BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: HARVESTER WAR
Chapter I: "The Abyss of War"
"There is an old proverb that says: If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you...
That abyss itself is the darkness that is always present in everyone, and manifests itself as a war.
War which lasts for centuries, millennia… War which always needs blood to act as its fuel.
War which will end one, and will change another, species forever. For one,it's simply a matter of conquest and elimination of its opponent, for the other: a matter of survival."
...
A massive ship appeared from nowhere, followed by another one, and another... Thirty-one ships emerged and held position behind the first ship, while some of the newcomers moved around the first ship assuming defensive positions. Thirty-two ships in total.
The Arcadian battle fleet assembled itself on the edge of what was simply called the Fire-Spin system. A system that looked like a physical manifestation of hell. It was a system in the process of creation; with a young sun and a bunch of young planets - some formed and some in the process of being formed. There were also a bunch of asteroids from those misfortunate ones that were destroyed when they collided together. Asteroid belts that ranged from stationary ones to fast-moving, unpredictable ones.
At the center of the large group of ships was the flagship of the Arcadian fleet, a massive dreadnought called Orang, a heavily armed warship capable of obliterating a Harvester battleship with two direct shots. It was the pride of the Arcadian navy and only a few of its class had been built. Orang was the first one. Her commanding officer was a veteran, a man who had fought the Harvesters many times throughout his life. High Admiral Amadeo Turron.
Turron stood on the bridge of his ship watching through the windows into the darkness of space. Taking in the view,the hellish look, of the Firespin system.
Unlike their brethren that came from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, the Arcadians (who were also humans) were more advanced, and more combat experienced against impossible odds. Their ships featured windows and more esthetical hulls than colonial ships which were pretty much armored battle carriers.
Like many Arcadian ships, the Orang had a bridge which was located on the top section of its hull at the center of the ship. The ship was well protected and armored and despite having windows they could be closed with special thick blast shutter doors. There were two pylons that went up from both sides of the bulge at the center of the ship forming the bridge, right behind the bridge section and two additional ones slightly behind the first pylons. These were high spectrum sensors capable of detecting things much better than even Cylondradis could.
The bridge itself was egg shaped with windows across one side of it. The Admiral's chair was in the middle while other officers and crew on board were situated around him. Only the Pilot at the helm steering the ship was at the front.
While Arcadian ships have windows and windows were usually believed to be a structural weakness by both Cylons and Colonials, Arcadian ships were well protected with powerful armor and impressive shielding. But in battle all windows have protective shutters which came into place adding more protection to the exposed parts.
Turron's personal aid came closer. He was sweating, it was clear he was worried and stressed. He had never been in real combat against the Harvesters. But the humans of Arcadia had survived only thanks to advance technology they found when they arrived, or better when they were brought to the planet they named Arcadia, by their gods.
It was believed that their patron god, Apollo, was responsible for technologies they found, and they were probably right. It was Apollo and his people who brought humans here and used them as a tool against the Harvesters, but again they didn't want humans to be annihilated so they gave humans advanced tools to fight the harvesters. To keep them in check. Hold the harvesters there, so they couldn't harm other life elsewhere…
Though most of Apollo's people scoffed at the mere suggestion, there was a deep held belief that humans were destined as those who would finally end the harvesters.
"I don't like this, sir. I don't like this at all. There were multiple confirmed reports that a Harvester fleet was here. Where are they?" Commander Bryton, High Admiral Turron's aid, said worriedly.
"Patience commander, patience," Admiral Turron replied calmly. "They are here, no doubt watching us from the darkness, out of our sight and away from our sensors. The Harvesters are masters of hiding when they need to and if reports were true and they are really here, I seriously doubt they won't attack."
"So we are bait?" Commander Bryton asked, incredulous, looking at Turron with disbelief.
"Yes Commander, we are acting as bait, but bait that will strike them hard once they finally decide to show themselves."
Turron himself showed no fear. He couldn't. If he showed fear in front of his crew, what would they do? Panic. No, the Arcadian military had fought the Harvesters for centuries. They lost ground, they regained ground, and lost it again but they never ran, never backed down. They couldn't.
