Truth On Our Side
Because the mutiny arc of BSG has eaten away at my soul.
Title: Truth On Our Side
Rating: PG? PG-13 if you squint for hints of violence, but nothing in the story.
Summary: Felix Gaeta takes over command of Galactica, and is immediately faced with a crisis.
Comments: I heard that originally, the Quorum was supposed to instate Zarek as president. That was my inspiration- that after Roslin escapes to the baseship, the Murphey's Law that applied to the mutiny turned instead on the loyalists. This picks up after Galactica and most of the fleet safely jump away.
Notes: Huge thanks to trovia, brennanspeaks, and khavi for the beta, suggestions and inspirations. Anything left wrong with it is entirely my doing. This could not have been written without them.
"Men and women of the fleet, I am addressing you now from the Command Information Center of Galactica, a ship finally free of cylon influence. Today is a difficult day for all of us. I know that you are confused, so let me set the record straight. What transpired today was not a mutiny. It was a refusal. A refusal to allow the strong to ignore the rights of those with no power. A refusal to be a part of such an abuse of command. A refusal to stand by while treason is committed against the people we have sworn to protect.
"I served under Admiral Adama for seven years. I served him faithfully, because he served the people faithfully. He saw us through many dark times, times when it seemed impossible that humanity would survive. I respected him. I admired him. I loved him. I would have died for him.
"But he changed. His most loved, most trusted friend was revealed to be a cylon. And he allowed his loyalties to that man to override his responsibilities to the people.
"We all served under Colonel Tigh. Many of you fought beside Sharon Agathon and Samuel Anders, or worked with Galen Tyrol. But the fact remains that four years ago, the cylons nearly succeeded in obliterating the human race. They chased us, attacked us, subjected us, and may even now be pursuing us in their desire to finish what they started.
"The truce we reached with the rebel baseship was not forged in friendship. It came to pass after a tense standoff. They held our people hostage, throwing them out airlocks at fifteen minute intervals, and when that didn't work, they trained their weapons on the fleet. It was an alliance of desperation, not goodwill. It was the only choice we had.
"And then they demanded more. The cylons wanted citizenship, the right to move unchecked throughout our fleet. I was present for that meeting, when the cylons told Adama they would trade FTL upgrades for protection. They, who had hunted us nearly to extinction, wanted Galactica to defend them against their own. I was there when William Adama agreed to those upgrades.
"The Quorum took a vote. In spite of threats of arrest, they stood up and spoke for the people. They said no, the cylons do not have the right to freely roam throughout our ships. They have not earned that trust. They recognized what the Admiral could not: The cylons were untested allies. We had no way to be sure they would not betray us. Their occupation of New Caprica came under the guise of an alliance, after all.
"The Admiral was blinded by his love for Saul Tigh. He ignored the people's wishes, overruled the decision of the Quorum, and began forcing cylon technology upon unwilling civilian vessels. He had the vice-president, who was acting legally in the absence of President Roslin, thrown in the brig for supporting the rights of individual ships to have a say in whether to allow cylons aboard. And in doing these things, William Adama committed treason.
"The decision to refuse him was not an easy one. Today's resistance was not undertaken lightly. Like many of you, I am grieving for him. I will miss him. But the rights of the people had to be protected. Because without them, we are no better off than we were on New Caprica.
"Today, democracy is restored. The Quorum has acknowledged Tom Zarek as the lawful President of the Twelve Colonies. President Zarek has appointed me Commander of Galactica. And I pledge to you all that I will do my duty to the people with every fiber of my being.
"The military will resume its proper role as the guardian of humanity. There will be no more strong-arming of the government to submit to Galactica's might. The Colonial Armed Forces exist to serve the people, not the other way around. That is the oath we all swore. That is the oath I reaffirm now: To serve and to protect.”
Felix paused. The CIC was utterly silent, and he took the opportunity to look around and meet the crew’s eyes. Some looked nervous, some appeared stricken, and still others were nodding in agreement. All of them were waiting to see if he would say the words. He brought the microphone back to his mouth.
"So say we all."
***
It had only been a few hours since he had given his first address as Galactica’s commander, and he had spent that time taking stock. Competent individuals who had followed him had been put where they would be the most useful. Most of the senior staff of the CIC had been released, and Noel was evaluating which pilots could be trusted to return to duty. There was still work to be done, but the most pressing matters had been taken care of.
Now Felix stood in the Admiral's quarters, wondering if he would ever be able to stop thinking of them as such. Technically they were his quarters now, but he could feel the Old Man in every inch of the place. The books on the shelves, the much-repaired model boat, even the walls. He kept expecting Adama to stride into the room and ask him what he was doing here, and he tried to shake that thought away.
He had known if he succeeded he would be in put in charge of Galactica, but he hadn't realized how… personal that would be, to take over where Adama had left off. To suddenly have possession of everything he had owned.
To be living in his room.
A knock on the door woke him from his trance. "Come in," he called.
Louis walked into the room and fell into parade rest, looking straight ahead. "You asked to see me."
