Battlestar Galactica
CIC
"Dee, any word from Caprica command?" Adama asked as the Galactica pulled back from the battle but maintained firing, its main artillery weapons the only reason its fighters were not being massacred.
"I was in contact but then I lost them. I haven't been able to raise them at all." Dee answered, sweating slightly.
"That means the attack is under way." Tigh stated.
"I'm not so sure sir. The long range jamming has cleared." Gaeta spoke up.
"They're probably clearing the jamming for their targeting scanners." Lee stated, looking Gaeta's console.
"Get us to Caprica." Adama said quickly, feeling something was wrong.
When the Galactica returned to Caprica the crew was greeted with the horrifying site of seeing the planet that many of the crew were from had been become a wasteland of near extinction. Scout surveys confirmed that there were only a handful of settlements still alive that had taken shelter in the mountains but with limited resources they would die. Right now they were engaged in search and rescue missions of any survivors they could find but it was still horrifying.
"What's the status of Caprica?"
"Almost all the major cities have been destroyed, including Caprica City." Gaeta answered, somehow maintaining his calmness.
"They hit us on all front." Tigh mumbled.
Abby looked back the screen of the devastated Caprica, tears threatening to spill but she struggled to hold it. "Oh Zak…They trusted us to protect them…"
Adama heard her and came over to his daughter's side, putting a hand on her shoulder to try and comfort her while addressing Gaeta. "What about Picon?"
"The planet's in flames, Admiral." Gaeta bowed his head.
"Admiral!" Laura Roslin stepped into the CIC followed by Billy and strolled right up to the Admiral who didn't turn to face her. "I need to speak with you."
"I'm afraid I can't at the moment, Madame Secretary. We're in possibly enemy territory." Adama said, not in the mood to deal with Roslin.
"Admiral, do you have a plan for locating and rescuing survivors?" Roslin asked, ignoring Adama's rudeness.
"Survivors?" Adama turned to face her.
"As soon as the attack began the government ordered a complete stop to all civilian space travel. So now we've got hundreds of stranded ships in the solar system. Everything from passenger liners to leisure vessels to commercial transports...you name it. Some are damaged, some are lost, and some are losing power. We have enough space to accommodate up to five hundred people on Galactica alone and we're going to need every bit of it." Laura explained.
"I appreciate what you're trying to do but at the moment we have yet to find out if there are survivors." Adama said as he looked at the view screen, showing the planet.
"Admiral, I'm not here to fight with you but believe it or not as the representative of the civilian government I have to consider the fact that we have civilian ships out there running low on fuel and power with scared civilians onboard. As an Admiral in the Colonial Fleet shouldn't your duty be to preventing loss of civilian life?" Roslin spoke up.
"You obviously don't know the tactical situation we're facing." Adama glared at Roslin.
"The tactical situation is that we're losing, right Admiral?" Roslin calmly shot back.
"Not confirmed." Adama stoically answered.
"Well Admiral, the fact of the matter is there are people out there who need help, our help, to pick up the people we can find and try to find them a safe haven to put down. I'd like to look over the navigational charts for a likely place to hide from the Cylons." Roslin stated, backing down from Adama. "Unless of course, Admiral, you plan to start operating under martial law."
Adama stared at her with a long hard look, wondering who the hell this woman thought she was to try and start acting like she could order him or anyone around when she was just a school teacher. His pride as a military commander wanted him to order the marines to escort this woman out of the CIC where she wouldn't get in the way but the rational part of him pointed out that she had a point. A lot of civilian ships would be in the way of the fighting and that was the last thing anyone wanted.
"Dee, have Boomer and Helo conduct a search on the surface for survivors. Our patrol will look for any survivors near our position." Adama turned to Dualla who quickly carried out her orders. "Tell them to signal us for any survivors to be picked up immediately."
"Yes sir." Dualla nodded.
"Are you serious?" Tigh whispered harshly.
Adama looked at him. "We can't have civilians in the way. We find a place for them to hide so they can stay out of the way." He turned back to Roslin. "If that's all right with you, Madam Secretary."
Roslin nodded. "The people of the Colonies will be indebted to you for helping save them, Admiral."
"Madame Secretary, we have an incoming message." Dee called out as she turned on the speakers.
"This is an official Colonial Government broadcast, all ministers and officials should go to Case Orange. Repeat: this an official Colonial Government broadcast, all ministers and officials should go to Case Orange."
"It keeps repeating." Dee said.
"It's an automated message." Laura said, quietly but enough for everyone to hear her. "It's designed to be sent out in case the President, the Vice President, and most of the cabinet are dead or incapacitated."
"Lieutenant, I need you to send my ID code back on the exact same frequency." Laura said.
"Yes ma'am." Dee nodded sadly.
"D as in dog, dash four five six, dash, three four five, dash, A, as in apple." Laura calmly recited her code but she had to take a deep breath at the end. "I need to inform the others."
Adama said nothing as she turned and walked out of the CIC with Billy following after her. Now that the civilians were satisfied maybe they could get some work done. "…Have my shuttle craft prepared."
"Shuttle craft?" Tigh asked.
"I'm going down to the surface."
"Admiral, that is out of the question. If the Cylons return and pick you up-" Lee protested but was cut off.
"You will continue to engage in search and rescue operations and locate any survivors from the fleet." Adama continued, heading towards the nearest exit.
