Objective Tauron (A Cylon War Story)

by Wes Imlay

As the Cylon War rages on the Colonial military works feverishly on a secret weapon that will turn the war in their favor. When it is placed in peril, the Colonial Military Intelligence office sends in operative Henry Tolan to find out what happened and whether it can be saved from the Cylons.

Objective: Tauron (A Cylon War Story)

Chapter One: A Bad Place to Die

Forty Years Before the Fall of the Colonies:

Tauron

Military Research Facility LST-1197:

"The frakkers really got me this time," Paul Barnes said out loud even though nobody was there to hear him.

His vision blurred as he stumbled down the hallway towards the chamber where he had to do one last job before the inevitable took place. The research facility had been reinforced with hardened steel that could withstand an impact from the Cylons whether they were in orbit or on the ground.

"Not too far away," he said through gritted teeth.

He was not sure how they had done it, but the Cylons had breached the base and laid waste to practically everyone there. They had attacked with a ferocity that he had not even heard in the stories he had read in the news. He had barely managed to get away from the onslaught, but the damage had been done.

"It worked though; I'll be damned…"

The Cylons had begun to advance through the base when they suddenly seemed to be overcome with malfunctions that hindered their movements. That part of their research had paid off, the radiation from Ragnar worked. He had wondered if that was as good as advertised, and it had been.

"If only I'd live to see tomorrow," he said.

He remembered the orders, and he would muster up the strength to see them through. The core of the base needed to be secured, and the device for Project Ptolemy along with it. When his feet crossed the threshold into the control room that overlooked the research area, he noticed that he felt weaker.

"Not much longer," he said.

The displays were still active, and he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. His bloodied fingers reached out to the button that would seal this area of the station. An alarm sounded as he heard the doors close with an audible clank. His legs gave out and he fell against a nearby wall and came to a seated position on the floor. It was done, now all he had to do was wait for the inevitable in this area that had now become his tomb.

'Better to bleed out and die more quickly than face the alternative," he thought as he looked at the walls.

"Icarus must succeed," he said as he lost consciousness.

Ulysses, Scorpia:

Lansing's Deli

"How was your last trip to Canceron?" Lieutenant Patrick Kober asked after taking a bite of the sandwich the waitress had brought him.

Lieutenant Henry Tolan smiled. "It was good to visit Sylvia and the rest of my family. Thankfully, they have no idea what I really do."

"So, the whole story about you being an engineering officer in the Colonial Fleet seems to be holding up well?" Kober asked.

Tolan nodded, "Oh yeah, as far as my wife and the rest of my family are concerned, I'm still on the Columbia."

"Just think of what your father would say if he knew what you really did," Kober teased knowing that Henry was the oldest son of Carl Tolan, the man that led the Basileus crime syndicate on Canceron.

Tolan let out a sigh. "My dad would probably want all the information I could give him so he could expand the family business to other colonies."

"I figured he'd want you to install him as the new President or something," Kober said knowing that Tolan had become used to the good-natured ribbing of his parentage.

"Besides, he'd probably want to become friends with you since you're a data analyst. I'm more of a field operative," Tolan countered.

"Yeah, you get to go out and have the fun jobs while I get to make sense of whatever gets sent our way," Kober said before asking, "Did you say that you had a meeting with the General?"

Tolan nodded. "His secretary told me that he requested the pleasure of my company but I'm sure he probably worded it differently."

The two men instinctively looked at the Ramsden Building. The office tower located at the corners of Rollins and King Streets was the location for the headquarters of the Colonial Military Intelligence. The CMI was the military equivalent of the Ministry of Intelligence, the place that provided the Colonial military with the information needed to plan out the strategies needed to fend off the Cylons.

"I hear the office has been walking on eggshells lately, something big is going on there."

Tolan took a bite of his sandwich and thought the statement over as he chewed. Kober had been one of the analysts who had briefed him on the happenings on Canceron, and that included his father's recent deals with the Colonial Fleet.

"Did you hear something during a midnight frak with Nancy at reception?"

His question hit home, and he saw Kober's eyes narrow at him in irritation. The two had been friends long enough to where they could tease each other, and the rumor mill had recently turned out that Nancy had taken a particular shine to him.

