A/N: Had this done halfway after finishing the previous chapters. So thought I'd finish it before going on my hiatus. I hadn't partially completed Out into the Light, or A New Life, after the previous chapters. So new chapters for those stories would be coming back at the end of my two-month hiatus. Cheers.
Battlestar Galactica, 1930 hours.
Commander Adama had just handed off a list of munitions and bombs that were already loaded onto the Battlestar, and were being chambered in the ship's weapon platforms. Once he had given it to the Junior Officer who walked away with it, he then turned to Colonel Tigh who was communicating with Chief Tyrol and his team who were still on the Ragnar Anchorage.
"I'd say we have another hour before we load the rest of the ammo, Galactica Actual," said the Chief from inside the station while he watched his right hand woman, Callie, order their subordinates to be careful with how they load the ordinance. They didn't want another accident like the one that had occurred thirty minutes ago thanks to a nervous lift driver. That time, a bomb fell onto the floor, activated, and then rolled towards a hatch in the middle of the cavernous room. Taking cover once the armed device was rolling away, everyone was lucky that there were only two injuries sent back to the Galactica.
"We need to get back into the fight," said Colonel Tigh into the phone before placing the receiver back into the cradle. Chief Tyrol, for his part, looked at the receiver and scowled, silently cursing the man who had given the order to sacrifice over eighty of his men in the aftermath of the previous attack on the Galactica by the Cylons. Chief Tyrol then reminded himself that Commander Adama would have done the exact same thing before walking back into the room to supervise Galactica's re-arming. Back at the CIC, Colonel Tight then looked up at the Commander who ordered for someone to bring him a map of the star system, that it was time that they planned for the fight back against the Cylons.
"Lt. Gaeta," said Commander Adama as he looked over his shoulder at the man who was now running over to him. Once he was by the Commander's side from his station, the lieutenant was asked by Commander Adama if the Raptors that were sent to the orbits of the Twelve Colonies nearly thirty minutes ago had returned with news.
"Nothing yet, sir," said the lieutenant before the Commander nodded his head and ordered the man back to his station. Commander Adama then looked around at the personnel in the CIC, and he could see their worried and weary looks as they tried to navigate their way through this nightmare. The man frowned before turning around to look down at the table in the middle of the CIC while he thought about his son. He remembered witnessing the destruction of Colonial One hours ago after the Cylons attacked the convoy that the President was attempting to create, while at the same time helping as many people as possible. But it was all for nothing. It was minutes after that attack that the Commander, his heart still heavy at the loss of his son, ordered the jump to the orbit of Ragnar.
Rubbing his forehead while putting off all thought about his personal loss to one side, the Commander shook his head before telling Colonel Tigh that he hoped at least a few Battlestars survived the initial attack.
"We don't even know how the Cylons managed an attack of this magnitude in the first place," he replied as the Commander leaned on the table with both hands pressed on the surface. And the Colonel continued to speak, telling him about the messages that Dee received about the systems on their Battlestars going offline as if someone had turned off a switch, "we could be the only Battlestar in existence."
The Commander was about to respond to his Executive Officer's observation of the situation when the alarms in the CIC went off with Lt. Gaeta saying that they were being approached by seventy ships.
"Coming in through the eye of the storm, sir!' cried Lt. Gaeta as the Commander and Colonel Tigh looked up at the DRADIS console and saw multiple blips.
"Have the CAP intercept them," ordered the Commander while he turned to Dee, "and launch the Alert Vipers."
"Cylons?" whispered the Colonel.
"Hope not, old friend," said the Commander, "arm whatever weapons we have loaded."
The Colonel then picked up the phone and ordered everyone on the ship to 'Condition One', and that everyone needed to get to their battle stations. Now it was just a waiting game as the Commander's heart raced, as did the hearts of everyone else in CIC, while the CAP led by Starbuck activated their engine boosters and then flew off to the tunnel-like feature through the clouds that represented the eye of the storm. While flying her viper, Starbuck was listening to Dee telling everyone that the Alert Fighters would be launching in two minutes.
Reaching the edge of the eye, Starbuck screamed in happiness when she, and the other Vipers, flew past Colonial One and the other Colonial vessels.
"Galactica, Starbuck," she screamed over her wireless as everyone in the CIC was listening in, "the shops are Colonial! I repeat the ships are Colonial and… oh?"
