The peregrine - after taking a circuitous route to avoid any chance of being detected by the Cylons - touched down on the asteroid, in an area approximately twenty klicks from the Cylon encampment. Hunter had brought the peregrine in from the far side of the asteroid almost hugging the surface until it reached it's landing zone. After Hunter had shut down the engines, Sims did a quick local scan of the area immediately around the landing zone to see if there were any unwelcome Cylon surprises.
"Scan shows negative, Hondo", Sims called out, "and no indications of any wireless chatter either. Looks like we got in without being seen".
"Okay then, Coffin", Hunter replied, "Send out the signal. Lieutenant", he then said to Howe, "You'd better get your first contingent ready to roll".
As Howe got out of his seat, Sims sent a single directional pulse out on his transmitter. This simply meant 'LANDED SUCCESSFULLY'.
Back on board the PEGASUS, the signal was picked up by Comscan. The duty operator called Sanders over. "I've got conformation of touchdown, Captai", the Comscan operator announced to Sanders. He nodded and turned to Cain.
"Okay, Comms", Cain said, "let Silver Spar know".
Sanders turned back to the Comscan operator and directed her to send out the coded signal indicating that the peregrine had landed on the asteroid.
In his viper, Syke was monitoring the status of the deployed wing when a message text came up on his screen: AVENGER ON STATION. PROCEED TO FULCRUM.
"Okay, people", Syke announced on his short range communicator to the wing, "Home Plate has just informed us that the AVENGER has reached it's goal. Phase one is under way". Even though the inter-ship communicator was very short range, Syke still preferred using code terms. The other pilots in the wing fully understood from Syke that the FLEET AVENGER had made it's landing.
"Bojay", one of the pilots announced, "I've got Fulcrum on my sensors. ETA in approximately five minutes". 'Fulcrum' was the pre-arranged code name for Gorde's raptor for this mission. Clicking his mike twice to acknowledge the message, Syke keyed his communicator to a pre set secure frequency - which locked the viper's onboard laser antenna to the raptor's location.
On board the raptor, Dundee had noticed the approaching fighters on his sensor screen. The IFF's confirmed that it was Silver Spar wing. Dundee had immediately activated his laser communicator reception array upon the IFF confirmation. Immediately after doing so, he heard Syke's voice over the cabin speaker.
"This is Group Leader to Fulcrum", Dundee heard, "are you receiving me, Newguy?". Dundee clicked the relay switch so that Gorde could talk to Syke through his communicator.
"Loud and clear, Bojay", Gorde replied. He gave a thumbs-up to Dundee.
"Find what you need?", Syke asked next.
"Yeah. It should do okay", Gorde replied, "So I guess you can now deploy your squadrons accordingly. There's lots of floating rocks you can use for cover here. Our package has already been placed in the field".
The 'package' was a portable sensor array camouflaged to look like a piece of rock. This enabled the trajectory route to be scanned while keeping the raptor and the vipers under cover.
"Good to know", Syke replied, "any contacts detected so far?".
"Nothing, apart from all of this asteroidal debris, but the sooner we get your ships dispersed, the better", Gorde advised.
Syke switched back to the inter squadron communicator, saying, "Squadron leaders, deploy your respective squadrons accordingly. Expedite, I say again, Expedite".
Halley, Warden, and Macklin had on their navi-comps the projected route that the Cylon 'freighter' would take. Relaying that information to their pilots, the squadrons started heading to individual chunks of asteroidal debris so that they could use them as cover from being picked up by the Cylon ship should it happen to appear.
"I'm glad I'm not down on the surface of that asteroid. Here's hoping that we won't be needed, Bojay", Tricia said into her communicator as she positioned her viper behind a large floating boulder.
"So say we all", Syke replied. He had already positioned his viper so that he would be (a) hidden from the freighter and (b) also be able to pick up sensor data from the portable package. He hoped that Chief Krag did a good enough job of disguising it...
As Silver Spar wing was positioning themselves along the 'freighter's' approach route to the asteroid, down on the asteroid, Howe was down in the APC bay talking with the marines. He had just given his squads their final instructions. After getting okay signals from the squad leaders, Howe keyed his mike to communicate with Hunter, up in the cockpit.
"All of us are now in our pressure suits, pilot. and the hatch is sealed", Howe said, "so you can start depressurizing the bay".
"Understood, Nebula Six", Hunter replied. He ordered Sims to start the depressurization sequence.
Down in the bay, the atmosphere was quickly pumped out. Howe clicked on his suit communicator and requested a count. All the marines replied with their respective number, indicating that their communicators were working. The marines were now all reliant on each of their suit's integrity. The re-breathers on their backs would recycle their air and the suits had straws in the base of the helmets so that the marines could drink water and eat a liquid meal, thus enabling them to stay out for hours.
"Check your weapons", Howe ordered. The marines - overseen by Haig - checked their gauss-rifles one more time. The gauss-rifle that the marines had was a very efficient weapon that could be fired in vacuum as well as in an atmosphere. It was like a portable rail gun in which it carried an impressive electrical charge in the stock.
This charge fired aluminum jacketed steel slugs at an impressive speed and rate of fire. Armor piercing rounds as well as explosive rounds were carried by the marines, in case the latest generation of Cylon centurion was encountered. Any first generation tinheads they come up against would not be able to withstand a direct hit from this weapon's standard ammunition.
"Okay then", Howe said after Sergeant Haig gave him a thumbs up, "Squads one and two get on board the landram. Squad three stand by here and load up the moment the ram returns".