Their impressive stubbornness had long kept the Harvesters away from Arcadia prime. That and the ancient device called Apollo's necklace which surrounded the Arcadian system. Making it look like one of many young star systems, uninhabitable and without any kind of resources that the Harvesters could use.
But there was also the mighty Spear of Apollo, a weapon of mass destruction which could annihilate an entire fleet if it came in range of Arcadia. A weapon which unfortunately wasn't functional, or at least the Arcadians didn't know how to use it. Although there was an explanation on why. It was believed by some scientists that the spear used energy of the Arcadia planet core to power itself. Constant use could destabilize the planet's core, but again nobody really knew for sure and despite many years and centuries after finding it, the people of Arcadia tried to make it active again. They failed. Thus, they were forced to depend on Apollo's necklace working on its own. And of course, their own defenses; a massive amount of mines, defense platforms, and the large Arcadian fleet.
"Movement detected, right in front of us, from the nearby asteroid belt," the sensor officer called out.
"How many?" Admiral Turron asked.
"Checking. Thirty, no fifty. More showing… Seventy-five. Seventy-five total."
"Far less than usual. A scout fleet. What is the composition of the enemy fleet?" Admiral Turron asked.
"Forty destroyers, thirty cruisers, four battleships and a single large command battleship," the ship's tactical officer Lieutenant Jackson Vierre said.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. All hands to battle stations," Admiral Turron ordered.
Admiral Turron scratched his beard watching in front of the ship, and spoke quietly, mostly to himself, "Thirty-two against seventy-five, I should've brought more ships… But, I doubted it would be needed."
One thing the Arcadians had was their technological advantage over the Harvesters. While the Harvesters themselves were very advanced, this advantage came only in ship production, troop creation and some other things. Harvesters didn't even bother to improve their technology. They did that only if it was absolutely necessary, but they always had an advantage in one field: numbers. They always attacked like locusts, like a legion. A scout fleet of seventy to one hundred ships was usual.
There were plenty of such fleets all around this sector of space. In the last century, there were only a few larger engagements between the Arcadian fleet and the Harvesters. For High Admiral Turron, that was a relief. Despite advanced technologies, the Arcadian navy had lost many ships and personnel in those battles.
"All ships assume formation Arrow-2, jam the Harvester fleet and open fire as soon as you get in range. Launch fighters," Admiral Turron ordered.
A series of orders could be heard through the bridge as the crew issued orders and directives to ship flight crews and other ships of the fleet.
"Heavy ships target enemy battleships and their command ship, all other ships concentrate their firepower on enemy destroyers and cruisers," Admiral Turron ordered, intending to focus the fleet's heavyweights to take out the most dangerous Harvester ships as quickly as possible.
Orang and its heavy escorts rushed forward followed by the rest of the Arcadian attack fleet while the Fury class star fighters rushed forward from the Arcadian warships, along with Retaliator class heavy gunship-bombers to engage enemy fighters and engage the enemy capital ships directly.
As soon as the two fleets came into their maximum engagement range, they opened fire. Orang opened fire on the closest Harvester ship. A destroyer, which was like every other destroyer in the attacking Harvester fleet was the of the same class, called the Khun class. Massive plasma cannons on board Orangcame to life and fired one shot after another, quickly devastatingthe Harvester destroyer. The Arcadian fleet, although outnumbered, charged straight into the middle of the Harvester fleet, attacking it viciously and without remorse.
Arcadians quickly learned to wage war on the Harvesters as brutally and efficiently as they could, and the reason for this was simple. The Harvesters do not take prisoners. Even if they capture alive crewmembers they change them, making them their own. A fate which was far worse than death itself.
Fighters launched from both sides meeting in a violent clash of dogfighting, destroying dozens on each side within moments of the opening shots hitting their targets before fighters swung around to engage new targets. From the forty Harvester destroyers four hundred and eighty drone fighters had launched, operated without a pilot they were vicious and daring with simple and base, cold machine logic driving them. Another six hundred plus fighters launched from the Harvester cruisers. Vastly outnumbered against over a thousand, a mere four hundred-plus fighters had launched from the Arcadian fleet.
