Higgins acknowledged the recall order from Core Command, and had his viper flight form up for the return to the PEGASUS. While Theta Flight was returning, Both CAG's were up in CIC presenting their plan to Commander Cain. Tolen and Sanders were listening to both Syke and Voight lay out operation PEREGRINE SNATCH. Just after mentioning the initial raptor probe of the rendezvous co-ordinates, Tolen paged Dutch and summoned him to the conference.
"The plan is workable, Gentlemen", Cain said at last, "PEREGRINE SNATCH is approved. We will head out within the hour. Alert your wings and have them prepare for combat deployment". Both Syke and Voight saluted, then left CIC to get their pilots briefed. Dutch, who had been given a quick brief of his part in the mission, nodded. This should convince both the rescuers and the to-be-rescued that this was no elaborate Cylon trap.
"I've ordered the duty deck crew to arm your raptor with missiles", Tolen said to Dutch, "If it looks like the Cylons will get to them before we do, you must destroy that ship. Do you understand?"
Dutch was not overjoyed at the prospect of blasting two friends to oblivion, but realized that the alternative should the Cylons capture the Peregrine and the crew intact would be far worse. He nodded without speaking.
"You'd better get Ensign Watt briefed and get down to your raptor. As soon as we make the jump to Batwah, you'll be sent out immediately", Tolen said. After giving him and Cain a quick salute, Dutch left CIC. He had a mission to prepare for.
"Comms, have Core Command recall Chief Krag from the asteroid", Cain said to Sanders, "We're going to need him supporting Silver Spar Wing. He is to assign command of the mining crew to Petty Officer Miller".
Sanders nodded, then headed over to Core Command to carry out Cain's instruction.
"Home Plate to Chief Prospector", the specialist called, "Return to Home Plate. Transfer mining operation command to your number two. Acknowledge".
"Understood, Home Plate", Krag replied to Core Command after he received the message. He flipped off his communicator and turned to Miller, who was standing next to him on the surface of the asteroid.
"You heard?", Krag asked Miller rhetorically. Miller nodded.
"I'll take this shuttle. Use Shuttle seven as your base of operations", Krag ordered. Miller nodded, threw him a salute - which looked out of place coming from a space-suited figure on a large, airless, floating hunk of rock - and loped off in the low gravity over to Shuttle seven. Krag loped over to Shuttle One and entered it. Sealing the hatch, he activated the repressurization sequence. When the process was completed, Krag took off his helmet, then headed back to the cockpit.
Krag, like most crew chiefs, was a qualified support shuttle pilot. He quickly powered up the shuttle's engines and after getting takeoff clearance from ground control (a couple of Core Command technicians using one of the other shuttles as a control tower), lifted off from the surface of the asteroid. Krag barely noted the cluster of shuttles, the personnel in spacesuits doing the ore extracting, and the impressive bulk of the mass-driver.
"Shuttle One to Home Plate", Krag communicated to the port-side deck Landing Control Officer, "I'm heading up. Requesting clearance to land on port landing deck".
"Shuttle One", the LCO replied, "You're cleared to land on lift seven. Be aware that you're number two for landing following Theta Flight".
Krag looked out at the impressive bulk of the PEGASUS and saw the flight of vipers entering the bay. That would be Lt. Higgins' flight of midshipmen, he thought. After the last viper had landed, Krag deftly steered his shuttle in to land. He expertly brought it down on the indicated landing pad: the top of lift seven. As Krag powered the shuttle down, it was lowered down to Hangar Seven. After the hangar roof was re-sealed, the hanger itself was quickly repressurized. Krag left the shuttle when the process was finished and walked over to the exit hatch, where he found Lt. Tricia Cain waiting for him.
"Sorry to pull you off your vacation stop, Chief", Tricia said with a smile, "but some operation is about to get under way and we're going to be needing you to help the wing. Full combat deployment".
Krag nodded, quickly flipped her a salute, then trotted over to the maintenance area. Krag did not need to ask why. The fact that he was needed was reason enough. Now he had to make sure that all of the available vipers in Silver Spar Wing were ready for whatever the Old Man and CAG wanted.
