Chapter 5.
Battlestar Galactica – present day.
"Dee, has there been any word from Major Nintius' recon patrol?" asked Adama.
"She's scheduled to check in at any moment sir." Replied Dualla.
Something about this sector did not sit well with Adama, he did not know what it was, but knew deep down that it would be better for them to move along as soon as possible. He turned to Tigh and ordered him to have all flight crews restricted to the areas around the launch bays, and to shut down the alcohol being served to off duty pilots. He wanted the fleet's defenders ready to launch if something happened.
The recon patrol was in the final leg of its assigned mission, and Peacemaker was anxious to return to the fleet. "Betty – Peacemaker, it looks like this last planetoid is a bust, not one tylium reading."
"It's looking that way Captain, I was about to radio the 'bucket' to give them our progress report…or lack of." Replied Nintius. Before Horlach could reply the Dradis aboard each Colonial ship sounded. Multiple contacts bearing down on them. "Incoming Cylons, I've got a Basestar jumping into range, 222 carom 126 and closing."
"All wings – Peacemaker, we've got way too many coming in…let's head back to the fleet. Raptor 1 you are to jump back to Galactica immediately, the odds are stacked far too high against the four of us!" ordered peacemaker. Nina wanted to put the new and improved Taz into the fight, but she knew Horlach was right. He, Destiny and Rogue were going to have their hands full trying to escape the incoming bandits, the only way she could outrun the faster star fighters would be to jump away.
"Peacemaker – Betty…I'll be back with the Calvary!"
"Don't take too long Nina!" chimed in Lt. Mick Rogue. A second later Raptor 1 jumped away.
Galactica CIC
"Mr. Gaeta, bring the ship to condition 1 and prepare to launch the alert fighters!" ordered Adama.
A Cylon Basestar had materialized just outside of the fleet's security perimeter and was launching fighters. "Order the fleet to jump to emergency coordinates and get me Admiral Culverhouse on the line!"
One by one the civilian ships of the fleet jumped away to safety as Galactica came about to position herself to engage the incoming Basestar. The Cylons jumped in closer to the rear of the fleet where Pacifica was on station. Her main guns coming alive just as the call from Adama was patched through.
"This is Pacifica Actual…go ahead Admiral." Said Culverhouse over the secure military comline between Battlestars.
"Mack it would appear the enemy has jumped within your capable clutches; can you hold them off until the fleet jumps away?" asked Adama.
"Need you even ask that question, Bill? You've still got recon ships to recover, I can handle what they can throw at us, just make sure those civies get away before the rest of the Cylon fleet arrives." Adama knew that the more advanced Pacifica could hold its own against the Cylon's capital ships, with two Battlestars now one could jump ahead to protect the fleet while the other remained to protect the retreat. While he would prefer to be the one covering the retreat, Culverhouse was closer.
"Good luck to you Mack, see you on the side." Replied Adama.
"Dee, what's the status on Peacemaker's patrol?"
"He's been ordered to not engage their incoming, and to return to Galactica with all speed. They're 10 minutes out at full battle thrusters." Reported Lt. Dualla.
"Instruct them to land in landing bay alpha, as soon as they're aboard we can jump to the emergency coordinates." Instructed Adama as he turned to Tigh. "I don't like the idea of jumping away and leaving them alone to cover the retreat." Said Adama quietly.
"Bill, you know Pacifica is more than a match for any Cylon warship, if he doesn't get too bogged down by those slit eyed black bastards than he should make short work of the Baseship." Replied the executive officer in his usual gruff voice. Adama did not reply, he kept his eye on the Dradis, tracking his three incoming recon vipers, and the departure of his civilian fleet.
CIC - Battlestar Pacifica
"Colonel Morlock, status of the fleet?"
"They're down to six ships sir, and the recon patrol has been recovered. Our squadrons are holding off the bulk of the initial raiders, but they keep getting reinforced, they're approaching the point of being lethally outnumbered." Warned Morlock. Pacifica's air wing was doing a tremendous job at cutting down the raiders, but the numbers against them were growing by the minute.
"Incoming ordinance Admiral!" called out the tactical officer. Six Cylon missiles powered their way through the Battlestar's field of defensive fire, striking with a vengeance. The ship shuttered under the assault.
"Admiral, we need to recover our air wing, there are close to 400 raiders out there, and the numbers keep climbing." Said Morlock with a note of concern in his voice. Colonial viper pilots were far superior to the bio-mechanical raider, but even with the advanced Mk. VIIs; the battle was starting to turn against them.
