When the attack came not all chose to flee. Some decided to make a stand. On the Battlestar Perseus there are 1732 survivors fighting to regain what they have lost…
The hybrid babbled.
"I'll never understand what you think you can hear in that," said Three. Leoben grinned.
"The word of God."
"If you say so."
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"What do you make of this?" She handed him a photograph of a bright flash in space.
"It looks like an FTL jump," he said.
"That's the general consensus; most of us think that the Perseus is sending out the Raven again. This was detected by a patrol near Tauron a few days ago." Leoben got up from where he had been kneeling.
"Did they find the temple?" he asked anxiously.
"We don't know. As you're aware, we haven't had any word from our agent there for some time." Leoben nodded. They left the hybrid's chamber and began walking down one of the corridors in the basestar. Three projected a woodland path beside a river onto her surroundings.
"He's most likely been discovered. Hopefully he will be killed and return to us soon," he said.
"Agreed. Thankfully they haven't gone far enough for us to need the resurrection ship, it won't be ready to launch for another week or two at least. At any rate I wouldn't worry too much, after the punishment we gave them two days ago the Perseus is in no condition to threaten the temple." she said.
"That may be true but humans are unpredictable and it only takes a few well placed warheads to destroy it. Our work at the temple is too important for us to risk it. We have to make sure the Perseus can't threaten it."
"We have raiders out searching for it but it could be awhile before they're successful."
"Then we should strengthen our defenses at the temple," said Leoben.
"That's what the Eights and most of the Sixes have been advocating; I suppose we could pull a basestar off patrols," she said.
"I doubt anyone would object to that. No one wants to take chances with this; we've been working towards it for years."
"Very well, I'll see if I can steal away a few squads of raiders from the assault fleets too. You're right we can't be too careful," said Three.
"Good. Just think, in a few weeks we will be able to begin a whole new era for our people."
"Stand to attention!" shouted Major Anna Erikson, executive officer of the Battlestar Perseus. Everyone on the hangar snapped to attention as the service commenced. A Geminese man from the Caprican Wanderer stepped up to the podium and began to read from a book of scriptures that had once belonged to Commander Brammel. He was the closest thing to a priest they had found. He was a nondescript man with brown hair and a soft voice.
He finished reading and spoke, "We are gathered here to mourn the loss of those killed in the last battle with the cylons. Good men and women who died giving their all for the good of mankind." That's almost true except for the civilians who were killed. Well it makes people feel better, that's all that matters. Commander Hathaway stood behind and to the right of the podium looking out over the crowd gathered for the memorial dedicated to Commander Brammel and the others killed in the cylon ambush two days ago. Most in the crowd were officers on the Perseus but there was also a large grouping of civilians allowed to attend. Chief Campbell had complained about having to halt work on the hangar deck for the ceremony but even he had relented in the light of the number killed. Over a hundred and twenty killed, dozens of hull breaches, systems out all over the ship. It's almost enough to make me want to track down the Pegasus and place the ship under Admiral Cain's protection. Almost. Gods what am I going to do? The man from Geminon continued his speech.
"We are lesser for having lost these people but do not be saddened, for the gods have granted them eternal life in paradise. Their souls are watching over us and we will go forward knowing that we do it for them. Let their names be known so that we may always remember: Thea Brammel, Karen Edmond, Jason Ferian, Marcus Walden…" He continued on for some time. This is a hell of a way to take command. All my heroic dreams of leading a battlestar against the cylons seem so foolish now.
The man finished listing the names. "Now we commit the bodies of the fallen to the timeless depths of space." The viper launch tubes had been filled with the flag draped coffins of the dead and now the inner doors closed and the coffins were launched. "And now Commander Hathaway will say a few words." The man stepped aside and Hathaway took the podium. He cleared his throat and spoke.
"We lost a good woman two days ago. Our commander, Thea Brammel. She was a woman of strong convictions and deeply held beliefs. She and I disagreed often but she was a good leader who had earned her rank well. I find myself constantly wishing for her certainty and clarity of purpose to guide us through these hard times. But she was not the only one lost and we cannot let ourselves forget the others who were lost, there are many stories of heroism tied to the dead, some of which will probably never be known. Close to three hundred people have died on this ship since the attack; let them not have died in vain. Fight on and survive in the name of those lost. So say we all."
"So say we all," echoed those assembled.
Hathaway tossed. He was lying in bed in his quarters - he hadn't been able to bring himself to move into Commander Brammel's quarters. Gods, what am I going to do? We won't stand a chance if we attack the cylon station but I can't in good conscience leave those prisoners to the cylons. His indecision had kept him awake for the last two hours. He sat up and turned on the light next to the bed.
"Frack me." He went to his desk. He spent the next hour pouring over star charts and intelligence reports trying to think of a way they could attack the station without getting killed. There just aren't any plans with a chance of succeeding much better than fifty-fifty. Even if we nuked the basestars guarding it the cylons would just send in more. And even if could somehow pull it off the ship would to damaged to survive even a skirmish afterward. He shut off the lights and returned to the bed in the hope of sleeping but his mind still kept him awake. Every time he thought of calling off the attack the commander's last words would play in his mind. "Save the thirteenth tribe." I don't see them being some mystical equivalent of the thirteenth tribe but they still need saving and it's still her dying wish. Frack! After several more minutes of trying to sleep he got up again and began looking through his books on military strategy. He read for almost another hour until he became too tired to concentrate. He sat back in his desk chair and rubbed his eyes. Gods I'm tired. Damn it I wish the commander was here! She'd be able to make a decision. Hathaway stood up and began to pace. Where do a commander's loyalties lie? His ship or the populace? Do I risk everyone under my command to save hundreds more or leave them to the cylons in the hopes we'll survive on our own? He thought back to his childhood when he'd thought of the military as shining heroes protecting humanity from the cylons. I know what I would have done then, I would have said rescue the civilians; nothing can defeat the colonial fleet! But things aren't that simple anymore. He started to think maybe going through with the attack might be the right thing to do when doubt began to creep in again. But what if it's the wrong choice? What if I send seventeen hundred men women and children to their deaths? All that's left of humanity will be a battlestar commanded by a lunatic. He sat down on his bed and sighed.
