PEACE BETRAYED--ANNIHILATION

          It would be another couple of centars before they reached Caprican airspace.  Since neither Battlestar had much in the way of viper fighter pilots left, they used long range scans to determine that, at that moment, there were no Cylon Baseships in range.

          Nor, they discovered, were there any stray Cylon fighter craft.  Adama turned to Tigh, lay a hand on his arm.  "Prepare my shuttle, Tigh," he murmured looking over at Roark.

           He stood very still, head tilted, his eyes closed.  Hearing his grandfather order his shuttle be made ready, however, had him opening his eyes to turn haunted silver eyes on him.

          "Your shuttle, SIr?"

           "Yes, Tigh, my shuttle.  WE," his eyes met Roark's, held them, then moved to Harry, "are going down to the surface of Caprica."

          He gave a shake of his head.  "Is that really wise, Jacob?  Though the scanners didn't pick them up, there could still be Cylon craft about."

          "Wise or not, the boys, the Durin's left on board, and I are going down there."

          "I already have a team ready here, Jacob.  However, I do agree with Tigh about the shuttle."

          "Perhaps not, but I seriously doubt that Rory can fly in the condition he's in, and as you DO have broken ribs, you probably should not be flying either."

          "Absolutely NOT!" came Severus and Sebastien's harsh snaps, both turning as one to glare at the screen.

          "Roark Evan Durin, you had better be taking a shuttle down or you will answer to me." Severus told him.  "I'm quite sure we have enough pilots left to guard both shuttles."

          A soft chuckle sounded.  "As you say, Severus.  See you all on the surface. Maintain contact with the Galactica at all times, and when the Acropolis arrives with her survivors, contact us immediately."

          "Understood, Lt. Commander."

                                                                              cccVccc

          "Father?" came the murmur into the headset Adama wore after he had reached out to flip a switch to put them in private mode.  "Is he going to be alright?"

          Adama glanced over at him.  "If you're asking about Rory..." at his nod, he gave a sigh.  "I just don't know, Apollo.  I'm hoping he will be.  They're all hoping too, that once we're on Caprica he'll be able to pull himself out of this downward spiral he's in."

          "Robin and Severus have beta and alpha blockers ready if we should need to blunt his gifts, Apollo," Sebastien spoke softly into his own headset, making them turn to look back at him.  "We're hoping, once he has locked onto Rodolphus, Rabastan, or one of the family should either one of them be unconscious, or..." he broke off, looking over at his youngest brother.

          Roark was sitting silently between Harry and Ethan, with Robin sitting beside Harry, and Severus sitting beside Ethan, all of them watching him closely.  Roark's face was very pale, his silver eyes...they did not like one bit the expression in his eyes.

          "Or?" came softly.

          "Kobol forbid, dead.  We're holding onto him, but..." he gave a shrug.

          "How bad is it, Sebastien?"

          "It's bad.  We thought he was bad when all his blocks and seals came down at once with his gifts at full strength on Aquaria...this doesn't even come close to comparing.  This is a hundred...a thousand times worse.  The horror of seeing his premonition dream come to fruition.  His husband, his brother-in-law, his grandmother...everyone else quite possibly being dead?  On top of those we have ALREADY lost?"

         "His shields were already weakened because of what happened on the Atlantia. Seeing it blow...feeling everyone's emotions as it did," came Ethan's voice. "He can't protect himself right now, so we're trying to do it for him, but his mind is so chaotic none of us can grasp where he's at.  He's spiraling, and we haven't been able to stop it."

          "Right now," Severus murmured, joining their conversation, "all we can do is hope and pray that everyone is alright.  That they are alive.  Especially Rodolphus, because if he isn't, we will lose Roark."