That didn’t bode well. He understood Louis well enough to know that this overt formality was a defense mechanism. He hadn’t expected Louis to fall back into his arms, but part of him had hoped for… he wasn’t sure what, exactly. Felix maneuvered himself over to him, wondering how he should begin. "Louis. I wanted to talk to you."
"Concerning what, sir?" His tone was even and measured, his eyes never wavering from their stare. He was a textbook perfect picture of a lieutenant in the presence of his commanding officer.
"Louis, please don't do that." Felix braced himself. Yes, this was going to be exactly as hard as he had imagined. Harder. In his mind, he’d seen himself explaining his ideals and objectives, his arguments and reasoning nearly flawless. He’d hoped Louis would eventually understand- would see he had done the only thing he could, made the only decision possible. His imagination had utterly failed to encompass just how pointless that kind of talk would seem when Louis wouldn’t even meet his eyes.
"Do what, sir?" Louis showed no emotion, but his hard, clipped tone gave him away.
"That! That passive-aggressive thing you learned on Pegasus." And that stung, that he was speaking to Felix in much the same way he must have spoken to Cain when she had given him orders he disagreed with.
"All I learned on Pegasus was the correct way to address a superior officer." Hearing the mocking edge in his voice, Felix snapped.
"Godsdammit." Louis would continue to do this until he was allowed to go. Felix wasn’t going to let him. He fumbled at his collar, removed the insignias and slammed them on the desk. "There. I am speaking to you without any rank. Stop."
Louis folded his arms and finally looked at him. "What do you want me to say, Felix?"
"I don't care! Anything. Just. Talk to me. Please."
"What do you want me to talk about? How you started a mutiny? Oh, no, I'm sorry. A refusal. That was a nice touch. Did Zarek come up with that?”
It was Felix’s turn to look away. He had used quite a bit of Tom’s rhetoric earlier, but only because it was all true. Making speeches was something Tom was good at, so Felix had borrowed some of his phrases. Judging by the way Louis was looking at him, he hadn’t been as subtle about it as he had hoped. When Felix didn’t say anything, Louis shook his head and continued.
“You had me put in a holding cell, where I waited for hours, with no idea what was happening, no idea who was winning, and no idea if you were even still alive. I get out to find the Admiral dead, the President overthrown, and suddenly you and Zarek are running the fleet. So forgive me if I'm a little upset."
There wasn’t much Felix could say to that. He could defend his choices and his purpose, but he would just be repeating himself. So he said, "Louis, I'm sorry. I did what I had to."
"You didn't have to lie to me." And there it was- the real reason Louis was so angry. The one issue Felix couldn’t deny.
Felix sighed. "Yes I did. You would have tried to stop me."
"We'll never know, will we?"
Both of them knew this was a lie. Louis was trying to provoke him, and Felix knew he couldn’t really blame him. Felix had lied first, and Louis had every right to react this way. He very deliberately took a moment to quell any confrontational urges of his own before he responded.
"Even if you hadn't, you would have been in danger."
"Because the CIC is such a hazardous place to be."
"You heard what Adama said in there. No amnesty. No forgiveness. If I'd lost, you'd have been caught up in that. It was safer not to tell you."
"You lied to me for my own good, is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yes." The truth, stated simply and with no excuses, seemed at least to get Louis’s attention.
They met each other’s eyes, and Felix willed him to understand. After what felt like an eternity, Louis’s stance changed almost imperceptibly. In spite of himself, Felix could sense some of Louis's hostility lessening. Felix searched his face and stepped closer. When Louis didn’t back away, he found himself wondering for the first time if he could get through this without Louis hating him.
There was a knock on the door.
The moment was over. They looked away from each other. "Come in," Felix said, somewhat annoyed.
Seelix walked into the room. "Sir, we've located Galen Tyrol."
"Very good." He hoped she would just leave, but the look on her face let him know there was more to this news. Realizing that this interrupted reunion would have to wait, he asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Yes, sir, there is. A big one. You need to get down to the FTL core. You have to see this."
He wasn’t sure quite where he and Louis stood, and he didn't want to make assumptions either way in front of Seelix. So he said, "Dismissed, Mr. Hoshi," and started toward the door.
"Commander."
Felix turned.
"Don't forget these." Louis handed him his insignias, his face unreadable.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," he replied, putting them back on before following Seelix to the heart of the ship.
***
"That was a nice speech you gave," Tom said from his seat at the desk as Felix walked into his office. "A little heavy on the praise for Adama, but you made a strong statement. Especially the end, about the military existing to protect the people. That went over well with the Quorum. I would have liked to hear a little more authority in your voice, but that will come with time.”
Felix was glad Colonial One was still docked in Galactica, because this was not a conversation he wanted to have over the com unit. He cut Zarek off before he could continue congratulating him. "Tom, we have a problem."
The president sat up straighter. "What is it?"
"We found the source of our FTL trouble. Galen Tyrol had been trying to prevent our jump and disabled the drive from the inside."
"How long will it take to fix?"
"It already is. That's not the issue. While Tyrol was down there, he found these major stress fractures in the walls. They're everywhere." Felix took a seat across from Zarek and massaged his leg.
