Chapter 7 Nemea


Caprica Orbit

Raptor 312/Galactica Boomer and Helo

28 minutes after Cylon Incursion

Flashing into existence over the nuclear wasteland that was Caprica came a damaged bug shaped Raptor. Steam vented from the entire hull, evidence of the 500 degrees explosion it had just survived, this steam however, was quickly obscured by an ever increasing heat as plasma built up around the Raptor's tumbling hull as she crashed through the upper atmosphere of Caprica. A streak of plasma followed her descent as her Pilot and ECO struggled to control the tumbling craft.

Flipping the master switch off and then counting the spins in the rotation of the Raptor whilst G forces threatened to crush her spine. Struggling to keep her eyes open as they clouded over, Boomer caught the flash of a moon. Flipping the master switch as soon as she saw this, the two large engines that made up the Raptor, came to life at full power, thrusting the ship forward at ten degrees below the horizon breaking the ship out of it's mad fall. Blood quickly reasserted it's control of her body, allowing her more or less free control over her aching limbs. Steadying the descent of the now safely falling Raptor, Boomer called back, "Karl, you still awake?"

"Frak..." leiutenant Agathon groaned, pulling himself back to his board, "Yeah, just about", reading the information scrolling down his board, "...we're at Caprica...70 miles south of Cap City. We're going to need to set down for repairs, we've got red on the undercarage".

Bringing the Raptor into true atmosphere, the Plasma that had encased the ship all but disappeared, the outer hull burning a red hot glow, and seemed to shimmer in the cool atmosphere, Boomer said, "See if you can raise command, we should be close..."

"Gods no...Boomer, I'm reading high amounts of radiation in the atmosphere, strongest over Cap City, Elgin, Memphis...Delphi. Gods...they've all been hit...I can't raise command, I've got a handful of weak wireless contacts but that's it".

"There must be someone!" Boomer cried back.

"Boomer, there are no fleet ot government signals...we're going to need to land at the Isolde Plains. It should be clear", Karl replied sending her the nav data, struggling with the concept of so much death.

"Okay...setting her down". Tears streamed down Boomer's helmet covered face as the Raptor continued it's descent.

The verdent looking land of Caprica flashing by beneath them. Dust clouds yet to settle over the lush land. Soon the wildlife and the biology would be faced with the harshness that came with a nuclear fallout. Land and seas would be laced with rapidly dieing radiation, specially designed to have a half life of only two years. Streaming towards the plains came a boy of only fourteen, a young mother and her newborn baby, and a famous scientist that many would see as being the man responsible for the attacks, if only because his program had the backdoor the Cylons used. Their destination when they finally joined up would be the Isolde Plains.


Caprica system

Colonial civilian fleet under command of Secretary Roslin

Colonial Heavy

52 minutes after Cylon Incursion

"Secretary Roslin, we've regained contact with Fleet Command" Captain Lee Adama said as he sat down. For everyone around him this war was killing them, but not Lee, for once in his life he felt that he had a purpose, a fire was burning inside driving him forward.

Taking off her glasses, Laura asked, "I thought Picon had been hit, who's in command now?" As naive as she was of the Military, she did know that the military always had multiple contingencies in place and had spread its resources about the colonies.

"Admiral Nagala, he was third in command, but he's acting Fleet Admiral now. Command is currently based out of Virgon with a backup at Leonis. He...he's put martial law into effect until a new President is sworn in, and maybe for a bit longer afterwards".

Rubbing her eyes Laura asked, "Any word on the Quorum or th..." Laura couldn't find the words to continue.

"How far?" Lee knew that their was a line of succession, he just didn't know it past the twelth person on it.

"46th" Laura replied, a weariness lacing her voice.

Handing her a sheet of paper, "I received this over this list over the wireless. It's everyone who has signed list starts at 51".

Reading it and seeing how few names there were on it and how most of them were under-secretaries, or members of the three Royal families (Leonis, Canceron and Virgon) and the graveness of it all settled on her. "Will Admiral Nagala support me?"

"I don't know if you know, but I serve under Nagala on Atlantia. He's an honourable man...I think he will support you finishing Adar's term, but..."

Raising an eyebrow Laura asked "But?"

"If I know Nagala and the fact we're in a war with most of our government destroyed...we're looking at mid to long term martial law until the government is back on it's feet".

Clasping his hands, Laura replied, "That Captain Apollo, I can understand. Lets hope the individual governments survive so we have a basis for a Quorum. Now...now we need a Priest".


