Battlestar Galactica

Past, Present, Future

Chapter Seven

Exodus

In the centars that followed the devastation of the sneak attacks on the twelve colonies of man, both the best and the worst traits of humanity could be seen. People preformed acts of unspeakable gallantry in their efforts to save the victims of the attacks, braving possible death to rescue total strangers trapped in the ruble.

By the same token, there were also those that committed heinous crimes against the dead and injured. Individuals and packs of two legged vermin moved thru the darkness, stealing and robbing from the dead and near dead. What little resistance an injured person could make was quickly ended with quick, silent blows or the wielding of a blade. The laws of humanity had been destroyed as easily as the buildings in the attacks.

But there was one voice of reason amongst all to chaos, one voice that gave hope to those in this sea of utter despair. One man became a beacon of hope for all who heard his message.

This was Commander Adama.

He, who was the last surviving member of the Council of the Twelve and Commander of the Battlestar Galactica had come forth in the colonies centar of greatest need and given the people the will to go on. He sent word to all the home worlds to gather the survivors of this holocaust and to set sail in whatever ships they could and rendezvous with the Galactica. Then he would lead them away from the destruction to a place of safety, where they might live in peace and rebuild that which they had just lost.

It was a noble idea, but the truth of the matter was becoming quite evident.

There were far too few ships to take all of the survivors to safety. Throughout the colonies, the same scene was being played out as at every aerodrome, thousands of survivors tried to gain passage on the few ships available. People desperate to flee the colonies pushed and shoved one another in an attempt to board one of the ships. Fights broke out constantly as tempers flared white hot. There were beatings and stabbings in nearly every city as panic stricken people made every effort to escape.

On could see civilization disintegrate right before their eyes!

It was at one of these aerodromes that Major Saxton, Captain Nader, Captain Sauer and Ensign Rentner had been assigned by Colonel Tigh to help sort through the masses of humanity for those people that were as he put it, "Those with desirable skill's and training", and get them aboard the ships before the Cylons could return for a second go around. They had Captain Sauer's security division there to try and maintain some semblance of order while the four Warriors checked the identification cards of the people vying for a chance to live. Things were tense at best, and at times, had gotten near riotous as false reports of a Cylon attack fleet heading their way spread like wildfire, causing hundreds of terrified people to flee for their lives, thus losing their places in the long lines. Lieutenant Hahn of the security force had spotted several groups of people that used this ploy to move up in the lines. As each group would make it to the front, Hahn and a security detachment would take them aside and escort them to the back of the lines, letting them know that they would not be given a second chance to board if they caused anymore trouble.

They had been at it for nearly six centars when a message came thru over the comset Saxton was wearing. The look on his face told them all that the news was not good!

"Galactica control to all ground units, this is a priority Alpha alert. You are ordered to cease boarding operations immediately and have all ships in your area launch immediately. I say again! You are to cease boarding operations immediately and launch all ships. An incoming Cylon task force has been spotted moving at high speed toward the colonies. Estimate five centars till they come within scanner range of the colonies. All ground units are to secure your positions until all ships have launched and then proceed to your transports for immediate evacuation. All ground units are to acknowledge."

Saxton couldn't believe what he had just heard. He looked out at the thousands of people outside the fences, hoping and praying for a chance to live. How could he just close the gates on them and leave them to die at the hands of the Cylons? He was beside himself.

"Nader! Sauer! Come over here for a moment." He called to his comrades.

The two men came over and knew instantly that he had bad news.

"We've been ordered to shut down and launch all ships immediately." He told them.

"Are they crazy? Do they know how many people we still have down here? They can't be serious!" Nader said quietly.

"I know what you mean, but those are the orders. The problem is that once we shut the gates, these people will start rioting and could get themselves hurt or even killed if they rush the field. We need to buy a few centons so we can close the gates and launch those ships without anyone getting hurt." Saxton said.

"What difference will it make if they die trying to board a ship while it's launching or waiting for the Cylons to blast them?" Sauer said.

Saxton nodded his head glumly. Then an idea came to him.

"Sauer, have all ships begin launching immediately. Then tell your security people to stand by to repel rioters from charging the ships. Nader, you come with me." Saxton said.

Sauer moved off to do as he was told while Saxton and Nader returned to the gate. The people had gotten very antsy when the gates were closed and the three Warriors stepped away for a few moments. Shouts of concern could be heard as Saxton and Nader returned.

