It had now been over an hour since the initial contact. Tricia's and Macklin's vipers maintained their shadowing position behind the suspected Cylon ship (hopefully undetected by it's sensors). Both had adroitly used their thrusters to gradually close the range while maintaining a powered down configuration to minimize the chances of detection. Closing with the ship enabled the warbook in Macklin's viper to make more detailed analysis of this new type of craft. Macklin was reading off the latest findings over the laser communicator to Tricia.
"The warbook is over eighty percent certain that this ship is a Cylon freighter of a new type, so I think we can definitely reclassify this bogey as a hostile. It appears to have an autonomous pilot cockpit of the type used in the scimitar shaped raiders. No emissions though to indicate what cargo it is carrying if it's not deadheading, that is"" he concluded.
AThe fact that it's on sublight must mean that it's destination is nearby", Tricia replied. True to normal patrol procedure, her viper's scanners were set to other flanking locations so as not to be surprised should any other vessels show up. She was relying on Macklin to both maintain a bead on the contact, and to compute it's trajectory.
"I hope so, Sheba", Macklin warned, "as we'll have to break off the shadowing soon if it doesn't get to it's destination. Fuel and distance calculations show us nearing the critical point for return. In approximately thirty minutes".
"We stay with them until that point has been reached, Shooter", Tricia said firmly, "as the PEGASUS will need as much intelligence on this new ship type as we can give them".
Meanwhile, back on the PEGASUS, Colonel Tolen was talking with Ensign 'Jet' Vansen down in Silver Spar administration.
"You know as well as I do, that Commander Cain insists that all fighter qualified personnel need to keep up with their logged flight time obligations, Ensign", Tolen said.
"I know, Colonel", Vansen replied, "but I also know that senior ranking personnel in critical command positions can't be risked. That's a standing regulation".
"I know that as I'm the PEGASUS' Executive Officer, I come under that edict, but given the fact that Fleet Headquarters no longer exists, and also that a lot of our reserve strength has transferred to Commander Hawke's command, I have discretion to waive such edicts. I'm flight qualified, I'm not on bridge duty, and I'm asking you again to make a viper available for me to get my flight time log updated!", Tolen said, the last part of the entreaty coming out harshly.
Vansen gulped, but before he could open his mouth, a chuckle sounded from the doorway. Both Tolen and Vansen turned to see Commander Cain walking in with a wide smile.
"So, Geoff. Trying to sneak past regulations in order to take a joy ride in a viper, eh?", Cain asked.
"With all due respect, Commander", Tolen replied, "there may come a time when I'll be needed to fly, and after all, you sneaked in a goodly amount of flight time too since taking over the PEGASUS".
Vansen blushed without speaking. It was true: before the war, Cain had managed to fly a viper on various sorties with the wing. That was technically against regulations, but who could say 'no' to the commander?
"Commanders discretion, Colonel", Cain replied, "but as my right hand man, I can't spare you for fighter assignments. The PEGASUS needs you more"
"As she needs you", Tolen added. Cain frowned some at that. He didn't think of himself as indispensable, but he knew that the PEGASUS needed a steady hand for the Executive Officer and Geoff Tolen fitted that role.
"Come on, Geoff", Cain said, "let's take a walk". Tolen got the cue. Nodding to Vansen, Tolen followed Cain out of the administration office. Vansen breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't eager to continue resisting the desires of the X.O.
"Damn it, Geoff", Cain said quietly to Tolen as they walked along the corridor heading toward the central core elevator, "I don't have a gifted deputy for the sole purpose of risking his life in a viper. If anything happened to you, the PEGASUS would be in dire straits!".
"And it isn't already, Garris?", Tolen replied in the same quiet tone of voice, "Even with the support of Commander Hawke, we are basically out here on a limb on a mission with no home base and a high probability of failure. Rules and regulations have a nasty way of interfering with military necessity, and I do have skill in flying a viper".
"So do I, Geoff", Cain answered in a neutral tone of voice, "but as I call the shots around here, I think I can judge 'military necessity' with a clear eye. I'm sorry, but I will not allow you to fly in vipers for the foreseeable future. I have no intention of losing a good X.O. just because you're feeling nostalgic for the early days".
