Chapter Ten: Gates of Hell
Ontarus Sector, near Canceron:
In space there is little depth perception available to the human eye. Therefore it was difficult to grasp the enormity of what was happening as one by one the fleet of Battlestars and supporting craft burst through space and time in a brilliant flash of white as they completed their faster-than-light jump.
Battlestar Colossus, Flag CIC:
"All ships are reporting in, the Fleet has made the jump," Ensign Lucien Whitfield reported.
"Excellent, let's get our final prep work out of the way before we send the Vestal to Ostarsis. The last thing I want to do is leave something to chance. Have all battlestars launch a CAP in case the Cylons show up," Fleet Admiral Scott Tolan said as he went over the reports from the ships that started to come into the digital display on the Command and Control Station.
Moments later Whitfield reported, "Admiral, all battlestars have launched a CAP per your orders."
"Excellent, send word to the Vestal, they are to jump to Ostarsis the moment they have the final prep work done on the Melete. When they launch the Melete they are to jump back. When we've given the EMP bomb time to go off then we'll jump in and begin our assault. Until then I want all Vipers to be paired with Raptors providing ECM support and have the emergency Vipers in the tubes ready to launch in case they're needed," Tolan ordered and looked over to the small War Room where the staff were busy keeping track on the flow of information that was considered vital to the operation.
The Orianos class escort battlestar Melette had been stripped of every piece of equipment that could be of use and its interiors gutted to allow for materials that could be used to repair battlestars such as the Achilles, Sphinx, and Victorious. Engineers had reconfigured the remains of the ship to serve as a massive EMP bomb that would disable the Cylon gun platforms and other defenses that were in place around Ostarsis.
The Melete was quite literally a shell of what it had once been. Both flight pods had been cut away and there was only enough armor left in place to hold off the Cylons long enough to ensure that the EMP bomb would go off. What had been taken from the Battlestar had been distributed amongst the others to improve their chances in this battle. It was, in essence, warship cannibalism.
Since most warships were heavily shielded against EMP blasts such as that from a nuclear detonation this EMP bomb had to be particularly powerful. The EMP it would emit would be the equivalent to a colossal 138 megaton nuclear blast!
As the crew scrambled to make sense of the flurry of reports that flooded in from the ships of the task force Tolan took a moment to reflect on the upcoming mission. It was not something that was uncommon to him; he had tried his best to keep the right perspective on this rescue mission. He had engaged the Cylons at Ragnar, Carillon, and Cosmora; yet Ostarsis had such a different feel to it than the previous engagements.
Here he was in one of the most advanced ships among the ships of the Colonial Fleet…the remnants of the Colonial Fleet. How things had changed for them in the last seven and a half months, would History judge his actions as those of an officer who was brave or reckless?
Tolan then took out a letter than the recently-retired Fleet Admiral John Kronus had sent him shortly before the Colossus and the rest of the task force jumped away. It was a large tan envelope with the name 'Olympica' embossed on the right corner in raised lettering. Kronus had written a message on the back of the envelope that informed Tolan that he should read this letter at the right time. 'Now's as good of a time as any,' Tolan thought. The letter was older and had the insignia of the Colonial Defense Forces on the background. It looked as though it dated back to the days of the Cylon War but the letter had been protected against time and the elements by a protective sleeve. He began to read it:
To: Fleet Admiral John Kronus; Commanding Officer Colonial Fourth Fleet
From: Fleet Admiral Jonas Stryker; Commanding Officer Colonial First Fleet
Something that you need to keep in mind…You can't win a war without great sacrifice and taking risk. So attack now before there is nothing left to defend.
Beneath the official message was one that looked to be as old as the one he had just read; only it lacked the official presentation of the previous one. It seemed Stryker sent another message to Kronus following the first official message.
Just to follow up the message you just received…Hurry up and go kick some Cylon ass so I can get back to Picon before Elizabeth kills both of us."
Tolan could not help but laugh as he read the last part. It was something he could imagine saying to an officer he was friends with concerning his wife Emily. It was then that remembered one of the lessons that he had been taught at the Fleet Academy in his Colonial Fleet History class. It appeared that Kronus must have had some doubts about heading into battle and Stryker was there to give his friend the reminder.
Tolan thought to himself, "Even now he still teaches me a thing or two."
Strangely, it was at this point his thoughts then travelled to his friend Artimus Bowman, the commander of the Battlestar Hermes. He had yet to find proof that he had survived the Cylon attack, though in a way not finding proof helped to keep the hope alive that he was out there. It all was a matter of staying optimistic, though it would be nice to have the Hermes and its air group on hand for this battle. Yes more ships and Vipers would be a big help and they could come from anywhere but he wanted Hermes specifically. He wanted his friend back. He had uncovered plots made against him by people he thought he could trust. Now he needed a loyal friend more than ever. No use worrying about it now. Just concentrate on the mission.
