BATTLESTAR URANTIA - "Wayward Soldier" (EP. 006)
CONTINUED...
BATTLESTAR URANTIA - BSG-53
The Battlestar continued along, her fleet behind her.
BRIG
From inside his cell, High Admiral Ardala looked up at the man standing before him... Tyler Standish.
The two men did not say a word, as they exchanged looks. Ardala looked up to Standish from his bed, where he sat, as Tyler stood tall and proud, right outside the cell bars.
"Well." Ardala began. "You did it, Tyler... you won. You showed us all." he added, as he now arose from the bedside, and walked up to the bars, to face Standish. "You're it... the head man. The top dog. That what you wanted?" he asked.
Tyler merely stared back at Ardala.
"I have no desire to humiliate you." Standish stated.
"Oh... of course not!" Ardala shot back, almost chuckling. "In fact, the sad thing is, Commander, that you were right. You always were the one in command. It was just that nobody ever made it official. For two whole years, we were perfectly happy to get by, working on an unspoken honor system... until Galactica came along." he added.
Standish just looked back at Ardala.
"So yes, Commander... I'm guilty. And I'm perfectly willing to face up for what I did. But the challenge facing you now, is... what do you do to prevent something like this from ever happening again?" Ardala asked, looking to Tyler with a question in his eyes.
"I don't know." Tyler offered, bluntly.
"Mm-hmm..." Ardala replied, nodding, as he moved to sit back down on his bed, facing Tyler, looking back up to him. "Well, I think I can help you there, Commander." he added, as Tyler looked to him with interest.
BATTLESTAR URANTIA - BSG-53
The Battlestar sailed through space, guiding her fleet along, as the Gunstar Liberator held position alongside, as the twin Omironian warships loomed large in the distance, as Vipers flew CAP past the ships.
CIC
The humming of the DRADIS filled the large room, as the door opened, and Tyler Standish walked in, carrying a manila folder, as he walked to the command table, as all eyes watched him.
D'anna looked to him, as he returned her look, offering a small smile to her.
She returned his smile, as he placed the folder down onto the table, and opened it, revealing a document on Colonial stationary.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Our future." Standish replied, offering another slight smile, as he lifted the phone from the cradle, and activated the intercom, facing the document before him.
Tyler took a few deep and calm breaths, before finally speaking.
"Attention crew of the Battlestar Urantia... ships of the fleet. This is your Commander." he began. "Over two years ago, we were taken away from everything we knew. Our Colonies, our homes, our ways of life... and our laws. For the past two and a half years, we have been operating upon a thin line... an unwritten code. Recent events have starkly illustrated the problems that arise, when a set structure is not put firmly and clearly in place. This fleet IS a Colonial fleet. I AM the ranking Colonial officer, and thus, am in total command of this fleet. High Admiral Ardala has admitted that, and has also taken responsibility for violating my orders. However, I also, am not without fault." he went on. "I had made a promise, to this fleet, that I would return to the Colonies, and make a stand against the Cylons. That was before Pegasus. Before Galactica. However, it WAS still a promise." he added.
D'anna and the CIC crew watched, transfixed, as he continued his speech.
"The Urantia and her crew, as well as the other ships from the Colonies, cannot and will not turn our backs on our brethren on the Galactica. I will also not break my promise. So, this is what we're left with..." Tyler began, looking again to the document on the table, as he continued. "What we have now, and for the duration of our voyage, from this point, until we reach Caprica, is our first new fleetwide law... an agreement and compromise, drafted in mutual understanding, by the Captains and citizens of the ships of the fleet, and accepted by myself, and the military commanders of this fleet. This charter... this document, will be known as the Urantia Compact." he added.
D'anna walked to stand beside him, as she lokked down at the paper, as he read from it.
"To it," he began. "The people of the civilian fleet, the military commanders of the fleet, and the commander of the Battlestar Urantia, do hereby in good faith, agree to the following items, terms, and conditions. Item One... it shall be hereforth understood that upon official acknowledgement of this Urantia Compact, that the Battlestar Urantia shall set forth on course for Colonial space, per the terms of the original verbal pledge, of Commander Tyler Standish. Item Two... in exchange for the honoring of said Item One, the people of the civilian fleet, and the military commanders of the civilian fleet do hereby make the following solemn pledge... the we shall hereforth accept, without precondition, or reservation, the authority of Commander Tyler Standish, as THE one and only voice of authority to rule, amongst the fleet, and do hereforth pledge our loyalty to him, and his orders." he added. "Finally, Item Three. The people of the civilian fleet, and the military commanders of the fleet, having understood and agreed to above Items, do hereby proceed with approval, with the understanding that upon arrival in Colonial space, and completion of original mission objectives, the Battlestar Urantia shall be at said time, released from the bonds of this covenant, and shall at that time begin pursual of the Battlestar Galactica. Having understood and agreed to all above said Items, the people of the civilian fleet, the military commanders of the fleet, and Commander Tyler Standish do hereby officially acknowledge this Urantia Compact as policy and rule of law. So be it. So say we all." Standish finished.
For a short moment, all was quiet in CIC, as everybody took in what had just been spoken. Finally, the silence was broken.
"SO SAY WE ALL! SO SAY WE ALL! SO SAY WE ALL!" the CIC crew cheered, as Standish looked to D'anna, and smiled, offering his hand to her.
She took his hand, but pulled him close, embracing him in a big hug, as he held her tight.
TO BE CONTINUED...