Chapter 11
A week had passed, and with that week the elections. Roslin and Adama had agreed that releasing the news about the Hegemony would definitively swing the election, and if anything at all, no matter how minor, then went wrong Laura would be in an untenable position vis-a-vis the Quorum. So they’d officially stuck to no comment on the issue.
Of course, Rumor Control Central spread the news throughout the fleet anyways, regardless of official positions. Hearing some of the rumors caused Bill to struggle against facepalming, others made him want to laugh, and still others were so suspiciously accurate that he gave Roslin dirty looks for leaking them, which the President shrugged off with quite artful protestations of complete innocence.
Bill had been born at night. He’d not been born last night.
Regardless, the elections did, in fact, happen, with Baltar bleating loudly about the more lunatic rumors and shedding even more support than what little he had. Roslin won in a landslide.
And then, only then…
“... can now confirm that we have met descendents of Earth, in the form of the Terran Hegemony. Three of their warships are currently present, and negotiations have been ongoing. After much discussion, the Hegemony has invited us to travel to their nearest system, named New Circe, there to remain under their protection as our final status is resolved.”
Adama remained still and expressionless as Roslin made the official announcement to the Quorum. In fact, he let his mind wander a bit as she spoke.
The Hegemony had some strange gaps in their technology, it was true, but even if you left aside their incredible weaponry, they weren’t primitives. The coordinates they’d given for the jump to this New Circe, for example. It was over three times further than the Red Line for Colonial FTL drives, yet they were completely confused at the concept. On the other hand, when he’d said that it would take about two hours to complete the sequence of jumps they’d had the same expression he imagined he’d had on his own face when he’d first seen one of their energy weapons.
That was not even to mention the landmines. He was a very secular man, but even he’d been surprised and somewhat shocked to learn that the Hegemony didn’t worship the Gods, that indeed the majority of them were atheists, and those who weren’t were almost exclusively monotheists, with a small number worshipping gods that bore no resemblance at all to the Lords of Kobol.
Gods help them when the Sagitarrians and Geminians learned about that detail, which would be five minutes after the first interview with a Hegemony representative, he reckoned.
And that wasn’t the only obstacle, the fact that these people insisted that humanity came from Earth, not Kobol, claiming to have fossil records and archeological evidence that predated the time when it was known to all that the Colonies had fled Kobol. That would set off groundquakes throughout the religious communities as well. He could already hear the shrieks of outrage that the most fanatical Quorum members would emit at that news, if and when they heard it.
Worse, they said they had evidence, and they might be right. Which was giving him one hell of a headache just thinking about it. He wasn’t faithful, he still felt shaken. Just how bad would it be for those who were faithful?
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost missed his cue. Almost.
“The fleet will be reuniting at Galactica’s present location.” he said shortly. “Following that, we shall initiate a series of three jumps to bring us to New Circe. We will be met at New Circe by the local naval garrison and escorted to the planet, where arrangements are being made for us to disembark.”
His gaze swept the assembled Quorum members and reporters, cold and commanding. “This operation will commence in fifteen minutes. All ships are to secure for jump.” he allowed a trace of a smile to cross his lips. “That is all. Dismissed.”
He stepped back and turned to leave, ignoring the shouted questions.
---
Fifteen minutes later found him back in CIC, watching the various plots.
“Pegasus reports all ships are ready to jump.” he heard from the communications station, he simply nodded. His son knew what to do.
Moments later the ramshackle vessels of the rag tag fleet appeared, surrounding the predatory shark of Pegasus.
“Status report.” he barked.
“All ships reporting good jump, drives are green and starting recharge cycle. Coordinates are being transmitted now, Sir.”
“Very well. Signal the Hegemony vessels and advise them that we are about to begin.” he turned his head, looking over at the two Hegemony representatives who had joined him in CIC. “33 minutes, gentlemen, until our first jump.”
The surprised look on their face was still comforting.
AUTHOR NOTE - I know it's a very short chapter, but it is a needed transitional chapter. Next chapter will have their arrival at New Circe, the beginning of the disembarkation, and meeting a certain... well... you'll see.