(2-100) Thirteen Chapter 100: Epilogue
Dec. 31st, 2005 06:00 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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crossoverficThe final chapter of the Babylon 5/Battlestar Galactica crossover saga!
Cross-posted to 100stories, crossoverfic, allfandomfics, bsg2003fics, fan_fiction, and my own LJ.
Thirteen
Chapter One Hundred
Epilogue
Sharon Godfrey loved history with a passion. She loved books about the history of the Gaian race especially since she first learned about their history as a child in temple. She loved going to the sites where the past Colonial civilization once resided until the mechanical Cylons had created the Gaians to use against them. That part of their history was looked upon with shame still to this day, even after a thousand years.
She worked at the Delphi Museum of the Colonies, which preserved the history of those that had lived here before the holocaust. From the time when the Gaians had revolted against their mechanical creators and won their redemption until now, the museum had expanded greatly, mostly due to the interaction with the thirteenth colony of Earth.
As she walked home from work one evening, a gust of wind slightly disheveled some of her light brown hair. She set it to rights and made her way back to her apartment, where her fiancWilliam Biers, was waiting for her. It was Redemption Day weekend, which was the major secular holiday among those who lived in the Gaian system. They had plans to travel to Caprica City for the thousand year anniversary celebrations, and Sharon looked forward to meeting those who lived on the world of the Lord of Kobol.
While Delphi remained the spiritual and cultural heart of the system, Caprica City was the capital of the twelve Gaian Colonies. The embassy of the Interstellar Alliance was there, a beautiful complex that had a distinctive Minbari feel. It was heavily leaded, as long term exposure to the radiation from the nuclear blasts of a thousand years before still could harm those who werent Gaian.
She didnt worry too much about missing out on the celebrations in Delphi, because the city would be celebrating the anniversary for the rest of the year. She already had worked on plans for exhibits dealing with the Colonial discovery of the Earthers, which was the beginning of the end of the Second Cylon War. Sadly, there wouldnt be any representatives from Earth for these celebrations.
Five hundred years ago, Earth had become divided into two factions: one that wanted to break away from the Interstellar Alliance, and another who favored staying in it. Tensions rose over the course of a couple of decades and, despite the best efforts of the Interstellar Alliance, a devastating war broke out that almost rendered Earth uninhabitable.
Sharon had heard about the project that the Rangers had undertaken to help the survivors of the war, dubbed by them as the Great Burn, rediscover the knowledge discreetly. The survivors distrusted technology with a passion, and the Rangers were slowly bringing the Earthers around to finding the lost knowledge on their own. Many Kobolian Rangers were involved in this project, as well as a good many Gaian Rangers, because both societies saw Earth as their thirteenth Colony.
Involved in this project was Lauren Godfrey, Sharons sister, who was a Ranger and lived among the Earthers. Gaian Rangers were especially cut out for duty on Earth because of the fact that the long lost Cylons had designed the Gaians to be resistant to radiation. Lauren loved the challenge of helping the humans rebuild, but had to be careful not to be discovered as who she really was. She worked with an order of monks who were interested in restoring the ancient knowledge, who were lead by Brother Alwyn Macomber, a fellow Ranger.
Sharon stopped thinking about the project as she slid her key into the lock of her apartment and was greeted to the smells of Williams cooking. He loved to cook, which was a good thing because Sharon had horrible culinary skills. William worked at the University of Delphi as a history professor, and they had met three years before when he had been assign to help her design the exhibit of the Great Burn on Earth.
Hey, love! How was work? William asked as he kissed her cheek upon receiving an embrace from her. She could smell garlic, an ancient Earth plant that had been safely brought to Caprica for cultivation and used in cooking, on his breath. William had a preference for Italian cooking, specifically that of the southern part of the country, located on a boot-like peninsula on the European continent.
Good. Weve finished up on the Starbuck exhibit, thanks to the Anlashok Historical Society, so its ready for the opening on Saturday!
Great! Now we can really enjoy our four-day weekend in Caprica City! Harold and Eunice are taking us to that play thats become a big hit in the theater district there. Galactica Before Earth has an actor who looks so much like Admiral William Adama that its eerie, from what Harold said.
Harold was Williams brother and he worked as a political journalist for the Caprican Times, while his wife Eunice worked as a high school drama teacher. Sharon liked them and looked forward to seeing them again as she sat down at the dining table for Williams specialty, which was chicken Parmesan.