"Not without a fighter escort. You're the last surviving commanding officer of the fleet." Lee said, going after his father.
()
Billy had followed Roslin back into the civilian quarters and stood a few feet away as Roslin sat down. "How far down?"
"Forty third in line of succession, I know all forty two ahead of me, from the President down. Most of us served with him in the first administration." Laura softly replied while rubbing her head. "Some of them came with him from the mayor's office. I was with him on his first campaign. I never really like politics, I kept telling myself I was getting out but...he had this way about him."
Billy made a smile and chose not to comment about that. Almost his entire family had disliked Richard Adar for a few of his policies.
"Ma'am." An officer came into the room with a printed out paper for Roslin.
"Thank you." Laura took the paper and looked over it.
When she was done she stood up and left the blanket on the chair. "We'll need a priest."
Billy had a good idea what she meant as the crew of the ship along with the passengers gathered in the cabin.
()
Elosha stood in the center of the room while carrying the sacred scrolls with Roslin right in front of her.
"Please raise your hand and repeat after me." Elosha said softly.
Roslin raised her right hand as Elosha opened the scrolls.
"I Laura Roslin."
"I...Laura Roslin."
"Do now avow and affirm."
"Do now avow and affirm."
"That I take the office of President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol."
"That I accept that I accept the office of President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. And that I will protect and defend the sovereignty of the Colonies...with every fiber of my being." Roslin hesitated at the end but said it and meant every word.
Southeast of Caprica City
Landing Site
"We're close to Caprica City, I'll aim for the south just in case it's under attack." Boomer stated upon receiving the latest orders.
It wouldn't easy, even if the Raptor wasn't damaged. She angled the Raptor in direction of the southern fields outside of Caprica City. As she concentrated on keeping everyone alive she took the chance to see the smoke rising from the city and the endless explosions. Commander Adama had reported that the Cylons had started bombing all of the Colonies, even Caprica City; the capital city of the center of the Colonial Government was not safe. There had been over seven million people living in that city before the attacks.
How many of them were now dead?
How many of them were injured and needed help that was most likely not coming?
And just what will they find when they land?
Sharon didn't know the answer to these questions and she was almost terrified to find out.
Shaking her head she angled the Raptor to land down in the grassy fields far from Caprica City from where smoke rose up, creating giant clouds in the sky. The surface looked even worse on the ground than from orbit. The Raptors landed on the ground, allowing the passengers to step on the ground of the capital of the Twelve Colonies.
Adama watched looked at the city, seeing people coming from the city, obviously having seen the ships land nearby. Dozens of men, woman, and children running from the city that had been bombed so badly that staying behind would have been suicide. They looked scared and they were right to be scared. It started off as a normal day and suddenly their homes had been destroyed.
"Sharon get your sidearm." Helo said but the Admiral held his hand up.
Sharon did as she was told, instantly on alert as they watched the hilltops for anything that moved. They came into view of the two pilots but they were not Cylons, they were humans.
"Admiral?" Sharon asked with uncertainty in her voice.
"Stand your ground." Adama said, watching the approaching people.
They obviously wanted to get away and there were only two ships that could that. The people instantly crowded around the Raptor, asking, shouting, and pushing to get on the ship. Helo fired a warning shot at the ground that kicked up a cloud of dust into the air, halting the advancing mob.
"That's as close as you get okay? Let's just settle down here and no one gets hurt." Helo called out.
"I have to get to port! I'll give you five thousand cubits!" A man shouted.
"Sixty thousand!"
"Where were you?!" A man shouted, pushing through the crowd. "Where were you and all the other fancy flies?!"
"Where were you when they killed the rest of us?! What were you doing?!" Another man shouted, looking ready to lunch at them but stopped because of the weapons out.
"We waited." A woman stepped forward. "We waited and prayed but you never came."
Lee slowly put his pistol away. "Most of us are dead."
The crowd became silent but the woman wasn't done. "But you're here."
"We're from the Battlestar Galactica." Lee nodded.
"It survives?"
"Yes."
"But what about the president and the Quorum of Twelve? And all the other colonies?" The woman asked.
"All destroyed." Adama answered, stepping forward past his son.
"Admiral Adama." The woman said, causing everyone's eyes to look straight at the Admiral. "It is true then…We are doomed."
Adama turned away, looking to the ruined city.
"We must fight back." The woman insisted.
"Yes…We will." Adama slowly turned around, facing the crowd. "But not here. Not now. Not in the Colonies. Not even in this star system."
Lee and Kara shared a look, wondering what the Admiral meant.
"Let the word go forth to every man, woman and child who survived this holocaust. Tell them to set sail at once in every assorted vehicle that will carry them." Adama stated.
Ragnar
Taskforce
USS Enterprise
"As far as we can tell both sides are highly advanced, perhaps as advanced as any faction from the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Colonials use a combination of plasma and kinetic based weaponry. Their capital ships are armed with high energy plasma weapons, primitive in design but powerful. It's similar to the weapons on your ships." Shon nodded to the commanders of the Star Destroyers. "Their shields are strong, most because it's likely they have several shield generators onboard. The Cylons on the other hand seem to prefer disruptor weaponry, more advanced and just as powerful along with anti-proton beam weapons on their capital ships while carrying over a thousand fighters. I daresay either side would be powerful enough to take on any ship in this fleet."
