Chapter Five: The Horrible Truth
"Colonel, we are approaching jump point."
"Jump whenever you're ready Lieutenant."
"Yes sir."
"Colonel, I'll be in my Viper. The show's yours."
"Yes sir." Colonel Osier watched the Group Commander leave the bridge. At the start of the trip, he had told the Colonel that he was simply an observer. The mission was Osier's problem. He would be there to provide help if necessary. The Colonel could have laughed at that. He had commanded the battlestar Corinthian for half a yahren after her commander had been killed and then Freedom for the last yahren. He had three times as much command experience as the Group Commander. Starbuck knew that; he just wanted an excuse to fly a Viper.
The small convoy exited hyperspace. Two Drazi, a human, and two Brakiri freighters made up the rest of the convoy. Now to wait for the raiders. Four White Stars were 15 minutes travel from the convoy, far enough away that the raiders couldn't detect them.
"Colonel, three jump points forming. I have three ships, they're Centauri Vorchans sir."
Group Commander Starbuck was listening to the conversation on the bridge as he sat in his Viper. The shuttle that was typically included with a battlecruiser had been replaced with two more Vipers. Starbuck followed the Centauri vessels on his plot as they approached the convoy. What are you doing Mollari? Starbuck thought. You're going to give us away to the raiders!
At that point, fire from the Centauri vessels tore into the human freighter.
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"Vipers launch. Engage cloak and bring us behind the Centauri."
"Yes sir."
The small squadron launched from Freedom. "Green Epsilon Squadron, form up. We're going to make a quick pass at that Vorchan directly ahead. Afterburners, engage."
The Vipers raced past an exploding Drazi freighter towards the Centauri vessel. Bursts of laser fire erupted from the destroyer and one of the Vipers was hit. Fire from the other two Vorchans finished it off. The remaining Vipers tore into the Vorchan with lasers and missiles. Her weak armor shattered and her vital innards opened up into space. Her anti-matter reactor went nova just after the Vipers finished their run.
"Yeehaw, one down, two to go."
"Nice work Green Epsilon. Let's do it again."
The Vipers spun around and hit their afterburners again, racing for the nearest Centauri ship. The vessel continued to fire into the last freighter, a Brakiri ship. Just as the Vipers got into range of the destroyer, the other Vorchan moved from behind the Brakiri vessel, which hid it from the Viper's sensors.
"Break! All fighters break."
It was too late though. Three Vipers exploded one after another. A fourth followed soon after as the Vipers raced by the first Vorchan, trying to reform. With the destruction of the last freighter, the Centauri vessels moved on the Vipers.
"Engage afterburners, get out of here!"
The Vipers made a hurried, unorganized retreat. The Vorchans followed closely, intent on getting their prey. Freedom decloaked behind the two Centauri ships. She crossed the Centauri 'T' and her weapons opened fire on the lightly protected engines of the two vessels. A few seconds later, it was all over.
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Escorted by four White Stars, Freedom made her way towards Babylon 5. Most of the crew celebrated their victory, while the two surviving Viper pilots lay silently in their nearly empty room, contemplating their mortality. The Group Commander wanted to be with them, he had been in that position often enough, but he had more important work to do.
"We were lucky Mr. President. If the Centauri had attacked on the other side of the convoy, Freedom would have been the first to go. If it hadn't been for the human transport blocking the Centauri's view of us, we never would have been able to cloak without the Centauri seeing us. Those Vorchans were thin skinned but packed a lot of weapons. Freedom would have been crippled at the very least in either case. What did Mollari do after our conference?"
"He didn't communicate with is government if that's what you were wondering. We believe that he isn't involved in this conspiracy."
"How much of the Centauri government is involved in this?"
"We're not sure. The White Stars are all out looking for more information. What's your ETA for Babylon 5 Group Commander?"
"Approximately seven hours."
"Excellent, meet me then."
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"John, it's.Centau.I saw one of.in.street after.was murdered. I managed.to get.at him during.fight." Despite the static in the transmission, Sheridan was able to get the gist of it.
"How soon can you get back Michael?"
"I don't.I can. Drazi.are looking.me. My picture's.all over. Do.have a.Star in.area?"