He was charging to attack the Cylons with the Titan class Colossus, the Mercury class Helios and Ares, the Columbia class Athena, the Cyrene class Indra, and the newly commissioned Marine Battlestar Xanthus. The Xanthus was a Valkyrie class battlestar that had been converted into the experimental Marine Battlestar. It carried with it specialized troop transport craft for deploying Marines as well as a type of vertical takeoff Viper known as the Asp. Under the command of Commander Travis Omega and serving as the flagship of Rear Admiral Alera Cantu, this was going to be the baptism by fire for the ship.
"Sir, the Vestal has jumped away. They sent a report stating that the final work was finished and the Melete was prepared for its mission," Petty Officer Jayne Warner announced from Communications.
"Alright, let's see what happens when they come back," Tolan said as he mentally plotted out scenarios for both cases, one for the EMP working and the other for it not working. He pressed a button on the Command and Control Station and saw the countdown clock on the EMP bomb.
"Admiral, we have a DRADIS contact…it's the Vestal!" Lieutenant Tonya Mullins announced when the mobile drydock showed up on the DRADIS display.
"Sir, there's a call coming in for you from the Vestal," Warner announced.
He picked up the receiver and said, "This is Admiral Tolan."
"This is Vestal-Actual, we have released the Melete," Commander Richard Hill announced.
"Good work Commander, when we jump to Ostarsis I want you to stay out of DRADIS range. We'll need you for the aftermath of the battle so stay far enough away so the Cylons don't try to come after you."
"Thank you Admiral Tolan," Hill said.
"Prepare to jump back whenever we've completed the countdown," Tolan said before putting the receiver back into its cradle.
"Five minutes until detonation," Mullins said as she brought the countdown clock up on the screen of the Command and Control Station closest to where Tolan was standing.
"Five minutes…and they may be the longest five minutes I've dealt with in some time," Tolan said as he began to mentally prepare himself what was to come when they jumped to Ostarsis.
The seconds ticked by and eventually the clock showed the time had expired. Tolan hoped the powerful EMP would be enough to knock out the gun platforms. If everything had gone according to plan it would mean that the EMP had knocked out the electronic components of the Cylon defenses, something that simply could not help but be beneficial to the Colonial task force.
'Maybe they got a baseship or two as well," Tolan said as he mentally moved on to the next item in his battle plan.
Ostarsis:
Battlestar Colossus, Flag CIC:
"Admiral, all ships have made the jump," Ensign Lucien Whitfield reported.
"I want the corvettes to take up defensive positions around both battlestar groups," Tolan announced to Whitfield who began to relay the order.
"Action Stations! Action Stations! Set Condition One throughout the ship," the Colossus' Tactical Officer announced. Flight Quarters! Flight Quarters! Set condition 1-alpha for flight operations! Set condition 1-alpha for launching and recovering of Vipers and Raptors! The smoking lamp is out aft of frame 4-6-niner; all personnel not involved in flight operations stay forward of frame 4-6-niner!"
"Admiral, the corvettes are moving into position," Lieutenant Tanya Mullins announced.
Tolan looked up at the DRADIS screen and saw the position of the six battlestars in the invasion force. Battlestar Group 66 was composed of the Colossus, Helios, and Indra. The other group, Battlestar Group 67 was composed of the Athena, Ares, and the Marine Battlestar Xanthus.
'We're going to see how those V/STOL Vipers do in combat,' Tolan thought as he watched the displays representing the twelve Trident-class corvettes get into position.
The twelve were being halved between the two groups. The Trishula, Pata, Otta, Kukri, Khanda, and Talwar were taking positions around BSG-66. The Shamshir, Kilij, Atgeir, Halberd, Tambo, and Rampuri were surrounding BSG-67. Tolan brought up a display of the commanding officers of each vessel and made his decision as to what to do next.
"Mr. Whitfield, send a message to Captain Alfred Torrington of the Talwar informing him that he is charge of the six corvettes in the group and one to Captain Lisa Kingaby of the Atgeir that she is in charge of the six corvettes with the other group."
"Message sent," Whitfield said after sending the message.
The corvettes were slightly smaller than the faststars in the fleet but could still provide a potent punch when grouped together. They were ideal for putting up a flak screen to keep enemy ordnance from reaching the ship it was tasked with protecting.
