Usual disclosures: Much to my dismay, I did not own in whole or part the Battlestar Galactica Universe nor any of its characters. It is and remains the sole property of the Sci-fi Channel. Next, this story is an alternate universe and does not follow cannon. The first thing I have changed is that I never liked the concept that the 13th tribe was Cylon. I also decided that I did not like the story to take place in the year 150,000 BC, thus I have changed Earths time line (you will see).
I have read a few stories where the Colonial's (pre-fall) send a fleet to bring Earth into the Colony's by force. However, I thought what if instead, the Colonial Fleet was sent to aid us in our darkest hour...
Prelude
Presidential Compound of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol
Caprica City
Planet Caprica
Helios Alpha System
Martius 24, YR98 (Colonial Calendar)
June 1, 2065 (Earth Calendar)
Richard Adar, President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a few blessed minutes. Today had been a day from Tartarus. First his chief of staff woke him up at the ungodly hour of 0300, to inform him of a riot in Tawa, capital city of Sagitara, over a Pyramid game of all things. It soon became clear that the Tawa Police Department had matters in hand, so why the President of the Twelve Colonies just had to be immediately briefed, was beyond Adar's understanding. Then on top of his usually heavy day, he had to put out no less than three fights within his party, over really stupid petty reasons. Not to mention fend of a disastrous new bill from the opposition party. Now he was just informed that Admirals Nagala and Corman were on their way for what they termed as a matter of Colonial Security.
The outer doors to his office opened and the two men in question walked in. Adar opened his eyes. "Gentlemen, I have had a very trying day, so please be to the point." He then gestured for the two men to seat themselves before his desk.
Nagala and Colman gave each other a look before facing Adar. Colman began. "Yes sir. We will be as succinct as possible. First Mr. President, do you recall Operation Pathfinder?"
Adar frowned. "Vaguely. Its an exploration mission if I recall."
Nagala gave a confirming nod. "Officially, yes Mr. President. To the public, its goal is to further Colonial star charts past the red line and find new resources for exploitation. However, its true goal is to find a habitable world we could secretly colonize as a back up to a successful Cylon invasion of the Colonies."
Adar nodded. "Now I remember, a sort of doomsday plan. I take it something was found?"
Colman stood up and walked over to a wall monitor in the Presidential Office. "Yes sir. But not what we expected." He reached into a pocket and pulled out an octagonal disk. Pushing a button a way unit slid down to reveal various electronics. The Admiral inserted the disk and immediately the angelic emblem of the Colonial Armed Forces lit up the screen. "To put is simply, we found an already occupied planet."
Adar sat forward. "Cylon?"
Nagala shook his head. "No Sir. Human."
Adar's brows went up. "Human? A lost colony?"
Colman picked up a remote and pushed play. "That is one way to put it. More accurately, it is THE lost colony. Mr. President, may I present you with the home of the Thirteenth Tribe."
A beautiful blue planet with white puffy clouds started to rotate on the screen. Adar scoffed. "Oh common Admiral, surely you don't expect me to believe that you have actually found the mythical world of Earth?"
Colman looked the skeptical President in the eyes. "That is precisely what I am saying." He held up his had to stall the President. "Please sir, let me explain." He replayed the video, which split into two screens. On the left was shown an obvious Battlestar, then two other ships. The right showed the service pictures of Colonial officers. "Operation Pathfinder involved three ships, the Battlestar Hera under the command of Commander Ashley Lyndel and two Gunstar escorts, the Sword commanded by Colonel William Stoner and the Orion commanded by Colonel Greg Denton."
He clicked the remote which started to show gun camera footage from various Vipers. "Commander Lyndel held her ships at the edge of the system and sent in stealth Vipers to scout the systems third planet, from which they were intercepting a host of transmissions." The footage started showing cities and some of the close ups clearly showed humans. "At first, they were not sure what they had found. As you can see, recon very quickly revealed a human population. They also uncovered numerous broadcasts, both audio and video. However, most were in unknown languages. One of the languages was close to ancient Kobolian and Hera was fortunate to have a crew member who speaks it. To make a long story short, they were able to learn that the people of the planet as Gaia, which according to our experts is close to the ancient Kabolian word for Earth."
Adar's eyes went wide. Nagala gave the President their next piece of evidence. "The broadcast that used the word "Gaia", was a news report on an ancient ship their people had found buried on one of their continents. The narrator reminded her audience that the ship had been discovered about 50 years ago and carbon dating revealed it to be over 4000 years old. They evidently found some type of record that referred to the ship as the Athena's Gift of the Planet Kobol."
Adar gasped. "By the Gods, you have found the thirtieth tribe. They actually found one of the Gallons? And it is intact?"
Colman answered. "The report did not mention the condition of the ship. It mostly covered another document that was found, stating that the Athena's Gift was part of a fleet that brought a tribe of Kobolians to Earth. The reporter mostly discussed a debate on its merits in a place called United Nations and evidently the question of if they were the decedents of the colonists.
Adar leaned forward. "You mean they don't know they are Colonials? They forgot Kobol?"
"Evidently Mr. President. The reported did mention that it brought into question everything the peoples of Earth thought they know. However Sir, as interesting as this has been, its not the reason why we had to see you."
Adar could not believe his ears. "What could possibly top the discovery of Earth?"
Colman frowned. "This Mr. President." He clicked on the remote which started the video again. Flashes started showing up around Earth.
