Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or Battlestar Galactica: 2003.
Another Road not Taken
Chapter20: The Long Night
October 8th 2009
Earth-controlled Space
Deep Space
Colonial One
President's Office
"How bad is it?" Roslin asked the question.
"Very bad Madam President," Tory replied simply.
"We lost the Pegasus and one of the Tau'ri Battlestars during the battle," Adama explained. "The Galactica also took heavy damage during the battle; it's a miracle she can even fly at all."
"What's the good news?" Roslin asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"The good news is that the Earth Federation fleet has been recalled from deployment in the neighbouring Pegasus Galaxy and will be here within two weeks," Major Davis spoke up. "We've also tracked the subspace transmissions of their Resurrection network...we've located several of their Resurrection ships and the Tok'ra have already dispatched scout ships to keep track of them."
"What kind of response are we expecting from the Cylons? I doubt they've given up after we evacuated New Caprica," Roslin asked.
"They're regrouping at the Resurrection ships in the area," Davis replied. "They'll try and track you down but I think it's safe to say that as long as you stay on the move deeper into Earth-controlled space they won't pursue."
"For now," Tory added.
"They won't get the chance to come after you," Davis said as he shook his head. "We've recently acquired the location of every Cylon base in the galaxy so we're hunting them down."
"...And?" Adama asked the question.
"And both the Jaffa and Tok'ra are joining us," Davis continued. "They're assembling a fleet in the Abydos System as we speak...for a full-scale invasion of Cylon space."
"...Then the Galactica will join them," Adama said.
"Admiral?" Roslin asked him.
"The Galactica has fought in the last two Cylon wars...it will fight in the third," Adama responded. "The fleet will be fine as long as you're in Tau'ri space...and we need to strike back at the Cylons soon in order to raise morale."
"...Alright," Roslin agreed. "But be careful...I don't want to lose another ship if we can help it."
"No promises Madam President," Adama nodded.
October 15th 2009
Abydos System
In orbit above Abydos
EFS George Hammond
Briefing Room
The planet Abydos used to be a small human slave world under the control of Ra during the reign of the Goa'uld Empire. After being freed from Ra upon his death, the humans of Abydos lived in a relative peace until the desert world came under attack by the half ascended Goa'uld known as Anubis in 2003. The result of that battle was the floating debris of a Goa'uld fleet of Ha'taks and the destruction of the human settlement on the planet along with the Stargate and the pyramid that housed it.
Since then the planet was left alone because of its natural environment and depleted Naquadah mines. That is until the Tau'ri returned in 2005, two years after the battle with the Tok'ra and a Jaffa mothership. The Tok'ra then started construction on a crystal complex like that on their homeworld and the Jaffa maintained at least one Ha'tak in the area at any given time.
In orbit of the desert world were thirteen Jaffa and Tok'ra Ha'tak-class motherships, nine Tau'ri battlecruisers and three Battlestars including the Galactica. After a week of near constant repairs and refits the old Colonial warship was now fully operational again and ready for its next fight. Even so it had been discovered that the Galactica had micro-fractures in its space frame and after the damage it took over New Caprica it was simply dying of old age.
The Tau'ri had done all they could but it was clear to everyone that the Galactica wasn't going to survive much longer before its frame gave out. Despite knowing this Admiral Adama didn't want to abandon it to the fate of dying slowly of old age and instead had planned on taking the Galactica into battle once more, intending for it to keep fighting until its last speck of life left the old girl.
"Do we have a target?" General Jack O'Neill asked the question.
"Our scout ships have tracked several Cylon Resurrection ships deep within Cylon territory," Anise spoke in her distorted voice disturbing several of the present humans in the room. "However one of the signals we tracked was something different...our scans showed that the subspace resurrection transmissions kept feeding back to this...control node when the Resurrection ships were overloaded."
"We've identified it as a Resurrection Hub," Colonel Samantha Carter spoke up. "It acts as the central storage and primary cloning facility of the Cylon Empire," of course she got this information from the 'Rebel Cylons' but she wasn't going to tell them that. "According to our intel they only have one of these things and for some reason they are unable to build more."
