In the void between stars
Meeting room on Mars

The young Lieutenant was a little nervous despite his conduct during Khan's command of Ophion not an issue. What happened in the anchorage was slur on everyone. Today he was meeting his new commander, Admiral Taylor.

"Lieutenant Gorman welcome, let me introduce some people." Admiral Taylor nodded at four others at the table one in Marine uniform and the others civilian. "Captain Marshall Sumner the commander of Herja's Marine Detachment. Major Bernard your CO will be the new senior marine of the battlegroup. Major Banks died on Mars fighting Cylon boarders. Major Bernard felt it best to start integrating the marines and decided on a joint op."

Gorman and Sumner exchanged pleasantries

"Miss Vickers, Mister Burke and from the Nostromo Captain Dallas and 3rd Officer Ripple. They have a salvage mission that is vital to our fleet. I will let Miss Vickers explain." Taylor nodded.

"Thank you, Admiral. At my suggestion the fleet has been doing scouting missions of some industrial sites in the asteroid belts that had been shutdown for various reasons before the Cylon's attacked. It was my hope that the Cylon's might have missed some of them and useful hardware recovered. We may have found something. Industrial complex LV-426 in the Ouranos Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Leonis and Virgon. This industrial facility has all sorts of equipment we are going to need wherever we end up. Not only does the complex appear to be intact but there are also eight ships on the landing site of the complex. The ships and complex didn't respond to hails. What we need is for your Marines to go in, scout the complex and if clear secure it. Mister Burke and 3rd Officer Ripply are familiar with the type of facility and the Nostromo will jump the complex away after they prep it for towing."

As Sumner was senior Gorman waited for him to speak first. After a few moments with nothing from Sumner Gorman spoke up, "Will we be using the Sulaco?"

"No, we will be going in with the Nostromo, which will carry two Raptors for your squad and two more for a squad I will lead." Sumner clearly had been briefed in advance. "After we land and secure the landing site the Nostromo will at once start docking and towing prep." Seeing a look of concern on Gorman's face Sumner explained. "It's a little risky but we need to do this mission quickly. No telling when a Cylon patrol could show up, we have detected Raiders in the belt."

The Admiral stood back up and so did the two Marines. "Good luck and good hunting."

"YES ADMIRAL" the two Marine officers echoed.

XXX

Raptors 7401 'Bug Stomper' and Raptor 7402 'Smart Ass' launched from the Nostromo carrying Gorman's marines. The Raptors are configured for ground support with all of the hard points loaded down with rocket pods and chain guns. White missiles can be seen within the pods. Inside of Bug Stomper PCF Hudson was psyching himself up. "I'm ready, man, check it out. I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do NOT want to frak with me." Looking at the civilian seated across himself the marine grinned wide, "Check it out! Hey Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you! Check it out!" Hudson pointed at various cargo cases in carried inside of the raptor, "UA 571-C Automated Sentry Gun. Whoa! We got tactical smart missiles, pulse rifles, RPGs, we got sonic electronic ball breakers! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks..."

Ripple rolls her eyes at the macho display.

Having enough from the unit's loudmouth com-tech Sergeant Apone ends it, "Knock it off, Hudson."

XXX

On 'Smart Ass' Gorman was at the Electronic Warfare station for access to the sensors and communication for orders from Captain Sumner. "OK Ferro take us in low over the main industrial complex." Looking the visuals. Various lights winked in the depth of space over the industrial site. Running lights were winking slowly on the space craft parked on the landing field. Closed gangways connected the spacecraft to the main site.

Over on 'Bug Stomper' Ripply looks at the same displays, "The structure seams intact. They have power. The shuttle hanger bay lights are active and the doors open."

Ferro and Spunkmeyer report they are getting a response from the auto landing beacon. Over on the other side of the complex Captain Sumner makes his decision and orders the two squads in.

Gorman nods at the order, "Let's do it, take us in. After the hanger pressurizes the squad will secure it."

After the raptors land, the hanger doors close and the air pressurizes the bay. Once at normal the raptors hatch opens and the marines hit the ground running. The marines spread out and secure the hanger. Hudson opens the inner airlock and the Marines flow into the complex.

XXX

Thanks to a map provided by Vickers the two marine squads know the layout of the industrial complex. There should have been a dozen or so caretakers to maintain the complex and who knows how many survivors from the ships. As the marines move in, they find no one but what is even more worrisome is there are signs of a battle. Bullet holes from small arms and the occasional explosion have scared the complex.

