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And it's not Adama who brings word of the 13th tribe, it's a former terrorist

Another excellent twist. Keep writing

Yes yes

More writing!

“Okay,” Hicks said an hour later after they had been left alone.  “This translation stuff is not working—Bishop, have we still got those flash-memory units on the Sulaco?”

Gorman and Burke smiled—while Hudson and Vasquez winced.  Ripley just looked confused.

“Oh.  They were developed while you were . . . indisposed,” Burke said.  “It is a learning tool that allows you to implant knowledge in a person’s mind.  “It was going to revolutionize instruction . . . until we found out the side-effects,” he shrugged.

“Side-effects?” asked Ripley.

“Yeah,” answered Hicks.  “If you use the damn thing too much, it causes irreversible brain damage.  But in moderation, it allows a Marine to implant something he needs to know—like a language.  They quit making them, but the Corps never recalled them—they just quit using them routinely.”

He paused.  “Do we have any?”

“Twenty should be in storage—and we do have a Greek language upload available; however, the dialects differ, but it will make communication simpler.”  And Bishop looked, uncomfortable.  “They appear very . . . phobic about artificial life.  I am having . . . difficulties understanding how these ‘Cylons’ could have done what they are claiming.”

“I’m not,” said Ripley, remembering Ash from the Nostromo.  “I think it is best that we not mention you are a syn- . . . an artificial person, Bishop.”

“Well, they are already wondering why Bishop didn’t get a full scan like the rest of us,” said Hudson.  “I don’t think that they bought the ‘he was never alone’ story.”

“You are all missing the point,” said Burke.  “We’ve got an incredible opportunity here.  We are the ones who have discovered these people, after all.”

“Actually they found us,” said Bishop.

Burke frowned.  “Beside the point.  Look, their technology is backward in a lot of ways, sure.  But this instantaneous FTL tech, what they call jumping?  This is the motherlode—if we play this right, we can come out of this richer than any of you ever dreamed.”

“We are Colonial Marines of the United Americas Alliance, Mister Burke,” said Lieutenant Gorman.  “Not employees of Weyland-Yutani.  We are not allowed to profit on anything we discover on a deployment—never mind that these people own the rights.”

“That’s a technicality,” said Burke as he smiled and raised his hands.  “I can promise you that Weyland-Yutani will not forget the people who brought this to them?”

“Like you didn’t forget the colonists you sent out to that ship, Burke?” Ripley said.  “Like you were willing to risk every one of our lives by trying to bring those alien specimens aboard the ship?  What were you going to do—smuggle them past ICC Quarantine?”

“Not possible,” said Hicks.   â€œNo unknown living organism goes through quarantine—none.”

“Keep on thinking that, Corporal Hicks,” Burke grinned.  “And like I said, Ripley, I made a bad call—it was a bad call.  But with this?  This will wash the slate clean for all of us.  With exclusive rights—of which each of you will get a few percent, I’ll even include the little girl to make up for what she’s been through—we can write our own tickets.”

“You know,” Hicks said.  “They don’t strike me as the type to let themselves get taken by a snake-oil salesman, Burke.  Not at all—and I think if we are going to go with them and meet their President, you need to tone down your greed.  It shows.”

“President,” Burke laughed.  “It isn’t governments that make things work—it is the corporations.  They’ll understand that—it’s how things are done.”

Ripley shook her head.  “Only for us, and only today, Burke.  Didn’t they teach you history?”

“History is written by the victors, Ripley.”

“Yes it is, Mister Burke,” said Gorman.  “And frankly, we aren’t the right people to be making this contact with the Colonials.  When we get back aboard Sulaco, I am going to inform the Commandant as regulations stipulate, and the Alliance can send out trained diplomats.  Hopefully they will get here before the vultures from the Three Worlds Empire, the China-Asian Congress, the Soviet Pact, the Pan-African Assembly, the Caliphate, or the Federated European Union arrives on scene.”

“You do that and we all get cut out.  No one will get rights, the government will step in and sell it off piece by piece to the highest bidder!” sputtered Burke.  “You are throwing away a fortune.”