Picon Orbit

Battlestar Atlantia

1 hour 8 minutes after Cylon Incursion

"Admiral, the next wolfpack should be ready to leave in five minutes. The Destroyer Red Blood is just repairing her ftl".

Looking up from the ever increasing mound of documents he was reading Admiral Robert Nagala nodded, "Good, we need to wear the frackers down John", lowering his voice, "I fear we may have already lost, I'm putting forward a mass evacuation".

"Evacuation to where sir. The colonies are fracked if we fail".

"Kobol. It's out there somewhere, or...or Earth if it exists. As it is, nowhere in the colonies is safe anymore. Frak we might as well jump into Toaster territory, it's probably safer". Picking up a porcelain cup, centuries old and still pristine, Nagala drank from it. The cup itself was an antique the Admiral had never before used, but if he was to die today, then he wanted to know what it felt like to drink from a five million cubit cup.

"Paul, we've got a school teacher doing far better than what we are, Secretary Roslin has managed to pull together a civilian fleet. Hundred's of ships. She's evacuating those without jumpdrive's and I've ordered her to jump to Ragnar as soon as possible. I've also got the 103rd under command of General Ash enroute to their current position to safeguard those ships".

"Groundbashers? Sir if you're to send anyone, send the marines, they have the necessary training for ship based..."

"I have sent a hundred marines with them and the 40 members of the Praetorian guard we had here. But as it is we need all the marines we can get. Now we've disconnected our networks, you should have no doubt that the Cylons will try and board us".

"What about supplies and protection if they're to leave the colonies?"

"We're stripping all the anchorages that we can. And every third ship leaving the surface is being loaded with supplies...they'll have to seperate the supplies themselves. As for protection...whatever survives".

"Admiral..." a leiutenant called out "...the Cylons have just jumped into range of Leonis".

"Get the wolfpacks ready to jump and have the stealth raptors get us the intel we need on the toasters positions".


RagnarRagnar Anchorage

Battlestar Galactica

1 hour 12 minutes after Cylon Incursion

"They look just like us Saul. Skin, blood...everything", a bloodied and bruised Commander Adama said, cradling his aching head and trying to mop up some of the blood.

"Dear Gods anyone of us could be one..." his ever present friend and ally replied.

"We can't let this get out to the general population, Saul. There would be anarchy in the fleet, friends and enemies accusing each other of being Cylons", Adama envisioned the nightmare ahead.

"I take it you're telling Fleet Actual and the spooks?"

"Can't not. Let's just hope that they know what to do".

Breaking through the silence that crept up on them came the voice of Leiutenant Gaeta over the intercomm, "Could the Commander or XO get in contact with the CIC".

Colonel Tigh, picking up a nearby handset said "Tigh here, I'm with the Commander...", listening in Saul turned to Adama saying, "We've just heard from Kara. She's guiding in Racetrack and the Raptor Contingent of BSG16. Racetrack is carrying orders from Command".

Feeling anguish pass over his soul at the thought of losing the wise Commanders of BSG16 that had unoficially been named The Old Gaurd after their refusal to allow networks, and the fact that many had served in the first war, and the loss of their able bodied crews, Adama replied "Tell them I'll meet Racetrack in the hanger. We won't be able to take on so many Raptors, so have what we can handle land in the Port hanger and the rest either dock at our ports or land on Ragnar".

After tigh relayed the instructions, both set off for the Port hanger deck.

Watching from the balcony as the first of many Raptors was wheeled in, five marine fireteams at the ready both on the balcony and below them, as per orders during a time of war.

Stepping down to meet Racetrack and Skulls, Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh returned the salute they gave.

Handing Commander Adama a tan manilla folder with bold black lines bordering it, "These are your orders from Admiral Nagala...".

Once Adama took it, Racetrack reached into her pocket, a grin crossing her face as she held out a plain black box to him, opening it to reveal two gold, diamond shaped pins, "...Admiral Adama".

Standing stock still, a wave of emotion rushed through Adama as he reached out to cradle the box. "I'd given up hope of ever becoming Admiral. But now...these feel like they carry too high a price".

"Frak Bill, you deserve them more than most of the fleet" Colonel Tigh broke in, slapping his friend on the back.

Looking at Saul, Bill's sea blue eyes burning into him, a gruffness came to Bill's voice, "That's the problem Saul, we've lost most of the fleet. There's the proof", he said pointing to the taxying Raptors of BSG16.