"Send word to the battlestars to proceed with launching their entire air wings immediately. Send word to the cruisers that I want them to start destroying the gun platforms with their missiles and targeting the baseships with their guns," Tolan said as he saw on the DRADIS screen the location of the Cylon baseships. With the combined force of the warstars, battle cruisers and the battlestars they should be able to handle the enemy while allowing the cruisers to use their guns to provide extra punch against the gun platforms.
"Admirals Ramos and Morton are reporting that they are ready to engage the Cylon baseships," Whitfield reported.
"Tell the cruisers to join up with the warstars and battlecruisers, the Vipers are to engage and destroy the gun platforms that are still remaining. I want the battlestars to line up with the gunnery task forces and have gun crews ready to join in engaging the baseships," Tolan ordered. He knew he was changing his orders suddenly but it made more sense to use the Vipers to against the gun platforms while the cruisers joined in with the battle line that was forming between the Colonial forces and the Cylon baseships.
One by one the ships lined up in a single line with the warstar Svalin leading the way followed by the two Nemesis-class battlecruisers, and then came the battlestars, and finally the cruisers. The Cylons lined their baseships in the same manner and were advancing towards the line of Colonial Fleet vessels; the stage was set for an old-fashioned slugging match between the enemy forces. Like ancient ships-of-the-line they readied their guns for battle.
'Just have to wait and see what happens,' Tolan thought as he mentally counted off the time until they would be in range of the Cylon baseships.
Moments later he received the first report from Lieutenant Mullins, "Admiral the Svalin has opened fire on the first baseship."
"Have gun crews on all ships ready to fire when in range," Tolan ordered and he mentally wondered just how this would play out.
The four barrels of each rail gun turret on the warstars began belching their projectile shells towards the baseships, scoring hit after hit on their immobilized targets. Tolan had left orders for the center of the Cylon vessels serve as the primary target for the Colonial warships. The baseships returned to life with their missiles, firing them ballistically at the targets, but the heavily armored warstars simply shrugged them off and began concentrating on the next ship in the line.
"Sir, we're coming into range," Mullins reported.
"Admiral, the warstars are reporting minimal damage. It looks as though their armor kept them from being seriously damaged."
"Thank the gods for small miracles," Tolan said and the Colossus began to shake as the baseships targeted the battlestar with their weapons.
"Sir, the baseship has broken in two! I'm not detecting any active electronic signals. The frakker's dead!" Mullins exclaimed, the report causing a brief celebration to break out in the Flag CIC.
Battlestar Helios, CIC:
"Admiral, the gun captains report that their crews are ready to begin firing," Colonel Jose Cordova announced after getting the report from Tactical.
"Tell the gun captains that they may fire when ready," Admiral Naomi Sakura announced. Both she and Cordova were at the Command and Control Station in the CIC.
The Helios shook as the ship's guns began firing their projectiles towards the baseships.
'Let's get some hits in against these bastards,' Sakura thought to herself, taking a moment to relish the chance to dish out some punishment to the Cylons. After all they had put her through, especially with the idea that her husband and son might be dead, it seemed poetic that she could unleash some of her fury on the enemy in the form of the Vipers and the shells from the Helios.
"Admiral, we are reporting direct hits on various sections of the baseship," Lieutenant Lavonne Everett before adding, "Admiral Tolan has given orders to recall all Vipers to our location. The baseships are beginning to launch their Raiders."
"Give the order and start up the flak guns," Sakura ordered and she waited to see what would happen next.
Helios Viper Squadron One:
Major Aimee 'Bullet' Nelson watched as her missiles hit the gun platform, causing it to burst into flame. It may not have been destroyed but it had been disabled. It was out of the fight.
"Bullet this is Helios," the voice of Lieutenant Barton Klein said over the wireless in her helmet, "Admiral Tolan has recalled all Vipers to the battle line that has formed between us and the baseships. You are to engage the Raiders immediately."
"Alright you heard the man, let's get over there and shoot us down some toasters," Nelson said as she pivoted her Viper around engaged the thrusters to get her to the Cylons as quickly as possible.
She was the first Nelson to join the family for quite some time, her great-grandfather Admiral George Nelson had fought and died during the Cylon War. He was not as well-remembered as Fleet Admiral Jonas Stryker but he was someone she had looked up to and hoped she was doing the family name justice.
Lieutenant Raleigh 'Condor' Marlin finished his strafing run on one of the platforms before turning to join the CAG, "Looks like we get to do some toaster shooting!"
Ensign George 'Guru' Raymond joined in, "I can arrange a meeting between some of them and the Lords of Kobol."