"I know why people turn to religion, so they can blame any mistakes they make on fate or the gods' will. What I wouldn't give for that kind of clarity right now," he said to himself. For the first time in his life Hathaway felt a small amount of regret at joining the military. I didn't expect to be responsible for the survival of my species! Once again he was reminded of his childhood when he had dreamed of being an officer in the colonial fleet. He also thought of his father, whom the cylons had killed when he was six. My father wasn't afraid to act when the time came. He thought for a moment. My father didn't join the fleet to play it safe and neither did I. If I'm going to die, let me die fighting, let me die for what I believe in. A plan began to formulate in his mind but it was still sometime before he could sleep.
Captain Tiryn entered the strategy room followed by Majors Erikson and Phillips. It was the next morning and Hathaway had called a meeting to discuss his decision. He was still tired but the knowledge he had made the right choice granted him enough energy to cope. Everyone looked exhausted - most of the crew had been working extra hours since last attack - especially Major Erikson who was still functioning as operations officer until a new one was appointed, this in addition to her new duties as XO. They all took their positions around the table and Hathaway spoke.
"I have decided to go through with the attack on the cylon station." Major Phillips showed no reaction at all but Jack looked oddly pleased.
Major Erikson simply said, "Are you sure that's what you want to do commander?"
"Yes," he said without doubt. She nodded and smiled slightly. "Does anyone object?" he asked. No one said anything. "Very well, then I want some ideas on how to do this without it being a one-way trip. We have twelve nukes left and I intend to put them to good use but that's not enough." Erikson walked over to a computer and pulled up a chart they had made of the area around the station.
"If we jump in here we'll have a clear shot at the two basestars and we can nuke them while they're still launching raiders. Then we can launch raptors to board the station and rescue the prisoners. With luck they won't send reinforcements quickly and we'll only have to deal with a few raiders and whatever defenses the station has for awhile."
"That's more or less what I had in mind," said the XO turned commander.
"It's going to be hard to gather together enough marines for a boarding party; we'll probably have to recruit some pilots again," said Major Phillips.
"Will we be able to do that and still muster enough pilots for a proper air group?" Hathaway asked Jack.
"It'll be a stretch but if we use every pilot I should be able to give you a reasonable number."
"Good, I want you to assign blue squad and a handful of the better ground fighters from the other squads to the boarding party. Get them to pilot the raptors that will transport them too, it's more efficient that way. You'll lead the pilots under Major Phillips as before."
Jack nodded and said, "We'll have to cut into the hull to get out men aboard since I doubt they'll just let us dock."
"Good point; where would be the best place to do that?" said the commander.
"Most of the transports seem to be docking on the lower spokes so I'll wager they keep the prisoners somewhere on the lower levels," said Major Erikson.
Hathaway shrugged, "That's as good a place as any. Lower spokes it is. We'll split the boarding party into four groups, one to go ahead, one to go left, one to go right, and one to stay and guard the raptors."
"What are we going to do about Cavil? It doesn't seem smart to keep a cylon onboard during an op. like this." observed Major Erikson. Hathaway thought for a moment.
"I agree but what do we do with him? If it's true he can download into a new body he'll warn them about the attack," he said.
"I have an idea," said Jack. The others looked at him. "A lot of vipers were damaged in the last attack, some beyond repair. I say we seal him in a viper with no weapons, communication or engines and launch him into space. He'll die but it won't be for a day or two until his air runs out."
"Sounds good to me," said Erikson.
"Alright, that's what we'll do," said Commander Hathaway. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Now after the attack, no matter how well it goes, we're going to be too badly damaged to do any significant fighting so I intend to carry out the back up plan we made with Commander Brammel; that being settling on Galeos Three. We'll drop off the civilians and wounded on the planet before we jump to the station and return there once we've finished the op." If we finish.
"What will become of the Perseus once we settle on Galeos?" inquired Major Phillips.
"We'll keep it in orbit with a sparse crew, it won't be much of a defense if the cylons find us but it's something. It's an imperfect solution but we live in an imperfect universe." replied Hathaway. No one looked pleased with the idea but no one objected. He paused a moment before speaking again. "Now am I correct in assuming it won't make much of a difference if we wait on the repairs a few days before launching the mission?" he asked Major Erikson.
"More or less, most of the major damage can't be repaired in a long lasting way with the resources at our disposal," she responded.
"Good, because I want to launch the attack tomorrow. That thing's still under construction so the sooner we attack the better. We'll jump to Galeos in a few hours and begin the evacuation of the civilians. Any questions?" None were asked. "Very well. Take your stations. Captain Tiryn you're with me, we have to get rid of Cavil," said Hathaway. He left the strategy room with Jack a step behind. They headed for the brig at a brisk walk, neither of them saying anything. They stepped through the hatch and Hathaway indicated to the marine on guard to open Cavil's cell. "Stand up," Hathaway told Cavil. The cylon obliged reluctantly. At the commander's instruction the marine guard, Private Mathis, placed shackles on Cavil's wrists and ankles. "Bring him," ordered Hathaway. Hathaway and Jack left the brig followed by Mathis leading Cavil. They headed for the hangar deck with Cavil glaring at them all the way.
"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where you're taking me?" asked the cylon. No one answered. "Right, I didn't think so." They arrived at the hangar deck and Jack called over Chief Campbell.
"We need a crippled viper, one with none of the major systems functioning," he said.
Campbell looked at Cavil curiously and then said, "I got just the one for ya. Come with me." They followed him to the other end of the hangar where sat a viper with its left wing and most of its engines destroyed. "You could get it to fly again but it'd be easier to build a new viper," said Campbell. Hathaway nodded.
"Good. Mathis, get Cavil into the cockpit. Campbell, get a welder and prepare to seal the canopy." Cavil's eyes widened as Private Mathis began to drag him toward the viper.
"Wait a minute, what the frack are you doing?!" yelled Cavil.
"You've become a liability; we need to dispose of you without you being able to download and warn your friends," said Hathaway dispassionately. Cavil began to struggle and Jack was required to help Mathis in keeping him under control.