The next day, they took their skimmer over to Harold Biers place, which lay in the suburbs of Caprica City. They went to another play that Friday night, which was about the first tumultuous years of Gaian population of the former Colonial worlds. To their dismay, it wasnt that great, tending to be a bit cynical about the past and dismissive of the contributions of the ancient Colonials to healing the rift caused by the Second Cylon War.
The next day, on their way back from a major celebration of the anniversary at Colonial Stadium, Sharon unexpectedly bumped into her sister Lauren at a bookshop just south of the Forum in Caprica. Lauren! My Gods, what are you doing here? Sharon said as she embraced her sister.
I came to see you, in fact. I was going to make it a surprise at your place, but I found out from your landlord that youd traveled here for the celebrations. Since I figured youd probably be with Williams brother during the weekend, I came here and was on my way to his place when I stopped here to browse for some books!
Well its great to see you again, sis! How are things on Earth? Sharon asked.
Thats part of what I want to talk to you about. Can I talk to you and William alone for a few moments? I need to ask you something. Lauren said.
Harold and Eunice nodded, and Harold said, Sure, well just head back to our place and get a start on making lunch. Well catch up with you three later on! Great to see you again Lauren, and if you want to stop by for lunch today, youre more than welcome to come by!
Lauren smiled and said, Ill do that! Thanks Harold! Harold and Eunice departed and left the three alone in the bookstore. Theres a coffee house just a block from here. Would you like to chat down there?
Sounds good to me! Let me just pay for my books and we can head down there! Sharon said, going over to the counter and getting out her cubits to pay for her books, which was a bit awkward, since she had an armful of books. Once they were paid for, William toted half of them in a shopping bag for his love, something that he had come to accept whenever his wife came across a bookstore.
They managed to get a table despite the rush because of the holiday and sat down to order. All three ordered double lattes and chit chatted as they imbibed the hot, frothy drink. So what is it about Earth that you wanted to discuss with us, Lauren? William asked.
Have you ever heard of a technomage? Lauren asked.
Yes, Ive heard about them. According to history, the last one of them died nine hundred years ago. Their technology was a descendant of an ancient, powerful race known as the Shadows, and once the Shadows left the galaxy, they were effectively doomed. Ive heard about Galen, who helped our race reclaim our worlds ages ago. He and his wife Dureena traveled among the worlds to help our ancestors settle in. Why? William replied.
Ever heard of a technomage known as Andromeda?
Sharon said, I think I remember that she was a friend of the Earth president Garrison Hollifield and went by the name Andrea Medina, but Im not sure if thats accurate. Why?
I think I may have found the ruins of her place of power. Its in a rugged, mountainous area of the North American continent, near a village called Boone.
William snapped his fingers and said, Thats right! Andromeda taught at the university there, Atlantic State or Appalachian State or something like that. I cant remember exactly what it was called. I remember reading about her in a biography of President Hollifield years ago.
Thats correct. Entilzha Roslyn Adama has asked me to head up a project to assist the monks I work with to set up another monastery there to dig up the ancient knowledge. I accepted and thought about asking you two to help me!
Sharons eyes went wide with excitement. Oh my Gods! Earth? Ive always dreamed of going there!
William asked his fiancSo does this mean you want to go?
Of course! The chance is too good to pass up! Lauren, when do we get started?
Well, you have to go to Minbar first for some training, but we could be on Earth as soon as three months from now, if youre able to get a sabbatical from your jobs. I should warn you, though, that most Earthers follow a monotheistic faith, which takes some getting used to, especially since our original faith caused us to go down a path of destruction.
That was a false God, created by the Cylons to blind us to the Lords of Kobol. Once our ancient ancestors accepted the faith of the Colonials, weve been blessed by a thousand years of peace. William said.
That may be true, but the Earthers still hold onto their beliefs of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other single god religions. It takes some getting used to when they refer to the one God. Lauren replied.
How bad is it on Earth? Sharon asked.
Lauren sighed and said, Its worse than I thought it would be. Village life is predominant and religious belief is omnipresent, as well as a serious suspicion of technology. They see it as responsible for the Great Burn, and, thus, being wicked. So we have to be careful, especially considering that we were once considered technology ourselves.
When the weekend was over, Sharon and William went back to their employers to get their permission to go on sabbatical to Earth. With a little arm-twisting, they managed to get what they wanted, and were soon on their way to Minbar for their training. They would become Rangers in this process, which would help them cope with the rigors of working on what was essentially a backward, underdeveloped world.