Lieutenant Curtis 'Druid' Garrett hit the button to add more thrust to his Viper, "I've wanted some more action since we saw them at Cosmora, time to add more to my scorecard."
Ensign Isidro 'Daredevil' Pace chimed in, "I think there's going to be plenty of action for all of us."
Nina 'Dragonfly' Holden spoke next, "We're only the luckiest ship in the task force, if the toasters know what's good for them they'll shoot for us first."
Melinda 'Royalty' Prince said, "You want them to come gunning for us?"
Latasha 'Mystique' Ramsey added, "Why shouldn't they? We have the second highest-ranking flag officer and like Dragonfly said…the luckiest ship in the task force."
Cheng 'Spitfire' Min said, "We'll prove it in this battle that's for sure. Haven't seen this many toasters since we fought them at Cosmora."
"Alright people keep the chatter down and focus on shooting some toasters," Nelson said. said, "We'll prove it in this battle that's for sure. Haven't seen this many toasters since we fought them at Cosmora."
"Alright people keep the chatter down and focus on shooting some toasters," Nelson said.
Marine Command Ship Black River:
"Looks like they started the battle against the baseships," Brigadier General Otus Maxwell said after taking his cigar from his mouth.
"If everything goes to plan we shouldn't have too much trouble," Major General Alice Hyde of the Colonial Army said.
The two officers had forged somewhat of a friendship during the time when they had been forced to 'play nice' with one another. The rivalry between the Colonial Army and the Colonial Marines had survived the Fall of the Colonies. Now they were on the Black River, a Dakar class Marine Command Ship that had been discovered in one of the various reserve ship yards the fleet had come upon. It had taken some time but the ship was now fully operational.
"My second-in-command has told me that the troops are itching for some action," Hyde said after a silence had fallen between the two officers.
"Same with mine, and I can tell you this much…they're going to get plenty of it down there," Maxwell said as he looked around the War Room.
It had been restored to full operational status during the time before the Second Battle of Cosmora and was now. The ship was crewed by the Colonial Fleet; the Commanding Officer was Commander Elizabeth Hampton. The thirty-seven year old Hampton had previously served as Tactical Officer of the heavy cruiser Typhon.
"Which one is your second-in-command?" Maxwell asked.
"Colonel Zackary Bell, and after him is Colonel Todd Horne. They were invaluable to me during the colonization mission."
"I know how important that is," Maxwell said before looking over their combined forces, "Altogether we have a combined force of a little over 25,000 troops for this operation. With the diverse specialties of your Army troops I think we'll have a decent chance of pulling this off."
"It's funny how fate has brought us together on this operation. Can you believe how long it took us to work out all of the details?"
"There was a Colonial Fleet officer who I believe forced the issue, but at least we can put our combined power to good use."
Hyde nodded her head, "It's just a matter of landing our forces whenever the Fleet finishes bombarding the surface."
Marine Battlestar Xanthus:
"Ensign Kelly, send word to our air group to redeploy to our location immediately," Commander Travis Omega ordered Ensign Jamar Kelly, his Communications Officer.
"Aye Commander, sending orders now," Kelly responded from his station.
"The reports we've received so far have been promising, the Asps have held up well," Colonel Chad Steele said as he walked over to Command and Control.
"That's what I was hoping to hear," Omega said. Steele and him had served as CO and XO onboard the Xanthus' sister ship the Sphinx. That ship was currently sitting in one of the fleet's three mobile dry docks awaiting its fate as to whether or not it would be rebuilt or scrapped. From what he had heard, Admiral Tolan favored rebuilding the ship that the crew had worked so hard to save after it had nearly been destroyed by a Cylon Raider's suicide dive into the hangar deck.
"It's a feather in your cap, I think a lot of officers would have been scarred after well…you know," Steele said.
Omega gave a smirk, "We had a lot thrown at us, and I didn't expect to be where I am now. I have to be perhaps the youngest officer to become a Commander and it required our society being nearly wiped out for that to happen."
"You've managed to acquit yourself so far," Steele said and would have said more but it was then that Rear Admiral Cantu walked up to where the two officers stood.
"Sitrep," she said as she waited for Omega to respond.
"We've taken some damage but it's been nothing the damage control teams can't handle. Admiral Tolan has ordered all available Vipers to this location so that they can take on the Raiders that have been launched by the baseships."
"How are our birds doing out there?" she asked in reference to the Asp fighters.
"According to Captain McGrath they're performing as well as a regular Viper unit," Omega said. Captain Charles G. McGrath was a Viper pilot from the Helios who had volunteered to serve as the squadron leader of the Asp Squadron. Gray had dubbed the squadron the 'Rough Riders' after a group of civilians who formed a militia and fought the Cylons on Caprica during the Cylon War.
