Lost Brothers
Chapter 4
George looked out over the crew pit. Two weeks ago the Battlestar Terra was launched as the flag ship of Earths defence force. At the time the back lash had only just begun.
Now was a time of questions. The shock of the new had worn off over the last two years. The Russians had spent a lot of time and money on the new 303 fleet almost a dozen were in system with another six on research and discovery between here and where Abydos once was.
Now governments were arguing on how best to spend resources, sighting the shear power of the three, soon to be four, Battlestar's that glided between planets. Two further raids by different Goa'uld system lords ended the same way as Anubis's attack had. This combined with the lack of Cylon attack made the politicians greedy and the public slowly bored of the constant non-treat.
One of the key problems was the shear scope of the new Battlestar's. Three were planned bringing a total of five super-dreadnaughts within five years. George was in command of the first. Almost a third bigger than the Galatica or Pegasus it featured a more streamlined design. The surface was almost completely smooth and while it had the wedge shaped front and pontoons the raised engines were a bit lower and a third set of thrusters where underneath. The devastating amount of lasers, microwave relay projectors, plasma launchers, missile launchers and EM field projectors it supported were enough to vaporise a small moon. Factor in the mag-grav mass driver, mega pulsar cannons and Hyperspace displacement array and the Battlestar Terra more than lived up to its implied name, the Battlestar "Terror".
Production of the Battlestar Thor had already begun and would be ready within a couple of years. The third, yet unnamed Battlestar would probably never be built. The stargate was still a faster and relatively cheaper way to explore the galaxy. With Earths governments quibbling about money and power as they were old ideas such as actual ships were being phased out.
George shuck himself out of the depression he felt and looked over the sergeants shoulder. Another unidentified object had flashed across the edge of the sensors second one today. Cain and Adama were on edge and George was no different the objects were too fast and too constant to be natural or random. In response the Galatica and Pegasus orbited close to Earth while the Terra parked on the moon. If they were recon ships all they would see would be the two old Battlestar's and their four escort fighters, the rest of the 303s were hiding on Mars and its moons.
As he looked at the screen a large icon flashed just outside Earth's orbit followed by two more at the edge of the system. 'Sir three concentrations of hyperspace windows. It looks like a full invasion.'
George winced and pushed a switch on the sergeants control panel. 'Hammond to all sectors. Power up, gunnery teams to your stations, pilots to your fighters, repair teams to stand by. Prepare for combat.'
(Authors note: If you remember the original series you might want to imagine the theme for the Cylon Imperious Leader. With the dark shadows, over sized chair and that slightly mechanical English accent.)
A Cylon walked into the room 'Imperious Leader. All ships have returned to normal space.'
'Have the lead Basestars launch two waves of fighters. The first wave is to destroy the vipers and the second to obliterate the last two Battlestars while they bombard the planet.'
'By your command.' It turned and walked out. Almost walking into the next one
'Imperious Leader. Several more ships have launched from different planets.'
'Do we still out number them?'
'Yes.'
'Then it is of no concern to me.' He was about to dismiss the Cylon when another entered.
'Imperious Leader. An new, larger, Battlestar has launched. It and the two others have activated a form of energy shielding that our sensors can not penetrate.'
The first Cylon then entered once again. 'Imperious Leader. The first wave of fighters have been destroyed by the colonial vipers. More vipers are coming from the target surface. The three Battlestars are advancing on our first group of Basestars.'
Leader ran this through his processors before coming up with a solution 'Send in the second group. Have all Basestar commanders engage at their discretion.'
Jack looked at the sensors. Since accepting command of the Battlestar Thor he had been working from the Io ship yards where the new Battlestars and Vipers were being built. The new Viper or Mk II Cobra type was a English/colonial collaboration. Instead of a Mk III that was still being designed the Cobra type was a modification of the two man recon viper. The cargo bay, hyperspace generator and second seat were removed to make room for a small magazine of guided missiles and a small but powerful bomb. Already the missiles had proven a good idea. The devastation they caused the first wave of Cylon Raiders was enough to silence any comments.
At the moment the Io ship yards were powered down and passive. Three and a bit squadrons sat in launch tubes. Jack had decided to take personal command of them. With Teal'c commanding the second squad and Carter leading the third they should have some fun. The remaining Vipers were ordered to protect the base.
Far out in space another group of Basestars passed towards Earth. 'O'Neill to all squads. Launch!' activating all three turbo switches he squeezed the accelerator as hard as he could and rammed down the final turbo control. Despite all the advances in artificial gravity the speed at which the viper accelerated out of the launch tube was still enough to push Jack half way through the back of his chair.
The commanding Basestar trailed behind its subordinates. It was so focused at the battle in front that it never noticed the 48 white fighters scream across the empty space behind it. The first two squads flew right over it before splitting up to take on two other Basestars. The other two squads dove between the twin hull sections and span out in random directions. Left behind were two dozen small boxes that were magnetically attracted to the massive ship.
Sam ordered her squadron to regroup and prepared to engage another Basestar. Moments after she gave the order the explosives went up destroying the first Basestar. A quick glance at her sensors showed one destroyed and two crippled by the General and Teal'c's runs, she winced, this still left one Basestar and it's full complement of raiders (1000) per squad. 'Oh well. Should be fun I guess.' She said to her self.
Just outside Earths orbit the Galatica was trading blows with three separate Basestars. The wreckage of a fourth was currently a playground for vipers and raiders.
Slowly a new turret panned around, tracking the closest Basestar. With a silent roar it spat a giant plasma bolt and another and another. The three shots hit different portions of the other ship, each flash-boiling sections almost a mile across.