Skulls, towering over Admiral Adama shook his head saying, "BSG16 is still largely intact sir. Those Raptors are carrying survivors from Caprica. Admiral Nagala didn't want to risk them on Picon or the other colonies".

"16's last known position was the Boneyards Admiral, getting as many Mark 2 Vipers as they could to make up for losses after they hit the Cylon fleet that assaulted Caprica".

Looking at his own Vipers in their bays, many the new Mk sevens and his own squadron of Mark twos that without networks would outclass the newer models, Adama knew that they had made the right decision. "What are our orders for the refugees?"

"At the moment sir, they're to be placed on the anchorage sir".

L


eonis

Cylon Invasion Fleet

Cylon Command Basestar

1 hour 16 minutes after Cylon Incursion

Cavil stood in front of a shimmering red display with representatives of every Cylon model around him, feeling as the fleet jumped into Leonosian Orbit. He saw the sparse collection of picket ships awaiting his fleet and something surprising.

"Where the frak is the rest of the Nemean shipyard?" Cavil all but shouted to the room at large.

A Doral model immersing himself into the data stream, replied "I don't know. It looks like they've jumped out the shipyards. All that's left is the modules unfit for jumping and a few gantries..."

"I can see that you fool. But where did they jump it to".

"Picon, it has to be or one of the Oort clouds" Simon suggested.

"Maybe one of the outlying..." D'Anna was saying before being interrupted by Natalie.

"It doesn't matter where it is. We came here to destroy Leonis. Everything else is unimportant for now. We need to spread our ships for when Nagala attacks and spread a third of our raiders between the fleet".

Nodding at the tactical mindset of the Six, Cavil agreed.

Moving forward towards the planet, the Basestars sent a further third of their remaining Raiders ahead of them to launch their nukes at key locations both across and in orbit of Leonis. The Picketships regrouping as one body in front of the Raiders, presenting their dorsal aspects to the raiders in order to have as many guns as possible firing at the oncoming Raiders.

As the raiders neared firing range of the small fleet, the leading ranks of Cylons started to shutdown, their momentum carrying them forward as their engines went cold. Other raiders behind them started to shutdown and drift into each other. The perfect formation breaking down as the raiders passed an invisible wall, raiders at the rear broke formation aiming to get as far from it as possible. Cavil smashed his hand into the data stream, anger coursing through him "What happened?"

Simon stooped over his own data stream, flinched as he felt the raw data feed his mind. "There's...there's a field of energy surrounding most of the planet like the one at Caprica...but stronger".

"Impossible, Caprica's networks pre-liberation were far more extensive..."

"It isn't the network that's more advanced, it's the power and virus behind it. At Caprica it was focused into jamming us...here, here it's focused into attacking us...we need to get the hybrids to find the source", Simon replied.

"Do it", Cavil ordered. "I'm pulling back the raiders. We should try to probe this wall of theirs, their groundbased arrays only cover so much of the planet".


Leonis

Graystone Compound

1 hour 16 minutes after Cylon Incursion

With the blinking lights of holobands over their eyes, Daniel and Zoe Graystone fathomed their minds into the network that covered Leonis, but hadn't been used in decades. Powerplants were forced into channeling insane amounts of energy into the dozens of communications arrays dotting the planet, and those arrays were realligned so as to cover as much of the planet as possible. This was mainly thanks to a handful of individuals working inside the powerplants or arrays.

Once all this was done, the intellectual mind of Daniel and the instictual mind of Zoe worked together using the knowledge gained by the Ciphers on Caprica, to weave a virus to break through the minds of the raiders approaching the planet. Dozens of incredible highly charged codes were sent out from the numerous arrays, sweeping away from the planet, weaving in with the seperate waves whilst carrying on past the picket ships towards the raiders.

Sweeping into the ranks of raiders, the intricate code didn't break into the Cylon Raiders, but rather secreted itself into them. Once it was into the organo-synthetic brain of the raiders, the code followed pathways that the Graystones had expected, pathways that as different as they are, were in the very first Artificial beings and as these pathways were the Cylon equivelant of a central nervous system, the code had access to the vast majority of the raider.

Even in the very first of the Cylon race, the U-87, their was the very basis of this central nervous system, albeit in a very basic way of silicone and wires attached to optical sensors, pressure sensors attached to the armour, gyroscopes, power packs. Everything that made the U-87 what it was, was interconnected in this system. Of course, because the colonials wanted a clear distinction between human and cylon, and so as not to offend the Gods, it was never called a central nervous system by the Colonials, instead it was known as the internet, the intenal network. Now the Cylons, in mostly their semi-organic state, knew it as a central nervous system.