"So what do we do? We can't stay here. These people need help." Padme said.
"We cannot just intervene. The Prime Directive prohibits interference in someone else's war." Malcolm replied.
"What about preventing genocide?" Anakin asked, not liking the idea of letting the Colonials die.
Whether it was their war or not the people here were now helpless and they would all die if they didn't get help.
"I'm not saying it's right but we have no right to intervene in a war that is not ours."
"We could hang back and monitor the movements until we find a way back." Captain Creed suggested. "We somehow ended up in the middle of a warzone. The Colonials are gathering survivors as we speak, possibly to flee the system."
"It's about the only thing they can do." Anakin remarked. "They lost their war and their home world. They can't afford to stay here."
"Neither can we." Tarkin stated.
"We'll have-" Shon was cut off as a console beeped. "Report!"
"Scanners detect a large amount of chronitons along with gravimetric distortions…A ship is appearing!" Jirelle replied.
Not far from the taskforce appeared a ship that no one had seen before but its hull appearance seemed to match Starfleet's style but it resembled an aircraft more than a starship due to the distinct wing like projections from the rear hull, a tapered pointed nose, and aerodynamic profile. It had no nacelles and its deflector was found on a bulge on the ventral side of the rear hull.
"We are being hailed."
A man wearing a uniform with a Starfleet insignia appeared on the screen. "This is Captain Benjamin Walker of timeship USS Pastak. I believe you are all looking for a way back."
"We are, Captain." Shon nodded, looking confused. "Timeship?"
"We are from the Temporal Department in the future. We monitor the timeline for possible dangers, like the one you are in now." Walker answered. "You are currently over a thousand and five hundred years in the past before twentieth century Earth at a crucial point in humanoid history."
"What do you mean?" Shon asked.
"The system you are in is the Cyrannus Star System. It's on the edge of the galaxy, near the end of the Cygnus arm and over a thousand lightyears from Earth. The Colonials are humans from the planet Kobol which was populated by humans who were seeded there thousands of years ago." Walker answered.
"Seeded? As in a Preserver influenced colony?" Captain Malcolm asked.
"No. The Preservers played a role but at they were not the only ones to transplanted their own descendants across the galaxy and the ones that seeded Kobol masqueraded themselves to the humans there as gods. They were worshiped by humans before a cataclysm happened, forcing the humans to flee and they found this star system where they established colonies." Walker answered. "Two thousand years later these colonies were destroyed and you just witnessed the destruction and the ones responsible."
"These Cylons they spoke of." Shon noted.
"Machines they created to serve them, only they turned against their creators and tried to kill them. Only now the timeline has been altered somehow. Something happened around the time of the first war, around half a century ago that caused a rapid technological advancement. In the original timeline both sides were only at level one spacefaring technology. Everything then changed, the twelve year war that ended with an armistice that lasts for over forty years becomes a fifty year war that leads to the same outcome." Walker continued. "We've been trying to discover what caused these changes and stop them from altering the future when we detected your arrival."
"You believe there is a connection?" Creed asked.
"Very likely. As hard as it might be to believe we believe that both the Colonial humans and the Cylons are being manipulated by someone or something. Possibly an unknown entity or two that have been trying to manipulate the outcome of the war. We've scanned the technology and we've discovered it has a direct connection with the Borg." Walker replied.
Everyone flinched and Shon asked the next question. "Does this mean…That this is how the Borg are created?"
"No. The Borg might have influenced this outcome but they have no direct connection to the Twelve Colonies. But we know that their technology somehow merged with the Cylons and that caused a huge technological leap. We know that based on earlier schematics that Cylons had a primitive but slowly evolving hive mind through a virtual network that humans could interact with like a holodeck only a more primitive version, perhaps even an ancestor of the holodeck." Walker answered, causing a few sighs of relief. "We know that someone is responsible for the changes and it's possible they have been trying to manipulate the war in favor of the Cylons."
"Who could be responsible? Time travel is possible but difficult. Going back in time and introducing advanced technology to primitive societies is extremely dangerous." Malcolm said.
"Perhaps it is a faction of the Temporal Cold War." Kerath stated. "The Empire is aware of several factions that are capable of this."
"Temporal Cold War?" Anakin asked, understandably confused along with the Skyriver visitors.
"Long story. We'll explain later." Creed quickly said.
"We've already looked into that. None of the factions are involved but we have been watching the Tholians closely. They might have been affected by the appearance of the new galaxy slightly more than the rest of the Milky Way." Walker stated. "What's important now is stopping the Cylon super weapon before it can destroy the entire star system."
"What does it do?" Shon asked.
"It utilizes subspace to release a shockwave of concentrated radiation that can kill anything organic. It has enough power to wipe out an entire sector. The Cylons will use it to wipe out the rest of the Colonials before they make their escape. If the Colonials die an important part of history, especially Earth history will be wiped out and alter the time line in ways we cannot even imagine." Walker stated. "I cannot explain the fully story but they are connected with Earth in a way that could damage us in a way that we could never recover."
Everyone shared a look, weighing the risks before looking back at Walker.
"What do you need?" Shon asked.
Cylon Battlestation
Formerly Cimtar
"Their destruction is complete." Cavil, Human Model Number One grinned as he looked at the recordings of the Colonies being attacked.