"What do we do about it? Can it be repaired?"
"The cracks themselves can, but that’s a short-term solution at best. The entire structural integrity of Galactica is compromised. She's falling apart from the inside."
"What does this mean, Commander?"
At the use of the new title he met Zarek's eyes. The implication was clear; Felix was in charge now, and he had to start acting like it.
Fine. Not breaking the president’s gaze, he answered, "It means we can't keep jumping. It's too dangerous."
Tom considered that. "Then what are we going to do? We can't just sit here waiting for the cylons to find us."
Felix knew Tom wasn’t going to like this. He kept his voice even as he replied. "Tyrol made me an offer: Allow the cylon prisoners to return to the rebel baseship in exchange for a cylon technology that will reinforce the hull."
Zarek stood. "Absolutely not. We cannot-"
"I'm accepting."
The president stared at him. "Are you insane? You're going to put your faith in the word of a cylon? You would put the wellbeing of your ship in the hands of cylon technology? It could be a trap. It could be sabotage. No. Out of the question."
"Tyrol kept Galactica and her birds running smoothly for years. If he wanted to kill us all, he had ample opportunity.” Zarek looked unconvinced, and Felix continued. “He's not going to betray us. He has friends here. The child he raised as his own is here. He won't put them in jeopardy." The callousness of his words surprised him. He forced away guilt impatiently. When this is over.
"I can't believe you're even contemplating this."
"I'm not contemplating. I've decided."
Tom leaned on his desk, looking down at Felix. "I won't allow it."
"With all due respect, it's not your decision to make, it's mine." He said it firmly, fighting to keep his growing irritation in check. It didn’t help that the dull throb from where the prosthetic met his leg was beginning to intensify into true pain.
"Gods, do you hear yourself? Did you even listen to your own speech today? What happened to submitting to governmental rule?"
"This is a military issue, Tom. It won't affect the rest of the fleet." He could hear himself losing the battle to keep his tone level.
"It will if Galactica gets blindsided by a cylon trick! We'll be defenseless!"
"And what happens when we get attacked and Galactica literally falls apart at the seams jumping away? This is a risk I'm going to take. You're the one who made me Commander, Mr. President. You do your job. I'll do mine." He stood, not willing to waste precious time arguing.
“Felix.”
He looked at him.
Tom ran a hand over his face. “If you’re going to do this, be smart about it. Do you at least have a plan?”
“I do.”
“Tell me.”
As much as he knew he needed to hurry, he also knew Tom needed to know what was going on. The fleet needed a contingency plan. He’d leave that to Zarek, because if this failed, Felix wouldn’t be around to see a plan B put into motion. He took a breath.
“I’m going back to the baseship.”
***
"You're serious. You're really going to do this."
"Yes. I am."
"Are you insane?"
Felix wondered how many times he'd be asked that before this was over. "No. Louis, I have to do this."
"You keep saying that, but you don't. You don't have to go. You could send somebody else."
Felix hadn’t planned on this turning into a quiet argument in the corridor outside the CIC. His intention had been to let the senior staff know what he was about to do, leave Kelly in charge of the ship, and leave. It hadn’t occurred to him Louis would follow him out the door, pull him aside, and try to talk him out of it.
"No. I'm not putting anyone else in danger. It's just going to be me, Tyrol and Racetrack. That's it. Galactica is my responsibility now; I will do what it takes to keep her running."
Louis looked away. "I thought you wanted to keep cylon technology off the ship."
He shifted his weight further to his good leg. He had been told not to overuse it, but it hardly seemed like the most pressing issue right now. One more item added to the growing list of things to deal with later. "It wasn't the technology I objected to, it was the terms."
Louis ignored that. "You haven't thought this through. You haven't had time."
"There isn't time! I have to go now, before they regroup and jump away. If they do that, we're frakked."
"We're frakked if they kill you! Kelly doesn’t know how to command a battlestar!"
It was interesting that Louis thought Felix did. "I've made Noel CAG, he'll keep the pilots in line. You and Kelly know how to run the CIC. And it's only temporary. I'll be back." He wasn’t sure which of them he was trying to convince, but if there was another option, he certainly didn’t see it.
"If you believed that, you wouldn't be going alone."
Under different circumstances, Louis’s concern would have been an encouraging sign. As it was, it only made what he was about to do harder. "I'm just being cautious. Louis, please. I need to know I can count on you."
Louis' whole posture seemed to collapse as he realized there was really no way he could change his mind. "You can count on me, Felix. To help keep it from falling apart until you get back."
"Thank you." He wanted to say more, to reassure him, because beneath the tension he looked so worried, but every second he stood here was another chance for the baseship to move on. All better judgment aside, he used a few more moments to put his hand on Louis's arm. "I'll see you again soon."
Louis nodded, and Felix made his way as quickly as he could to the launch bay. He was not a religious man -not since his teenage years- but he sent out a silent plea to anything that would listen. Please let this work.
***
“You’re out of your frakking mind, Commander,” Racetrack informed him apprehensively as they prepared the Raptor to jump.