"Get your hands off me!" the cylon bellowed. Jack and Private Mathis continued to drag Cavil towards the viper with him cursing and fighting all the way; eventually they got him into the cockpit. Still Cavil resisted and Mathis had to punch him in head before they could get the canopy in place. One of the deck hands came and began to weld the canopy to the body of the viper while Jack and Private Mathis held it shut. Inside Cavil's face was a mask of fury as he screamed obscenities at Commander Hathaway. Campbell watched with an evil grin on his face. Once the welding was complete Hathaway ordered the deck hands to move the viper into the launch tubes. The damage to the viper's undercarriage made this difficult but after several minutes it was secured in the tube and the hatch was closing. A few minutes later the hatch was sealed and a dull thudding sound signaled the ship's launch.
"Good riddance," said Hathaway. He instructed Jack and Campbell to prepare for the evacuation of the civilians and then headed to take his station in CIC. Hopefully the evacuation won't be too much trouble; all we need is that Sagittaron to start stirring up trouble again. He was almost to CIC when a voice called out:
"Commander!" He turned and saw Lieutenant Bobby Davenport walking towards him with the aid of crutches.
"Lieutenant, I thought you were still bed ridden."
"The doctor said it's okay for me to leave sickbay as long as I don't do anything too strenuous."
"What brings you here?" asked Commander Hathaway.
"I heard you needed a new OO; I wish to volunteer."
"Are you sure you're up to it?"
"My leg may be fracked but I can still sit at a chair and hit buttons. I don't want to be lying in my rack while everyone else is risking their lives." said Lieutenant Davenport. Hathaway considered. He's not as experienced as I'd like but experienced officers without assignments are hard to come by.
"Very well, if you think you can do it you're our new OO."
"Thank you sir." They walked the rest of the way to CIC and stepped in.
Hathaway clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and said, "Attention everyone, let the ship's records show that on this time and date the position of operations officer was assigned to Lieutenant Junior Grade Bobby Davenport." Major Erikson left the operations console to be replaced by Bobby and took her proper station as XO; relief evident on her face. "Prepare to jump to Galeos," said Hathaway to Major Erikson.
"Aye sir. Lieutenant, spin up the FTL and dial in the coordinates for Galeos Three."
"Coordinates dialed in; FTL ready," reported Bobby.
"Execute jump," ordered Commander Hathaway.
Jack looked up as the door to the pilot's quarters opened. Gunner stepped through along with Gremlin and a handful of other pilots. They had been the group assigned to taking the last of the civilians down to Galeos. Gunner sat down across from Jack. Jim and Phoenix were also at the table.
"How'd it go?" asked Jack.
"One of the civvies' kids was screaming the whole flight down but other than that it wasn't too bad," replied Gunner.
"What about the rest of you?" she asked.
"Nothing worth reporting," said Jack.
"I brought down a family of Geminese. After I took them down they had to spend ten fracking minutes thanking me and offering their blessings; I know they're just trying to be nice, but frack I got better things to do," complained Phoenix.
"What about you Jim?" Gunner inquired. Jim shrugged.
"What's to say? A wounded marine and three Picons."
"I don't relish the idea of living there. Frack it was hot!" said Phoenix. Captain Domas snorted in amusement from across the room.
"You see what's like during the summer on Canceron," she said.
"You could always request to stay on the Perseus. I hear Hathaway wants to keep it in orbit just in case," suggested Jim.
"Maybe I'll do that."
"What about you Jack? Any plans for after the mission?" asked Gunner.
"Right now my only plans are to not get ripped apart by a centurion; I ain't thinkin' ahead beyond that."
"You're sure you don't want to assign me to the mission? I was a marine; I know how to use a rifle better than most people here," Gunner said for the umpteenth time that day. Jack shook his head.
"I'm already sending in myself and Jim; if I bring you too Domas is going to be the only squad leader in the air. I need you to lead red squad." She didn't look pleased.
"Alright but remember what I said: make your shots count. Don't just spray into the crowd like you did on Sagittaron. It would work well against unarmored humans but not against centurions." A knock sounded at the so Jack got up and opened it.
"Bobby! You're back."
"Hello Jack. Sorry I can't open the door myself but these crutches make it a bit difficult."
Jack stepped aside so Bobby could enter and said, "I heard you've been promoted."
"Yeah, the commander made me the new OO."
"Well congratulations. It's good to see you out of bed," said Jack.
"It's good to be out of bed. I ran out of paper a few days ago and I've been bored outta my fracking skull," said Bobby. He went over to his bunk and took paper and a pencil; he then turned on his oldies record, sat down at a table, and began drawing. Frack not that record again. Well at least he's feeling better. Jack sat back down across from Gunner.
Phoenix spoke, "So Jack, did they really shoot Cavil out of an airlock? I'd like to have seen that."
"Sort of, they locked him in a damaged viper and shot it out the airlock. He says if we kill him he just downloads into a new body so I figured we could just seal him in viper and he won't die for a day or two, but he'll be out of our hair. Needless to say he wasn't too happy about it."
Jim got up and said, "I'm gonna get some dinner, I want to turn in early."
"That sounds like a good idea," said Jack as he followed Jim.
"Everyone ready?" Jack asked the squad of marines in his raptor. They nodded. It was next morning and the pilots were awaiting the jump that would take them to the cylon station. All the raptors had been placed on the landing deck so that they could launch as soon as the jump was complete. Similarly all the vipers had been placed in the launch tubes. Commander Hathaway didn't intend to waste any time once they arrived. Jack yawned; it had only been an hour since he had woken up. There hadn't been much conversation at breakfast; everyone's mind was on the coming attack. Though many were nervous there was also an odd sense of excitement in the air, like what you feel before a storm in the summer. There was something different in the attitude of every pilot, Jack included. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, perhaps a little less fear in their eyes or a bit more surety in their steps, but people were more confident then they had been since the attack. Maybe it's because we're fighting back instead of running, or maybe the knowledge we're doing the right thing. The ship's comm. officer came over the wireless.
"All pilots prepare for jump." As the distortion of the jump passed through the ship Jack still felt his usual fear of the coming battle but he also felt an odd sense of rightness, as if everything was as it should be. Then the jump was complete and he had no more time for reflection. He said a quick prayer to the gods and engaged the engines of his raptor. The raptors began to depart the landing pods. Commander Hathaway came over the wireless.
"All pilots this is Perseus actual, you all know your jobs. It's time to make the cylons bleed." A few moments later two blinding explosions erupted as the Perseus fired its nukes.
