Night Battle
Admiral's Log
It's been almost two weeks since I collapsed and went into a coma. I feel I've been manipulated. Although Athena says she didn't cause my collapse; she did project herself in my mind, using the time I was unconscious to visit me. I found the truth about my life had been tempered by an outsider, a member of a species far superior to us, which we once called gods and many still revere them as such. I don't know how to feel about learning of her manipulating me. Perhaps I feel somewhat betrayed. Treated like a doll to dance around on strings and play a role given to me; made into a weapon… Thinking like that infuriates me, so I do my best to focus on the good that has come about. Athena's intentions were not violent, not against my own beliefs. She wants to help us, although she cannot do that directly, so she's doing it in all ways she can. There is not much sense in this. Many things in life have no sense at all. The death we've experienced with the Cylons, the death on both sides really has been utterly senseless killing in a continued cycle of death and destruction without a final end. Even at such times when life has no sense however, we are forced to adapt to it - to keep going.
However I find there are more important matters than discussing my dreams and visions. The Cylons in our fleet revealed that Cavil's fleet has already come near Avalon. Several survivors of the number four model of the Cylons, or also called Simons, arrived two days ago with news that Cavil went mad. He and the remaining model that was still loyal to him, number five who are equally evil as he is, are gathering their forces for beginning a final assault. The Fours told us that Cavil was forced to change strategy; creating numerous primitive centurions programmed with lower level intelligence and no capability of sentience so they couldn't be turned against him, and upping production of lobotomized raiders with dumbed down intelligence. Less effective than their previous incarnations, he has mass produced large numbers of these raiders and centurions to compensate and create a vicious fighting force. Cavil also has at least a dozen modern baseships, several older baseships from the first Cylon war, the dreadstar, and at least a dozen of the new Adonis class baseships: which are said to be far more powerful than other baseships. We also know the Cylon Mobile shipyard followed the fleet and was recently hidden in a nearby Blue Circle nebula.
While this force is not nearly as strong as the one the Cylons had at the beginning of their war against us it is however strong enough to do lots of damage, especially if they manage to defeat our fleet.
The final battle will come quickly, and I already planned how to deal with the Cylons once and for all. If we win, all that remains is to somehow deal with the harvesters. We will need to deal with them sooner or later or no matter what we build here, it will be in danger by them.
Several hours later…
Invictus conference room
All high officials of the colonial fleet as well as civilian representatives, including even the Cylon representative Kathy, were present.
A lot of squabbling among the representatives and officials had gone on for some time before Admiral Stryker arrived. As Admiral Stryker walked inside, the doors echoed loudly in the suddenly quieting large room, all heads turned to look to the Fleet Admiral.
"Ladies and gentlemen's be seated," Fleet Admiral Stryker said, walking forward to take a seat in the center of the conference room.
Stryker waited for everyone for be seated and then started going over his plan.
"As you know, the Cylons provided us with very important Intel about the whereabouts and plans of the enemy fleet, which scouts sent out have authenticated. There was a movement in the Mobile shipyard's position, but we know it's location as well as the main Cylon fleet.
It appears that Cavil's forces have been sent to begin operations against us, leaving the shipyard with a small defense force as they had in our direction. I suspect within a day the Cylon fleet will begin attacking Avalon, in the first of many probing attacks to eliminate our defense forces.
As long as the Cylons have the mobile shipyard, a large capacity for fleet and weapons construction, they can engage in a war of attrition. Simply continue constructing easily replaceable units like their raiders, by the thousands, and use them to launch nukes and missiles at us, whittling down our supplies of munitions to oppose them. Then they replace their losses to continue the attack over days, weeks, months… However long it takes until our forces are weakened enough to wipe out all at once by their fleet.
From our intel, we know that the leader of the Cylons, Jack Cavil, has no interest in a pitched battle, any more than we do. He simply wants to attack and wipe us out in one fell swoop, ASAP.
With the Cylon shipyard left alone with only a few escorts, we have the opportunity to force Cavil's hand by destroying the shipyard and leaving the Cylons no means of resupply and construction capabilities. They will be forced to either abandon their quest for our destruction or send everything they have in their only chance to do so; which is made all the more likely as they can therefore also potentially claim our shipyards so they can rebuild normally instead of having to rebuild their infrastructure over years with the loss of their shipyard.
Now, to the mission; Warstar Argona will lead a number of warships to attack the enemy mobile shipyard. Even with few escorts, the shipyard is like a fortress with many powerful defensive weapons. It will not be easy to destroy. Our ships could take some serious damage in the attempt, so a number of our fast attack ships will be utilized so the shipyard's weapons can be destroyed with the least risk to our forces. Argona and a few other heavy units that have the highest probability of successfully completing the mission will be used as well to quickly destroy the shipyard's escorting baseships and take out the strongest of the shipyard's heavy KEW cannons. Argona and her fleet will overwhelm the shipyard and destroy it."
