the sky with billowing plumes of smoke and sparks.  As the noise roared and crackled, many of the people began to pray out loud and some began to hum or sing.  Eventually, The Hymn of Persephone caught on and a large number of them sang loudly.

Go thee, Persephone.  Why do you go from me?  Have the Lords come for you, or have I driven you away?  Tell me Hades has beckoned and that otherwise you'd stay.

She began to cry and her face twisted in grief as waves of heat from the pyre washed over them.  Hustis leaned closer and put his arm around her.  She reached for his hand and held it tightly.

Author's commentary

V

DRACO

5 Days After Colonization

(Gemenon)

The group of eight sat on the steps of an entryway to one of the escape craft from Kobol.  Some of the vessels bore fanciful names, after animals and personalities from old stories and myths.  Theirs was just AN-102.  Perhaps they ran out of their heathen gods to honor, one of their people had said.

His public name was Dorian.  His real name, the name passed down through the ages, was Cerdo.  With his family, they watched throngs of hundreds ebb toward the side of the Kobollian Gunship Alala.  They spoke together in the ancient tongue of Kaladen, scribe of the faith.

Feeding time again.

Cerdo looked at his brother.  We cannot stay.

Navdar nodded.  I know.

What are we to do?

Cerdo's oldest son looked up at him and said, There was a lot of land to the west, near the mountains.  I'm sure we could live there.

Certainly.  In the open?  Where they, he jutted his chin toward the crowd, could find us so easily?

There was shouting and then a brief scuffle ensued between two men over a pouch of food.

Animals, Navdar mumbled.

Husband, Oarin said, wherever we go, we should not go alone.  It would not be wise.

Cerdo smiled and lifted