"Snake Eyes to all pilots, you heard the man, form up and then give 'em hell." Jack looked up from his console and saw station. "My gods! I forgot how big it is," he muttered. This time there were no transports but it was surrounded by what looked like hundreds of raiders. On either side the wreckage of the two nuked basestars could be seen. Above it was a third, undamaged basestar, which was launching raiders. The crew on the Perseus must have just noticed it too for the ship launched two missiles at the basestar. They were nukes and Jack was forced to shield his eyes from the brilliant conflagration. At least one of them must have been intercepted because when the light dimmed he saw that while badly damaged the cylon ship was still intact. The Perseus began to train its guns on the basestar and Jack focused on his job as CAG. By now all of the vipers and raptors had been launched and were assembled in one giant formation with the vipers in front and the raptors behind them; dozens of ships arrayed in a wide arc. Jack gave the order to commence the attack and every pilot left from the Perseus and the Lernia engaged their engines. At the same time a massive wave of raiders had gotten into formation and were now speeding to engage the colonial ships. Here we go. Every third raptor had been armed with ship-to-ship missiles and just before the cylon ships arrived they launched them. Numerous enemy fighters were destroyed but it barely made a dent in their numbers. Then the two formations collided and all hell broke loose. What had been an orderly military operation a moment before was now chaos.
"All raptors this is Snake Eyes! Focus on landing, focus on landing!" Jack was hit his braking thrusters hard to avoid hitting Captain Domas as she flew by in pursuit of a raider. "Blade watch where you're flying!" He turned his raptor right towards the spoke chosen as their landing zone. A raider followed him and fired several volleys; Jack took evasive action and they missed but it kept following him. "Snake Eyes to any nearby fighter, I have a raider on my tail. Assistance please."
"Snake Eyes this Monkey, I got him." A viper flew under Jack's ship, then spun around and up so that it faced the raider on Jack's tail. Monkey fired his guns and the raider was destroyed.
"Gunner to Snake Eyes, they got gun batteries on the station, one near the top just ripped through three of my fighters!"
"Acknowledged Gunner." He looked up and saw a group of AA guns nestled between two of the top spokes. "Perseus this is Snake Eyes, an AA battery between two of the station's spokes is shooting up our birds, request missile barrage."
"Acknowledged Snake Eyes." The forward missile launchers on the Perseus fired and the AA guns were obliterated. Jack returned his attention to trying to land his raptor. A trio of raiders strafed the group of ships near Jack. Most of the shots missed but a raptor near his was hit in the engines and careened into the viper belonging to Phobos destroying both ships. A proximity alert on Jack's DRADIS warned him of a cylon fighter directly behind him.
"Frack! Hold on!" he shouted and spun his raptor into a hard roll to the right. The raider soared past him and he barely avoided being shot. I miss my viper. Before the raider could turn on him it was destroyed by the flaming wreckage of one of its fellow ships. Jack was now close enough to the station to pick out small details such as places where the hull was not finished being installed. A heavy shell flew past Jack's raptor. "Whoa!" He hit his reverse thrusters and pulled up hard. He tried to find the source of the shot and saw a group of large guns at the base of the spoke he was attempting to land on. "All raptors; this is Snake Eyes, they've got guns guarding our landing zone. Hold your landings. Repeat: hold your landings! Perseus I have a battery of heavy guns preventing our landing. Request a barrage at the base of the spoke." There was a short pause before Commander Hathaway responded.
"Snake Eyes this is Perseus Actual, Major Erikson is warning me that our guns are too powerful; if we fired there we would breach the stations hull and decompress most of the spoke. You're going to have to get some of your vipers to do it."
"Damn. Roger Perseus. Snake Eyes to all vipers, anyone capable is to attack and destroy the gun battery defending our landing zone." After a moment a number of vipers led by Captain Domas emerged from the pack.
"Orange squad responding to your request Snake Eyes," she said. They flew up the station's spoke as the huge guns blasted shells into their midst. Several were hit but it did not slow their advance. A series of small explosions showed that they had hit their target.
"Blade to Snake Eyes, the way is clear." Orange squad turned to engage the squad of raiders that had broken off from the rest of the cylon ships and made to attack them.
"Much appreciated Blade. Snake Eyes to all raptors, commence landings! I repeat: all raptors commence landings!" Ignoring attempts by numerous raiders to stop them, the raptors made a beeline for their chosen landing zone. Jack's was one of the first to reach its destination. He activated the docking mechanism and sealed the ship to the station's hull. Jack got out of his seat and grabbed a rifle as one of the marines, a corporal Shelburn, produced a torch and several pairs of goggles to protect their eyes from the bright flame. Once everyone on the raptor had their goggles in place and the floor hatch was opened Shelburn began cutting into the shell of the station. Just before the cut was complete the corporal stopped-they had been instructed to wait for a signal from Major Phillips indicating that all raptors were ready; they would then all complete their cuts simultaneously and board in one wave. After a seemingly long couple of minutes the call came through and Shelburn finished breaching the station's hull. With well-drilled speed a second marine tossed a grenade through the hole. Jack and the marines moved away from the hatch to avoid any possible shrapnel. They could hear several explosions from the grenades dropped by each raptor crew to clear the area below. Once things turned quiet the marines removed their goggles and jumped through with Jack a moment behind. He found himself in a broad corridor with lights embedded in the metal walls. The floor was covered in debris; some of it was recognizable as pieces of centurions. Major Phillips began shouting orders.
"Squads form up and move out! Hell-fire, Damien, Sorvis, Goldman, Grin, Tabern, you're with me!"
"Phoenix, Calvin, Shelburn, Wild Cat, Liddell, Jumper, you're with me," said Jack. Jack had been assigned to lead the group that would go straight ahead whenever possible. As soon as the four squads were organized Phillips gave the order to move out. The first intersection they encountered was a corridor branching off to the right from the one they were in. Major Phillips' squad was assigned to go right so they left at that point. Jack and Jim's squads continued on. They passed several more halls to the right then came to a point where passage turned away from the outer hull. Jack sent Corporal Calvin to peek around the corner and see what lay ahead. As soon as the marine looked around the bend shots rang out and bullets bounced off the corner inches from his face.
Calvin flattened himself against the wall and called out, "Two centurions!"