"Come on Henry, you know what my standards are," he shot back.

"Female reproductive organs and a pulse, that's about all that matters to you."

"Are you still upset about me seeing that tape of your sister and that pilot?" Kober asked.

Tolan rolled his eyes at the mention of that and shook his head. Colonial Military Intelligence had put eyes on the Tolan family home on Canceron, and that included state of the art audio and video monitoring. They had access to any video that was recorded in the house, and it had included a video from Admiral Stryker's recent mission where he enlisted the aid of the Basileus. Tolan was aware of his father's tendencies to try to honeytrap people so he could blackmail them for favors or cubits. In this case, his sister Lydia had dismissed the prostitute for one of the pilots and slept with the man herself.

"Nope, not even a little."

"For a spy, you're a lousy liar," Kober said before he added, "While we're on the topic of your sister, do think when the war is over, I might have a shot at her?"

"Maybe if I don't kill you before it's over," he teased.

One Hour Later:

Ulysses, Scorpia:

Colonial Military Intelligence Headquarters

Brigadier General Turav Elliman looked out the window of his office at the city of Ulysses. Scorpia was not his home colony, yet it was going to be for the rest of the war. He had been placed in charge of the Night Division, the section of CMI that was responsible for the covert missions. He had been asked by the President to fill this position and he knew that there was no way he could refuse the request. Now he had his agents operating either close to the frontlines or behind them with the hope that their actions would help shorten the war against the Cylons. There were two large, framed items, each on one side of the wall where the window was located. One was a large poster of that featured the CMI logo as well as its motto 'Versatility - Valor – Victory' and the other was an empty picture frame. He knew going in that the paper in the frame would eventually fill up with the names of operatives that lost their lives under his watch. Something told him that there would be more names than even he thought possible added to the list before the war had come to an end.

"The price we pay for our duty," he said softly as he read over the names on the list.

The door opened and in stepped his secretary, Courtney Shands, entered the room. She had worked under him for the past year and a half and in that time the young woman from Sagittaron had grown on him. He treated her as though she were another one of his daughters, and it seemed as though she had come to care about him, too.

"General, Lieutenant Tolan is here to see you," she said when he turned around to look at her.

"Excellent, Courtney, please show him in," Elliman said as he walked over to his desk and sat down.

Moments later, Tolan walked in, and the door was closed behind him. "General Elliman, I heard you wished to speak with me."

"Yes, Tolan, there have been some recent developments on Tauron. One of these is going to require you to pay the colony a visit," Elliman said.

Tolan's face was impassive as he asked, "Can you tell me what is going on or am I going in blind?"

"Do you remember all of that parachute training you received before you went home to visit your family?"

He had not forgotten it, and when he had asked his instructor why he had been volunteered for it he was told it was on a need-to-know basis and he did not need to know. He had come to expect responses like that in his line of work, and simply got the training over with.

"How could I forget…that Libran desert was unforgiving."

"You were part of a group that was selected for that due to your physical and mental aptitude scores back when you joined the agency, and it was in case something like that would be needed."

"Sir, I take it I'm about to be put on a mission that's going to require those skills.

"Admiral Stryker and President Morrigan have approved the final stages of what is known as Project Ptolemy. Its goal is to create a secret weapon that can bring the war to a swifter closure. On Tauron there is a facility called LST-1197, a key component of Ptolemy is being developed there under the codename 'Icarus'. The problem is that the Cylons have breached the defenses at Argos and are expected to reach the facility within the next three to four days. We've tried to contact the facility, but it appears 1197 has gone dark. Your mission is to head to Tauron and find out what the condition is at the facility and whether Icarus can be salvaged," Elliman said.

"I understand, where will I be going to and who's going to meet me there?" Tolan asked.

Elliman produced a brown envelope and handed it to Tolan, "When you arrive on Tauron you're going to go report to Stratos Station. From there you'll make your way to Natoma Bay Fleet Air Station. Your pilot is Lieutenant Easton Noble. Natoma is the closest city to 1197 that's still in our hands. You'll do either a high-altitude parachute drop from the Raptor or you'll land on the ground and disembark if called for. Your contact is Mireya Selano, she's connected to the Ha'la'tha and can help you get past any Cylons that are in the area."