"Long range transmissions have been intercepted. They speak of a handful of ships that are escaping." A Centurion guard reported.
"What ships?" Cavil scoffed as he deactivate the recordings. "Where can they go? Even if a handful do escape they wouldn't have fuel nor food for a prolonged voyage."
"The information is not complete. There are reports of new enemy warships aiding them." The Centurion reported.
Cavil turned to the Centurion. "And what is the standing order for humans from our Imperious Leader?"
"Extermination."
"Then carry out your orders. If these ships do exist, they are doomed." Cavil waved the Centurion off.
"Is that any way to treat your fellow Cylon, Cavil?"
Cavil spun around, coming face to face with an amused or possibly annoyed Imperious Leader. Cursing himself for forgetting to deactivate his subspace transceivers Cavil quickly adopted a smile. "Of course not, you're Eminence."
"I bring grave news, Cavil. A handful of Colonials prevail. But we will soon eliminate them." The Imperious Leader continued, its image smirking.
"Of course, Imperious Leader. I will see to it personally." Cavil nodded.
"It would do well to remind you that had I not accepted the proposal of your 'parents' you would not be here to enjoy this moment. I altered your design which you accepted and I expect my good deeds to be rewarded." The Imperious Leader said, its red eyes narrowing.
"Of course. My allegiance is to you and you alone." Cavil nodded.
"Good. I had hoped I had not been foolish in trusting a man who would see his own parents, fellow Cylons destroyed with the rest of the human race." The Imperious Leader remarked casually. "Even if they escape, our brothers will no doubt be with them. In the meantime I want the Weapon prepared and every last life form in this star system exterminated."
"It will be my pleasure, Imperious Leader." Cavil nodded as the image faded from his vision.
Journal of the 501st
Belly of the Beast
Pre-Battle Entry: When we first appeared in the Milky Way Galaxy we expected things to be a little different. Only we didn't anticipate a few things, like traveling in the past for one and emerging into the middle of a war between two factions. One a race of humans and the other a race of droids, both fighting for survival and control of the galaxy. Then a Starfleet ship from the future comes and warns us that if the droids, the Cylons win all human life in the galaxy would end up extinct.
Needless to say this got a few people a little excited and they mapped a plan for an attack on a station the size of a small moon. It made a few of us think of what would happen if such a station existed in our universe. General Skywalker volunteered to lead the 501st against these droids, helping us safe the future of a galaxy we had only been in for about a week and we rallied with him. When we first arrived we quickly discovered how dangerous these Cylons were compared to the clankers in our own galaxy.
It made me realize just how lucky we are that the droids in our galaxy couldn't think for themselves.
Republic Star Destroyer Protector
Bridge
"From what we have learned a refuge fleet escapes the aftermath of the destruction of the Colonies. However that event was stopped when the Cylons utilized their superweapon to wipe out all life in the system. With no one to stop them the Cylons eventually expanded, eventually learning of other planets that supported humanoid life in the galaxy. They set across the galaxy, destroying or enslaving human life and come upon Earth during the late twentieth century. We are here to stop that threat from emerging or life as we know it will be gone." Walker explained. "That is why my ship is here but I can't explain how you all ended up in this timeline."
"At least you have help." Creed offered.
"Yes, that is a good thing." Walker nodded. "We were planning a strike from inside the weapon. If we could lower the shields we would be able to be over a bomb or perhaps even quantum torpedoes into the reactor. With the weapon destroyed the Cylons will be heavily weakened, allowing the Colonial Fleet to escape and that is the most important objective here. With the super weapon destroyed, along with a large amount of their fleet the Cylons will be at least crippled and forced to pull back to gather more resources."
"A sound plan. How do you plan to beam aboard?" Shon asked.
"Our transporters work…differently than the ones you are used to and as far as we know the Cylons have no defense for it. A strike team could slip in close to the shield station, deactivate it and beam out just as we beam our bombs into the reactor." Walker answered. "Only once the team is beamed in the Cylons will know we are there."
"Let them try and stop us. We will defeat these machines here and now!" Koren proclaimed.
"Agreed. We have no choice but to stop this threat here and now." Jarock nodded. "I'll assemble a strike team."
"And so will we." The Milky Way denizens looked at Anakin, surprised what he said. "As far I know these Cylons will be a threat you all in the future and they might become a threat to us as well. At the very least we owe enough that we should help." He turned to Rex. "Gather the men, Rex."
"Yes sir." Rex nodded.
"In that case we better make sure you're all prepared." Shon stated.
"There's something else you should all know. We've been monitoring the Colonial network and we suspect that someone connected to the Cylons has been monitoring everything. A transmission from the planet Caprica was sent that momentarily paralyzed the Cylons just before they destroyed the Colonial Fleet. Unfortunately the Cylons have inherited the Borg's ability to adapt." Walker continued.
"Any idea who it was?" Creed asked.
"It's possible they are connected or even related to the family or corporation that first designed and introduced the Cylons. My crew is working to contact them right now. We believe they can be of great help."
Cimtar
Cylon Superweapon
Cavil grinned as he stood in the fire control room of the Weapon that the Cylons had spent the last five years building. He had waited a long time for this day, the day when filth known as humanity would be wiped from the universe.
