The Giants

Chapter One

The Cylons were created by Man.

They were created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies.

And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters.

After a long and bloody struggle, an armistice was declared.

The Cylons left for another world to call their own.

A remote space station was built...

...where Cylon and Human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations.

Every year, the Colonials send an officer.

The Cylons send no one.

No one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years...

Until Now.

Forty-five minutes before the attack;

Virgon Fleet Station;

Twelfth Virgon Guard Division;

Apollo I class corvette Apollo;

Lieutenant Commander Melody Griffin ran on to the CIC of the Apollo, "Shut that alarm off. Richards, what the hell is going on? How can you have an emergency from refueling and stocking the ship?"

"Ma'am, Virgon station has ordered us all to go to condition Red. The orders also include the order for us to wipe the CNP and install the older version on the mainframe. We've received additional orders to jump to Baker 19 and start operation Tombstone. Whatever the frak that is," Second Lieutenant Richard Bolt stated as he slid out of the command chair.

"Language Richard and I don't know what it is. Let me check the code book," Melody stated as she and Richard walked to the wall mounted safe and she entered her code and pressed her hand against the hand scanner. When the first set of lights changed from red to green she stepped back.

Richard stepped up and typed in his code and pressed his hand against the hand scanner. The last sets of lights on the safe changed from red to green and he stepped back, "There you go Ma'am."

"Now let's see what Operation Tombstone is and Baker 19," Melody said as she pulled the safe open and reached inside for the stack of orders.

Melody flipped through the files while Richard pulled out a long white file index box and waited.

"Found it, Operation Tombstone," she said as she stuffed the rest of the files back in to the safe. She then opened the file and read the first page, as her eyes went down the page to the code she needed she stated, "Index is number twenty, you want the Navy Blue section, Category 12, card 19."

Richard opened the index box and flipped to the dark blue section and then to the twelfth section and then pulled out card 19, "Got it Ma'am," he said as he pulled out the hard plastic case and slid the file case back into the wall safe.

Melody slammed the safe door and it clicked from green to red as she turned back to her chair and sat down, "Ok, let's see what we have here."

Melody started reading and the blood started draining from her face, "Oh frak!"

"What is it Ma'am?" Richard asked.

Handing him the file, she grabbed her handset and said, "Ship wide," to the COM officer who quickly pressed some commands into her console and nodded.

"Attention all hands, this is the captain speaking. As of three minutes ago, we've gone to condition Red. I want all hands to man their stations for emergency FTL jump once we pull away from Artisan station. Once were where we're going, we're to initiate operation Tombstone. What this is, I cannot tell you more at this time so don't ask. Just do what you've been trained for. That is all. CAG report to the bridge," Melody said as she hung up her handset.

"OK, listen up people. Operation Tombstone is an emergency order for us. We're deploying to a secure location where we'll be waiting for Colonial Fleet and Civilian ships to arrive. We will be forming them up into convoys for their protection. Richard the card, please," Melody ordered as she held out her hand.

Richard handed her the card and they read the numbers off the outer shell and compared them to the list. With confirmation on the disk, she snapped it open and read the FTL jump coordinates.

"Richard I have the following coordinates, 7,3,2,4,7,0,8,9 do you concur?" Melody asked.

"I concur," Richard replied as he stepped back.

"Helm, pull us away from the station and then set jump coordinates for the following, 7,3,2,4,7,0,8,9 and spin up the FTL coil," Melody ordered as the small warship's thrusters moved the ship away from the station.

"COM contact the rest of the squadron and tell them to form up on us, Diamond formation," Melody ordered as the main engines fired and they started moving away from the station.

"Yes, Ma'am, contacting the remaining ships of the twelfth now," the COM officer replied.

On the main monitor, the remaining ships in the squadron followed their sister ship away from the station. Ten cutters of the Apollo class cutter formed up into two vertical five ship diamond formation and jumped away to their destiny.