Tauron City, Tauron:

Stratos Station

Tolan walked down the corridor towards his destination. The average citizen would not have thought him out of place. He wore the uniform of a Colonial Fleet officer with the pins and insignias that identified him as an engineering officer with a patch that showed he was a member of the battlestar Columbia's crew. Through the wall to his right, he could hear the rumble of Tauron City's subway system as one of its trains ferried its passengers to their next destination. Once the vibration of the walls had settled, he resumed his walk. The place looked as though it had been abandoned for years. The bare concrete walls and exposed light bulbs spoke of the story that had unfolded twelve years ago when the Cylon War had begun.

"It turned out to be the perfect cover."

He said these words as he turned a corner and started down another corridor that looked identical to the one, he had just come down. This was supposed to the one of the maintenance tunnels for a new track of the Tauron City Metro, but the war provided a new use for it.

"There it is," he mused as he found the poster he needed to find.

It was one of the series of recruitment posters for the Colonial Fleet, with an image of a Columbia-class battlestar imposed behind the stern visage of Fleet Admiral Jonas Stryker. The words beneath were meant to encourage the person to join the fight because the Twelve Colonies needed their help.

"It took a toaster revolt to bring us all together."

He found the concrete block marked with an infinity symbol and reached to the side where it was attached to its neighboring block on the right. There was a beep and the outer face of the block opened to reveal a hand and retina scanner. He placed his hand on the scanner and put his eye to where his retina could be scanned.

"Access granted," the computerized voice of the scanner announced.

There was an audible hiss as part of the wall raised to reveal an entryway. This one was metallic and looked more modern in comparison to the corridor he stood in. He entered the opening and turned to watch as the fake wall slid back into place.

"Welcome, Lieutenant Tolan, you may now enter," a woman's voice said through a speaker just inside of the door.

He walked through the door, and it immediately began to close. In his mind it appeared as though the closing went by considerably faster than when it opened. Could it have been a trick of his mind? More than likely it was exactly what it seemed like.

"Please step into the bioscanner and remain still," the woman's voice ordered.

He stood still as he saw a green scanning light move back and forth over him. It was as much to try to ensure that he carried no viral contagion that could hamper the station's ability to operate.

"You're free to enter," the woman said.

He stepped through the doors once they opened and found himself in an operations room that buzzed with activity. He saw data feeds that he was certain would bring in real-time data from the forces that engaged the Cylons. A recent interview with Admiral Stryker on the news came to his mind, one in which the Admiral of the Fleet stated that Tauron must not be allowed to fall. It would explain some of the reports from the planet where the fighting had increased in fervor.

"Look alive people, the Cylons aren't going to go easy on us just because we're having a long day," Major Edward Hastings called out to the group in the control center.

"Lieutenant Tolan, reporting as ordered," he announced.

He watched as Hastings finished up a conversation with one of the subordinates before he motioned with a quick nod of his head towards a nearby office.

"Come with me Tolan," he said as he led the way to the office.

The man did not have a lot of time to stand on ceremony, which made sense with a war to be fought. He did not reply as he followed him into the office. The men and women in the control center did not pay him any attention as they went about their work. Tauron was a hot spot in the war with the Cylons. While the war had found itself onto every colony, the fighting here was at a fever pitch.

"Close the door and have a seat," Hastings said as he took a seat behind a desk, "So, this is what the heir to the Basileus looks like."

He felt a familiar heat rise to his face at the comment. It was something he knew anyone with a cursory glance at his dossier would know, the last name in and of itself was a giveaway. Long ago he had made peace with the fact that he would be inextricably linked to his father's crime empire on Canceron. As it went with the tradition on his home colony, he was the eldest son, and it was expected that he would take over when his father's time came and he passed on.

"If you're being traditional, then I suppose so," he said evenly.

"Tolan, I'm curious about you," Hastings said as he looked around the room as though he wanted to say something, "What makes the son of a crime boss decide to become an intelligence operative?"

