On the Trail of Artemis

Colonial Refugee Fleet, Battlestar Galactica, Second Cylon War

"33 minutes on the clock" Lt Gaeta called out as the Battlestar Galactica ended its fourteenth jump in a row as the fleet of survivors were relentlessly chased by Cylon forces who appeared every 33 minutes forcing to fleet to flee further. "DRADIS CONTACT!"

"Gods help us…" Colonel Tigh the executive officer said from the central command table stepping closer to Gaeta's position "Cylons?" Gaeta was working on the DRADIS system and didn't answer immediately. "Lieutenant!"

"Unknown silhouette Colonel"

"Maybe another toy in their box we haven't seen yet?" The older man asked still looking at the young Lieutenant.

"I don't believe so sir, it's got a different power signature than normal Cylon technology, completely different."

"Launch alert fighters with a Raptor for visual inspection" Commander Adama, the ship's commanding officer, ordered.

Colonial Refugee Fleet, Alert Fighters, Second Cylon War

Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama, Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace piloting their Viper craft and one of Galactica's Raptor Electronic Support Craft launched from the Battlestar Galactica. Apollo and Starbuck launched their Viper craft from the launch tubes built into the flight pod of the vessel while the Raptor left more conventionally.

"Apollo to flight stay close we're moving in slow but the Cylons could appear at any moment."

"Starbuck copies"

"Crashdown and Boomer copy" the pilot of the Raptor said counting himself, Alex Quartararo, and his female electronics officer, Sharon Valerii. The three craft moved slowly away from Galactica approaching the lone contact.

"Galactica to Apollo, this is Galactica Actual, what do you see?"

"Apollo, Galactica, it looks like a single man fighter with a cockpit section in the middle surrounded by four stubby wings which all have ports on them that I believe are thrusters two of them appear damaged. There's wreckage from a battle in the area."

"I'd say it's a space-based craft Galactica, those wings wouldn't let her stay up in an atmosphere." Crashdown interjected

"It'd probably fly as well as your bus." Starbuck added tipping the wings of her Viper Mk II at the brown coloured box-like Raptor.

"Even we could fly around them" Boomer said as the Raptor slowly manoeuvred around the craft so their cockpit was opposite the other craft's.

"Crashdown, Galactica, we see a pilot inside the cockpit! He's in a full vacuum suit" he said as if that was a surprise when all fighter pilots wore an EV suit to protect them from a cockpit breach. "I mean a vacuum suit like one you'd wear on a moon's surface."

"Galactica, Apollo, the Cylon fighters we've encountered so far have not had cockpits. Perhaps we've encountered someone else, a forgotten colony…"

"Or Earth" Starbuck whispered breaking in.

"Crashdown, Boomer, begin recovery operations, we need to do this quickly before the Cylons return."

"Understood, sir, we're moving." Crashdown answered as he began to move the Raptor around the other craft. The Raptor was equipped with grappling hooks to snare damaged craft or ejected pilots and was better suited to recovery operations that the Vipers.

Battlestar Galactica, Colonial Refugee Fleet, Second Cylon War

"We're not going to have time" Adama whispered watching the clock tick down "move us to shield recovery operations. Launch all alert fighters, continue jump operations and arm defence grid." The massive ship Galactica moved from its position as ships of the fleet began to jump out through fear of the Cylon pursuit.

"Maybe we've escaped from them." Tigh said hopefully moments later three Cylon baseships jumped in and began to launch raiders.

"Begin suppression barrage, have all fighters move to assigned engagement zones, protect the fleet and recovery operations." Adama commanded along Galactica's spine weapons fired in defence of the Galactica and its fleet. In Galactica's shadow the Raptor had successfully latched onto the disabled fighter and was taking it towards the flight bays with Apollo and Starbuck flying defence shooting down any raiders that got too close.

"Recovery operations complete!" Tigh called out as the Raptor entered the bay and the Galactica was hit by multiple missiles from the Cylons.

"The last civilian ship is away!" Gaeta reported from his console.

"Begin landing operations!" Tigh called out

"Continue suppression barrage" Adama reminded them all they were not out of it yet. The Galactica provided the ships with defence shooting down dozens more raiders as the ship's fighters landed the Battlestar's flight bay.

"All fighters aboard, landing bay secure!" Tigh reported as the two flight pods were drawn back inside the vessel's hull.

"Jump!" Adama ordered taking the craft out of the local space. Within moments the Cylons also jumped out of the area leaving the space as empty as it had been before the conflict.

Deep Range Research Vessel Excalibur, Uncharted space

The Deep Range Research Vessel Excalibur jumped out of hyperspace and into normal space and immediately began scanning the area for the vessel that had been broadcasting a distress message. On the bridge of the vessel Matthew Gideon sat on the centre chair of the bridge in a light grey uniform with red highlights. "Senator Redway, Earthforce code of conduct states that we will answer a distress call regardless of what mission we are on. Now being someone who has been in the position that pilot is in I will answer that message." He said looking at the older man who stood nearby. "Begin scans" he commanded to the crew of the bridge who had tried to ignore his argument with the politician.

"We're picking up a lot of debris, some biological matter, no active ships. Whoever was broadcasting isn't here anymore. Maybe they fixed their issues."

"Unlikely" Gideon said thoughtfully for a moment before standing up.

"You came, you found nothing, and now you're going to continue with your mission Captain Gideon?" Redway asked again breaking the silence.

"Make a log in the ship's records we attended a distress call and found no vessels present. We then continued on with our standing task." Gideon said before looking at the Senator and then walking off the bridge he had no time for the politician. While the distress call still bothered him he had no clues to follow and already they had a mission to follow.