Man and Machine 7
Buck listened along with Wilma, Hawk, Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer and Bojay as Commander Adama outlined the plan. He thanked Buck and his team for offering to help, because without their help, there would be no chance of success.
The Galactica warriors took it all in stride, even if it was a little unconventional to them. Unconventional really wasn't the right word, really it was the type of operation that the Colonial Warriors had not performed since before the destruction of the Colonies, and made more interesting by untested warriors taking point.
Buck understood the plan better than Wilma did, in spite of her years of training in 25th century tactics. In many ways Buck felt that the modern Earth's military forces were behind the times. He was fast loosing count of the number of times he had help save them by implementing some of his old fashioned ideas. Hawk simply accepted the plan, whether he understood it fully or not.
Buck tried to explain it to Wilma, but he feared her lack of historical knowledge. "It's like World War II, we are the spotter planes, locating the enemy so the battleships and carriers can mount their attack."
"What are you talking about?" Wilma said, "I think I understand that part, but why don't they want to use their own ships for that part?" Wilma was more comfortable with direct confrontation. Give her a target she could shoot at, and she would be good, until then, she just did her best to put up a stony front. The only thing that made her more uncomfortable was dealing with her personal relationships.
"It has to be our ships," Hawk said. "This enemy has been hiding from the Colonials for years. They will not recognize our ships, so they will not know to hide."
-(o)-
"Are you sure it is out here?" Wilma said into her radio.
"You were at the briefing," Buck said, being uncharacteristicly short now that his military training was taking hold. "This is the most likely location, now remember: Radio silence means no talking."
"I found them," Hawk said, "a single Base Ship. It is launching raiders to pursue us."
"Time to run," Buck said, and the two Earth Starfighters and single bird fighter turned in formation, "How long till we are back in communications range?"
"Not long," Wilma answered.
After their departure, the Galactica launched a series of shuttles to stay a safe, undetectable distance behind the Earth fighters to relay their communications quickly back to the Galactica.
"Shuttle is in range." Wilma said, "This is Col. Wilma Deering. Time to pave the way home."
-(o)-
"Commander," Colonel Tigh said, looking up from his screen, "they found it."
"Good, inform all ships: Jump to lightspeed," Adama ordered.
Ever since the Galactica and her fleet of slow moving ships first left the Colonies, their techs had been hard at work converting the engines in every last ship of the fleet to light speed capable. It had taken a long time to complete that task. Yharens, and untold resources and manpower, but at last the task was complete. And better still, it was an achievement that the Cylons knew nothing about.
In the wink of an eye, the entire rag tag fleet under the Galactica's care went to light speed. Their destination was a planet not too far away, where they would rendezvous with the Earth ship Searcher to be protected by the Searcher's Starfighters.
Tigh and Adama looked on with a sense of pride as their fleet left them behind.
"How long has it been?" Adama asked.
"Since the Galactica went to lightspeed?" Tigh said, "Not since Terra, I think."
"Well, I guess it is about time," Adama said. "Lightspeed."
-(o)-
"By your command," the silver Centurion said as he waited at the base of Lucifers pedestal.
In a pointlessly dramatic move, one he learned from Baltar, Lucifer turned on the throne like command chair to face the Centurion. Lucifer was dressed in gold robes, instead of a single red eye moving back and fourth, like the Centurion, Lucifer had two which were slanted at a slight angle. His mouth glowed when he spoke in his soft voice, and the translucent top of his head revealed countless blinking lights in the IL series computer brain.
"Speak, Centurion," Lucifer said.
"The alien fighters have turned to flee."
"Very wise," Lucifer observed, "Can our fighters overtake them?"
"Their maximum acceleration has yet to be determined," the Centurion said.
"Is there something else?" Lucifer asked, recalling the way Baltar would become irritated with him for drawing out pertinent details in his reports.
"Long range sensors indicate another target incoming at lightspeed," the Centurion said.
Deep within Lucifer's body, installed next to the Soul he had manufactured for himself many many Yharens before, was a device that approximated Human emotions. He had built it to better interact with Baltar and the occasional human prisoner. That device now flared with anger.
If the contact was coming at them that fast, then in the time it took for the Centurion to report, the target would already have arrived.
"Launch all remaining squadrons to protect the Base Ship. Recall the pursuit fighters. All fighters are to engage the incoming hostile vessel. Prepare all ship to ship weapons," Lucifer ordered.
"By Your Command," the Centurion said, then turned and slowly walked out of the chamber. Lucifer wasn't concerned by the speed of the Centurion's walking, as the commands were instantly relayed to the necessary departments as soon as he gave them.
-o-
"Usher shield—Now," Commander Adama ordered.
The Base Star was plainly visible through the front window, but so far, the ship was making no moves to attack them. They had managed to take the Cylons by surprise.
"Arm all ship to ship lasers, and warheads," he added, "Launch fighters."
Along the sides of both Alpha and Beta landing bays, vipers shot out of the launch tubes. Blue Squadron launched from the Alpha deck, while Silver Spar squadron launched from Beta. Once those fighters were in space, the deck crews quickly moved to re-set the launch tubes for the next wave of fighters to launch. Within minutes Red and Green squadrons had joined the first two.
Unprotected, even a battlestar would only last seconds against a squadron of heavily armed Cylon Raiders. Without the protection of their respective fighter squadrons, a battlestar was nearly an equal match for a base star.
Vipers immediately engaged the returning Raiders, as well as the Raiders quickly being launched from the base star's flight pods.