Tolen wanted to argue further, but he clearly heard the firm tone in Cain's voice. Both of them had been friends for a long time, and both knew the mettle of the other. Cain was not accusing him of recklessness, and Tolen knew that Cain wanted to go back to those carefree days when he was flying with Adama from the original GALACTICA back in the first war. Simply put, Cain needed him to help run this battlestar, and that was more important than flying vipers.
"What's happening, Captain?", Cain suddenly asked, jolting Tolen out of his thoughts. Cain was addressing Captain Syke, who was walking down the corridor with a frown. Syke hesitated before speaking.
"Sorry, Commander. One of our forward sweep patrols is overdue for return. They are still within their fuel radius, but that will be reached soon...".
"What else?", Cain asked, recognizing the tone of voice.
"The patrol is under the command of Lieutenant Cain, Commander", Syke replied, "Lieutenant Macklin is acting as her wingman. She's been assigned this patrol so as to get her flight time log updated".
Cain was silent for a few seconds. Logically, there should be nothing to worry about at this stage. Both Sheba and Shooter were experienced pilots, but these two were also good at maintaining a strict patrol time table. Something interesting must have been seen to divert them from their flight plan...
"Have the ready alert raptor prepare to head out to their last known position should the fuel limit be reached, Captain", Cain ordered. Syke nodded, then headed past Cain and Tolen to head down to the hangar deck.
"Let's get back up to CIC, Colonel", Cain said, "This patrol delay is giving me some vibes".
Tolen nodded and hurried behind Cain as he picked up his stride in order to quickly get to the express elevator to the CIC level.
The subject of their concern were still coasting behind their contact. Tricia was looking worriedly at her navi-comp. The fuel limit time was almost upon them... "Heads up, Sheba", Macklin suddenly said over the laser communicator, "I think I see it's destination".
Tricia switched her scanners from flank to forward view. She saw a large asteroid at the edge of view. The contact was approaching it and starting to slow.
"Our time is up, Shooter", Tricia said, "get a quick visual on the telemetry feed and make a note of the co ordinates of that asteroid. We'd better get back to the PEGASUS and report this.
"No argument there", Macklin agreed as he punched in the return course on his navi comp.
The navi comp fed new directions into the onboard computer. Thrusters squirted briefly, changing the course of the vipers in such a way as to not attract the attention of any Cylon sensing device. The vipers' engines were gradually brought up to power. Omicron Flight was now heading back to the PEGASUS.
For the last twenty minutes up in CIC, Cain, Tolen, and Glen Sanders were watching the countdown clock on the DRADIS console. Cain - though he didn't show it - was feeling some concern. He knew that his daughter was a gifted pilot, but what could have caused this delay?
"Commander, if Comscan doesn't pick them up within two minutes, then they won't have the fuel to get back", Sanders said quietly.
"Then give the ready alert Raptor crew clearance to launch and to initiate a search for them", Cain ordered.
Just as Sanders turned to Core Command in order to convey Cain's directive, a console operator over at Comscan reported, "I've got two contacts incoming. IFF confirms it's Omicron Flight".
Cain breathed a silent sigh of relief, then turned to Sanders, saying, "Belay my last order, Comms. Patch me through to Omicron Actual".
"Yes, Commander", Sanders replied. He went over to the communications console and flipped a switch. He nodded to Cain, who picked up a headset and put it on.
"This is Home Plate Actual to Omicron Actual, Are you receiving me, Sheba?", he communicated.
"This is Sheba reading you loud and clear, Actual", the reply came back.
"You're overdue and just about at zero fuel, Sheba", Cain stated next, "please explain".
"We were shadowing a freighter of Cylon - repeat Cylon - type to a destination not far ahead. We've got the information and we're coming in", Tricia explained.
Cain and Tolen looked at each other. More Cylons! Evidently they were really establishing themselves all over the Promar Sector.
"Do you recommend raising the alert level, Sheba?" Cain asked next.
"Negative at this stage, Actual", Tricia replied, "but we're going to need a recon mission as soon as possible to ascertain just what is out there".
