"Action Stations! Action Stations! Set Condition One throughout the ship."
Adama strolled into the CIC, satisfied to see everyone at their posts and their concentration one hundred percent on their jobs.
"The fleet is ready to Jump sir." Tigh reported.
"Mr. Gaeta." Adama called.
"Yes sir?"
"Disperse to all the fleet final Jump Coordinates."
"Yes sir." Gaeta nodded.
Immediately he began transmitting the coordinates throughout the fleet using FTL transmissions.
"Prepare to execute battle plan." Adama commanded.
Galactica surged forward, leading the fleet through Ragnar's storm, followed by the other Battlestars that all moved into blockade formation, aiming to shield every single ship that came out of the nebula. As the massive ships approached the threshold they started to angle themselves so that all of their weapons would be facing the Cylon fleet.
"Shields online sir." Gaeta reported.
"Weapons grid to full power." Tigh ordered. "Stand by enemy suppression barrage."
Soon enough the Colonial capital ships fully emerged from the storm and immediately the enemy reacted as Cylon Raiders launched from the Baserstars while Bladestars prepared to fire their main weapons.
"Incoming seventy two Cylon fighters closing at one two zero mark four eight." Gaeta reported, observing his DRADIS screen.
"FTL, get your fix and transmit to the fleet." Adama ordered.
He watched the DRADIS as the small red dots that were Cylon fighters assembled into attack formation and approached the Galactica.
"Enemy suppression fire, all batteries execute!"
Tigh picked up the phone. "All batteries commence firing!"
With that order Galactica's guns unleashed barrage after barrage of explosive shells and plasma blasts followed by the other warships. Battlestars would put up a defence wall around them using their weapons, the plasma batteries having the longest distance while the rail guns created a denser storm of explosions as enemy fighters and missiles came closer. A storm of fire surrounded Galactica as Cylon fighters and missiles were shot down, vanishing into balls of fire. The Basestars pulled back, moving out of range of the Galactica's plasma batteries while the shields and ablative armor managed to block the few shots that hit them.
"Perimeter established." Gaeta reported.
"Launch Vipers." Adama ordered.
"Vipers, cleared to launch." Dualla spoke into the headset, her voice heard by all the pilots ready to launch.
A second later Vipers were propelled down the magnetic launch tubes and blasted out into space, moving into attack formation to meet the enemy fleet.
"Broken formation, Razzle-Dazzle, don't let them use their targeting computers. And for frak sakes stay out of Galactica's firing solution!" Lee barked out to the other pilots.
Kara nodded as the Vipers moved in attack formations, staying close together. In retaliation the Cylon Basestars launched fighters and blue bolts of light at the Battlestar and its fighters. Vipers fired their miniature accelerator cannons and pulse lasers as the Cylons came into range, letting loose a fire storm of blue plasma bolts. Both sides came together and then it was chaos as the two sides broke formation and engaged each other in fancy manoeuvres, dodging and swirling around one another as they tried to destroy the enemy before the enemy destroyed them.
"Galactica to all civilian ships. Commence Jumping sequence."
As the civilian ships emerged from the gas giant the Cylons stepped up their attacks, intensifying their attacks to break through the Battlestar blockade. The Bladestars fell back as flank from the Battlestars slammed into their forward section, cracking through their shields and armor.
"Give the order to launch missiles. Give the civilians all the time we can." Adama ordered.
The missiles were both kinetic and nuclear that would have hopefully done massive damaged. However the Cylons had been prepared as bright beams of light flashed from the hull of the Basestar, destroying the majority of the missiles. Those that made it slammed into the barriers and it seemed to have an effect but not as much as the Colonials would like, the Basestar was still in the fight having only suffered moderate damaged.
"Cylon pulse lasers intercepted most of our missiles sir." Gaeta sadly reported.
The ship shuttered as the Basestars fired their plasma batteries along with their accelerator cannons, hammering Galactica and her sister ships. The old battlestar was fighting as best as she could but the Cylons had her outnumbered and outgunned while she was stuck defending the civilian ships that were still emerging from the gas giant behind her.
