Contact of the Gate

by yngthlet

A Reimaging of wilkins75 Contact at Kobol series. Some changes have been made to make it closer to the Srargate EU. This Reimaging will contain cameos (and more) from other franchises as well.

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Contact

Comm. Adama walked into the CIC after spending an hour with Adm. Cain and the Commanders of her Battlegroup. Col. Tigh was waiting alongside the rest of first watch. LTTs. Gaeta and Dualla had returned to their normal posts.

"So we are to march towards into the unknown." said Col. Tigh.

"Yes Saul." said Comm. Adama. "We are."

Comm. Adama went trough the details of the plans with Col. Tigh.

"Alright." said Col. Tigh as he reached towards the comsystem at the centretable and pushed the button for shipwide. "Listen up, we are going to Condition 1, gunner crews to their stations and pilots to their Raptor and Vipers."

"Condition 1 is set through out the ship." said Lt. Gaeta. "Shall inform the fleet that we are ready?"

"We are still getting our pilots into their ships." countered Col. Tigh "We need another thirty minutes to be ready."

"We are going to brief them en route Saul." said Comm. Adama. "Adm. Cain is like a charging bull and trying to delay her is like putting a strong word to the aforementioned bull."

Comm. Adama picked up the com-unit at his side of the centertable and went shipwide.

"Listen up." said Comm. Adama. "This ship and those under Adm. Cain's command are against the two contacts we picked up earlier today.

"While I disagree with Adm. Cain's assessment that these two contacts are Cylon ships, the fact is that they are setting up a station of some kind just one-thousand kilometres in side of the Cylon side of the border and with a combat patrol five hundred in.

"We may not know who these contacts are, but we are the shield and spear of the Colonies and we are going to defend our home with our lives if necessary. As such we are going to jump into a combat zone. Once there we will launch our Vipers and Raptors to act as a screen for our ships while Cain's three Battlestars will launch their to counter enemy fightercraft. Now, let's go hunting."

"Nicely done Bill." said Col. Tigh.

"Spin the FTL and jump when ready Lt. Gaeta." said. Comm. Adama. "And inform the fleet that we are ready."

"Yes Sir.." said. Lt. Gaeta.

Like most Colonial warships that were FTL capable. The Galactica had two jumpdrives, and with a thirty-three cooldown period it took almost an hour to travel due to the need to ready the FTL in case of a sudden rout.

"Jump Four complete, all ships are accounted for." reported Lt. Gaeta. "Two unknown ships and a station one-thousand kilometres in and a four ship combat patrol five-hundred kilometres in."

"Acknowledged Lt. Gaeta." said Comm. Adama. "Starbuck to Galactica Actual."

Down at the hangarbay a Viper was loaded into a launchtube. The Viper was a Mark VII, though Galactica also had a few flights of Mark IIs as well, the pilot was a bit of a hotshot. She was Lt. Kara Thrace or Starbuck as she also was called. She slipped her helmet on and checked the seals on her suit and Viper to see if there were any atmosphere leaks.

"Let get this show on the road." mouthed Lt. Thrace. "Athena, protect me and my squadron. Artemis, give us strength for this hunt."

After that quick prayer, she settled into her cockpit and waited for the tube's light go green. An alert in her wireless went off.

"Starbuck to Galactica Actual." said Comm. Adama's voice through her wireless.

"Starbuck here, Galactica." responded Lt. Thrace.

"Take Gold Wing to our starboard to counter any enemy fighters." ordered Comm. Adama. "You may only fire if orders of weapons free or if the enemy fires first."

"Understood Galactica Actual." confirmed Lt. Thrace. As the launchtube light went green and her Viper was launched into space. "Gold Wing on me!"

As Galactica's Gold Wing formed up to counter any potential enemy fire, the fleet slowly closed in to the two unknown ships and the station they are setting up.

What should be a cosy escort mission followed by a quick system survey, turned into a combat situation when the Ark Royal's radar operator pushed the 'Hostiles Incoming' button.

