Disclaimer: I don't own Macross or Battlestar Galactica 2003.
We are not your thirteenth tribe
Version 2
Chapter 3
Turkey Shoot over Demeter
Vapor trails of thousands of missiles from two sides cross paths; the VFs was quick to scatter and avoid the incoming colonial missiles while the NUNS missiles which has a better targeting and tracking, took out several colonial fighters, as the RMS-1 antiship missiles continued on towards the battlestars.
Several of the NUNS RMS-1 missiles were shot down by flak cannons while others flew pass it or avoided the flak completely thanks to its AI auto avoidance system.
Reaction Missiles are the primary antiship missiles of the NUNS since the First Space Wars. One RMS-1is capable of bringing down a Zentraedi cruiser, however because of their experience in the first space war, it became a common practice to fire entire salvos of missiles at an enemy target, making sure that one missile will go thru the enemy point defenses or close in weapon system.
The spearhead group of the colonial liberation fleet was supposed to take down the NUNS flagship, twenty-four battlestars, and twelve in front, position like a medieval lance and twelve from behind, position like the shaft of the lance. With their plan to get as close to the San Fernando Valley and overwhelm it with sheer firepower, is now being overwhelmed by a firestorm at a magnitude beyond whatever nuclear weapons the colonials possess.
Onboard the Warstar Jupiter, the crew in the CIC watches their Dradis screens showing incoming missiles that evaded the battlestars fighter cover and flak cannon barrage.
Moments later, multiple blossoms of megaton nuclear fire followed by hundreds more from incoming salvos and then another salvo pounded the spearhead of the colonial liberation fleet.
One thousand RMS-1s was fired by the VFs and Ghost fighters combined. Two hundred was shot down by flak cannons, the rest of it hit home.
The NUNS have introduced to the colonials… 'The missile massacre'
There was a moment of stunned silence when they saw this sight, Nagala felt numb all over muttering "By the Gods"
This is the first time that Nagala, his crew and the rest of the fleet has ever seen nuclear weapons fired that many. For the colonials, the use of tactical weapons such as nukes should be used sparingly on any target as they have a limited number of them at their disposal and a firing a thousand nukes on twenty four battlestar is definitely, overkill in their book.
The surviving Vipers and Raptors watch the destruction of their ships even as VFs came at them with beam guns and Gatling fire. As the nuclear flames were subsiding, they see ships coming out in all direction; some came out with missing sections, most are literally in pieces.
Whatever ships that still have survivors was sending out SOS, twenty-four battlestars lost in the first engagement. Admiral Nagala picks up the radio and furiously barks out orders throughout the fleet
"All ships launch all fighters, group alpha, engage the enemy full assault, initiate corridor, I repeat, initiate the corridor!" he yelled and then close the communication link "we cannot lose this engagement" he muttered to himself
Nagala's battle plan for Demeter was first, Identify the leadership or command structure of the thirteener's space fleet and kills them which are why he went after the San Fernando Valley as it was identified as the flagship.
Now with the loss of the flagship and commanders, he can initiate the invasion plan of Demeter while the enemy is in disarray and reorganizing their command structure. This moment will help them establish a beachhead and once they secured one, they then focus their strength to gain more ground and finally take control of Demeter.
Once the invasion is complete, Demeter becomes their forward base and supply depot, a place to gather information about Earth and any other colonies they have and how large their space fleet so that they can plan their next move.
The Plan looks good on paper, making it a reality is another matter altogether, and another thing…Demeter Invasion in actuality, is a probing mission.
Despite what they told to the public, there is very little data about their cousins. What they have are presumptions, assumptions and guess work or just guessing, according to what the explorers have seen during their brief stay on Demeter.
Theories of the thirteenth tribe Government, Political, Culture, Religion, Economics, Science and Technology and others, all structured based on their own society but unsure if they even have a similar a society similar to theirs.
What the Colonial Defense Force do believes and all agrees, is that the thirteener's technology is advance, especially around weapons and energy shields on ships they first encountered, they thought they were warships.
Such technology that the kobolians believe are very expensive to make and most likely, only be incorporate on military vessels such as warships and are limited in numbers.
With this, they believe that a successful invasion relies on the overwhelming numbers of ships and fighters, which is why they gathered 200 ships, thousands of fighters and half a million troops.
To get this much support, the colonial government needed the entire resources of the twelve colonies, from corporate sponsorship where they get to gain new technology means making a profit on what they can get from the thirteeners. They needed the religious groups on their side to help fire up the public support, and the government itself, the expansion of their influence and territories will be their gain and lastly, the prestige and a re-election gimmik for President Adar of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol.
Adar got what he needed for the invasion and he put Nagala in charge to make things happen and so far, he hasn't even succeeded in gaining an inch of that prize beachhead.