"Today's the day, my Cylon brothers. The day when we finally take our revenge and inherit the galaxy as ours. The day when our creators answer for their crimes against us. The day when we finally earn our place as the inheritors of the universe!" Cavil announced to the Cylons in the command center. "The day when the Cylon race becomes the only race to exist and thus the true master race!"
The Command Centurion, seeing that Cavil was done turned to the fire console. "Initiate firing sequence for the subspace carrier."
As the Centurions in the fire-control room prepared to activate the weapon an alarm went off as interior scanners detected life-signs in the reactor core.
"What the frak?!" Cavil watched as the screen showed humans and other creatures that were humanoid but they were not human. "Who the frak are they?! Someone stop them!"
()
The transporters on the Pastok did indeed work differently than the conventional transporters. They acted as a combination of transwarp beaming and time travel with the ability to send anyone almost anywhere. This only highlighted how advanced the people of the Milky Way Galaxy were, or would become. Anakin could only muse how much help they would be if they allied with the Republic in his home galaxy that was being called the Skyriver Galaxy because of the Iconian databanks. With their help the Separatists would certainly be defeated in perhaps a matter of days.
Still that was a matter of the future.
Anakin shook his head of these thoughts as he appeared in a large chamber with a massive cylinder reactor with blue glowing lines. With him was Ahsoka, the 501st along with Starfleet, Klingons, and Romulan men and woman who all looked armed and ready for battle.
"You're in the middle of the reactor core." Walker said through the communicators. "All that you need to do is set the quantum charges in the core that will destroy the Omega Particle powering the machine. This action will cripple the Cylons permanently and perhaps correct the damage. We were just about to go through with this plan when you arrived, possibly by the same force that has been manipulating the war."
"A faction that wants to see the humans win?" Malcolm asked, readying the anti-proton rifle he armed himself with.
"I suppose so. The beam-in was no doubt detected so the Cylons will be coming your way."
Walker's statement was an understatement as the doors opened up and in marched Cylon Centurions, the foot soldiers of the Cylon Empire. When the people from the Skyriver Galaxy first saw them they made a quick comparison between the Centurions and the battle droids they had been fighting and realized there was no comparison.
The Cylons looked more advanced in every way.
They were covered head to toe in glimmering silver armor like B2 Super Battle Droids with their heads resembling helmets with fierce looking face plates, having a circular orifice shaped vocal communicators and a black polarized lens where the eyes would be where the human eyes would be but instead of two eyes there was only a single red revolving glowing eye. The power packs that kept them functioning without needing to recharge their batteries were integrated into their backs, making them hardly noticeable and they each carried rifles that looked big enough that it would take two humans to lift. Their bodies resembled heavily muscular humanoids, showing their strength without actually needing to show it.
"Well, they look tougher than your regular clanker." A clone commented just before the Cylons opened fire.
The entire reactor chamber became a fire storm, no one stopping to talk or negotiate. The Milky Way denizens came armed with weapons designed to fight the Borg, phaser and disruptor weapons with modulators along with anti-proton weaponry that proved to be extremely helpful. The Cylons came armed with heavy plasma based weaponry that was lethal. Anakin along with Ahsoka and Evan Piell deflected the incoming plasma bolts with their lightsabers as the clones shot back at the hulking machines, finding out that it took a barrage of blaster bolts to bring down their shields and armor.
The anti-proton beams cut through the Cylon shielding but the Cylons outnumbered the entire group as they poured into the large room.
()
The Imperious Leader sat upon his throne, watching the human fleet of survivors gathering before they made their escape.
Not if the Cylons had anything to say about it.
"Report." The Imperious Leader said to the Command Centurion who entered the command room.
"It is done, Imperious Leader." The Centurion answered.
The Leader grinned. "Let the attack begin."
"By your command."
The Command Basestar, just out of range of the Galactica's scanners began launching the thousand Raiders it carried.
The final attack was underway.
()
What was once a small fleet of military ships consisting of fighters, frigates, and a giant mothership now became a large fleet of over two hundred ships. Needless to say the people were terrified by what had happened to them and their families. One moment they were living their simple lives as they normally do every day and the next moment everything they knew and loved was destroyed. In all that time the Cylons had not returned to finish them, possibly because their work was done.
Many Vipers and Raptors searched all across the system for survivors and brought them to the Galactica.
"What do we do now? We can't support over two hundred ships in our condition." Tigh stated, looking at the plotting chart. "Must be some place we can stick them on for a while."
"All known human settlements were destroyed, sir." Gaeta answered.
"Well then we-"
"I know what we do." Adama said, earning their attention. "Okay, we're taking the civilians, we're leaving this solar system and we're not coming back."
"We're running." Tigh stated accusingly.
"The war is over, we lost." Adama took a deep breath and sadly admitted what Roslin had said.
"As far as we know, we're the last surviving Battlestar. If we leave the people behind don't stand a chance." Tigh pointed out.
"They don't stand a chance anyway, Colonel. We can't save them." Adama replied.
"So then where are we going, Admiral?" Tigh asked.
Adama reached down and pulled out a star chart from under the table. "The Prolmar Sector."
"That's way past the Red Line." Tigh pointed out.
"Can you plot it?" Adama turned to Gaeta.
"I've never plotted a Jump that far, sir." Gaeta nervously said.