After completing their sweep, the two squads arrive in the operation center. Hudson and his counterpart Comtech from Captain Sumner's squad go to work on the computer systems.

"The following ships are parked out there Baychimo, Octavius, Celeste, Joyita, Valencia, El Dorado, Ourang Medan, Palomino and the Cygnus. The last is colonial military. All arrived within a day of the Cylon attack on out to six days ago and then nothing since." Hudson types some more and asks the other tech a question who shrugs in turn. "Sirs the records just cut off 6 days ago at 05:00."

Captain Sumner leans forward, "Records don't just turn off Private…"

"Not normally sir but these did. They must have been hacked."

Ripley, "Could this be anything else other than Cylons? They broke into the complex and killed everyone?"

Gorman and Sumner exchange a glance with one another the Captain frowns, "Very likely but why not vent the facility once they had killed everyone and where are the bodies?"

From the computer station Hudson called out, "Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen!" Pulls up a surveillance view of the larger Colonial Military vessel; there are ghostly shapes from some of the windows. "There is movement over on the Cygnus."

"Anyone way to tell if they are alive or Cylons?"

Hudson shrugs, "You are seeing what I see sirs."

Captain Sumner makes a snap decision, "Lieutenant prep the facility for transport I will scout the this out. If it turns out to be Cylon I may order your squad up to support or to fall back depending on numbers."

"Yes sir."

XXX

Gorman inside was a bundle of nerves. With Captain Sumner and his unit on radio silence Gorman had no idea what was going on. The internal security video was spotty at best and were intended more for monitoring work areas than anything else. Instead, Gorman focused on trying to put up what he viewed as a stoic self-confidence.

The moment for Gorman was broken when Ripley and Burke entered the communications center. "We are done, all we need is for the Nostromo to land, hook up and we are done."

"Excellent…" Before Gorman could go on Hudson called out, "Sir you better see this…"

At the computer terminal Hudson had been working away without much success on the records to try to figure out what happened. "Sir I decided to take a different track and…"

"What did you find private?"

Clearly the Lieutenant wasn't interested in the details so Hudson cut to the chase and played the video. It showed a small shape moving from shadow to shadow in a hallway before ducking down along the floor and disappearing. Along with poor coverage the cameras were of poor quality and the video made it hard to make out what exactly they were looking at. "This is in D-Block."

"Hicks take your team and go check it out." Gorman instructs.

A thought prompts Ripley and she offers to go too. After a moment thought Gorman shrugs and agrees. Hicks, Vasquez and Wierzbowski trade looks but say nothing. The four weave their way through silent back rooms and corridors of the factory site.

XXX

Searching the hallway turned up several surprises. First was a ventilation access point under the floor. Hearing noise inside the vents Ripley entered them and found a pair of survivors. A young girl and an older man. The pair were named Newt and Brother Bob; the later a priest of the Gods.

XXX

The girl is un-responsive to questions and Brother Bobs says that the Cylons came several days ago. He is unsure exactly how long ago as he hasn't gotten much sleep. As far as they know the Cylons killed everyone else. Brother Bob was a passenger on the Celeste and he doesn't know where Newt came from.

Before Gorman can ask more questions there is report of trouble. Captain Sumner has run into Cylons on the Cygnus.

XXX

Gorman asks the priest how many centurions he has seen.

"Never more than a handful but they were so tough and they killed the crew of the Cygnus first. Ever since they have been doing sweeps looking for survivors. There maybe more people hiding but we haven't seen anyone for a day."

Indecision wars between calling Sumner for instructions or heading off on his own. His troops and Sergeant Apone are looking on waiting for direction. The veteran marine NCO leans into his Lieutenant and whispers, "Sir we can send the civilians back to landing bays while the rest of us move up to support the Captain."

"Excellent suggestion Sergeant. Send word to the Nostromo to hold. Hicks and Crowe get the civilians back to Ferro and then meet up with us. Apone lets move the rest of the squad out."

XXX

Hicks is on point with Crowe at the rear of the little party made up of Burke, Ripply and the two survivors Bob and Newt. The objective is the landing dock.

"Just down this hallway and we are at the lift leading to the landing dock."

Crowe smiles, "I hear that."

Suddenly doors open at each end of the hallway and two Cylon centurions' step into the hallway. The humans manage to hit the deck to take cover except for Burke who instead dives into a nearby doorway. A moment later is the "woosh" of the doorway closing. Ripply bounds on the door, "Open the door Burke! Gods Damn you!"

