Chapter Seven: Combat and Discovery

The three midshipmen, freshly fitted out in their brand new flight suits, were in Bay Two a few minutes before 1000. They decided to take the time to do an external pre-flight of their assigned vipers. None of them tried to show it, but they were nervous at the prospect of launching these fighters into space, and into combat. True, the target was unarmed, but it was also a hostile target which meant that the unexpected could happen. The crewmen that were the support personnel of these particular vipers looked at the rooks with approval at their initiative.

Higgins and Tricia had met up earlier, and after getting their flight gear on, headed down to the bay. They quietly looked in to see the three midshipmen doing their pre-flight. Tricia looked at Higgins and nodded.

"Wow, Rogue", she said,"Alooks like you've been teaching them well. They decided to start their pre-flight rather than wait".

"Those three are very good", Higgins replied. After they were dismissed from the briefing room last night, Higgins ran them through a combat simulation. All three of them had done well. And Higgins had them hit the sack early, so that they would be fresh in the morning before the launch. Both of them waited until they had completed their pre-flight, then they walked in. One of the cadets noticed, but did not shout a call to attention, instead telling the other two that the officers had arrived.

So, Tricia thought as she watched the cadets walk up to them, Rogue made sure that they knew that formality had no place here.

"All right, Middies", Higgins said, "As there are two lieutenants here with you, you are cleared to address us by our call-signs on this mission: Rogue and Sheba. Your provisional call-signs are Mid-One for Landon, Mid-Two for Anderson, and Mid-Three for Dyer. We are known by the all-seeing, all-powerful folk up in Core Command as Probe Theta. I will be Theta Actual, and Sheba will be Theta Alternate".

As the three midshipmen quickly wrote the call-signs down on their knee-pads, Tricia spoke.

"You must not say anything on the air regarding the PEGASUS, or Silver Spar Wing", she said, "That listening post will pick up anything we say, so keep it to a minimum. We want it to see our vipers before it is taken out, but don't announce that either. Understood?" she asked. All three midshipmen nodded.

"Very well then", Higgins said, "man your vipers. As soon as Sheba and myself get our pre-flights completed, then we'll get going. And by the way, suicide pills will be given to you by the crews once you get strapped in. If there is a risk of capture, better quick and fast than suffering from the tender mercies of those tin-headed Cylons".

As the three midshipmen went over to their assigned vipers and climbed in, Tricia and Higgins were doing their pre-flight checks. Both of them noticed the support crews helping the midshipmen get strapped into their seats and powering up their avionics. One of the support crew were also collecting the PEGASUS patches from their uniforms.

At last, both Tricia and Higgins finished their pre-flights. Higgins signed off on the forms that gave him full responsibility for the flight, gave it to the senior Petty Officer - along with their PEGASUS patches, then they manned their vipers. One of the crewmen gave them both a small packet containing a single pill as they climbed in.

After getting settled in, strapped in, powered up, and the cockpit canopies shut and sealed, Higgins activated the short-range ship-to-ship communicator.

"Probe Theta, This is Theta Actual. All pilots acknowledge", he said curtly.
"Theta Alternate copes", Sheba replied.

"Mid-One copies" Midshipman Landon replied.

"Mid-Two copies", Midshipman Anderson replied

"Mid-Three copies", Midshipman Dyer replied. Unknown to her, and to everyone else, the disc inserted into the shoulder of her VIPER patch was sitting there, waiting to be detected.

"Theta Actual to Shooter", Higgins said to the Launch Control Officer, "Theta Probe ready for launch".

"Understood, Theta Actual", Shooter replied. The crewmen started to push the vipers into their launch tubes. Shooter had been briefed about the three midshipmen, so he knew that Higgins would launch first and Tricia would launch last.

"Shooter to Core Command", he communicated, "Theta Probe in position".

Up in CIC, the Core Command duty operator reported to Sanders that the viper force was ready, and that all viper patrols had returned and had been secured. Sanders nodded to Tolen, who turned to the helm officer.