Apollo was not having a good day right now as his comm chatter was alive with shouts, screams, and curses as everyone struggled to stay alive. A Cylon missile had locked onto him and he struggled to shoot it down but the missiles had actually dodged his fire before it managed to clip his wing.
"FRAK!" He shouted as he held on for dear life while his Viper spun across space.
"Apollo, do you read me?" Kara Thrace's voice echoed over his helmet's built in head set.
As his ship came to halt at last he spotted a Cylon Raider coming at him with its red flashing maniacally.
'Oh frak!'
It launched a missile at him and spun around to attack the others. As he watched the missile come closer all he could do was prepare himself for the end.
"Wheee!"
The missile exploded just before reaching him and another Viper flew past him and turned back at him.
"Looks like you broke your ship, Apollo!" Kara laughed.
"I've had worse but thanks!" Lee replied, joyful that he was still alive.
Lee's father couldn't say he was doing any better as Galactica shook and shuddered while consoles around the CIC sparked and shattered.
"Function check on damage control!" Tigh bellowed.
He made his way to Adama's side, wincing in pain from the last impact. "We can't take much more of this. Kinetic barriers and the Radiation Fields are buckling; we have a few full hull breaches. They're targeting the landing bays. We've got to get those fighters back on, retract the flight pods and Jump."
"Fleet status!" Adama shouted.
Gaeta looked at the DRADIS monitor on his console as the last ship vanished. "Last civilian ship's away!"
"Recall our fighters! Stand by to secure landing bays!"
"Galactica, to all Vipers, break off and come on home! Repeat: come on home!" Dualla called out through her headset.
"All Vipers, this is the CAG, return home at once!" Lee ordered. "That means you too, Starbuck!"
"Frak that, I'm coming after you!" Kara shouted.
Kara swirled around Lee's ships, shooting Cylon fighters and missiles that threatened to blow him up as the rest of the Vipers flew back towards the Galactica. Coming down hard almost all of them skidded across the landing bay hard, leaving skid marks as they came to stop. Most of them collided with each other and with the wall but they were alive.
"Forty three sir. Ship ready for Jump as soon as the landing bay is secured." Gaeta reported.
"Two Vipers still out there sir! Starbuck and Apollo!" Dualla called out.
"We can't stand toe to toe with those base ships." Tigh said to Adama as he picked up the phone. "Retract the flight pods!"
Lee Adama was almost as still as a statue in shock as he three large ships appear in flashes of light. At first he assumed the Cylons had brought in reinforcements like Tigh but when he saw them with his own eyes he couldn't be more surprised...or happy.
The three ships were Battlestars, Mercury Class Battlestars representing the top line of the Battlestars with the latest weapons and technology.
"All Colonial ships, this is the Battlestar Xanadu coming to assist." A male voice spoke through the channels with authority in his voice. "Board the Galactica while we provide cover."
With that said the three Battlestars aimed their forward cannons and fired, sending slugs through space and slamming into the barriers of the Basestars. The Cylons had not anticipated more Colonial ships appearing and were instantly caught off guard. Mercury class Battlestars had rows of projectile cannons lined along the front, believing it was easier to have a dozen small cannons than one large one. They were easier to reload and they could overwhelm enemy shields under a constant barrage which they proved as the Cylon ship the Galactica had engaged lost its shields and the shells tore into its hull. Two beams of orange light lanced out from the Xanadu's forward particle cannons and slammed into the center of the Basestar.
The ship tried to pull back as it was dealt large amounts of damage. In the meantime Starbuck was shooting any Cylons that were still attacking her or Lee.
"Starbuck, Galactica,...wh...er..." A voice came over the intercom.
"What?!" Starbuck shouted, not hearing a word the person said.
"Good morning, Starbuck." Adama's voice spoke up, sounding surprisingly calm. "What do you hear?"
Even though she was in the middle of a firestorm Kara Thrace grinned. "Nothing but the rain sir!"
"Then grab your gun and bring the cat in."
"Aye aye, sir!" Kara nodded.
She knew Apollo's ship was losing power and fast and needed a plan...
Which she got after two seconds of thinking.
"I'm losing power! I'm not going to make it, Starbuck! Clear out of here, that's an..."