“So I’ve heard,” he replied, glancing at Galen, who sat in the back, letting them do their jobs. “Keep her spooled once we get there, just in case.” He ran a quick systems check and everything came back normal. “Initiating jump sequence. Countdown. Commence jump in three… two… one.”
The transition left him feeling slightly nauseated, and he chalked it up to nerves. Immediately he looked out the window, searching the blackness for- there.
The baseship drifted among the small assortment of ships that had chosen to follow Roslin. Felix breathed a little easier. He didn’t know what he’d have done if they had been gone. Of course, this was just the beginning. His hand hovered over the console, preparing to jump to safety if necessary.
The intercom immediately crackled to life with the voice of an Eight. “Raptor, identify yourself.”
Racetrack took the wireless. “This is Colonial Raptor 524, carrying Commander Felix Gaeta. Requesting permission to dock.” Her eyes scanned the monitors, and she turned to Felix. “Sir, they’ve trained their weapons on us.”
Tyrol pushed his way to the cockpit and took the handheld from her. “This is Galen Tyrol. Do not fire. Repeat: Do not fire.”
“Galen? What’s going on?”
“It’s ok. Let us land. We’ll explain everything.”
There was an agonizing silence from the com. Finally, “Permission to dock granted.”
Felix entered a sequence into the console, waited until the screen read ‘Command Complete,’ and nodded to Racetrack. She pulled the Raptor around and brought it in to land carefully in the unfamiliar launch bay.
As they waited for the airlock to close behind them, Felix took a moment to assess his companions. Racetrack looked nervous, but she met his gaze steadily. It was hard to judge was Galen was feeling- anxious, maybe, but he didn’t look scared. Felix supposed that would help convince the other cylons to hear him out, rather than kill him on sight.
Once the chamber re-pressurized, the three of them stepped out into the basestar. Felix looked around at the strange living insides of the ship, then turned his attention to the task at hand. Tory was coming toward them, flanked by Twos, Sixes, and Eights. Behind them marched Centurions, guns at the ready.
“Woah.” Galen stepped forward, holding up a hand. “Don’t shoot. They’re not armed.”
The Centurions stopped moving, and at a gesture from Tory, they backed off. Felix’s leg was starting to ache, and he hoped the way he leaned on his cane was enough to keep the Centurions from considering him a threat. Tory looked Felix over, sizing him up. “What are you doing here?” she asked, eyes narrow.
He decided to skip the formalities. “Galactica is having infrastructure issues. Galen tells me you have the means to fix it.”
The cylons exchanged guarded looks.
“Let me get this straight,” Tory said after a pause. “You’re coming to us for help.”
“I’ve come to negotiate a mutually useful agreement: Technology to repair my ship in exchange for your people. They’re all still alive- Sam, Tigh, Caprica-Six, and Sharon. Give us what we need and I’ll give them back to you unharmed.”
“You want us to just believe you on that?” She crossed her arms, her entire body language radiating a challenge.
“No. Once we’ve reached an agreement, I’ll jump back to Galactica, leaving Galen here as a gesture of good faith. I’ll return with Anders, and we’ll make the trade. Galen comes back with me to make sure the technology works, and when Galactica is repaired, I’ll bring you back the others.”
“You’re expecting quite a bit of faith from us. Why should we agree?”
“Galen already has, and he has the most at stake. His part requires him to go back to Galactica.”
Tyrol nodded at her, but she wasn’t ready to give in. “You give us just one hostage and want us to trust you’ll return with the other four?”
“I will give Tigh the option of coming back with Anders, but I suspect he will elect to stay with the Six.” Felix knew he would, of course, or he wouldn’t have made the offer. He didn’t dare allow all four final models to reunite on the baseship before he had the means to repair Galactica. The risk of the cylons deciding to make swift work of him and jump away was too high.
“Then give us Athena,” one of the Eights said.
Felix shook his head. “No. From what I understand, Athena’s child and the Six’s unborn baby are the future of the cylon race. You get them back when I’m sure humanity has a future as well.” He said this as mildly as possible, considering it was a thinly veiled threat.
Tory’s eyes flashed. “And what’s to stop me from killing you now, using your Raptor to take us to the fleet, and demanding them back?”
In the corner of his vision he saw Racetrack stiffen, but he didn’t flinch. “The fact that I wiped the jump drive memory before we docked. I’m the only one who knows the coordinates.”
She looked to Galen for confirmation, then stepped in closer. Had she been human, he would have laughed at this tiny woman trying to intimidate him. As it was, he stood still, looking down at her. “Then maybe we force the coordinates out of you,” she said, voice low.
Felix gave a half-shrug. “You can certainly try. How long will it take?” He looked a Two in the eye. “How long did the detainees on New Caprica hold out?” Turning his attention back to Tory, he added, “I only ask because in twenty-four hours the prisoners will be executed and the fleet will move on. What do you think, Tory? Are you that good?”
Shock was evident on all their faces. It was clear they hadn’t expected that, not from Felix Gaeta. It was that element of surprise he had been counting on. He could feel Galen’s eyes on him, but didn’t break Tory’s gaze. She was the one to back down, turning her head to the other Cylons. “We’ll discuss it.”