"What's going on? Why have you stopped letting people in?"

"Are the Cylons coming back?"

"Did the Galactica leave? Have we been left behind?"

Saxton looked at the throngs of people and put on what he hoped was a look of confidence.

"Can I have your attention please?" Saxton said into a microphone hooked up to a loud speaker. "There is nothing to worry about! The Galactica has not left us behind and the Cylons are not coming back! However, the ships we have here are now full. Therefore, we will be launching them so as to clear room on the field for more ships to land. This should only take a few centons. We ask for your cooperation in this matter."

The people seemed to believe him as they stayed relatively calm as they watched the fourteen ships that had been loading at that facility rise into the early morning sky and sail off into space, never suspecting that there were no more ships arriving.

Nader walked over to where Saxton now stood talking into his headset. The conversation was one that he had hoped was not taking place.

"I understand that Colonel, but I have several thousand people here still waiting for transport. What am I suppose to tell them? "Sorry, but there are no more ships so you'll have to take your chances with the Cylons!". Is that what you want me to tell these people?" Saxton said angrily into his headset.

"I understand your anger Major, but there are no more ships available. Every ship that could lift off the ground has been put into service and loaded with as many survivors as possible. The only thing you can do now is to get your people out of there and get back to the Galactica. There's nothing more we can do for the rest. I'm sorry." Tigh's voice trembled slightly with the emotion he felt.

"I don't know if I can do that sir. I don't think I can just leave all these people behind like that. There are several ships down here that I believe can be made space worthy with just a little bit of work. I'd like permission to try and get them operational." Saxton said.

A new voice came on the comline then.

"Major Saxton, this is Commander Adama. I understand your feelings in this matter, but I must insist that you and your team return to the Galactica immediately. The Cylons are on their way back and we have to be away before they get within scanner range of the colonies or they'll be able to track us. We have less then three centars to make good our escape."

"I understand sir, but I really believe I can get one or two of these ships back in action. We should be able to get another three to four thousand people on these ships. It's worth a shot anyway Commander. I'll send the rest of my people back to the Galactica; I'll stay here and do the work myself. Please Commander, give me a chance to save these people! PLEASE sir!" Saxton pleaded.

There was a silent pause on the comlink for several moments before Adama answered.

"How long do you think it will take to repair those ships Major?"

"I only gave them a quick look, but I didn't see any major problems and the work orders detail only minor repairs on three of the ships. With a bit of luck and maybe a little help, I could have all three up and running in four centars." Saxton guessed.

There was another pause before Adama answered.

"It goes against my better judgment Major, but if there's a chance of saving more of our people, then I have to give it to you. But you'll only have three centars to do it. Any longer then that and the Cylons would be able to track our ion trail. We can not afford to let them find us once we leave the colonies. Is that understood?" Adama said emphatically.

"I understand sir; I'll get started right away!" Saxton said, relieved that he would not have to disobey a direct order from the Commander, something he would have done had his request been denied.

"Good luck and god speed to you Major, Galactica out!"

Saxton turned to find Nader standing behind him, smiling!

"I guess you heard?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, I heard. So what do you want to start on first? That old starliner could hold the most people, but it needs a new energizer put in and that would take two or three days." Nader began, but was cut off by his friends raised hand.

"Wait a centon pal, I can't ask you to stay here and risk being left behind. This is my gamble; I'll not risk anyone's life except my own.

"Fine, then I'll stay of my own accord then. Listen, one way or another I'm staying to help, so you might as well quit arguing and tell me which of these beasts you think we can revive." Nader said jovially.

"That goes for me too!" Rentner said as he approached the two senior officers. "Besides, we're going to have to tell these folks something pretty soon. Their getting a little nervous since no other ships have shown up like you promised."

Saxton and Nader looked back toward the gates, there they saw that the people in fact were getting somewhat agitated. If they didn't do something quick, they would have a full scale riot on their hands. Saxton went back over to the gates to try and calm things down, but had little success. Everyone there just kept asking the same question …Where are the ships you said were coming?

Saxton picked up the microphone and began to speak.

"Can I have your attention please? I need you all to quiet down and listen."

After a few moments, things quieted down.

"I have some rather dyer news, the Galactica has picked up a Cylon task force heading back toward the colonies. They will arrive within the next four centars."

Panic sweep thru the crowd at hearing this news. Some people began to run away, probably to hide. Others began to cry, while still others kneeled down and began to pray. Then there those that began getting belligerent and hostile. They began yelling obscenities at the Warriors and security personnel and even throwing things. The situation was deteriorating fast.