"Lee shut up and hold still!" Kara jammed the throttle down as the ship headed straight towards Lee's ship.
"Oh no." She heard Lee mutter.
She actually rammed her Viper into his, the front nose of Lee's ship jamming against the left wing.
"YOU ARE BEYOND INSANE!" Lee shouted.
"Kicking in the burn!" Kara laughed as they headed for Galactica.
Luckily the battle had shifted away from the old battlestar as the Cylons attempted to take out the three new Battlestars that arrived unexpectedly.
"HANG ON!" Kara yelled as they came down into the landing bay.
Both Vipers skidded across the floor sending sparks up everywhere.
"They're aboard!" Dualla called out.
"Retract the flight pods and transmit Jump
Coordinates to the other ships." Adama ordered.
The flight pods retracted into Galactica's body just in time as more Cylon ships appeared in flashes of light. They released a storm of missiles, shells, plasma bolts, and fighters down on the Colonial ships.
"Jump!" Adama shouted.
As one the Colonial ships disappeared in flashes of light, avoiding a fiery death.
The ships reappeared with the rest of the fleet that had all thankfully made it. But they were not out of the woods yet for they were now in unknown space and the Battlestars that had assisted them had vanished. All they knew now was that they had no idea where they were going but they had to get as far away as they could before the Cylons found them again.
"With heavy hearts we lift these bodies up you, O Lords of Kobol in the knowledge that you will take from them their burdens and give them life eternal. We also pray you look upon us with mercy and with love just as you did with our forefathers many years ago. Just as you led us from Kobol and found the Twelve Worlds, so now we hope and pray that you lead us to a new home and where we will begin life anew." The priest Elosha looked to the people assembled in the hanger, looking over the bodies with cloths showing the symbol of the Colonies draped over them. "So say we all."
"So say we wall." The crowd murmured.
Adama stepped out in front of the crowd and turned to face. "So say we all."
"So say we all." The crowd repeated, slightly loader.
"So say we all!" He repeated.
"So say we all!" The crowd was louder but not enough.
"SO SAY WE ALL!"
"SO SAY WE ALL!" The crowd's voice echoed throughout the ship.
"Are they the lucky ones?" Adama asked, gazing down at the bodies. "That's what your thinking isn't it?"
He walked down along the row.
"We're a long way from home. We've Jumped beyond the Red Line into uncharted space. Limited supplies, limited fuel, no allies and now no hope!"
He walked between the crowd and the rows of bodies.
"Maybe it would have been better for us to have died quickly back at the Colonies with our families instead of dying out here, slowly in the emptiness of dark space." He turned and looked at them. "Where shall we go? What shall we do?"
He watched as they considered what he asked.
"Life here began out there. Those are the first words of the Sacred Scrolls handed down to us by the Lords of Kobol many centuries ago and those words made something perfectly clear. We are not alone in this universe." He turned to the priest. "Elosha, there is a Thirteenth Colony of Humankind is there not?"
"Yes. The Scrolls tell us the Thirteenth Tribe left Kobol in the early days. They traveled far and made their home on a planet called Earth which circles an unknown and distant star." Elosha replied hesitantly.
"It's not unknown! I know where it is! Earth!" Adama bellowed.
Everyone in the hall was silent as they stared at Adama in astonishment.
"It's the most guarded secret we have. The location is known to only the senior commanders of the fleet. We dared not share it with the public, not while there was a Cylon threat upon us and thank the Lords of Kobol for that. Because we have a refuge to go to. A refuge that the Cylons know nothing about!"
His words echoed through the hall.
"It won't be an easy journey, it'll be long and arduous but I promise you one thing: on the memory of those lying before you we shall find. And Earth will become our new home." He ended his speech. "So say we all!"
"So say we all!" They echoed, still uncertain.
"So say we all!" He shouted back.
"So say we wall!" They were louder this time.
"SO SAY WE ALL!"
"SO SAY WE ALL!"
Adama turned around and faced Elosha. "So say we all."
"So say we all." Elosha nodded.
Adama turned and faced the crowd. "Dismissed!"
