Chapter 12 Words of War
Leonis
Lake Cassidy
Graystone Compound
It would be strange to think that one of the biggest defences against the Cylons wasn't from a fleet, or a ship or even an entire army, granted all of these played a huge part in fighting back against the Cylons. No, one of the biggest defences was in a large house, 86 miles away from Luminere, on the tranquil shores of Lake Cassidy, or more specifically in the minds of 2 people. 2 people whose minds were elsewhere.
A dark haired girl stared in horror at an image of the newly arrived Cylon Battlestation (Colony) as it jumped into the deadly battle taking place above their heads. Almost instantly this Battlestation started opening fire on the Colonial fleet below it. In the space of just a couple of seconds what had seemed like an almost assured victory for the Colonials had suddenly seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream as the Colonial fleet started to fall against this new attack. Zoe knew instantly that they had lost. Then she felt the minds of the Colony's hybrids pressing the defensive net the Graystones had created for weaknesses.
"Dad, we've got to go..." Zoe said as she ripped her headband off revealing to her beleaguered eyes the presences of half a dozen armed guards watching over them, "…we can't hold off that many".
Taking slightly longer to take off his holoband as he refused to admit defeat, Daniel kept on trying to challenge these new Hybrids power, to destroy their Battlestation. Blood started to seep from his nose and bloodied tears slipped down his face as the Hybrids fought back, trying to force themselves into his mind. Tearing his own headband off as it became clear to him that he couldn't take them all on his own, Daniel revealed his bloodshot eyes to his daughter before saying, "We need the Intel…"
Zoe, ripping out the high capacity hard drives carrying over a million terabytes of data that they had managed to steal from the Basestars they had hijacked, replied "I'm on it…got it".
One of the Guards helping Daniel in his weakened state to his feet said as the data came in, "Atlantia's just rammed the Cylon Construct…it's still there"
Zoe and three other guards each carrying the boxes with the hard drives in quickly followed behind Daniel and the other three guards, rushing towards the awaiting Snapdragon. "Is the nuke set?" Zoe asked the Guards.
"Yes ma'am…the Basestars are moving…"
Ragnar
BSG16
Battlestar Galactica
"DRADIS CONTACTS!"
Snapping his head towards Gaeta, Admiral Adama asked "Cylon?" It was the last thing they needed, Adama knew they couldn't survive another battle so soon after Leonis.
Gaeta checking the contacts replied, "Negative. Contacts are colonial; I'm reading 534 in total including the Marinestars Hannibal and Annaxander. Codes are verified".
Colonel Tigh could only mutter "500? Frak me".
Leonis
Luminere
Luminere, the City of Enlightenment was a hive of activity, just not it's usual activity. Explosions littered the city, evidence of car crashes and rioting, people were crushed underfoot in the mad dash for survival, and screaming rent the air. But in the middle of all this chaos was a source of calm, a source of order and most of all a source of power as the military might of Leonis took charge. Thousands of troops were overseeing a mass evacuation of Civilians into deep underground bunkers prepared both during and shortly after the first war, defences were erected and multiple contingency plans were put into effect. This was an army that had been ever vigilant and ever prepared.
Wind whipping at his face, the cold seeming only to strengthen him, one man stood at the head of all of this preparation as his Raven class transport passed over the city. He was a middle aged man, with a slightly gaunt look to his face and strong cheek bones and a salt and pepper moustache, dressed in full army green combat gear with the emblem of a 5 star officer on his beret (a headset clamped above it) and his shoulders. The emblem was a black sword at the centre of the golden emblem of the 12 Colonies of Kobol (the Phoenix) and surrounded by a golden laurel on top of which were 5 silver bordered golden stars. The Field Marshall looked down upon Luminere perceiving the tumultuous events which were overtaking it's citizens, smoke drifted to his nostrils from one of the many fires raging across the city, only those that had been paying attention would know that many of these fires had been erected by the armed forces in order to limit the ability of the orbiting Basestars to see the movements of Luminere's population both visually and thermally.
He was disgusted to think that soon all this was to come to an end, he had listened to the fleet battle reports, he knew that the fleet had been driven from the battlefield and he knew that he was now deeply involved in the theatre of war, he could only hope he could prove a decisive enough leader. No, that's wrong…he could only hope that his people could survive what was to come.
