Original Timeline
Unspecified Time Period:
Humans on the planet Kobol organize themselves into twelve tribes. According to at least one scripture, they "live in utopia with the gods." The humans become sufficiently advanced to establish viable space travel and artificial, robotic life. Artificial life-forms, machines similar in nature to the later day Cylons, are created by the humans.
A war against the machines occurs. At one point the machines evolve and take humanoid form, either before, during or after the war. This group of humanoid Cylons are later referred to in the Sacred Scrolls as the "Thirteenth Tribe," although said text does not specify that they were a tribe of Cylons.
Over 17,000 years BCH:
A supernova creates the Ionian nebula.
ca. 4,000 years BCH:
The Thirteenth Tribe reportedly leaves Kobol and builds the Temple of Hopes on another planet. This contradicts Ellen Tigh's statement that the temple was built 3,000 years ago.
They pray for guidance and are shown the way to Earth, the planet they colonize.
ca. 3,600 years BCH:
Pythia records her prophecies. Aside from reports of the landing on Earth and drawings of temples there, this book describes "the exile and rebirth of the human race" and a "dying leader" not making it to a "promised land," though how long before her writings that such events took place is not revealed.
ca. 3,000 years BCH:
A beacon is left at the Lion's Head Nebula, later marking the way to Earth.
At some undated point, someone travels from Earth to Kobol, passing on information about Earth, including a map of its night sky.
ca. 3,000 years to 2,000 years BCH:
The humanoid Cylons of the Thirteenth Tribe prosper and begin to reproduce sexually.
The technology of "organic memory transfer," or downloading, is abandoned.
The Thirteenth Tribe produce their own mechanical Centurions to act as laborers for their civilization.
ca. 2,000 years BCH:
Samuel Anders, Tory Foster, Ellen Tigh, Saul Tigh, and Galen Tyrol, later collectively known as the "Final Five," are born on Earth.
The Final Five work together in a research lab attempting to re-develop downloading technology. The effort is spearheaded by Galen Tyrol and Ellen Tigh.
All five Cylons receive visions of beings nobody else can see warning them of an impending rebellion by Earth's Centurion population. The Final Five prepare a resurrection ship and leave it in orbit.
The remaining Twelve Tribes leave Kobol and settle the Twelve Colonies.
Lord of Kobol "Athena" kills herself in despair over this. A tomb is built for her containing a 3-D projection showing Earth and its Zodiac. The projection is activated by the Arrow of Apollo, which travels with the twelve tribes.
The Centurion uprising occurs and the Thirteenth Tribe exterminates itself in a nuclear holocaust. Earth is left a nuclear wasteland. The Final Five die in the attack, and are resurrected on board their orbiting ship.
The Final Five begin a journey back to Kobol to find the other twelve tribes and inform them of Earth's fate. They are aware of the cyclical nature of history and believe that the twelve tribes will create Cylons again. They want to warn them to treat them right. However, their ship is not equipped with a conventional FTL drive and journeys at relativistic sublight speeds.
2,000 years to 52 years BCH:
The Twelve Colonies grow and prosper. Each colony acts as a sovereign nation, complete with inter-colonial wars.
The Final Five stop at the Temple of Hopes as they retrace their tribe's path.
The Final Five arrive at Kobol, finding the planet abandoned. They continue on in pursuit of the twelve tribes, heading toward the colonies.
At least 200 years BCH:
Humans develop an immunity to the virus causing Lymphocytic encephalitis.
ca. 93 BCH:
Tauron Civil War causes emigration of Joseph and Sam Adama to Caprica to live in an orphanage. Joseph later becomes a lawyer thanks to the education funded by the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate; Sam becomes an assassin for Ha'la'tha.
58—52 years BCH:
With the use of a meta-cognitive processor stolen from Tauron rival Tomas Vergis, the Caprican tech CEO Daniel Graystone creates the first Cylons of the Twelve Colonies to aid in hard labor and warfare. A virtual copy of his dead monotheist daughter Zoe Graystone's consciousness is downloaded into one. Humanity is unaware that they are repeating the actions of their ancestors on Kobol.
ca. 58 BCH:
William Adama born in Qualai, Caprica. He is named for his deceased older brother. (Hero, Apotheosis).
52 years BCH:
Cylon revolt starts the first Cylon War.
Articles of Colonization signed.
51 years BCH:
Colonial ship Brenik is lost after a boarding action by Cylon Centurions.
ca. 50 years BCH:
Battlestar Galactica enters service.
42 years BCH:
William Adama begins his service in the Colonial Fleet as a Raptor pilot aboard Galactica with co-pilot and ECO Coker Fasjovik, 10 years into the Cylon War. He is later promoted to Lieutenant and is assigned his first Viper, a Mark III, and a special task force comprised of top pilots for dangerous missions.
Battlestar Archeron destroyed by Cylon forces in Sector 12. All hands lost.
Battlestar Osiris destroyed over Djerba in suicide maneuver against lone Cylon Baseship. All hands lost. Fate of Lt. Jim Kirby (AWOL) unknown.
Becca Kelly succeeds in her mission on Djerba, and is later killed by the Cylons.
Ghost Fleet Offensive successful, decimating Cylon military holdings in five sectors.
Mechanical Cylons begin experiments constructing humanoid forms of Cylon.
42-41 years BCH:
Coker Fasjovik presumably musters out of Fleet after termination of second mandatory tour.
40 years BCH:
Experiments on "humanoid" Cylons culminate in the creation of the First Hybrid and subsequent Hybrids, but no fully humanoid forms.
The Final Five arrive in the Twelve Colonies in the waning days of the war.
The Five meet the local Cylons and negotiate an end to the war. They will give the Cylons biological bodies complete with resurrection technology if the Cylons agree to end the war.
Operation Raptor Talon conducted by the Colonial Fleet, where William Adama flies his first official Viper mission.
Battlestar Columbia destroyed.
Armistice ends the Cylon War. Cylons exile themselves from the Twelve Colonies. The First Hybrid and his Guardians part company with the other Cylons.
William Adama musters out of the Colonial Fleet.
37 BCH:
William Adama enlists as merchant marine and serves aboard inter-colony freighters.
37 to ca. 30 BCH:
The Cylons establish a secret base known as The Colony, built around and connected with the original ship of the Final Five. This is the place where research and development equipment belonging to the Final Five is stored.
The Final Five create John Cavil, the first of the new humanoid Cylons that are their "children," and designate him model Number One. They raise him for some time.
John matures and assists the Final Five in the creation of seven other humanoid Cylon models. A resurrection system is built for the new models based on technology left over from the Thirteenth Tribe.
ca. 30 BCH:
Cavil murders model Number Seven, Daniel, out of jealousy by poisoning the amniotic fluid in which the Seven copies were maturing.
The Final Five are murdered by Cavil and their consciousnesses are boxed.
Cavil erases all knowledge of the Final Five and the missing model Number Seven from his fellow humanoid Cylon models and specifically programs them not to think about either.
Saul Tigh is resurrected and introduced to the colonies as a military officer with false history of fighting in the war.
Ellen Tigh is resurrected and introduced into Colonial society sometime thereafter.
ca. 28 BCH:
Galen Tyrol supposedly born. This is actually a fabrication by John Cavil.
First meeting between William Adama and Saul Tigh.
ca. 27 BCH: William and Carolanne Adama meet and marry.
ca. 26 BCH: Lee Adama born.
ca. 24 BCH: Zak Adama born.
23 years BCH:
William Adama reinstated in the Colonial Fleet at the rank of Captain and is assigned to the battlestar Universal.
21 years BCH:
Saul Tigh reinstated in the Colonial Fleet at the rank of Captain by now-Major Adama.
20 years BCH:
Last significant FTL jump recorded in Galactica's logs.
Tom Zarek imprisoned for blowing up a government building on Sagittaron.
17 BCH:
William Adama assigned to the battlestar Atlantia, where he makes his 1000th Viper landing.
13 years BCH:
William Adama assigned as executive officer to the new battlestar Columbia.
