Chapter 4: Tricks and Traps.
The storm eventually affected Cylon technology due to a high yield frequency of electromagnetic pulses. But that didn't phase them. When Adama jumped away he forgot one important thing, to send another message confirming their departure so no other vessels would fall into Cylon hands. So far half a dozen civilian ships fell into the trap. The Cylons were having a field day.
The space folded for an instant in a flash of light as the Battlestar Ulysses came into orbit around Ragnar Anchorage.
Ulysses – CIC.
"Report." Said the Commander.
"Dradis signal clean, jump point clear of any interference. Sir, I'm detecting vessels within the storm, but the transponders are unclear due to the storms EMI." Lieutenant Hoskins answered, the acting navigation officer and helm controller.
Vash looked at her monitors and swiveled around in her chair.
"We are in synchronized orbit with Ragnar Anchorage sir." She replied.
Some cheers were heard in combat. Rebecca smiled slightly in relief.
"Excellent, move towards the eye of the storm, we'll have to navigate the tunnel leading to the station." Ordered the Commander.
"Sir, I recommend we send light recon. We should use caution, if this turns out to be another Cylon ambush, we don't want to be trapped in there." Said Ken, looking at the storm from a tactical map.
Rebecca crossed her arms thinking of his council.
"Very well, send a Raptor. And launch the alert Vipers to form a defensive formation around the ship, we'll have to leave in a hurry if the Cylons show up."
"Aye sir, launching Vipers." Acknowledged Vash.
Several minutes went by as the CIC went about their business, then Vash reported.
"Vipers are forming defensive formation, and Raptor 756 is away." Spoke Vash.
"Keep the pilots wireless on speakers, I want to hear their report." Spoke Cain now moving closer to Colonel Reid.
"We should set up hanger bay A as a temporary morgue… before we jumped the casualty report came back." She lifted up a piece of paper, which contained names and categories in which her men were killed. "Twenty three pilots KIA, including Captain Chambers, one hundred and forty seven crewmen. Latest head count is now two thousand three hundred and forty." She looked pained, when a Commander looses men it's like loosing your own children.
"Aye sir… Captain Connor was working on clearing the dead with some DC teams, I'll tell him to set it up." He replied.
"If we make it through this, we'll hold services for the dead, but now isn't the time." She said with some animosity.
Raptor 756 – en route to Ragnar Anchorage.
"You know when the Commander said the Cylons were attacking the Colonies? You think she meant all of them?" Spoke the pilot to his ECO.
"I don't want to talk about it, all we need to do is see if this whole thing is a frakking trap, and then kill some Gods damn toasters, that's all that matters to me." The ECO replied with clear anger.
"Roger that…"
The Pilot, call sign "Jimbo" looked out of his cockpit as drifting debris sprinkled their Raptor, he noticed chunks of what looked like Vipers and bulkheads from ships float past.
"Ulysses this is Jimbo, there's a large debris field out here, definite signs of a battle."
"Roger that Jimbo, standby."
"Ulysses Jimbo, acknowledge."
Ulysses – CIC.
"Something is wrong, there shouldn't be any debris out here." Said the Commander looking at Ken. He nodded and voiced his own concerns.
"Anything could happen now sir… but if there are Civilians trapped in there it's worth a look."
Rebecca looked over to her watch officer.
"Vash, any ID on those transponders?"
"Negative sir, still too much interference."
"Alright… have the ships FTL spun up and ready, and make sure our fighters know the situation in case we need to leave."
"Aye sir."
Raptor 756.
"Jimbo, you are clear to enter the storm, use extreme caution, wireless contact and Dradis will suffer sporadic interference from the storms EMI. Take a quick look and head back to Ulysses immediately, acknowledge."
"Ulysses Jimbo, copy that, we're entering the storms threshold."
The Raptor entered the entrance and slowly maneuvered down the tunnel, their Dradis signal began jumping sporadically as they were warned. They were half way through when they had a clear line of sight of the Anchorage station.
"Skipper you getting anything? My Dradis is fraked, nothing is registering for more then a second. Jimbo?"
"Holy Frak!" Snapped Jimbo.
The ECO came up behind him and looked out the cockpit, a Cylon Basestar lay in wait next to the facility and what looked like hundreds of raiders patrolling close by.
The Raptor turned violently and at full power tried to escape, Jimbo made his last transmission.
Ulysses - CIC.
"---sses –yl-n –rap, we --- ----- ----"
"Repeat your last Jimbo, your transmission is gargled. Jimbo do you copy, this is Ulysses."
"What happened?" Asked Colonel Reid.
"Sir the Raptors transponder is no longer registering on Dradis, it could be the storms EMI but it should still be registering. That last transmission sounded like a distress call" Replied Vash.
"It must be the Cylons… it would explain all the Debris." Said Ken.
"Right, order the Vipers to make combat landings and jump the ship to stand by coordinates, we'll sort this mess out later."
"Aye sir, attention all Vipers, break off defensible formation and make immediate combat landings, we're jumping the ship, repeat, we are making an immediate FTL jump." Spoke Vash through the wireless, pilots acknowledged the orders.
"Sir! Two Baseships have just jumped into Dradis at 23 carom 6.81; they are out of weapons range but closing fast! ETA twenty seconds!" Announced Hoskins.
"Jump the ship when the fighters are back on board." Ordered the XO.
"They're launching Raiders!" Announced Vash.
"Sir, Lieutenant Bonen reports his wing back on board." Reported Hoskins.
"Jump." Cain ordered.
The Ulysses vanished in a bright flash of light as dozens of missiles flew past where they were moments before.