"Sir, the Cylon fleet is almost in position to begin an orbital bombardment…" a young black Lieutenant said as he read through the reports coming through on his Tac-pad (tactical pad similar to a hardened military version of an iPad with 7" screen) before continuing "…based on their positions, they'll be hitting the arrays first as well as the military bases at Skye, Criolla and Badon Hill…those bases are evacuating as we speak. Intelligence has sent a plan of the most probable routes the Basestars will then take in order to bombard us…Luminere can expect to be hit within the next 3 minutes…"
Turning to look at the Lieutenant, the Field Marshall asked, "What's our ETA?"
"30 seconds, sir…the Basestars are firing…Batteries report that they are ready".
Taking stock off the situation and knowing his next command could mean the deaths of hundreds of millions, Field Marshall Montgomery gave his most damning order, "All batteries are to fire at will and all Arks are to begin locking down, those still out there…may the Gods watch over them".
The Raven Class transport started to descend towards it's destination, an industrial area to the south of the city that held the majority of Leonis' manufacturing and capability as the Lieutenant relayed the orders. Stepping down from the transport, Montgomery was met by a retinue of officers, all of them heavily armed, "Sir, we need to get you inside, we're expecting to be hit any moment now" a female Colonel shouted to Montgomery over the sound of the transport. Dust was kicked up by the transport's VTOL jets slightly obscuring the view as the Field Marshal followed them into an underground parking structure, all the while the Lieutenant was calling out to him the status of the bombardment and how a missile had been redirected to a location by the shores of Lake Cassidy.
As they walked down the ramp into the car park, soldiers and civilians were dragging dozens of military stamped crates into a cargo elevator which Montgomery and his people were approaching. Replying to the Lieutenant, Montgomery said, "We don't have anything in that area of interest, it's possible the Graystones might have something there". Checking his watch Montgomery said "Unless there is something of vital importance in those crates then I want everyone below ground right now, and I need you to patch me into the wireless networks, there's going to be a lot of scared people out there, they need to know that there are still people here fighting for them. They need to know that there is still hope".
Thomas nodded shouting to the people loading the crates to get into the lifts and typing away on his TacPad. "I've connected you to every transmitter and landline receiver. There's going to be dropouts as the nukes hit but…"
"Thank you", stepping into the cargo elevator as two dozen workers and soldiers squeezed in around him and the stacked crates, Field Marshal Montgomery activated his headset and spoke the speech that would echo across the planet even reaching Virgon and Ragnar through the few remaining arrays, "I have nothing to offer you except blood, toil, sweat and tears…" Montgomery barely spoke the words, he knew that they were the wrong words to start, they were honest but lacked power and even though right now honesty was what those under threat needed, they needed something far more important…humour. "I'm going to make a long speech because I've not had time to prepare a short one", all around him, civilians and soldiers alike that had fear written across their bodies looked up at this choice of words, some in disbelief and others with a smile. Then the words started to flow from Field Marshal Montgomery;
"This is Field Marshal Montgomery of the Royal Leonis Legion and I am here to tell you all that you are not alone. I also urge anyone not in a sheltered location whether it be an Ark, a bunker, a hospital or a school. We will come for you once the bombs have fallen…" The elevator started to descend.
"I am also saddened to inform you that during a deadly battle over Leonis in which our already battered fleets were heavily outnumbered and in some ways outclassed and despite inflicting monumental losses upon our Cylon enemy, far more than should have been possible, our brave and honourable fleets failed to defeat the Cylons. However in defeat they have proven indomitable and when they are able to return to our aid they will prove unbeatable. But that time is not now.
"It may seem that all hope is lost and that the end has finally come, but…we will endure. Even as the Cylons rain their missiles down on us, we will endure. Cut off from our fellow Colonists, WE WILL ENDURE!" Within the elevator the passengers seemed to be listening intently to Montgomery's every word as if the Gods were speaking through him.
"I'm no politician. I won't lie to you, especially now. Right now we have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many long years of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our plan? I will say: It is to wage war, with all our might and with all the strength that the Gods can give us. To wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our plan. You ask, what is our goal? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be…" deep within Ark 12 under Starling Park a mother and her two children felt buoyed by his words, their fear had lessened somewhat and surrounded as they were by hundreds of families just like them, they felt certain that Field Marshal Montgomery was telling the truth, victory was possible.