Needless to say, once the virus gained access to this network, it had very clear objectives, shutting down containment on tylium reactors, reversing course, entering balistic courses, shutting down the reactors, blowing up the munition stores, corrupting the network. And if all that failed, the longer the raider spent in the wave of highly charged code, the more the brain would be burnt out by an overload of both information and charged particles.

As successful as this adaptive code was at slipping into the brain of the raiders, boundaries and barriers were met in the brains. Namely the conciousness, no matter how animal like, of the raider in question. This meant that not all objectives could be met. Precious seconds slipped by as the charged particles crossed neural pathways, splitting the very core of the Raiders, confusing them and driving them towards insanity. The Raiders, looking to protect their core personality against this most unconventional of attacks, closed in on themselves, and that is all it took as they overlooked what were seen as minor sub-systems attached to their reactors, controlling coolant to their reactors. With the reactors starting to overheat, automatic systems cut in, shutting down the reactors and starting the download process to the waiting resurection ships at the edge of colonial space.

The wave of charged code sped outwards, away from Leonis and still connected to it by more charged code coming behind it. This was the largest wireless information network ever created in Colonial history, requiring almost all the power generated by the groundside reactors, and still it kept expanding towards the Cylon fleet, chasing after fleeing Raiders and charging towards the Basestars. Raiders winked out of existence, some ordered out of the combat arena, others towards suspected weak spots around the planet

2 stealth raptors out of the 20 strong force orbiting Leonis, after recording everything that was happening, jumped to Picon, whilst 20 well hidden ships maintained their overwatch, most ready to jump out to warn Picon of any unforseen developments.


Picon

Battlestar Atlantia (Flagship)

1 hour 18 minutes after Cylon Incursion

"Dradis Contacts...it's the stealth raptors...ID confirmed", the Dradis officer called out.

Going to the comm console, Admiral Nagala reached over the officer, patching the Raptors wireless transmissions into the entire CIC. "This is actual, what do we have?"

"Actual, Phantom. The entire Cylon fleet is at Leonis. They number 342 Basestars, all the new model. Our sensors were unable to give us accurate raider readings. But we estimates that there was 100000 raiders inbound on Leonis. The main Cylon fleet was staying behind those raiders. The basestars had spread out and dispersed possibly another 100000 raiders between them, we beleive they had more in reserve".

"You said had?" the Admiral said.

"We're sending you a video feed and data we gathered, sir", Nagala watched the videos at double speed whilst glancing at the data. Phantom continued, "when we jumped out the Raiders sent ahead were either drifting unpowered or fleeing the wave of...we think it's a code sir".

"This is it...they've stalled", Nagala muttered. Looking at his XO Nagala ordered with steel in his voice, "Have all ships prepare to jump in one minute. We're going to Leonis. It's our best chance to break the Cylon fleet".

The XO seeing that Nagala was right, set the crew to work. Nagala continued, "We'll come in 30 km in front of the picket ships. Jump Raptors to BSG16 and Galactica, we need them with us. They'll jump in from the rear of the Cylon fleet. If they get there quick enough we can pin down the Cylons".


The Boneyards

BSG16

Battlestar Defiant

1 hour after Cylon Incursion

Flashing into existence at the edge of the Boneyards came a contact that dwarved even a Mercury class battlestar. As soon as IDs were confirmed, this contact was guided into the middle of the ship graveyard towards the waiting fleet.

Coming into visual range of the Defiant, the titanic size and the strangeness of this contact became immediately apparent. This wasn't a ship, at least not a standard ship, no this was one of only 3 such stations of it's type ever made, a mobile shipyard. The other two stations had been located at Scorpia and Picon, Scorpia's having been scrapped in the last defense cuts and Picon's having been destroyed by the Cylons during the first few minutes of the attack.

Measuring in at 2.85 miles long, 1.3 miles high and 3.5 miles wide, the vast majority of the station was partly severed armoured gantries and thick armour plating surrounding two cavernous bays large enough to hold the largest of all Battlestars.