"Yeah, but I'm going to send Freedom. They have some info you should see ASAP. They'll arrive there in.five hours I estimate. I'll have White Star 19 stand by in hyperspace nearby incase you need immediate extraction though."
"Tha.John. I'll be standing by. Here are my coordinates. Be back soon."
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"Hit it! Let's move!" Starbuck didn't contemplate the insanity of yelling at his fighter, trying to coax more speed out of it. He'd been doing it for years now "Freedom lay suppression fire on these coordinates, I'm coming in with some friends."
"Roger Group Commander. Do you want the rest of Green Epsilon Squadron to launch?"
"Negative, their Vipers haven't been outfitted with cloak so the Drazi will get a sensor lock on them. We can't let the Drazi figure out that it's us."
"So I assume you don't want the White Star to jump in?"
"Correct."
"The docking bay is cleared. You can come in at full throttle sir."
"Thanks Freedom. ETA, two minutes. Prepare to jump."
The Viper raced from the Drazi homeworld, with several Sky Serpents on his tail. They couldn't get a clear lock on his ship with his cloak activated, but that wouldn't last. During the fight with the Centauri, Starbuck had damaged his cloak when he flew through the wreckage of one of the Vipers. To make the situation worse, the cloak was designed to work against Cylon sensors; it worked imperfectly against other sensor systems. And, finally, his afterburner system had been wasted by the Sky Serpents at the start of the fight.
The Viper rocked from a new miss. Freedom's suppression fire was forcing the Drazi fighters to back off a bit. He mentally winced at the structural damage that was occurring in the ship as it used its lasers and the cloak at the same time. Starbuck closed on the Freedom; he estimated only another minute of travel remained. Mr. Garibaldi was in the rear of the fighter, unconscious. He had been injured badly on the Drazi homeworld. The Viper rocked again and smoke began to fill the cockpit.
"Freedom, I'm coming in hot!"
The Viper entered the battlecruiser's small landing bay in the roughest landing Starbuck had made in yahren. To the Sky Serpents, which hadn't been able to pierce the battlecruiser's cloak, it simply disappeared. The battlecruiser opened a jump point and fled, leaving the Drazi pilots stunned behind them.
"Colonel, we are approaching jump point."
"Jump whenever you're ready Lieutenant."
"Yes sir."
"Colonel, I'll be in my Viper. The show's yours."
"Yes sir." Colonel Osier watched the Group Commander leave the bridge. At the start of the trip, he had told the Colonel that he was simply an observer. The mission was Osier's problem. He would be there to provide help if necessary. The Colonel could have laughed at that. He had commanded the battlestar Corinthian for half a yahren after her commander had been killed and then Freedom for the last yahren. He had three times as much command experience as the Group Commander. Starbuck knew that; he just wanted an excuse to fly a Viper.
The small convoy exited hyperspace. Two Drazi, a human, and two Brakiri freighters made up the rest of the convoy. Now to wait for the raiders. Four White Stars were 15 minutes travel from the convoy, far enough away that the raiders couldn't detect them.
"Colonel, three jump points forming. I have three ships, they're Centauri Vorchans sir."
Group Commander Starbuck was listening to the conversation on the bridge as he sat in his Viper. The shuttle that was typically included with a battlecruiser had been replaced with two more Vipers. Starbuck followed the Centauri vessels on his plot as they approached the convoy. What are you doing Mollari? Starbuck thought. You're going to give us away to the raiders!
At that point, fire from the Centauri vessels tore into the human freighter.
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"Vipers launch. Engage cloak and bring us behind the Centauri."
"Yes sir."
The small squadron launched from Freedom. "Green Epsilon Squadron, form up. We're going to make a quick pass at that Vorchan directly ahead. Afterburners, engage."
The Vipers raced past an exploding Drazi freighter towards the Centauri vessel. Bursts of laser fire erupted from the destroyer and one of the Vipers was hit. Fire from the other two Vorchans finished it off. The remaining Vipers tore into the Vorchan with lasers and missiles. Her weak armor shattered and her vital innards opened up into space. Her anti-matter reactor went nova just after the Vipers finished their run.
"Yeehaw, one down, two to go."
"Nice work Green Epsilon. Let's do it again."