With that order, the two squads that Howe had indicated started boarding the landram, which was virtually empty (so that the two squads had room to sit). The additional munitions and supplies would go with Squad three. Howe turned to Haig, saying, "You go with this first run, Sarge. I'll accompany Squad three".
Haig nodded. Squads one and two were recon and he would be needed to co ordinate the two. Since Squad Three was the heavy weapons unit, and that Howe had more experience with heavy weapons, it made sense for him to be with them. Haig saluted, then boarded the landram at the front, sitting beside the driver.
The driver was Marine Private (First Class) Taggart, who had the most experience within Nebula Force with ground transport vehicles. Taggart had assisted Krag's team at Howe's request in getting the landram converted. Now, he was going to drive the marines into a combat zone.
"Ready to roll, Taggart?", Haig asked. Taggart nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Haig looked out the side window at another Marine private who was standing by a control panel as gave him a thumbs up as well.
The private then activated a control, opening the APC bay main hatch and lowering a ramp to the surface of the asteroid.
"Let's get going", Haig said to Taggart as the ramp hit the ground. With that, Taggart expertly drove the landram out onto the asteroid. Howe watched the landram depart, then he turned his attention back to the members of Squad Three. He wanted to make sure that they would be ready to load up the heavy ordinance and equipment and get on board themselves the instant the landram returned.
"Well, they're on their way", Sims said to Hunter as they both watched the landram drive away from them.
"Yeah", Hunter confirmed, "You'd better go back and recheck our titans, Coffin", he suggested, "we might be needing them if this mission gets compromised".
Nodding, Sims headed back to his station to check on the status of the air to surface weapons. Hunter resumed monitoring his systems, making sure that the FLEET AVENGER could quickly launch to support Nebula Force.
The asteroid's gravity was only about one seventh of the Colonial average, but despite the inherent risks of controlling such a large vehicle in light gravity (large masses in low gravity are quite sluggish to handle, even allowing for the lighter weight), Taggart expertly drove it over the crater pitted landscape. The marines were strapped into their seats and what equipment they had with them was secured, so nothing was flying about in the cabin.
On the roof of the landram was an attached gun turret. One marine was up there manning the light gauss-cannon. Next to the gunner, another marine was operating an optical scanner, looking ahead for any trace of Cylons. The mission depended upon the tinheads not knowing that they were there, and because of that, the marines were taking no chances.
Twenty minutes of fast - though careful - driving later, Taggart brought the landram to a stop. "The navi-comp shows us at the drop off point, Sarge", he said to Haig. Nodding, Haig turned back to face the marines.
"Okay, Marines", Haig said, "This is where we start walking. Let's start stretching those legs of ours". With that, the marines started egressing from the landram. In two minutes, the two squads were formed up. Haig went back to speak to Taggart.
"Okay, Six is waiting for you. Get back to the peregrine", Haig ordered. Taggart nodded. Haig jumped out of the landram and watched as Taggart powered up the landram and moved off.
"Jones. March", Haig said, "Get your squads over to their respective observation points. No unnecessary chatter, but keep your receivers on. Only respond when Six gives the word".
Like on the vipers, the pressure suits' communicators were extremely short range so as not to announce their presence to anyone who may be monitoring wireless chatter, but the less said, the better. Both squads had code lights, and they would rely on those until Nebula Six (Howe) ordered it. The squads moved out. Haig accompanied Corporal March's squad. They moved out to the 'north', while Jones' squad headed 'south'.
The plan was for both squads to overlook the complex from diametrically opposite ends. As the mine was in a large crater, and that the northern and southern ends had the most cover, it was deemed to be the best places for the squads to survey the site. That plus if there were any hidden Cylon weapons emplacements, it would be easier to find from those locations. Remembering Haig's admonition in regards talking over the suit communicators, the squads were now relying on hand signals to communicate essential information. With one person taking 'point', the squads started moving out to hike to their positions, which would take about thirty minutes. Apart from their weapons and their signal lights, the only other piece of equipment being carried was a portable suit recharger.
All of them knew how serious things now were. They were on an asteroid with Cylons just over the next rise without an immediate means to escape if they were discovered. While the suits they were wearing were tough and enabled them to move with a fair degree of agility in a vacuum environment, a direct hit from a bullet in the right place would spell curtains. The basic training adage 'in vacuum, remember: you're hit, you're dead' was on everyone's mind as they trooped slowly but surely to their objective.
While Squads one and two were nearing their respective objectives, the landram had returned to the FLEET AVENGER. Howe had made good use of the time while the landram was away by having the members of squad three take their equipment outside the peregrine's hatch so that te landram would not have to re-enter the APC bay. The equipment was easy to handle in the low gravity and it kept the squad members busy.
Once the landram had stopped, Howe's men immediately started throwing in the equipment: heavy weapons and other ordinance. It was quickly done and once they were secured, Squad three loaded into the landram. Howe got into the front next to Taggart.
"Six, we're all belted in and the hatches are secure", Corporal Marconi called to Howe. Howe nodded and gestured to Taggart. Taggart started up the landram and headed back out to the drop off point.
"Send the second signal, Coffin", Hunter ordered. Sims activated his transmitter and sent out another coded pulse to the PEGASUS.
"All three squads are on their way, Commander", Sanders called to Cain. He had been sitting at the Comscan console listening in when the second signal from the FLEET AVENGER arrived.
"So now we can expect the possibility of tinhead discovery at any time", Cain said to Tolen, "Let's hope that Howe can get his troops in position without tipping the tinheads off". Tolen just nodded. This was now the most critical part of the mission. If surprise was lost, then things would go from bad to worse very quickly...