One of the Harvester destroyers fired its plasma cannons as one at Cruiser Aegina, green lances of energy which swept over the rising blue bubble forming the cruiser's shield which sputtered but held against the onslaught. Energy bled through, starting fires aboard as circuits sparked inside or blew up in overload.
Then came a mass of drone fighters focusing as one on the Aegina, their tiny launched plasma bursts appearing like tiny blue bubbles against the ship did little damage but collectively hundreds of such lances pierced at the bubble-shield covering Aegina. Weakening the shield as the ship's capacitors went into overdrive pumping more energy inside to maximize their defense as a constant strain was dealt from the shield not disappearing after singular attacks came and ended but remained present as the blasts continued in a continuous stream…
Aegina struck back even as she turned hard to port trying to evade as much enemy fire as possible, firing forth her plasma cannon blasts toward the mass of drone fighters buzzing around the ship. Surviving a single hit from Aegina's cannon bursts, the drones' shields flaring brightly in response to the contact with their hull. Drone fighters went up in flames spreading out in piles of debris as the drones were hit once more by the large plasma bursts from Aegina consuming two drone fighters in each burst as they flew close together, the blast large enough to incinerate the majority of the fighters.
Even as the drones' numbers thinned, Aegina's shield weakened under the continuous strain of their attack, within a couple minutes the shield dropped completely even as damage from weapons fire which bled through as the shield had weakened. Flames covered Aegina's surface as another large blast from the Harvester destroyer impacted. Moments after, Aegina's reactors went hot as fire went uncontained inside the ship, consuming the ship's fuel lines. Aegina came apart in a glorious burst of explosive energy, fire covering every inch of the metallic divided metallic structure which spewed forth violently at the nearby drone fighters destroying many in the way.
Two Arcadian destroyers moved forward to point blank range in a pincer formation hitting a Harvester destroyer from port and starboard at the same time, their heavy plasma cannons spewing forth plasma bursts as fast as crew members aboard could pull the trigger ignitions for the cannons and fire. The harvester destroyer's shields flared brightly, weakening greatly against the onslaught. In comparison, the Arcadian destroyers dealt 30% more damage with each plasma shot making contact than the Harvester's, and fewer shots fired from the Harvester destroyer as its cannons blew up from the energy bleeding threw its shields detonating on contact across the ship's surface. The Arcadian destroyers pulled away, their shields at 70% and rising back up in strength as they had a small gap to recover. Behind them they left the burning, ruined, remains of the Harvester destroyer.
The battle became more and more vicious, damaged Harvester ships even tried to suicide run on the Arcadian ships, a move that the Arcadians knew all too well.
A heavily damaged Harvester cruiser pushed forward at maximum speed, its surface aflame, ignoring the Arcadian weapons fire continuing to pound away at the cruiser. The Harvester cruiser smashed against the Arcadian cruiser Myrmidon, with the momentum of Myrmidon as its commander had the ship take evasive action just prior to the cruiser's assault - dropping the ship 30 degrees. Myrmidon's shields flared brightly as the Harvester cruiser made contact, dragging across the ship and if noise were possible in space it would've made a loud piercing screech, which certainly sheared through sections of Myrmidon's upper port hull, detonating several of her cannons as they were crushed. Fiery explosions dealt more damage inside the Myrmidon as dozens of crewmen were incinerated, some instantly, others within the course of a minute as the fire spread throughout corridors before venting actions started suffocating the fires in their tracks.
"Cruiser Myrmidonhas received heavy damage, shield power dropped to twenty percent, almost fifty dead confirmed,"Orang's tactical officer Lieutenant Jackson Vierre reported.
"Order her to the rear, move destroyer Storm Whisper and cruiser Morning Glory forward, shield her," Admiral Turron ordered stoically.
Despite Myrmidon survived thanks to Admiral Turron's quick reaction but another destroyer the Tartaros was destroyed.
