Doomsday at Terra

It was precisely mid day on the Terran Zero Meridian. That made it 3:30AM ship's time.

Two groups of mostly uniformed military with a sprinkling of formally clad diplomats crowded Cloud 9's Master Auditorium. A desk stood before them bearing parchments and pens.

Adama had insisted they go all out with the ceremony. This peace had to stick.

The best calligrapher aboard the fleet had taken two days to pen the simple document.

It outlawed war between Terrans.

There wasn't any way to enforce it once Galactica departed.

"We'll just have to depend on their sense of self preservation."Adama had said.

Commander Adama stepped up to the ceremonial micrphone.

Colonial microphones were the size of a minor coin. This bulky thing was made of polished and segmented steel. It was a duplicate of a second millenium mike frequently used as an entertainment prop.

"Today the weapons are silent." Adama said. "The issues that started the war have been settled in battle, and we will not discuss them here."

"We are here today" he continued, " to permanently end the state of warfare between the Eastern and Western Alliances."

"The representatives of the Eastern and Western alliances will now sign the articles." he directed.

In a practiced move the formally dressed ambassadors of both alliances stepped up.

They each took fountain pens and signed their names on separate copies of the accord.

They exchanced copies and signed again, so both copies bore both signatures.

"With the signing of this treaty, peace is now restored to Terra."

There was applause. the event went out shipwide, though most would watch recordings of it durng the ship's regular daylight hours.

An hour later Adama sat across from his old acquaintance, Commandant Lighter.

He was commander of the first Star Destroyer to encounter Galactica.

It was from him that Adama had learned of the alliance's savage philosophy.

"I've read the report."Lighter said. "How do you recommend we deal with the Cylons?"

"Well" Doctor Fox started, "We're going to provide you with all the technology we can.:"

'But the core of the forces you will have are the ships you have now."

A screen lit up featuring three view wireframes of a stock and modified Destroyer

We will be able to provide and install standard Colonial power plants for all your ships.

"And we will replace your lasers with Colonial types. This should make one of your destroyers about a match in firepower with one of our best fighters."

Lighter remembered the first time he had seen the colonial technology in action. It made him feel like a cave dweller. "At least we'll have a fighting chance." Lighter said.

He was irritated that the colonials weren't going to stand and fight at Terra. It seemed logical to him that a decisive victory over the Cylons could be followed by agressive expansion into their territory.

But he had orders to go along with the technology transfer plan.

"We can provide you with additional weapon systems and advanced devices up to the limit of our production capacity." he continued. "From the time the first complete shipment of resources arrives at our factory ship until the day we leave your star system, we can provide three fighters a day."

'90 fighters" Lightner said, then asked "The same type as I've seen?"

"No" Adama said, "We don't actually have tooling to produce those."

"Your supply must be constantly diminishing."

'Adama nodded. "It is a problem . We have the tooling to make 6th millenium fighters."

You've encountered some. Scorpion class. Eventually we'll have them in the front line ourselves. Check the on line library for details."

They were going to provide fighters. Not their best, apparently, but far better than nothing.

"What sort of missiles can you provide?"

"We have a range of missiles that can be fabricated from the materials you have ."

"Have your people get with my production chief about what mix of short , medium, and long range missiles you want."

"Nuclear warheads?"

'Better than you've ever had " Adama smiled. "One of the ship to ship missiles carreis a 100 Mt charge."

Lightner nodded. At least they understoood the need for raw firepower.