"There's also the strict timeline to this operation. We will send a force of patrolstars to setup jamming communications around the shipyard, but within a couple of hours of no contact with the shipyard the Cylon fleet will come around to investigate. We will have to destroy the shipyard as quickly as possible," Admiral Thompson interjected, receiving a nod from Admiral Stryker.
Several of the officers made noises of approval, President Roslin was only who actually said something.
"Admiral, while this sounds like a great plan; I'm all for taking out the shipyard after all, but it has a serious flaw if it's possible the Cylons can simply run away. Having them leave and perhaps taking some time to rebuild is all well and good, but having them continue to be a threat that can come back once more with a stronger force? The threat of the Cylons must be dealt with now. Not left to future generations," President Roslin said firmly.
"There isn't much choice Madame President. It's also likely that won't happen, but if it does we'll hunt them down. And we'll have our construction infrastructure intact while theirs is gone, so we can rebuild our fleet and continue operations to end the threat of the Cylons. It would take time, but the advantage would be ours, and the chances of the Cylons posing a threat would be increasingly slim over time," Admiral Stryker said.
"The risk is unacceptable," President Roslin said.
"Unfortunately that risk will simply have to be the way it is. But even despite that, this plan will go ahead," Admiral Stryker said, and noticing the President's hackles rising and her expression contorting with anger he continued, "It's also not up to you. Without a unanimous vote by the government, military operations cannot be influenced nor command decisions overridden."
President Roslin pursed her lips and glared at the Admiral, otherwise remaining silent.
A few other officials made moves to protest, starting to stand up, when Admiral Stryker silenced them with a look and stood up.
"This operation will proceed. Admiral Thompson has already started preparations and all necessary supplies are being loaded onto the fleet of ships for the mission as we speak. This meeting is to make the facts at hand known and begin preparations. For once the shipyard is destroyed, the Cylons, if they choose to do so at all, will most likely launch their attacks within a very short amount of time afterward. The Fleet will be divided into Battle groups, with enough room for all ships to maneuver. Point Defense Satellites will be arranged across Avalon so the Cylon fleet can't get to the population, and to invite the Cylons in no satellites will be around the fleet, enticing the Cylons to attack us first. Warstar Argona and other fleet units will be held in reserve, in case of deviation in the Cylons tactics and to make the Cylons believe the battle will be to their advantage. They don't know the complete intelligence of our fleet, how many ships we have, so limiting what they'll see when they get here will lure them in to a false sense of security. The rest of the fleet will jump in once the Cylon fleet is fully committed to the battle over Avalon, ensuring no escape," Admiral Stryker said, looking at each of the officials present.
"Will that satisfy you Madame President?" Admiral Stryker asked, narrowing his eyes at the president.
"If it works Admiral. If they show up and we can defeat them," President Roslin said tersely.
"Yes. 'If it works'," Admiral Stryker said, sighing in exasperation.
Warstar Argona, CIC
Admiral Thompson looked out over his crew, all able bodied personnel standing at their posts. Tension and apprehension was visible in each one as they went about their duties.
Admiral Thompson stood watching the crew as they readied the ship, working furiously and shouting orders over the wireless to various parts of the ship. Similar sights could be seen aboard the dozens of other vessels comprising the fleet. Outside, the warships were alone in surrounding empty space a jump away from their destination.
As the personnel confirmed each station of the ship was ready, eyes of the crewmen one by one turned to the fleet's commander. Waiting, looking for instructions to proceed.
Clearing his throat, Admiral Thompson straightened and stepped forward, grabbing a communications set and readying to speak fleet-wide.
"This is the Admiral… I look at each and every one of you, and I feel pride, a sense of surety that we can conquer anything together. Each of us bears scars from this long and terrible war with the Cylons. Today, with our success, that war is going to come to an end. Make no mistake, this will be the deciding battle of the war. Vicious like no other before as our enemy fights just as hard for their survival, which to them is a new concept in and of itself. Stand to your duties. Trust the men and women next to you. Together, we will all get through this. Good hunting! Argona Actual Out," Admiral Thompson said.
As Admiral Thompson set the communications back down on the CIC plot table, he looked around to see nearby personnel saluting him.
Admiral Thompson nodded to his XO, saluting the crew in return.
"Begin jump countdown," Commander Harold Burnett called out loudly.
"Jumping in, 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. Jumping!" the tactical officer, Lieutenant Maxwell Grace said.
Several FTL jumps from Avalon, Cylon Mobile Shipyard Location
The Cylon Mobile Shipyard stood stationary, alone but for its eight first war escorting baseships. The Shipyard was massive, with eight outspreading long arms similar to a spider, apparently modeled after the Colony with a broader size. She was approximately 7.2 km long from end to end along each pair of opposite extending arms, with each arm of her shipyard ports able to fit three basestars neatly inside.
