2671.239 Bridge of Battlestar Galactica: Fleet Commander Apollo was on the bridge at 08:45, and he waited patiently as he listened to the reports coming in from the fleet. The Intel ship informed him that the area around the jump point was clear. William came up beside him, and offered Apollo a cup of coffee. Apollo drank a sip and then looked at William.
"I don't think I've ever been this nervous William."
"Don't worry Apollo, you've got a good bunch of people working with you, and tech that the cylons have never experienced before. I have a feeling that the cylons won't know what hit them."
Apollo looked at him, "I hope you're right William." then Apollo thought, "I pray to the Lords you're right."
On the flight deck of the Galactica, Vagabond walked silently back and forth. He soon looked up and saw Hera walking toward him in her flight gear. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Come to see me off dear?" she said with a smile.
Vagabond looked deep into her eyes. "You be careful out there Hera."
She looked at him and she could see the worry in his eyes. "Hey, shouldn't I be saying that to you, after all I'm only going after a satellite, while your going to be going after the cylons."
He knew that this was her way of trying to ease the tension of the moment, and he relaxed a little. "I mean it Hera, no heroics out there."
She smiled and kissed him again. "Ok grandma, I promise to be careful." and she started to walk toward her Anubis.
She half turned as she was walking and blew him a kiss. Then she went and started her preflight checks. Vagabond smiled, and proceeded toward the pilot briefing room.
At 08:55 the last report was in, and Apollo listened as the last of the Anubis flights were launched. Apollo looked at the comm. tech and had a fleet wide channel opened. When the tech nodded her head, Apollo started.
"We are about to enter into the heart of the enemy. I know that many of you have never faced this type of situation before, but I know that all of you will do your very best. For some of you, this is a day that has been long in coming. For some of you, you are fighting to save your people from future horrors. Whatever your reason for being here, I want all of you to know that I am proud to be your Commander. And I know that we will be victorious today."
Apollo nodded and the comm. tech closed the channel. Apollo looked at William, and William spoke into his comm.-link, "First wave, you are a go."
Then they watched as the Anubis flights and the Paradigm cloaked, and the jump point flared. Apollo just watched silently, and thought, "So it begins."
As the ships cleared the jump point, Hera activated her radio.
"All right people, you've got your assignments. All ships peel off and good luck." the ships broke into their 4 groups and headed toward their targets at full speed.
Anubis flight consisted of 6 stealth fighters, 2 from the Galactica, 2 from the Pegasus and 2 from the Adama. By 11:55 hours, the 4 groups had reached their target areas. The paradigm was headed toward the planets surface, and the 3 flight leaders were targeting the relay satellites. At 12:00 hours, all 3-flight leaders decloaked and fired. The 3 relays ceased to exist at the same moment. On Terra, the planetary computron registered that incoming signals from the relay satellites had ceased and after attempting a reboot of the satellites, it passed the information to the tech department. They in turn dispatched repair crews to the satellites.
The crews of the fleet watched as their clocks clicked down the time. At 12:01, the order was given, and the jump point flared to life again. Alpha group was the first group through, and headed toward the first cylon location. At 12:08, the jump point activated a second time, and Beta group came through and headed to their first set of targets. As each group headed toward their targets, they launched their Anubis fighters.
At 13:00, Alpha group detected the first cylons. The Anubis flight activated their cloaks and fired full turbo toward the cylons. As they neared their targets, they decloaked and fired 12 EMCOM missiles and recloaked. Then they headed back toward Alpha group. On the bridge of the Galactica, Apollo listened as the flight leader reported in.
"Shadow 1 to mother, all eggs laid."
Admiral Eison got on the comm. "Ok people, as we planned it. Chose your targets and good hunting."
On board the first Base-star, the centurion manning sensors detected 6 unknown ships appearing by the flight group. Before it could report, the whole area was immediately filled with static and white noise. The centurion contacted the IL Commander.
"Six unknown ships have blanketed the area with comm. disruption devices."