"That's a relief, seems the decision to produce those things paid off," Cantu said. Worries about the V/STOL modifications affecting performance were proving unjustified.
Battlestar Athena, CIC:
The room shook as the missiles from the Cylon baseship found their target and slammed into the hull of the Athena. Sparks began to fly from various consoles and the people inside the CIC tried to get their bearings.
"Make sure the Damage Control teams are deployed," Rear Admiral James Brannigan said once he got back to his feet.
"Reports are coming in from across the ship, DC teams have deployed to the areas that have been hit," Colonel Chiuske Shimomura said as the reports came in over the phone.
"I need you to coordinate the DC effort, I don't intend to lose my ship," Brannigan said.
With a nod, Shimomura left the Command and Control Station and made his way over to the Damage Control station where he could direct the efforts to keep the fires that had broken out on the Athena under control.
"Admiral there's a report coming from the Chief Engineer," the tactical officer called out.
Brannigan walked over and read the report before reading it again to let it sink in. The Athena was coming apart literally; the ship was somehow tearing itself apart. There were multiple tears beginning to form in the Engineering department, the FTL drive, and various parts of the outer hull. It seemed the punishment the Athena was taking from the Cylons, coupled with its time without maintenance in the Inactive Reserve, the damage taken at the recent Battle of Ochoa, and other factors meant that Athena may not come out the battle in a condition to continue serving…that was if it survived the battle.
Battlestar Colossus, Flag CIC:
"Admiral, the Ares has just reported losing power," Whitfield reported.
"What the frak happened?" Tolan asked.
"The report states that the ship's power plant has gone offline, some sort of catastrophic mechanical malfunction."
Tolan wanted to slam his hand down in frustration but he knew that was something he could not afford to do. The Ares had been a troubled ship before the Cylons had attacked and it seemed it was still the case.
"The Cylons have turned their attention on the Ares and are launching a barrage of missiles at it," Whitfield reported.
"Send word that they are to abandon ship immediately, I want the scuttling charges activated once the last of the crew leaves and all Vipers and Raptors are to stay away from the Ares' airspace," Tolan ordered and watched as Whitfield immediately relayed the orders.
Athena Air Group:
Major Simone Merrick smiled as she fired her guns at the Raider that was in her sights, the Cylon erupted in a ball of flame and she felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her. So far her pilots had done well in the short battle. She was honest with herself about the fact that she had developed some doubts about the ones who made up Squadron Three but they had shown that they were up to the challenge.
Ensign Lynsie "Magnet' Medford launched her missile at the baseship, scoring a hit somewhere on the central axis. She almost let a cheer escape from her lips before the voice of Ensign Clay 'Trigger' Callahan came over the wireless.
"Magnet you got a toaster on your six!" the young pilot from Libran announced.
"I'm trying to shake him," she said and began to try to use the evasive maneuvers she had been taught while on the Maytoria.
"It's not working Magnet, let me see if I can get a shot on the bastard," Callahan said as he flew in to try to line the Raider up for a shot.
"Make it quick," she said as she tried her best to not give the Cylon a clear shot at her.
"Just a sec…got it!" Callahan said as the guns on his Viper started firing. Within seconds the Raider had exploded.
"Thanks Trigger, I owe you one," Medford said, she could only imagine what Lacey Tolan was thinking right now. She was probably still unhappy about having to sit out this battle.
'Don't worry Lace, I'll get some of these frakkers for you,' she thought as she pivoted her Viper around to engage another Raider. Ensign Lacey Tolan and Medford had a friendship that went back to their days as freshmen cadets at the Fleet Academy on Picon. Lacey, the first cousin of Fleet Admiral Scott Tolan, was on the Solace for medical attention after being viciously attacked on the Athena. In Medford's eyes it was a chance to not only vindicate herself in combat but to also take out some of the Cylons she knew her friend would have destroyed if she could be there.
Lead Cylon Baseship:
The entire control room on the baseship shook violently and the lights flickered off as power relays broke or were severed before the power was rerouted and the lights came back on.
"What the frak was that?" the Number Four model known as Kimmel demanded.
"The Ares has just blown up, they were close enough to us to do serious damage to our port side," Six stated.
"There's something wrong, the Victorious isn't here which means that Tolan isn't here," Kimmel said as his mind tried to think of where the illusive flag officer could be.
"We received DRADIS reports of a large fleet that has come into range of a patrolling baseship," Eight reported.
"We can hold our own against this fleet, send four of our baseships to intercept and destroy this group that's been discovered," Kimmel ordered.