Matt Higgins was not quite so professional as George Krag was when he found out what he was going to be doing. Syke had waylaid him and told him a little of the mission, and the role that his flight of midshipmen would be doing while the PEGASUS headed back to rescue the Peregrine.
"Come on, CAG!", he pleaded, "Me nursemaid the diggers and the snotties while the wing will be almost certainly be engaging a lot of tin-heads? You need every pilot you can get!".
"Matt", Syke said quietly but firmly, "The PEGASUS will be expending a lot of fuel on this jump there and back. We are going to need the tylium ore when we return. You have to make sure that nothing happens to the ones on the asteroid. They will be looking to you for protection. It's as simple as that".
"Then let Jet take command", Higgins suggested, referring to Ensign Vansen.
"No", Syke firmly replied, "because if anything does happen to us, you are better suited to look after the miners and the other pilots than he is. You are the only one I can trust on this. It's not up for debate".
Higgins wanted to argue further, but he saw that Syke's mind was made up. Higgins nodded - though managing to convey with his face that his staying back was pure felgercarb - saluted Syke, and headed out. He had to get Theta flight ready to redeploy.
Syke did sympathize with Higgins. But there was another reason: The other probes would be returning to these co-ordinates while the PEGASUS makes its move to the Cyrannus system. If anything did happen, then Higgins would somehow have to make sure that the gathered intelligence got to the GALACTICA.
Syke remembered that contingency as he briefed the pilots of Silver Spar Wing. While the pilots were keen to get back and start inflicting some serious payback on the Cylon occupiers of their home planets, some of them were disappointed that they would be staying close-in to the PEGASUS on the initial deployment while Black Knight Wing established the defensive perimeter - thus making them the first to engage any enemies. Syke brought an immediate dose of reality to their bruised egos.
"Before any of you gets your feathers ruffled, remember that the Cylons will be able to deploy vastly superior forces against us. Black Knight Wing - like us - is only three squadrons. They will need our support, so if you think you're going to miss out on any action, then think again", he admonished.
Voight was also giving the pilots of Black Knight Wing a similar admonition. The pilots were pretty cheered by the news that they would be first out and first to engage, but Voight had some words for them that dampened their enthusiasm.
"The wing is only three squadrons strong. The Cylons can very easily deploy more forces against us, so I think you'd better be thankful that Silver Spar Wing is going to be out there with us. We have to allow the rescue of the Peregrine and it's crew, and to keep the Cylons far enough away from the PEGASUS so that they don't get a definitive identification. This time, you'll be wearing your PACIFICA patches, so that if any of you become casualties, that will provide the Cylons with more mis-direction. And as we're establishing the defense perimeter, that means the likelihood of that happening will be somewhat higher", he concluded.
After the respective wing briefings were concluded, both CAG's nodded to their deputies, who informed Core Command that they were ready for orders. The duty specialist nodded to Sanders, who gave a thumbs-up sign to Commander Cain.
At that moment, Higgins was down in the launch tubes with his flight of nine midshipmen. They were congregating near Higgins' viper. Needless to say, they were not thrilled at the prospect of being left behind while the PEGASUS went back home to fight the Cylons. Higgins held up a hand to silence them.
"I'm not happy about it either", Higgins said, "but the mining and ore refining operation, plus the shuttles down on that rock needs protection, and the PEGASUS is going to need every drop of fuel that we can squeeze out from that rock when it returns. Part of being good officers is to obey orders, and that's exactly what we're going to do", he finished.
Just then, the P.A. sounded, "All pilots, man your fighters. Condition One is set throughout the ship!".
As the message repeated, the pilots of both wings headed out to man their fighters, which thanks to the efforts of Chiefs Brubaker and Krag, were ready to go.
Down in the bays, the launch tubes were preparing to receive the first vipers which would be launched. The Launch Officers - the 'Shooters' - made sure that all tubes were ready to go. As this was done, the pilots emerged and went to their assigned craft. This information was relayed to Core Command, who then told Sanders.
"Both wings are manning their vipers now", Sanders reported to Commander Cain, after getting the message.
"All decks report Condition One set", Tolen reported to Cain. Cain nodded at them both.
"Have all our other patrols landed, Comms?", Cain asked. Sanders nodded.