At the bow sat two immense openings where Battlestars entered rear first. Each bay had two protective doors covering them which joined on a horizontal axis and were pointed outwards. In an emergency situation, for example the doors having been warped by the intense heat and shockwaves of multiple nuclear impacts, then explosive bolts around the perimeter of the doors would detonate, shedding the doors themselves. Failing that the ship inside the bay could just plow into the doors which would bow outwards under such an impact from inside the bay, an impact from outside the bay wouldn't accomplish this. Between these two bays was a full battery of heavy antiship guns.

Towards the rear third (1.2 miles) of the massive station/ship sat the main habitible section. This contained the cargo bays where spare parts were kept, machine shops where new parts could be made (only possible with resources either scavenged or mined). The machine shops could produce anything from parts for a mk 1-7 Viper (including airframe and engines) to parts for a battlestar. Also located here were crew quarters, cargo bays for dried rations and supplies (3 years worth for 40000 people or three battlestar groups), the CIC, a full hospital that could care for upto 1000 crew (however there is only 20 doctors/surgeons aboard and 50 interns aboard during peacetime operations). Huge stores of Tylium were also kept back here as well as two reservoirs of water.

At the rear of the station/ship was the jumpdrives and engines. There were two jumpdrives and two sets of coils (one each), this was because due to the size of the station the designers, many of whom were veterans of the first war, decided that due to the mass of the station with just one jumpdrive it would take 30 minutes to spool up the jumpdrive. This they decided, for a military vessel, was far too long, but by having two running counter to one another, the station could continuously jump every 15 minutes.

On the rear of the station was 16 engine blocks of the same design as a Columbia 2 class battlestar. Covering the station were hundreds of point defense batteries, gun batteries, anti-ship batteries (including missile batteries), and 40 nuclear missile silos (100 nuclear missiles were also stored in specially designed bunkers on he station).

On the port and starboard side of the station were inbuilt flightpods smaller than on a Valkyrie class holding a squadron of vipers between them and a squadron of raptors each.

Their were hundreds of joints where the rest of the station that was unable to jump, had been blown off with explosive bolts. As it was the battlestation looked like a cross between a whale and an enlargened Columbia Class Battlestar.

Proudly emblazoned on the side of each flightpod, highlighted in spotlights and golden paint against the titanium grey of the hull was the seal of the colonies and the proud name Nemea.

A


s soon as the titanic Battlestation (BX) joined the fleet in the centre of the boneyards and orders were confirmed, tugs were deployed towards the decommissioned Battlestar Corsair and raptors filled with crew and knuckle draggers were sent to BSG16.

Once the tugs arrived at the Corsair and attached themselves to mooring points along the Battlestar, the Battlestation Nemea maneuvered in behind the Corsair, the Portside dock doors open. Steadily moving forward, it seemed that the mighty Battlestation swallowed the damaged, derelict Columbia 2 class battlestar whole. The whole process took 15 minutes.

Whilst this was going on, the newly recommissioned and partially rearmed Medstar Panacea jumped out of the system and a Raptor jumped in from fleet command at Virgon.

"Commander, we've just received orders via Raptor 207 out of Atlantia", the XO said as the Commander stepped into the CIC.

"Go ahead", the Commander ordered, fresh gauze taped to a newly stiched gash on his forehead.

Reading the orders the XO answered "We are to make all haste to Ragnar where Rear-Admiral Adama will take charge of BSG16. From there we are to jump to Leonis and attack the Cylon fleet from the rear while the rest of the fleet under command of Atlantia attacks from the front. It also seems that the Graystones are employing some form of Electronic Warfare ability that is interfering with the Cylon raiders. Admiral Nagala says that if we can pin the Cylon Fleet at Leonis then its our best chance at defeating the Cylons". There was hope in the XO's eyes and tone of voice as he read out the orders, crew members around the CIC that had been listening intently, all shared that same hope and all eyes turned to the Commander.

With the strength of an entire Battlestar Group behind his words Commander Hall spoke, "Input jump coordinates for Ragnar Anchorage and pass orders to recall all personel as soon as we exit jump. Nemea is to jump with us but will remain at Ragnar Anchorage under Condition 2. It's time we showed the Cylons why they shouldn't frak with us!" As he said this the Commander had a pit of doubt sinking into his stomach, inwardly he thought that this could be the making or breaking of the Colonies. But he would never let that show, not when his crews looked up to him.


Hi sorry this chapter took so long, sprained my hand last week so haven't been able to type. But here it is. I decided to put in a full description of Nemeaand am using this chapter to place the pieces for the Battle of Leonis in the next chapter.

I hope you like the chapter and if you have any questions feel free to ask and reviews are appreciated.