"Toss a grenade," Jack hissed in an attempt to be as quiet as possible while still being heard. I don't know if centurions can hear but I'm not about to assume they don't. The corporal pulled the pin on a grenade and hurled it around the bend. An explosion rung out and Jack shouted, "Go! Go!" With rifles blazing, they rounded the bend. It was clear the centurions had run from the grenade, as they were only slightly damaged but they had still been disorganized. They only killed one marine before being crippled by colonial fire. The humans closed the distance between them and ended the centurions twitching with a few well-placed shots. They continued their march deeper into the station. Before long they came to another place where the corridor curved. When they came around the turn they saw that the passage split in a Y shape, with one corridor going left and one right.
"I'll take the left tunnel you go right," said Jim. He was in command of the group going left.
"Good luck Jim," Jack said.
"You too Jack." The two squads split company and Jack led his men deeper into the station.
Despite the chaos occurring in space it was eerily quiet inside the station and Jack's footsteps echoed off the metallic floor. It had only been a few minutes since he had left Jim but it felt like hours. Jack worked his neck to remove tension. The passageway continued on for what seemed an incredible length without any turns or branches. Then without warning things changed; they entered a baffling area where doors were set into the corridor at every opportunity. Some led off into other hallways while others opened into rooms, most of which were completely empty and served no function Jack could determine. Suddenly Jack heard the sound of gears and machinery.
"Cylons! Take cover!" Jack and his squad ran into a room on their right filled with several thick pipes running from the ceiling to the floor. Jack got behind one of the pipes and the others followed suit. The sound of mechanic footfalls grew louder. Jack peaked out from behind the pipe just as one passed the doorway and looked through. Immediately guns extended from its forearms and it started shooting. Jack ducked back behind the pipe as it was blasted by the cylon. Frack! Jack turned and fired several rounds at the centurion as two others joined the fray. The room was now filled with the deafening sound of gunfire as the colonials traded shots with the three centurions in the doorway. Several of the pipes had now sprung leaks and were gushing a red liquid that was oddly similar to blood. Jack again leaned out from his cover and shot at the cylons. This time he was able to hit one in the knee and it crumpled to floor but kept shooting. While firing he noticed a fourth figure behind the centurions: a cylon he recognized as the short woman from Tauron. She held a handgun and was using it against Jack's men. One of Jack's pilots, Wild Cat, looked out from cover for a moment and was gunned down by the cylons. He screamed and blood sprayed across the room. Seeing no other option, Jack removed a grenade from his belt, pulled the pin, and hurled it into the doorway. "Grenade! Duck and cover!" Jack screamed as he flung himself to the floor. Shrapnel sprayed in all directions but thankfully none of Jack's men were seriously hurt by it.
After the chaos of the fight the silence that followed the grenade blast was surreal. Jack looked up and saw that the three centurions had been completely destroyed. Of the woman there was no sign. He left the room with the rest of the squad a few steps behind. Then he found the woman. He was forced to fight down a wave of nausea and remind himself she was only a machine as he saw the previously attractive young woman holding her guts in with her hands. She looked at him with an expression of rage.
"Finish it," she said. Jack raised his assault rifle, closed his eyes, and squeezed the trigger.
"Let's go," he said. He reloaded and they began walking again.
Phoenix came up beside Jack and said, "She was our enemy. You did what you had to do." Jack sighed.
"I know but my father taught me never to hurt a woman and it still doesn't feel right even if she is a toaster." Phoenix nodded. They heard the sound of approaching centurions again and ran to take cover in a side corridor. When they got close two centurions emerged from it and the two groups nearly walked into each other. The cylons were caught off guard and the colonials were able to dispatch them before they deployed any weapons.
"Frack, that was close," said a marine named Liddell.
"You can say that again," agreed a second marine. Jack said nothing but led the group forward once again. Before they had gone ten meters they heard the sound of approaching centurions again.
"Take cover," whispered Jack. He crouched in a doorway with Corporal Calvin as the rest of squad scurried to hide in doorways or small rooms. Jack looked out in time to see five centurions appear out of a nearby hall and begin firing on his men. He fired three shots and ducked back into the doorway.
Someone screamed, "Grenade!" and an explosion ripped through the hall. Jack looked around the corner and saw that two of the centurions had been completely destroyed and two others badly damaged though still able to fight. He shot a quick burst at the head of one that had lost its legs and it crumpled to the floor. Corporal Calvin leaned out and unleashed several bursts. Judging by the loud crash, he felled one of the centurions with them. Then there was another crash followed by silence. Jack looked out hesitantly and discovered the centurions were defeated.
"All clear!" called Phoenix. Jack and Calvin left the doorway and the rest of the squad formed up again. Without any order they started moving again. Soon they came to a point where the labyrinthine area ended. The path they were using ended and two long passages branched out on either side.
"Which way do we go?" asked a pilot called Jumper.
"Right takes us deeper into the station. It stands to reason the prisoners will be in the heart where they're most defended," said Jack. He turned right and started walking. They found themselves in a long hall that occasionally intersected small corridors. Once in a while they passed an area that was clearly still under construction; often they had no lights or holes in the walls where pipes were visible. When they reached the end of the hallway they found a broad staircase leading up; it turned to the left halfway up so Jack couldn't see what was at the top. He started ascending the stairs and the rest of the squad followed. He turned at the landing and found himself staring at a centurion on the next step up. It raised a taloned hand to strike him. Acting on instinct alone, he raised his rifle and shot it in the head. The machine fell forward and drove him to the floor. Jack could feel the air being knocked from his lungs as it landed atop him.
"Holy frack! Captain, are you all right?" asked Corporal Calvin.