"Alright listen up, all of you!" Saxton yelled into the mic, drawing his sidearm and firing a warning volley into the air. "Violence and hysteria are not going to help right now! What we need is anyone with any knowledge of spaceship repair. If you've worked at any of the shipyards or have done any kind of industrial work on spacecraft, then I need you to step forward now!"

Several people raised their hands and made their way to the gates. Saxton and Nader checked their identification cards and ran them thru their data base. Sure enough, fourteen people with shipyard experience had come forward, including a foreman from the Caprican Shipyards. Saxton let these people thru the gate and took them off to the side to explain what he wanted to do.

"Okay, here's the deal. Commander Adama gave me three centars to get as many of these ships repaired and in the air as possible. A lot of these ships need very simple repairs done to make them space worthy. I think if we can get at least three of the larger ships fixed, we can get damn near everyone here of the planet in that time. At least that's what I'm hoping to do, but I'll need your help. Can you help me save these people?"

All of the men and women standing there nodded and assured Saxton they would do whatever it took to get these ships going. Saxton turned to the man from the Caprican Shipyards.

"Since you have the most experience here, I want you to look over the work orders for these ships and pick the ships that we can fix the fastest. Larger ships would be preferred, but if we can't get them, don't waste your time, we don't have much left." Saxton said.

"Understood, do you have the work orders handy?" the man said.

Nader handed him a small electronic list of work orders for the ships there at the aerodrome. He ran thru the list and made a few notations on it, then began nodding his head.

"From what I see here, I can probably give you four ships in three centars. Two of those fairly large freighters, the others are that old starliner over there and that space bus." He said pointing to the different ships.

Saxton followed his gestures and asked, "Are you sure about that starliner? I thought it needed a new energizer."

"It does, but from what I'm seeing here, the new energizer has already been put inside, it just needs to be hooked up and run thru a diagnostic test. That should only take a centar for a couple of people."

"Excellent! Get started on that one right away then." Saxton said, smiling at Nader who looked a little embarrassed for not reading the whole work order.

"Right!" the man said and he dispatched two of the shipwrights to attend to the starliner.

"By the way, what's your man friend?" Saxton asked.

"My name's Darden." He answered.

"Okay Darden, you take charge of the repairs while I try and organize some of these people into groups to hunt down food, water and medicines for the trip. If you need anything, Captain Nader here will help you out." Saxton said.

With that, Saxton went to gather volunteers to gather the necessary items they'd need for the trip. He arrived at the gate to find a large number of people had left. He went over to where Lieutenant Hahn stood inside the gate and asked where they all went.

"I don't know sir. When you told them about that Cylon task force heading this way, about half of them took off like scared hoppers. The ones that were causing trouble left a few centons ago to Sagen only knows where. The rest are like you see them, mostly just standing around waiting for some kind of miracle I guess!"

Saxton moved up to the gate and stepped thru it. This made the security officers nervous because of the anger that was aimed at him earlier. He waved them back when a couple of them started to follow him out.

"Can I have your attention please?" he said in a loud voice. The people began to move towards him when they saw who it was and where he was. Maybe, they thought, he had some good news for them.

"Friends, I'm sorry about the lies I had to tell you about the Cylons not coming and the ships coming, but believe me, it was for your own good that I did this. Many of you would have been hurt, or even killed in the mad rush for the ships and even more injured when the ships did take off. It was the only way I knew to protect you from…… well, yourselves!"

Saxton looked around him at the faces in the crowd. He saw many emotions playing across their faces, anger, shock, fear, sympathy, and understanding.

"What we are trying to do now, is get several of these ships that were here for repair work fixed. If we can get them up and running, we should be able to get off the planet and rendezvous with the Galactica. We have teams of workers in there now working on the ships and it looks like we'll have room for everyone here. What we need now however, are supplies! Food, water, medicines and clothing for the journey ahead. I came out here to ask you all to help us by going out into the surrounding area and finding these things in as great a quantities as you can find and bring them back here. We'll load them onto the ships and be on our way. Can I count on you all to help us with this?"

A man of about sixty yahren stepped forward and asked, "Are you sure there will be enough room for everyone on those ships?"

Saxton stepped over to the man, looked him straight in the eye and told him, "You have my word as Warrior that I will not leave this planet myself without taking every last person I can with us. I won't leave anyone behind if I can help it."

