"Sigma Five, close up on your section leader", Hayes communicated. He was flying with the half of the squadron designated 'Sigma Flight' while Mannix was watching over the other half (designated 'Tau Flight'). The training was starting in earnest and Hayes wanted to make sure that each and every pilot kept fresh in their minds the basic credo: Stay with your wingman.
"Sorry, Sigma Leader", Sigma Five replied. That was Ensign Carol 'Anvil' Anderson. Hayes knew that Anderson was an instinctive pilot, but was something of a lone wolf. In one-on-one fighting, that would be okay, but if she was responsible for another pilot and zoomed off to fight a battle alone, that could spell curtains for the other.
"You each have to watch out for each other, Anvil", Hayes said, "and I like the idea of all my pilots coming back alive, okay?".
"I'll keep that in mind, Chunks", Anderson answered. Hayes nodded as he saw her tuck in tightly just off Growler's right wing".
At PEGASUS Core Command, Voight was listening in on the inter-squadron chatter. He nodded in satisfaction at Hayes keeping close tabs on his charges. Looking at a viewscreen, he saw that Mannix was doing likewise to the pilots that he was supervising.
"Looking okay, Pointer?", Sanders said to Voight as he walked up. Voight put down the clipboard and looked at Sanders. Normally, Voight didn't like anyone using his call-sign when he was not flying, but realized that as the number three person in the PEGASUS chain of command, Sanders had the authority to call anyone in CIC (except the Commander and X.O.) by whatever title he chose. Still, his reply was a subtle reminder that he didn't really care for Sanders' choice of title.
"Everything is going well with the training so far, Sanders", he replied politely. Sanders' eyes widened a little at Voight's using only his last name as a form of address. Since Voight - like Sanders - was a Captain, he did not have to call Sanders 'Sir', but using 'Captain', or his call-sign of 'Comms' would have been proper. Sanders got the signal loud and clear and since this really was not the proper place or time to argue niceties of forms of address, Sanders decided not to pursue the point.
"I have to keep the X.O. informed on the squadron's progress, CAG", Sanders explained, using Voight's title as an unspoken apology for the unintended slight.
"I understand, Comms", Voight replied as a tacit acceptance of Sanders' apology, "It looks like both Hayes and Mannix will have the squadron ready as a fully cohesive unit by the due date, so Colonel Tolen should have nothing to worry about in your report".
"Good to hear", Sanders acknowledged, "Thanks, CAG". With that, he headed back over to the Comscan console.
Voight watched him go, then turned his attention back to the Core Command viewscreens, and the communications monitoring of the squadron.
Touchy, isn't he?, Sanders thought to himself. Well, as long as Captain Voight does his job... Just then, once of the Comscan technicians reported, "Captain Sanders, Peregrine Five has just emerged from it's FTL-jump. They are reporting no contacts".
"Core Command", Sanders called, "Better get the FLEET AVENGER back on board".
On board the AVENGER, Hunter was watching 'Dookie' Connor manipulate the flight controls. It was part of a transition training regimen designed to get the raptor crews up to par on the Peregrine's systems. On this recent patrol, Connor was under the supervision of Hunter while Lieutenant 'Boxer' Watt was being supervised by Ensign Sims back in the P.S.O. station.
"This ship handles pretty good, Hondo", Connor said, "despite it being a lot larger than a raptor, it almost feels like a viper!"
"That's the idea, Dookie", Hunter replied. He was pretty pleased with Connor's piloting skills. True, they had not encountered anything anomalous on their patrol - if they had, then Hunter would have taken over - but getting the raptor folk up to date on the Peregrine made for a useful diversion from the usual boring routine of reconnaissance missions.
"I'm beginning to hope that the earlier encounter we had that lead to our last battle was just chance", Watt commented to Sims as Connor expertly brought the AVENGER onto a course to alight back onboard the PEGASUS.
