Thirteen
Chapter Forty-Seven
Storm Chasers
Starbuck was sitting in her command chair when the sensors went off. Helo sprinted over to the console and looked over the readings. "Kara, two Cylon basestars just jumped into normal space right in front of us. What are your orders?"
Her orders were to track the Cylon/Drakh fleet that was heading towards Babylon 5, and to launch hit and run attacks at her discretion. She sent a message over to the other Whitestars with her attack plans, then told Helo where she wanted to jump Whitestar 525 back into normal space. Helo input the coordinates into the ship's computer, and waited until the trailing basestar got into the right position.
The eight ships in the squadron were to act as four tandems, with two tandems assigned to attack each basestar. While one ship formed a jump point into normal space right next to one of the spokes of basestar, the other member of the tandem raced out first to launch the attack and take out as many raiders as they could. The trailing ship would follow and launch an attack as well on the enemy.
They had done a solid job of wrecking the Cylon basestars, damaging missile ports and launch bays, when other jump points formed and Drakh ships spilled out. Orders were for the other ship in the tandem to open a jump point and the two ships of the pairing sprinting back into hyperspace before the Drakh could come in range to use their weapons.
When the arrived back in hyperspace, Starbuck told Helo to bring up the visual image from a nearby array. An undulation of something alien came down from the ceiling and made itself into a screen, with the visual image showing the Drakh ships nearing the heavily damaged basestars.
"Are we in position yet?" Starbuck asked.
"Just a few more moments, Starbuck. We're almost there." Helo said.
Starbuck hadn't received this bit of advice from her training, but had learned this from a discussion she had had with Delenn, who had used a similar technique on the Drakh years ago. She looked down at her sensors, which still indicated that the Drakh weapons were still hot. The enemy ships crept closer to the basestars, and Starbuck began to silently will those weapons systems to turn cold.
"We're in position, Kara. Ready to launch whenever you give the word." Helo said, and Starbuck nodded. The engines cut off on the enemy vessels, and they used forward thrusters to bring them to a relative stop. Starbuck tapped the front of the arm of her command chair absentmindedly, holding on to her patience as it ran down like sands in an hourglass.
The sensor that monitored the Drakh fleet's weapons systems indicated that the enemy had powered down their weapons, mistakenly thinking that the Whitestars had fled the scene. "Now?" Helo asked.
"Not yet. Give them just a little longer to cool down." Starbuck replied, leaning forward in her chair as she looked at the image on screen. There were two carriers and one cruiser on screen, and, as she watched, fighters and transports spilled out of the ships and headed towards the Cylon basestars.
"Form up and prepare to jump on my command." Starbuck said, and Helo informed the fleet of the orders and prepared Whitestar 525 to follow suit. Four ships would attack the cruiser and two Whitestars would pound each of the carriers.
Starbuck's instincts told her now was the time, and she simply told Helo to "Do it!", and Helo sent the signal to the rest of the fleet as he simultaneously activated the ship's jump engines. At the end of the vortex leading back into normal space was the upper aft side of the cruiser, which looked very inviting indeed as they dove down upon it with weapons blazing.
The cruiser began to erupt in momentary gouts of flame before being snuffed out by the vacuum of space as the four Whitestars pounded it relentlessly. The forward discharge beam cannon of Starbuck's ship tore into the command section of the cruiser, and she watched placidly as Drakh were ejected from the ship and out into the coldness of space from the force of the blows her ship was dealing the enemy. The two ships that had attacked topside went to the bow of the ship and dove down under the ship to attack the underside of the cruiser. The other two Whitestars had made a mess of the launch bays, and Starbuck's tandem added even more chaos to them by directing her weapons against anything on the underbelly of the ship.
They flew off when they detected a breach of the cruiser's reactor, and Starbuck directed the ship's visual scanners towards the dying Drakh ship. When said ship's reactor breached, it blew itself apart, sending debris in all directions. None of it would ever catch up with her ships now, especially when she directed them to head back into hyperspace. The carriers were a bit luckier, if you call just having your ship turned into a shattered husk of a vessel being lucky.
They almost flew right into the heart of the main fleet in hyperspace, but Starbuck had managed to escape detection by diverting her squadron off the main beacon. She ordered Helo to instruct the squadron to head towards Babylon 5 at flank speed, staying off the beacon long enough to not be noticed by the enemy.
When they were well on their way to the station, they stood down and went back to rest. "How long until we get to Babylon 5?" Starbuck asked Helo.
"Thirty-four hours." Helo said.
"How long until the enemy gets there?"
"Less than forty-eight hours."
Starbuck sighed, then remarked, "Just in time for the presidential election. Wonder if they timed it that way?"
"Wouldn't surprise me? Reckon we can beat them!"
"Hell yeah we can beat them! We just have to be sure we're around for the victory celebration! C'mon, let's get something to eat, then catch some sleep. We won' be getting much of either as soon as we get to the station." Starbuck lead the way as Helo followed.