Chapter 7- Monday, 12 February, 2012
It was sunset at a fairly large prisoner of war camp on Paradeen there were three smaller camps on paradeen, one for polital prisoners and two for captured Western Nationalists including the survivors from the neutron bomb bombarment of ten years prior, and Commander Cain, as per his normal habit, looked up at a certain bright light in the sky above him. The setting suns' light reflecting off the Battlestar Pegasus. Again, he relived his memories of how he and his crew ended up interred in the prisoner of war camp on Paradeen.
In front of Cain, on the front porch of the Commandant's residence and office space, stood the Commandant of the prison camp, Commandant Leiter of the Eastern Alliance. Behind Cain was the crew of the Pegasus, assembled in ranks and files.
"Your crew is dismissed to their quarters for the night," Leiter announced after noting Cain's typical wistful look upwards. Leiter held a clipboard in his hands, the top paper on it a security summary for the day: no reports of escape attempts; no fights amongst Cain's crew; nor any assaults on the guards. No prisoners in special confinement. A quiet day, Leiter wished all days were like today.
Though, he had to admit, nothing topped off the day quite like a good old-fashioned interrogation, but with the otherwise quiet day in the camp there was no need for an interrogation. Leiter had learned early on in his tenure as Camp Comanandant that un-justified interrogations caused much distrust between the Colonials and his staff, leading to diruptions and escape attempts.
"Yes, sir," Cain replied with a quick salute, before turning to look over his crew, "Quarters," Cain ordered. "As always, first thing in the morning, the sick and infirm are to report to the Medical hut, all others are to identify and report to their work assignments. Again, department heads are to report to my quarters for our daily conference." The work assignments were mainly were at the camp's farm field or to camp maintenance.
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At the New Kobol Fleet yards a celebration was taking place, to commission the Battlestar Kobol into Fleet service after nearly two yahren of construction. The entire Council of the Twelve was there to ask for the Lord's of Kobol's blessings on the newly completed ship.
The ship, nearly identical in layout and design to her older sister, though lessons learned over the yahren had been incorporated into new ship: improved deck crew shelters, backup power generators, multi-redundant atmospheric retention force fields, improved communications, and improved rapid transit for the Viper pilots have been added to both launch bays. The Kobol rested in The New Kobol Fleet Yard's Battlestar dock, a roofed over crater where the it had lain since its construction began on several form fitting platforms because it had an uneven bottom, one under the forward section, one under each launch bay, and one under the drive section. Despite the minuscule gravity of the moon, the platforms were still massive constructions which were needed to hold up the Kobol's multi-million ton mass. Over the last year, CA-01 Eden; DD-01 Lieutenant Zac; FF-01 Lieutenant Serina; and FF-02 Lieutenant Bow were commissioned and placed into service. Afterwards Construction of CA-02 Atlantis, as well as DD-02 Lt. Killian; FF-03 Lt. Bunker, and FF-04 Lt. Monk. was started.
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Shortly after the commissioning ceremony, work crews from the construction team and a small staff of Colonial officers and technicians boarded the Kobol. They began the process of bringing the Battlestar to life. The commissioning party retreated to the Battlestar dock operations center, There, they had their eyes glued to a set of monitors. The Dock was then evacuated and the atmosphere pumped into storage tanks.
"Power levels are at 100 percent. Maneuvering and main propulsion are on standby," they heard announced from the bridge of the Kobol over a radio connection.
"We're opening the roof," a technician called back while activating a switch. On a camera out on the surface of New Kobol's moon, the guests could see the camouflaged roof of the crater begin to rise and split apart slowly as giant hydraulic units pushed the pressure bearing panels upward and outward. Once the doors were completely open, other hydraulic units began to lift the Kobol up and out of the dome. Slowly, the new Battlestar was raised into the sunlight. Once the ship was completely clear of the dome's walls the lifts stopped.
"Battlestar Kobol, you are now clear for take-off," a technician announced from the Dock operations center.
After a moment, lights began to flare from the Battlestar's maneuvering and propulsion units. The commissioning guests could feel a faint rumbling through the floor of the operations center as the Kobol slowly lifted herself off of the platforms she had lain on for so long. Then the ship's nose pitched up and the Kobol began moving forward and upwards away from the surface of New Kobol's moon, into space where she belonged. At last, she was free.
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Shortly after being launched the Kobol, under the command of newly promoted Commander Bojay, embarked her combat and support squadrons: Gold Spar, Silver Spar, Bronze Spar, and Brass Spar, and her shuttle squadron some of which contained last minute supplies to be delivered for the new ship. Boomer, recalled back to active duty at a recent Council meeting was promoted to Colonel and assigned as the Kobol's Strike Leader. He justified his returning to active duty as a chance for his own Battlestar command in the future after his stint as Strike Leader.
He had lost his bitterness over not being selected Strike leader for the Galactica over the last few yahren, with many conversations with former Colonel and now Council member Tigh.
"Colonel," said Bojay, turning as Boomer came onto the bridge.
"All squadrons aboard, sir," said Boomer. "We are ready for the shakedown."
"Very good. Colonel Ares," Bojay began to his new executive officer, "bring us around. Lay in a course for Earth, light speed."
"Light speed, aye," replied Colonel Ares, and the newest Colonial warship in the galaxy brought her nose about, and tore a hole in the night.