"Oh?" asked Colonel Tigh as he shrugged his shoulders at the Commander.
"Sir," said Dee as Commander Adam looked at her just as they were receiving a wireless message from Starbuck saying that there was another ship travelling alongside the Colonial vessels; one t hat didn't look like it was made by the Colonials.
"It looks kind of like the Avalon," said Starbuck as she flew around the ship. As she did, she noticed the flight pods on either side, and she could have sworn that there were black coloured planes inside each pod, "just a little bit larger."
"Copy, Starbuck," said the Commander just as Dee gasped before looking up at the him, who had heard her gasp and was looking directly at her.
"We… we've received authentication codes from Colonial One, sir," said Dee, her face still in shock at whose voice she had just heard, "it.. it was Apollo's authentication code, sir."
The expression on the Commander's face was one of shock mixed with happiness as he gently put down his glasses. In the meantime, the Colonel was looking at his best friend hoping that this wasn't a cruel joke before turning to Dee and ordering her to confirm the code.
"IT.. it's been authenticated, sir," said Dee, whose voice was trembling. The entire CIC had seen the explosion that should have destroyed Colonial One and her fleet, and to have the ship… along with her fleet and the Earth vessel was a miracle to many of the personnel. Once the Commander heard that Apollo's code was authenticated, he reached for the phone. Picking up the device, and then placing it on his ear, Commander Adama cleared his throat before nodding at Dee and ordering her to connect him to Colonial One.
"Galactica Actual to Colonial One," said the Commander as his voice went over the speakers in the CIC, "do you copy."
"Galactica Actual, Apollo, we read you." Apollo looked back at the President and asked her if she needed to talk to the Commander. She told his that she wanted to see him in person before they contacted the Odyssey. Apollo nodded his head before he made that request to the Commander, who accepted it. Apollo then asked the Captain of Colonial One to take it into the gigantic flight-pod on the side of the Galactica.
"You are clear to dock, Colonial One," said the Commander just as Dee looked up while pressing against her ear. She then told the Commander that they were getting a message from the new Earth vessel.
"Put them through," said the Commander, "and connect the call to Colonial One."
Nodding her head, Dee spoke into the wireless to the Earth ship, and then to Colonial One. She told the latter that they were being contacted by the Earth vessel, and were going to pipe the message over to the President's ship as well.
"Galactica, my name is Dr Lang translation on behalf of the commander of the Earth ship Odyssey, Colonel William Pendergast," said Dr Lang as she and the Colonel stood at the forward section of the bridge, looking out the window at the Galactica and the gathering of ships, "I believe you have spoken to the commander of the Avalon, Colonel Paul Emmerson."
"We have spoken to his translator, yes," replied Commander Adama while Roslin and Apollo looked at each other with surprise etched on their faces. As were Billy, and Baltar who was amazed that another space faring civilisation were able to find them out. While Colonial one was heading onto the Galactica's only operational flight-pod, Roslin and the other continued to listen in to the conversation between Commander Adama and Dr. Lang, "we were told that another ship would be heading to this location. I assume that the Odyssey is that ship?"
"Yes," replied Dr. Lang as Colonel Pendergast reminded her about the message they received from the SGC on the rules of engagement, "we are here merely on a mission of protection while you are reloading your arms. If you intend to return to the fight, we are only ordered to observe."
"Understood," said the Commander who turned to Dee when she stood up, and whispered that the President wanted to speak to him on a scrambled line. Commander Adama nodded his head before telling Dr. Lang to stand-by. He then picked up another receiver and spoke to Roslin.
Meanwhile, back on the Odyssey, the Colonel nodded his head when the linguist told him that the Commander had asked them to stand-by. The Colonel headed back to his chair and pressed a button before ordering Alpha Team to their stealth planes; two new additions to the ship that have been undergoing testing for the last three months. With three more months of testing due for the planes dubbed the F-302S, no one knew that the ships would be needed so quickly in a battlefield role.
The two specially made planes were one seaters, compared to the newer F-302's which comprised the majority of Earth space interceptors. Instead of having the Ancient shielding system on the newer F-302's, the 'S' models were designed for stealth and reconnaissance. These ships carried no mini shield emitters or generators. Instead, each ship contained a cloaking device that was based on the Puddle Jumpers, combined with designs that were found one and a half years ago in the Death Valley outpost. The result was a working cloaking generator that lasted, so far, for ten hours before the naquada core powering it was depleted. Combined with a stable hyperdrive that was powered by a smaller version of the one that powered the larger ships, the 'S' models were built to escape detection before the cloaking generators fizzled out. Combined with numerous high-definition cameras that were capable of taking high resolution pictures and recording video from near orbit, these recon vessels that were still in the test stage, were key in finding out the strength of any enemy forces. And with the danger of the Lucien Alliance, these ships were becoming more important.