"Just because we have not encountered other patrols since then doesn't mean that we can become complacent, Boxer", Sims gently admonished, "and remember that the tin-heads will want payback for our singeing those two base stars".
"It was great of Dragon to provide us with those op-plans though", Watt replied, "CORONA worked a treat, and these other plans that I've been looking through that Dragon developed really gives us the advantage, thanks to this ship's abilities".
"We're well set-up for most of them, thanks to Chief Krag. Let's hope we never have to use them before we're ready, Boxer", Sims said, "and we are out here to search out the GALACTICA first and foremost - not to fight continuous pitched battles that will wear us down over the long run.
"Coffin's right about that, Boxer", Hunters voice came over the internal communicator - evidently, he had been listening in to the conversation, "but I do hope that you are right and that we don't get discovered by Cylon patrols again".
"Amen to that", Connor agreed. He knew that it was far too early to draw any conclusions for the recent dearth of contacts, but every day that there was no discovery meant another day of survival...
"AVENGER, this is Sigma Leader", a new voice came over the communicator. Connor said to Hunter, "It's Chunks", then keyed his communicator.
"Go ahead, Sigma Leader", Connor replied.
"AVENGER, we're about to head back to Home Plate ourselves. You mind if Sigma Flight comes in with you? It will be a good chance to hone some close-in escort skills", Hayes suggested.
Connor looked at Hunter, who nodded. He replied, "Very well, Sigma Leader. It'll be nice to have an escort home".
Just then, a buzz sounded from the LONG RANGE SENSOR ALARM console. Watt and Sims quickly looked at their screens to see what had caused the alarm to sound. Sims paled as he saw the readout.
"You spoke too soon, Boxer", Sims said as he keyed his communicator to OPEN mode (both internal and external communications).
"We've got a bogey at three-five-nine mark one-one-four, Hondo", he announced, "extreme range limit, but it's heading this way. No IFF".
"Frakk!", Hunter replied, "Did you get that, Home Plate?"
At CIC, the Comscan operators quickly tuned their sensors to the co-ordinates that Sims had reported. The Warbook attached to the sensors quickly made a match.
"It's a hostile. A Cylon Grasshopper probe", the technician reported. Sanders quickly activated the ship's P.A. system.
"Set Condition One. Repeat, Set Condition One throughout the ship!", he announced.
"Comms, this is Hondo", Hunter communicated, "We're still armed, and we have both Sigma and Tau flights here. Request permission to initiate op-plan TOUCHSTONE".
Sanders quickly called up the specs for TOUCHSTONE and looked it over. His eyes widened, but then smiled at the potential payoff. He keyed his communicator.
"Very well, Hondo. You're cleared for TOUCHSTONE, but according to Comscan, you'll need to execute it within the next ninety seconds. The PEGASUS will be within range of it's sensors by then", Sanders sent.
As Hunter sent his acknowledgment, both Cain and Tolen came up onto CIC.
"What's happening, Comms?", Cain asked.
"Cylon probe heading our way. The P.V.S. and the AVENGER are already out there and are preparing to use the TOUCHSTONE op-plan", Sanders reported.
"They don't have much time", Tolen commented after looking at a status screen on the DRADIS console, "the probe is using our exhaust residue to home in on us and the second it has us in it's sensors, you can bet your last cubit it will jump back and report our position".
"Then we stand by to make a jump ourselves", Cain said, "but let's give TOUCHSTONE a chance to work. Issue a general recall for our other patrols". Cain had taken the time to look through all of Masters' plans and knew precisely what TOUCHSTONE was. Let's hope that Masters is right on this plan, Cain thought to himself.
Back on the FLEET AVENGER, all of the occupants were at their battle stations. Hunter was in the co-pilot's seat controlling the forward guns, and another weapon...
"You got the probe co-ordinates set in the navi-comp, Coffin?", he called.
"All set, Hondo", Sims replied, "I hope your aim is still as good as it was".