Blue ship to ship energy bolts flew from the base ship, impacting on the Galactica. The Galactica was already letting loose with her own forward and secondary laser cannons, which impacted with red energy bolts. Sections of both ships glowed with the angry red of fires.
Hawk joined in the fight. His fighter's talons reached down, and ripped a Raider to shreds.
Buck and Wilma swept down behind a trio of Raiders, and let loose with their lasers, turning them into fireballs.
The Galactica's Viper squadrons each worked like well oiled machines, doing maximum damage. There were casualties.
Buck spotted one of the Vipers in trouble as a Trio of Raiders moved to make him the center of a pinwheel attack. "Jolly, check your six!" He called.
"What?" Jolly asked.
"You have a pair on your tail," Boomer explained.
"Buck if you continue to confuse people like that, you will just get them killed," Wilma cautioned.
"Reversing Thrust," Jolly said, tricking the Raiders to fly past him. He got the first of the three, but the time it took him to vaporize the first one, allowed the second and third time to evade.
Jolly turned to follow one, while Buck dove in and blasted the final Raider.
"Galactica, report status," Apollo said over the tac net, "I'm seeing fires amid ship."
The Galactica and the Base ship continued to pound each other with their lasers, closing to close range.
"Situation nominal, Apollo," Rigel reported, "Continue to provide cover from enemy fighters."
"Apollo," Starbuck called, "a group of them is heading for the ship."
"Boomer, Bojay, keep them contained. Starbuck and I are going to pursue the strays." Apollo pressed the Turbo button on his flight stick, prompting huge plumes of blue white flame to burst from the engines, propelling the ship at an even greater pace.
Noticing the two fighters peeling off, "Hey, Wilma, why don't we join their party."
"I'm with you, Buck," Wilma said, and the three starfighters from the Searcher moved to follow Starbuck and Apollo."
-o-
Aboard the Base Ship, Lucifer moved through the corridors, the occasional Centurion moving to make way for his commander to pass unobstructed. "What would Baltar do?" he wondered to himself. The man was a coward, he would likely have retreated by now, but the Galactica had already damaged too many of their engines for that to be an option. Calling in reinforcements wouldn't work, they were all too far away. Of course, Lucifer already knew what Baltar would do in this situation.
There was a slim chance that the Base Ship could survive this encounter with the Galactica. There was an even slimmer chance that they would be able to finish off the Galactica. If he remained to command the attack, he was sure the Galactica would be destroyed, but he was fairly certain that Adama would see to it that the base ship would not survive the encounter either way.
The Empire needed to be informed of the change in the Galactica's tactics, as it undoubtedly had meaning. More important than that, Lucifer himself needed to survive. Had he spent too much time with the human traitor? Had Baltar's time with him effected his way of thinking? Wasn't that part of the point in the first place?
Lucifer boarded his personal ship, crewed by Cylon's finest pilots, and gave the command to launch. He would leave this place, but there would be another time, he was sure. Somehow, deep in his self manufactured Soul, he knew that is fate and that of the Humans were tied together.
-o-
Buck Rogers pressed the firing stud on his flight stick, and yet another Cylon raider ceased to exist. This one had been flying across the top of Galactica, trying to target one of the ships anti-ship turrets.
"Thanks for the assist, Captain Rogers," Apollo said.
"Any time."
The breakaway group of Raiders had been destroyed.
They turned back towards the fighter battle to see that the situation had radically changed. The Cylons were still putting up a fight, but their efforts were now much less concentrated. Like they lacked direction.
The Galactica had managed to take out most of the Base Ship's turrets, and was now turning away. This relieved Buck, who was not sure the ship could survive a head to head battle with the other ship.
"All fighter craft," Rigel's voice came over the tac net, "evacuate the battle zone immediately. Repeat: evacuate the battle zone immediately."
Buck, Wilma and Hawk followed Starbuck and Apollo as they peeled off and away from the battle. In the main form of the fighter battle, he could see more blue white plumes of turbo thrusters as those fighters did the same.
The Galactica was now in position to give the base ship a broadside from its top and side mounted cannons, which it was continually doing. At the same time, silo doors opened along the Galatctica, and the ship launched her ship-to-ship missiles.
"Don't look at it," Apollo cautioned, "Those missiles burn bright when they hit."
Buck looked away, and still saw spots from the brilliant flash of light that resulted from the ship to ship missiles striking their target.
When he could finally see again, the Base Star was gone, as were most of the Cylon fighters. The Vipers moved to reengage the fighters, but now it was little more than a mop up operation.
The Galactica continued to stand. Battered, bruised, and burning, but still managed to look strong and majestic as if flew past the remains of the destroyed base ship.
-o-
On Earth, Dr. Theopolis was sitting on the desk before Dr. Huer.
"Well," Dr. Huer said, "The Searcher had rendezvoused with the Fleet, and will escort them here as soon as the Galactica catches up."
"You know that I support your decision," Dr Theopolis said, "I have always been fond of humans, ever since the first one I met."
"I have ever been grateful for your support and your friendship," Dr. Huer replied.
"I fear, however, that the Computer Council will not be pleased that you made this decision without first consulting them."
"I do have the authority," Dr. Huer said.
"That is debatable, which is why the council wishes you had first consulted them," Theopolis said.
"It was a basic and humane decision," Huer said. "The council couldn't possibly have grounds for objecting to it."
Dr. Theopolis said nothing.