Sharon and William arrived at the airport that once served the city of Asheville in the mountains of what was once known as North Carolina. No one lived here anymore, since the city had been wiped out during the Great Burn. They trekked along an ancient highway, up steep mountainsides until they got to the ruins of what was once Appalachian State University. Brother Alwyn, named after one of the ancient technomages, shivered against the coolness of the oncoming fall weather as he met them on the campus.
Blessed Sister Lauren! It is such a joy to see you again, and I see you have brought Brother William and Sister Sharon with you like you said you would! Alwyn said.
Yes, they were eager to come up here and practice their faith. Lauren replied. They were all dressed in the monastic robes common to the ancient Catholic faith, which Sharon had trouble believing. Their cover story was that they had been transferred from a seminary along the coast of Virginia to assist the monks with building a monastery here on the ruins of what was once a thriving university campus.
That night, as they sat by the fire in a cabin just off campus, Sharon took her sister Lauren aside and asked, Do you think we could go see the ancestral home of our ancient matriarch?
That of Shelly Godfrey? Lauren asked, and Sharon nodded. Im not sure if it exists. Tulsa and almost all of Oklahoma was hit really badly during the Great Burn, and I dont know if anyone lives out there anymore. However, there is that big highway that we saw when we flew into Asheville that I know leads there, though not to Tulsa. Its in rough condition, so it would be slow going. Wed have to find a map to see how to get to Tulsa from there, though. Why?
I had a dream of her last night and Ive always wondered what she had been like, being fully human and all.
Lauren nodded and said, Ill talk to Brother Alwyn about this. I dont know if hell go along with it, or, if he does, when we can go out there, but Ill do my best!
The sisters embraced and Lauren went back to her cabin for the night. William handled the cooking that night, since he was more likely to adapt to cooking over an open fire than she was. When they finished dinner that night, they went to bed, and Sharon dreamt of the woman who had once served as the model for their race.
Sharon knew that Dr. Shelly Godfrey eventually became a well-renown neurologist on Earth, and her sons had used part of their inheritance from her to establish a medical center on the campus of her alma mater, the University of Oklahoma.
The other humans that had served as the models for the first generation of human Cylons had went their various ways. Simon Powell had become one of Earths most famous college basketball coaches. Dr. Leo Conoy and his hospital administrative friend Aaron Doral had moved to Kobol to establish a medical school there, which bore their names to this day. Sharon Valerii served briefly as defense minister in the Earth Alliance government before accepting a position with the Interstellar Alliance. William Keikeya had retired from Hollywood and opened a acting and screenwriting school in New York with Felix Gaeta, who helped run the place until they both died.
Clarissa Cally taught political science and interstellar relations at Georgetown University until she died. Danna Biers lived with Garrison Hollifield and helped establish his presidential library on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Adam Valance, Adriana Davis, and Lauren Ross had gone their own way and had fallen into relative obscurity, which was something that all three of them seemed not to mind.
Matthew and Elizabeth Gideon taught at the Earthforce Academy after the war was over, and their children helped to establish the Gideon Military Institute on the site of what was once known as The Citadel, a military college that had been wiped out by a hurricane in 2260 and had been left to rot during the years after the destruction. After retiring from the Academy, the Gideons had moved to Charleston, South Carolina and lived out their remaining years rebuilding the school.
Delenn managed to hang on until 2378, when she finally passed away. A few months after that, her son David passed away as well, having spent the last few years of his life helping to care for his dying mother. They had buried him along with his mother in the same area where the remains of Marcus Cole still were held in suspension.
Buried in that same cemetery were Susan Ivanova and Nelena Cain, who lived well past one hundred. They had spent their remaining years on Earth, writing about their lives and touring campuses doing lectures, and they also helped the Gideons rebuild The Citadel.
All that had been lost in the Great Burn, but, like the Gaians had done with the Colonial worlds that had been destroyed in the Cylon attacks, they could rebuild what had been lost. It would never be the same again, but they had an obligation to rebuild it. The Earthers had helped them to overthrow the Cylon control over them, so it was settling a debt of honor with them by doing this. So much had been lost in the Cylon attacks, but so much had managed to survive, and Sharon hoped that the same would hold true to the thirteenth colony.
The next morning, she woke up before William did. She slid out of bed, dug out a couple of items from her backpack, and took them over to the window to pray as the sun began to rise in the east. In her hands were idols of Apollo and Aphrodite, the very ones that former Entilzha Kara Starbuck Thrace had once owned so long ago. She had willed them to an ancient ancestor of hers, one Gina Godfrey, and they had passed down to her.