It was quiet, with mostly centurions manning stations at the shipyard and her escorting baseships, with little movement since the massive Cylon fleet had left a short time ago.
The silence and serenity in the system was disrupted as a colonial fleet began jumping around the shipyard, exiting FTL and immediately powering weapons.
Automated weapons numbering in the thousands across the vast hull of the shipyard began unleashing a torrent of weapons fire at what the Cylon sensors verified were colonial ships.
Quad turrets along the shipyard's hull unleashed KEW rounds in rapid fire mode, firing hundreds of shots per minute, aiming at each approaching contact, focusing on fast moving contacts that began evasive maneuvers. Fewer but more powerful single barreled turrets unleashed large concentrated blasts of cannon fire at bigger dradis contacts, creating a giant backlash of sparks as they impacted on heavily fortified armor of Battlestars that stood stationery and held firm against the firepower unleashed by the shipyard.
Warstar Argona, CIC
Sparks flew as a support beam collapsed in CIC, throwing a crew member wide, and causing a few others nearby to scream in panic before they regained their senses.
Admiral Thompson grabbed hold of the plot table as Argona continued shaking from impacting KEW fire all across the ship.
"Hull breaches on decks 10 thru 30. KEW batteries 6-11, 12, 19 and 24 have been destroyed or heavily damaged, their targeting our weapons array to disable the ship. Integrity is dropping slowly but surely, their main weapons are slicing through the ship's layers of armor like slicing up butter!" Commander Burnett called out.
"All weapons are firing. Heavy KEWs are blasting apart their quad cannons now sir!" Colonel Jamil Sampson said, covering a bleeding gash on his forehead.
Outside hundreds of vipers began launching from the colonial fleet, meeting the forces of 800 raiders launching from the baseships and shipyard.
Dozens of Peregrine gunships executed a micro FTL jump to close range over the shipyard. Two with mistaken coordinates reappeared inside the shipyard, exploding inside and killing the crew aboard.
Missiles from the peregrines impacted along the shipyards hull, dealing minor damage. Sixteen of the targeted quad turrets were destroyed. As the peregrines pulled away quad turrets locked onto their six, unleashing large KEW rounds towards them as they fled. Seven peregrines became a floating pile of flaming debris as the large rounds easily penetrated their puny shells - designed for larger targets of capital ships the large rounds ripped a hole right through them as if they were nothing.
Stealthstars Banshee and Shadow Fox, joined by Stealth Battlestars Acheron and Hades, disengaged stealth systems in the center of the baseships' formation, unleashing their full stockpile of nuclear weapons. Dozens of missiles raced towards the baseships in close proximity. One, two, then eight… Many of the nukes were destroyed by rapid firing defensive fire from raiders and the baseships, but it was all for naught. The first war baseships were engulfed in large explosions, consumed in fire and breaking apart. Nearby squadrons of raiders were engulfed in the spreading wave of destruction.
Battlestars Minerva, Calypso, Sleipnir, Thanatos, and Titan were taking the brunt of heavy KEW fire from the shipyard, remaining stationery, separated targeting one massive outreaching arm apiece. In formation three destroyers were stationed slightly behind the more heavily armored Battlestars, adding their heavier cannon fire in concert with the battlestars, targeting the numerous quad turrets and heavy barrel KEWs. Dozens of turrets across the shipyard were being destroyed one after another, coming apart as KEW rounds made contact with their gun barrels - ripping them apart. In return, as the turrets continued rapid fire on the colonials, numerous hits scored across the colonial ships – taking out their KEW cannons and creating hull breaches ship wide.
Twelve combat cruisers jumped into close proximity with one outreaching arm of the shipyard, unleashing a torrent of fusion missiles that exploded on impact on the shipyard – destroying quad turrets and breaching sections of the shipyard. The combat cruisers rapid fired their kinetic turrets as they evaded oncoming weapons fire, able to continue firing accurately as they gained further range away from the shipyard. Each cruiser would FTL hop away to concentrate fire on two outreaching arms of the shipyard they were tasked with destroying. Using their energy armor, they shrugged off sporadic weapons fire that made contact despite their keeping their ships moving in rapid evasive patterns. Even so, despite all best efforts, slowly but surely, damage began accumulating.
In formation, two destroyers continued firing on the shipyard arm Warstar Argona concentrated on, staying behind her more heavily armored hull as a shield. Twenty-four firestars weaved among the fleet, providing covering fire while firing missiles towards the shipyard, mostly keeping out of range and holding back the raider forces from getting ideas of attacking the fleet instead of the vipers they contended with.
Vipers weaved in and out in a deadly dance with raiders among each separated portion of the colonial fleet. Most were MK VIII vipers with FTL capability that they put to use to confuse the raiders, jumping away when in danger and getting behind their target for an easy kill. The raiders began adapting, no longer separating into one on one dogfights and stayed in groups of two to four as they hunted down the vipers. Fighter cannon fire lit up space in every direction, debris increasingly littering the area as both Vipers and Raiders blew up from the opposition's weapons fire.