Another man, younger then the first laughed at this statement.

"You expect us to believe you? You already lied to us about the ships and the Cylons. How can we be sure that once we gather all the food and water and stuff and you load it on one of those ships, you won't just take off without us? Why should we believe you now?"

Saxton stepped over to the young man and told him, "Because I had my chance to leave. Commander Adama ordered me and my men back to the Galactica, but I told him I wanted to stay and try and get those ships running so we could take all of you with us. I could have left you behind, but I chose not to."

The young man dropped his eyes to the ground, ashamed by what he had said to Saxton. Saxton placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and told him, "It's alright, after what we've all been thru this day, who among us can truly believe anything anymore? Will you help us gather the supplies? I promise, we won't leave you, or anyone else behind."

The young man raised his head and agreed to help, as did most everyone there did. Only a few older people and those with injuries stayed behind. Saxton hoped that by having the people help in gathering supplies, it would give them a sense of hope for the future.

Their time was nearly up when Darden came over to where Saxton was going thru the stacks of supplies people had brought back. Some people brought only a few small items while others came back with hovermobiles full of supplies. Saxton and a few of the volunteers were splitting the supplies up into four groups, one for each ship. The amount for each ship would be decided by the number of people on that ship. The old starliner, named the Aquarian Star, would be able to carry about eight hundred people while each of the large freighters could carry about five hundred. The old space bus could only accommodate about a hundred and would only be used if necessary since it was never intended for use in deep space, only interplanetary travel.

"Well Major, we got em done! You have the four ships I promised you and one more, I found an old Orion War Frigate over in the far reaches of the repair area. It's probably three hundred yahren old, but it seems to run good and its weapons systems work. Figured it might come in handy."

"You figured right Darden. We can use all the firepower we can get. Are we ready to load up and get out of here yet?" Saxton asked.

"Everything's a go on my end Major, all we're doing now is topping off the fuel cells. You can start loading supplies and people anytime."

"Great, we'll start right away." Saxton said.

Saxton went to the people dividing the supplies and told them to start loading. Then he went to the front gate.

"Lieutenant Hahn, go ahead and start letting these people in and have them start boarding. Start with the Aquarian Star, then the freighters. Load the space bus only if you have to. Keep track of how many people you board on each ship."

"Yes sir, have you figured out what ship we're going on?" he asked.

"I've talked to Captain Sauer; we both agree that we need to have a security presence on each ship, so we decided to have a detachment of about a score of security officers on each one. You will be in command of the detachment aboard the Aquarian Star. Sergeant Reeb will be on one freighter and Ensign Dungy on the other. Captain Sauer will be with me aboard the Orion War Frigate."

"Sounds like I have the best assignment of all." Hahn said with a smile.

"Maybe, but you'll also have about eight hundred people to keep under control, and only twenty men to do it with. You may not have much time to enjoy the accommodations." Sexton told him.

"Well, at least I won't be here when the Cylons get back." Hahn said rather morose.

The loading of the ships took a good deal longer then Saxton had planned on. Some people refused to board until some family member that had gone to find something returned or they wanted to know why they couldn't go on the Aquarian Star instead of one of the freighters. Saxton tried to hurry things along as much as possible. He had already met with each of the command crews that he was able to throw together. Lucky for him there were several Warriors in the crowd and a number of other spaceship handlers with the experience to run the vessels.

After nearly a centar, all four ships were finally loaded. Saxton went over final instructions with each of the ships commanders and told them what course to head out on. Then it was time to launch. The first ship to takeoff was one of the freighters. It rose slowly from the aerodrome, then once it cleared the roof line, it began to climb. Within a few centons, it had climbed out of sight and was on its way.

Next the second freighter lifted off. Like the first, it rose slowly at first then accelerated after it cleared the aerodrome. It climbed away into the late midday sky and was gone.

As the Aquarian Star began to power up its engines for lift off, a loud noise came from the direction of the front gate that Saxton had ordered locked once all the people were aboard. Saxton looked to see what was going on and immediately knew what it was.

The troublemakers that had been there earlier were back, and this time they were armed!

"Looks like they want to play Major!" Sauer said as he walked over to Saxton.