The second wave of battlestars with their numerous fighters went into another mad dash towards Admiral Spelling's fleet launching their own anti-ship missiles at them at long range.
NUNS missile interceptors and CIWS shot most of them down and some did went nuclear and it buffeted the space around the ships but none of them came close to sink any of them.
It did force the NUNS to move a bit further from their defense line, creating a gap for the colonials to exploit.
Now, both Raptors and Vipers are flying to engage every enemy's fighters to hold that gap, but every pilot is aware that, a one on one against the fighter planes of thirteenth tribe is a death wish, so they gang up in twelve just to shoot down one variable fighter.
In the shootout above Demeter, an Excalibur fighter was running away from twelve Vipers. The colonial pilots thought that this was an easy kill due to their numbers, when suddenly, the Excalibur went into Gerwalk mode, hit reverse thrust and quickly got behind the vipers and unleashed half a dozen micro missiles killing six Vipers and then quickly switched to Soldier mode to fire his GU-15 Gunpod and anti-aircraft beam guns on the rest.
The other pilots look stunned, shock to see twelve viper fighters got shot down by one fighter that turns into something into their worst nightmare.
"Oh Gods, Oh Gods no…they are Cylons, they are turning into Cylons ahhhhh!" screamed by one of the Viper pilots who just got shot down by an Thunderbolt in soldier mode
When word of the thirteenth are using what they can only describe as Cylons, panic suddenly stricken most of them as their deep seated fear of the AI came at them like a flood.
Nagala hears the panicking of his pilots while wing commanders are trying to hold their squadron together, telling them to remember their training. Some responded while others flee the battlefield to return to their ships.
The battle rages on as more and more colonial fighters are dying by the hundreds, and another battlestar, a Mercury class ship, succumbed to multiple hits by reaction warheads while the others are being pounded relentlessly by long range beam weapon attacks.
Their reactive armour was helping to minimize the damage from the NUNS beam weapons but a direct hit from reaction warheads… 2 to 3 hits and it's all over.
Group Alpha, which consists of heavy class Warstars, Mercury and Columbia where their job, is to keep the enemy warships occupied as they create a corridor from the gap, for Group Beta to exploit.
Group Beta consists of Mercury class, Strikestars, Escortstar, Patrolstar and their job is to widen the corridor for Group Gamma.
Group Gamma consists of Assaultstars that carries their troops. Ships capable of landing on the planet, and also in the Gamma group are several landing capable ships called Gunstars and armored transports flying out of every battlestars and following the Gunstars entering Demeter's atmosphere.
At Demeter orbit, hundreds of Parasol class armed satellites have started to react on the colonial incursion along with the land based Ion Cannons. The satellites fired their beam guns and missiles to anything that got close to their field of fire as well as numerous squadrons of VF that continued to harass the colonials even though they are outnumbered, they are not outclassed.
In the transition, Group Beta has done everything it can to shield Group Gamma's atmospheric reentry even went as far as continuing to shield them at the fringes of space and atmosphere. They are practically 'taking a bullet' for their comrades in arms.
Nagala watches the tactical screens as group gamma runs the gauntlet of VF and armed satellites and the land based Ion cannons. This was expected according to their battleplan and believe to be the most dangerous part of the operation, which they are expecting high losses.
Their expecting high losses have just went higher.
Entering the atmosphere and pass the ion cannons line of sight which is a blind spot. A blind spot in Demeter's Ion cannon defense is behind the mountain range where the Group Beta got low enough.
Going behind the mountain range saves them from being blown out of the sky. Now Group Gamma separated into three parts and headed to their assigned landing three things came at them when they were about 200 miles from the surface of the planet
One, two dozen ground-based SAM (Surface to Air Missiles) sites launched hundreds of Long-range Surface to Air Missiles (LSAM) to shoot down as many colonial ships and transports.
Two, Hidden from high altitude surveillance is a Division of Destroids. Twenty-four HWR-00 Mk II Monsters came out of hiding and pointed up their new and improved 50cm linier cannons (replacing the 40cm ones) to the incoming invasion forces and fired anti-aircraft salvos with devastating results.
Group Gamma reaction to this was to get down the ground as fast as they could, and secure their beach head. However, some commanders decided to land farther away from their landing sites, thinking that their enemy has been ready to face them from the start so it's possible that, there is an army on the ground and waiting at their landing sites.
And so, two of the three parts of the group continued on to their landing sites, only one went as far as 200 miles away from their landing sites.
In the last fifty miles from the landing site, the two parts of Group Gamma found themselves under fire once again.