"What is it?" asked Cap. Taylor his radar operator.

"We have eleven ships incoming." said the operator. "Scratch that we eleven ships and 1235 fighters where of 121 are at least eight times larger than the other fighters. The eleven ships are forming up in a combat formation with one acting as a dedicated fallback unit."

"ComO, get me the Commodore and get me detailed scans of those ships."

"Aye-Aye." said the communications officer and radar operator in unison.

"Commodore Dash are waiting." said the communications office.

Cap. Taylor looked at the screen, the non-humanoid Commodore sat in her chair. She had pale blue coat underneath her uniform, rainbow mane and tail, and on each flank she had a mark shaped like a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt coming through it. Brigadier Colonel Rainbow Dash, Commodore in the Tau'Ri navy and Captain of the ship Da Vinci was annoyed and aggressive at the incoming ships.

Co. Dash had a bit of interesting history after her world of Heartswarming entered this universe. She and her five (or six) friends founded the Corrino colony on Arrakis and the settlement of New Celestine within said colony, prior to her enlistment in the Tau'Ri Armed Forces.

"Cap. Taylor?" said Co. Dash. "I guess that you are calling about the fleet that is on their way towards us?"

"Yes Co. Dash." said Cap. Taylor. "I am launching the rest of my fighters to meet them, however, I recommend that the Da Vinci retreat to Valhalla."

"Agreed Captain." said . Co. Dash. "If it is no other way, destroy the satellite, Captain."

"Aye-Aye, Commodore." said Cap. Taylor and saluted.

Co. Dash used her wing to returned the salute and ended the signal. Cap. Taylor's crew didn't need to hear their orders as the weapons officer was briefing the squadron commander of her directives.

"Sir, 960 fighters are closing in an attack formation." said the radar operator. "fifty of them are trailing behind. Based upon their larger size, my guess that they are some kind of fighter support."

"I see it, Ensign." said Cap. Taylor. "ComO get me a signal link with the lead ship."

Inside the Pegasus CIC, was a hive of activity. Adm. Cain had launched her fighter's as soon as her flight pods were in position.

"The larger ship is retreating." said the Officer of the Watch. "We have a strange energy spike. It seems that the larger went to FTL."

"Seems to?" asked Adm. Cain.

"I don't know really, but the energy is similar to an FTL jump. The remaining ship is crossing the border."

"Admiral, Galactica is sending its starboard wing to engage the four Cylon Raiders." said the communications officer. "Strange, I have a signal query from the ship and the computer sent a language package."

"What, did you say Lt." asked Col. Jurgens. "Why would we send a language package?"

"Sir, its a pre-unification military tradition. Several colonies was hopefull for potential non-human contact, and it stuck after unification."

"Strange." said Col Jurgens and looked at puzzled at Adm. Cain.

"Sir. The unknown ship is opening a wireless channel." said the communications offficer. "We have a signal, and a returning language package."

"Cylon's that want to talk?" said Col. Jurgen, as he got a sinking feeling that they were making a first contact with an unknown culture, by sending bullets.

"Put it through Lt." said Adm. Cain with steel in her voice.

"Unknown Fleet." said a male voice through the wireless. "This is Captain Ian Taylor of TCV Ark Royal of the Tau'Ri Commonwealth Navy. You are within my PDC's CQB range, please stand down and identify yourselves."

"Who the Tartarus is the Tau'Ri?" asked Col. Jurgens as he saw Adm. Cain pull her own wireless broadcaster.

"Tau'Ri vessel, this is Vice Admiral Helena Cain." barked Adm. Cain. "Commaning officer of the Pegasus Battlegroup from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. We know that you are Cylons and aside from the Armistice Station no one is allowed to build a station within one jump-distance from the border, so drop the FRAKING ACT."

"Vice Admiral Cain." said Cap. Taylor. "We have no faintest clue of who you are or who these Cylon are either. My duties are to protect the monitoring satellite we are setting up to defend a colony we set up some 2000ly away from here."

