Determinedly, Celeste rejoined the fight. She seemed driven by an almost inhuman force. Cylon after Cylon succumbed to Celeste's war path-like attack. Before, she had fought very well. Now, she fought as though possessed.
Centons after Celeste's offensive maneuvers resumed, the Cylons unexpectedly turned away from the Viper fighters. They flew off in a different direction. Without hesitation, Celeste followed them.
"Viper pilot! Break off pursuit immediately!" Ajax ordered when he saw her Viper going after the Cylons.
"Wait a micron!" Apollo broke in, "They're not retreating! They're headed for the fleet!" he cried, "everyone follow that viper!"
The several squadrons of Vipers turned as one and turboed after Celeste and the enemy fighters. The Cylons began firing on the Colonial fleet. Celeste's Viper carefully fired on the Cylons, trying not to hit the civilian ships. Celeste thrusted ahead of the chrome-colored ships. The Cylons, wishing to be rid of this particularly pesky warrior, all turned on her at once, following her.
This was exactly what Celeste wanted.
Weaving in and out of the civilian ships, Celeste led the Cylon raiders toward the end of the Colonial fleet. The Cylons followed, firing their weapons.
"Just a little farther!" Celeste mumbled as she continued on her way through the fleet. Suddenly, she was at the end of the line of ships. Celeste hit the reverse thrusters hard and pulled her nose up steeply, then turboed up and away.
Confused, the Cylons were caught off-guard. The majority of the Cylon attack force disappeared into a cloudy blackness and crashed harmlessly into an unseen planet (Harmlessly to the planet, not to the Cylons). The three remaining Cylons got their bearings and continued to pursue Celeste. One lone Cylon fighter streaked away to the basestar.
Celeste began weaving back through the civilian ships. The three Cylon ships followed her like hunting daggits on the trail of their prey. The Cylons fired more incessantly. Celeste dodged, she spun, she turboed. Several times, she turned a complete circle around a civilian ship. With each maneuver, the Cylons got more and more disoriented.
The other Viper pilots flew near the Galactica, watching this display of skill and cunning with a stunned respect for this strange pilot. They wanted to help, but how could they keep up with the spinning Celeste and the Cylons? She was taking more chances, flying more riskily, and reacting more quickly than any other Viper pilot anyone had ever seen.
Celeste watched her scanner. The Galactica loomed ahead: along with the Colonial Warriors in their Vipers. The woman pilot increased her speed towards the Vipers. When she got within a few microns, Celeste swerved, bringing the Cylons into the firing range of the other warriors. The Vipers fired, destroying two Cylons and sending the other one spinning.
Celeste flew beside the tail of the Galactica, preparing to turn around and assist the other Vipers. With a slight movement of her hand on the control stick, the fighter turned. She looked out her canopy. She saw the spinning silver ship headed straight for her. She tried to hit reverse thrusters, too late. The ships collided, slamming Celeste's Viper hard into the side of the Galactica. The Cylon ship bounced, drifting away from the battlestar and Celeste's wrecked ship. A micron later, the Cylon fighter exploded.
"Lieutenant! Lt. Celeste! Do you read me?" Apollo cried, trying to see through the fiery wreckage of the Cylon ship.
Silence.
"Lieutenant? Can you hear me? Are you all right?" Apollo tried again, desperately.
"Yeah, Captain, but you're breaking up."
Everyone cheered while Apollo replied to the woman in the broken ship, "Hang on, and we'll get you out of there. What's your status?"
"Pretty good considering the right engine of the Viper is in here with me. Oh, and the canopy's badly cracked. I'm losing air. Um, nothing in here seems to work except the comm. in my helmet. How bad is it out there?" Celeste's voice came weakly over the comm.
Apollo paused, "Do you really want to know?"
"Ah, that bad, huh? Hey, at least Vipers aren't made of tin foil like Cylon raiders. How's the Galactica?"
Apollo flew past the wreckage, "She's got a dent of two, but not too bad. Probably inside, all they heard was a thump."
"Good," Celeste half-joked, "I wouldn't want the commander upset with me for scratching his ship." Celeste peered out the broken canopy. The only ship she saw was Apollo's Viper flying around. "Did the others land already?"
"Yeah," Apollo said, "some of them are picking up tow rods so we can bring you in. I'm running low on fuel, or I'd do it myself. Here they come! Sit tight, and I'll see you in the landing bay." Apollo's Viper turboed around the battlestar to line up for landing.
Celeste's head spun. She began to have tunnel vision. It reminded her of being in the gravitron in pilots training at the Academy.
Lt. Boomer's voice came through the buzzing in Celeste's head.
"Okay, Lieutenant, we're going to pull you off the Galactica, alright? Hold on, there could be a few bumps and jerks. You with me?"
"Yeah," Celeste croaked back, "Can't…talk…no…air…"
"I read you, Lieutenant. We'll have you out of there soon."
Boomer's words were followed by three metallic "thunks" as the tow rods connected with the smashed Viper. The three fighters moved slowly forward in unison. Celeste's ship began to peel away from the Galactica. With a final jolt, the Viper came free.
Celeste was barely aware of movement. "Boomer…tell Apollo that…Cylons…Starbuck…his bro…" Static obscured Celeste's gasping words.
"I can't hear you, Lieutenant." Boomer said, shaking his head.
"Tell Apollo…that…Cylons took…" the comm. went silent.
Celeste plunged into blackness.
The three Vipers carefully maneuvered the twisted piece of metal that used to be a Viper. They gently set it down on the Galactica landing bay.
Apollo stood waiting beside the ever-ready medical crew.
Boomer and the other two pilots climbed out of their Vipers as the ground crews dashed toward the ships. Apollo approached his friend.
"How is she?" he asked seriously.
Boomer looked grave, "She blacked out just short of the bay. Captain, it's a miracle she even survived the crash."
Apollo watched the med-tech team lift the inert warrior woman onto a stretcher and rush her away. He shook his head sadly.
"Boomer, we lost a lot of good pilots today. Pray we don't lose her, too." Apollo looked at Boomer, his eyes filled with deep grief for his missing friend.
Boomer sighed heavily, "I've been praying since the attack began."
Apollo put a hand on Boomer's shoulder, "You were good out there today, Boomer. Thanks."
Boomer looked down, "We were all good today."
Apollo looked at Boomer, nodded, and began walking toward the hall.
"Oh, Captain, before I forget! Celeste wanted me to give you a message. She told me right before she lost consciousness."
Apollo stopped, "What is it?"
"Well," Boomer sighed, "I'm not really sure. It was garbled by static. Something about the Cylons taking something. And…I think she also mentioned Starbuck."
Again Apollo nodded slowly, "Thanks for letting me know."
He left.