"Very well, have Theta flight launch and inform Theta Leader to assume his patrol position over the asteroid", he ordered as he picked up the ship-wide P.A. communicator. He pushed down on the button, causing a long tone to sound, getting everyone's attention, then he spoke.
"This is the commander. We will be making a lengthy FTL jump back into the Cyrannus System. Our objective is to rescue a disabled Peregrine gunship that is drifting towards Sagittaria. It also means that the likelihood of coming into contact with the Cylon occupation forces is high. This is a hit-and-run mission, but it will serve to give notice to those tin-headed Cylon killers that as long as one colonial ship is still around to fight, they will never win this war, and they will never know peace! Stand to your posts. This is payback time. Cain out".
Cheers rang out all over the battlestar as the impact of the speech sank in. They were heading back - however briefly - to fight back at those who had destroyed their homes and killed so many of their loved ones.
Down in the port launch bay, on the landing deck itself, Dutch's raptor had positioned itself for launch. Immediately after exiting the jump, it would launch and FTL-jump to the provided co-ordinates of the Peregrine. In the rear of the raptor, Watt looked uneasy.
"This is going to be a long jump, Razor", he said, "I'm glad I didn't eat any lunch today".
Dutch smirked at that comment. He needed something to make him smile because he was still thinking about the possibility of having to kill Hondo and Coffin should any Cylons get there before he could...
As soon as Higgins' flight of vipers were catapulted out of the launch tubes, Sanders directed the Core Command specialist to retract the landing bays. Sanders watched the display monitors on the DRADIS console showing the retraction of the massive landing bays into the midships section of the PEGASUS. When the bays had fully retracted, Sanders nodded to Cain.
Cain turned and nodded to Tolen, who turned to the helm officer.
"Are the jump co-ordinates set for the Batwah Asteroid Field?", he asked. Helm nodded.
"Very well, Helm. Commence countdown for FTL-jump. All the rest of you in CIC, get ready for possible immediate action", he ordered.
As the helm officer started the FTL countdown, everyone in CIC braced themselves for the jump, and the strong possibility of immediate combat. This one was going to be risky...
Down on the asteroid, the workers had been given the word about the PEGASUS' departure. They were watching the impressive leviathan of the battlestar slowly move away from where it had been 'sitting'. None were happy about being left here while the PEGASUS was heading into the fight, but all knew that they were needed where they were.
"Jump in 5...4...3...2...1...jump!", the helm officer called as he pushed the ACTIVATE control on the FTL-drive control console. The miners gasped as they saw the flash of light that indicated that the PEGASUS was jumping. In less than a split second, there was only empty space. The workers looked at each other, then went back to work. They had to get more raw tylium extracted before the battlestar returned.
"She's jumped!", one of the midshipmen in Theta Flight announced, "We're on our own, Theta Leader". Higgins nodded and keyed his communicator.
"Theta Leader to Theta Flight, maintain patrol deployment and watch your scanners. We're now 'it', as far as those miners are concerned", he said. The flight of ten vipers started to deploy to their screening positions around the asteroid, hoping that the PEGASUS would soon return.
With another flash of light, the Battlestar PEGASUS re-emerged from it's jump - right at the same position it had previously been at the far side of the floating mass of debris known as the Batwah Asteroid Field. As the effects of nausea and dizziness wore off, Sanders confirmed the position of the PEGASUS on the navi-comp.
"Position confirmed", Sanders said to Cain, "right on target".
"Let's get moving", Cain replied, "We're in the frying pan now".
Sanders turned and nodded to the Core Command crewman specialist, who activated her communicator, and activated the controls extending the landing bays.
"Recon Raptor One, Clear for launch when bays fully extended!", she communicated to Dutch.
With that order, Dutch quickly powered the engines of the raptor up to full throttle and raised it off the flight deck. As soon as Core Command confirmed full bay deployment, Dutch moved the raptor forward. Quickly exiting the landing bay, the raptor headed away from the PEGASUS.
"Co-ordinates punched in, Razor", Dundee reported, "and I still have the contents of my stomach where they should be as well, amazingly enough".
"Okay, Snoopy", Gorde acknowledged, "Let's give Hondo and Coffin a helping hand, and hold on to your stomach. We're jumping now".
With that comment, Dutch activated the jump controls. The raptor vanished from view, heading for a rendezvous with destiny.