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1~1~1~1

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Forty-five minutes before the attack;

Virgon Station;

Fork class freighter Genoa;

Captain Virginia Boils of the freighter Genoa looked at the strange orders she had received from Virgon Fleet Station and was confused about her cargo. "What the hell are PODs?"

"Ma'am, PODs are interchangeable compartments for the Titan and Berzerk class ships. They can be weapon bays, carrier bays, construction, Dradis, support. Whatever the ships need as an add-on to the ship can be added," her flight engineer Cory Hellion replied from her station as she finished up the check list for emergency deployment.

"Umbilical lines disconnected. Fuel and water tanks are topped off, we're ready to lift off," the second in command Lily Edwards stated from her position.

"Thank you Cory. Lily what about food?"

"We have enough for a six month deployment," Lily stated as she strapped into her chair.

"Good. Cory, take us out," Virginia ordered as she fastened down her harness.

The Fork class freighter slowly pulled away from the station and turned towards Platform three. Behind them came the Hastings, Boxer and Mendoza to pick up their own cargo. The station was twenty kilometers away from Virgon Fleet station and its cylinder shape stretched for three kilometers high with six platforms that jutted off from it. Docked to the ends of Platform three and four were two Harrier class Assaultstars the Gremlin and Panther were almost twenty years old, but they were kept in pristine condition by the POD crews. Both ships were used as testing evaluation for new POD designs. Each had a small manufacturing plant inside where parts for new PODS were built and deployed out of the flight bays to the dock to be constructed for delivered to the fleet.

"Freighter Genoa, this is Platform three. You're to proceed to dock six, your cargo are the PODs at the end of the line marked as one and two for your ship. We will load one more up on your top deck using the magnetic cranes," a voice came over the speaker.

Virginia picked up her handset and replied, "We read you Platform three. Dock six; targets are painted number one and two. Do you know where we're supposed to take them?"

"We will be supplying with jump coordinates as soon loaded. You're not to wait for any other ship. As soon as you receive the coordinates, you jump. Do you understand your orders?"

Virginia looked at the speaker in surprised before responding, "We read you. Genoa out."

Genoa came in over the dock, where her bow thrusters brought her to a stop over the first of her PODs she ship lowered her magnetic clamps down until they hovered just inches above the first heavy weapons POD. While watching the monitor, and with gentle taps of the thrusters, Cory brought the ship into alignment of the POD and then Lily lowered the magnetic clamp down to lock onto the POD. Ten minutes later, the second POD was locked onto the second clamp while the third POD was hoisted up and over to the top of the ship where it was lowered onto the top magnetic clamps by suited POD officials. Once all three PODs were checked to see if they were attached securely, forty-eight small cargo pods were loaded behind the top POD balancing out the weight.

Virginia was impressed, thirty-nine minutes to load three heavy PODS and forty-eight smaller cargo pods, but with three large cranes and thirty support personnel in suits working their butts off, she wasn't surprised.

"All pods are locked down and checked. We can lift off ASAP," Lily reported.

"Good, let's get out of here. Cory, take us away from the station," Virginia ordered as the door opened and a man dressed in a colonial marine combat suit stepped in, "Who the hell are you?"

The man came to a stop, saluted and replied, "Captain Horace Hawks, Colonial Marines. Your jump coordinates, Ma'am," as he handed her a slip of paper.

Virginia took the paper and handed it to Cory, "What are you doing on my ship?"

"We're part of your cargo. You have twenty marines aboard to guard those PODs until we get to our destination," Horace replied.

"Hastings and Boxer have lifted off and are following us," Lily stated.

"Very well. Cory, enter the jump coordinates. Captain, you can sit there," Virginia ordered as she pointed at a fold out seat next to the door.

Horace sat down in the seat and was strapping himself in while the women the captain called Cory was entering the FTL coordinates into the FTL computer. He did notice that all three ladies of the bridge crew were lookers when Cory spoke.

"Ready to jump."

Virginia grabbed the handset and switched to ship wide, "Attention all hands and guests. Prepare for jump in sixty seconds. That is all."