The Vipers spun around and hit their afterburners again, racing for the nearest Centauri ship. The vessel continued to fire into the last freighter, a Brakiri ship. Just as the Vipers got into range of the destroyer, the other Vorchan moved from behind the Brakiri vessel, which hid it from the Viper's sensors.
"Break! All fighters break."
It was too late though. Three Vipers exploded one after another. A fourth followed soon after as the Vipers raced by the first Vorchan, trying to reform. With the destruction of the last freighter, the Centauri vessels moved on the Vipers.
"Engage afterburners, get out of here!"
The Vipers made a hurried, unorganized retreat. The Vorchans followed closely, intent on getting their prey. Freedom decloaked behind the two Centauri ships. She crossed the Centauri 'T' and her weapons opened fire on the lightly protected engines of the two vessels. A few seconds later, it was all over.
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Escorted by four White Stars, Freedom made her way towards Babylon 5. Most of the crew celebrated their victory, while the two surviving Viper pilots lay silently in their nearly empty room, contemplating their mortality. The Group Commander wanted to be with them, he had been in that position often enough, but he had more important work to do.
"We were lucky Mr. President. If the Centauri had attacked on the other side of the convoy, Freedom would have been the first to go. If it hadn't been for the human transport blocking the Centauri's view of us, we never would have been able to cloak without the Centauri seeing us. Those Vorchans were thin skinned but packed a lot of weapons. Freedom would have been crippled at the very least in either case. What did Mollari do after our conference?"
"He didn't communicate with is government if that's what you were wondering. We believe that he isn't involved in this conspiracy."
"How much of the Centauri government is involved in this?"
"We're not sure. The White Stars are all out looking for more information. What's your ETA for Babylon 5 Group Commander?"
"Approximately seven hours."
"Excellent, meet me then."
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"John, it's.Centau.I saw one of.in.street after.was murdered. I managed.to get.at him during.fight." Despite the static in the transmission, Sheridan was able to get the gist of it.
"How soon can you get back Michael?"
"I don't.I can. Drazi.are looking.me. My picture's.all over. Do.have a.Star in.area?"
"Yeah, but I'm going to send Freedom. They have some info you should see ASAP. They'll arrive there in.five hours I estimate. I'll have White Star 19 stand by in hyperspace nearby incase you need immediate extraction though."
"Tha.John. I'll be standing by. Here are my coordinates. Be back soon."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
"Hit it! Let's move!" Starbuck didn't contemplate the insanity of yelling at his fighter, trying to coax more speed out of it. He'd been doing it for years now "Freedom lay suppression fire on these coordinates, I'm coming in with some friends."
"Roger Group Commander. Do you want the rest of Green Epsilon Squadron to launch?"
"Negative, their Vipers haven't been outfitted with cloak so the Drazi will get a sensor lock on them. We can't let the Drazi figure out that it's us."
"So I assume you don't want the White Star to jump in?"
"Correct."
"The docking bay is cleared. You can come in at full throttle sir."
"Thanks Freedom. ETA, two minutes. Prepare to jump."
The Viper raced from the Drazi homeworld, with several Sky Serpents on his tail. They couldn't get a clear lock on his ship with his cloak activated, but that wouldn't last. During the fight with the Centauri, Starbuck had damaged his cloak when he flew through the wreckage of one of the Vipers. To make the situation worse, the cloak was designed to work against Cylon sensors; it worked imperfectly against other sensor systems. And, finally, his afterburner system had been wasted by the Sky Serpents at the start of the fight.
The Viper rocked from a new miss. Freedom's suppression fire was forcing the Drazi fighters to back off a bit. He mentally winced at the structural damage that was occurring in the ship as it used its lasers and the cloak at the same time. Starbuck closed on the Freedom; he estimated only another minute of travel remained. Mr. Garibaldi was in the rear of the fighter, unconscious. He had been injured badly on the Drazi homeworld. The Viper rocked again and smoke began to fill the cockpit.
"Freedom, I'm coming in hot!"
The Viper entered the battlecruiser's small landing bay in the roughest landing Starbuck had made in yahren. To the Sky Serpents, which hadn't been able to pierce the battlecruiser's cloak, it simply disappeared. The battlecruiser opened a jump point and fled, leaving the Drazi pilots stunned behind them.