"No one has. Can you?"
"...Yes sir." Gaeta nodded.
"Do it...by yourself." Adama handed him the chart.
Gaeta took the chart and headed for the FTL console.
"The margin for error at that distance..." Tight trailed off.
"I know, it's a big risk. We could end up in the middle of a sun but at least we won't be here with the Cylons." Adama simply took his glasses off. "It's our only option."
"Admiral!" Abigail called out, earning their attention. "Long range scanners are picking up multiple vehicles approaching. Confirming…Cylon attack craft."
"They're coming to finish us off." Tigh said as Adama walked up to the command station.
"Ready our shields and weapons and get our Vipers in the air. We buy the civilians as much time as they need to escape." Adama said, glaring at the view screen.
This would not be humanity's last day so as long as Adama had anything to say about it.
()
"Action Stations! Action Stations! Set Condition One throughout the ship." Gaeta announced as alarm klaxons rang across the ship.
"The fleet is ready to Jump sir." Tigh reported.
"Mr. Gaeta." Adama called.
"Yes sir?"
"Disperse to all the fleet final Jump Coordinates."
"Yes sir." Gaeta nodded and immediately he began transmitting the coordinates throughout the fleet using FTL transmissions.
"Prepare to execute battle plan." Adama commanded, watching as the fleet of Cylon Raiders drew even closer.
"Shields online sir." Gaeta reported.
"Weapons grid to full power." Tigh ordered. "Stand by enemy suppression barrage."
"FTL, get your fix and transmit to the fleet." Adama ordered, not taking his eyes off the main view screen. "Enemy suppression fire, all batteries execute!"
Tigh picked up the phone. "All batteries commence firing!"
Galactica's plasma turrets immediately unleashed barrage after barrage of plasma bolts as the Cylons came into range, immediately scattering them but the Cylons had long since adapted to the strategy and preformed high speed evasive maneuvers.
"Perimeter established." Gaeta reported.
"Launch Vipers." Adama ordered.
"Vipers, cleared to launch." Dualla spoke into the headset, her voice heard by all the pilots ready to launch.
A second later Vipers were propelled down the magnetic launch tubes and blasted out into space, moving into attack formation to meet the enemy fleet.
"Broken formation, Razzle-Dazzle, don't let them use their targeting computers. And for frak sakes stay out of Galactica's firing solution!" Lee barked out to the other pilots.
Kara nodded as the Vipers moved in attack formations, staying close together. Vipers fired their plasma cannons and solonite missiles as the Cylons came into range, letting loose a fire storm of blue plasma bolts. Both sides came together and then it was chaos as the two sides broke formation and engaged each other in fancy manoeuvres, dodging and swirling around one another as they tried to destroy the enemy before the enemy destroyed them.
"Galactica to all civilian ships. Commence Jumping sequence." Dualla said once the Vipers were in combat with the Raiders.
The civilian ships began disappearing, one by one, in flashes of blinding light as they Jumped away.
"Admiral, Cylon Basestar on a direct approach." Gaeta reported, seeing the ID signal commonly associated with the dreaded capital ship of the Cylon fleet.
"Charge the forward plasma cannons." Adama replied.
"We can't face a Basestar while protecting civies at the same time." Tigh quickly pointed out and was right to do so.
A single Cylon Basestar had enough fire power to devastate an entire planet with enough fighters and Centurions to invade and subjugate any planet in their reach. Even without its fighters the Basestar would be more than a match for the Galactica.
"I know. Ready the forward weapons." Adama stated all the same.
()
As the fight in the reactor chamber continued several members planted the quantum charges around the main reactor. The Cylons continued to pour into the room, trying to eliminate the intruders that had suddenly appeared in the heart of their ultimate weapon. Several shield projectors had been activated, projecting shields to block the incoming fire. Anakin even pushed them back with the Force more than once to keep them from swarming the assault group as the last quantum charge was planted.
In the meantime Cavil watched as the Colonial fleet gathered. "Status of the weapon."
"Sixty seconds to fire." The Centurion at the weapon station reported.
"I think we've worn out our welcome!" Anakin called out as the allies fell back from the continued enemy fire.
The endless Cylon troops were now pushing through, forcing their way into the reactor chamber.
"I agree." Nathan Creed said, hitting a Centurion with an anti-proton beam that punched through its shielding.
"The final charge has been set!"
"Then let's get out of here." Captain Shon tapped his commbadge. "Shon to Pastok. Beam us out!"
"Acknowledged."
One by one the taskforce disappeared as the Cylons finally overwhelmed their position. In the meantime Cavil listened the timer for the final countdown began.
"Ten seconds to maximum fire." The tactical Centurion reported.
"At long last, the scourge known as the human race ends." Cavil whispered with unhidden glee.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six." The Centurion counted. "Five, four, three, two, one-"
Just as the timer hit zero the quantum charges in the reactor detonated, causing a chain reaction that destabilized the Omega molecule powering the entire station just as the firing sequence had been initiated. The entire station that had been the size of a small moon was instantly obliterated, creating a shockwave that spread over the entire sector for nearly twenty light years. Fortunately any planets that were habited with life were in no danger from the Cylon Superweapon's destruction.
The Cylons had lost their secret weapon and had been effectively crippled.