The centurions rake the hallway with machinegun fire and the two marine's fire back with their weapons. The centurions are heavily armored and most bullets bounce off. Hicks' readies his underslung grenade launcher and sends the shell into the centurion at his end of the hallway shredding the chromed robotic warrior. Crowe tried to repeat Hicks' feat but a burst of fire kills the marine.

Ripply crawls toward the fallen marine as the remaining centurion turns its attention to Hicks. The centurion ignoring Ripply leads to its doom as she gets ahold of the fallen Crowe's weapon and fires the readied grenade launcher into the Centurion who explodes.

The battle is over and Ripply is frozen in shock at her first brush with combat. All she can hear is the bounding of her own heart. Hicks races up and shouts, "We have to go…. NOW!" Numbly Ripply nods. Bob and Newt stand up from the floor and the four races for landing dock.

XXX

In the landing dock. Burke is arguing with the raptor crew.

"I am telling you they are DEAD! Cylons came out of nowhere and killed them all…" Burke is on the edge of a breakdown.

Before Ferro could ask any more question her radio sparked to life. "Ferro, you copying? Its Hicks over."

Burke sputters at hearing the voice of Corporal Hicks.

"Standing by. Mister Burke is here saying you are all dead, over."

"No thanks to him most of us are alive, I am fine but Crowe is dead. We are on our way, beware Cylons are moving about. Over."

"Copy…" Ferro is cut off as Gorman joins the circuit. "Get the raptors ready! Captain Sumner's squad is cut off on the Cygnus we need to get them. Over."

A door opened and the bald Spunkmeyer turned first. He was rewarded by the sight of a chromed centurion entering the landing bay.

"Frack m…." Spunkmeyer's curse is cut off as the centurion opens fire killing the second Raptor pilot.

Carter Burke hyperventilating with terror tries to back away whispering "no" as the Centurion turns its gun on him. BRRRAP! Burke's chest is reduced to red paste by the machinegun fire.

BANG! BANG! Ferro fires her side arm ineffectually at the Cylon as she dives for the open Raptor hatch.

From within the Raptor hears a familiar voice cry out, "Toaster EAT THIS!" The loud explosion of a grenade follows as the Cylon's machinegun goes silent. Ferro looks out as Hicks leads the three remaining civilians into the room.

Hick's takes in the site of the mangled Spunkmeyer the pilot of the second raptor, "Gorman do you read me, Spunkmeyer is DEAD over."

Before Gorman can reply Ripley speaks up, "I can pilot the second raptor, I have a class two rating."

Gorman is trying to ask for details over the radio.

"Stand by sir…. Ripley says she can fly Spunkmeyer's bird. Over."

Part way through a repeat of questions as the sound of battle on his side makes it hard to hear the junior Marine officer. Ferro a warrant officer makes her own choice and tosses Ripley a headset. "Get yourself strapped in on 'Smart Ass' I will talk you through the pre-flight there are some differences between a military and civilian bird."

XXX

In the lower decks of the Cygnus a battle is raging. Gorman has Sumner's squad in sight but there are dozens of centurions about. Drake and Vasquez are laying down heavy fire with their light machineguns. The raw volume of fire does manage to take out centurions but it takes many hits.

The four raptors are hovering over the Cygnus and the pilots report their readiness to take off the surviving marines. The problem is Sumner is pinned down and unable to withdraw.

Ripley has a thought and breaks into the communications. "Are there pressure doors between you and the Toasters?"

The veteran NCO at once sees what Ripley has in mind, "YES! Hold your fire until I give you the all clear. OVER!"

Apone explains to Gorman who sends the Sergeant and Hudson to a nearby control panel. It takes only a few seconds for the combat technician to close the pressure door. Raptors rake the side of Cygnus with rockets and autocannons decompressing the compartments and sending the robots tumbling into space.

XXX

Once all of the Marines are onboard Ripley suggests over the radio, "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

Captain Sumner was knocked out so the decision fell to Gorman. The mission was clearly a bust with the facility overrun by Cylons and several of the marines' dead or wounded. Yet there might still be survivors there. Ferro had the two survivors turning to the girl and gray - black haired man, perhaps in his 60s or even 70s, "Is there anyone else down there?"

The girl gave the marine officer a flat stair and when she spoke her voice had a cold certainty, "They're dead."

The other survivor Bob sighed, "She is correct I don't think anyone else is alive or could be helped."

Swallowing Gorman spoke into his headset, "All Raptors standoff, shell the main facility and then let's jump back to Mars, the mission is failure. Nostromo jump back to the fleet. OVER."