“Take your time,” Felix said.
Title: Truth On Our Side
Rating: PG? PG-13 if you squint for hints of violence, but nothing in the story.
Summary: Felix Gaeta takes over command of Galactica, and is immediately faced with a crisis.
Comments: I heard that originally, the Quorum was supposed to instate Zarek as president. That was my inspiration- that after Roslin escapes to the baseship, the Murphey's Law that applied to the mutiny turned instead on the loyalists. This picks up after Galactica and most of the fleet safely jump away.
Notes: Huge thanks to trovia, brennanspeaks, and khavi for the beta, suggestions and inspirations. Anything left wrong with it is entirely my doing. This could not have been written without them.
"Men and women of the fleet, I am addressing you now from the Command Information Center of Galactica, a ship finally free of cylon influence. Today is a difficult day for all of us. I know that you are confused, so let me set the record straight. What transpired today was not a mutiny. It was a refusal. A refusal to allow the strong to ignore the rights of those with no power. A refusal to be a part of such an abuse of command. A refusal to stand by while treason is committed against the people we have sworn to protect.
"I served under Admiral Adama for seven years. I served him faithfully, because he served the people faithfully. He saw us through many dark times, times when it seemed impossible that humanity would survive. I respected him. I admired him. I loved him. I would have died for him.
"But he changed. His most loved, most trusted friend was revealed to be a cylon. And he allowed his loyalties to that man to override his responsibilities to the people.
"We all served under Colonel Tigh. Many of you fought beside Sharon Agathon and Samuel Anders, or worked with Galen Tyrol. But the fact remains that four years ago, the cylons nearly succeeded in obliterating the human race. They chased us, attacked us, subjected us, and may even now be pursuing us in their desire to finish what they started.
"The truce we reached with the rebel baseship was not forged in friendship. It came to pass after a tense standoff. They held our people hostage, throwing them out airlocks at fifteen minute intervals, and when that didn't work, they trained their weapons on the fleet. It was an alliance of desperation, not goodwill. It was the only choice we had.
"And then they demanded more. The cylons wanted citizenship, the right to move unchecked throughout our fleet. I was present for that meeting, when the cylons told Adama they would trade FTL upgrades for protection. They, who had hunted us nearly to extinction, wanted Galactica to defend them against their own. I was there when William Adama agreed to those upgrades.
"The Quorum took a vote. In spite of threats of arrest, they stood up and spoke for the people. They said no, the cylons do not have the right to freely roam throughout our ships. They have not earned that trust. They recognized what the Admiral could not: The cylons were untested allies. We had no way to be sure they would not betray us. Their occupation of New Caprica came under the guise of an alliance, after all.
"The Admiral was blinded by his love for Saul Tigh. He ignored the people's wishes, overruled the decision of the Quorum, and began forcing cylon technology upon unwilling civilian vessels. He had the vice-president, who was acting legally in the absence of President Roslin, thrown in the brig for supporting the rights of individual ships to have a say in whether to allow cylons aboard. And in doing these things, William Adama committed treason.
"The decision to refuse him was not an easy one. Today's resistance was not undertaken lightly. Like many of you, I am grieving for him. I will miss him. But the rights of the people had to be protected. Because without them, we are no better off than we were on New Caprica.
"Today, democracy is restored. The Quorum has acknowledged Tom Zarek as the lawful President of the Twelve Colonies. President Zarek has appointed me Commander of Galactica. And I pledge to you all that I will do my duty to the people with every fiber of my being.
"The military will resume its proper role as the guardian of humanity. There will be no more strong-arming of the government to submit to Galactica's might. The Colonial Armed Forces exist to serve the people, not the other way around. That is the oath we all swore. That is the oath I reaffirm now: To serve and to protect.”
Felix paused. The CIC was utterly silent, and he took the opportunity to look around and meet the crew’s eyes. Some looked nervous, some appeared stricken, and still others were nodding in agreement. All of them were waiting to see if he would say the words. He brought the microphone back to his mouth.
"So say we all."
***
It had only been a few hours since he had given his first address as Galactica’s commander, and he had spent that time taking stock. Competent individuals who had followed him had been put where they would be the most useful. Most of the senior staff of the CIC had been released, and Noel was evaluating which pilots could be trusted to return to duty. There was still work to be done, but the most pressing matters had been taken care of.
Now Felix stood in the Admiral's quarters, wondering if he would ever be able to stop thinking of them as such. Technically they were his quarters now, but he could feel the Old Man in every inch of the place. The books on the shelves, the much-repaired model boat, even the walls. He kept expecting Adama to stride into the room and ask him what he was doing here, and he tried to shake that thought away.
He had known if he succeeded he would be in put in charge of Galactica, but he hadn't realized how… personal that would be, to take over where Adama had left off. To suddenly have possession of everything he had owned.
To be living in his room.
A knock on the door woke him from his trance. "Come in," he called.
Louis walked into the room and fell into parade rest, looking straight ahead. "You asked to see me."