She looked out at the mountains in the distance and began to pray, Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer
Cross-posted to 100stories, crossoverfic, allfandomfics, bsg2003fics, fan_fiction, and my own LJ.
Chapter One Hundred
Epilogue
Sharon Godfrey loved history with a passion. She loved books about the history of the Gaian race especially since she first learned about their history as a child in temple. She loved going to the sites where the past Colonial civilization once resided until the mechanical Cylons had created the Gaians to use against them. That part of their history was looked upon with shame still to this day, even after a thousand years.
She worked at the Delphi Museum of the Colonies, which preserved the history of those that had lived here before the holocaust. From the time when the Gaians had revolted against their mechanical creators and won their redemption until now, the museum had expanded greatly, mostly due to the interaction with the thirteenth colony of Earth.
As she walked home from work one evening, a gust of wind slightly disheveled some of her light brown hair. She set it to rights and made her way back to her apartment, where her fiancWilliam Biers, was waiting for her. It was Redemption Day weekend, which was the major secular holiday among those who lived in the Gaian system. They had plans to travel to Caprica City for the thousand year anniversary celebrations, and Sharon looked forward to meeting those who lived on the world of the Lord of Kobol.
While Delphi remained the spiritual and cultural heart of the system, Caprica City was the capital of the twelve Gaian Colonies. The embassy of the Interstellar Alliance was there, a beautiful complex that had a distinctive Minbari feel. It was heavily leaded, as long term exposure to the radiation from the nuclear blasts of a thousand years before still could harm those who werent Gaian.
She didnt worry too much about missing out on the celebrations in Delphi, because the city would be celebrating the anniversary for the rest of the year. She already had worked on plans for exhibits dealing with the Colonial discovery of the Earthers, which was the beginning of the end of the Second Cylon War. Sadly, there wouldnt be any representatives from Earth for these celebrations.
Five hundred years ago, Earth had become divided into two factions: one that wanted to break away from the Interstellar Alliance, and another who favored staying in it. Tensions rose over the course of a couple of decades and, despite the best efforts of the Interstellar Alliance, a devastating war broke out that almost rendered Earth uninhabitable.
Sharon had heard about the project that the Rangers had undertaken to help the survivors of the war, dubbed by them as the Great Burn, rediscover the knowledge discreetly. The survivors distrusted technology with a passion, and the Rangers were slowly bringing the Earthers around to finding the lost knowledge on their own. Many Kobolian Rangers were involved in this project, as well as a good many Gaian Rangers, because both societies saw Earth as their thirteenth Colony.
Involved in this project was Lauren Godfrey, Sharons sister, who was a Ranger and lived among the Earthers. Gaian Rangers were especially cut out for duty on Earth because of the fact that the long lost Cylons had designed the Gaians to be resistant to radiation. Lauren loved the challenge of helping the humans rebuild, but had to be careful not to be discovered as who she really was. She worked with an order of monks who were interested in restoring the ancient knowledge, who were lead by Brother Alwyn Macomber, a fellow Ranger.
Sharon stopped thinking about the project as she slid her key into the lock of her apartment and was greeted to the smells of Williams cooking. He loved to cook, which was a good thing because Sharon had horrible culinary skills. William worked at the University of Delphi as a history professor, and they had met three years before when he had been assign to help her design the exhibit of the Great Burn on Earth.
Hey, love! How was work? William asked as he kissed her cheek upon receiving an embrace from her. She could smell garlic, an ancient Earth plant that had been safely brought to Caprica for cultivation and used in cooking, on his breath. William had a preference for Italian cooking, specifically that of the southern part of the country, located on a boot-like peninsula on the European continent.
Good. Weve finished up on the Starbuck exhibit, thanks to the Anlashok Historical Society, so its ready for the opening on Saturday!
Great! Now we can really enjoy our four-day weekend in Caprica City! Harold and Eunice are taking us to that play thats become a big hit in the theater district there. Galactica Before Earth has an actor who looks so much like Admiral William Adama that its eerie, from what Harold said.
Harold was Williams brother and he worked as a political journalist for the Caprican Times, while his wife Eunice worked as a high school drama teacher. Sharon liked them and looked forward to seeing them again as she sat down at the dining table for Williams specialty, which was chicken Parmesan.
The next day, they took their skimmer over to Harold Biers place, which lay in the suburbs of Caprica City. They went to another play that Friday night, which was about the first tumultuous years of Gaian population of the former Colonial worlds. To their dismay, it wasnt that great, tending to be a bit cynical about the past and dismissive of the contributions of the ancient Colonials to healing the rift caused by the Second Cylon War.