"So what's the plan?" Adama asked around the room.
"The Hub is guarded by thirty-six Cylon vessels," Anise started. "A frontal assault would be costly for all involved should we decide to attack with the fleet we have gathered."
"There's also the fact that the Hub itself is capable of FTL," Carter added. "If they see us coming then they're going to run and we may never catch them again. Because of this I think it would be prudent to hit them with our Vultures and take out their FTL drive before they even know what's happening."
"What about their fleet?" Adama questioned.
"To neutralise the Hub we're going to be employing the new Mark IX Naquadria-enhanced nuclear missiles on the Hub and any surrounding ships. Any ships that are caught in the blasts simply won't survive," Carter explained.
"And then the fleet enters the battle and destroys what's left of them. It's not very honourable," Bra'tac commented.
"Its war," Jack countered. "However no plan has ever survived contact with the enemy so I say we launch our raptors too equipped with nuclear payloads."
"We need to act quickly before they escape," Anise urged.
"Agreed," Adama nodded and stood from the table.
October 16th 2009
Cylon-controlled Space
Deep Space
F302-V Vulture Assault Fighter
Cockpit
Flashes of light signified the arrival of the Tau'ri vultures in the center of the Cylon fleet along with a flight of Tau'ri and Colonial raptors. Almost immediately the Cylons detected them and began launching raiders to intercept as the human fighters closed in on their target.
"Okay boys and girls open fire as soon as you have a firing solution," Gold-1 spoke through the comm.
"I have a target lock," Colonel Cameron Mitchell breathed. "Fox three," a single missile exploded from his starboard wing and accelerated towards the Resurrection Hub.
Others followed soon after, dozens of missiles streaked out in front of them at the Hub and its escorts as the vultures and raptors pulled away. Nuclear light consumed the Hub as the missiles struck their targets and detonated. The sudden attack and firepower brought to bear overwhelmed the shields of the Hub and its eight closest escorting Basestars. Three more further away survived though their own shields had collapsed and their hulls were now scarred.
"We have a kill," Helo confirmed. "All flights, be advised, we have multiple raider squadrons bearing down on us."
"Roger that Raptor-13," Gold-1 acknowledged. "All wings, standby for jump coordinates; it's time for phase two."
Cam was always one to fight to the death but he always needed a plan, preferably one without the 'to the death' part. So when the next sets of coordinates were uploaded to his systems he grinned and charged up his fighter's FTL drive for another jump. Space around him seemed to tighten as the drive engaged and transported him into position for his next attack run.
"Fox-two," he breathed as he let loose with another missile at an unsuspecting Basestar.
When the missile impacted the Basestar's shield it detonated with a blinding light which engulfed the vessel. He was dimly aware as his wing mates were also nuking the ever loving shit out of everyone and everything in their way. It seemed that the peoples of the galaxy were finally taking the fight to the menace that had attempted to wipe them all out.
Payback was a bitch...
October 16th 2009
Cylon-controlled Space
Deep Space
EFS Odyssey
Main Bridge
Dozens of hyperspace windows tore open signifying the arrival of the allied fleet of Tau'ri, Colonial, Jaffa and Tok'ra warships. The Odyssey opened fire the moment it targeted an unshielded Basestar with its railguns and low-yield nuclear ordinance. Its Asgard cannons spat out superheated blue plasma at the Basestar in front of it as it moved to enter the fray.
"Status?" Emerson demanded as he sat back in his chair.
"We just took out two Baseships and the shields are holding," Marks reported.
"Scramble all vipers and standby to deploy nukes on my order," Emerson gave the order.
The Odyssey continued towards the center of the warzone as the Galactica jumped in and began exchanging fire with a pair of Basestars. The Odyssey swooped in and unleashed a barrage of plasma beams at one of the Basestars, tearing through its shield and blowing it clean in half. As the Odyssey continued on passed, the Galactica launched a volley of nuclear missiles at the second Basestar, breaking its shield and destroying it.
Suddenly a new ship appeared in a flash of light...
"Sir, I'm picking up another ship," Marks informed. "Unknown class, I think its Cylon configuration."