Adar squinted. "Are those…"
"Yes sir. That is a fleet jumping into Earth orbit. And before you ask, it is not Earther, Colonial nor Cylon. The question of alien life has just been answered." Adar could only blink at that statement. Colman continued. "The fleet that you see was part of an advance force. They call themselves the Calimar. They demanded the immediate surrender of Earth…
Battlestar Hera
Orbit of Pluto
Sol System
Martius 17, YR98 (Colonial Calendar)
May 25, 2065 (Earth Calendar)
Ashley Lyndel watched the broadcast with fascination with the rest of her crew in CIC. The signal was being relayed by Raptor 354, which was on the far side of Earth's single moon. To think they have found their long lost cousins….
"Raptor 354 to Hera! Dradis contact!"
Ashley quickly looked up at the Dradis screens as one of her officers announced. "Dradis contacts confirm, multiple contacts, Earth orbit silhouette unknown."
Ashley did not like surprises. "Action Stations. Ready Vipers for launch, standby FTL and signal Sword and Orion to be prepared for combat jumps."
"Yes sir!" Her officers started to carry out her orders.
"Action Stations! Action Stations! Set condition one throughout the ship, this is not a drill. Pilots, man your vipers. All stations prepare for combat jump…"
"Hera to Sword and Orion. You are ordered to Action Stations and prepare…."
"Commander, new signal coming in. Its from the unknown fleet and is being broadcast in all of Earth's languages."
Ashley ordered, "On speakers."
"Attention to the creatures that call themselves Humans. I am the Herald of your Overlord of the Greater Calimar Union. As of this moment your lives as you know it have ended. You are now the property of the Overlord. Those that serve well will be rewarded, those that don't will become food animals. Prepare to receive your masters."
"WHAT THE FRAK!" Exclaimed a Lieutenant. Ashley agreed with him. She turned to her XO. "We will jump with Sword to Raptor 354 and launch everything we have. Frank, prep the nukes. I want these Mother Frakers out of my sky."
"Yes Commander." Ashley picked up a headset. "Patch me through to Orion." "Your on Commander." "Hera Actual to Orion Actual."
"This is Orion Actual. We are ready Commander…"
"Greg, shut up for a minute. I need you to do something you are not going to like. I want you to stay hear and monitor. If something happens to Hera, you are to return to the Colonies and warn the Admiralty."
"Like hell…."
"Colonel use your brain for a minute. There are twenty enemy ships to one Battlestar and two Gunstars. Very bad odds. We need the fleet. Our brothers and sisters are depending on it.:
"Very well Hera Actual. We will wait just long enough to see if you can chase this abominations away then make for Colonial Space with all possible speed."
Ashley gave a nod that the Colonel could not see. "Thank you, Orion Actual. May the Lords of Kobol see you safely to the Colonies."
"And I pray that the Lords of Kobol keep and protect you Commander. Orion Actual out."
Ashley looked over to her com officer. "Ship wide." She waited a few minutes then spoke. "You all just heard the threat delivered to our brothers on Earth. They may be lost family and they may have forgotten their past. But they are still sons and daughters of Man, fellow Colonials and this is a Colonial Warship! By the Lords of Kobol, we will not allow our brothers and sisters to be enslaved or worse!"
Ashley's XO shouted. "SO SAY WE ALL!" The crew shouted back, "SO SAY WE ALL!"
Ashley gave the order. "JUMP."
Office of the Presidency
Presidential Compound of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol
Caprica City
Planet Caprica
Helios Alpha System
Martius 24, YR98 (Colonial Calendar)
June 1, 2065 (Earth Calendar)
Colman stopped the tape. "Orion stayed long enough to watch Hera and Sword jump into the Earth's moon orbit. The enemy detected them and sent most of their ships to deal with them. The fight was brutal and one sided. Nukes were used against us, and Orion reports no survivors. However, we were able to inflict major damage to the Colimar ships and they jumped out. Hera and Sword sacrificed their lives to buy us and Earth time but we are not sure how much."
Adar was quiet for a long moment. He then looked up. "I don't like the fact that we have evidently stumbled into a war."
Both Nagala and Colman did not like the sound of that. "Sir, we can not…"
"Wait Admiral, I am not finished. I may not like that we are now at war, but I also agree with the late Commander Lyndel. Earth is a Colony just as much as Caprica and is entitled to Colonial protection. I believe the Colonial people will demand nothing less. So, how quickly can the fleet respond?"
Nagala held in his relief. "I was hoping you would say that. I have already sent warning orders to BSG's 62, 49 and 79. These three groups are currently ready for immediate deployment and all combined consists of 17 Battlestars, 24 Gunstars , 7 Misslestars and 38 Strikestars. Also we have a division of marines on 4 Marinestars. That is what we can send on short notice. With this group, I want to also send whats left of BSG 75."
Adar was not that familiar with Battlestar Groups but this one sounded familiar. "If I recall correctly, Galactica is part of BSG 75."
"Yes sir. BSG 75 was originally 7 Battlestars and various escorts from the Cylon War. Only three Battlestars have survived, Galactica, Pacifica and Colombia. Of these, Galactica is the only one currently in service. Pacifica was retired last year and Colombia about two years ago. However, Pacifica and Colombia are still operational we just need to get crews and supplies together."
Adar was confused. "Those are old ships. Why do you want to send them?"
"You are correct Mr. President. They are old and all three are in need of refit. However, they are operational, can make it to Earth and more importantly can fight once they get there. I want to gift them to our cousins."
Adar frowned. "Why?"
"Earth has very minimal space capabilities. Basically a few space stations and so odd spacecraft. Their combat forces are planet bound and no match for any space faring power. They need to be able to defend themselves but they also need to learn how. Those old Battlestars can give them some defense and at the same time, help them learn modern warships and tactics."
Adar was nodding. "Interesting. Well lets fine tune the plans and then get our advance forces on their way. You will also have to get the rest of the fleet ready for War and I need to address the Quorum."