On Argona, a crewman was badly burned as his console exploded, combusting into a large flame. Several personnel quickly came to his aid and began using hand-held devices to extinguish the flames before they could grow.
"Concentrated weapons fire is beginning to destroy the many turrets across the extending arms of the shipyard Admiral, but there are still many! Not enough damage is being done to the overall structure!" Commander Burnett yelled over the chaotic noise in the CIC and the booming of the majority of her weapons continuously firing.
"We're getting reports of cannons beginning to overheat. We risk explosion of the KEWs with this level of constant activity," Lieutenant Maxwell Grace said.
"We can't exactly cease firing and wait for the weapons to cool down Lieutenant!" Colonel Sampson scolded loudly.
"Steady on! She can handle it," Admiral Thompson said, patting the ship's plot table affectionately, "Send word for the reserves to come. Concentrate our groups' fire to a single point and spread out from there – that should take down this great big bitch!"
Argona's escorting destroyers angled forward slightly, bringing their laser cannons to bear and firing concentrated bursts at the center of the 3.6km long extending shipyard arm. The reward for their efforts as the cannons began overheating from repeated rapid fire over the next two minutes was massive explosions at the point of contact, breaking through layers of armor and breaching the shipyard's hull. A great big gap was created several hundred meters across as Argona's massive cannons brought to bear with escorting Firestars, hammering away at the same spot until the opened hole in the hull began exposing sections of the extending arm's innards to space – unloading and pouring out massive objects from inside. Weapons across the extending arm's structure near the massive hole in the hull ceased fire as their access to power from now destroyed generators was cut off, while sporadic KEW fire continued from handfuls of cannons on the far reaches of the extending arm. Their effectiveness was severed however, merely firing without a pattern and more easily evaded, the few rounds connecting with their target doing minor damage.
Seventeen Strikestars jumped into position at the edges of the extending arm, launching several nuclear warheads at the topside of the shipyard's extending arm. Nuclear fire ravaged the remaining functioning quad cannons, signaling the end of resistance from this area of the shipyard and secondary explosions began inside the shipyard arm, continuing the destruction within.
"One arm down, seven to go sir!" Commander Burnett said, grinning.
Several cheers and whoops were heard from the crew before the XO quieted them, telling them to return to their duties.
"Where can we put Argona to best help the fleet Mister Grace?" Admiral Thompson asked, looking at Lieutenant Grace with pride and full confidence in his first officer.
Lieutenant Grace sorted through incoming traffic on the progress across the fleet, doing his best to ignore calls for help from viper pilots as the brutal dogfights continued outside the ship.
"Several Battlestars are beginning to strain from combat sir, and they could use our help. But I think we're best serving the fleet overall if we take out one of the extending shipyard arms the combat cruisers are focusing on. Let them regroup together and focus on one, concentrating their firepower. They're also facing issues as the automated quad cannons are beginning to predict their evasion patterns, dealing their ships increasing amounts of damage," Lieutenant Grace said, beads of sweat running down his face.
"Make it so. Have our escorts form up and let's get this next one finished and move on quickly," Admiral Thompson ordered.
Argona, her two escort destroyers and sixteen of the firestars jumped to the next shipyard extending arm, transmitting orders for the combat cruisers to form up on their other target.
Argona's massive cannons began firing immediately in concert with the cannons and lasers from her escorts, concentrating fire. Several Cylon quad cannons split apart, while the top layer of armor several meters across on the point of impact was cut into ribbons.
The Cylon automated cannons seemed to have learned an important lesson however, as they began concentrating fire, many from long range and others close range, on a single target.
Destroyer Archer took repeated hits, as the quad cannons pounded away at the same point of contact over and over until the energy armor and underlying thick armor was broken away. There was no warning of what was to come as suddenly KEW rounds pierced the ship's tylium fuel bunkers, in seconds incinerating the ship.
"Explosion to port!" Colonel Sampson called out fearfully.
"The Archer's gone!" Lieutenant Grace reported moments later, receiving updated telemetry from surrounding fighters while many of Argona's sensors were damaged.
Admiral Thompson looked at the many contacts on dradis with shock and dismay before he forcibly snapped himself out of his inactivity.
"Bring our escorts in tighter formation, roving pattern. Do not let a single one be locked onto. Argona can take more of the hits so have them move closer to our stern as well," Admiral Thompson ordered.
"Aye sir!" the helmsman and Lieutenant Grace shouted together.