"…And even though our fellow Colonies have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Cylons, we shall not flag or fail…" his words carried to the soldiers manning the defenses and facing terror as dozens of nuclear missiles came coursing down towards Leonis, "…We shall go on to the end…" hundreds of missile and rail gun positions hastily set up around Luminere-as they had been set up across every town and city across Leonis-opened up on the incoming nuclear missiles. Missiles fired from their launchers locked on to the various Cylon missiles, however only a handful hit before the missiles were revealed to be capsules carrying a dozen smaller missiles (only half of which are nuclear, the rest just being high explosive) which were fired away on different trajectories.
"…We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength on the ground…" more and more colonial missiles were fired from their launchers at the nuclear missiles raining down upon them, these missiles were quickly joined by rail gun and anti-aircraft fire from positions throughout the city, the green and red tracer fire flickering across the sky, shattering into black clouds of shrapnel in the paths of as many nuclear missiles as was possible. Hundreds were destroyed before they could complete their objective to the relief of many soldiers who were laying their lives on the line.
"…We shall defend our planet, whatever the cost may be…" a nuclear missile that had avoided everything thrown detonated 500 meters above the ground killing almost everyone within a mile and flooding the surrounding areas with intense radiation. More missiles fell upon the city, the non-nuclear ones smashing into and destroying hundreds of skyscrapers and buildings, killing thousands. The nuclear ones mainly detonating in the air, killing millions.
"…We shall force the Cylons onto our planet and we shall fight on the landing grounds…" demolition experts and army engineers stood in bunkers listening to the Field Marshal as they prepared for the bombing to end and their jobs to begin.
"…We shall fight on the planes and in the streets…" tanks kicked up tons of soil as they used their tracks to bury themselves and soldiers hastily covered them up with this soil, grass and whatever foliage they could find, effectively hiding the armour from view unless you were up close.
"…We shall fight in the hills and in our homes…" an elderly couple cower with their friends in their dusty and dank cellar, floorboards creek and the entire room shakes as the missiles rain down on Leonis. The elderly husband cradles a pistol he has kept since the first war, ready to do his duty to his family. Montgomery's words carrying the fearful through this dark time.
"…We shall fight them room to room if we have to…" within Ark 22 a thunderous roar the result of a direct nuclear strike above the Ark shakes a vast chamber in which several hundred Colonists are seeking refuge from the holocaust going on above their heads. Suddenly, dozens of cracks fracture the room as the concrete and rock walls give way to the intense effects of the nuclear bomb, millions of tonnes of water, soil and rock crashing into the room burying the colonists and only being stopped by heavy blast doors slamming down and severing this chamber from the rest of the Ark.
As the lift doors opened more than a 1000 feet below ground Field Marshal Montgomery and his staff stepped out and passed through hundreds of survivors, all of them feeling a surge of pride going through them as Montgomery continued "…And we'll fight them with the butt ends of broken Absinthe bottles because that may bloody well be all we've got left!"
Aboard the orbiting Basestars, the various models stared at each other in horror as they listened to Montgomery's Patriotic words "…We shall never surrender!"
The crew of the Battlestar Galactica listened intently to every single word spoken by the Field Marshal, knowing that one day they would have to return "and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Colony or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our brothers and sisters surviving throughout the colonies would carry on the struggle, until, in the Gods good time, the exiled Colonial Fleet, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and our liberation like the heroes of old".
"…This is our darkest hour, the twilight of our days, but daylight is just around the corner, we just have to fight for it. We just have to prove our worth. And I know that we are all worthy of survival. I know this because we are not just Colonials. We are Leonosian!" Tending to the wounded within the Sacred Paeon [Greek physician to the gods mythology] Hospital's bunker, Queen Alexandra cleaned out a harsh, bloodied gash in a young girl's thigh before wrapping it in gauze.
"…We were the only Colony to truly put contingency plans into place should the Cylons ever return. While Caprica built businesses, we built bunkers. While Gemenon built temples, we built guns. While Libra created laws, we created armies. 7 percent of our annual GDP was annually put towards maintaining our contingencies in addition to our other defensive arrangements…" Freshly resurrected John Cavil hung his head in his hands as the realisation of just what they were facing with Leonis hit him. Leonis had one of the largest economies, 7 percent was a long war.
"…We will show the Cylons the true meaning of war and why you should never frak with Leonis and eventually, when we are most able, we will go to the aid of our fellow brothers and sisters and drive the Cylons from their worlds." The miniscule amount of survivors on other Colonies already hit by the Cylons and with functioning interplanetary wireless receivers prayed that Montgomery was telling them the truth.