"Col. Jurgens, what do they mean by PDC and CQB?" asked Adm. Cain.

"Most likely it means Point-Defence Cannon and Close Quarters Battle, Sir." said Col. Jurgens. "Sir I advice you to stand down, I suspect that we have a First Contact situation."

"Nonsense Colonel. Besides we do not have any protocols for it."

"If I may." said the comminations officer.

"Go ahead Lt." said Adm. Cain.

"Actually, we have Sir. The only reason they have never been practised for is due to the Cylon threat, Sir."

"That is a load of bull, Lt." said Adm. Cain and lifted the broadcaster to her mouth. "Listen up 'Captain', I will not cede any territory to the Cylons, but I will destroy the station."

What came through the other end of the wireless seemed to be internal communications between Cap. Taylor and his XO in the Ark Royal's CIC. Their discussions boiled down to whether Adm. Cain was high on something or were off her meds, something Adm. Cain took umbrage too. Then a in a muffled voice from their comminations officer, telling them that they were on vox and the mike gain was maxed out. Then Cap. Taylor spoke again.

"Apologies from myself and that of my helmsman Admiral. But I cannot let you destroy the satellite and give you access to our technology by studying its remains.

"I can, however, scuttle it instead for you."

Meanwhile Col. Jurgens listened to his own broadcaster and reported the following to Adm. Cain:

"All ships are in position, Admiral. Guns are loaded, but I have to reiterate my position and beg you to reconsider before we commit to hostilities."

"Your 'concern' is noted Colonel." said Adm. Cain and she picked up her broadcaster. "Since you aren't going to agree on the terms, Cylon, I hope you will 'enjoy' whatever afterlife you receive.

"Fleet to Pegasus Actual, weapons free."

The inside of the Ark Royal's bridge was a buzz of activity. As eleven ships and their fighter screen fired at once.

"PDC's free." ordered Cap. Taylor. "And send a message to Earth and Valhalla that we are under attack and that I'm scuttling the satellite under my authority.

"I want twelve Mark IIIb shell, programmed as a scuttling charge. Cancel the launch of the remaining fighters and tell Bulldog flight to ready their hyperdrives"

What Cap. Taylor didn't know that he was still in a communications link with Pegasus and her Battlegroup, and a stunned silence went out in the Pegasus's CIC in fact several was wondering if they even heard correct.

Onboard Raptor 312, it was a different story. They observed the Ark Royal shoot about ninety percent of the incoming fire, the remaining ten went through. Or so they thought.

Their DRADIS system registered impact from the surviving fire from the Battlegroup, an impact 25m (or around 80 feet) away from the Ark Royal.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Lt. Valerii, as she and Lt. Agathon were observing an blue energy field that acted as some kind of barrier just absorbed the weapon impacts.

Lt. Agathon wasn't noticing the apparent change of faith in his pilot, granted it wasn't unheard of that secular Colonials use the expletive but it was uncommon. He was more focused on the energy barrier that shrugged of the Battlegroup's remaining fire than religious discussion.

The barrier was composed of three layers, first was a faint field of AR radiation (Atomic Resistance, or Cherenkov radiation in Tau'Ri parlance), then a Magnetic field that cycled between multiple frequencies, followed by a second field of AR radiation that was intensified into a wall of laser when the weapons fire passed through the first layer.

"Its moving again Helo." said Lt. Valerii in a terrified voice. Lt. Agathon looked out of the cockpit window he saw the Ark Royal moving through the explosions made by the weapons impact with the barrier dissipating.

Meanwhile the Ark Royal's combat air patrol, Bulldog flight, was about to get close and personal with Galactica's Gold Wing.

"Bulldog flight to Bulldog 1." requested Ensign Naach "Lunch Reliever" Lisenbe, (Regular rank: Platoon Major). "I want a check on your hyperdrives and your FTL drives."

"Bulldog 2 to 1, all green here." said her wingman.