"Helm…I want full power to the main engines, bring us in close to the Basestar and be prepared to pivot on my command. Tactical give me a six-point spread of fire on their center axis." ordered Culverhouse. The massive Colonial warship surged forward, causing swarming raiders to part. Vipers made combat landings under the protection of the point defense turrets that ringed the flight pods. The defense turrets were in sync with each viper as it made its final approach, ceasing fire now they picked up the viper's transponder, allowing it to pass through the flak unmolested.
Aboard the Cylon Basestar, the humanoid Cylons are surprised to learn they are not in combat with the Galactica, but another Battlestar entirely. Cavil stood at the data stream analyzing the information.
"Well this is a troubling situation my friends, apparently our brothers and sisters were not as thorough as they thought they were in wiping out Colonial fleet back in our attack on the twelve worlds."
Leoben looked up and informed the gathering that the Hybrid had identified the rogue Battlestar as the Pacifica, under command of Rear Admiral Mack Culverhouse. Doral removed his hands from the basin containing the data stream and spoke.
"I know of this Battlestar Commander, he is quite capable…as is the executive officer."
"Oh…celebrities in our midst, how wonderful!" mocked Cavil.
"Admiral Culverhouse has sent quite a few of our brothers to their resurrection ships since our attack on the Colonies, and in his youth, he was just as formidable, if not more so. I would suggest caution!" warned Doral.
"Oh, please spare me; brother…I don't swoon at Colonial lore or its would-be heroes. Culverhouse is no less a pestilence than the rest of that miserable race. Send out the remaining raiders…every one of them and let not even one return until the Pacifica is left a floating mass of cosmic dust."
The offensive fire continues to strike Pacifica with a relentless fury, damage control stations report heavy damage to the bow section. Culverhouse maintains his course, returning fire, plowing through raiders like a scythe through chafe.
"Brothers, we are taking extensive damage throughout the ship, they are concentrating their firepower on the axis of our ship, we must withdraw before we're destroyed." Said Leoben. The Basestar was rocking violently, Pacifica was inflicting serious damage to the ship, and the Hybrid was reporting systems failures throughout.
"Admiral, the raider force has intensified…and we're now picking up new contacts; no doubt the raiders that were pursuing Galactica's recon patrol." Reported tactical.
Morlock was quickly at Culverhouse's side, "We must leave…now! We're taking serious punishment and can't afford to have our FTL's taken out."
"Damn it Tom, I want that fraking Basestar taken out." Morlock leaned in close, he never disagreed with his commander publicly, but this was too serious, and damage control stations were reporting in at an alarming rate, he lowered his voice to just above a whisper.
"Admiral, we need to get out of here while we still can." Culverhouse served with Morlock for long enough to know when his number two was nervous, he valued Morlock's advice above all else and seldom ignored him. He knew the XO was right, and the ship was taking a hell of a beating. It would have been hideously irresponsible to stay in the firefight, it was not just his crew that depended on him; but the remainder of humanity awaiting their arrival at the emergency jump coordinates.
"Weapons…fire off one last volley and let's get the hell out of here. Helm…jump us out of here the moment after the missiles clear the tubes!" ordered Culverhouse. Four of the six bow launchers fired off their missiles, tubes two and six were heavily damaged and unresponsive. No sooner had the missiles launched did Pacifica disappear.
The fleet continued its journey through sector twelve of system number 1104 without incident, a large dead planet inhabited this sector and a patrol sent to investigate. Pacifica CAG Major Tamara Hawks spearheads the recon patrol. Four Mk. VII vipers and a raptor spread out in perfect formation.
"Raptor six – Widowmaker…can you repeat that?"
"The planet is unremarkable, but I'm picking up an incredible centralized, metallic reading in a very remote area." Replied the Raptor pilot.
"All wings – Widowmaker…let's take it down to the deck and get a closer look." The vipers rolled in one after the other in perfect execution. Widowmaker was a perfectionist and stern CAG who drilled her pilots to perfection. Many air combat competitions were won by Pacifica's air wing thanks to Tamara Hawks. There was no cloud cover to break through, and before each pilot's eyes was a barren, reddish planet that was unremarkable in every sense.
A large jagged trench cut across the surface of the planet, the vipers flew in low following its path. Large swaths of debris fields littered the surface and Widowmaker wondered what could have left such devastation. The jagged trench extended miles and looked old. Her eyes darted across the landscape, then widened in horror.
"Skipper is that what I think it is?" came the voice of Beta 2, her wing-man Widowmaker brought her viper into a slow, lazy turn to take another pass over the debris in question.
"Unfrakenbelievable"…said Widowmaker quietly. "This I have to report!"
Battlestar Galactica – Pilot's ready room.
Matthew Lensherr sat with his legs up on the seat in front of him; a very uncomfortable Mark Sarnex paced the room before him. "I have to admit… it was original." Laughed Lensherr.