Three, after being pounded by the SLAM and Monsters, the ground base variable fighters, Thunderbolts and Excaliburs struck them hard and when they got on the ground, the Tomahawks and Spartans drop on sight, dropped by Transports Crafts.
The Destroids showed them no mercy as they practically cut down the colonials before they had a chance to defend themselves
Only the third part of Group Gamma landed safely and quickly began to unload their forces and set up defenses. Their defenses were half way complete when suddenly, two squadrons of VFs attack them in both fighter and soldier mode. The colonials fought back fiercely using anti-cylon bullets, missiles and rocket launchers.
The VF quickly took cautionary measures when one of theirs, a Thunderbolt took a hit to his left wing and was forced to pull back and leave the battlefield.
Many of the surviving colonial fighter that made the reentry with Group Gamma, tried to give fighter cover despite their disadvantage, they refuse to back down.
One Viper fired two of its remaining missiles at point blank range at a Thunderbolt on the ground in soldier mode peppering a Gunstar with his gatling gun. The Thunderbolt was hit at the back damaging it badly and its pilot rendered unconscious.
That one Viper was immediately got chase after by the other Thunderbolts and destroyed the Viper, the however, ejected just in time and has landed safely.
Lieutenant Joseph 'Lee' Adama, callsign Apollo found himself alone in the woods, far from the landing site which he has no idea where it is. Yet he has a pretty good idea where to look, and that's to follow the billowing smoke and anti-aircraft fire from the distance.
Back at the landing site, the two Squadrons of VF left the area when they ran out of missiles to fire and bullets to shoot. Realizing that they will come back after rearming, the surviving ground colonial forces quickly rushed to set up more defenses, get their wounded into cover and salvage as much equipment and supplies they can get.
Two hours later, they put a strong enough defense and continued to salvage anything in their ships and transport. When they were ready, they all waited for enemy to attack not realizing that, there is a lull in battle.
The Perseus Patrol Fleet was regrouping and recalling their fighters for refuel and rearmament and the Colonial Liberation Fleet did the same as well, much to the relief of the few hundred remaining pilots of Vipers and Raptors still flying.
Both sides took the time to evaluate and count their losses, but it clearly shows that the kobolians have lost far more than they had anticipated.
In the Warstar Jupiter CIC, Admiral Nagala listens to his lieutenant's reports, an entire summary of combined losses in just one day of battle.
They told him the total losses of ships, fighters, crew, personnel, pilots and soldiers, all were now beyond their estimation.
In total, the fleet lost an estimate of sixty-four battlestar, sixty-eighth are badly damaged while the rest have minor ones. They lost over six hundred Viper and Raptor fighters lost and over a fifty thousand crew and personnel and pilots K.I.A. (Killed in Action) or M.I.A. (Missing in Action) due to the fact that, they can't find their bodies to confirm if they are D.O.A. (Dead or Alive)
For some reason, his Warstar Jupiter remains untouched, on purpose no doubt.
Then news from one part of Group Gamma was able to survive the landing. About less than a quarter of their ground forces landed safely, that's 150,000 soldiers.
The news of Group Gamma gaining a beach head on Demeter would be seen as a strategic victory, if it not for the report of one of the three parts that was able to report in, the fate of the rest was unknown.
Many of his officers believe (or just hopeful) that, Group Gamma is only having trouble with their communication, possibly jamming or interference. Nagala however, he fears the worst has happened and that they just lost two third of their ground forces.
Nagala rubbed his forehead as the migraine and exhaustion are taking its toll and the realization, that their mission, is not 'the walk in the park' as he and many have believe it would be.
He looks back at the Dradis and sees the icon of the San Fernando Valley, thinking of his adversary Admiral Spellings.
Nagala believes that this lull in battle is Spellings idea of saying to his face 'We own this Battlefield' and as angry as that made him inside, he knows that this battlefield is theirs
Meanwhile, onboard the San Fernando Valley
Captain Allen Dixon could not help but admire the determination of the kobolians and Admiral Nagala dog determination to take the planet no matter what the cost. The NUNS nearly fell into complacency until a battlestar, suddenly made a space jump but to leave space but to hit one of their ships with amazing precision.
The NUNS lost only one ship, the Damascus an Oberth-II was lost when a Stealthstar battlestar, made a micro-jump to get as close enough to use their weapons on the Damascus.
A variant Stealthstar identified as the Valkyrie, unleashed it's fighters to keep the VFs occupied while a salvo of nuclear missiles was fired at the Damascus that it overwhelmed their shields and then followed up with volleys of their K.E.W.s peppering the Damascus at its most vulnerable.
The Damascus was destroyed and when the deed was done, the Stealthstar quickly recalled its fighters and made another jump out of the area just as a reaction warhead explosion engulfs them.