"To play a part in defeating the Cylons," he said.

"I've met people like you before, you're from a wealthy and influential family. All your father had to do was wiggle his index finger and you'd have gotten some cushy assignment instead of being in the mud with us grunts."

Tolan knew the kind of people Hastings had referred to. On Canceron he had been a student at the prestigious Haradas Academy, and when rumors had started that Canceron's government had begun debate on mandatory conscription for all citizens when they turned eighteen. Many of his friends had stated that their parents would make sure they never had to serve, and he was sure that when the Cylons revolted that there had been those who would have still held that belief.

"That may be, but it wasn't how I wanted to go about it. If we don't all work together to defeat the Cylons then humanity is doomed."

Tolan wondered what impact his statement would have on Hastings. Maybe his words resonated with the man, or maybe he just saw it as boilerplate rhetoric from some spoiled rich kid. Maybe Hastings would have been right about him if he had not gone to Viswan University in the city of Mangala where he had majored in engineering. It was part of what led to his cover story on the Columbia, as one of the officers in the Engineering Department's electrician division.

"Okay, Tolan, I'll let headquarters know that you've made it here. Get a bite to eat, and I'll get a driver to take you to Natoma Bay. The roads are safe right now, so you should have an easy ride out there."

"Thank you, Major Hastings," he said.

"Yeah, just don't screw up out there because there's a lot riding on this mission…no pressure," Hastings said as he waved a hand to dismiss him from the room.

Tauron:

Natoma Bay Fleet Air Station:

Tolan entered the hangar to find it a scene of controlled chaos like what he had seen during the times he had been on the Columbia. Mechanics and their maintenance crews worked over the Raptors in the hangar at a feverish pace, and it made him wonder if there was a mission about to take place.

"Anything I can do for you, sir?"

He turned to see one of the petty officers had spotted him and made her way to him. A glance to the spot where her last name would be on her uniform revealed the name 'Sutton' stitched on it.

"Yes, Chief Sutton, I'm looking for Lieutenant Easton Noble, do you know where he is?"

"Drag Strip is in the briefing room down the corridor to your left," she said as she motioned.

"Thank you Chief," he said as he turned and headed down the corridor towards the location of the briefing room.

He entered the room and saw a man and woman that appeared to intently study a map on a table. They were both in their flight suits, and neither had yet to notice he had stepped into the room.

"Our best bet would be to go around the Sitkoh Forest instead of taking a straight path," the woman said.

"Right, Gunrunner trying to be a cautious yet again," he teased.

He coughed as he could sense he had reached the limit to how long he could politely listen in and not seem rude.

"Don't mind me, I'm just here to see who wins the argument," he said and then added, "Lieutenant Henry Tolan, Colonial Military Intelligence."

"Lieutenant Noble, callsign Drag Strip, and this is my too cautious for her own good ECO," Noble said.

"Lieutenant Nicole Rendova, callsign Gunrunner, looking forward to getting you to your destination," she said.

Tolan walked over to where the pair stood and looked over at the map of the Takanis region of the planet. Where the forest ended there was a grassy area where he could either land once the parachuted or the Raptor could land if the conditions were not favorable. It was the time of the year where anything was possible when it come to the weather. If he were honest with himself, he would rather have the landing than the jump.

"I'm looking forward to our little journey," he said as he kept his eyes on the map, "Any update to the weather reports?"

"None, but the weather in this area is so unpredictable," Noble said.

"Then you have to deal with the frakking toasters that have been holding that area," Rendova said as she pointed to several red X's that had been put on the map, "The Marines and the Army have been trying to dislodge them for the past couple of months but the frakkers are stubborn."

He looked at them and nodded his head. If he took what was displayed on the map at face value, then this mission had all the potential to be a one-way trip. Not that he was afraid of that prospect, but in his opinion the war had enough martyrs, and he had no desire to join that select group.

"I get where the two of you are coming from," he said as his eyes stayed affixed to the map, "We just have to figure out the best way to get me to my destination."

"In that case, Tolan, go make yourself comfortable and once Gunrunner and I have this sorted we'll fly out."