"Commence countdown for jump to set co-ordinates, Helm", he ordered.

The navi-comp was set to jump the PEGASUS to the far side of the planet from the listening post. As the countdown commenced, Tolen activated the P.A. system.

"Set Condition One throughout the ship. Jumping into hostile territory. Repeat: Set Condition One. Jumping into hostile territory"

All over the PEGASUS, the crew went to action stations. Within thirty seconds, Sanders had the status report.

"Condition One set throughout the ship, Colonel", Sanders reported.

"Very well, let's get going", Tolen ordered. Cain nodded as he saw the chronometer click down to zero.

"Jumping!", the helm officer announced. With the familiar unpleasant feeling, the PEGASUS made the jump to the specified co-ordinates. As soon as the navi-comp confirmed their position, Sanders ordered Core Command to inform Shooter to commence probe launch.

"Shooter to Probe Theta, power up your engines", Shooter ordered as the rear tube hatch sealed and the front tube hatch opened, exposing the five vipers to the vacuum of space. Shooter then looked at the telemetry from each viper. All were green.

"Theta Actual", Shooter said, "Control of probe now ceded to probe commander. Launching".

Higgins felt himself getting slammed back in his seat as his viper was flung out of the launch tube and into space.

"Mid-One, Mid-Two, Mid-Three", Shooter said next, "Launching".

The middies were both scared and excited as their vipers accelerated down their tubes and into space.

"Theta Alternate", Shooter said last, "Launching".

With that announcement, Tricia's viper was shot out into Space. She saw the other vipers ahead, and heard Higgins's voice.

"Theta Probe, form up on me. Go to weapons ready", he ordered.

The midshipmen double-clicked their communicators to acknowledge and they flipped the control switch on the weapons platform from SAFETY to ACTIVE. With Higgins in the lead, the three midshipmen's vipers in a v-formation behind them, and with Tricia watching from the rear, the vipers smoothly accelerated. All were now on auto-pilot until Higgins would order them to go to manual control.

The midshipmen took the time to look both at the planet and the rapidly receding bulk of the PEGASUS. This was the moment that they had trained for, and they were all eager to do well.

Higgins watched his navi-comp for position checks. They were poised to come in over the north pole of this planet. All going well, they would be able to make the intercept in seven minutes. More than enough time, he thought.

Unknown to Higgins, or to anyone on the PEGASUS, the orbiting listening post was sending out occasional low-energy pulses on a high frequency. It was designed to detect any passive positional discs at a long distance - the same type of disc that was in Dyer's VIPER patch. Theta Probe was about to be discovered earlier than planned.

As the vipers passed over the pole - onto the side of the planet where the post was - a high-frequency pulse was sent out. The listening post suddenly noticed a 'return' from the pulse. The pulse was sent out again, and this time, the 'return' was closer. The 'returns' were plotted on it's internal map and the course was worked out: it was heading directly for the post. The listening post immediately broadcast an IFF signal to the incoming 'return'.

"Frakk!", Higgins exclaimed, "That probe has already seen us, and we're too far away to jam! All vipers, go to manual and increase speed. We've got to take it out and get away before help comes. Sheba, try to block any FTL-drone it may deploy".

"Understood, Theta Actual", Sheba replied as her viper broke formation. As it happened, this probe did not have any FTL-probes as it didn't need one. Laying dormant a light minute away were two Cylon fighters - both of the scimitar automatons. They received the signal from the post, and both of them started powering up in order to find out what had caused the signal to activate.

"Mid-One", Higgins ordered, "You're up. Take that post out now!"

"Affirmative, Theta Actual", Landon replied. As his viper bore down on the listening post, the post picked up the signals and by using it's sensors, identified the target as a human Viper VII fighter. It started transmitting the data as the viper closed. The listening post also noted other vipers boring in.