"Ugh. Aside from having the crap scared out of me and getting half crushed by a centurion I'm fine. Now would someone get this thing the flying frack off me?" Phoenix, Calvin, and two other marines grabbed the centurion and hauled it to one side so Jack could stand up. "Thanks." He led them up the stairs and they came to another corridor running to their right. This one, like the others, was periodically connected to other passages or small empty rooms with no discernable purpose. Jack was passing one such room when shots rang out. He dived across the doorway and took cover on the other side as the rest of his squad crouched down opposite. Jack peeked around the doorway to get a better look at his assailants. There were two centurions and three humanoid cylons armed with pistols. Two were identical to the one called Shelley he had seen on Sagittaron. The other was a dark skinned man he did not recognize. Phoenix pulled a grenade from his belt and threw it into the room. A moment later an explosion was heard but the shooting did not diminish. Jack looked to see what had happened and saw that a centurion had thrown itself on the grenade and taken the brunt of its detonation. Jack shot at the dark skinned cylon and hit him in the shoulder. He grunted in pain and fired back. Jack barely got back behind the wall in time to avoid being killed. He heard the remaining centurion moving and a metal arm shot around the corner to smash into the wall. One of its talons pierced Jack's flight suit, pinning him. The centurion emerged from the doorway and prepared to skewer Jack with its other hand. Phoenix shot it in the knee and it fell to the floor. Three shots from Jack and it lay still. With the centurions gone Liddell chucked another grenade into the room. One of the female cylons managed to run from the room before the blast but she was quickly killed. Jack reloaded. Panting from fear and exhaustion, he said, "Move out." They continued forward for several minutes until they reached the end of the corridor. It emptied into a hall curving off to both sides. Jack gestured to the right and they went in that direction. Every few meters the outer wall was interrupted by a passageway not unlike the one they had come from, but there didn't seem to be any offshoots in the inner wall. This assumption proved incorrect a few minutes later when they came to a sealed door in the inner wall. Beside it was what appeared to be a computer terminal. It was set at hand level and had a screen that flashed odd symbols in various colours.
"What do you make of this?" asked Jack.
"A door release maybe?" suggested Phoenix.
"Perhaps a place to enter an access code?" said Shelburn. Jack experimented by hitting a couple of the symbols. He was surprised to find that it was not rigid like a normal computer screen but yielding almost like flesh. He tried several combinations but nothing happened.
"Nothing. What about the door? It looks fairly heavy-duty so it's safe to assume whatever's behind it is something the cylons don't want us finding." The marines went and began examining the door.
After a few moments Liddell said, "You're right, it's pretty tough. We have some charges that might be able to get through it but it would alert anyone inside we're coming."
"They probably already know we're here anyway. Do it." The marine nodded and produced four charges from his backpack. He then placed them at the corners of the door and armed them.
"We'd better put a safe distance between us and here before we blow it," said Liddell. Jack nodded and led them back several meters. When Liddell indicated they were at a safe distance Jack gave the order to detonate the charges. They ran back to the doorway and found it a pile of flaming debris. Cautiously Jack looked around the corner. A corridor several meters long ran to a brightly lit room filled with cylons of both types. The moment they saw him they erupted like an angry swarm of bees. Jack ducked back behind the wall as the hall filled with the sound of gunfire. Jack's squad took up positions around the doorway and began to trade fire with the cylons. Jack emptied his clip into the crowd of cylons with little effect. He reloaded and called to Corporal Calvin. Jack pointed to a grenade in his belt as a way of asking, "Should we use grenades?" The marine shook his head.
"The hall is too long; we wouldn't be able to throw far enough." Jack swore and fired at the cylons. Shelburn leaned to take a shot when a spray of bullets hit him in the neck, nearly decapitating him. Blood spurted in all directions. Jack was forced to look away to avoid being violently ill. After a moment he regained control of his stomach and turned to fire another burst into the enemy ranks. When he ducked back behind the wall Phoenix spoke.
"I have an idea Sir."
"What?" Jack nearly had to shout to be heard over the sounds of battle.
"I can see another hall leading from the other side of that room. I can take a marine around to the other door, blow it, and attack them from the rear. As I'm tearing into them you can charge and we'll crush them." Jack considered. It was a risky plan, not one he would have expected from Phoenix up until recently.
"Alright do it. Take Calvin." They departed. Jack and the other two remaining soldiers focused on keeping the cylons occupied. Then a thunderous blast echoed from behind the cylons. They stopped firing briefly to look behind them and Jack took the opportunity.
"Charge! Go! Go!" They leapt around the corner and began firing indiscriminately. At the same time Phoenix and Corporal Calvin were charging in from the opposite side. The cylons were caught in the crossfire and died quickly, but not before they killed Jumper. The remaining four met in the chamber the cylons had guarded so jealously. Jack looked around in awe. The room was in the shape of a blunt-pointed triangle. While not unusually wide it had an extremely high ceiling, Jack estimated at least two or three stories in height. Suspended over the center of the room was a gigantic crystal of marvelous clarity. It was surrounded by a red glowing circular band that cast a bloody glow to its facets. In place of a floor the room had metal a platform connected to the chamber's exits. It was suspended over a vat of water fed by streams running through slits in two of the walls. After a closer inspection Jack realized the liquid was not water. Whatever it was it had a slight pinkish colouration and was slightly more viscous than water. A slight hum permeated the chamber.
"What do you suppose this place is?" wondered Phoenix.
"I have no idea," responded Jack.
"Captain!" called Corporal Calvin. Jack shook away his awe and turned towards the corporal. Calvin was standing by a third exit Jack had been too distracted to notice; a wide staircase at the base of the triangle leading downward.
"Let's check it out," he said. Jack gathered the remnants of his squad and led them down. Pulsing red lights were located along the walls of the staircase, which provided an uncomfortable reminder of a centurion. They reached the bottom and found a broad but relatively short hall. Closed doors were located at regular intervals along each wall. Jack approached one and saw what appeared to be a large button next to it. He pressed and the door slid open to reveal a huddled group of women in chains.
The lights flickered. A loud explosion caused the hull supports to groan.
"That last hit ruptured the water tanks on C deck!" said Lieutenant Davenport. The Perseus had been fighting non-stop for close to an hour now. The first minutes had not been too difficult; the first three basestars had been destroyed or incapacitated with relative ease. Then the cylons had sent in a two basestars as reinforcement, then another.
"Lieutenant Roberts reports red squad has been all but destroyed," informed communications officer Fallows.
"Focus all forward weapons on AA fire," ordered Commander Hathaway.
"Sir our supply of ship-to-ship missiles in the forward battery is running low," warned Lieutenant Davenport.
"Bring out any spares from the aft weapons lockers," commanded Major Erikson.
"Has there been any word from the boarding party yet?" asked Hathaway.
"No sir," responded petty officer Fallows. Another loud boom rocked the Perseus.
"The port landing pod is taking heavy damage!" reported Davenport.