As the two test pilots ran out of their quarters, and towards the locker room to suit up, the Colonel walked back to the side of Dr. Lang while they watched Colonial vanish into the massive flight-pod of the Galactica. It would be a few minutes later that they received a message from the Galactica with Commander Adama asking if it was possible for a delegation to meet with President Roslin and her team on the Galactica.
"Commander Adama," said Dr. Lang after conferring with the Colonel, "our orders are explicitly not to involve ourselves in your war. It is true that the Avalon may have interfered, but that was because it was on a rescue mission to save our people. The ship was heavily damaged from reports we received, but they have rescued our people, as well as around thirty Colonial citizens from Caprica. Who are receiving medical treatment on another world."
That revelation was something that surprised the Commander, Colonel Tigh, the President, and her delegation which was made up of Elosha, her spiritual advisor who had only just heard about the contact made with the Earth ship, Baltar, Billy, and two others while Sharon and Apollo would be taking the Raptor back to the Galactica through the hanger bay. Roslin was still waiting for he ship to dock when the voice of Dr. Lang said that the survivor were doing well, and that coordinates would be provided for the civilians ships if they so choose to head to that planet while the Galactica went back to the fight.
Back on the Odyssey, the Colonel listened to Dr. Lang translating a message from both Commander Adama and Roslin that the both of them needed to discuss the current situation before they came to any agreement on going back to the fight. Dr. Lang acknowledged before turning to look at Colonel Pendergast who told her that Commander Adama seemed to be not happy about the arrangement, that he wanted to get back into the fight.
"But this gives us a chance to send our recon birds to Caprica, and take a quick look around," said the Colonel just before he received notification that the pilots were heading towards their planes. The Colonel walked back to his chair and pressed the intercom; he then gave them orders to scan for any more of the Cylon ships, and then they were to scour the planet's surface from low orbit using their camera's. He then told them that they were to return to Ragnar before the naquada cells powering the cloaking device was used up.
Back in the vacuum of space a few minutes later, Starbuck ordered the CAP and the majority of the Alert Fighters back to the fleet that had just joined the Galactica, while she and two of the Alert Fighters were flying around the Earth ship. Starbuck noticed the turrets on board the vessel, and she was giving a running commentary of what she was seeing while Gaeta, since the Commander and the Executive Officer were already heading to the airlock to welcome Roslin to the ship. Starbuck was telling them that some of the weapons seemed to be tracking them, but they weren't firing on them.
It was them that Gaeta told Starbuck that the power levels on the Earth vessel were significantly more than the smaller Avalon. He then asked if Starbuck could describe their weapons.
"I'm seeing single turret weapons," said Starbuck as she and the two Viper performed a fly-by while keeping at safe distance, "and double turret weapons on all sides of the ship. There are about… stand-by. Galactica Actual, we have two smaller planes heading out of the Odyssey's flight-pods."
Starbuck watched as a ship flew out from each flight pod before banking to the left and flying past the Odyssey. Starbuck went after them while telling the Galactica that they were heading out towards the eye of the storm. While she was gaining on them, she heard Gaeta telling her over her wireless that Dee was contacting the Odyssey for an explanation. Nodding her head, Starbuck continued to follow the two ships into the eye and smiled a little smile. She accelerated her Viper until she was flying alongside them, which was when she turned her head to get a good look at the vessel. She furrowed her eye-brows upon noticing that it had no weapons, a least no visible weapons.
"It definitely has no missiles for combat, Actual," said Starbuck as she looked at one of the pilots looking back at her, and waving his hand. Starbuck responded with a wave as well before Gaeta ordered her to pull back, that the Earthers were launching a recon mission to the orbit of Caprica. Starbuck then nodded her head before acknowledging that order. She stopped, and then turned her vessel end over end before heading back to the anchorage. In the meantime, the two recon ships flew through the eye of the storm, and then into open space before opening two hyperspace windows. They darted into the windows for a twenty-minute journey to Caprica.
TBC.