"Very well, Sheba", Cain said, "Actual out". He turned to Sanders.
"Comms, Clear Omicron Flight for immediate landing and then get down to debriefing. Have Captain Syke and the ready alert raptor crew report there as well. I'll be down there too".
"Understood, Commander", Sanders replied.
Cain turned to Tolen, saying, "you have the CIC, X.O. Carry on".
"I've got it, Commander", Tolen replied. Cain nodded and left the CIC. Sanders followed a few seconds later after issuing the summons to the aforementioned personnel. Tolen instructed the Comscan personnel to maintain a close watch. With Cylons in the vicinity, it wouldn't do to be complacent. He wondered what Tricia and Macklin had found...
Several minutes later, after Tricia and Macklin had landed back on board, both of them were in the debriefing room speaking with Cain and Sanders on their encounter and subsequent shadowing of the Cylon freighter. The ready alert raptor crew of Ensign 'Newguy' Gorde and Petty Officer 'Snoopy' Dundee (aka 'The Two Jasons') were sitting with them, watching the viewscreen and taking notes. Macklin's viper had taken plenty of telemetry during the shadowing and this was being displayed while they were talking.
"So, a new type of Cylon freighter. Autonomous, like their new raiders", Cain said after looking at the telemetry footage.
"Looks like they have taken Lieutenant Cain's earlier achievement to heart", Sanders mused. Sanders was referring to an earlier incident involving a Cylon tanker, which she sabotaged and sent back to it's home base star where it had exploded, causing the base star so much damage that it had to be scuttled.
"It seems to me that the question is why that freighter is out here. This part of the Promar Sector is supposed to be not as far penetrated by either them, or the GALACTICA", Syke interjected.
Cain nodded. He sent the PEGASUS way ahead during the last jump so as to see about heading the GALACTICA off, rather than chasing her along with the Cylon search and destroy task forces. This would lessen the chances of their getting discovered.
"Did you get any kind of reading from the asteroid it was heading to?", Sanders asked Macklin.
"Only a quick visual image, Captain", Macklin replied, "We were at the fuel critical limit and we didn't want to go to active sensors in case the tin heads detected it".
Cain read the telemetry assessments based on the visuals that Macklin had mentioned. Diameter of the asteroid was approximately three hundred kilometers. The report indicated it had no atmosphere and at the range of the image, no evident technology. But the freighter was definitely heading towards it. What was there? He turned to Gorde and Dundee.
"We're going to need more information on what's happening here. If the GALACTICA does come this way, whatever the tin heads are doing could be disastrous for her. You have the co-ordinates?, he asked Gorde.
"Yes, Commander. As soon as they're fed into the raptor's navi-comp, we'll be right there", Gorde replied.
"Then you'd better get going", Cain said, "We need to know what's happening, but whatever you do, don't compromise yourself".
"Understood, Commander". Gorde and Dundee stood, then left the briefing room.
Cain watched them go, then turned to Sanders, saying, "Inform our patrols on this contact and as soon as Peregrine Five gets back here, ready her for action as soon as possible. I've got a feeling that we're going to be needing her".
"Understood, Commander", Sanders said. He stood and headed out of the room and back up to CIC.
"That was excellent workl you two", Cain said to both Tricia and Macklin, "I'm heading back up to CIC. You'd better work out with Captain Syke possible deployment of the wing. I'll pass the word on to Captain Voight so that he can get the Black Knights ready". With that, he left the room leaving Syke, Tricia, and Macklin sitting there.
"The Old Man is right. You'll need to get back to your squadron, Shooter", Syke suggested to Macklin. Macklin nodded and left the room. Now there was just Syke and Tricia.
"We were worried about you for a while, Tricia", Syke said to her quietly.
"There was no need. Fuel was a little low, but we came back, and we have good information as a result", Tricia pointed out.
"Hey, I have to worry about you too, you know", Syke replied. Tricia stood and hugged him. Syke returned the hug. For a minute, nothing was said, then Syke broke the hug.
"We'd better get back to Wing Admin. If we have to launch a strike, we'd best get ready", he said.