"Helmsman, take us down two hundred meters and tilt to port fifty degrees. Gun control focus on disabling the basestar to port," said the commander. He looked down at his DRADIS screen-which was fuzzy thanks to heavy damage to the DRADIS sensors-and saw that there was still no sign of the raptors taking off. We can't hold out like this much longer.
"Radiological alarm! Nuke incoming from starboard!" screamed Lieutenant Davenport. Hathaway grabbed his phone.
"This is the commander. All hands brace for impact!" He put the phone down and grabbed his DRADIS console. A thunderous blast was heard and shockwaves ripped through the ship. Hathaway was flung to the floor and everything in CIC went offline. For a moment the only illumination in CIC came from a small fire that had erupted among the damage control computers. The next few minutes were utter chaos as some of the systems came back up and people rushed to extinguish the fire. Hathaway got to his feet. His vision was blurry from the impact to his head.
"Damage report," ordered Erikson.
"The nuke hit our starboard engine. It's been rendered inoperable and we have multiple hull breaches in that section. We're sealing it but we've lost a lot of people down there. We have fires and power failures on all decks," said Lieutenant Davenport.
"Commander we're receiving a transmission; it's from one of the basestars," said petty officer Fallows.
"A basestar? Put it through." He picked up his phone. A woman spoke.
"Commander Hathaway. It doesn't look like you're going to get out of this alive if things keep going the way they are so I have a proposal. If you pull your men off the station immediately and make no hostile actions we will allow you to jump away in one piece. However, should you refuse we will destroy your ship and kill everyone you have on the station." He recognized her accent from the last transmission of the Lernia.
"Do you honestly expect me to believe that? If so you're not as intelligent as I thought you were. You are holding colonial citizens and I intend to liberate them."
"Don't be a fool. Are you willing to consign what little is left of your race to death?"
"You seem to be forgetting about the Pegasus, they'll still be here if we fail." An evil grin played across his face. "And somehow I don't think the situation is as hopeless as you want me to believe. Why else are you trying to reason with me when instead of blowing my ship out of the sky?"
"Do not provoke us Hathaway! Ruin what we are doing here and we will hunt you down to the ends of the universe!"
Hathaway covered the receiver with his hand and said, "Load nuclear launch tube four and target the source of this transmission." Then into the phone he said, "I don't see how that would be any different from our current situation. Even if you did let us leave the next thing you'd do would be to send raiders out to find us so you can finish the job. You know what I think? I think you can see that we humans are finally going to hurt you for the first time in this war. You came into this war so confident and now you're about to be hurt and you're scared. You started this. You've had this coming since the moment you broke the armistice. You reap what you sow." He put down the phone. "Launch nuke."
The centurion fired. Jack leaned around the corner and returned fire up the stairs but missed. They had been waiting for the other squads to meet up with them for close to twenty minutes. Jim and his group had arrived quickly but Major Phillips' squad was delayed. They had radioed ahead saying that they were encountering heavy fighting along their route. The cylons had attacked nearly nonstop since they had liberated the women. Despite handing out side arms among some of the prisoners they had only barely held their own. Jack looked at the body of Corporal Calvin as he reloaded. Suddenly there was a blast of gunfire and the centurion collapsed down the stairs.
"Captain Tiryn!" shouted Major Phillips.
"Here! Thank the gods. What took you so long Phillips?"
The major ran down the stairs and said, "Sorry the toasters didn't make it easy getting here. On the plus side I think we may have found a quicker route back to the ships." The rest of the Phillips' squad made it down the stairs; a pilot-Grin-as well as a marine named Damien was missing.
"Everyone ready to move out here?" asked Major Phillips. Jack nodded. "All right then. All prisoners keep to the center and don't get in our way. We'll get you back to the Perseus soon enough. Goldman, Bat, Sorvis, and Mathis you're on point with me. Tabern, Hell Fire, Liddell, and Joris guard the rear. Tiryn, Brawler, Phoenix, and Varus protect the sides. Move out!" They formed up into a long column with the prisoners in the middle. Some were clearly terrified while others showed relief at being rescued. They headed out of the room above the cells and past the circular hall into a corridor that was unfamiliar to Jack. It was much like all the others and ended at a flight of stairs leading down. From the signs of combat and wreckage of centurions Jack surmised this was the way Major Phillips' squad had come. As the front of the column reached the end of the corridor shots rang out. Several prisoners flinched and one screamed as private Sorvis fell to the floor with blood spewing from his chest. Phillips crouched down and began shooting at whatever lay at the bottom of the stairs. Jack started moving forward to help the marine commander when he shouted, "Hold your positions!" Jack stopped. Phillips pulled a grenade and hurled it downward. An explosion echoed through the hall followed by silence.
"The way is clear." announced a tired sounding major. They moved down the stairs and into yet another long corridor. Once again they passed room after empty room. I don't know how the cylons find their way around this place. Gunfire exploded from the rear.
"We got company!" yelled Corporal Tabern. The colonials broke into a run while the rearguard attempted to fend off a pack of centurions. Just ahead of Jack two centurions burst from a room to the left and charged into the human ranks. Metal claws flashed and prisoners and soldiers alike were killed. One of the cylons grabbed Jim. Slamming him against the far wall it impaled him with its right hand.
"Jim!" Jack screamed. Seized by an animalistic rage he threw down his rifle and leaped onto the back of the centurion. It became unbalanced and had to stumble backward to keep its footing. Phoenix blasted it in the torso and it collapsed. Jack rushed to Jim's side and he could see immediately that he was dead.
"We have to get moving!" bellowed Phoenix. His point was reinforced by shots and screaming from the back of the column. Choking back tears, Jack nodded and ran. He could barely comprehend what happened after that. His world was a blur of grief and terror. People died all around him and his ears ached from the constant noise of combat. Eventually he realized they were back in the hall they had landed in and approaching the rear guard. With the cylons still harassing them from behind they began to board the raptors. Jack ended up on a different raptor then he had come in on. Phoenix, two escaped prisoners and Corporal Tabern climbed in after him and they took off. What Jack saw around him was nightmarish. Debris and flaming wreckage were everywhere. The few remaining vipers were fighting against impossible odds and the Perseus was wreathed in flame as it was bombarded by three basestars. Four more basestars were destroyed or crippled.