"Fox One!", Landon called as his missile system locked onto the listening post, He fired the first missile. It bore straight in and impacted upon the hull of the listening post, smashing some - though not all of it's systems. Higgins noticed that the post was still transmitting. He had started the recording of the intercepted data, and was now watching as Mid-Two and Mid-Three were firing one missile each at the post.

The listening post was hit by both missiles, holing it and severely damaging the electronics. Higgins noticed from his data recorder that the post had stopped transmitting. He knew that the vipers had been seen by the listening post, according to the plan. Now it was time to head back to base.

"Theta Actual to Theta Probe" he announced, "Form up and return to Home Plate, and change wireless to the secure laser".

The three midshipmen and Tricia acknowledged. As they formed up on Higgins, Tricia reported that no FTL-drone had been deployed from the post.

"Theta Leader", one of the midshipmen announced, "My rear scanner is reporting an FTL-exit. Location Mark Five at Three-Ten!". Tricia immediately reversed course. She saw on her scanner what it was.

"Holy Frakk!", she exclaimed, "I have two Cylon raiders incoming: Scimitars".

"Power down all systems", Higgins reported, "we'll try to ambush them. We can't lead them back to Home Plate".

The hope was that the Cylons would not immediately recognize the vipers at that distance. Hopefully, they would regard their vipers as space debris. That hope however rapidly diminished as the two raiders suddenly went to full power and homed in on their position.

"How the frakk did they find us so fast?", Tricia exclaimed as she powered back up her viper.

"Let's go get them, Sheba", Higgins ordered, "Mid's One, Two, Three, stand by and do not engage. Leave the hostiles to us. Switch back to combat frequency".

"You need our help", Midshipman Anderson objected.

"Stay where you are, Mid-Two", Higgins snarled back, "That is an order!".

Both Tricia and Higgins peeled off in order to attack the raiders from each side. Both noticed that the raiders were not moving to engage them. They were heading straight towards the midshipmen's vipers. Higgins noticed on his scanner that an interesting pulse of high-frequency energy - low powered but unmistakable - was being emitted by one of the raiders toward the three midshipmen's vipers.

"I'm locked on the first", Tricia announced, "Fox One!".

The missile was launched and it bore straight in on the raider. That got it's attention. The raider immediately turned to engage, and it dropped several decoys. The missile was distracted by one of them and it exploded harmlessly away from it's original target.

"Frakk!", Tricia muttered as she switched from missiles to guns. She fired a burst at the raider then went evasive to avoid a return burst of fire from the Cylon ship.

While Tricia was dogfighting with the first raider, the second raider was closing in on the other vipers. Higgins noticed this and ordered, "All Middies - break away, repeat: break away".

Obediently all three vipers broke formation and peeled off. The raider, still pulsing it's low energy burst, locked in on Dyer's viper. Higgins looked aghast as the raider fired two missiles at the viper.

"Go evasive, Mid-Three!", he screamed as the missiles homed in. Dyer went to full emergency power and flew in an evasive pattern, but the missiles - which were using similar low-energy emissions to lock in on the viper - were not confused. Even the dropped swallow decoy from the base of the viper did not detract from the missile's target.

Dyer knew that this was it. Her first mission was her last, but somehow, she didn't seem afraid. She thought about swallowing the pill, but instead she keyed her communicator for the last time.

"I'm gone, Theta Actual. It's been nice knowing you!", Dyer sounded just before the missiles hit. The viper was demolished as the missiles exploded on contact.

"Bastard!", Higgins snarled as he locked his missiles on the raider. But before he could fire, the raider suddenly FTL-jumped. Higgins knew that it was going for help, but why do so before taking out the other vipers, he thought?

At that same moment, the other raider was hit by Tricia's guns. The raider exploded.

"I got him, Theta Actual", Tricia reported, breathing a sigh of relief. Dogfighting can be tiring.

"The second hostile got Mid-Three", Higgins reported quietly, "and it jumped out of the system. It's friends will be along any time now".