"Tartaros was destroyed, no confirmed survivors,"Commander Bryton said, his eyes bugging out and roving across the view screens, almost in a panic as he tried to keep track of the battle. He felt overwhelmed.
In the mist of the battle, Turron realized that there was opening in the enemy lines, it was a trap more than likely, however his fleet had managed to stretch the larger enemy fleet thin as over half had been destroyed with minimal losses to the Arcadians at the moment. Allowing more of holes to be open in their lines. Now or never, he thought to himself.
"Heavy fleet move forward attack enemy battleships and the command ship directly," Admiral Turron ordered.
Orang and the rest of her heavy squadron rushed forward. Massive plasma cannons from Orang itself and two of her escorts tore the first enemy battleship apart. The second was engaged by smaller ships which passed forward the rest of the enemy fleet, supported by fighters and gunship bombers, hitting the battleship with as much firepower as possible. Oddly enough using the Harvesters own tactics, saturating space around the battleship with even the smallest plasma bursts or missiles launched hitting the ship along practically every square foot of the battleship. The battleship was quickly brought down.
The Heavy fleet continued toward their prize, the Harvester command ship. Soon, the remaining Harvester battleships were neutralized, they were no match for Orang and the Odin class battleships escorting her, however light cruiser Morrigan was destroyed in process. Thankfully over half of her crew survived and were picked by other Arcadian ships.
Harvester command ship engaged all thrusters and moved forward for one last daring attack on the Arcadian heavy fleet. No doubt with the intention to ram Orang itself, but Orang and the other ships managed to stop it before it came to close. Despite heavy damage the command ship was still moving, it was only unexpected sacrifice made by heavily damaged cruiser Liaron that stopped the command ship from its course within a few hundred meters from ramming the Orang.
Within minutes of the command ship falling, all Harvester ships were destroyed but Admiral Turron didn't wait for enemy reinforcements to arrive. He immediately gave the order to pick up all survivors, and all corpses of fallen Arcadian solders. Sometimes Harvesters picked up corpses from dead humans and reanimated them, but those reanimated humans are nothing more than zombies, brainless beasts that were controlled by Harvester overlords. Intended for mindless destruction suiting the needs of the Harvesters.
Despite disadvantage in numbers, the Arcadian fleet had relatively few combat losses. Only eleven warships destroyed, although every other Arcadian ship had some degree of damage. Shields were down on several ships, having held on by a mere thread near the end of the battle.
Admiral Turron ordered all ships to regroup and jump back to Arcadia. Not only did the Arcadian navy fight for its own people, but they also fought for the Colonials on Avalon. Avalon which was the place of a great battle only seven years ago where the Colonials fought against their own enemy, the Cylons.
Cylons which were machines created by the humans of the twelve colonies, who rebelled and fought the humans in two wars. With extinction on the line for both sides. But the second war was the end for humanity in what was known as the Cyrannus system. From those colonials that came to Avalon, only a few million remained from over twenty billion humans who were killed in a surprise attack by the Cylons.
However, these survivors had come to what was commonly known to the Arcadian people as a war zone. Unlike the Arcadians who moved with extreme caution in this area of space, the colonials had conducted exploration of systems close to Avalon, and with each exploration they were at risk of being detected by the Harvesters. If the Harvesters found Avalon, no doubt they would send a large fleet to destroy it. And their numbers as far as the Arcadians knew in all their time fighting them, were near infinite, as they simply birthed more and more to replace losses. A Harvester fleet would sweep across Avalon like a plague if they were found, and they wouldn't stop sending ships to Avalon until eventually they wiped out the inhabitants. If it took a hundred, a thousand, or a thousand-thousand warships, eventually the harvesters would succeed. Arcadia really only survived thanks to the Arcadians secrecy and their engaging in a shadow war with the Harvesters. If the Harvesters knew their home world's location, they'd fare the same fate as the colonials…
It was one reason why the Arcadian navy fight so hard. To prevent their ignorant brothers and sisters from the Twelve Colonies being attacked by the Harvesters, but again also to protect their own people. Whether either side liked it or not, their fate was tied together, perhaps in their God's intent. For one fell, the other risked the same fate…
...