The IL series commander checked the data from the computron.
"Activate auxiliary communications, and set defense pattern Zed-2."
"By your command."
Alpha group watched as the cylons moved their ships into a new flight pattern. Apollo smiled to himself, "Well they are predictable," he thought.
"All ships stand by. Sergeant would you please." and the weapons tech just nodded to Apollo.
"Launching missile Alpha."
The entire ship shuddered slightly as the Cap missile fired and then sped toward the central Base-star.
On board the Base-star, the centurion on sensors reported to the command centurion. "Unknown missile on approach vector."
Before the command centurion could respond, the missile disappeared from their scanners and then reappeared 2 microns later, to only disappear again. The command centurion reported this to the commander.
"Have the sensors checked and verify the missiles trajectory."
"By your command."
As the cylons were running their diagnostics, the missile was streaking toward its target. Again it would appear for 2 microns, then disappear.
"Computron has determined the missiles vector, the target is the central Base-star."
As the command centurion reported this, the IL series commander was ordering a flight of raiders to launch and intercept the missile. The missile impacted with the central Base-star as the raiders were launching. It struck at the central junction point of the Base-star. The solonite warhead detonated and hit the Base-star with 100 mega-tons of force. The shields of the Base-star held, for at least a tenth of a micron, and then the force of the blast ripped through the central Base-star. This rapid influx of energy into their central core caused the destruct charge in the base of the Base-star to go off as well.
The entire Base-star was consumed in a gigantic blast. The other 2 Base-stars were severely damaged by the blast wave and debris that erupted from their sister ship. The Destroyers were also hit by the blast wave, and were severely damaged. Everyone in Alpha group watched their scanners, as the Base-star exploded.
William looked at Apollo; "I guess you owe Virgil a case of Ambrosia after all Apollo."
Apollo smiled, "Yeah I guess I do."
When the fleet had gotten the skipper missiles from the kilrathi, and Virgil had talked to the kilrathi techs about them, he figured that he could increase their abilities by using solonite. The kilrathi techs seemed intrigued by this and had been more than happy to help Virgil and the Galactica crew modify the missiles. When he heard about it, Apollo told Virgil,
"If it works, I'll send you a case of Ambrosia."
When the blast wave hit them, the ships of Alpha group were able to ride it out. As their shields were recharging, the ships headed to ward the cylons.
The Vipers and Mambas launched and pulled ahead of the fleet, and lined up on their targets. The destroyers having already been damaged by the blast wave from the base-star were unprepared for the rapidly approaching colonial fighters. 18 Vipers and 6 Mambas attacked each destroyer. The ships dived down on the destroyers from above, avoiding their main weapon systems, and began pounding the destroyers. The vipers cleared out the turrets from the destroyers, and the mambas launched 6 solonite torpedoes at each destroyer and then the colonials moved out at maximum turbo. As the torpedoes struck, the blasts tore huge holes throughout the destroyers. After just one pass, all 6 of the destroyers exploded, peppering the Base-stars with even more debris. Now the big boys began to play. Galactica, and the Ares attacked the lower Base-star, while the Adama and the Cheetah and Panther took on the second Base-star. They fired their weapons at max range simultaneously and the cylons could do nothing to stop them. Their M/AM cannons ripping through the cylon armor as if it wasn't there. After 3 salvos, the base-stars exploded and the ships regrouped and brought their fighters back on board.
William ordered a course for the next target area while the ships were landing.
"Have all ships report damage to Fleet central."
After 10 minutes, he came up to Apollo.
"We did ok Apollo, some minor damage to a few secondary systems from the EMP shock waves. Damage control crews are already on the repairs. All fighters and bombers accounted for and are already being refitted."
Apollo said a silent prayer, and then activated the comm. on his chair.
"Attention Fleet. Good job out there. Now let's go find some more cylons."
William activated his comm. unit "Fleet course set. All ships to cruise speed." and Alpha group headed for their next target area.