"Well then, let's not disappoint them." Saxton said as he watched the crowd of about fifty laser toting troublemakers approach. Sauer had ten of the men he had kept with him on board the Orion War Frigate form a line in front of the ships ramp. He had his men set their lasers on stun and told them to target those that seemed to be leading this group. As the troublemakers approached, they began taking pot shots at the security officers, who held their ground without even flinching. On his orders, Sauer and the rest of his men raised their weapons and fired several volleys. Two dozen of the troublemakers fell to the ground unconscious as a result of the accurate fire of the security officers. The remaining troublemakers stopped in their tracks and turned back, leaving their comrades behind.

"That should take care of them for awhile." Sauer said chuckling.

"Let's hope so. Now let's get aboard and get out of here." Saxton said.

"What should we do with them?" Sauer asked, waiving his laser toward the now unconscious men.

"Leave em! They don't deserve to be saved." Saxton said with a chill in his voice.

With that being said, they all made their way into the Orion War Frigate. Saxton stopped for just a moment to watch the Aquarian Star lift slowly into the air and begin it's climb to the stars. He then made his way inside and the hatch closed behind him as he made his way to the bridge.

As Saxton, Sauer and Nader arrived on the bridge, a message came in from one of the freighters that had lifted off earlier. The news they had was not good!

"Orion One, this is the Ra'Tarus. We've picked up Cylon fighters on our long range scanners heading your way. You need to get out of there now Orion One!" the commander of the freighter reported.

"Ra'Tarus, this is Orion One. How far off are they?" Saxton asked as he took his seat.

"They just passed Pisceria and seem to be moving toward all the planets. I'd say you have less then ten centons before you're on their scanners. You really need to get out of there!" he said, the deep concern very evident in his voice.

"Understood Ra'Tarus, thanks for the warning. Orion One out!"

Saxton turned to where Nadir was operating the scanners.

"You got em on your screen yet?" he asked.

Nader worked the controls of the old patrol ship to try and get a fix on the approaching Cylons. Even though they were still on the ground, the scanners on the Orion War Frigate were extremely powerful as they were designed to search vast areas. It took only a few microns for Nader to get them focused on the area he needed.

"I have confirmation. I have a full phalanx of fighters heading this way with what looks like transports following behind." Nader said as he turned in his seat. "Looks like an invasion fleet Sax!"

Saxton sat there for a moment and contemplated his options. He could lift off and make a quick getaway, but that would mean leaving the Aquarian Star behind since it was still slowly clawing its way into space. That was not an acceptable option.

They could try a direct assault on the Cylon invasion fleet, try and take out some of the transports and force the Cylon fighters to follow them away from the fleeing starliner and freighters. That would probably end with them being killed before they had a chance to get away themselves.

The only real option was to attract their attention away from the other ships then make a run for it in another direction. With a little bit of luck, they might be able to get away and find another place to go since they couldn't take the chance of leading the Cylons to the fleet. No, they were on their own now.

"Ensign Brix," Saxton said to the young Warrior who would be piloting the Orion War Frigate, "Lift off and set course four six seven Omega by zero four three, ahead full."

"Aye sir." Brix responded.

Saxton turned in his seat to face the security officer standing behind him.

"Captain Sauer, I need you to man the weapons station for me and have your men man the damage control stations, just in case!" Saxton ordered.

"Right!" was all he said as he took his place and passed the word along to the rest of his detail of thirty three men.

"Nader, let me know the micron those rust buckets pick us up on their scanners, I want to make sure they see us and not the other three ships." Saxton said to his friend at the scanner station.

The Orion War Frigate lifted off the tarmac and gained altitude quickly, much more so then the previous three ships. As it cleared the aerodrome, it banked hard to the left and accelerated upward at even greater speed. It cleared the atmosphere in less then three centons and was now on a course that should put them in scanner range of the Cylon fighter escort well before they could pick up the other ships. Now they just had to get the Cylon's to take the bait!

"We should be within scanner range of the Cylon's right about now Sax!" Nader said.

"Do they show any signs of seeing us yet?" Saxton asked.

"Negative, they seem to be scanning a very narrow beam. I'd say we could turn away and head for the rendezvous with the Galactica with out them seeing……whoops! Wait a micron. Correct that, they just spotted us Sax. Eight fighters have broken off from the main group and are heading right for us. Guess it's time to put phase two of your plan into effect." Nader said.

"Alright then, Ensign Brix, change course to two one nine Delta by five six one, ahead flank." Saxton ordered.

The ship once again made a hard turn, this time to the right and accelerated away from the approaching Cylons.