That didn’t bode well. He understood Louis well enough to know that this overt formality was a defense mechanism. He hadn’t expected Louis to fall back into his arms, but part of him had hoped for… he wasn’t sure what, exactly. Felix maneuvered himself over to him, wondering how he should begin. "Louis. I wanted to talk to you."
"Concerning what, sir?" His tone was even and measured, his eyes never wavering from their stare. He was a textbook perfect picture of a lieutenant in the presence of his commanding officer.
"Louis, please don't do that." Felix braced himself. Yes, this was going to be exactly as hard as he had imagined. Harder. In his mind, he’d seen himself explaining his ideals and objectives, his arguments and reasoning nearly flawless. He’d hoped Louis would eventually understand- would see he had done the only thing he could, made the only decision possible. His imagination had utterly failed to encompass just how pointless that kind of talk would seem when Louis wouldn’t even meet his eyes.
"Do what, sir?" Louis showed no emotion, but his hard, clipped tone gave him away.
"That! That passive-aggressive thing you learned on Pegasus." And that stung, that he was speaking to Felix in much the same way he must have spoken to Cain when she had given him orders he disagreed with.
"All I learned on Pegasus was the correct way to address a superior officer." Hearing the mocking edge in his voice, Felix snapped.
"Godsdammit." Louis would continue to do this until he was allowed to go. Felix wasn’t going to let him. He fumbled at his collar, removed the insignias and slammed them on the desk. "There. I am speaking to you without any rank. Stop."
Louis folded his arms and finally looked at him. "What do you want me to say, Felix?"
"I don't care! Anything. Just. Talk to me. Please."
"What do you want me to talk about? How you started a mutiny? Oh, no, I'm sorry. A refusal. That was a nice touch. Did Zarek come up with that?”
It was Felix’s turn to look away. He had used quite a bit of Tom’s rhetoric earlier, but only because it was all true. Making speeches was something Tom was good at, so Felix had borrowed some of his phrases. Judging by the way Louis was looking at him, he hadn’t been as subtle about it as he had hoped. When Felix didn’t say anything, Louis shook his head and continued.
“You had me put in a holding cell, where I waited for hours, with no idea what was happening, no idea who was winning, and no idea if you were even still alive. I get out to find the Admiral dead, the President overthrown, and suddenly you and Zarek are running the fleet. So forgive me if I'm a little upset."
There wasn’t much Felix could say to that. He could defend his choices and his purpose, but he would just be repeating himself. So he said, "Louis, I'm sorry. I did what I had to."
"You didn't have to lie to me." And there it was- the real reason Louis was so angry. The one issue Felix couldn’t deny.
Felix sighed. "Yes I did. You would have tried to stop me."
"We'll never know, will we?"
Both of them knew this was a lie. Louis was trying to provoke him, and Felix knew he couldn’t really blame him. Felix had lied first, and Louis had every right to react this way. He very deliberately took a moment to quell any confrontational urges of his own before he responded.
"Even if you hadn't, you would have been in danger."
"Because the CIC is such a hazardous place to be."
"You heard what Adama said in there. No amnesty. No forgiveness. If I'd lost, you'd have been caught up in that. It was safer not to tell you."
"You lied to me for my own good, is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yes." The truth, stated simply and with no excuses, seemed at least to get Louis’s attention.
They met each other’s eyes, and Felix willed him to understand. After what felt like an eternity, Louis’s stance changed almost imperceptibly. In spite of himself, Felix could sense some of Louis's hostility lessening. Felix searched his face and stepped closer. When Louis didn’t back away, he found himself wondering for the first time if he could get through this without Louis hating him.
There was a knock on the door.
The moment was over. They looked away from each other. "Come in," Felix said, somewhat annoyed.
Seelix walked into the room. "Sir, we've located Galen Tyrol."
"Very good." He hoped she would just leave, but the look on her face let him know there was more to this news. Realizing that this interrupted reunion would have to wait, he asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Yes, sir, there is. A big one. You need to get down to the FTL core. You have to see this."
He wasn’t sure quite where he and Louis stood, and he didn't want to make assumptions either way in front of Seelix. So he said, "Dismissed, Mr. Hoshi," and started toward the door.
"Commander."
Felix turned.
"Don't forget these." Louis handed him his insignias, his face unreadable.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," he replied, putting them back on before following Seelix to the heart of the ship.
***
"That was a nice speech you gave," Tom said from his seat at the desk as Felix walked into his office. "A little heavy on the praise for Adama, but you made a strong statement. Especially the end, about the military existing to protect the people. That went over well with the Quorum. I would have liked to hear a little more authority in your voice, but that will come with time.”
Felix was glad Colonial One was still docked in Galactica, because this was not a conversation he wanted to have over the com unit. He cut Zarek off before he could continue congratulating him. "Tom, we have a problem."
The president sat up straighter. "What is it?"
"We found the source of our FTL trouble. Galen Tyrol had been trying to prevent our jump and disabled the drive from the inside."
"How long will it take to fix?"
"It already is. That's not the issue. While Tyrol was down there, he found these major stress fractures in the walls. They're everywhere." Felix took a seat across from Zarek and massaged his leg.
"What do we do about it? Can it be repaired?"