He left the room and followed the arrows until he found the base's recreation room. There was something he wanted to do before the Raptor was ready to fly. It could take a while though with the way Drag Strip and Gunrunner were going at it about the best route to take.

"Let's do this," he said to himself.

The rec room was empty for the most part, the only company he had were a group of personnel in the middle of a triad game. He was not interested in them, instead his attention was turned towards the bank of phones on the other side of the room. Before the Cylons revolted it was possible to engage in video conferences across the planets, but the Colonies had been forced to take steps back in technology to keep the Cylons from using their technology against them.

"Please be awake," he whispered as he picked up the phone and waited for the communications department to pick up.

"Communications, where do you need your call placed?"

"Canceron, number to be dialed is planetary code 229 with number 4789863301," he said into the phone.

"Hold while the call is placed," the man on the other side of the call said.

He said nothing and waited as there was an audible click and then after a wait that felt like an eternity the phone began to ring on the other side. A glance at his watch revealed that it was still early in the evening back home.

"Hello," a woman's voice answered.

"Hey babe, it's me," he said.

Sylvia Tolan, his wife of the past seven years, was awake even though she sounded incredibly tired. He should not have been surprised by that, she was pregnant and he wondered if he would even be home when his second son was born.

"Hey, I thought Columbia was on deployment," she said.

Now was the time to come up with a clever lie. There was no way he could ever tell her the truth of what he really did, and there was nothing he could do about it. His was a dual life that he had to lead. There was the public side of him, the dutiful crewmember on the battlestar and then there was the real him with the Ministry of Intelligence.

"We are, I had to pull a few strings to get this call made but I wanted to hear your voice," he told her.

"I'll take it, Andrew saw the Leonidas on the screen and asked if that was your ship."

He felt a wave of emotion come over him, but he quickly pushed it away. Everyone in the Colonies had to make sacrifices for the war and missing out on his son's early years was the price he had to pay. Knowing that soon he would have a second son on the way gave him an added incentive to make it through this mission. It was a small consolation as well that his father would make sure Sylvia and the children had the very best in terms of support. Carl Tolan could be a ruthless businessman, but when it came to his children and their families he spared no expense.

"The next time Columbia finds its way to Canceron maybe he can be at the shipyard when we dock, it'd be great to see you and him at the airlock."

"Let's see if I'm going to be on bedrest by then, Scott has to have a pair of strong legs with the way he's been kicking me."

"Sounds like we're going to have a pyramid player on our hands," he joked.

His thoughts were broken when he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. He looked around to see that Noble had found him, and he held up a finger to silently ask the pilot to wait a moment.

"Maybe the gods have that in mind," she said.

"Hey, I need to get going but you rest up and I'll call you the next chance I get. I love you."

"I love you too, stay safe out there."

"Always babe."

He ended the call and looked up to Noble, "You two finally came to an agreement?"

"I didn't come find you here to eavesdrop on your call home, let's go."

The phone was placed back into its cradle, and he stood up to leave. It was time to get the next phase of his mission started, and he hoped Noble was as good as a pilot as he made himself out to be.

Military Research Facility LST-1197:

In his dreams, Barnes was back home on Caprica in the time before the war. He was a research analyst with Naldara Pharmaceuticals, and he was a part of a team on the cutting edge of medical science. It was a simpler time, and his life was nowhere near as exciting as what it became after the Cylons rebelled against humanity.

'Paul, you got to wake up,' a voice inside his head called out.

His eyes fluttered open and for an instant it seemed as though they would close. That could not happen though, if he went to sleep again, he might not wake up. With a grunt of pain, he made himself stand up. He was still alive, even if he was not sure if he wanted to be.

"You're awake and going, maybe the sick bay is still available."

He said the words out loud in the hopes that if he heard then he would go along with the plan his mind had made. His legs felt stiff, but at least they moved as he left the compartment and out into the hallway. If he could get to sick bay then maybe he could try to patch himself up enough to still function.

Author's Note: This story owes its genesis to one of the characters introduced in my Battlestar Colossus story. It was a chance to add some more depth to Scott Tolan's father and spend time in the era of the Cylon War.