Avalon system
Eternity station (former mobile dry dock), Fleet Admiral's office
Fleet Admiral Thorn watched ships that passedby outside the station. This had been Stryker's office seven years ago. It would be sealed if not for Stryker's wife who urged Thorn to use it. It was good that he did, finally daring to enter and search the place: finding the last commands that Stryker left.
"Seven long years, Marcus, many things have changed," Thorn said quietly. Of course, many things had changed. Avalon was cleaned from radiation that had struck its surface in the last war. People enjoyed peace once more. Cylons that defected were not prosecuted, their help was appreciated despite that they had participated in the initial attack on the Twelve colonies. The Colonial forces were renamed the Avalon Defense Force, dedicated to protecting Avalon and its system. Ships were repaired, new ones were built.
Laura Roslin, the former secretary of education and later President of the Twelve Colonies died four years ago from cancer. Current president of Avalon was William Adama, former commander and Admiral of the Colonial navy.
There was Stryker's son. Marcus Stryker Jr. Little Marcus had gotten used to calling Thorn uncle, he spent a lot of time on the Eternity.
Thorn who lost everyone in the attack was especially touched when Stryker Jr. expressed a wish to join the military once he grew up. He wanted to be like his father. His father left a video for him, a video that he made a day prior to the battle of Avalon, just in case he didn't make it.
At least his son could see his father, on pictures and that one video.
Tears appeared in Thorn's eyes. "A son growing without a father, and an old man like me growing old, alone, without his wife and children."
But Thorn knew that he still had purpose. Latest reports that the Arcadians had provided were grim if not downright terrifying. Arcadians were quiet for most of these seven years, but they had started an offensive on the Harvesters, either because they were encouraged by the Colonial victory over the Cylons, or they were pressed by the Harvesters and they wanted to reduce that pressure. Whatever the cause was, there were lots of heavy fighting in the Arcadian part of the sector.
However, Thorn and the rest of Avalon military command and the civilian government found out many details about the Harvesters. Many that Stryker himself didn't know as Athena hadn't told him everything.
First, the Harvesters were not fully mechanical as it was originally believed they were. They have four overlords that act as military commanders, all four which serve the high overlord which was believed to be in command of all the Harvester forces.
Second, the Harvesters were created as a tool, as weapons by the ancient species that fought Athena's people. These ancient races used primitive species and converted them into their foot soldiers. Enhanced them biologically and technologically. In the case of the Harvesters, they became mutilated, mutated creatures connected into a hive mind by the large amount of bio-mechanical parts that were added to them. Many have lots of mechanical parts, there were lots of different variants, including simple Centurion like solders.
Thirdly, the Harvesters as their name suggested Harvest. They took dead or alive crewmembers of destroyed ships, or whoever they captured, and changed them, turned them into one of their own. It was not without reason that the Arcadians called them the force from hell.
And finally, the Harvesters show no mercy, no compassion. Men, women and children, it is all the same to them. As long as they can either kill, destroy, or harvest. It is believed that the original Harvesters were called Legion, due to the massive numbers they created. These first Harvesters were mechanical. But it is possible that when Athena's people defeated them, or when they were near defeat, that they turned their creations from standard troops to hellish ones. A virus found on one of the planets nearby had some connection to them. Biological weaponry, which transformed people into monsters but still somehow loyal to the Harvester overlords. Creatures from hell that rampaged and destroyed everything in front of them.
Thorn, the rest of military command and the civilian government kept all this secret from the general public, not wanting to steer them into chaos. But secretly, building new ships, improving offensive and defensive technology. All for the day when Avalon will once more face danger, once again put on the brink of extinction.
But Thorn knew, that something is coming, from the dark and endless abyss of space. He swore that he would not let his people, the people of Avalon down. He may not be Stryker, but he will do the same thing that Marcus Stryker did, laying everything on the line, protecting his people to the end.
He must, for the sake of humanity's future. But how? If the Arcadians who wield such advanced technology having fought so long against them had proved unable to defeat the Harvesters, what chance did Avalon's Defense force have?
TO BE CONTINUED...