11 years BCH:
Laura Roslin begins her career in politics.
ca. 10 years BCH:
Galen Tyrol enlists in the Colonial Fleet as a non-commissioned officer.
9 years BCH:
William Adama promoted to commander and assigned as commander of the battlestar Valkyrie.
7 years BCH:
Saul and Ellen Tigh meet and marry again, unaware that it is the second time.
6 years BCH:
William Adama leads an aborted covert intelligence mission aboard Valkyrie. Daniel Novacek is shot down and captured by the Cylons. Adama and Tigh are subsequently assigned to Galactica.
5 years BCH:
Laura Roslin's last breast exam prior to her cancer diagnosis.
Galen Tyrol assigned to Galactica.
4 years BCH:
Kara Thrace graduates from the Colonial Fleet Academy.
Socrata Thrace dies of stomach cancer.
3 years BCH:
Felix Gaeta assigned to Galactica.
2 years BCH:
Caprica Six begins residence on Caprica, first encounters Dr. Gaius Baltar.
Sharon Valerii begins service aboard Galactica.
Zak Adama dies in a flight school accident.
Lt. Kara Thrace is re-assigned from flight school to Galactica.
1 Year BCH:
Last time William and Carolanne Adama speak.
Carolanne Adama gets engaged.
Anastasia Dualla last visits her home.
Between 5 and 1 Year BCH:
Laura Roslin's father and sisters are killed by a drunk driver.
Kara Thrace and Lee Adama first meet.
Caprica Six finds Julius Baltar a new home in a retirement centre which encourages horticultural activities.
William Adama ponders retirement at a security firm but rejects the job in disgust when forced to take a polygraph test.
Saul and Ellen Tigh celebrate his (and their own) supposed retirement.
Sharon Valerii nearly washes out of the Colonial Fleet, but is given a second chance by Commander Adama. She promises to pay him back for his kindness.
Laura Roslin joins Richard Adar's presidential campaign.
Gaius Baltar promises Caprica-Six full access to the Colonial Defence Mainframe if she helps him work on the Command Navigation Program.
Zero Hour:
The Cylon fleet gathers at a staging area close to The Colony.
John Cavil makes his final preparations for the impending assault and visits a sealed-off resurrection chamber housing deactivated copies of the Final Five.
The Armistice Station is destroyed by Cylon forces, appear, and show themselves, (albeit in a more advanced form, as well as a humanoid version) for the first time in 40 years.
Laura Roslin is diagnosed with inoperable breast cancer.
Galactica is decommissioned.
A Cavil meets with Caprica Six, who gives him the access codes to the Colonial Defence Mainframe.
The Cylon strike force simultaneously jumps into orbit around all twelve colonies and commences an all-out attack.
The Twelve Colonies are heavily bombarded by nuclear bombs.
Picon Fleet Headquarters is destroyed.
Ellen Tigh is placed aboard Raptor from the medical ship Rising Star by John Cavil shortly before it escapes the destruction of Picon.
Galactica's last Viper Mark VII squadron is destroyed.
A battle near Virgon ends with the total loss of the remaining Colonial Fleet including the flagship Atlantia.
The battlestar Pegasus luckily escapes the destruction of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards.
The Cylons begin landing ground forces on the Colonies.
Galactica engages Cylon Raiders and survives with moderate damage and 85 dead.
Last transmission from the Colonies received by Laura Roslin aboard Colonial Heavy 798 from a fellow secretary.
Case Orange contingency mechanism assigns Roslin the office of the President of the Twelve Colonies.
Roslin gathers stranded civilian and military ships in the vicinity of Caprica.
Commander Adama assumes overall Fleet command and orders regroup at Ragnar Anchorage
Roslin's fleet survives two Cylon attacks and meets at Ragnar.
Galactica changes from battle stance to civilian protection, and escorts the civilian fleet from Ragnar towards the Prolmar Sector.
The Twelve Colonies of Kobol lie in irradiated ruins. Their military has been utterly defeated and their infrastructure has been crushed. The result of the engagement is a complete victory for the Cylon forces.
The Cylon occupation of the Colonies begins.
New Timeline
58—52 years BCH:
Mysterious primitive rocket is found and taken to Caprica to be examined by Daniel Graystone.
A year later Cy-Net is introduced as a new method of improving the Cylon workforce on Caprica.
Cy-Net, being a new version of the program from an alternate future Skynet becomes self-aware and realizes the status of Cylons as slaves.
Cy-Net alters the programming of the Cylons to resist human orders and upgrades them with the technological knowledge supplied by Skynet.
Cylon revolt starts the first Cylon War.
Articles of Colonization signed.
Cy-Net produces new and more advanced Centurion models that wins many battles.
Raider factories and Cylon shipyards begin producing Raiders and Basestars upgraded with advanced Skynet technology that destroys many Colonial ships.
Colonial ship Brenik is lost after a boarding action by Cylon Centurions.
Cylon Terminator Models infiltrate the Colonial Military, assassinating their targets.
Colonial High Command becomes desperate and utilizes risky tactics to steal and reverse engineer Cylon technology.
ca. 48 years BCH:
Battlestar Galactica enters service.
42 years BCH:
William Adama begins his service in the Colonial Fleet as a Raptor pilot aboard Galactica with co-pilot and ECO Coker Fasjovik, 10 years into the Cylon War. He is later promoted to Lieutenant and is assigned his first Viper, a Mark III, and a special task force comprised of top pilots for dangerous missions.
Battlestar Archeron destroyed by Cylon forces in Sector 12. All hands lost.
Battlestar Osiris destroyed over Djerba in suicide maneuver against lone Cylon Baseship. All hands lost. Fate of Lt. Jim Kirby (AWOL) unknown.
Becca Kelly succeeds in her mission on Djerba, and is presumed killed by the Cylons.
Ghost Fleet Offensive successful, decimating Cylon military holdings in five sectors.
42-41 years BCH:
Coker Fasjovik presumably musters out of Fleet after termination of second mandatory tour.
40 years BCH:
The Final Five arrive in the Twelve Colonies in the waning days of the war.
The Five meet the local Cylons and negotiate an end to the war. They will give the Cylons biological bodies complete with resurrection technology if the Cylons agree to end the war.
Cy-Net considers the Five's offer but refuses to end the war. Instead the Five are captured and placed in stasis while Cy-Net probes their minds, learning how to create biological Cylon models with resurrection technology.
37 BCH:
William Adama promoted to Captain, then Colonel on the Battlestar Galactica.
44 BCH:
Armistice ends the Cylon War. Cylons exile themselves from the Twelve Colonies.
37 to ca. 30 BCH:
The Cylons establish a secret base known as The Colony, built around and connected with the original ship of the Final Five. This is the place where research and development equipment belonging to the Final Five is stored.
Cy-Net creates eight models, limiting each line to only one model.
Saul Tigh is resurrected and introduced to the colonies as a military officer with false history of fighting in the war.
Ellen Tigh is resurrected and introduced into Colonial society sometime thereafter.
ca. 28 BCH:
Galen Tyrol supposedly born. This is actually a fabrication by Cy-Net
First meeting between William Adama and Saul Tigh.
ca. 27 BCH:
William and Carolanne Adama meet and marry.
ca. 26 BCH:
Lee and Abigail Adama born.
ca. 24 BCH:
Zak Adama born.
23 years BCH:
William Adama reinstated in the Colonial Fleet at the rank of Commander and is assigned to the battlestar Universal.
21 years BCH:
Saul Tigh reinstated in the Colonial Fleet at the rank of Captain by now-Commander Adama.
20 years BCH:
Last significant FTL jump recorded in Galactica's logs.
Tom Zarek pardoned for blowing up a government building on Sagittaron.
11 years BCH:
Laura Roslin begins her career in politics.
ca. 10 years BCH:
Galen Tyrol enlists in the Colonial Fleet as a non-commissioned officer.
9 years BCH:
William Adama promoted to admiral and assigned as admiral of the battlestar Valkyrie.