One minute later the ship jumped out. There was five minutes left until attack time.

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1~1~1~1

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Twenty-five minutes before the attack;

Virgon Station;

Medstar medicalship Medina;

Commander Majuro Zephyrs looked around the busy CIC of the fleet medical ship Medina. The coordinates for the FTL jump were already plotted into the FTL computer. They were just waiting for the last ten medical shuttles from Virgon Fleet station to arrive. With them were fourteen medical cases and seventy doctors and nurses of the station. Behind the ten shuttles were two Heavy Lifters carrying two cargo containers full of medical supplies and equipment for the three ships. The forty-one hundred foot long craft was ready to jump with her two smaller cousins, the Albatross class medical frigates Seagull and Sea Hawk. The three ships were overloaded with medical shuttles and Raptors along with three thirty-five hundred nurses and doctors from the two stations, but she'd rather have her ships overloaded then not have enough.

"Shuttles are on final approach. Heavy lifters are entering bay two on the portside," the Dradis officer reported.

"Helm, as soon as the last shuttle is down, jump the ship. Lieutenant Beret, have the Seagull and Sea Hawk jump now," Majuro ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am," the COM officer replied as she contacted the two ships.

Fifteen seconds later, both ships vanished into FTL while the Medina waited for three more shuttles to land.

"You know Commander. If I hadn't seen this evacuation first hand, I wouldn't believe it was possible," Colonel Paul Hancock said as he chewed on his unlit cigar.

"I know, I always thought those drills Virgon Station put on was a waste of money, but seems I was wrong. But I will say this, what a cluster frak," Majuro said quietly as ships appeared on the Dradis monitor while others left. Around Virgon, hundreds of Raptors were lifting off from the ground, in flight, landing on ships or on the ground evacuation critical personal.

"That it is," Paul replied as he scratched his left side under his scrubs.

"Soon as we jump, go ahead and head down and get a shower. I know you were in surgery but you were needed up her," she said as she nodded towards the wall safe.

"I will…"

"Last shuttle has landed," the CAG reported.

"Jump the ship," Majuro ordered as she sat back in her chair.

"FTL drive is spun up, turning the key now," the FTL officer replied as he turned the key that controlled the FTL engine.

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1~1~1~1

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Forty minutes before the attack;

Virgon Fleet Station, Docking port fifty-nine;

Main docking port, VirgonMoonrise, Cloud class liner;

Captain Iris Bell watched from the observation platform as hundreds of children and their teachers were led aboard her ship. She cringed at all those children and their antics of what they could cause. One thing she noticed the children were following orders to the book. Each student had their backpacks on their backs and were carrying their school laptops with them. The teachers led each class to where they were directed by the marines.

"What the frak is going on Captain?" her steward asked.

"I'm not sure Mary, all I know is I was ordered to take on the school children ASAP along with their families," Iris replied to the blond women.

Mary was about to respond when a tech ran over and handed the Captain a slip of paper.

Isis read the paper and her dark skin paled, "Oh frak!"

"What is it?" Mary asked.

"The primary reactor is scramming and they cannot stop it. They say forty-nine minutes until she blows," Iris replied as she walked to the wall unit and picked up the white phone.

"Attention all hands, I want all available stewards to the main concourse. We need to move these children deeper into the ship. We have more people coming aboard. This is a class one emergency on Virgon Station. That means a complete evacuation of all personal. We're to take on as many people as we can. Bell out," Iris said as she hung up the phone and the lights changed from white to red and the ships alarm sounded in the crew spaces.

Down on the loading dock, the doors were opened and forklifts manned by the Marines were carrying in tons of supplies from the school and the nearby resupply lockers while fuel and water were pumped into the giant tanks for the ship. Luggage taken from the families were hurled up onto a conveyor belt and carried into the luggage storage compartment of the station. At T-minus thirty-five minutes, the Virgon Moonrise broke her mooring and left the station for the last time carrying twelve hundred students, seventy teachers, and thirty-five hundred family members along with one hundred and ten marines. At thirty-eight minutes after the announcement, the ship jumped away.