Arriving in the CIC of the bunker Field Marshal Montgomery approached the map table around which the rest of his staff were assembled, he continued "…I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our Colony, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to do. That is the resolve of the Queen and the military. That is the will of the senate and the nation. So say we all!"
In every Ark and Bunker and in every ship and home, every colonist that had been listening to Field Marshal Montgomery's speech buoyed on by his words and the conviction behind them echoed "So say we all!" with a new pride and strength filling them.
Aboard the resurrection ship, John Cavil, wrapped in a white bath robe muttered, "Fracking great, now we've got fanatics on our hands".
One ship, left for dead by the Cylons at Caprica made it's jump to Virgon.
And on one Warship orbiting Leonis, a blonde female overseeing the evacuation turned to the others on the bridge asking, "My God, do you recognise that speech?"
Hope you all liked that chapter, it's mainly as a filler that I am using to establish just what the Fleet's actions have accomplished in buying time for not only the people of Leonis but the people of Virgon too. I'm loosely basing Leonis on Britain since in Caprica, Caprica seemed to be based on America and Tauron, a cross between Russia and Italy. Also I'm establishing the population of Leonis' capital city Luminere at 8.4 million, so similar to London.
I'm also 'resurrecting' Field Marshal Montgomery who was one of the main leaders behind allied victory in the second world war (not a cylon). I'm still undecided whether to have the ground war on Leonis as a number of spread out chapters or as a separate book altogether.
And yes, the speech was adapted from Churchill's "we shall fight them speech" and I felt this was necessary due to the fact that churchill's speech solidified Britain's resolve during the war and this speech needs to do the same. Below is the full Leonis speech.
Reviews are appreciated.
I have nothing to offer you except blood, toil, sweat and tears
I'm going to make a long speech because I've not had time to prepare a short one.
I am here to tell you all that you are not alone. I also urge anyone not in a sheltered location whether it be an Ark, a bunker, a hospital or a school. We will come for you once the bombs have fallen.
I am also saddened to inform you that during a deadly battle over Leonis in which our already battered fleets were heavily outnumbered and in some ways outclassed and despite inflicting monumental losses upon our Cylon enemy, far more than should have been possible, our brave and honourable fleets failed to defeat the Cylons. However in defeat they have proven indomitable and when they are able to return to our aid they will prove unbeatable. But that time is not now.
It may seem that all hope is lost and that the end has finally come, but…we will endure.
Even as the Cylons rain their missiles down on us, we will endure.
Cut off from our fellow Colonists, we will endure
But that time is not now.
I'm no politician.
I won't lie to you, especially now.
Right now we have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind.
We have before us many long years of struggle and of suffering.
You ask, what is our plan?
I will say: It is to wage war, with all our might and with all the strength that the Gods can give us.
To wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.
That is our plan.
You ask, what is our goal?
I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be."
And even though our fellow Colonies have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Cylons, we shall not flag or fail.
We shall go on to the end.
We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength on the ground.
We shall defend our planet, whatever the cost may be.
We shall force the Cylons onto our planet and we shall fight on the landing grounds.
We shall fight on the planes and in the streets.
We shall fight in the hills and in our homes
We shall fight them room to room if we have to.
And we'll fight them with the butt ends of broken Absinthe bottles because that may bloody well be all we've got left!
We shall never surrender
and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Colony or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our brothers and sisters surviving throughout the colonies would carry on the struggle, until, in the Gods good time, the exiled Colonial Fleet, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and our liberation like the heroes of old.
This is our darkest hour, the twilight of our days, but daylight is just around the corner, we just have to fight for it.
We just have to prove our worth.
And I know that we are all worthy of survival.
I know this because we are not just Colonials
We are Leonosian.
We were the only Colony to truly put contingency plans into place should the Cylons ever return. While Caprica built businesses, we built bunkers.
While Gemenon built temples, we built guns.
While Libra created laws, we created armies
We will show the Cylons the true meaning of war and why you should never frak with Leonis and eventually, when we are most able, we will go to the aid of our fellow brothers and sisters and drive the Cylons from their worlds.
I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our Colony, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to do. That is the resolve of the Queen and the military. That is the will of the senate and the nation.
So say we all.