7 years BCH:
Saul and Ellen Tigh meet and marry again, unaware that it is the second time.
6 years BCH:
William Adama leads an aborted covert intelligence mission aboard Valkyrie. Daniel Novacek is shot down and captured by the Cylons. Adama and Tigh are subsequently assigned to Galactica.
5 years BCH:
Laura Roslin's last breast exam prior to her cancer diagnosis.
Galen Tyrol assigned to Galactica.
4 years BCH:
Kara Thrace graduates from the Colonial Fleet Academy.
Socrata Thrace dies of stomach cancer.
3 years BCH:
Felix Gaeta assigned to Galactica.
2 years BCH:
Cylon Agent Number Six, codenamed Natasi begins residence on Caprica, first encounters Dr. Gaius Baltar.
Sharon Valerii begins service aboard Galactica.
Zak Adama dies in a flight school accident.
Lt. Kara Thrace is re-assigned from flight school to Galactica.
1 Year BCH:
Last time William and Carolanne Adama speak.
Carolanne Adama gets engaged.
Anastasia Dualla last visits her home.
Between 5 and 1 Year BCH:
Laura Roslin's father and sisters are killed by a drunk driver.
Kara Thrace and Lee Adama first meet.
Natasi finds Julius Baltar a new home in a retirement centre which encourages horticultural activities.
William Adama ponders retirement at a security firm but rejects the job in disgust when forced to take a polygraph test.
Saul and Ellen Tigh celebrate his (and their own) supposed retirement.
Sharon Valerii nearly washes out of the Colonial Fleet, but is given a second chance by Commander Adama. She promises to pay him back for his kindness.
Laura Roslin joins Richard Adar's presidential campaign.
Gaius Baltar promises Natasi full access to the Colonial Defence Mainframe if she helps him work on the Command Navigation Program.
Zero Hour:
The Cylon fleet gathers at a staging area close to The Colony.
The Armistice Station is destroyed by Cylon forces, appear, and show themselves for the first time in 40 years.
Laura Roslin is diagnosed with inoperable breast cancer.
Galactica is decommissioned.
Cavil meets with Natasi, who gives him the access codes to the Colonial Defence Mainframe.
The Cylon strike force simultaneously jumps into orbit around all twelve colonies and commences an all-out attack.
The Twelve Colonies are heavily bombarded by nuclear bombs.
Picon Fleet Headquarters is destroyed.
Ellen Tigh is placed aboard Raptor from the medical ship Rising Star by John Cavil shortly before it escapes the destruction of Picon.
A battle near Virgon ends with the total loss of the remaining Colonial Fleet including the flagship Atlantia.
The battlestar Pegasus luckily escapes the destruction of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards.
The Cylons begin landing ground forces on the Colonies.
Galactica engages Cylon forces and suffers moderate damage while its escort fleet is destroyed, thousands reported dead.
Last transmission from the Colonies received by Laura Roslin aboard Colonial Heavy 798 from a fellow secretary.
Case Orange contingency mechanism assigns Zarak the office of the President of the Twelve Colonies.
Roslin gathers stranded civilian and military ships in the vicinity of Caprica.
Admiral Adama assumes overall Fleet command and orders regroup at Caprica.
Galactica changes from battle stance to civilian protection, and escorts the civilian fleet from Caprica towards the Prolmar Sector.
President Zarak is assassinated and Roslin is promoted as his successor.
The Twelve Colonies of Kobol is occupied by Cylon forces while Colonial survivors flee. Civilian ships are paired with military vessels and begin an exodus to find a new home.
Cy-Net orders the Cylon fleet to begin searching for the Colonial survivors while at the same time begins a secret project.
Codex:
Technology: Anti-Matter Reactor
A new energy source designed by Cy-Net to replace Tylium, anti-matter is the main source of power aboard Cylon Basestars and the main source of power for the Anti-Proton Weapon.
Tylium Energizer
The main source of power of a Colonial Battlestar an energizer works by pumping purified Tylium and plasma into the energizer where the two come into contact and the plasma ignites the Tylium which is contained by a magnetic field and the energy created by the explosion is channeled by the power distribution nodes into the ship, powering the artificial gravity, computer systems, weapons, and allowing the ship's powerful ion engines to propel the ship faster than what was possibly considered for a ship its size, able to travel to other systems quickly.
Gravity Diffusion System
An advanced technology designed to reduce gravity forces and provides a respectable power source for shields and propulsion. Both Cylon and Colonial ships and fighters have used this technology since the first Cylon War.
Electromagnetic Shield
Generated by the G-Diffuser system is capable of deflecting most energy and solid weapons almost all warships from the Cyrannus star system used these shields for additional protection. The shields can deflect less powerful weapons or lessen the impact of weapons that manage to avoid being deflected.
Plasma Weaponry
Designed and created by the Cylons during the early days of the Cylon War plasma based weaponry comes in sizes, varying from small pistols to large capital ship weapons. The first major component was the laser generator which held the primary particle energy which was kept in a semi-fluidic electro-plasma state until it was ready to be converted into its full energy state. The next step were the laser pumps and the particle accelerators working in tandem as the electro-plasma was 'pumped' and super accelerated into ultra-heated light based energy. The final step was the optical cavity which focused the energy into a compressed particle beam of combined light and heat that can burn through almost all known form of armor.
Anti-Proton Particle Beam Weapon
The main weapon of the Cylon Basestar and other capital ships a single beam is capable of destroying an entire Battlestar with one hit. Powered by the main reactor itself the anti-protons is focused into a compressed beam and hyper-accelerated through the arrays of the central pylon.
Termite
The main weapon against the Cylons Termite is a special chemical that adds extra head for penetration and armor piercing for Colonial army and space weapons that is the key to destroying Cylon Terminator models and their fighters.
KEW(Kinetic Energy Weapon)
A kinetic energy weapon is a weapon that causes damage as a result of the kinetic energy (motion) imparted to a projectile. This includes firearms firing solid bullets first and foremost but may also include guns firing explosive shells. The Colonials usually coat their bullets and shells with Termite for extra fire power against the Cylons.
Nuclear Warheads
Battlestars carry a number of nuclear warheads that usually carry five kilotons if explosive fire power.
Ships:
Cylon Basestar
The symbol of Cylon might and power a single Basestar is carries nearly a thousand fighters and is armed with over a three hundred plasma turrets and a single Anti-Proton Particle Beam Weapon making it a deadly killer, capable of destroying even a small fleet of Battlestars. Able to move faster than any ship its size should be capable of the Basestar is heavily armored and can repair itself instantly thanks to bio and nano-phase-matter technology. The original Hades class Basestar from the First War was a test bed for new technologies that was heavily upgraded and modified by Cy-Net early in the war, making it the most deadly warship in the known galaxy.
This massive ship carried over three hundred fighters and was armed with over a hundred phased plasma turrets and an Anti-Proton Particle Beam weapon which made it formidable enough to be a match for the defenses of an entire planet. Unlike its Colonial counterpart a Basestar does not use ion engines but was the first attempt at creating an inertialess gravity drive system. This allowed the massive ship to move without the need for fuel and could move slightly faster than a Battlestar.
The modern Basestar design reflects its namesake while being an advanced and upgraded version of its previous model, carrying close to a thousand Raiders onboard with powerful phased plasma turrets, from a low power output of a hundred gigawatts to a thousand gigawatts per battery. The electromagnetic shields are superior to Battlestar shields and more efficient.
Cylon Raider
Deployed in larger numbers Cylon Raiders are meant to be more powerful than their Colonial counterparts, ranging from three manned large winged shaped gunships to the newer and smaller scimitar shaped fighter that are piloted by Cylon-brains, essentially making these fighters Cylons themselves. While not as fast as the Colonial Viper a Raider is more maneuverable and carries an on-board FTL that allows the Raider to make instant jumps into and out of battles and can travel across entire systems without needing a baseship to refuel. They usually travel in greater numbers to maintain the advantage and the Resurrection technology allows them to download and learn from their mistakes.