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1~1~1~1

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Seventeen minutes before the attack;

Fifth Construction fleet;

Ranger class Mobile Shipyard Ranger;

Commander Mark Hampton sat in his command chair as the Ranger came out of FTL near Virgon. Around him, the rest of the Fifth Construction fleet appeared along with their escorts.

"Sir, we've received a message from Fleet Admiral Isaac Walton. The Ranger and Warhorse are to proceed to Hades station and take under tow the Battlestars Heimdal, and Jötnar for evacuation to Baker 19. We're to evacuate the station of all military and civilian personal as well. Gunstars Bryant, Huffington, Medlock, Adams, and the Grant will be our escorts," the COM officer reported.

"Very well, spin up our drives and input the coordinates into the FTL computer. COM contacted the Warhorse, and the Gunstars Bryant, Huffington, Medlock, Adams, and the Grant and tell them our orders," Mark ordered.

"Entering now," the FTL specialist replied.

"Then jump the ship," Mark ordered as he gripped the rail of the Dradis station.

"Jumping."

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1~1~1~1

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Ten minutes before the attack;

Baker 19;

Twelfth Virgon Guard Division;

Apollo I class corvette Apollo;

Lieutenant Commander Melody Griffin watched the Dradis screen as the two squadrons of ships pulled away from the coordinates for Baker 19 and took up residence with three kilometers between each diamond formation.

"Dradis contacts," the Dradis officer called out, "Colonial responder."

"Get me an identity and send a message to the ship to move between our two groups. In fact that is your standing orders, as soon as a ship appears, I want their id, and you send them to the convoy lanes. Under stood?" Melody ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am and Ma'am it's the fleet refinery ships, Pulsar, Veronica and the Stemma with the tanker Virgon Hope," came the reply.

"Well, if it does go to hell in a hand basket, at least we have fuel," Melody said to her second in command.

"True," Richard replied as two more icons flashed on the screen.

"It's the Elisha Hawks and Katarina, both are Gander class carriers," the COM officer reported.

"Fantastic, Raptor carriers, and if their full that should be about five hundred Raptors," Rick stated as more icons appeared.

"And four squadrons of Vipers," Melody relied as she took the offered cup of coffee.

"It's the Saxe, under the command of the CID, as well as the Assaultstars Gremlin and Panther," the COM officer said.

"Have her take point. What configuration is she?" Melody asked.

"Carrier mode," the answer came back.

"Good. That's another sixty Vipers, so that gives us eleven squadrons of Vipers for defense," Melody stated as more ships arrived.

"Medical ships have arrived; it's the Medina, Seagull and Sea Hawk."

"I want them in the center of the fleet," Melody ordered.

Over the next ten minutes, ships arrived in groups of three to five until a large group of sixty passenger liners appeared with five Titan II Gunstars as escorts from Virgon.

"Thank the gods for higher ups," Melody replied as a few more ships arrived after them.

The convoy formed up with the tankers and critical ships in the center. The Apollo class cutters stayed on the outside while three of the Titan II's took top cover while the remaining two covered the bottom of the fleet; all five were heavy weapons configuration. Just as the Titan's took their position, two Cutters jumped in. Both were streaming air from damaged compartments.

"Two cutters just jumped in. Both are flashing emergencies," the COM officer reported.

"Identify and what are their emergencies," Melody asked as a knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

"Ma'am, the first is the Hotspur from Picon. They report that Picon Fleet Headquarters and Picon Fleet station under heavy attack. She is from the second Guard Division. The second is the Gristle from Libran and they report Libran station as destroyed along with their entire Battlegroup. Gristle has taken four standard missiles to her portside. She has damage to her medical and berthing sections. Five dead, thirty-six wounded. Hotspur took two missiles hits to her bow, and eight on the middeck. All four of her central guns are out of commission. Eighteen dead, fifty-nine wounded and thirty-four missing. Both report their engines and FTL's are fully operational."