The twelve combat cruisers regrouped together, several streaming plasma from damage as they maneuvered and with weakened armor and weapons arrays. Maneuvering forward as one, the cruisers launched missiles in a swarm, dozens of corrosive missiles speeding towards their target. Point defense destroyed several while the majority with superior capability to avoid defensive fire continued on until they impacted. Dozens of corrosive missiles detonated, each burrow slightly inside holes previously made in the hull and unleashing corrosive fluids that expanded and melted everything within fifty meters around the point of impact of each separate missile. Entire swaths of the shipyard extending arm came apart, the majority of the defensive weapons now gone.
Battlestar Calypso CIC
"Signal the Phalanx and Sphinx to back off, the quad cannons are heavily targeting them!" Commander Mellard ordered.
"Firestar Lucina is going up!" Lieutenant Jakkod exclaimed as Firestar Lucina succumbed to repeated cannon fire breaking through her defenses, several explosions leaving her a mesh of floating debris where once a proud warship stood.
Destroyers Sphinx and Phalanx jumped away as ordered, leaving her compatriots worse off as concentrated fire from the shipyard's cannons re-focused on the fewer targets.
Destroyer Gauntlet fired her laser cannons together, creating a beam spread that cut into the shipyard's hull, but unlike usual continued pouring energy into a sustained beam. Several quad cannons were obliterated as the beam razed a path of destruction across hundreds of meters of the shipyard's structure. After almost a minute of the awesome power unleashed, the lasers overloaded, blowing up all at once, continuing this destruction back to their source as the power grid for the entire ship was overloaded. Several engines simply gave out, irreparably damaged, while otherwise the ship was rendered dead in the water as all power was lost ship-wide.
"Commander, Gauntlet's had it!" Colonel Jenson said.
Several crewmen exclaimed in shock, hearing reports of the damage, several saying 'Frak me'.
"Power ceased throughout their ship, their defenseless," Lieutenant Jakkod said.
"Bring us about, hard to starboard all ahead flank speed!" Commander Mellard ordered.
Twelve quad cannons of the Cylon shipyard fired towards the Gauntlet, seeing an easy prey. Several shots went wide while a few impacted, damaging several sections of the ship. Moments later Battlestar Calypso placed herself in the line of fire, taking the hits for Gauntlet.
Calypso increased KEW fire and fired her complement of nukes at the shipyard's extending arm. Extensive damage was dealt, explosions breaking apart numerous sections inside the lining of the extending arm of the shipyard.
All remaining quad cannons along the extending arm continued their bombardment on Calypso, relentlessly pounding away at the defiant ship.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Commander Mellard sent a request for assistance for the Gauntlet, and turning to his crew with tears in his eyes he saluted his XO and officers, "It was an honor serving with you all!"
"The honor was mine sir," Colonel Jenson said, saluting with uninjured arm. Other crew members expressed similar sentiments.
Battlestar Calypso took as good as she gave, but was helpless against the relentless KEW fire as its armor was peeled away all along her top side, exposing her guts to space and sending screaming personnel to a cold airless death as they streamed outside into the darkness of space. As the tylium bunkers were ruptured, Calypso was engulfed in flames. In their last moments, screams were rent from the lungs of crew members aboard before they were silenced forever.
Warstar Argona CIC
"Reports of explosions aboard several warships sir, overheated cannons have blown up, others have ceased functioning," Lieutenant Grace reported.
"That cuts our firepower down," Commander Burnett said.
"With these reports and general damage accumulating aboard our ships, I suggest regrouping the fleet sir," Colonel Sampson said, eyebrows crunched together in worry.
"Agreed. Send rendezvous coordinates among the fleet. All ships with combat capability affected are to jump out to the rendezvous coordinates where the Stealthstars can look after them until we make it back for the return journey to Avalon," Admiral Thompson ordered.
Over the next few minutes damaged ships jumped away, burning wrecks of those that fell in battle were all that was left behind as the remainder of the fleet jumped to a new position.
Argona, Acheron, Hades, Minerva, Sleipnir, Thanatos, and Titan reappeared out of FTL and formed up in close formation with 12 destroyers and 19 Firestars behind. All ships began firing on the extending arm of the Cylon shipyard in front of them, making use of their increased numbers for higher firepower while using fewer overall cannons per ship to minimize overheating gun barrels.
The twelve combat cruisers jumped to another extending shipyard arm, firing their KEWs and pulse laser cannons in return at the quad cannons acquiring their position.
Forty-eight torpedoes launched from the cruisers, heading at a lower speed than normal missiles towards the shipyard arm. Defensive fire lit up space with orange pulses of light, then as several torpedoes were destroyed large and bright flashes emerged as they detonated on contact with large explosions. These were antimatter torpedoes and even faraway their detonation with over 200 megatons made a big boom. Large portions kilometers wide of the shipyard extending arm were consumed in the explosions, furthered as the remaining torpedoes closed distance before they too detonated. An artificially created star was given a short half-life as the explosions burned, lighting up space far and wide, blinding any unfortunate enough to look in the direction of the bright flash. For all intents and purposes the shipyard extending arm was gone, little debris remaining behind.