"The cracks themselves can, but that’s a short-term solution at best. The entire structural integrity of Galactica is compromised. She's falling apart from the inside."
"What does this mean, Commander?"
At the use of the new title he met Zarek's eyes. The implication was clear; Felix was in charge now, and he had to start acting like it.
Fine. Not breaking the president’s gaze, he answered, "It means we can't keep jumping. It's too dangerous."
Tom considered that. "Then what are we going to do? We can't just sit here waiting for the cylons to find us."
Felix knew Tom wasn’t going to like this. He kept his voice even as he replied. "Tyrol made me an offer: Allow the cylon prisoners to return to the rebel baseship in exchange for a cylon technology that will reinforce the hull."
Zarek stood. "Absolutely not. We cannot-"
"I'm accepting."
The president stared at him. "Are you insane? You're going to put your faith in the word of a cylon? You would put the wellbeing of your ship in the hands of cylon technology? It could be a trap. It could be sabotage. No. Out of the question."
"Tyrol kept Galactica and her birds running smoothly for years. If he wanted to kill us all, he had ample opportunity.” Zarek looked unconvinced, and Felix continued. “He's not going to betray us. He has friends here. The child he raised as his own is here. He won't put them in jeopardy." The callousness of his words surprised him. He forced away guilt impatiently. When this is over.
"I can't believe you're even contemplating this."
"I'm not contemplating. I've decided."
Tom leaned on his desk, looking down at Felix. "I won't allow it."
"With all due respect, it's not your decision to make, it's mine." He said it firmly, fighting to keep his growing irritation in check. It didn’t help that the dull throb from where the prosthetic met his leg was beginning to intensify into true pain.
"Gods, do you hear yourself? Did you even listen to your own speech today? What happened to submitting to governmental rule?"
"This is a military issue, Tom. It won't affect the rest of the fleet." He could hear himself losing the battle to keep his tone level.
"It will if Galactica gets blindsided by a cylon trick! We'll be defenseless!"
"And what happens when we get attacked and Galactica literally falls apart at the seams jumping away? This is a risk I'm going to take. You're the one who made me Commander, Mr. President. You do your job. I'll do mine." He stood, not willing to waste precious time arguing.
“Felix.”
He looked at him.
Tom ran a hand over his face. “If you’re going to do this, be smart about it. Do you at least have a plan?”
“I do.”
“Tell me.”
As much as he knew he needed to hurry, he also knew Tom needed to know what was going on. The fleet needed a contingency plan. He’d leave that to Zarek, because if this failed, Felix wouldn’t be around to see a plan B put into motion. He took a breath.
“I’m going back to the baseship.”
***
"You're serious. You're really going to do this."
"Yes. I am."
"Are you insane?"
Felix wondered how many times he'd be asked that before this was over. "No. Louis, I have to do this."
"You keep saying that, but you don't. You don't have to go. You could send somebody else."
Felix hadn’t planned on this turning into a quiet argument in the corridor outside the CIC. His intention had been to let the senior staff know what he was about to do, leave Kelly in charge of the ship, and leave. It hadn’t occurred to him Louis would follow him out the door, pull him aside, and try to talk him out of it.
"No. I'm not putting anyone else in danger. It's just going to be me, Tyrol and Racetrack. That's it. Galactica is my responsibility now; I will do what it takes to keep her running."
Louis looked away. "I thought you wanted to keep cylon technology off the ship."
He shifted his weight further to his good leg. He had been told not to overuse it, but it hardly seemed like the most pressing issue right now. One more item added to the growing list of things to deal with later. "It wasn't the technology I objected to, it was the terms."
Louis ignored that. "You haven't thought this through. You haven't had time."
"There isn't time! I have to go now, before they regroup and jump away. If they do that, we're frakked."
"We're frakked if they kill you! Kelly doesn’t know how to command a battlestar!"
It was interesting that Louis thought Felix did. "I've made Noel CAG, he'll keep the pilots in line. You and Kelly know how to run the CIC. And it's only temporary. I'll be back." He wasn’t sure which of them he was trying to convince, but if there was another option, he certainly didn’t see it.
"If you believed that, you wouldn't be going alone."
Under different circumstances, Louis’s concern would have been an encouraging sign. As it was, it only made what he was about to do harder. "I'm just being cautious. Louis, please. I need to know I can count on you."
Louis' whole posture seemed to collapse as he realized there was really no way he could change his mind. "You can count on me, Felix. To help keep it from falling apart until you get back."
"Thank you." He wanted to say more, to reassure him, because beneath the tension he looked so worried, but every second he stood here was another chance for the baseship to move on. All better judgment aside, he used a few more moments to put his hand on Louis's arm. "I'll see you again soon."
Louis nodded, and Felix made his way as quickly as he could to the launch bay. He was not a religious man -not since his teenage years- but he sent out a silent plea to anything that would listen. Please let this work.
***
“You’re out of your frakking mind, Commander,” Racetrack informed him apprehensively as they prepared the Raptor to jump.