Tricia activated the emergency frequency to the PEGASUS, saying, "Theta Alternate informing Home Plate that Mid-Three gone. Have ready-alert raptor come to this location to retrieve wreckage. Expedite, repeat: Expedite!", she announced.

"Home Plate to Theta Alternate", Core Command replied, "ready alert raptor dispatched".

"This is Theta Actual to Theta Probe", Higgins announced, "Let's get back to Home Plate. We don't have much time. Form back up and switch back to laser communicator".

"What about Mid-Three?", Anderson asked.

"She'll be picked up, unless a base star comes along", Higgins replied, "We can't do anything more for her, Mid-Two. Mourn her after we get back to base. Acknowledge".

"Understood, Theta Actual", Anderson sulkily acknowledged. Forming up on Higgins, the remains of Theta Probe headed back to the PEGASUS, passing a raptor that had been dispatched to pick up Dyer's remains, and the remains of her viper.

On a base star which was one of a task force of two cruising in an area of the Promar Sector, a humanoid Cylon was receiving a message from an automaton raider that had just exited an FTL-jump. This one was a female model designated Number Four.
After she had finished reading the report, she turned to a centurion that had been quietly awaiting her orders.

"Have our patrols make the jump to that system and await our arrival", she ordered, Aand have that reporting raider pass on it's report to Number One. We may have found the GALACTICA", she said.

"By Your Command", the centurion replied. As it left the alcove to return to the Command Deck, Number Four re-read the report: SYSTEM THREE-THREE-NINER LISTENING POST DESTROYED BY FIVE COLONIAL VIPERS REPEAT VIPERS OF TYPE SEVEN CONFIGURATION. TWO RAIDERS RESPONDED TO INITIAL MESSAGE. ONE RAIDER DESTROYED BY VIPER, ONE VIPER - WHICH HAD PASSIVE SENSOR DISC PLACED WITHIN - DESTROYED BY SURVIVING RAIDER. WIRELESS INTERCEPTS ATTACHED. The transcripts of the intercepted transmissions did not mention the GALACTICA by name, but in this sector, who else could it be? Number Four ordered the other base star in this task force to prepare to jump to System 339.

The FTL-capable raiders did indeed jump to the system, but all they found was the debris of the destroyed raider and the listening post. They had actually arrived two minutes too late. Cain had immediately jumped the PEGASUS - after the Theta Probe vipers had all landed - to pre-set co-ordinates. The raptor, which had quickly latched onto the largest wreckage of Dyer's viper, made an FTL-jump to the same co-ordinates. Now, while the raptor was bringing in it's grizzly cargo, the pilots of the Theta Probe were reporting to Commander Cain in the briefing room. Syke was there as well listening to the pilots making their reports.

"It looks like the Cylon listening post, and those two raiders, succeeded in detecting you quite early", Cain said.

"Yes, Commander. They had a lock on us at quite a distance - it's like we were announcing our presence, yet our fighters were in silent mode", Higgins replied.

"I've sent your flight data recorder up to the lab for analysis - particularly in regards to this low power emission in the high EM band coming from the raiders, the listening post, and the missiles as well", Cain replied.

"The raider, then the raider's missiles were completely locked in on Dyer's viper", Tricia said, "no evasion or decoy drop even slightly deflected the missile from it's path. Dyer did all that we could expect from our more experienced pilots, but it was no good", she concluded sadly.

"You think that it's a new weapon?",Cain asked. Tricia shook her head.

"Our telemetry indicates that the missiles used were of the standard homing type", Tricia replied.

"Yet those missiles were locked on to Dyer's viper so well", Cain said. He thought for a minute, then reached for his communicator.

"Chief Krag, this is Commander Cain", he announced, "I want a sensor sweep over every piece of wreckage from that viper. Send Dyer's body up to Dr. Ashley for a full forensic check".

