PEACE BETRAYED--ANNIHILATION

          Silence as they stared in horror at where the Atlantia had been.  A soft cry was heard, and when many turned, it was to find Roark leaning heavily into his brother, rubbing at his chest.

          "Get me Commander Jensen!" came the snapped order as he went to his grandson, reaching out to touch the white face.  "Roark?"

          He shook his head as Ethan and Sebastien were both suddenly at his back once again.  "I'm fine, Grandfather," came the soft answer, though they all new very well he was far from fine.

          Just then the view screen lit up showing them a very bloodied Lt. Commander Roark Durin.  Seeing his cousins staring at him with horrified eyes he said quickly, "I'm fine, most of this is not mine.  Jacob?" he looked at Adama.

         "Roark, where is--"

          "Dead, I'm afraid.  That's whose blood this is.  I won't tell you what happened as it was rather...gruesome."  He turned his head, calling out, "JORDAN!  Take a team and see what you can do about that fire before it reaches our solium fuel tanks!"

          "On it!"

           "That explosion?"

          "The Atlantia."

          "The Gemaria is gone too," Roark said, having moved to the main comm to read the reports that were coming in.  "The Taura, Columbia, and Pacifica are ablaze...take that back, we just lost the Pacifica.  Roark, I'm seeing here that the Solaria--" he looked up to see him wiping some blood from his forehead with the sleeve of his scarlet jacket.

          "We've sustained some heavy damage, but we are still mobile.  What's the plan?"

          "We believe the Colonies are facing an immediate attack."

          His dark blue eyes hardened.  "Of COURSE they are.  Damn Cylons.  I assume you have a plan?"

          "As much as I hate to do this, we are withdrawing and heading for home.  Two Battlestar's won't be able to do much against what the Cylons are likely to be throwing at the Colonies, but we have to try."

          "Agreed," he said with a nod, head turning once again.  "TAYLOR!"

          "YO!" came the shout back from somewhere on the Solaria's bridge.

          "I need you to take the helm, brother.  With Edision dead, I need a good pilot to get us the hell out of this mess."  He turned again.  "Petaria, I need you to maintain contact with the Galactica at all times.  Who's taking Viper control now that Arrens is dead?

          "I will, Lt. Commander," came a deep, shaken voice.

          "Good man, Mortain.  Contact Gray, let him--"

          "Sir..." another bridge officer began, but stopped.

          Roark whirled, then grabbed for the iron rail to steady himself.  "WHAT!" he demanded.

          "I'm sorry, Sir, but we've lost Lt. Colonel Grayson.  His viper is reading total destruct.

          Roark drew in a deep, uneven breath at the reported news of his brother's death, head bowing, his eyes closing against the tears.  "Ah...fuck," he breathed.

          "Sir?"

          Roark's head came up his eyes opening.  "Right.  Contact whomever you can, in as few a words as you can, tell them the situation and what our plan of action is."

          "Yes, Sir."

                                                                             cccVccc

          "Commander," Tigh called out from where he stood at their grid map, drawing their attention from the screens showing them each of the Colonies. 

          Some, like Caprica, were just beginning to prepare for their day.  A reporter for the Caprican Dailey News Network, a beautiful young woman named Serina, was just coming on air to report on the hoped-for Armistice signing.  Others were already well into their preparations to celebrate a signing that was never going to come.

          "What is it, Tigh?" he asked, turning from the scene on Caprica.

          "Long-range scanners have picked up Cylon Baseships at grids 035, 126, and 258.  That puts them well within striking range of the planets Virgon, Saggitara, and..."

          "Caprica," Roark said in horror as his eyes returned to the screen.  

          "Yes, Caprica.  Roark, did you receive that?"

          "We did.  Our own long-range scans have picked up Cylon Baseships near Aquaria and Leo."

          "Verified."

          "Rory, were you and the others able to get your messages out?  Harry?  Rabastan?"

          "I was able to get a coded message out, but whether he's received it or not, I can't say,"  Harry said.

          "Same here.  We got the coded messages out, but rather they received them..there was just so much jamming and interference that there is no way to know if they got them.  At this point, I really doubt getting word to them is going to matter.  What are the few men, and the Cadets from the Academy going to be able to do against the firepower the Cylons are bringing?  That's even given they can get to the vipers, and get them off the ground."

          "As true as that may be, let's hope some of those messages got through.  I'm thinking they won't even try to get those vipers off the ground though, choosing instead to get as many as they can into shelters instead."

          Roark looked over at the screen and nodded.  "You may be right about that, Jordan.  I've also been trying to reach Rodolphus telepathically, but I think we're still too far away from each other.  Maybe once we get closer to home."

          "Same for me," Harry spoke up.  "Rabastan and I were testing our range when we left, but..." he shook his head.  "we're not close enough for me to reach him."