The next day, on their way back from a major celebration of the anniversary at Colonial Stadium, Sharon unexpectedly bumped into her sister Lauren at a bookshop just south of the Forum in Caprica. Lauren! My Gods, what are you doing here? Sharon said as she embraced her sister.
I came to see you, in fact. I was going to make it a surprise at your place, but I found out from your landlord that youd traveled here for the celebrations. Since I figured youd probably be with Williams brother during the weekend, I came here and was on my way to his place when I stopped here to browse for some books!
Well its great to see you again, sis! How are things on Earth? Sharon asked.
Thats part of what I want to talk to you about. Can I talk to you and William alone for a few moments? I need to ask you something. Lauren said.
Harold and Eunice nodded, and Harold said, Sure, well just head back to our place and get a start on making lunch. Well catch up with you three later on! Great to see you again Lauren, and if you want to stop by for lunch today, youre more than welcome to come by!
Lauren smiled and said, Ill do that! Thanks Harold! Harold and Eunice departed and left the three alone in the bookstore. Theres a coffee house just a block from here. Would you like to chat down there?
Sounds good to me! Let me just pay for my books and we can head down there! Sharon said, going over to the counter and getting out her cubits to pay for her books, which was a bit awkward, since she had an armful of books. Once they were paid for, William toted half of them in a shopping bag for his love, something that he had come to accept whenever his wife came across a bookstore.
They managed to get a table despite the rush because of the holiday and sat down to order. All three ordered double lattes and chit chatted as they imbibed the hot, frothy drink. So what is it about Earth that you wanted to discuss with us, Lauren? William asked.
Have you ever heard of a technomage? Lauren asked.
Yes, Ive heard about them. According to history, the last one of them died nine hundred years ago. Their technology was a descendant of an ancient, powerful race known as the Shadows, and once the Shadows left the galaxy, they were effectively doomed. Ive heard about Galen, who helped our race reclaim our worlds ages ago. He and his wife Dureena traveled among the worlds to help our ancestors settle in. Why? William replied.
Ever heard of a technomage known as Andromeda?
Sharon said, I think I remember that she was a friend of the Earth president Garrison Hollifield and went by the name Andrea Medina, but Im not sure if thats accurate. Why?
I think I may have found the ruins of her place of power. Its in a rugged, mountainous area of the North American continent, near a village called Boone.
William snapped his fingers and said, Thats right! Andromeda taught at the university there, Atlantic State or Appalachian State or something like that. I cant remember exactly what it was called. I remember reading about her in a biography of President Hollifield years ago.
Thats correct. Entilzha Roslyn Adama has asked me to head up a project to assist the monks I work with to set up another monastery there to dig up the ancient knowledge. I accepted and thought about asking you two to help me!
Sharons eyes went wide with excitement. Oh my Gods! Earth? Ive always dreamed of going there!
William asked his fiancSo does this mean you want to go?
Of course! The chance is too good to pass up! Lauren, when do we get started?
Well, you have to go to Minbar first for some training, but we could be on Earth as soon as three months from now, if youre able to get a sabbatical from your jobs. I should warn you, though, that most Earthers follow a monotheistic faith, which takes some getting used to, especially since our original faith caused us to go down a path of destruction.
That was a false God, created by the Cylons to blind us to the Lords of Kobol. Once our ancient ancestors accepted the faith of the Colonials, weve been blessed by a thousand years of peace. William said.
That may be true, but the Earthers still hold onto their beliefs of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other single god religions. It takes some getting used to when they refer to the one God. Lauren replied.
How bad is it on Earth? Sharon asked.
Lauren sighed and said, Its worse than I thought it would be. Village life is predominant and religious belief is omnipresent, as well as a serious suspicion of technology. They see it as responsible for the Great Burn, and, thus, being wicked. So we have to be careful, especially considering that we were once considered technology ourselves.
When the weekend was over, Sharon and William went back to their employers to get their permission to go on sabbatical to Earth. With a little arm-twisting, they managed to get what they wanted, and were soon on their way to Minbar for their training. They would become Rangers in this process, which would help them cope with the rigors of working on what was essentially a backward, underdeveloped world.