At the same time the Galatica's original mega pulsar cannons flashed out between itself and the most distant of its attackers, blowing huge gaping holes in its hull. As it turned to escape the new mega pulsars fired, instantly atomising the central core that held the two halves together.
Both the Galatica and the remaining Basestar stopped. If it could the Galatica would have smiled. After an almost pregnant pause every laser turret on the Battlestar that could track the other ship fired as one and then repeatedly. The firepower was such that you could have almost walked on it. By the end the wasn't a piece of the Basestar bigger than a man.
Apollo spared a glance for each Basestar that was destroyed. High above the blue planet both the Battlestar's and the planet's vipers and 302s were in combat in the graveyard that floated there. The new cobra type vipers were excellent. With the missile and bomb packs they could take on multiple raiders at a time that combined with the directional engines made them superior fighters in everyway. Something Starbuck was showing the Cylons in great detail.
With a dive and a spin he decorated three raiders with laser fire before shooting through the wreckage and dropping around a burnt lump of hull. Pulling around he was able to not only light up another two raiders but dance around their return fire. While seriously outnumbered and out gunned the skill of the defenders tipped the balance in their favour. Combine that with the 303 frigates that shot down raiders left right and centre and the Cylons had little chance.
Apollo grinned 'This ones for Zac!' he span into one of the greater concentrations of raiders firing lasers and missiles everywhere!
Imperious Leader looked at the expectant drones in front of him. The cream of the Cylon armada had already been destroyed. In a few short minutes the two old Battlestars would be on top of his group, the new Battlestar was currently pounding the already crippled second wave. Even if they escaped the Cylon empire was doomed, some how the last bastion of humanity was not only willing to help the colonials but were more powerful than could ever be imagined. 'Order all remaining Basestars to target the Galatica while we retreat and have all fighters activate the final tactic. We must gather all of the empire to defeat these flesh creatures'
'By your command.' All of them turned and left.
George looked at the holographic display. His second glanced at the sensors. 'Sir, they're going for the Galatica, buying time for the command ship to escape.'
'Good then they're also ignoring us. Charge the mass driver and predict the command ships course.'
'Sir are you sure?'
'Sure as horses sergeant, sure as horses. Targeting do we have a lock?'
'Yes sir.'
'Weapons control, ready to fire
'Yes sir.'
'Then by all means son. Fire!' Slowly a low rumble built up from the back of the ship that increased into a deafening roar as the entire Battlestar shook. George looked at the holographic-display as a ugly red dot appeared just in front of his ship and sped towards the green flashing Basestar. It took barely five seconds to travel the astounding distance at light speed and then impact the escaping Basestar. George winced the solid shot was about the same size as a viper and used a magnetic and gravimetric rail to launch and direct. The solid shell was supposed to be used against planets, comprised of tylum and refined naquada the result was, to be precise, catastrophic. The miniature sun was more than big enough to vaporise the Basestar Unfortunately its mass was such that it created a black hole. The black hole did not last for long before collapsing of its own weight. Three Basestars were destroyed leaving only two to face the upgraded Battlestars.
The two ships accelerated at the Galatica, the Terra was busy pounding the second wave and un able to help. For a moment it looked like the Galatica was doomed. Instead the Pegasus offloaded its missile payload. Like a hail of angry hornets roused from their hive the missiles ate up the distance between the Pegasus and the Basestars. While not enough to destroy them the ordinance crippled both ships and deflected their path away from the older Battlestar.
Jack dove away from another two raiders on his tail he didn't trust them to play fair now that their mother craft was a shrinking fire ball. Switching nose for engines he thumbed his last missile before taking out the other with laser cannons. 'Jack? Jack can you hear me?' Daniel had stayed on Io as flight command. With sensors and a long range comm system he kept the fighter teams apprised of the rest of the battle.
'Yes Danny-boy. What's wrong?'
'We just lost the signal from Sam's wingman. She's boxed in it's the same trick they were trying to pull on you just now.' Jack ran it through his head, wile he was following one fighter the other two pulled back. It wasn't nice but still easy to get around.
'I'm going to help her, where is she.' On his display one of the blue dots representing a viper flashed and a small circle came around it. 'On my way.' He mashed down the full turbo control and sped off.
Reaching the dog fight he saw Carter was having difficulties. He couldn't risk a transmission, any distraction could be fatal. Coming from above he noticed something. The lead raider that she was following wasn't pulling away, it wasn't trying ether. In fact it was getting closer while the two behind were slowing down.
He realised what the plan was shortly before it happened. The trailing raiders shot, not at Carter's viper, but the Raider ahead of her. Scoring a hit the leading raider exploded when its fuel tang ignited. Out of the fireball came the viper. Part of the nosecone was missing as well as a wing. It span out of control, engines dead and a white gas streaming out from the bottom.
'Daniel Get a rescue shuttle out here NOW! General O'Neill to all fighters, these tin cans are pulling some sort of Crazy Ivan. Do not pursue lead craft, brake off immediately. Approach only from above or below, never from behind!' In a fast laser barrage he reduced the remaining two raiders to two more fireballs and paced Carter's viper.
Life signs were low but sensors told him that she had only lost her auxiliary life support and engines. If Daniel was able to get a shuttle out quickly she would be alright. Then he noticed the energy levels, the naquada generator must have been damaged because there was no power. Without power she was doomed to freeze to death...
I'm going to leave it there because I am evil incarnate. I have a final chapter planned but not written yet. Until then your reviews are most welcome (you never know I might just post the final chapter early, if your nice!!)