“So I’ve heard,” he replied, glancing at Galen, who sat in the back, letting them do their jobs. “Keep her spooled once we get there, just in case.” He ran a quick systems check and everything came back normal. “Initiating jump sequence. Countdown. Commence jump in three… two… one.”
The transition left him feeling slightly nauseated, and he chalked it up to nerves. Immediately he looked out the window, searching the blackness for- there.
The baseship drifted among the small assortment of ships that had chosen to follow Roslin. Felix breathed a little easier. He didn’t know what he’d have done if they had been gone. Of course, this was just the beginning. His hand hovered over the console, preparing to jump to safety if necessary.
The intercom immediately crackled to life with the voice of an Eight. “Raptor, identify yourself.”
Racetrack took the wireless. “This is Colonial Raptor 524, carrying Commander Felix Gaeta. Requesting permission to dock.” Her eyes scanned the monitors, and she turned to Felix. “Sir, they’ve trained their weapons on us.”
Tyrol pushed his way to the cockpit and took the handheld from her. “This is Galen Tyrol. Do not fire. Repeat: Do not fire.”
“Galen? What’s going on?”
“It’s ok. Let us land. We’ll explain everything.”
There was an agonizing silence from the com. Finally, “Permission to dock granted.”
Felix entered a sequence into the console, waited until the screen read ‘Command Complete,’ and nodded to Racetrack. She pulled the Raptor around and brought it in to land carefully in the unfamiliar launch bay.
As they waited for the airlock to close behind them, Felix took a moment to assess his companions. Racetrack looked nervous, but she met his gaze steadily. It was hard to judge was Galen was feeling- anxious, maybe, but he didn’t look scared. Felix supposed that would help convince the other cylons to hear him out, rather than kill him on sight.
Once the chamber re-pressurized, the three of them stepped out into the basestar. Felix looked around at the strange living insides of the ship, then turned his attention to the task at hand. Tory was coming toward them, flanked by Twos, Sixes, and Eights. Behind them marched Centurions, guns at the ready.
“Woah.” Galen stepped forward, holding up a hand. “Don’t shoot. They’re not armed.”
The Centurions stopped moving, and at a gesture from Tory, they backed off. Felix’s leg was starting to ache, and he hoped the way he leaned on his cane was enough to keep the Centurions from considering him a threat. Tory looked Felix over, sizing him up. “What are you doing here?” she asked, eyes narrow.
He decided to skip the formalities. “Galactica is having infrastructure issues. Galen tells me you have the means to fix it.”
The cylons exchanged guarded looks.
“Let me get this straight,” Tory said after a pause. “You’re coming to us for help.”
“I’ve come to negotiate a mutually useful agreement: Technology to repair my ship in exchange for your people. They’re all still alive- Sam, Tigh, Caprica-Six, and Sharon. Give us what we need and I’ll give them back to you unharmed.”
“You want us to just believe you on that?” She crossed her arms, her entire body language radiating a challenge.
“No. Once we’ve reached an agreement, I’ll jump back to Galactica, leaving Galen here as a gesture of good faith. I’ll return with Anders, and we’ll make the trade. Galen comes back with me to make sure the technology works, and when Galactica is repaired, I’ll bring you back the others.”
“You’re expecting quite a bit of faith from us. Why should we agree?”
“Galen already has, and he has the most at stake. His part requires him to go back to Galactica.”
Tyrol nodded at her, but she wasn’t ready to give in. “You give us just one hostage and want us to trust you’ll return with the other four?”
“I will give Tigh the option of coming back with Anders, but I suspect he will elect to stay with the Six.” Felix knew he would, of course, or he wouldn’t have made the offer. He didn’t dare allow all four final models to reunite on the baseship before he had the means to repair Galactica. The risk of the cylons deciding to make swift work of him and jump away was too high.
“Then give us Athena,” one of the Eights said.
Felix shook his head. “No. From what I understand, Athena’s child and the Six’s unborn baby are the future of the cylon race. You get them back when I’m sure humanity has a future as well.” He said this as mildly as possible, considering it was a thinly veiled threat.
Tory’s eyes flashed. “And what’s to stop me from killing you now, using your Raptor to take us to the fleet, and demanding them back?”
In the corner of his vision he saw Racetrack stiffen, but he didn’t flinch. “The fact that I wiped the jump drive memory before we docked. I’m the only one who knows the coordinates.”
She looked to Galen for confirmation, then stepped in closer. Had she been human, he would have laughed at this tiny woman trying to intimidate him. As it was, he stood still, looking down at her. “Then maybe we force the coordinates out of you,” she said, voice low.
Felix gave a half-shrug. “You can certainly try. How long will it take?” He looked a Two in the eye. “How long did the detainees on New Caprica hold out?” Turning his attention back to Tory, he added, “I only ask because in twenty-four hours the prisoners will be executed and the fleet will move on. What do you think, Tory? Are you that good?”
Shock was evident on all their faces. It was clear they hadn’t expected that, not from Felix Gaeta. It was that element of surprise he had been counting on. He could feel Galen’s eyes on him, but didn’t break Tory’s gaze. She was the one to back down, turning her head to the other Cylons. “We’ll discuss it.”
“Take your time,” Felix said.