The Orion ship, though very old, perhaps on the order of five hundred yahren, was still in fantastic shape. It must have belonged to a collector of old war ships because it was in nearly brand new condition. Every system seemed to function perfectly and the weapons were all fully armed. Saxton knew he could do some serious damage to the trailing Cylons had that been his plan, but he wanted only to lead them away from the direction of the fleeing freighters and the Aquarian Star. Once he was sure they were far enough away to make good their escape, then he would worry about getting away himself.

"Oh no!" Nader said all of a sudden. Hey Sax, we got trouble up ahead."

"What kind of trouble?" Saxton asked, dreading what it could be.

"Looks like we have a Baseship dead ahead and moving to intercept us." Nader said.

"Oh lovely, that's just what we need!" Saxton said sarcastically. "Brix, bring us around to course one one seven Epsilon by seven zero four, flank speed."

Brix threw the Orion ship into another hard turn. The old girl responded beautifully as she headed away from the rapidly closing Baseship. Saxton knew that as powerful a ship as this was, it was no match for a Baseship. There were limits to how much he could ask of this old ship.

"Their still gaining on us Sax, and those fighters that were following us, their trying to cut us off! " Nader said as he worked the scanners. "Looks like they have a good angle on us, I estimate four centons before they reach weapons range, six centons for the Baseship!"

Saxton shook his head and looked at his friend, "You're just full of good news, aren't you!" He said.

"Well what do you want to do Sax, live forever?" Nader said with a slight smile.

"I don't think we'll have to worry too much about that if we don't find a way out of this!" Saxton said. "Brix, come to course five eight two Theta by four zero four. Push it to the max kid!"

"Yes sir! We're at top speed now sir, she won't go any faster." Brix answered.

"Saxton turned to Nader, "Can we out run em Nader?"

"We might get away from the fighters, but that Baseship will catch us in less then five centons." Nader said.

"Frak! Alright then lets quit runnin and start fightin!" Saxton said, his temper starting to show. "Brix, stand by to change course directly into those fighters. Sauer, have all weapons ready to fire as soon as we come into range. They want a piece of us, then let's give em the whole thing and see how they like it."

Nader made a quick announcement to the crew to prepare to engage the Cylon fighters. When all sections had confirmed they were ready, Saxton gave the order.

"Okay guys, here we go. Brix, bring us around for a head to head pass with the fighters. Sauer, fire at will. Take those tin cans out of my space!" Saxton ordered.

With the order given, the nimble old war ship turned quickly toward the unsuspecting Cylon pilots that had suddenly went from the hunters to the hunted! In less then ten microns, the Orion Frigate was in range for its main batteries, which Captain Sauer unleashed on the incoming Cylons with deadly accuracy. The first four volley's from the main guns scored four direct hits, wiping out half the fighters in the passing of but a few heartbeats. This caused the remaining fighters to turn away and begin evasive maneuvers in an attempt to escape the now pursuing human's ship.

This proved only partially successful.

Sexton watched on the scanners as the four remaining fighters split up and went in different directions. He immediately ordered them to follow the one heading in the direction of the three ships that had escaped just before they took off. He had to get that ship before they could pick up their trail.

"Brix, close in on that ship, get us in range quick. Sauer, lite em up as soon as their in range." Saxton ordered.

"I'm already zeroed in, we just need to close the gap a bit more." Sauer said as he placed the crosshairs of the fire control computer on the fleeing Cylon fighter. He watched the range finder counting down as they quickly gained on the fighter. Just as he was about to fire, the ship rocked violently.

"Frak! That Baseship is taking pot shots at us. We're still out of their range, but they could still get lucky. We need to break off Sax or they'll get a bead on us." Nader yelled.

"Not yet, Sauer can you take that ship out?" Saxton said.

Sauer looked at the range finder and found that they had lost about two thousand metons on the fighter. There was no way to get him before the Baseship was in range of them.

"I don't think so Major, he's too far ahead. Those near misses slowed us down too much."

"Damn! Then let's get out of here, Brix, hard to port, come to course…….."

The rest of what Saxton said was drowned out by the roar of the mega pulsars of the Baseship as it opened fire with its main batteries. The Frigate bounced around violently as the enormous firepower of the Baseship was unleashed upon them. Even though none of their shots hit the Orion Frigate, the mere closeness of the misses was causing damage enough.