The baseship shook again as more of the Colonial weaponry found their mark; it was going to be a fierce battle with their enemy.
Kimmel put his hand into the datastream and saw the next battlestar that was on the firing line, it was time to take out another Colonial ship. Something else disturbed him, all of the gun platforms had been destroyed, this was a development that he had not seen happening. Perhaps that EMP weapon that had been deployed had done more damage than he had realized.
Colossus, Flag CIC:
"Sir, the Indra has suffered multiple hits from the baseships. They seem to be coordinating their attacks on her," Whitfield said.
"Send word to the warstars and battle cruisers to turn around and put their turrets to use against the baseships, remind them to target the center of each ship," Tolan said. The Cyrene class was a tough class, built to take punishment, but they did have their limitations. They would all still be in service if it had not been for President Adar's decision to downsize the fleet. His first command, the Vanguard, had been a member of that class.
"What's the status on our main ships?" Tolan asked.
"The Athena has taken moderate damage, Helios has reported minimal damage, same with Xanthus, Indra was moderately damaged but has gotten worse now, and Colossus has taken light damage but otherwise is fine. The Warstars Svalin, Aegis, and Defender have received light damage along with the battle cruisers Nemesis and Conqueror; all have checked in and are coming around to make a pass on the opposite side of the baseships."
"Very well, I want all battlestars to follow their lead. We may not be as big as them but we can damn sure maneuver better than they can," Tolan said.
Ostarsis:
The sight of the railgun turrets of the warstars and battlecruisers were deadly at close range, a fact that made the Colonial tactics more lethal to the Cylons. While the battlestars could come within range once their Vipers had launched, the warstars were the heavily armored battleships that could come in and deliver a knockout punch with their ferocious artillery. They were able to launch missiles as well, but their main power lay in their main guns with the secondary able to punch holes into an enemy as well. The two Nemesis class battlecruisers were smaller than the warstars but could still pack a potent punch with their slightly smaller rail gun turrets, the lessons learned from the previous battlecruiser designs had been incorporated into these and the results were proving promising. The Amphitrite heavy cruisers Erebus, Thetis, Aether and the two Edenton class heavy cruisers Typhon and Agrius were keeping up with the rest of the gunnery task forces as their shells found their mark and their armor shook off the impacts from the missiles fired from the baseships.
The twelve corvettes were staying in position as they did their all in keeping the Cylon Raiders from getting too close to the battlestars. Their small caliber weapons may not have done much damage to the baseships, but their missiles could do damage if they were able to hit their targets. The battle lines had formed in the space around Ostarsis and the opposing forces did not hold back as they fired their weaponry at each other in a lethal space fireworks show. It was like hell itself was celebrating at the calamity that was unfolding.
The rounds fired punched into the Cylon baseships before exploding, killing untold numbers of the Centurions and their humanoid masters. If the battlestars had not been there then the Raiders could have swooped in and used their speed and maneuverability against the warstars, as had been done in the Cylon War before the battlestar concept had been pioneered. This time the Vipers were keeping the Raiders busy while the gunnery crews did their part.
The result was the destruction of most of the Cylon baseships, however these enemy ships did not go quietly. They targeted and launched their missiles at the battlestars and scored many hits. The results were crippling to the Indra and the Athena, while other ships took less severe damage but were still reeling from the onslaught.
A couple of the baseships did manage to jump away after being severely damaged, it seemed as though they had been soundly defeated.
Battlestar Colossus, Flag CIC:
"Admiral, the remaining Cylon baseships have either been destroyed or jumped away and the Raiders have jumped away with them!" Whitfield exclaimed, following by a loud round of cheers from the crew of the Flag CIC.
"I want volunteers from the air groups to stay in flight for a CAP while the rest are to land on their respective battlestars. Those whose ships are either destroyed or too damaged for landing are to land on the nearest battlestar. Let the gunnery task force know that Operation Coronet is to begin in four hours," Tolan said. Operation Olympic had gone well; the Cylon forces had been defeated in the space around Ostarsis. Now it was time to commence Operation Coronet and begin the actual invasion on the Libran moon.
He wondered how Carter's diversionary force was doing at this time. Admiral Tyrone Carter had volunteered to lead a force to draw part of the Cylon force away from Ostarsis. The result would be a reduced enemy force that could be taken on more easily. It appeared the plan had worked; Tolan looked at the recon footage taken from the Raptor scouts that had done the early recon on the moon and compared it to what was waiting for them when they arrived to being the assault. For all intents and purposes Carter appeared to have done what he set out to do.