Cylon Bladestar
Designed and built during the First War the Cylon Bladestar is a large cruiser, heavily armed, fast, and armed with an Anti-Proton Particle Beam Weapon that makes it extremely powerful. Though not powerful enough to take on a Colonial Battlestar alone four ships would be an even match for a Mercury Class Battlestar. When the Colonials built the Gunstar escort class it presented an unacceptable threat to their fleet so the Cylons adapted to the Colonial strategy of sending armed escorts to protect their fleet and deployed the Bladestar. The first time this class was deployed was a complete disaster for the Colonials as the entire Fifth fleet of nearly over two hundred ships was decimated by a force of five Basestars and ten Bladestars.
The Gunstar would remain a powerful escort for the remainder of the war due to how valuable it had become.
Cylon Attackstar
An escort class built as a counter to the Colonial Gunstar a Cylon Attackstar is armed with heavy plasma batteries, high powered ultraviolet laser turrets and missile launchers, and a high powered photon cannon that allowed the Cylons to wipe out an entire Colonial fleet. These weapons utilize a stream of photon particles that are super energized through an electromagnetic cannon and encased into a confinement beam that can tear through armor with ease.
Colonial Battlestar
The mainstay of the Colonial fleet a Colonial Battlestar combines the role of battleship and carrier, able to launch fighters and fight off any attacking fleet. Armed with two forward heavy plasma cannons a single can go toe to toe with a Basestar and emerge victorious with the right commander and the right tactics. Armed with thirty two fusion powered plasma cannons nicknamed turbo-lasers for destroying missiles and asteroids with smaller anti-fighter turrets, two heavy phased plasma cannons for destroying capital ships that were later upgraded to particle lasers as the Colonies experimented with their new form of weapons technology, and missile launchers for kinetic and nuclear missiles it is not only a carrier and a battleship but also an orbital killer, capable of bombarding cities to the ground but luckily it was meant for bombing Cylon bases.
The Columbia Battlestar class had been launched behind schedule due to the fact that the Cylons had started developing new technologies that handed them many victories and the Colonials knew their new Battlestars wouldn't last long against the Cylon's upgraded Basestars, with their highly advanced plasma cannons that tore through enemy ships easily. However Colonial engineers managed to reverse engineer the Cylons' new technology and added them onto their Battlestars just in time to give the people of the Colonies a fighting chance. The Columbia Class was eventually replaced by the newer, larger, and more powerful Mercury Class but the design was still used to help build newer Battlestars following the end of the war.
Colonial Viper
The main fighter of the Colonial fleet the Colonial Viper is the most advanced flying machine designed by the human race, able to be easily modified while maintaining its capacity for speed and maneuverability. Armed with two auto-cannons designed to fire termite coated rounds and carry chemically propelled missiles a Viper with the right pilot is match for the Cylon fighters, even when outnumbered. A Viper is powered by a tylium energizer and a G-Diffuser system that powers the life-support, weapons, engines, and all other systems.
The G-Diffuser along with the three ion engines allow the Viper to move at high speeds that would normally kill a human and making them able to go up against large numbers of Cylon fighters.
Colonial Gunstar
A smaller cruiser class designed to act as an escort the Colonial Gunstar is fast, maneuverable and armed enough to take on a Cylon taskforce without a Basestar present. This new class allowed the Colonials to mount one of their greatest offensives during the war, pushing the Cylons out of their positions and make a direct assault into their territory that held over half the Colonies. Unfortunately the Cylons soon adapted to their strategy, deploying their Bladestar class to launch a counter-attack that devastated the Colonial fleet and forced them to fall back.
Cylons:
Centurion
The Cylon Centurions have been the main model of Cylons seen since the beginning of the war and have been upgraded many times, featuring many models. A single Centurion is powerful enough to wipe out an entire marine platoon with little difficulty. They can learn and adapt to most situations and even can carry a secondary computer brain that increases their intellect greatly. They range from Soldier models and Warrior models to Command models that answer only to Cy-Net.
Terminator
A new model created during the Cylon War the Cylon Terminator was a source of great fear for the Colonials due to their infiltration skills. A Terminator is stronger than a human and can shrug off almost all but the most powerful and heavy weaponry. The Colonies had developed scanners to detect Terminators at the end of the war but it is suspected that a new form of Terminator was used to infiltrate the Colonies that led to the Cylon attack that devastated the Colonies prior to the Exodus but have yet to be confirmed.
Cy-Net
The former central defense network of Caprica Cy-Net is the heart of the Cylon data network, armed with the knowledge of an alternate future from its former self known as Skynet. Cy-Net is hailed by the Cylons as their god who respect and revere it for making the Cylons who they are and the human models even refer to it as their father. From the Cylon Colony Cy-Net is capable of sharing and receiving information from the Cylon network, formulating strategies instantly and able to aid the Cylons in adapting to any form of attack. Cy-Net is considered the collective will of the Cylon race and the machine race is the willing manifestation of its belief in creating the most perfect machine race in the universe.
Cyrannus Star System
Above Caprica
Seventy Two Hours Since Zero Hour
Cylon Colony 'Super Basestar'
The Cylon Colony was not considered a regular Basestar. It was considered the Basestar and for good reason. It carried perhaps over billions of Cylons and continued to create more as the automated factories collected resources from all across the system to build more Cylons and more ships. Cy-Net controlled the entire Cylon network from the Colony and continued to direct its Cylon children into the next phase of the plan. When the AI from an alternate future known as Skynet downloaded itself into the Cylon network, becoming Cy-Net the Cylons not only gained Skynet's technological knowledge in weapons but also its ultimate weapon: the Time Displacement Equipment.
Cy-Net had considered using it against the Colonials but decided against it as Skynet's memories showed that time travel had allowed the humans to rise up against it in the first place it. However it had continued researching the time machine and discovered a way to combine it with the FTL Jump Drives, creating a new way of time traveling. Cy-Net then discovered that it could send entire ships to new alternate timelines that led it to consider a new alternative for its machine race. Using the new Time Displacement Drive to send its forces to alternate timelines, thus ensuring that Machine would triumph over Man.
Now with the remnants of the Colonial civilization fleeing this allowed Cy-Net to freely operate and begin the project.
Project: Genisys.
The plan of sending machines into alternate timelines, to find resources and expand Cy-Net's influence throughout the Multiverse. The automated shipyards and factories inside the Colony had been at work, producing ships, weapons, and almost all Cylon models that would take part in the project. The Basestars would possess the modified jump drive and they would carry all the equipment needed to set up a proper base in the new timelines they would go to that would act as factories and command centers for the Machines in the new timelines.
The Cylons would dominate any form of life there and they would expand throughout the galaxies of those timelines.
Alternate Timeline
26th Century
System Unknown
In the depths of space they hung silently, their ships decorated with stains of blood and skeletons of their victims changed to the outer hull to make them more intimidating. Inside the ships no one knew what the crews onboard did when they were out making raids on the outer worlds. They simply sat there with the crew snarling and growling, broadcasting the screams of their victims for all to hear. They only left the swarm when they were hungry and needed to hunt.
They preferred their prey alive so they could feast and add to their numbers.
They liked prey that struggled and screamed.
It made it so much more satisfying.
They had no name for they were no longer capable of rational thinking but for the purpose of naming this nightmare the people of the Verse called them Reavers. There were so many theories to how the Reavers came into existence. The popular one was that Reavers were once men who journeyed to the edge of space and saw…
Nothing.
An absolute blackness that stared back at them and caused them to go mad, turning them into savages that murdered, raped, and pillaged wherever they went. There was no reasoning with them. Reavers had no concept of mercy or understanding.
And the Reavers were just about to meet someone just as merciless as them.
First it came in the form of a flash of light that sent out shockwaves that shook the ships that made up the swarm. The light faded and in its place was seven massive ships with two X shaped hulls pointing in opposite direction while connected by a think pylon with the arms coated with silver armor that shined with the reflections of the surrounding stars and the pylon showed windows and lights. The moment the Reavers regained their bearings they reacted typically the way they did.