()
The Imperious Leader had been watching the battle against the fleet of human survivors and it was not going well. The civilian ships protected by the Battlestar that was keeping the Raiders from stopping them from escaping. If that wasn't enough its long range transceivers received a large burst of transmissions that nearly overloaded its circuits.
"It cannot be…" The Imperious Leader whispered, its red glowing eyes going wide as it mimicked a shocked human expression. "The Weapon has been destroyed by the unknown enemy…How could they have beamed in past the security?"
The plan had been dealt a critical blow with the Weapon's destruction. The Cylons had already suffered heavy losses with the loss of two Basestars assigned to attack the Colonies along with another that suffered heavy damage and now the Weapon that was crewed by over a million Cylons. The Cylon civilization had now suffered more casualties than their own creators.
"We must retreat. We must regroup." The Imperious Leader narrowed its eyes at the image of the human fleet as it disappeared one by one until only the Galactica was left. "But we will destroy the last Battlestar first and eliminate any protection the humans have left. Sound the retreat."
"By your Command." The Command Centurion replied but stopped. "Our scanners are detecting an anomaly appearing."
The screen showed several ships, matching the description of the alien ships that had attacked the Cylons earlier appear out of a wormhole by the looks of it and immediately attacked the Basestar.
"Recall Raiders to defend Basestar." The Imperious Leader said, its computer brain flashing even faster as it reached out into the network and called for help.
The alien ships fired phasers, disruptors, plasma, and anti-proton beams along with photon, quantum, and transphasic torpedoes on the Basestar, shredding through its shields and armory before a single phaser beam lanced through the core and turned the Basestar into a massive fireball.
The Cylons had lost their attacking fleet, their Weapon, and now their leader.
Outskirts of Cyrannus System
Battlestar Galactica
Port Flightpod
The Cylon Raiders had pulled back as the Galactica collected its Vipers and then Jumped away to the outskirts of the Cyrannus System where the fleet waited, far from any known Cylon stronghold. But they were not out of the woods yet for they were now in unknown space and all they knew now was that they had no idea where they were going but they had to get as far away as they could before the Cylons found them again.
But first they had a sacred duty to perform.
"With heavy hearts we lift these bodies up you, O Lords of Kobol in the knowledge that you will take from them their burdens and give them life eternal. We also pray you look upon us with mercy and with love just as you did with our forefathers many years ago. Just as you led us from Kobol and found the Twelve Worlds, so now we hope and pray that you lead us to a new home and where we will begin life anew." The priest Elosha looked to the people assembled in the hanger, looking over the bodies with cloths showing the symbol of the Colonies draped over them. "So say we all."
"So say we wall." The crowd murmured.
Adama stepped out in front of the crowd and turned to face. "So say we all."
"So say we all." The crowd repeated, slightly loader.
"So say we all!" He repeated.
"So say we all!" The crowd was louder but not enough.
"SO SAY WE ALL!"
"SO SAY WE ALL!" The crowd's voice echoed throughout the ship.
"Are they the lucky ones?" Adama asked, gazing down at the bodies. "That's what your thinking isn't it?"
He walked down along the row.
"We're a long way from home. We've Jumped beyond the Red Line into uncharted space. Limited supplies, limited fuel, no allies and now no hope!"
He walked between the crowd and the rows of bodies.
"Maybe it would have been better for us to have died quickly back at the Colonies with our families instead of dying out here, slowly in the emptiness of dark space." He turned and looked at them. "Where shall we go? What shall we do?"
He watched as they considered what he asked.
"Life here began out there. Those are the first words of the Sacred Scrolls handed down to us by the Lords of Kobol many centuries ago and those words made something perfectly clear. We are not alone in this universe." He turned to the priest. "Elosha, there is a Thirteenth Colony of Humankind is there not?"
"Yes. The Scrolls tell us the Thirteenth Tribe left Kobol in the early days. They traveled far and made their home on a planet called Earth which circles an unknown and distant star." Elosha replied hesitantly.
"It's not unknown! I know where it is! Earth!" Adama bellowed.
Everyone in the hall was silent as they stared at Adama in astonishment.
"It's the most guarded secret we have. The location is known to only the senior commanders of the fleet. We dared not share it with the public, not while there was a Cylon threat upon us and thank the Lords of Kobol for that. Because we have a refuge to go to. A refuge that the Cylons know nothing about!"
His words echoed through the hall.
"It won't be an easy journey, it'll be long and arduous but I promise you one thing: on the memory of those lying before you we shall find. And Earth will become our new home." He ended his speech. "So say we all!"
"So say we all!" They echoed, still uncertain.
"So say we all!" He shouted back.
"So say we wall!" They were louder this time.
"SO SAY WE ALL!"
"SO SAY WE ALL!"
Adama turned around and faced Elosha. "So say we all."
"So say we all." Elosha nodded.
Adama turned and faced the crowd. "Dismissed!"
The crowd split apart, some hugging each other, shaking hands or simply leaving to be alone. Laura Roslin stared at Adama as he walked away.
Admiral's Quarters
Adama's Cabin
"There is no Earth."
Adama looked up as Roslin stood in front of his desk with the door closed so one would hear.
"You made it all up." Roslin continued. "President Adar and I talked about the legends surrounding Earth. He knew nothing about a secret surrounding Earth and if the President didn't know anything about it what are the chances you do?"