The twelve combat cruisers escaped the blast, jumping to the relative 'safety' behind another extending arm of the shipyard. With weakened defenses and less capability for evasion due to damage, several of the cruisers were at risk as they faced increased weapons fire from a less damaged extending arm - with most of the quad cannons still intact. Several blasts of heavy KEW fire from dozens of cannons hit the Temeraire and Trishula head on, blowing through their weakened armor and hitting critical sections of the ships causing massive secondary explosions inside that consumed the ships in fiery explosions. The remaining cruisers took evasive action escaping the blast wave from the ships among their formation.
Argona led her escorting line of Battlestars in a point blank range strafing run across the line of the shipyard extending arm, destroyers trailing slightly behind adding their cannon fire, throwing up a collective hailstorm of explosions down the line - destroying entire meters of sections of the shipyard arm as they went on a rampage. At such close range quad cannons scored several hits before they were annihilated in this firestorm while others out of range reacquired and began increasing accuracy as the colonial ships flew in essentially a straight line, predictable to fire upon and score successive hits.
"Venting drive plasma from coolant tanks, the Chief claims he has it under control…" Colonel Sampson reported.
"Heavy damage across the fleet, we can't take much more of this firepower at close distance. Even our hull integrity's reaching dangerous levels Admiral!" Lieutenant Grace said worriedly, continuing as disturbing fresh reports from the battle line came in, "The Spes is breaking formation… Sensors indicate her reactors are going critical!"
"She's gonna blow!" Commander Burnett exclaimed.
"All ships get a safe distance from the Spes now! She'll take other ships down with her with us all bunched up!" Admiral Thompson demanded.
Technician personnel among each ship worked furiously, veering their ships away as Spes began speeding towards the shipyard arm, increasing her thrust to dangerous levels.
Spes detonated as internal explosions compromised the ship, rocketing debris in all directions, the largest sections of burning ship speeding into the shipyard which impacted to devastating effect – hammering through the majority of remaining resistance along the extending arm as explosions began all along the shipyard arm, destroying the target. Dozens of pieces of fiery debris impacted along the colonial destroyers and Battlestars, propelling with the strength of meteorites and carving a hole straight through several ships. Destroyers Delos and Bia joined Spes in death as a chain reaction of internal explosions burned their way through the ships in seconds, taking advantage of numerous hull breaches and already present internal damage, coming upon the fuel lines and thus setting the ships ablaze piecemeal.
Battlestar Thanatos CIC
"Losing thrust sir, severe damage to sublight engines and FTL drives 2-4," Lieutenant Ackma said.
"KEW turrets 24-30 also down, munitions low. Pretty much down to throwing rocks at the bastards sir," Colonel Obimora said, spitting out blood, nursing wounds across his face where support beam struck him.
Commander Siffira stroked her chin contemplatively, not liking the reports limiting their options. Looking over the dradis imagery of the fleet outside, a quick decision was easy to make with the facts at hand.
"Begin evac, all personnel abandon ship. All munitions wired to detonate on contact, full thrust and course plotted with FTL to a micro point near the next target," Commander Siffira ordered sternly.
"Sir?!" Lieutenant Ackma exclaimed.
Colonel Obimora gave the Commander a hard look, raising an eyebrow.
"In war, the cost of one ship to take out the enemy is a small price to pay. No?" Commander Siffira said, grinning conspiratorially.
"Aye, sir," Colonel Obimora said, turning to the crew who looked shocked and unmoving, "You heard the Commander, MOVE people!"
"Yes sir!" the CIC crewmen shouted, frantically working to get the jobs at hand done quickly, without making mistakes.
Five minutes later as the rest of the fleet reorganized into formation, transports leaving Thanatos at best speed, Thanatos began to move. With all remaining thrust the wounded Battlestar began moving forward at high speed, seemingly in no particular direction, then jumped to FTL. Reappearing a few meters from her target, another shipyard extending arm, continuing at her original speed immediately as she exited – Thanatos crashed into the shipyard before any reaction from the automated defenses. Blowing past weakened areas of the hull across the shipyard, Thanatos pushed and pushed as her thrust was put to the max, beyond all normal safety levels, ramming the ship like a nail being hammered in. Fires and explosions inside began consuming the ship as she went, numerous support beams and other structures being pushed through critical sections of the ship as she forced inside the shipyard until she could move no more.
"It seems, today is a good day to die! See you in hell Cylons!" Commander Siffira called out spitefully as she fingered the detonator in her hand, starting the ignition of all munitions aboard detonating inside the ship.