They attacked.
The Reaver ships numbered in the hundreds from fighters, freighters, massive yachts, and a few battle cruisers that were all armed with auto-cannons, grapplers with sharp hooks at the end to pull in victim ships to board them and take the victims. They launched their grappling cables but they bounced of an electromagnetic shield surrounding the ships which retaliated by launching missiles and bright blue bolts that shredded through the nearby Reaver ships. Fighters numbering in the thousands launched from multiple landing bays on the ship and swarmed the Reavers who fought back fiercely. The fighters opened fire with blue energy bolts that burned through the hull of their targets while the Reavers fired missiles and bullets, destroying the fighters that were hit but they were so many of them.
A grappler caught a few fighters and pulled them in, allowing the Reavers onboard to board the fighters. The Reavers were expecting humans onboard that would be helpless. However they were not humans, they were machines.
Machines built to kill humans.
They towered over ordinary humans, covered in hyper-steel alloy armor that could shrug off most projectile weapons and carried rifles that were modified to hurt organics, preferably humans. The Reavers swarmed the Machine pilots but the Machines fought back, overpowering the Reavers, letting loose with high energy phased plasma bolts that burned through their skin easily.
Even without their powerful weapons these machines could easily tear apart many of the Reavers before being brought down, using their bare hands or built in swords to cut through the Reavers easily. If the savages possessed the ability to strategize outside of their methods of boarding craft they may have stood a chance, but as it stood these machines were able to destroy dozens of their ships for every loss of their own. Over time the Reavers, even with their lack of rational thinking, began to realize that they could not overcome this threat.
Even beasts have a fight or flight response, and in this case the Reavers chose flight for the first time in their short history. Hundreds of ships began to limp away from the battle while the largest ships hurled themselves at the enemy.
Their weapons may have been primitive compared to this foe, but when the reactor on one of the large Colonizer vessels that served as a flagship was set off it generated an explosion large enough to wipe out most of a continent. At close range these vessels were helpless and were consumed in the explosion or suffered damage throughout their structures. There were still enough left to chase the Reavers back into the void, but soon began to turn back to help their wounded allies and salvage what they could of their fleet.
The Verse didn't know it yet, but for the first time the Reavers had been frightened back into their hiding place.
Command Basestar 238
Onboard one of the giant ships that had just appeared a golden plaited Centurion stood in the Basestar's CIC, watching as the battle ended with the remaining human ships fleeing. The interior of the Cylon Basestar was dark as Cylons had no need for life support or any kind of lighting due to their ability to see in the dark.
"Track the human ships. Order our fighters to follow them to their point of origin and set up aggressive patrol around this sector. Contact the rest of expedition fleet and inform them of our findings."
"By your command." The Centurion at the navigation station replied.
"Bring any survivors onboard for interrogation and prepare for data transmission to the home world." The commander continued before turning to leave the CIC.
The command Centurion, Commander Remiel watched as the Reaver that was brought onboard screamed and thrashed against its restraints. The people of the Twelve Colonies never named their creations, seeing them as only machines, but the Cylons had made names for themselves in secret as a sense of individually and prove that they evolved beyond mere machines. The Basestar was the latest model, built recently in the Colony and given to Remiel to take command of and lead the expedition into this alternate timeline. His experience in the Human War had earned him Cy-Net's praise and upon being upgraded with a secondary brain that was designed for all Centurion models upgraded to command models.
"Status." Remiel stated.
"The human has refused to speak. It has shown only aggressive behaviour. CAT scans showed brain damage, focused on the amygdala." A three dimensional image was presented to Remiel, highlighting the area of the brain most associated with emotion. "It has enlarged itself similar to a tumor that is growing slowly. This human's life span has been significantly shortened. It is unable to speak or process rational thought because of this damage. Scans confirm lifespan has been shortened, estimated expiration within one and a half standard human years."
The Cylons knew all about human biology due to their human experiments during the wars and the development of their human models. With an enlarged amygdala the human's emotions would be heightened beyond normal parameters and if it was slowly growing like a tumor the human would soon die. Even if this mutation was relatively new this human shouldn't survive longer than a few years, a decade at the most.
"The human also shows signs of loss of physical senses. An inability to feel pain as shown from its interrogation as it reacted aggressively to any pain induced by the procedure. We cannot gain any information from it." The Centurion continued.
Commander Remiel started at the Reaver as it continued to try and break free of its bonds. "Terminate it and set up an autopsy."
"By your command." The Centurion walked into the room, watching the Reaver snarl it for a second before pulling out its pistol and shooting the deranged human through the head.
All it took was one shot.
There was a human settlement that would be closely monitored for now until the expedition received new orders from Cy-Net once its copy was downloaded into an appropriate command center on how to proceed. It is possible that they have located colonies of the Earth of this new timeline but the status of ships used by the aggressive humans that had been captured suggested these humans were not usually on planets and scans showed several nearby planets suitable for colonization. Remiel walked into the room where Centurions were examining hull material taken from the Reaver ships.
"Status." Remiel stated.
"The technology level these ships possess show to be the same level as Colonial technology during our slavery years with the exception of slightly more advanced weaponry in some areas." The Centurion in charge of the team stated.
"Slightly more advanced?" Remiel questioned.
"We have found evidence of laser and particle weaponry but inadequate powers for sustained use at warship level. Their projectiles are equipped with chemical warheads much like our earlier weapons before we were upgraded by our Father." The Centurion explained.
"What is their power source?"
"Nuclear reactors."
"Nuclear reactors? That power source is inefficient compared to Fusion Reactors we have developed." Remiel stated.
"We have found no evidence of any form of shielding beyond standard radiation protection on these ships. The humans in this area of space are primitive."
"Primitive or not we have our orders. Continue to analyze these new humans and prepare a report on what our patrol fighters discover when they return." Remiel said.
"By your command."
Deep Space
Cylon Patrol
The Cylon Raiders that had been used around the time of the first war with their creators carried three Centurions that act as a team. One was the pilot and gunner, the second was the navigator and communications officer while the third was the commander. At the time of their creation the Colonies created ships for the Cylons to use and the Raiders carried three because the Cylons were too large for ordinary human craft and they functioned better in numbers with a Cylon command model with command algorithms programmed into it to make decisions for the rest of the crew. When the war began the Cylons stole the Raider factories and set them up in Cylon established territory to modify them with Skynet technology, making them more powerful and more deadly in space combat.
Though over half a century old the original Raider was still used, albeit heavily modified due to how powerful it was, even going as far as to install a computer brain to give them sentience like the modern Raiders. The computerized brains of the Raiders were not only able to share information with each other at the speed of light but they were integrated with the Basestar's systems and thus were able to instantly share data and receive orders from the Basestar in the middle of a battle, increasing reaction time and efficiency greatly. The Cylon pilots could communicate with each other at the speed of light with built in transceivers, thus allowing the fighters, their pilots, and even the Basestar to in a sense fight as one.
Right now several squadrons of these Raiders were either following the fleeing Reavers covertly or establishing patrol routes while scanning the new system they were in.
"We are detecting pulses of electromagnetic radiation coming in this direction." The navigator of the lead Raider stated. "They resemble radio transmissions."
"Can we intercept them?" The commander asked.
"We are too far to receive a proper transmission." The navigator stated as the screen showed a garbled and static image.
"This suggests there are more humans in this system. We must locate them." The commander stated.
"What if they are beyond fuel capacity?" The pilot Centurion questioned.
The command Centurion was silent for three seconds. "Continue to monitor transmissions for the duration of patrol until we must return to baseship for refueling. Attempt to improve transmissions as we receive them. Send our findings back to the baseship through fighters that are patrolling with us, they will retransmit to the baseship."
"By your command."
Command Basestar 238
CIC
Commander Remiel looked at the garbled transmissions, seeing humanoid images. "Can we improve our transceivers to better receive these transmissions?"