Sharon and William arrived at the airport that once served the city of Asheville in the mountains of what was once known as North Carolina. No one lived here anymore, since the city had been wiped out during the Great Burn. They trekked along an ancient highway, up steep mountainsides until they got to the ruins of what was once Appalachian State University. Brother Alwyn, named after one of the ancient technomages, shivered against the coolness of the oncoming fall weather as he met them on the campus.
Blessed Sister Lauren! It is such a joy to see you again, and I see you have brought Brother William and Sister Sharon with you like you said you would! Alwyn said.
Yes, they were eager to come up here and practice their faith. Lauren replied. They were all dressed in the monastic robes common to the ancient Catholic faith, which Sharon had trouble believing. Their cover story was that they had been transferred from a seminary along the coast of Virginia to assist the monks with building a monastery here on the ruins of what was once a thriving university campus.
That night, as they sat by the fire in a cabin just off campus, Sharon took her sister Lauren aside and asked, Do you think we could go see the ancestral home of our ancient matriarch?
That of Shelly Godfrey? Lauren asked, and Sharon nodded. Im not sure if it exists. Tulsa and almost all of Oklahoma was hit really badly during the Great Burn, and I dont know if anyone lives out there anymore. However, there is that big highway that we saw when we flew into Asheville that I know leads there, though not to Tulsa. Its in rough condition, so it would be slow going. Wed have to find a map to see how to get to Tulsa from there, though. Why?
I had a dream of her last night and Ive always wondered what she had been like, being fully human and all.
Lauren nodded and said, Ill talk to Brother Alwyn about this. I dont know if hell go along with it, or, if he does, when we can go out there, but Ill do my best!
The sisters embraced and Lauren went back to her cabin for the night. William handled the cooking that night, since he was more likely to adapt to cooking over an open fire than she was. When they finished dinner that night, they went to bed, and Sharon dreamt of the woman who had once served as the model for their race.
Sharon knew that Dr. Shelly Godfrey eventually became a well-renown neurologist on Earth, and her sons had used part of their inheritance from her to establish a medical center on the campus of her alma mater, the University of Oklahoma.
The other humans that had served as the models for the first generation of human Cylons had went their various ways. Simon Powell had become one of Earths most famous college basketball coaches. Dr. Leo Conoy and his hospital administrative friend Aaron Doral had moved to Kobol to establish a medical school there, which bore their names to this day. Sharon Valerii served briefly as defense minister in the Earth Alliance government before accepting a position with the Interstellar Alliance. William Keikeya had retired from Hollywood and opened a acting and screenwriting school in New York with Felix Gaeta, who helped run the place until they both died.
Clarissa Cally taught political science and interstellar relations at Georgetown University until she died. Danna Biers lived with Garrison Hollifield and helped establish his presidential library on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Adam Valance, Adriana Davis, and Lauren Ross had gone their own way and had fallen into relative obscurity, which was something that all three of them seemed not to mind.
Matthew and Elizabeth Gideon taught at the Earthforce Academy after the war was over, and their children helped to establish the Gideon Military Institute on the site of what was once known as The Citadel, a military college that had been wiped out by a hurricane in 2260 and had been left to rot during the years after the destruction. After retiring from the Academy, the Gideons had moved to Charleston, South Carolina and lived out their remaining years rebuilding the school.
Delenn managed to hang on until 2378, when she finally passed away. A few months after that, her son David passed away as well, having spent the last few years of his life helping to care for his dying mother. They had buried him along with his mother in the same area where the remains of Marcus Cole still were held in suspension.
Buried in that same cemetery were Susan Ivanova and Nelena Cain, who lived well past one hundred. They had spent their remaining years on Earth, writing about their lives and touring campuses doing lectures, and they also helped the Gideons rebuild The Citadel.
All that had been lost in the Great Burn, but, like the Gaians had done with the Colonial worlds that had been destroyed in the Cylon attacks, they could rebuild what had been lost. It would never be the same again, but they had an obligation to rebuild it. The Earthers had helped them to overthrow the Cylon control over them, so it was settling a debt of honor with them by doing this. So much had been lost in the Cylon attacks, but so much had managed to survive, and Sharon hoped that the same would hold true to the thirteenth colony.
The next morning, she woke up before William did. She slid out of bed, dug out a couple of items from her backpack, and took them over to the window to pray as the sun began to rise in the east. In her hands were idols of Apollo and Aphrodite, the very ones that former Entilzha Kara Starbuck Thrace had once owned so long ago. She had willed them to an ancient ancestor of hers, one Gina Godfrey, and they had passed down to her.
She looked out at the mountains in the distance and began to pray, Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer
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