Thanatos now being several hundred meters within the shipyard arm blew up from the inside out, nukes and all missile and cannon munitions aboard detonating at once to efficiently blow the ship apart. Thus spreading destruction with a wave of explosions and fire consuming the shipyard all across the line until everything was destroyed, stopping at secured blast door locations at the end of the shipyard arm. Thanatos became her namesake, bringing death itself and mass destruction as the massive shipyard arm was blown to pieces.
Many fighters on both sides were crushed by the expanding debris field.
Warstar Argona CIC
Admiral Thompson slammed his fist on the plot table as he looked at the dradis screen that had shown the mighty Battlestar's dradis contact winking out.
"Sir. There are two extending arms with moderate damage and a third with severe damage; all that remains. The raider forces are down to a few dozen," Lieutenant Grace reported.
"However, our combat cruisers are taking severe damage now, the automated cannons have locked onto all attempts to evade fire and their armor is failing from repeated hits, and their completely out of missiles. Our other ships are not much better off, with massive damage all around. Munitions are low. And all ships have to keep moving behind us so the quad cannons don't acquire a single target and eliminate it; a tactic that won't apply if this continues much longer, Argona is not indestructible," Commander Burnett said.
Admiral Thompson nodded, deep in thought, eyes narrowing as he looked to Colonel Sampson's former post –having lost him when he was struck by debris.
"Have the Firestars and Strikestars jump in for a strike on one of the other two yard arms, all remaining nukes to be used to eliminate the threat. Our other ships will destroy this severely damaged arm – have the cruisers fall in line: without missiles they're better off aligning their guns with ours. Launch the Peregrines to strike long range in concert with our fleet," Admiral Thompson ordered.
Several CIC personnel looked up incredulous or surprised at the Admiral, while a number of personnel were missing from their stations - either dead or taken to sickbay. Many sported wounds; cuts, burns – and in severe cases broken or crushed limbs. None displayed the pristine uniforms or the look of confidence and surety of purpose that the crew held before their mission began.
Seconds passed as crew members continued their tasks in maintaining various crises across the ship, while none showed signs of moving to carry out the Admiral's orders.
Admiral Thompson did a double take, noticing the lack of apparent response and began really noticing the fatigue of the crew, as well as the looks of despair and loss among several.
Colonel Sampson began shouting orders at the crew, snapping at individuals who were slow to respond. Commander Burnett worked with communications officers to coordinate the fleet into action. Slowly but surely the crew began working tirelessly and pushed on, readying for renewed battle.
They were ragged, and battered, just as their fleet looked from the outside as scorch marks and missing hull plating, and even entire large sections which were missing, were apparent among each ship.
The fleet of colonial ships jumped to FTL, reappearing in close range around their separate targets.
The quad cannons along the shipyard arms reacquired their targets, quickly scoring hits – particularly on the fast moving cruisers which no longer were able to successfully dodge weapons fire. Less return KEW fire was made in retaliation on the shipyard.
The fleet of 17 strikestars appeared in extreme close range, launching their full payloads of missiles. Cylon sensors began beeping among the remaining raiders and across the shipyard, showing radiation signatures as nukes were spread among the launched various missiles. From afar, the larger ships of the colonial fleet launched their full payloads of remaining missiles and nukes.
Defensive fire from raiders and point defense cannons across the shipyard took out missile after missile, uncertain of which exactly were nukes due to tight formations. Raiders even threw themselves into the path of missiles in the attempt to stop them. Most fired from the strikestars impacted successfully, creating a bloom of explosions rippling across the surface of two shipyard extending arms. Quad cannons, hull and armor – everything in the path of destruction was annihilated, while secondary explosions continued throughout several sections of the innards of the shipyard arms.
Weapons fire from quad cannons even before the missiles made contact began reaching the exposed strikestars. Intended for deep strike missions and with their small stature, the strikestars were helpless and destroyed from only a few repeated hits of the weapons designed to take down larger capital class ships. Seconds after their launch, strikestars came apart in explosions, small if compared to the devastation being wreaked on the shipyard, consuming the ships entirely. Moments after their launch and having recalculated jump coordinates as their Nav and FTL computers reset, the strikestars had begun jumping to safety. With the devastation wreaked, several were severely damaged and stuck in place while others became floating debris. Only the Soteria and Lycos managed to jump away.
Across the firestars, cruisers, destroyers and battlestars damage quickly accumulated even as the nukes impacted, destroying numerous weapons emplacements. Firestar Justinian blew up as KEW rounds pierced through the weakened hull in multiple sections, secondary explosions within igniting the ship from the inside out. Destroyer Anubis, Cruisers Erebus and Bellona suffered similar fates.
Nukes began launching from remaining missiles across the two remaining, now heavily damaged, shipyard arms.
Various viper formations, having taken out their prey and outnumbered the raiders some time ago, quickly set to work stopping the incoming missiles towards their home ships, as defensive fire from the colonial fleet began rapid firing. Raiders in the midst of viper wolfpacks began detonating their own payloads once orders from their base were received: self-destruct. Nuclear explosions cut a swath through the vipers, wiping out dozens upon dozens – none having time to escape the spontaneous blast wave.