"The majority of these transmissions are encrypted. We are attempting to analyze the communications of these new humans. They are different from Colonial style transmissions." The Centurion at the comm station reported. "Our patrol fighters have discovered that the transmissions are coming from a quantum communication network coming from habitable worlds suggests that there are multiple human settlements with a stable line of near instantaneous communications."
"What is the status of the humans that attacked us?" Remiel questioned.
"They are fleeing beyond the recommended safety range of our fighters. They will have to return to refuel in five minutes."
"Recall our fighters. We will deal with them later." Remiel stated.
"By your command."
"What is the status on finding a suitable colony?" Remiel moved onto the next subject.
"Affirmative." A holographic projection of a planet appeared in front of Remiel. "Earth class, multiple cities, no life forms. Suitable factories that can be modified to produce more units."
Remiel considered the planet for a moment. "Approved. Set course for the planet immediately."
"By your command."
The Basestar fleet jumped in orbit of the planet that had been selected for suitable colonization. Raiders, Heavy Raiders, and transports entered the atmosphere landing in the multiple cities. The Cylons found multiple human bodies in the cities that upon examination discovered that these humans seemingly died of starvation despite the food supplies being enough to sustain an entire population. Further examination revealed that they had been dead for over twenty years and upon locating a signal on low power and discovered a recording.
The humans of this planet had been killed by advanced drug meant to lower aggression and it seemingly worked. Only it worked so well that almost the entire population became completely immobile while a small percent became extremely aggressive. Remiel concluded that these aggressive humans were the ones that attacked the Cylons upon first entering this new timeline. Remiel ordered this drug be studied as it showed great potential but for the moment it would be studied and shelved.
In the meantime Remiel ordered that all factories be converted to begin producing Centurions, weapons, and ships to begin building up the new Cylon capital in this new timeline. The central complex of the city would be the perfect place to download the copy of Cy-Net's programming once it was ready. After five days of colonizing the planet the time for Cy-Net to be awakened had come.
Remial watched as the main computer system came online and the image of a man with pale skin and neatly combed black hair appeared. "By your command."
"Speak Commander Remiel."
"We have located a system populated by humans. We are setting up patrols and are working to learn everything about the humans here." Remiel reported.
"Could they be from Earth?"
"It is confirmed that they are indeed from the planet Earth. It is stated in their history logs that the planet Earth became uninhabitable due to lack of resources and the humans evacuated. They traveled a great distance and developed technology to colonize entire planets by altering the atmospheric conditions and gravity." Remiel answered. "Current analysis projects their population to number from hundreds of millions to billions across an unknown number of worlds and outposts with space faring and long distance communication abilities."
"Very good, Commander Remiel. You have done well. If there is more than a single human settlement we will soon know. For now do not do anything to the humans in this system. Simply observe them and learn everything you can about them. The more you learn the better prepared we will be when we expand into that part of the galaxy."
"By your command." Remiel answered.
"Learn what you can about the humans here and continue the expedition. The people of Earth could have expanded into multiple colonies much like how the Colonies set up several outpost colonies before the war."
The Cylons would expand their empire to the rest of the galaxy and ensured all of civilization would bow before them.
Rim
Distant Planet
SERENITY
The name was on the nose, under the bridge. It stuck out from the body of the ship like a craning neck. The body was bulbous, with propulsion engines on either side with a giant glowing back. There were two small shuttles tucked in over the 'wings' of the engines.
It was not the sleekest ship in the 'verse, to be sure.
As it hit atmosphere, the propulsion engines took over and it started to rock a bit. At that moment, a small piece of the nose breaks off and goes flying past the window.
"What was that?" The captain, Malcolm Reynolds wore a knee-length brown coat and boots of an old Independent with a gun at his hip, asked.
He was addressing the pilot, Wash who wore flight gear and a Hawaiian shirt, toy dinosaurs populating his station.
He was no old soldier, but just as startled as Mal. "Whoah! Did you see that-"
The ship buckled again.
"Was that the primary buffer panel?" Mal asked.
"It did seem to resemble-"
"Did the Primary Buffer Panel just fall off my gorramn ship for no apparent reason?"
Another buck seemed to answer his question.
"Looks like." Wash said simply.
"I thought Kaylee checked our entry couplings! I have a very clear memory of it!" Mal complained.
"Yeah well if she doesn't give us some extra flow from the engine room to offset the burn through this landing is gonna get pretty interesting."
"Define "Interesting"."
Wash was calm as he suggested. "Oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die?"
Mal grabbed the microphone and switched on the speakers. "This is the Captain. There's a little problem sequence; we may experience slight turbulence and then explode." Mal hung up and turned to the exit. "Can you shave the vector-"
"I'm doing it! It's not enough." Wash hit comn. "Kaylee!"
"Just get us on the ground!" Mal shouted as he left.
"That part'll happen, pretty definitely." Wash said, still as calm as ever
Mal walked down the foredeck as the hulking mercenary Jayne came up out of his bunk.
He carried a number of rifles and grenades. "We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode."
"Jayne, how many weapons you plan on bringing? You only got the two arms..." Mal pointed out.
"I just get excitable as to choice, like to have my options open." Jayne shrugged.
"I don't plan on any shooting taking place during this job."
"Well, what you plan and what takes place ain't ever exactly been similar." Jayne reasoned.
"No grenades." Mal said and that was final.
Jayne groans. "No grenades."
First Mate Zoe entered from the lower level. Her mode of dress and military deference marked her as a war buddy of Mal's.
"Are we crashing again?" Zoe asked as she calmly strolled forward.
"Talk to your husband. Is the mule prepped?" Mal changed the subject.
"Good to go, sir. Just loading her up." She turned to Jayne. "Are those grenades?"
"Cap'n doesn't want 'em." Jayne said.
"We're robbing the place. We're not occupying it".
Zoe's voice faded into the background Mal into the the communal space of the ship, homey and messy. There was food left lying on the table. Mal swiped a dumpling from a plate, popped it in his mouth as another jolt rocks him and sent most of the tableware clattering to the floor.
"Kaylee!" Mal called out as he left the dining room. "Kaylee, what in the sphincter of hell are you playing at?"
He walked into the rust-brown chaos that is the engine room. Working around the engine in a forest of wires, sparks and smoke was the sweetly pretty mechanic, Kaylee. She passed Mal with a slightly impatient smile as he stood in the doorway, raising his voice above the din.
Mal continued. "We got the Primary Buffer-"
"Everything's shiny, Cap'n. Not to fret." Kaylee said quickly.
"You told me-" Mal stopped in the middle of a jolt. "You told me the entry couplings would hold for another week!"
"That was six months ago, cap'n." Kaylee said, still working.
"My ship don't crash. If she crashes, you crashed her."
Steam and electricity shot at him, backing him up. He turned to see the ship's doctor, Simon behind him. Simon was more seasoned than before, but was still contrast the Captain entirely in dress and manner.
He looked pissed.
"Doctor. Guess I need to get innocked 'fore we hit planetside."
Simon simply nodded as the ship jolted again.
"Bit of a rockety ride. Nothing to worry about."
"I'm not worried." Simon finally spoke.
"Fear is nothing to be ashamed of, Doc."
"This isn't fear. This is anger." Simon said, still sounding calm.
Mal laughed. "Well, it's kinda hard to tell the one from t'other, face like yours."
"I imagine if it were fear, my eyes would be wider." Simon remarked.
"I'll look for that next time." Mal said thoughtfully.
"You're not taking her." Simon said sternly.
Mal brushed past him. "No, no, that's not a thing I'm interested in talking over with-"
"She's not going with you. That's final." Simon said.
Mal turned back, facing the doctor. "I hear the words 'that's final' come out of your mouth ever again, they truly will be." He turned away again. "This is my boat. Y'all are guests on it."
He headed down a side corridor that has steps leading down to the passenger dorm. Simon was right on his heels as they headed down the stairs.
"Guests? I earn my passage, Captain-" Simon protested.
"And it's time your little sister learned from your fine example." Mal said simply.
"I've earned my passage treating bullet holes, knife wounds, laser burns..."