Four Hours and Nine Minutes Later:
Warstar Svalin:
"All units are reporting that they are ready to begin orbital bombardment," Lieutenant Tyree Holt, the Communications Officer of the Svalin, said.
"Excellent," Admiral Antonio Ramos said as he turned his attention to the listing of the ships available for the task. He was surprised that none of the warstars, battle cruisers, and cruisers had been seriously damaged. The battlestars had taken a pounding, but they would be there to repel a possible return of the Cylons.
"Establish me a connection with Agincourt," Ramos ordered and it was not long until the voice of a man came on the line.
"This is Clay," Major Darren Clay of the Colonial Army Delta Force said from the secure conference room of the Kria Bunker down on Ostarsis.
"Major Clay, this is Admiral Ramos on the Warstar Svalin."
"Warstar…that must mean what I think it means."
"Yes it does, my gunnery task force is about to begin the orbital bombardment of the moon's surface, I wanted to give you and the prisoners a heads-up before we started."
"Understood Admiral, get to work and when the time is right we'll be ready to help kick these toasters squarely in the ass."
"That's what I was hoping to hear. When you start hearing large explosions from wherever you are know that it's us softening up the toasters for you," Ramos said and then he motioned for Lieutenant Holt to sever the connection.
"Commander Arrington, what do you say we get to work?" he asked Commander Maria Arrington, the CO of the Svalin.
"You heard Admiral Ramos, Ms. Emelin, give the order for all turrets to begin planetary bombardment of selected targets," Arrington said.
"Sending the orders now," Lieutenant Kirsty Emelin said as she sent out the order from Admiral Ramos to all ships.
Within a few minutes the gun turrets of the warstars and the cruisers began firing their projectiles through the atmosphere of Ostarsis and towards the targets that the resistance cell had identified as Cylon strongholds. One by one the projectiles hurtled through the atmosphere causing an orange glow to form around them as the friction built up.
"Admiral Ramos, Admiral Tolan has sent over a message for you," Holt said.
Ramos walked over and took the message printout from Holt's hand. Tolan was maneuvering the battlestars into place to join in on the bombardment of Ostarsis' surface.
"The more firepower we use the better," Ramos quietly said as he looked up at the DRADIS screen to watch the battlestars join with the gunnery task force in the orbital bombardment.
Dia Griene Hotel:
The seven models were crowded around the table in the meeting room on the Seventh Floor of the Dia Griene Hotel.
"They came here after all," Two said.
"Four has put up as much of a fight as we could expect and with our forces pursuing that other battle fleet we discovered he fought well," Five said.
"That's fine with me as long as he doesn't botch this like he did at Cosmora we'll be fine," One said. The plan was for Four to put up enough of a fight to bloody the task force. There would be a larger task force ready to jump in to attack.
"We still don't know why they're here," Eight said.
"They think those prisoners we killed are still alive, I'd wager this is some kind of rescue mission," Five said.
"That may be true but those prisoners are dead…they are dead, right?" One asked.
"The Centurions unleashed enough firepower on that cave that it must have ignited whatever ammunition was being stored there because there was a large explosion and the entrance to the cave collapsed. If they survived that then they died a slow painful death."
One allowed a smile, "There's a thought that brings a smile to my face."
"That should mean that if they think the prisoners are alive then they'll land troops and keep the fleet in station around this hunk of rock to fight against us," Three said.
"In that case Three by all means tell us what we should do?" One said with a strong hint of irritation and sarcasm in his voice.
"Four, send word to your brother. Now that he's retreated from here he needs to wait until we give an order for the baseships to regroup with our other forces and jump back to engage the enemy. We'll wait for them to land troops and when the time seems right we'll attack Tolan's force and stop him once and for all."
"I'll send word right away," Four said as he turned to walk to out of the room.
"That might actually work," One said. He did not get to say anything else when a shell slammed into the hotel's parking lot. The shockwave from the impact audibly shattered windows on the bottom floor of the hotel.
"What the frak was that?" Five asked.
"They've started shelling the surface," Six screamed as another shell slammed into the parking lot closer to the hotel. The whole structure shook as though it was the play toy of an invisible giant.
"I'm going to go visit the prisoner," One said as he bolted from the room and made his ways down to the stairs that would allow him to access the east wing of the hotel where a high-ranking Colonial Fleet prisoner was being kept.
Dia Griene Hotel, East Wing, Leopold Room:
One ran through the corridors as explosions resounded from the outside of the Dia Griene Hotel. He entered the Leopold Conference Room on the third floor where Fleet Admiral Peter Corman was being kept as a prisoner. One threw the door and stormed into the room.