As Raptors jump away secondary explosions rock the industrial outpost on LV-426. The carnage reaches a power plant and everything disappeared in a white flash.

XXX

The Raptors land on Mars and are quickly brought to the port side hanger deck. As the wounded are handed over to the waiting medics one of the injured marines of Summer's squad starts to shout. "He's one of them! He's a Gods damned Cylon!"

Brother Bob can't help but look as the screaming marine charges at him. With the commotion caused several other marines remember seeing a human that looked EXACTLY like the person Gorman's marines rescued.

Bob looks around surprised as the humans have pushed him up against the Raptor. "Well, this is awkward moment. He is right, yes I am a Cylon and I have a message so take me to your leader."

The senior officer shouts for the captured Cylon to be taken to the brig.

XXX

Admiral Taylor walks into the brig with several marines as an escort. "OK you wanted to talk to me. Talk quick as your next accommodation is the nearest airlock."

Brother Bob chortles, "If we are here to exchange threats and insults its going to be a waste of time. I am not human death holds no fear to me."

"What about pain? From what my marines said your kind bleeds. You look like us I wonder if you share our feelings so I wouldn't be too quick to talk about death."

Bob leans back, "What I have to say to you is simple you are doomed. We destroyed the rest of your fleet, nukes your cities and occupy your planets. Its over."

Taylor shows a trace of anger, "We will see about that. When you arrive in whatever hell you end up in after we toss you out the airlock just remember that as long as any humans are left, we will keep on fighting." Turning to the marines, "Deal with this thing and then hand the body over to the doctor for study."

XXX

Commander's quarters on Battlestar Mars

Several of the Marines that were part of the action aboard the Cygnus were giving a report on what they saw to Admiral Taylor.

"Any detail, no matter how minor that might have been left out."

Captain Sumner's marines looked at one another and then the Corporal spoke. "One thing I felt strange was all of the people we saw on the Cygnus were females. Late teens to thirties. One of them was begging for us to kill her. Then the Toasters showed up."

"Other than the two sets of Male Cylons your men saw."

The Marine nodded, "That is correct Admiral I am only talking about the people we saw strapped down on the beds and hooked up to the medical gear. Sorry I wasn't clear. We saw a copies of the old man and several more copies of another male, about six to six-two in height. Very short almost clean-shaven head, dark skin tone."

Another marine spoke up, "We were there less than a minute before the tin cans started firing but that sounds right the second guy that had the copies was late 30s or early 40s, I say and most of them were wearing a doctors coat."

Taylor couldn't help but wonder what type of experiments the Cylons were up to and why did they need only females? Perhaps they divided them by gender and another room would have been filled with males?

"Thank you, good work and you are dismissed."

XXX

In the depths of space outside of the 12 Colonies.
Four basestars of the design of the 1st Cylon War era waited.

Inside one of the basestars a Gold colored Centurion entered a room. A humanoid shape moved on the throne at the center of the room. A not quiet human voice spoke, "Report Centurion."

"There has been another battle between the Colonials and the Heretic Cylons Imperious Leader."

The IL – Series Cylon that was Imperious Leader was interested by the development. "Details Centurion."

"The Battlestar Pegasus engaged a single Heretic Basestar at Canis 359. Intercepted communications from the Heretics report the Pegasus jumped into the system and destroyed the Basestar."

Metal and crystal face of the IL – Series was immobile but the posture was one of contemplation. The Gold Centurion waited. "The good Admiral Cain has destroyed her third Basestar. Interesting a very interesting development. Do we have any intelligence as to what caused the Pegasus to strike Canis 359 or where she is now?"

"Negative to both queries Imperious Leader."

The answer wasn't unexpected for the IL – Series. "The Heretics basestar designs are proving as fragile as we expected."

Without a direct question the Gold Centurion waited.

"Any new reports on the other Colonial Battlestar's?"

The Gold Centurion checked the intelligence reports and cross index to see if anything hadn't been routed to the Imperious Leader yet. "The Brunhild has been sighted outside of the twelve colonies at the wreck of Deep Space Anchorage Nine. Our Raider set to observe Deep Space Anchorage Nine reports the Brunhild has two colonial civilian ships accompanying her, they appear to be cargo ships. No new sightings of Mars, Herja or Galactica or reports of such intercepted from the Heretics."

"That is all, see to it that I am informed of any changes of note Centurion."

"By your command." The Gold centurion nodded and then left the room.