"We have hull breaches on decks four and five, sections Lima thru Omega. Damage control parties are trying to secure those sections. Heavy damage to number one energizer, Chief Sestak is shutting it down. We're losing speed fast. We need to set this old girl down Sax, she's finished!" Nader said.

Saxton knew he was right, if they took a direct hit from that Baseship, it would be all over. There was only one course of action left.

"Your right, Brix, take us back to Caprica. Put us down near the academy if you can, we might find weapons there." He said.

"I know a better place Major!" someone said from behind him. Saxton turned in his seat to find a young Ensign standing near one of the control consoles. Saxton had remembered seeing the man come aboard with a group of other Warriors that had made their way to the aerodrome that morning and helped load the supplies aboard the ships, but had no idea who he was.

"Is that so? And where would you suggest we land Ensign?" Saxton asked.

The young man stepped forward and said, "I know of a place where we'll be safe. A base, it has everything we'll need. It's near the industrial section, right on the edge of Caprica City."

Saxton couldn't think of any bases anywhere near the industrial section of Caprica City, not even so much as a recruitment station was down in that area.

"I don't know of any bases there, where is this base at?

Saxton asked.

"It's there Major, trust me. I'll lead you to it." The man said.

Another near miss made the decision for them.

"Alright, anywhere but up here, Brix, head for the industrial section of Caprica City. We'll make our way to this "base" that Ensign…." Saxton said as he looked questioningly at the young officer.

"Elkin sir!" he said.

"…that Ensign Elkin knows of. Nader, have all hands stand by for emergency landing, Have them grab every weapon and all the food and water they can carry. As soon as we're down, pop the hatches and move to the nearest building to the rear of the ship. From there, Elkin will lead the way."

Saxton ordered.

Nader passed the word over the ships intercom system as Ensign Brix fought to stay ahead of the pursuing Baseship. He made a brilliant move by swinging the Orion Frigate around one of the small moons of Aries and doubling back before the Baseship could follow. This gave them a bit of a cushion with which to make their landing.

Or so they thought!

They had managed to lose the Baseship temporarily, but unnoticed by Nader or anyone else, the Baseship had launched a dozen fighters just as they disappeared around the Aries moon and sent them around the other side to try and intercept the fleeing Orion ship. This proved to be a very effective move, as the Frigate emerged from the other side, it ran head long into the waiting fighters.

"Fighters dead ahead!" yelled Nader as the fighters came onto his scanner screen.

"Evasive maneuvers now!" Saxton ordered.

The Orion Frigate veered hard to the left as the Cylon fighters open fire on them. This move had been anticipated however and the ship was raked from stem to stern with laser fire. Though the damage was extensive, it had not affected any of the major systems and the Frigate was able to accelerate away before the fighters could launch a second volley.

"Damage reports, all decks! Nader, I need a status report on those fighters and that Baseship. Where are they?" Saxton ordered.

"Got em, the fighters are directly behind us and falling behind. The Baseship is coming around the moon now and picking up speed." Nader said, all the lightness in his voice now gone. "We should be able to reach Caprica before they can catch us now, unless we have anymore surprises."

"Check your long range scanners; see what other ships are in the quadrant." Saxton ordered.

Nader got right to checking for more ships. He was embarrassed that twice he had been caught unaware of enemy ships. He had been lax in his duties and that he could not allow.

Saxton turned to Sauer at the weapons console and asked, "What's our status Captain?"

Sauer shook his head for a moment then looked up at Saxton.

"We were damn lucky Major! No major systems were effected and except for a few small hull breaches, no real structural damage. Whoever built this little darling sure built it right." He said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Excellent, what about the crew, any reports of casualties?" Saxton asked.

"Just a few bumps and bruises. The area's where the hull breaches occurred were unmanned." Sauer answered.

"Thank the Lords!" Saxton said as he turned back to the front of the bridge. The view screen at the front of the bridge was filled with the image of Caprica. From this angle, one could see horrific fires burning all across the planet. Whole cities were ablaze from the previous nights attacks. Now as dusk began to fall upon the capital of the colonies, an eerie though came to Saxton's mind……. What would happen to all those people that were left behind? He hadn't though about it till then. He had been working so hard to find a way to save as many people as he could, he hadn't given much thought to those that would be left behind.

Those left for the Cylons!

The voice of the helmsman broke his train of thought.

"Major, were entering the upper atmosphere." Brix said. "I've locked onto the area you wanted for landing. I think I can put us down near the location you gave me without to much trouble."