“But I’m keeping my soul, Mister Burke,” Lieutenant Gorman said quietly.  “It isn’t all about money.  Bishop, let’s see if Major Caldwell will let us go back to Sulaco and place a call—or if we are actually prisoners here.”  And he looked directly at Burke and glared at him.  “And while we are there, I will authorize a nuclear strike on the alien ship that Ripley and Nostromo found.  It’s the only way to be sure.”

Burke sputtered, but the other Marines smiled at Gorman and nodded, even Ripley.  But then Vasquez grinned and she leaned in close.  “You’re still an asshole, you know that?  But you’re an okay asshole, Gorman.  A Marine asshole.”

Mr Burke meet Tom Zarek - I think those two will get on just fine

still reading despite the crossover element - I'll forgive it for the good writing

"politics as dangerous as combat"

"Only you can die more than once in politics"

Roslin appears bound and determined to prove even to her supporters that she's unsuited to her office.

As each new revelation and her reactions/prior actions become known, there appears to be fast approaching a time where it will become obvious that almost anyone else would be a better choice.  She's in FAR over her head/level of ability and her feet are planted on loose sand.

What happens next?  That'll depend on the military response to these new revelations.  Kidnapping of an innocent child?  What's next?  Assassination of political enemies?  Abolition of civil liberties?  President for Life?
How much can Adama stomach?

And where will Lorne draw the line and act...

Nicely done

“Athena,” Tory said, turning her head to face Sharon. “Hera is alive. The President ordered Cottle to fake her death and gave the child to Maya—her new assistant—to adopt. I will testify under oath that she ordered the kidnapping of your daughter and then had Cottle tell you she died in childbirth. Frack you, Madame President!” she snapped, and stormed off.

And everyone’s jaw dropped.

Shock as much as anything saved the life of President Roslin at that moment, because despite her Cylon speed and reaction time and strength, Athena was stunned—at least for a brief moment.  Athena surged forward and Laura Roslin gasped as those extremely angry fingers reached out for her throat—and stopped dead just inches from Laura Roslin’s skin before being pulled back; Saul grabbed the furious woman from behind, and Anders had tackled her around the waist—she still almost managed to connect with a vicious right hook thrown as she went to the deck, but Brother Cavil grabbed her arm and got thrown himself into the bulkhead for his troubles, but Galen caught the fist and held before she could resume her swing.

And even as the two Adamas and Mathias finally started moving (and a white-faced Laura backed up against the bulkhead) Ellen was already kneeling next to Sharon as Saul and Sam’s combined weight held her down on the floor, and Galen Tyrol still held her clenched right fist.  “Not this way, Athena,” she said.  “She wants you to hit her—that will let her get away with this and throw you away forever—we will get your daughter back to you, sister,” she hissed.

“I WANT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!” Athena snarled, her attention totally focused on Laura, tears of pure rage, mixed with . . . a kaleidoscope of hope, relief, and fear, streaming down her cheeks.

Mathias shook his head and he looked at Lee and the Admiral—and they were just as stunned as he was—as Athena was.  They didn’t know, he thought as his jaw worked—they didn’t know.

“Saul,” the elder Adama growled, “take who you need and get her,” he said pointing at Athena, “back to Helo’s quarters—Lee, grab Helo and take him there and use Marines if you must, but make him stay there.  Everyone else—except the President—OUT.”

Athena was still clawing and struggling and writhing trying to get away from Saul and Anders, shouting imprecations and threats of a very imaginative physical violence.  But with the help of Cavil—rubbing his shoulder from where he had impacted against the metal bulkhead—and Ellen and Galen and Sam, Saul managed to get the Athena over to the hatch and outside in the corridor.  And Lee closed the hatch behind him, shutting it off to at least slow down the Raptor pilot if she broke free.

She quit struggling and started to sob, collapsing down to the deck and Ellen held her there—even as Saul and Sam kept a strong grip on her arms, just in case.

“That included you, Commander Lorne,” Adama said in the now almost empty conference room. 

Mathias ignored him for a moment and he glared at the President—who met his gaze unflinchingly.  “You told me Admiral,” he whispered, “there was a line that I had dare not cross—a point past which you would not be pushed.  I, too, have such a line, Sir.  And this,” he said waving a hand at the closed hatch and the President, “more than crosses it.”