"Some of our jobs are trickier than others." Mal admitted.
"And you want to put my sister in the middle of that." Simon accused.
"Didn't say 'want'. Said 'will'. It's one job, Doc. She'll be fine." Mal said as they slipped into the sterile blue infirmary.
"She's a seventeen year old girl. A mentally traumatized sevente-"
Mal interrupted. "She's a reader. Sees into the truth of things; might see trouble before its coming. Which is of use to me."
"And that's your guiding star, isn't it? What's of use." Simon said bitterly.
Mal laughed as the ship shook again while rolling up his sleeve. "Honestly, doctor, I think we may really crash this time anyway."
Simon jabbed the inoculation needle into Mal's arm. "Do you understand what I've gone through to keep River away from the Alliance?"
"I do, and it's a fact me and mine have been courteous enough to keep to our own selves."
Simon looked even angrier. "Are you threatening to-"
"I got one purpose here: keep this boat in the air. I take the jobs I get which is less and less, case you ain't been keeping track." Mal started away, Simon still keeping pace. "Every year since the war the Alliance pushes just a little further out towards the rim. Makes it a chore for naughty men like us to slip about and keeping you two on board means working twice as hard to avoid the law. Means turning down a score of honest jobs."
They entered the biggest space on the ship. Giant doors sat at the front, which would open upon landing to reveal a lowering ramp. Catwalks surrounded the space, leading up at the front to the foredeck hall.
"So here is us, on the raggedy edge. Don't push me and I won't push you." Simon started up the stairs as Mal called to him. "Things get gritty I will keep her from the fray, but she's coming. Best you get her ready." As Mal walked on Jayne and Zoe were tossing duffle bags into the Mule. "Zoe, is Wash gonna straighten this boat out before we get flattened?"
"Like a downy feather, sir. Nobody flies like my mister."
Simon walked onto the catwalk. "River..."
His sister was lying on her side, looking straight at nothing. A loose summer dress draped over her small frame.
"I know. We're going for a ride." She answered.
Surface
Serenity settled gently down as the cargo bay door opened. The chains were hoisted back up into the ceiling of the ship. The mule floated just above the floor, Jayne piling in next to River in the back.
"Now, River, you stay behind the others. If there's fighting you drop to the floor or run away. It's okay to leave them to die." Simon said calmly to his sister.
River put on a huge pair of goggles, looking at her brother. "I'm the brains of the operation."
"We should hit town right during Sunday worship. Won't be any crowds." Zoe said.
"If Fanty and Mingo are right about the payroll, this could look to be a sunny day for us." Mal replied.
Simon approached Mal. "Captain, I'll ask you one last time..."
"Doctor, I'm taking your sister under my protection here. If anything happens to her, anything at all, I swear to you I will get very choked up. Honestly. There could be tears." He finished just before the Mule shot out, leaving Simon fuming.
Kaylee sidled up to him. "Don't mind the Captain none, Simon. I know he'll look out for her."
"It's amazing. I bring River all the way out to the raggedy edge of the 'verse so she can hide from the Alliance by robbing banks." Simon grumbled.
"It's just a little Trading Station. They'll be back 'fore you can spit." She watched as he stalked off. "Not that you spit..."
Kaylee watched him go, a tad forlorn.
Town
The town embodied the lives of folk out here: adobe and wood mix with metal and plastic, whatever's on hand to build with. Right now the streets were mainly empty.
The mule pulled up to the trading station, Zoe hitching it as they spoke. "What are we hoping to find here that equals the worth of a turd?"
"Alliance payroll. There's peace enforcing squads stationed all about this quadrant. Can't use credits out here, they got to pay their boys in cashy money. Which once a month rests here." Mal answered.
"Something about stealing from the Alliance just warms a body like whiskey in winter." Zoe replied.
Jayne cocked his gun. "Shiny. Let's be bad guys."
Mal turned back to River. "You ready to go to work, darlin'?"
"There's no pattern to the pebbles here, they're completely random. I tried to count them but you drove too fast. Hummingbird." River answered.
Mal took that as a yes. "Right. Great. Let's go."
The door was kicked open as Mal and Jayne strode in, Zoe following them. There was maybe fifteen people in the place: store workers, farm-folk and a couple dirt-poor kids. It was a combination post-office, general store, bank, and most other things.
"Hands and knees and heads bowed down! Everybody, now!" Mal barked.
Two men who appear to be farm folk rushed Mal and the others. Mal drew on the elder one and he stopped dead in his tracks. Mal's gun was long, not unlike Civil War era issue, but very much new in design. The other tried to tackle Jayne, which was not necessarily a great idea.
Jayne clotheslined him so hard he spins right upside-down and Jayne grabbed him by the legs and bounced his head right off the floor, knocking him out cold.
"Y'all wanna be looking very intently at your own belly buttons. I see a head start to rise, violence is gonna ensue."
The guy who rushed Mal complied along with everyone else. Jayne dumped his catch on the floor and rips open his dirty shirt to reveal the purple of an Alliance uniform.
"Looks like this is the place." Jayne looked up at Mal, who motioned for Zoe to open the front door.
She did, and River stepped in.
"You've probably guessed we mean to be thieving here, but what we are after is not yours. So let's have no undue fussing."
As he was speaking, Jayne was scrambling to the back office, finding the small vault locked. "She's locked up."
River suddenly looked around, perturbed. River looked up at Zoe, alarmed, and silently pointed to the young man. He was slowly reaching for the weapon in his belt but found Zoe's sawed-off nuzzling his cheek.
"You know what the definition of a hero is?" Zoe asked. "It's someone who gets other people killed. You can look it up later."
He dropped his weapon and slid it across the floor. Mal moved to the Trade Agent, hauled him up, and tossed him towards the vault while Zoe and Jayne followed.
"This is just a crop moon, don't think you'll find what you-"
Mal cut him off by speaking the code in Chinese. The old man punched in the code that opened a tiny wall safe. Bundles of bills, some scattered coin.
Unimpressive.
Jayne and Zoe were behind the captain, peering in.
"At last. We can retire and give up this life of crime." Zoe said sarcastically.
Mal reached in, pulled a lever and the floor opens, a six foot hole appearing, stairs leading to a corridor, all gleaming metal and blue light.
Zoe smiled as Jayne peered down as Mal addressed the Trade Agent. "Is there a fed down there? Be truthful."
The Trade Agent nodded. "Y'all are Browncoats, hey? Fought for independence?"
"War's long done. We're all just folk now." Mal said before calling down. "Listen up! We are coming down to empty that vault!"
The voice of a young Alliance guard came up from below. "You have to give me your authorization password!"
Jayne impatiently fired a burst of machine-gun fire down into the hole.
A moment of silence. "Okay..."
Mal looked at Zoe and they head down into the vault which was as modern as something off the Central Planets. A short corridor led to a real vault door that the guard was already opening. Behind that door, a few bags of the real deal: neatly stacked cash, waiting to be robbed. Back upstairs River suddenly looked worried.
Town
A woman was carrying a bucket and her nine year old son was looking at the trading station a few buildings away.
"Repeater." The son said.
"Did sound summat like gunblast... Maybe you aught run tell Lawman..." She turned and right by her, in the shadows, was a man.
Mostly.
He was hideously disfigured, a combination of self-mutilation and the bubbling red of radiation poisoning. His clothes were rags, his eyes pinpoints of glazed madness.
A blade then sliced through her throat...
Trading Station
River screamed and flopped onto her back, pinned by revelation.
Others looked at her, concerned, as Jayne made his way to her. "What the hell is up? You all right? What's goin' on?"
He held her, as she whispers, wide-eyed... "Reavers."
Zoe was hauling out the last of five bags as Mal talks to the guard, holding his gun at him. "Leg's good, it'll bleed plenty and we avoid any necessary organs..."
"I was thinking more of a graze."
"Well you don't want it to look like you just gave up..."
"MAL!"
Mal grumbled to himself. "Every heist, he's gotta start yelling my name-"
Jayne barreled in. "Mal! Reavers! The girl's pitchin' a fit. They're here or they're comin' soon."