"Bulldog 3 to 1, yellow, my hyperdrive has a failure in the exit and backup capacitors." Reported Bulldog 3, referring to the hyperdrive's capacitors that were used to exit hyperspace, both in regular use and in emergencies. "FTL is green."

"Bulldog 3 to Ark Royal, we have a beam-lock on you." reported Ark Royal's communications officer, who were monitoring Bulldog flight's communications.

"Copy that Ark Royal."

"Bulldog 4 to 1, all green here." reported the final member of Bulldog flight.

"Copy that Bulldog flight." said Ensign Lisenbe.

In Lt. Thrace's wireless an order was broadcasted from Adm. Cain.

"Fleet to Pegasus Actual, weapons free."

"Gold Wing to Starbuck, launch missiles." she ordered.

As Starbuck launches her missiles she waited patiently for the return fire from the Cylons, then Adm. Cain's voice came, screaming in fear, through the wireless.

"

Fleet to Pegasus Actual, abort launch. They are from Earth."

"Frak." were Lt. Thrace's silent answer. Then she saw the enemy's counter fire and she switched her wireless to the general broadcast.

"Gold Wing to Starbuck, abort lauch. We are firing at our cousins."

And then she sent the "abort launch" signal to her missiles, only for Viper to tell her that the missiles were out of range for the signal. But then the Earth fighter's counter fire was acquisitioning their targets. Half of her flight was hit killing four pilots but the rest had their engines and cannons disabled by, in her viewpoint, self-guided tracers.

While in Bulldog flights radio they were given new orders.

"Bulldog flight to Ark Royal. Engage your hyperdrives and rendezvous at Valhalla. I repeat rendezvous at Valhalla.

"Copy that Ark Royal." said Ensign Lisenbe. As she turned her fighter for best approach to Valhalla as the enemy's fire was countered by her PDC's and shields.

"Bulldog 3 to Ark Royal." radioed Bulldog 3. "I'm hit. An enemy missile managed to bypass the shield and hit my sublight and FTL drive. I'm dead in the black."

"Copy that Bulldog 3, beaming you and your ECO now." said the Ark Royal's communications officer.

As Ensign Lisenbe activated her hyperdrive she saw the telltale flashes of Ark Royal beaming technology transported Bulldog 3's pilot and ECO.

At the same time, the Ark Royal beamed aboard twelve a 187.5mm Mark IIIb shell into the satellite. All current Tau'Ri weapons were capable of firing four types of weapons fire through two different barrels, a pure energy beam, and three types Ancient Drones, each was twice as powerful than the previously one. The barrel configuration was on smaller primary that acted as a standard gun, rifle or artillery barrel or that of reusable shoulder-mounted missile launcher, the secondary was larger but was more similar to an underslung grenade launcher or the Kull disruptor attachment.

The one thing that both the energy cannon and the Drones shared was that they were partially based upon designed in the Ancient Knowledge cache found in Atlantis, which in turn based upon the Dakara Weapon Platform. The Mark IIIb denoted the second most powerful drone that could be fired in the Ark Royal's main gun's secondary cannon, due their usage in ship-to-ship combat, fired the equivalent of torpedoes instead the smaller main gun's primary cannon's "missiles".

"Fire the Asgard Beam towards the enemy." said Cap. Taylor, ignoring Adm. Cain's frightened call to her ships to cease fire. The Asgard beam was a unique setting found in the Mark IIIa, replicating the crowning achievement of Asgard weapon technology, which was given to the Tau'Ri before they committed collective suicide.

Raptor 312 saw the Ark Royal firing its beamweapons, going straight through two of Adm. Cain's Basestars then onwards through 2 and 3 support ships respectively. Pegasus itself was hit twice at the same spot, but it didn't continued onwards to the support ships but it did cut the Pegasus into two distinct burning sections.

The last thing Lts. Valerii and Agathon saw of the Ark Royal was it entering what they assumed was thier form of FTL leaving their station to selfdestruct.