"You're here awfully early," Corman said.
"What's going on, I demand to know!"
"I believe hell has just been unleashed on you and your group of toasters, Tolan's here…" Corman said.
"What do you know about his ships, answer me!"
"Kiss my ass you toaster," Corman said and it was then that he began to laugh at the Cylon. It was a cold mocking laughter and he did not stop…even when a shell from the Svalin found its mark and destroyed the other wing of the hotel.
"You're coming with me," One said as he began to compose himself and rid his mind of the shock the intense bombardment had induced. He motioned for two nearby Centurions to come and grab a hold of Corman on both hands.
Corman finally stopped laughing, "Well toaster what do you have in mind?"
"You're coming with us to where our baseships are regrouping, I want you to witness the destruction of your precious Fleet firsthand," One then motioned for the Centurions to follow him. There was a heavy raider nearby that would take them to the system where the Cylon forces were regrouping.
Atteria System:
Kimmel ran a hand over his head and exhaled a deep breath. The Colonial forces had come at him hard and hit him with more firepower than he had thought they would. It seemed they were convinced that the prisoners Five had killed were still alive and needed to be rescued, that was something they could exploit to make a giant step in the plan to exterminate humanity.
"I've brought you a special guest," One said as he entered the room with a hooded Colonial Fleet officer behind him. The man was escorted by two Centurions.
"Is this our prisoner from the hotel?" he asked.
One nodded, "I wanted him to be able to watch as his people were destroyed in our counter attack."
"Three's idea makes sense; our forces found that group and destroyed them easily enough. I was told the enemy vessels put up a spirited fight but were overwhelmed by our numbers."
"I would expect nothing less, these humans throw their lives away in such foolish heroics," One said disgustedly. A chair was brought into the room and the prisoner was strapped to it, "Are you comfortable Admiral Corman?"
The hood was yanked away and Corman looked at the Cylons with a look that was a mixture of hatred and defiance.
"You just got your ass handed to you by my people and you still think you have a chance to win this war?" Corman asked with a tone of incredulity in his voice.
"We didn't do so badly when this started and we still have the numbers advantage," One said.
"He's right, this fool's errand your people are on will only hasten the inevitable. Tolan is the only officer with the resources to pull off something like this and even he is going to run out of those resources. He can't replace his losses and somewhere deep down inside he knows it, even if he's afraid to admit it," Four said.
"You wear that Colonial Fleet uniform and seeing you in it makes me sick…you aren't worthy of wearing one stitch of that clothing you frakking toaster. How did you even get that, what dead officer did you take it from?" Corman asked. He was making no attempt to hide the disgust in his voice.
"I managed to infiltrate the Colonial Fleet sometime before we attacked. When the group I was with met up with Admiral Tolan he had no reason to doubt that I was another commanding officer in the Fleet. I infiltrated the Admiralty and when the time was right I made my escape back to my people."
"You really believe you know Scott Tolan don't you?"
Four nodded, "He may be every bit the wild card you make him out to be but he is just one man and even he has his weaknesses. The only thing that can be done is to find them and exploit them until his luck runs out."
"You know what, I'm glad you toasters brought me up here because I'm looking forward to having the best seat in the house when you get your asses handed to you."
Battlestar Colossus, Flag CIC:
"Reports are coming in from the gunnery task force and the battlestars that the orbital bombardment has been successful so far, Admiral Ramos estimates about eight to ten hours to truly soften up the defenses," Whitfield reported.
"That makes sense; they have to allow the barrels of their turrets to cool down so they don't overheat. Send word to Ramos that as soon as he feels he has shelled the surface sufficiently to let me know, and send word to Generals Hyde and Maxwell to begin their landings as soon as I clear the operation to proceed. I also want pilots to act as escorts for the landing craft, get me volunteers from the air wings."
Whitfield nodded and proceeded to relay the message. Tolan gripped the edge of the Command and Control Station and mentally checked over what all had transpired. The loss of the Ares was unfortunate as well as the pilots and crew from the various ships who had lost their lives so far. Operation Olympic had proceeded well, they had caught the Cylons off-guard and had dealt them what he had hoped would be severe losses. But Tolan was wise enough to hold off on the full celebrations just yet. He knew this battle was only the start. Now was the time for Operation Coronet to begin, the actual invasion of Ostarsis and the rescue of the prisoners waiting in the Kria Bunker for their chance to be taken off of the moon.
Nevertheless Tolan allowed himself to breathe just a small sigh of relief as he came to realize that the result had been separated from his greatest fears over the operation.
'All in all…not bad,' Tolan thought to himself.