"Snake Eyes to Perseus we have the prisoners and we are returning home. We'd appreciate it of you could keep the toasters off our back."
"Snake Eyes this is Perseus Actual. I'm afraid our forward batteries are depleted. We can't provide any cover fire."
"Damn. Snake Eyes to all available vipers, request escort back to Perseus for the landing party." Several pilots responded but there were startlingly few left and most of those were too occupied staying alive. A squad of raiders strafed the area around Jack destroying several ships.
"This is Gunner! I'm hit! I have a fire in my fuel lines, I'm gonna have to eject!" Jack looked and saw her viper. The back had gone up like a fireball and she was spinning out of control. She ejected and it exploded moments later.
"Gunner this is Snake Eyes. Hold tight I'm going to get you!" I've already lost one friend today. No way I'm going let it be two.
"Shouldn't we be making for the Perseus?!" said Tabern.
"I'm not going to leave her!" Ignoring bullets and flying debris he kicked his throttle into maximum. Once he got within a few hundred meters he spun so that the right of the raptor faced Gunner. Then he inched sideways on maneuvering thrusters until he was practically on top of her.
"Grab on to the fins on top!" he said over the wireless.
"I can't reach them." He inched closer.
"Okay I have a grip. Are you sure this is a good idea Jack? Has anyone ever tried this before?"
"Do you have a better idea?" She paused for a moment and then said, "Okay, let's go." Jack set a course for the Perseus' starboard landing pod. The colonial ships were now in a full rout; most were simply trying to land in one piece.
"Jack there's a raider on our tail!" warned Gunner. A moment after she said this a spray of enemy rounds passed over the cockpit. Jack began weaving in all directions. The raider continued shooting. A viper above and to the right of Jack was shot down by a different raider and flew overhead to smash into the pursuing cylon fighter. Jack's raptor was now only a few hundred meters from the landing pod. A raider flew by from underneath him and started shooting but the AA gun on top of the pod destroyed it. He entered the landing pod and set down hard. The landing pod was crowded by dozens of raptors and vipers-many damaged. Jack took a deep breath and looked around.
"Holy frack, I'm alive."
Commander Hathaway covered his head as a chunk of metal fell from the ceiling. He looked over to the ash-covered face of Major Erikson. Both knew that if they could only survive a few more minutes they could jump away and victory would be theirs.
"We've lost power to all port batteries," reported an exhausted Lieutenant Davenport.
"Focus any guns we have left on AA fire. Just get our birds back alive," ordered the commander.
"The last of them are landing now sir," said the lieutenant.
"Thank the gods. Spin up the FTL. Load nuclear launch tubes one and two and target the station."
"Sir launch tube two is not functioning," said Davenport.
"Tubes one and three then."
"Aye sir." Hathaway stumbled as the deck lurched. He looked around CIC. Most of the illumination now came from smoldering fires and nearly half of the computer terminals no longer functioned.
"The last of our pilots are aboard commander. FTL is ready," reported the OO.
"Launch nukes and then execute jump." After a long moment of distortion things returned to normal.
"Jump complete commander. Now in orbit of Galeos Three." Things were silent in CIC for a minute. It seemed as if people checked to make sure they actually were alive. Then a great cheer went up from the officers. Everywhere people were clapping, cheering, and hugging each other. Tears of joy ran down Major Erikson's face and Commander Hathaway's face broke into a broad smile. The colonies may be gone, and there may only be a few thousand humans left but in a small way they had defeated the cylons. Their arrogance had been punished and humanity would live on. You could take our homes but you couldn't take our will and you couldn't take our humanity.
Epilogue
A hot wind blew across Jack's face. It carried a hint of moisture from the sea a few kilometers to the east. From the boulder he sat on he could see the cliffs where the new city was going to be built and the vast stretches of arid scrub around them. He heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Major Erikson walking towards him.
He gave a casual salute and said, "Major. What brings you out here?"
"I finished overseeing the well digging and thought I'd take a walk outside the camp. What about you captain? What brings you out here?"
"Just felt like taking a walk. It's been awhile since I could be on a planet without looking over my shoulder for toasters. Have a seat." He gestured to a spot on the rock next to him and she sat down.
"My gods it's hot here," complained the major.
"Aye. And I've been told it isn't even summer yet. I imagine most people will want to live in the caves along the cliff. It's cool in there. Captain Domas says the weather reminds her of home."
"Well at least somebody likes it." They sat in silence for a time, looking out over the desert.
Then Major Erikson asked, "How many of your pilots are planning to move to the surface?"
"Most haven't decided yet. I know Captain Domas is, and I'm pretty sure Gunner - Lieutenant Roberts - is going to move here eventually. Right now she's still enjoying being a pilot and putting red squad back together."
"And what about you? What are you going to do?" she asked him.
"I don't know. I think I want to stay on as CAG for at least a few weeks. There aren't going to be many suitable replacements once Gunner and Domas make the move to the surface. I'd pick Lieutenant Davenport but he's the OO now. Not that an air group is going to make much difference if the cylons find us. I had given thought to being a farmer like my parents; somehow it doesn't seem as boring as it used to. What about you? What are your plans?"
"I'll stay on as XO for the moment. Hathaway's gonna need all the help he can get getting things organized with all the casualties and people moving to the planet. And I can't say the weather endears me to this place." She sighed.
"So Hathaway still intends to try and keep the Perseus running like normal?" said Jack.
"Oh yeah. It's the only thing he knows how to do. Have you ever sat down and talked to the man? The only reason he doesn't sleep in his uniform is because it would get wrinkles if he did." Jack laughed. Major Erikson stood up.
"Well I'd better get back. The last raptor to Perseus leaves at fifteen hundred hours." Jack got up as well.
"I'll come with you. I don't feel like camping out again tonight. My rack is much better." They walked back across the dry plains and into the shantytown that had sprung up along the cliffs. They passed Captain Domas and Major Phillips trying to organize a police force and Chief Campbell constructing a water pump. Jack looked up into the sky where somewhere the Perseus stood watch over this tiny remnant of humanity. He thought of all the people that had died since the attack: Aaron, Jim, Commander Brammel, Major Taylor, Dmetri, Corporal Calvin, Marcus; and prayed their sacrifice would not be in vain.
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