Cain then turned to the pilots, "We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise you. None of you are to blame. You two midshipmen did well out there", Cain said to Landon and Anderson. "Get some rest and if anything new comes up, we'll let you know", Cain suggested.

Quietly both Landon and Anderson stood and left the room, with Higgins following. Cain and Syke watched them go.

"A hell of a way for midshipmen to learn about the hard facts in a pilot's life", Syke muttered. Cain nodded, but replied, "There is something very wrong here. Those missiles had to have been guided in from - rather than to - that viper. We have to find out how. Anyway, you have a memorial service to conduct, so make the arrangements and let me know, okay?"

Syke nodded and went back to his office. Tricia followed. After they got there, Syke closed the door and turned to face his deputy.

"Good work taking out that raider, Tricia", Syke said.

"I'd feel a lot better about it if we hadn't have lost a midshipman, Gene", Tricia replied. Syke nodded sadly.

"Telling them that they were expendable at the briefing did let them know what could happen out there ,but still...", Syke said, unable to finish the sentence. Tricia sympathized. She sat down and started drafting her after-action report. Syke left the annex to go to his quarters. He had a call to make to Lance Voight...

For his part, Higgins was quietly talking to Landon and Anderson as they were walking to their quarters. Landon, who had not thought overly much of Higgins, had rapidly changed his opinion of him as he spoke. They knew that Dyer's death had hit him hard. Being the leader made Dyer's death his responsibility. Higgins asked them not to talk to the other midshipmen about the incident. He would do so personally. They nodded their agreement and headed to bed. Higgins turned and went down to the sim room. Now that the PEGASUS was back down to Condition Three, the rest of the class would be resuming their instruction, with Ensign Vansen filling in.

When he got down there, the midshipmen popped to attention. Higgins waved them back into their seats. The midshipmen knew that something was wrong by the look on his face. Higgins didn't candy-coat it.

"Midshipman Dyer is dead", he said simply. The look on the midshipmen's faces turned to a mixture of shock, disbelief, and horror. Numbly, Higgins told them about the patrol, and what had happened.

"Where's Anderson and Landon?", one of the midshipmen asked.

"I told them to sack out. Leave them alone for the time being, understood?", he ordered. The midshipmen nodded. Higgins paused, then continued.

"Dyer knew the risks, as all of you do. Death is part of our creed. As the patrol commander, I have to take responsibility for her death, as you all may have to face sometime in the future if you get a command. Dyer's body has been returned to the PEGASUS, and a memorial service will be held. As you are all on TDY to Silver Spar Wing, Captain Syke will be organizing the service. Your presence will be expected. Class is dismissed".

Quietly, the midshipmen stood and filed out. Vansen walked up to Higgins, who had numbly sat down at his desk.

"You want a drink or something, Rogue?", Vansen asked carefully. If he had asked something stupid like 'are you all right?', when he plainly wasn't, it would probably make things a lot worse.

"No, Jet", Higgins replied, "but thanks anyway. How have the rest of them been doing?", he asked.

"Okay, but Dyer's death is going to affect them some. We can't pretend otherwise", Vansen pointed out.
"Yeah", Higgins responded, "Anyway, I have the full formal report to write up on the probe, and I might as well do it now. I'll see you later on, Jet". With that, he pulled a pad out of his desk and began writing. Vansen got the hint. He left to head up to the annex. There was always paperwork to do, and work was the best remedy for any shock.

Back in his cabin, Syke had just spent the previous half-hour taking with his Black Knight Wing counterpart over the communicator. They were busy going over the preparations for the memorial for Dyer. He had just finished talking to Voight, and made another call to Commander Cain to quickly inform him of the details, when his communicator buzzed again. It was Doctor Ashley.

"Captain Syke", Ashley communicated, "Could you come up here to forensics please? I'm also asking Commander Cain and Captain Sanders to join us too".

"What have you found?", Syke immediately asked.

"Evidence", was the reply. Syke put his communicator down and headed out of the office. This could answer a number of questions.