"Okay, Dookie", Hunter said, "were all ready".
"Which is more than what I can say for myself at the present time", Connor muttered before replying, "Jumping in five...four...three...two...one...jump!"
As the FLEET AVENGER jumped, Hayes signaled his squadron, "Sigma and Tau flights, stand by for the word from AVENGER. If TOUCHSTONE is no-go, we'll have to get back to Home Plate fast if bad guys start appearing".
With a flash, the AVENGER emerged directly behind the Grasshopper probe (in it's 'blind' side). Hunter immediately got a bead on it's position in his gunsight and fired a magna pulse emitter. This sent out an intense, highly localized pulse of electromagnetic radiation, which temporarily overloaded the electronics on the probe. The probe went offline and started drifting. Next, he squeezed off a quick burst with his forward gun. The bullets were not aimed directly at the probe, but at it's transmission array on the probe's underside. The array's antennas were expertly blown off the impacts of the well-aimed bullets.
"Phase One of TOUCHSTONE complete", Hunter reported. The time between the appearance of the AVENGER and the disabling of the probe was less than ten seconds. The AVENGER moved in over the inert probe.
"How long before the probe goes back active again, Hondo?", Connor asked.
"About five minutes. Just enough time for Coffin to deposit our 'gift' upon it", Hunter replied.
Sims had moved to another control station and was sighting on the topside of the probe. As his targeting system got a lock on the probe, he depressed a trigger, sending a magnetic clamp and cable to attach itself onto the probe. The clamp had a small built-in winch, which was activated by Sims.
The winch started reeling in the cable, which had just been released from the peregrine. On the other end of the cable was a disguised five kiloton nuclear warhead. As the warhead reached the probe and attached itself to the clamp, Hunter took the FLEET AVENGER away from the vicinity of the probe.
"We're far enough away now", Connor reported.
"You're clear to activate the package, Coffin", Hunter called to Sims.
Sims looked at Watt and smiled. Saying, "the tin-heads should get a real 'bang' out of our little gift", he hit a control switch, remotely activating a proximity sensor on the warhead.
Watt rolled his eyes at Sims' pun, then asked, "What is the fuse keyed to?"
"It's keyed to detonate when a large mass - bigger than a raider - envelops it", Sims explained, "With our blowing away of the array antennas, it would have to be picked up by it's mother ship in order to access it's data banks..." Sims explained, tailing off at the end with a very broad smile. Watt smirked too.
"All right, guys", Hunter said, "let's call the calvary". He keyed his communicator to the fighter frequency.
"Hondo to Chunks, time for you to make an appearance", he called.
"Understood, Hondo, We're heading in. You'd better get back to Home Plate", Hayes acknowledged.
With that, both flights kicked in their turbos and headed towards the still-inert probe. The FLEET AVENGER quickly flashed back to the vicinity of the PEGASUS.
The probe started powering back up again, unaware of what had happened earlier. When it powered back up it's sensors, the first thing it saw was eighteen contacts closing in fast. It's warbook quickly identified them as human viper fighters. Under it's new programming instructions, it activated it's FTL-drive and made a hyper-jump back to it's base to report upon the human presence...
"It's jumped, everyone", Hayes reported, "let's scoot back to Home Plate fast. We'll soon know if it didn't work...", he concluded. The eighteen vipers peeled back and headed towards the PEGASUS at high speed for a combat landing.
"Commander", Sanders reported, "Our other patrols have landed. The AVENGER and the P.V.S. are on their way back now".
"Very well, Comms", Cain said, "The moment that the AVENGER and Hayes' squadron is back on board, close up the landing bays. If any tin-heads do end up coming at us en masse, get ready to immediately jump to point 'Horizon'.
"Understood, Commander",Sanders acknowledged. He noticed that the AVENGER had already alighted on the port-side landing bay and the P.V.S. were heading in fast. They would be down in moments.