“I said GET OUT, Commander Lorne,” Adama growled again, and Mathias just looked at Adama—and the younger man realized that this was what pure furious anger looked like on the Admiral.  He nodded. 

“Aye, aye, SIR,” he answered, walking over to the hatch, opening it, stepped through, and closed it behind him.

Bill Adama shook—he literally shook—and he picked up one of the glasses and took a deep swallow of Ambrosia.  Then he threw the empty glass against the bulkhead where it shattered.

“What were you thinking?” he barked.

Laura stepped forward and her expression was grim.  “I want Lieutenant Agathon arrested—she tried to assault me in front of witnesses.  Put her in the brig, Admiral.”

“Laura, she had every right to land that punch—and you are lucky that Saul and Anders grabbed her in time.”

The President smiled—and there was absolutely no humor in that smile.  “She tried to assault the President of the Colonies; and now she is going to the brig.”

“YOU LIED TO ME!” Bill thundered, and then he collected himself. “You stole that child from her mother and father and you lied to them, you lied to the Fleet, you lied to me, Laura.  In the gods name, WHY?”

“The child is important, Admiral,” she said with a faraway look in her eyes.  “I’ve seen her in my visions—seen her running through the Opera House.  I’ve seen Lieutenant Agathon chasing after her and myself running a race to get to her first.  She’s the key to our future.”

“Your visions?  YOUR VISIONS?” Adama asked, “You never stopped taking the chamalla extract did you, Madame President?”

“And the Lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland. And unto the leader, they gave a vision of serpents, numbering two and ten, as a sign of things to come,” Laura quoted.  “I am that leader—I have had the vision of serpents, Admiral.  I am the dying leader Pythia foretold who would lead humanity to the promised land.”

“Y-you,” Adama stammered and then he forced himself to calm down.  “You stole away a child because of this religious NONSENSE?  Have you lost your fracking mind, Madame President?”

“No, Admiral,” Laura answered in a very cold voice.  “That child is the key—a key that I will not let any Cylon possess.  I did what I must, as a . . . National Security Measure I signed an executive order for the removal of Hera from the Agathons in order to protect this Fleet.”

“You told them she was dead—you told me she was dead!” Adama barked.

“I did no such thing,” Laura said with a smile.  “Doctor Cottle told them—and you—that the child had died.  And once Athena is in the brig again, then I might consider allowing Captain Agathon to see his daughter—until then, Hera will not have contact with either of them.”

“That decision is no longer yours, Madame President.”

“Are you going to launch another coup, Admiral?  I have the law—enough of it—on my side.  Hera is part Cylon, and keeping her in a neutral environment where she is not aware of that is vital—I know that.  I have seen that.”

“Do you think that the Courts are going to agree with you, Laura?” Adama asked.  “They will remove Hera from your custody and return her to her parents—and you will be charged with a heinous crime.”

Laura flushed.  “She’s a Cylon—she’s not a person, she’s a thing, Admiral.  Get it through your head.  We made them.  We built them.  I don’t care if they look like us now or not—they are things!”

“Somehow, I doubt that High Justice Lampkin will see it that way,” Adama growled.

“Bill, you have to trust me,” Laura began, and Adama cut her off.

“Trust you?  TRUST YOU!?!  Madame President, you went behind my back and you did an atrocious criminal act—you stole a fracking child, you told the child’s mother and father she had died, you gave her to another woman.”

“Her mother is fracking Cylon!”

“I DON’T CARE!” Adama thundered.  “She’s a person, a real live person, Laura, and you need to start understanding RIGHT THE FRACK NOW that she is an officer of the Colonial Fleet with every right and privilege and responsibility thereof,” Adama gritted his teeth, and he seethed with anger.  “You betrayed my trust, Madame President.  And you will be lucky if I don’t throw your fracking ass back into my brig!  NOW GET OFF MY SHIP!”

“Bill . . .,” Laura began.

“LEAVE!  Or by the Gods I will have you thrown off my fracking Battlestar,” Adama snarled before he turned and stormed off.  Leaving Laura Roslin, the President of the Twelve Colonies standing alone.