"A new class?" Emerson asked as he turned to the monitor on the side. It displayed a large domed vessel with a long spire sticking out of its underside and littered with gun emplacements.
"Sir, I'm picking up a massive energy build up," Marks reported warily.
The Cylon warship turned so the spire was now pointed at one of the Jaffa motherships and suddenly a beam of glowing orange light shot out from its tip. The beam slammed into the Ha'tak mothership's shields and broke right through them before cutting through the vessel itself.
"What the hell was that?" Emerson demanded.
"It looks like some kind of ion cannon," Marks replied. "According to the readings its channelling the energy it gathers in its FTL buffers and then fires it using the weapon...sir, that energy burst can cut through just about anything short of an Asgard shield."
"Let's not push our luck," Emerson said clearly. "Contact the Achilles, and the Korolev; have them form up on us. We're taking that monster down now before it does anymore damage," he ordered. "Talk about incomplete intel," he muttered angrily.
"Sir, I've just run the Cylon ship through the Colonial library," Marks reported. "That's a Colonial vessel, it's identified as a Cyberstar...it looks like the Cylons captured two them during the first war but they were destroyed while a third was also captured but it wasn't completed."
"Well it looks like they've completed it and then some," Emerson commented. "How's the virus?" he asked.
"The raiders are in disarray but they've cut all links between them to counter our virus," Marks replied. "We can't shut them down but they're flying blind."
"Deploy our nukes," Emerson gave the order.
Dozens of raiders could do nothing to warn each other when a small few spotted the flicker of light which signified the transport of a nuclear weapon into the center of their lines. A flash of light and an expanding fireball consumed their vision as the nukes detonated and annihilated the formation of raiders.
"Now get me a firing solution on that new Cylon ship," Emerson ordered.
"We have a lock," Marks reported.
"Fire," Emerson gave the order.
The Odyssey angled to port and opened fire with its portside Asgard plasma cannon. The blue beams of superheated plasma were accompanied by more beams from the Korolev and a volley of plasma drones from the Achilles. The beams struck their target first, tearing down its shields and burning through the armour of the large circular surface of the vessel. The drones were next, breaking into the Cyberstar with brute force and either exploding once inside or shooting out of the other side and turning to re-enter the vessel.
"Sir, I'm detecting another energy build-up," Marks informed.
Another orange beam of light shot out of the dying Cyberstar's nose and struck the shields of the Achilles. The shields of the BC303 were unable to withstand the attack and quickly buckled as the energy—despite being mostly absorbed by the shields—tore into its neck. Secondary explosions riddled along its ventral neck and it fell lifeless in the emptiness of space. A few shots from the Cyberstar's staff cannons smashed what was left of the Tau'ri battlecruiser, reducing it to a field of debris scattered across the area.
The Odyssey and the Korolev then unleashed one final salvo of missiles towards the barely functional Cylon warship. The missiles hit their mark, striking the hull and exploding with enough force to shatter its space frame in a blinding light. When the blast died down nothing remained of the Cylon flagship that had destroyed the Achilles.
"Report Major Marks?" Emerson questioned.
"Contact has been neutralised," Marks responded. "All remaining Cylon vessels have been destroyed and we're mopping up the rest of the raiders now."
"...Status of the fleet?" Emerson asked after a moment.
"Two Ha'tak motherships were destroyed along with the Achilles sir," Marks reported. "The vultures, raptors and gilders took some pretty heavy losses too sir. The vipers held out okay but they're heading back to the Battlestars to resupply and rearm."
"Get me General O'Neill on subspace...I think it's safe to say we're finished here."
Author's Notes:
And so ends the Battle of the Resurrection Hub. For the record the Cyberstar is from the BSG: 2003 game based during the First Cylon War which was released for the original XBOX back in 2003. I remember it because it was the final level of the game and you had to kill it despite the fact that it was shooting lightning bolts at you which killed you instantly.
I've pretty much written out the remaining chapters of this story so I'm going to keep updating this fic from now on until it's done. We're approaching the conclusion and I'm just finishing a few things up.
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See Ya Later…