I do not own Battlestar Galactica

Chapter 8 – These are the days that test us…

The Battlestar moved through space, its fleet of civilian ships hanging a way behind.

On the CIC of the Battlestar, a klaxon was sounding. People moved around quickly from station to station.

"Action Stations all decks. Repeat all decks go to Action Stations" Amelia said into her communication system

On the hanger decks, pilots were rushing to their ships and Vipers were ready waiting in the launch tubes. Serina ran to her Viper and climbed into the cockpit. She started the onboard systems and signalled to the launch controller with a thumb up, he nodded and she braced herself as she rocketed along the launch tube into space.

Once in space she signalled her squadron 'The Wildcats' to form up on her "Ok all wings form up on me" The twenty Mark 8's moved into formation around their leader as the five other squadrons did the same

The Hydras led by Lieutenant Alison Forest

The Hex Sisters led by Lieutenant Rosa McCarno

The Titans led by Lieutenant Alexander McCarno

And Hawk Men squadron led by Lieutenant Benjamin Jacobson.

Ahead of the Colonial ships a Base ship of the Cylons moved to engage the colonial ships

As Serina gunned her Vipers engines to lead her pilots against the Cylon Raiders that were launching from the Base ship she remembered her family and Caprica

Flashback 1 year ago Caprica…

In a park Serina and a young boy were running around throwing a ball to one another with their parents watching from a blanket on the ground a short distance away.

"Come on Boxey see if can catch this one" the older sister Serina said to her younger brother Boxey. Throwing the ball high and wide Serina laughs as Boxey did a dive like that from a film in an attempt to catch the ball but missed and slid to a halt on the ground.

As he got up brushing grass off his t-shirt, Serina howled with laughter doubling over

"Quit it Serina" Boxey said and Serina attempted to sober herself but still had a huge grin on her face

"Alright you two lunch is ready" their mother Anna Boxman shouted and the two ran over to sit by her and their father. Anna took out different wrapped up in foil foods. Soon a small feast was laid out before the family of four.

The father of the family named Harold Boxman said proudly "Now first things first let's congratulate Serina on getting into the Academy. With and I quote 'one of the most promising cadets I have seen' by the flight instructor"

"Well done Serina" the father, mother and brother said to Serina who hugged each one of them

"Thanks, I can't wait" said Serina and Boxey frowned

"What's wrong Boxey?" Anna asked

"It's just I really can't wait. I want to go too" Boxey admitted

"And you will Boxey, when you're old enough. Right now just enjoy yourself" Harold assured his son

"Right little brother" Serina said

End Flashback

Serina came back to the present and jerked her stick forward to accelerate and shake off a Cylon Raider that was trying to chase her down. She executed a 180 degree turn and fired her cannons, ripping into a raider that was on her tail before blasting off with her engines to begin chasing down another raider.

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The ship shook as CIC was buzzing with activity. At her station Amelia was tracking all the ships on Dradis and relay them to the automatic targeting computers by secured comm. lines to fire the guns. This was done to avoid networking the systems.

She remembered the day were she and her step dad had first seen action.

Flashback Fall of the Colonies SS Fortitude…

The SS Fortitude was an old ship, once it was a military supply vessel during the Cylon war, transporting weapons, fuel, part or personnel to the fighting ships so they could keep up the war.

But after the war it had proven largely unnecessary so she was sold to the salvage yard on Sagittaron like most decommissioned Colonial Military craft. But she was saved from the Scrapheap by a man named Augustus Cartwright, a Gemonese merchant who wanted to set up his own cargo hauling business.

But the reality of a business based on a fleet of vessels never materialised and all the work he could get was small time contracts between the poorest colonies.

Never the less he kept up his work as a hauler, refitting the ship with new engines and other equipment, and when he died he past the ship to his son who took it over.

And his son Magnus whose dream had always been to run his father's ship took the job with vigour. And for most of time he kept it going.

But when he turned forty he faced a dilemma, he wanted to give the ship over to his own children one day but there were two problems.

First Magnus was gay and second he was infertile.

So adoption was his only choice was choice for him and his boyfriend Patrick. So on a rare trip to Caprica they went to an orphanage and looked for a child to raise as their own.

They found Amelia, a girl left on the doorstep of the orphanage as a baby in the freezing cold. No name tag, no nothing, she was named Amelia by the care staff.

Raised onboard ship Amelia showed great talent in communications and Dradis technology and made the Fortitude's comms and Dradis better than most military ships.

But then the attack o the colonies came from the Cylons, Fortitude was arriving in orbit of Aquria when it came. Dodging the incoming missiles and sustaining several hits managed to jump away and rendezvousing with 14 other ships to make up the Scylla's fleet.

But the day had ended in tragedy for Amelia; during their escape from Aquria a missile had caused a hull breach sucking her adopted father into space.

Flashback end…

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Meanwhile in the landing bay rapid response teams of the Marine Corp under Tyber Jones were taking defensive positions around the landing bay, if the Cylons tried to board then this would be the most likely place for them to try than a secured airlock, and there were only three of them.

Their weapons primed the marines were now to meet their enemy.

A heavy Raider flew into the unsecured hanger, unsecured because pilots might need to make an emergency landing. The Cylon craft landed gracefully on the deck and its cargo ramp descended.

Then the Silver Centurions of the Cylons emerged and with their gun hands already firing. One marine was hit by the opening barrage, going down with a yell. The marines returned the favour and opened fire.

The assault rifle fire cut down two centurions and severely damaged another. The two sides started fighting. The Cylons were strong and tough but the marines had cover and the centurions were out in the open.

So the powerful weapons of the marines kept cutting down the Centurions, the Cylons did get a couple of marines but the marines' position was too strong.

Once they had cut down the emerging centurions they moved from their positions to enter the Raider and capture it.

Once they got on they ran to the pilot station and sitting there doing take off checks very quickly was…

A woman, maybe mid twenties to very early thirties, she had very pale skin with blond hair that was almost white. When she turned to face them Tyber hit her with the butt of his rifle.

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Hours after the battle were Telmaya had scored its first real victory over the Cylons by destroying the Base ship and all its raiders.

But more important was that they now had a prisoner. An organic Cylon that now sat in their brig.

The fleet proceeded towards their next destination

The planet Scorpia, one of the twelve colonies