With a hole in the colonial defenses, and damage of point defense systems among the fleet, a clear path for the Cylon nukes had been made.
All across the colonial lines, losses began forming, ships exploding into debris or incinerated entirely and leaving no evidence of their death behind. Starfire, Ophiuchus, Pioneer, Hydra, Adrastos, Gigantes, Ramses, Dasher, Venti, Iris, Decima, Perses, Orlean, Themis, Hebe, Ceres… One by one dradis contacts winked out of existence. Smaller ships tried to maneuver in front of their larger counterparts, saving several from destruction.
In the confusion from the nuclear explosions across the shipyard and EM interference from additional explosions among the fleet, a couple dozen Peregrine gunships jumped into position and unleashed missiles and cannon fire in a strafing run across the shipyard. Quad cannons came apart, sliced in half before exploding as stored munitions detonated. Sections of the shipyard broke apart, collapsing from previous damage while whole areas of plating and armor were consumed by fire.
Warstar Argona CIC
"Target 2 is breaking up!" Lieutenant Grace shouted jubilantly.
Members of the crew cheered, while several seeing no reason to celebrate stared off into space.
Admiral Thompson looked around, frowning sadly at the losses of the fleet, noticing the lost personnel aboard Argona which he knew personally – particularly Colonel Sampson.
"Remaining quad cannons are cutting through our defenses…" Commander Burnett said.
"Have the fleet regroup in tight formation," Admiral Thompson ordered.
FTL navigation personnel began working furiously among the fleet to coordinate a jump. Meanwhile the ship shook from KEW fire impacting.
"Let's finish this battle-" Admiral Thompson said hopefully, interrupted before he could finish.
"Massive energy build-up on the Cylon shipyard!" one of the ship's sensor operators reported loudly.
"Sir, radiological alarm!" the communications officer reported panicking.
"Nuclear detonations being detected…. Within the shipyard!" Lieutenant Grace reported.
"Why would…" Commander Burnett said, confused before realization and horror struck him.
"Alert the fleet! Emergency jump, right fracking now!" Admiral Thompson ordered.
The stockpiles of nukes aboard the shipyard detonated across the massive structure, quickly becoming a shared single large wave of destruction as explosions after explosion merged and expanded outward as the fiery plume magnified. Vipers raced to reach their ships, a mere handful landing aboard as those too far out were consumed by the cloud of fire that burned them up as if they were nothing and continued moving forward. Even with preparations to regroup prior to the nukes going off - with damage aboard and the sudden detonation, not every colonial ship was able to get their jump drives online and ready. Argona and several lucky ships managed to escape death as the remainder were consumed. Heracles, Veritas, Pandora, Argos, Cassandra, Calliope and Providence were destroyed, joining the remains of the massive Cylon shipyard in death, the massive explosion all but wiping out any evidence of there ever being either Cylon of colonial ships in the star system.
Dreadstar C.I.C.
"What? How did they destroy the shipyard. It was well armored and protected; the whole fleet would be needed to deal with it?!" Jack Cavil screamed at the other Cylons in the room.
"A surviving raider that jumped away to report the attack brought this footage," a number five Doral said.
On the main screen a massive colonial ship appeared with a fleet of comparatively smaller ships surrounding, firing upon the shipyard. Another image showed the remains of the escorting baseships.
Cavil surprise become anger as he hit the nearest console several times in rage.
"I want that fleet destroyed; I want the whole damn colonial fleet destroyed! Prepare all ships, we will attack the colonials head on. No more slow-going preparations. The colonials think they can go around our fleet and attack with impunity; well two can play at that game. We will destroy their fleet and attack their precious new planet! I will see the whole of their society burn, just as the colonies did!" Jack yelled, reason giving way as he raged.
"But Jack, we don't have strength for doing that. Especially now without the shipyard and..." One of number other more cautious number one models tried to protest.
Jack walked up to his fellow brother and grabbed his throat, crushing his larynx and with a tightening grip he twisted his hand and broke the number ones neck.
"We will blast them all with the power of the dreadstar, we will fire every nuke we have and we will not stop till they are all dead!" Jack screeched out, furious eyes scanning the other Cylons.
As Jack said that and was looked upon with horror and fear, he started to laugh. Loud and maniacally, uncaring for anything – thinking only of what torturous death he would wreck upon his enemies.
The others in the room believed that he had lost his mind, and probably he did, but there was no other option but to follow. Several armed centurions programmed with loyalty to Jack alone standing menacingly nearby was deterrent enough to stop any from dissenting against Jack.
Foregoing any semblance of voting or common procedures in Cylon society, all among the Cylon fleet would begin carrying out Jack's will over the next several hours. Once ready, they would jump to their target… Avalon.