The probe made it's emergency jump back to it's start point, which was a base star patrolling in the Borallis Sector. The base star noticed the unscheduled emergence and registered the omnidirectional emergency beacon that the probe had activated, but all commands for it to transmit it's data had failed. The probe was now heading back to the base star on automatic control.
The Command centurion was suspicious, but the IFF code coming from the emergencey beacon confirmed that the probe was friendly. It must be a fault in the transmission/reception array, the centurion reasoned. It should not be a major problem as the probe's data banks could be accessed once the probe was back on board, then they would be able to find out why the probe came back earlier than intended.
Still, remembering the booby-trapped tanker several weeks ago that had caused a base star to be scuttled, the centurion dispatched a raider to survey and escort the probe in - just to ensure that there were no surprises.
As the exterior of the attached warhead was shaped like an instrument package, the incoming raider did not see anything immediately suspicious on it's initial scan. The warhead was also shielded so that no radioactive emissions could be detected by the raider when it ran a sensor scan. The raider did notice the probe's transmitter array was missing it's antennas, which it reported back to the base star.
The centurion nodded at this information. That explained the inability for the probe to send it's data. And as the raider didn't see anything else out of the ordinary, then it could be brought on board.
When Captain Masters had come up with the TOUCHSTONE op-plan, he had based it on Tricia Cain's booby-trapped tanker plan, but he was astute enough to realize that as the Cylons would be more careful in the future, he had to think like a Cylon in order to beat them. By insisting on a shielded, disguised warhead and a proximity fuse setting for a mass larger than a raider in his plan, it would ensure that at least a sentinel post - or ideally a base star - would reap the 'benefits' of the plan. Masters would have been proud to see that his plan was working, and that it was a base star that was going to get the probe.
As the base star opened a receiving port and started to draw the probe inside, the warhead's proximity sensor detected the mass of the base star all around the probe, then it detonated the warhead. The probe vaporized in the explosion, along with the hull plating around the open portal. The electromagnetic pulse wreaked havoc on the base star's power system as the nuclear explosion lit up the area like a new star. While not as large an explosion as the one that Tricia had set up on the captured tanker, this detonation - and where it detonated - caused major structural damage to the base star. For the second time, the PEGASUS had caught a base star with it's pants down.
"All of the P.V.S. fighters have now landed and all of our returned patrol craft have been stowed, Commander", Sanders reported to Cain.
"As soon as the bays are closed, execute the jump. We'll find out sooner or later if TOUCHSTONE worked", Cain said.
"A heck of a way for the new squadron to hone their combat skills, Commander", Tolen remarked as the FTL-jump countdown commenced, "but it looks like Hayes will be okay as the commander"
"'Okay' was not a description of Number One's demeanor as she received the report of the explosion in the Borallis Sector.
"ANOTHER base star damaged???", she angrily inquired.
"Unfortunately yes, Number One", Number Eleven reported, "The commander of the base star reported that they were receiving a damaged probe when the explosion occurred. Estimated in the five kiloton range, it caused moderate damage to that base star. It will be out of action for several months as it exploded just within it's hanger bay".
"How did this happen?", Number One demanded, "particularly after the precautions we took after the tanker incident?".
"Insufficient data at the moment", Number Eleven replied, "the probe had been inspected by a raider just before the explosion and the IFF codes checked out okay. The only anomaly was that it's transmission antenna array had been damaged".
"And still, it exploded at the right time and with enough explosive force to disable a base star!", Number One icily concluded, "and since that type of probe could not self-destruct with such force, what could account for it?", she asked. Number Eleven shrugged, a human mannerism that seemed appropriate.
"Until we find out, Number One, I suggest that from now on, reconfigured raiders only will dock with our probes and extract information themselves for re-transmission, so that if this recurs, our capital ships won't be caught off guard again", Number Eleven recommended.
"Then do so", Number One ordered.
"By Your Command", Number Eleven acknowledged