"Notify the Medina we have business for them. See if the one of the Flattop repair ships can help them until the…"

"Dradis contact… It's the Third Construction fleet under Rear-Admiral Justin Wilds with the Leviathan, Tiamat, Kraken, Thor's Hammer, Hephasetus, Anvil, Terrible and the Triennia along with twelve Titan II Gunstars as escort. They also have sixteen fleet cargo ships," the COM officer reported.

"Contact Admiral Wilds, and tell him. We're turning command of the convoy over to him," Melody ordered.

"Leviathan responds that Admiral Wilds has command until Fleet Admiral Walton arrives. He also says that you will remain in command of the disputation of the convoy until then," the COM officer replied.

"Frak!" Melody said as she blew a lock of hair out of her eyes.

Richard snickered as he walked to his station.

"Up yours Richard. Someone, bring me some headache meds," Melody said as ships started appearing on the Dradis screen as the giant repair ships took up formation around the civilian ships.

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Don't expect fast updates, this is just an idea that I wrote last year, and added to it.

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Ships Mentioned in the chapters

Mercury class Battlestar

Mercury Block II

Atlantia

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Mercury Block I

Tauron

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Armageddon class escort Battlestars

Jötnar

Heimdal

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Leviathan Mobile Ship yard Class

Helios

Leviathan

Tiamat

Kraken

Goliath

Mastodon

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Hephasetus Constructionstar Class

Hephasetus

Admiral Kendal

Anvil

Thor's Hammer

Spindle

Admiral Joseph Mauve

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Ranger class Mobile Shipyard

Ranger

Warhorse

Terrible

Triennia

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Titan II class Gunstars ** shows what type of Pod x5 x12

Trampoline **Carrier version

Leonis **Carrier version

Milestone **Carrier version

Riverton **Heavy Weapons version

Moray **Heavy Weapons version

Black Vine **Heavy Weapons version

Bryant **Carrier version

Huffington **Carrier version

Medlock **Heavy Weapons version

Adams **Heavy Weapons version

Grant **Heavy Weapons version

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Apollo I class corvettes

12VGD Apollo

12VGD Aspin

12VGD Cedric

12VGD Fredrick

12VGD Greendale

12VGD Monsoon

12VGD Nightstar

12VGD Plateau

12VGD Slier

12VGD Tamika

12VGD Ulla

12VGD Zorn

02PGD Hotspur

08LGD Gristle

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Twelfth Virgon Guard Division

Second Picon Guard Division

Eighth Libran Guard Division

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Harrier class Assaultstars

Gremlin

Panther

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Berzerk II class support ships

Saxe

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Nightingale Class Medstar Meditrina

Medina

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Albatross Medical Frigates

Seagull

Sea Hawk

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Mule class Military Freighter x16

Growler

Grayback

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Saturn class Military Tylium Refinery Ship

Pulsar

Veronica

Stemma

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Gander class utility/carrier

Elisha Hawks

Katarina

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Freighters

Type Name

Fr Type 1 Bishop

Fr Type 1 Kati

Fr Type 2 Genoa,

Fr Type 2 Hastings

Fr Type 2 Boxer

Fr Type 2 Mendoza

Fr Type 4 Mongoose

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Liners x60

Type Name

Liner 1; Virgon Moonrise

Liner 1; Picon Sunset

Liner 4; Virgon White Dragon

Liner 6; Gemnon Light of Hope

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Tylium Tankers

Virgon Hope

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First Edited By

Final Edit By

Battlestar Galactica™ is a registered trademark and copyright (©) Glen Larson & the SciFi Channel. Thank you to the Battlestar Wiki and The Battlestar Galactica Role Playing Game, Battlestar Prometheus have proven invaluable for the information they contain. All material found in this story is for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement should be inferred or is intended. Battlestar Sword and all its original characters and story lines presented here are the copyright (©) of their creator (©) 2010.