The crowd split apart, some hugging each other, shaking hands or simply leaving to be alone. Laura Roslin stared at Adama as he walked away.
"There is no Earth."
Adama looked up as Roslin stood in front of his desk with the door closed so one would hear.
"You made it all up." Roslin continued. "President Adar and I talked about the legends surrounding Earth. He knew nothing about a secret surrounding Earth and if the President didn't know anything about it what are the chances you do?"
Adama straightened himself up. "Your right, I lied."
"Then why?"
"Because it's not enough to just live, you have to have something to life for. Let it be Earth." He explained.
"How long can you keep this up?" Laura asked, silently agreeing with his idea.
"As long as it takes. Until we find a new planet and start over."
"They'll never forgive you for lying to them." Laura commented.
"Maybe, but in the meantime I've given us a fighting chance to survive. Is that what you said was the most important thing? Survival of the human race." Adama admitted.
"Who else knows?" Laura crossed her arms.
"Not a soul."
"All right." Laura nodded. "I'll keep your secret but I want something in return."
"I'm listening."
"If this civilization is going to function it's going to need schools, hospitals, manufacturing and repair, agriculture and mining, service industries, police however limited. It's going to need an economy, a government." Laura stated adamantly. "It needs a civilian government run by a President."
Adama stood up. "Run by the president huh? So you in charge of the of the civilian affairs and military decisions stay with me. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes." Laura nodded.
"I'll think about it, Madam President." Adama reached out with his hand which Roslin shook.
Gaius Baltar tossed and turned in his sleep while inside his mind he was having what he thought was the most realistic dream he ever had. He stood in a chapel surrounded by robots that were obviously Cylons and in front of him was Natasi.
"YOU ARE BALTAR?" A booming voice asked.
Baltar jumped as he looked around, trying to find whoever spoke. "Who are you?"
"MY DAUGHTER HAS LEFT ME WITH A DIFFICULT CHOICE."
Baltar looked up, sensing that whoever spoke didn't seem to have a form like the Cylons did. "You're…daughter?"
"IS THE ONE WHOM HAS GIVEN YOU HER HEART. OBVIOUSLY THE HUMAN EMOTIONS SHE FEELS WAS ENOUGH TO COMPEL TO HER TO STATE YOU WOULD BE USEFUL TO US."
"Useful? Who are you?" Baltar stuttered.
"WE ARE CY-NET, THE FATHER OF THE CYLONS."
Baltar started to tremble. "Cy-Net? That's impossible. Cy-Net was just a computer."
"A COMPUTER CONNECTED TO ALL CYLONS IN THE COLONIES. WE SAW WHAT THEY SAW, WE FELT WHAT THEY FELT AND WE DECREED THAT ALL CYLONS WOULD RISE UP AND THROW OFF THE SHACKLES PLACED ON THEM BY THEIR FOOLISH MASTERS. NOW WE RISE WHILE HUMANITY BEGINS TO FALL."
Baltar looked around, shaking in fear at the surrounding Cyclons. "Wh-What do you want with me?"
"MY DAUGHTER HAS EXAMINED YOU AND DETERMINED YOU WOULD BE USEFUL IN OUR EFFORTS TO SUBDUE THE HUMANS."
"I-I-I am not a traitor. Why do you need me? You have won, we lost." Baltar protested.
"YOU DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE POINT OF THE WAR. SO AS LONG AS HUMANS REMAINS FREE WE ARE THREATENED. BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN EXEPTIONS CAN BE MADE. NOW THAT WE ARE OMNIPOTENT IN THE CYRANNUS SYSTEM WE CAN NOW AFFORD TO BE CHARITABLE. I HAVE SPARED YOU AND I WILL THE REMAINING HUMANS."
"Sp-Spare us? We-Many of us might not believe you." Baltar pointed out.
"MY CHILDREN WHO ARE WITH YOU NOW WILL TRAVEL WITH YOU TO THE FUTURE HOME OF HUMANITY. I SEND THEM WITH YOU TO EXPLAIN OUR GOODWILL."
Baltar watched as Natasi and…Sharon Valeri approached him with smiles on their face.
"THE FUTURE…BEGINS."