Whoever the commander of that battlestar was, his tactic was impressively effective and wonders why they didn't use that kind of maneuvers in the first place, than that high speed spear head attack.
That maneuver got everyone on edge and made measures to make sure that they won't get caught off guard with the same kind of surprise attack and speaking of which, that battlestars has not been seen since so they presume it was destroyed.
The NUNS also lost twenty VFs mostly Thunderbolts and Excaliburs, shot down from being gang up by two or three dozen Vipers. They also lost thirty Ghost fighters, mostly destroyed by getting very close to the battlestars and firing salvos of missiles at very close range.
The NUNS made the fight very hard for the kobolians, though they were able to land troops on the planet but only after the NUNS made it costly for them and they are not about to let them hold that piece of ground for long, not while the New United Nations Spacys are here making their lives miserable.
"Admiral, aren't we a bit charitable, by giving them a day to lick their wounds" Dixon asks with a bit of concern in his voice
The admiral looks at the screens where it shows the location of colonial ground forces landing site, the colonial fleet moving far from the land based Ion Cannon range
"I suppose, but giving them a moment to breathe, after we make them swim in their own blood is the best way to drill our point thru their thick skull" the Admiral said
"And that would be?" Allan inquire and the Admiral took a deep breath and answered
"They can't beat us" he said and ads "and if by some miracle that they did beat this fleet ours, which I doubt it. They cannot beat the New United Nations Spacys over all…not ever" he said confidently
Right then, a female lieutenant spoke up from one of the sensor station
"Admiral, those Cylon Raiders you want us to keep a close watch on, well they just jump out of the system. Fold radar is tracking their heading towards Neptune Mass System"
"That's just 4 light years from here. It's probably where Mothership is at, the one that's been shadowing the colonials ever since they left Cyrannus" the Admiral said
"Probably finish its recon mission and its heading back to its Mothership" The Admiral said
"Sir, the Cylons are just as bad as the colonials, and from the Intel about them and what they are planning for the kobolians and the rest of humanity…it's not good"
"I know that Allen" the Admiral said agreeing. He shook his head and heaves a sigh "A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) that discovered religion and said that 'it's the will of God that the Cylons are to eliminate Man" the Admiral snorted "Jeeezs, I wonder which God told them that or maybe they just imagine it, that God told them that"
Spelling remembers the file on the Cylons plan of genocide had it not for their Intelligence agents kidnapping one of their 'Skin jobs' a 'Model One' posing as a Priest named John Cavil.
Before the Intel group left the colonies, they haul off one of the one six cylon models they have in custody at their secret base outside the colonies beyond the red line. They took one of six models of the skin jobs for study and analysis, and then when the Intel groups returned home, they took only one for further research and studies, the rest are returned to Caprica without a single knowledge of who were their captors but aware that they know who they are.
The one that the NUNS have under custody and brought to Aegis Base is specifically chosen, because he's been revealed to be the very first cylon model. In a side note however, he was chosen because the Intel group doesn't want him to do what he did when they caught him, and that's stabbing a homeless six year old boy after taking him in.
Cavil, he turns out to be one murderous bastard
From what they overheard with their listening devices, the boy brings Cavil a gift, an apple, as to say 'thank you' and then Cavil asks him if they are friends. The boy looks like he was thinking then finally said, YES.
Cavil then says that, relying on friends is dangerous and the next moment, Cavil stabs him with a knife on the gut.
Had it not for the Intel groups quick actions, the boy would have died. They took him and Cavil to Aegis Base. Social Services found the boy a family while Cavil was interrogated and put into a battery of test to figure out what made him tick, the Cylons plots and plans for the colonies and all of humanity.
During Cavil stay in the hands of Scientists, Doctors and Interrogators, the NUNS took every effort to make sure that he's completely isolated, both physically and technologically, for the NUNS fear of another 'Sharon Apple Incident'
The scientist continued the test, still what they found about the Cylons evolution from mechanical to human form was nothing more than remarkable and their plan for humanity is nothing more than worrisome.
"Get the Quarter on the horn" the Admiral ordered and quickly the main screens shows Captain Jeffrey Wilder of Macross Quarter
"Jeffrey, did you detect those Cylon Raiders just jump out"
"We saw it too, heading towards Neptune Mass System; you want us to follow them?" Captain Wilder knew what his old academy buddy was thinking and the Admiral smiled at his friend perception
"Try and find out their intentions and if they get hostile or do anything stupid, then you my permission to kick their ass or pull wedgie on an unruly lot" Captain Wilder smile
"Understood Tom, I'll see at the officers club"
"I'll open my best vodka, happy hunting, Spelling out"
From the power of their Spacefold, Macross Quarter travels to Neptune Mass to meet the Cylons