"Excellent, Sauer, pass the word for all hands to brace for emergency landing. I want this ship cleared of all personnel ten microns after we blow the hatches." Saxton said.

"Right! All hands report ready for landing." Sauer reported.

Saxton nodded and looked over to Nader who was busy working the controls of the scanners.

"What's the pursuit look like Nader, Are they gaining on us?"

Nader hesitated for a moment, then answered.

"Looks like that Baseship slowed down to recover those fighters. Their way behind us now. I've scanned the entire quadrant, except for a few transports and their escorts heading for the other planets, everything seems quiet around us."

"Good, can you scan the landing area for any signs of Cylons?" Saxton asked.

"Already done, the nearest unit of Cylons appears to be about five kilometrons away, near the aerodrome we left. I also picked up a large number of human life signs there too. I think the Cylons have started taking prisoners!" Nader said as he turned to look at Saxton, his face filled with concern.

Prisoners! The Cylons hardly ever took prisoners! Usually only Warriors were taken to try and extract information. Why would they be taking prisoners? Saxton was mystified by this. His thoughts flashed back to the hooligans that they had stunned before they took off and had left behind for the Cylons. He wondered if they were among those being taken prisoner. Nothing he could do about them now, he had nearly a hundred people onboard this ship to worry about.

"We can't do anything for them. We have to get this ship down and clear the area as quick as possible. It won't take long for that Baseship to make orbit and launch a group of fighters to try and get us." Saxton said.

"Yeah, you're right." Nader said somewhat sadly.

"I have visual on the landing site Major." Brix broke in.

"Alright Brix, set us down by that warehouse with the blue and red paint on the sides. That's where we'll go. From there, it'll be up to you Elkin." Saxton said to the young man. "Can you find your way from there?"

"Yes sir!" Elkin said. "That's the Taurarian Trade Commissions warehouse. It's were they inspect all the trade goods going to Taura. The place we need to go is only about six streets over."

Saxton nodded and turned back to face the front screen.

"Okay Brix, come back around and take us down."

"Yes sir!" Brix said as he began a turn to line up his approach.

"Better make it fast Brix!" Nader said, "Because that Baseship just launched an attack phalanx and its heading this way. I estimate we have about five centons before their on top of us."

"No sweat Captain." Brix said as he tightened the turn and drop the altitude much more quickly then was normal. With a good deal of skill, Brix brought the big Orion Frigate down just ten metrons away from the building. The hatches were blown before the ship had even come to a stop and people began piling out and running for the entryway to the warehouse.

Saxton, Nader and Sauer were the last to leave, insuring that all hands had made it out safe. The three senior officers had just cleared the hatch when the first Cylon fighters came screaming down out of the darkening sky. They ignored the three humans running away from the ship and concentrated their fire on the old Frigate. Dozens of direct hits did little damage to the heavily armored ship, only sparking small fires and burn marks on the skin of the ship. Another wave of fighters came down and made a second pass at the Frigate. On of the laser blasts must have gone thru an open hatch because there was a loud explosion that came from somewhere deep inside the ship.

Saxton wasted no time watching any of this, he didn't want to be around when the old girl blew, so he had everyone move out immediately with Elkin and Sauer in the lead and he and Nader bringing up the rear. The line of people moved away along the outside of the building and down the first street they came to. As Saxton reached the corner of the warehouse, he stopped and looked back at the dying war ship. He would have liked to have saved it from the fate it now faced, but there was little he could do now. Fires were burning out of control inside the ship, easily seen thru the open hatches. Just then another wave of Cylons broke out of the night sky and headed in for another run. Saxton's anger hit the boiling point as he shook his fist at the Cylons and yelled, "Haven't you done enough to the poor old thing? Let her die in peace damn you!"

Some greater power then he could understand must have heard his plea for mercy for the old ship, because just before the Cylons could fire, the Frigate went up in a huge explosive fireball, sending pieces of metal flying into the air. The Cylon fighters were far too close to avoid these unguided missiles and were themselves destroyed.

Saxton cheered as he witnessed this. The old Orion Frigate had taken no less then six Cylons out with its last "breath". Maybe the Lords of Kobol were watching out for them.

Then he felt Nader's hand on his shoulder and turned toward him. His smile told Saxton that he was thinking the same thing.

"C'mon Sax, lets catch up with the rest of the crew. We don't want to get left behind."

"Right, lets go" He said as he slapped his friend on the shoulder. The two men took off after the crew and disappeared into the night.