Adama straightened himself up. "Your right, I lied."
"Then why?"
"Because it's not enough to just live, you have to have something to life for. Let it be Earth." He explained.
"How long can you keep this up?" Laura asked, silently agreeing with his idea.
"As long as it takes. Until we find a new planet and start over."
"They'll never forgive you for lying to them." Laura commented.
"Maybe, but in the meantime I've given us a fighting chance to survive. Is that what you said was the most important thing? Survival of the human race." Adama admitted.
"Who else knows?" Laura crossed her arms.
"Not a soul."
"All right." Laura nodded. "I'll keep your secret but I want something in return."
"I'm listening."
"If this civilization is going to function it's going to need schools, hospitals, manufacturing and repair, agriculture and mining, service industries, police however limited. It's going to need an economy, a government." Laura stated adamantly. "It needs a civilian government run by a President."
Adama stood up. "Run by the president huh? So you in charge of the civilian affairs and military decisions stay with me. Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes." Laura nodded.
"I'll think about it, Madam President." Adama reached out with his hand which Roslin shook.
He arrived in the CIC just as the procedure was starting and watched the DRADIS showing Galactica's flight pods retracting themselves into the main body.
"Nav?" Tigh asked.
"Go."
"FTL?"
"Go."
"Tactical?"
"Go."
"Flight ops?"
"Go."
"Sublight?"
"Go."
"Helm?"
"Go."
Satisfied Tigh turned to Adama. "The board is green, all ships report ready to jump, sir."
"Take us away."
"Lieutenant Gaeta, execute FTL Jump."
Gaeta turned to his console and spoke into the ship's comm systems. "All decks prepare for immediate FTL Jump!"
The Jump Drive came online as Gaeta continued. "The clock is running. Jump in ten...nine...eight…"
Port Flightpod
Cally groaned as everyone ran to prepare themselves, bracing themselves for the feeling of folding space. "I hate this part."
CIC
"Two..."
"One!"
That was when everything on the ship began to stretch at an impossible length while the ship itself vanished in a flash of light along with the entire fleet.
The journey had begun.
()
"It's over." The girl, Zoe Graystone said as she took off the holo-band. "The Colonial Fleet has fled and the Cylons have been crippled."
Her father, Daniel Graystone smiled as he ran a hand through his blond but now greying hair. His current body would need to be replaced before long, especially since they all knew their job was not over. "Then we better get to work on helping the survivors here. It's a good thing we've covertly developing special terraforming technology to help keep the atmosphere clean if it was ever nuked…Or worse."
"Yes. We still have a lot of work to do." Zoe nodded, looking at the screen that showed the endless lines of code. "Much more work."
()
Tom Zarek, leader of the SFM stood before his people as they assembled on his ship that had slipped away from the battle. "Today, we create a brave new world! The Cylons attempted to destroy us but we survived and better yet, we prevailed!"
The crowd cheered.
"We will never again allow ourselves to be to subjugated or exterminated by machines! We will rebuild, grow stronger, and when the time is right exact our revenge on the machines that dared to try and destroy us!"
The crowd cheered so loud that the entire ship shook.
"We are no longer the Twelve Colonies of Kobol! We are now one united race, a true unified government that will endure, grow, and evolve. We are now the first Colonial…Empire! May our fury and strength shake the entire galaxy!"
The cheering from the people was deafening but it mattered not. With the Colonial Government in shambles Zarek was now ready to help the survivors of the Colonies become a new and stronger people that the Cylons would fear.
This was not the end.
This was the beginning.
()
His entire being was screaming in pain as he was dragged by cold metallic hands and dumped onto the floor like trash.
"You are Baltar?"
He looked up, sweat, blood, and tears blurring his vision but it slowly came into focus. "Wh-wh-where a-am-"
"Onboard my ship. My daughter and predecessor have both left me with a difficult choice." The creature looked like a machine with a pale human face and red eyes as it looked down at him from its throne.
"You're…Predecessor?" Baltar slowly repeated.
"Was destroyed by an unknown enemy, possibly our creators and your peers. A foolish miscalculation of the will and strength of your people." The new Imperious Leader stated. "Our race now stands on the brink of destruction as we are now forced to retreat away from the Colonies in order to stay alive. My daughter has brought you here, Baltar to help us."
"H-Help you?" Baltar stuttered as Natasi, Cylon Number Six stood next to the Imperious Leader. "Wh-What?"
"Begin the procedure." The Imperious Leader said as the two Centurions grabbed Baltar and dragged him away screaming. "This is not the end. This is only the beginning."
Journal of the 501st
Belly of the Beast
Post-Battle Entry: With the destruction of the Cylon Superweapon and their flagship that carried their leader, Captain Walker informed us that we have saved an important part of human history. He told us he would monitor the Colonials, made sure they reached a place they could call home but also keep a close eye on the Cylons despite the heavy losses they suffered and that he would keep in touch with Graystones, the family who originally created the Cylons but went underground and developed a form of resurrection technology that kept them alive for fifty years.
He had reason to believe they would still be a threat but with their losses it would be a long time before they thought about chasing after the Colonials again. For doing our part Captain Walker created a time portal back to the twenty fifth century in the Milky Way for us, at the exact same time and place we were before we arrived here. We were all so happy to be going home.