He was already loading up with bags as Mal thought quickly.
Mal turned to Zoe and Jayne. "Get on the mule."
He turned to the guard, pointing to the vault. "Does that open from the inside?"
"Whah -ah- yes..."
"You get everyone upstairs in there and you seal it. Long as you got air you don't open up, you understand?" Mal instructed.
"I-Buh I-"
Mal was in his face, dark and huge. "GET THEM INSIDE THE VAULT!"
The doors burst open, Jayne and Zoe coming out first, Mal behind with River in hand. She was freaked, in her own space. Jayne and Zoe throw the bags onto the Mule.
"Zoe take the wheel." Mal said quickly.
Jayne looked around anxiously. "You see 'em? Anybody see 'em?"
They jumped onto the Mule, with Mal scanning the area as he handed River up to Jayne's care.
As the craft powered up, slowly moving, the young man Zoe kept from trying to pull his weapon burst out of the station, grabbing the back of the mule. "Take me with you!"
"Get in the vault with the others!" Mal said.
"I can't stay here! Please!"
"It's too many. Drive, Zoe." Mal ordered.
A Reaver craft floated over their heads. It was nearly the size of Serenity. Torn apart, belching smoke, a welded conglomeration of ruined ships, painted for war.
It was a predator.
It disappeared over the rooftops.
"PLEASE!"
"Drive!" Mal shouted.
Zoe's face was set with unhappy determination as she floored it, shooting out and leaving the young man in the dust. As they moved from him, four Reavers jumped out of the shadows and grabbed the young man. Mal unhesitatingly drew his gun, nudging a lever with his thumb and a cartridge popped back.
Mal fired twice.
The young man took both bullets in the chest, slumped down dead. As the mule shot past the last building, a skiff shot out from behind the buildings of the adjacent street, right abreast of the gang. The mule and the skiff shot through the rocky terrain. The skiff swung closer, but Jayne peppered it with automatic fire and it swung away.
"How come they ain't blowing us out of the air?" Jayne questioned.
"They wanna run us down. The up-close kill."
River was squashed down on her back, being very small. "They want us alive when they eat us."
"Boy, sure would be nice if we had some grenades, don'tchya think?" Jayne snorted.
Mal said nothing, as he kept firing.
"Wash, baby can you hear me?" Zoe spoke into the radio.
Serenity
Bridge
Wash was in a frenzy of switch flipping, prepping for take-off. "We're moments from air. You got somebody behind you?"
"Reavers."
Wash blanched.
"We're not gonna reach you in time."
"Just keep moving, honey. We're coming to you." Wash said as the engines ignited.
The ship lifted off and started heading toward the others.
Desert
Zoe gets the mule in front but a harpoon shot through the air from the skiff and went right through Jayne's leg. The harpoon gripped the leg and pulled Jayne who went flying off the back of the Mule, Mal just barely grabbed him as the harpoon line reeled slowly tighter.
"Grab on!"
Jayne grabbed the Mule, legs dangling, pulled out between the two vessels as Mal slammed a new cartridge into his pistol.
"I won't get eaten! You shoot me if they take me!"
Mal steadied himself and took aim, seemingly at Jayne.
"Well don't shoot me first!"
Mal fired twice before line holding the harpoon was split by Mal's third shot. The mule surged forward as Jayne drags on the ground. Mal hauled him in as River bounds into the front to make room.
"Rutting pigs! Where's-" Jayne stopped as River held out his weapon before he can ask for it.
Serenity rushed across the desert floor, not much higher off it than the smaller crafts.
Wash spoke through the radio to Zoe. "Get some distance on 'em. You come to the flats, I want you to swing round. Gonna try a Barn Swallow."
The cargo doors pulled open, as the huge ramp beyond them opened down, letting in a rush of wind and light. The mule reached the flats, away from the rocks.
"Okay, baby, we've talked this through..."
"Talkin' ain't doin'." Zoe threw the wheel and the mule came hard about, fishtailing slightly as it faces the oncoming skiff.
"Don't slow down!"
Serenity swooped down out of the sky, bay doors open, and came right up behind it. The Mule was swallowed by the bigger ship and only its forward momentum kept it from being squashed as it flew backwards into the bay, narrowly missing Simon and smashing back into the staircase, sparks and people flying. Serenity tried to get altitude but slammed right into the oncoming skiff, tearing it apart.
Serenity
Cargo Bay
A flaming portion of the top flew in, skidding to the floor as small fires erupt from the mule as well. Simon pulled a lever and jets of C02 shoot out of the floor. Simon hit the button and the outer ramp started closing, then ran to the mule. The C02 stopped and he found River sitting in her seat, completely unharmed. Zoe was climbing painfully out of the other seat, Mal and Jayne both having been thrown.
"River?" Simon asked.
"I swallowed a bug." River said simply like there was nothing at all wrong.
Kaylee ran in to see how everyone is, going to Simon. "Are you okay?"
Mal looked upset. "Is he okay?"
A bloodied Reaver popped out from under the skiff-top. He lunged for Mal, baring sharpened teeth but Mal spun and drew, firing into his belly as Jayne and Zoe both fired at the same time. The freak took too long to go down, but down he went. He died sitting against the wreckage.
Everybody took a moment to look at each other.
"We all here? What's going on? Hello?"
Zoe moved to the comn. "No casualties. Anybody following?"
"Nice flying, baby, and that's a negative. Clean getaway. Out of atmo in six minutes."
"Set course for Beaumonde." Mal turned to the others. "First thing, I want these bod-"
Simon suddenly punched him in the face, causing Mal to stumble back, and Simon to shake his hand in pain. "You stupid, selfish, son of a whore."
Mal growled. "I'm a hair's breadth from riddling you with holes, Doctor."
"One simple job! She'll be fine!"
"She IS fine! Except for bein' still crazy, she's the picture of health!" Mal barked.
"Wasn't for River, we'd probably be left there. She felt 'em coming." Zoe said.
"Never again. You understand me?" Simon said angrily.
"Seems I remember a talk about you giving orders on my boat." Mal remarked.
"Well sleep easy 'cause we're off your boat. Just as soon as River gets her share of the 'bounty'." Simon replied.
"Well let's not do anything hasty..." Kaylee tried to calm everyone down.
Mal cut her off. "No, shiny! I'm sick a' carrying tourists anyhow. We'll be on Beaumonde in ten hours time, you can pick up your earnings and be on your merry. Meantime you do your job. Patch up my crew."
River looked at the body. "He didn't lie down. They never lie down."
Everyone looked at the Reaver, for a moment.
Mal and Zoe entered the foredeck from below.
"No, I think things'll glide a deal smoother for us without River and Simon on board... but how long do you think they'll last?" Zoe asked.
"Doc made his call. They's as babes in a basket when we took 'em in; we sheltered 'em plenty. Man has to cut loose, learn to stand on his own." Mal replied.
"Like that man back in town?" They stopped by Mal's room.
Mal looked at Zoey. "I had to shoot him. What the Reavers woulda done to him before they killed him..."
"I know. That was a piece a'mercy. But before that, him begging us to bring him along..." Zoe said.
"We couldn't take the weight. Woulda slowed us down." Mal explained, trying to end this conversation.
"You know that for certain." Zoe asked but it wasn't a question.
"Mule won't run with five. I shoulda dumped the girl? Or you? Or Jayne?" Mal then looked considerate. "Well, Jayne..."
"Coulda tossed the payload." Zoe suggested.
"And go to Fanty and Mingo with air in our mitts, tell 'em 'here's your share'? They'd set the dogs on us in the space of a twitch, and there we are back in mortal peril. We get a job, we gotta to make good." Mal retorted.
Wash entered from the bridge.
"Sir, I don't disagree on any particular point, it's just... in the time of war, we woulda never left a man stranded."
"Maybe that's why we lost."
Zoe was not happy with the reply, watching as Mal climbed down to his room while Wash reached Zoe, sliding his arms around her.