"Oh, I'll give him original, I have second degree steam burns all over my fraking body," hissed Sarnex. "You don't even want to know where that poor ensign is burned." The two men had the room to themselves; they had gotten there 15 minutes prior to a scheduled briefing. Matt had not seen Mark so angry before and worried what was going to happen when Ghostrider and Mark's path crossed.
"You realize of course you have no proof it was him!" offered Matt gesturing with his hands palms up.
"Of course, I do, but what the frak do you think my years back in Fleet Intelligence taught me?
Don't you think that I see that smug fraker's fingerprints all over this? Don't worry Hephaestus…I won't do anything to him…yet, nor will it be in your presence." The conversation was interrupted.
"Hello boys, am I interrupting anything?" came the soft voice of Lieutenant Tari Adama. Rumor of Mark Sarnex' s carnal mishap traveled like wildfire throughout the ranks of the air wing. It was taking all her effort to contain her laughter. "Mark…you don't look well." Teased Tari as she plopped down in the seat next to Matt; her hand brushing against his thigh.
Sarnex threw his head back, eyes rolling. "Oh, for the love of the fraking gods, not you too." He sat down behind the two pilots and sulked. "Laugh it up you two, trust me…Wolfe will get his soon enough. More viper pilots walked in, and soon Ghostrider arrived. He sat two rows behind Nightstalker, and when Mark turned to glare at him, he touched his two fingers to his brow as if saluting and smiled.
Major Lee Adama finally strolled into the ready room and took his place behind the lectern, Starbuck stood to the side of the room smoking a cigar. "As you were!" he said as pilots leaped to their feet. He looked up around the room and stopped at Nightstalker. "Have you been tanning out by the fake sunlight of Cloud Nine again, Sarnex?" The room erupted with laughter, and Sarnex just smiled coolly.
"Alright folks, let's settle down." Said Apollo shuffling through some notes. "This system is not providing any suitable planets in the way of water or algae, so I can't imagine the old man will keep us here long. Pacifica has a recon patrol out by the large planet as we speak and should be reporting in sometime soon."
Nina Nintius leaned back in her chair and spoke up. "What about those rumors that the old man wants to transfer some personnel over to Pacifica, is he talking any of the air wing?"
"As far as I know, there are no plans to integrate air wings." Replied Apollo. "My guess is that the Admiral doesn't want to repeat the Pegasus fiasco. It sounds like the rumor mill is working overtime again. Starbuck?"
"I concur, nothing but rumors started by fraking old ladies with too much time on their hands. Onto other matters…the knuckle draggers are complaining about the heavy landings again. Some of you are beating the hell out of the decks, and your landing gear and need to lighten up otherwise you will find your sorry asses detailed to the deck gang to hammer out those divots on the flight deck.
"Alright that just about wraps things up, Silver Spar squadron has CAP next rotation, and Blue squadron is scheduled to be taken offline for the scheduled Dradis software upgrade. Dragon squadron and Red Aces to follow with the Spars coming in last. That's it…good hunting!" The pilots dispersed and Nightstalker and Ghostrider found themselves elbow to elbow at the hatch.
"Nightstalker…you look awful, more so than usual I mean." Taunted Ghostrider.
"I'm feeling fine Ghost, as a matter of fact I've been meaning to thank you for getting shot down by that young ensign from Telemetry, if you weren't such a boor she might not have sought me out to show her what a real good time is. She's a great lay…oh well, you know what they say about 'your loss." Said Sarnex.
CIC - Battlestar Pacifica
"Admiral Culverhouse, Beta squadron on approach requesting priority landing." Informed the tactical officer.
"Is Widowmaker declaring an emergency?" asked Mack looking concerned.
"Negative sir, but she's approaching on full battle thrusters."
"She's cleared to land on Alpha landing bay." Ordered Culverhouse.
Major Tamara Hawks was soon being lowered into the hanger bay, and when the ladder was put up against her fuselage, she jumped out and exited the bay without doing a post flight check, destination CIC.
Within the hour, the camera footage from Raptor 6 was developed and loaded into the projector in the secure room. The room contained Culverhouse, Morlock, Hawks and the technician running the equipment. Hawks spoke softly. "The debris field was measured at sixteen clicks from the initial point of impact…which was massive. To travel that distance meant the ship had to be traveling at flank speed when it crashed."
The camera aboard the Raptor slowly scanned over large, twisted and burned metallic refuse. Barely recognizable to the untrained eye the piece of wreckage the camera came to a stop at caused Culverhouse's jaw to drop. The section of ship was mangled beyond description, but the name was still recognizable.
Solaria.