Black Alpha One
By AJ Marks
Part 4
Ryan was trying to figure out what to do next. Should he prepare for an attack, go on the offensive, both ideas seemed wrong for different reasons. He really wanted to hear from HQ on more options and for right now decided to watch and wait. Looking over at Otto he noticed the man seemed tense as well as they waited.
“Admiral, patrol five-one is making another report,” Sara said calling Ryan over as he waited. “They are saying they have discovered raiders and vipers on their scanners. They sound very confused by what is going on.”
Jack heard the confused tone in Sara’s voice as well, but within seconds both he and Otto were standing next to her.
“Where?” Ryan asked, looking down at the scanners.
“Just a moment, we’ll patch you in to the tomcat’s scanners,” Sara said.
It took a few seconds as the Seydlitz and tomcat’s computers were linked sharing data and he finally got a view of what was going on. He studied the layout for a few seconds before looking over at Otto.
“What do you think?” Otto asked, looking at his commander.
“Not sure, but they look outnumbered,’ Ryan said finally. “I think we should help, what’s the best tactic?”
“Go after the basestars,” Otto said after a few seconds. “It would keep our forces separate, and hopefully avoid any confusion, we don’t want to get messed up and shoot each other.”
Ryan gave it some thought before making up his mind, even as he watched another wave head towards the battle from the Cylon basestars.
“All right,” he said to Otto, then look at the rest of the crew. “Red alert, we’re about to engage in an enemy.”
The rest of the bridge crew looked on in shock, as if they were unable to understand the order he gave.
“Red alert people, this isn’t a drill,” Ryan said one more time, watching as finally people moved. He knew he would have to give an explanation before they went into combat and thought what he might say which they might understand, knowing some of them would probably die in the upcoming battle.
*****
Starbuck turned his viper and quickly destroyed another raider before moving onto the next one. He had but one thought, stay alive. Space was filled with vipers and raiders taking each other out and he knew luck would play as much of a role in staying alive as his skill. All his skill was reduced to nothing if he flew into a stray laser bolt.
“Apollo, we can’t keep this up forever,” Starbuck said finally, knowing that no matter how skilled, or willing they would run out of fuel and ammo at some point.
“I know, but if you can think of some way out of this, let me know,” Apollo replied back to him.
“Hey, I’m trying to stay alive over here,” Boomer’s voice chimed in.
Starbuck knew the feeling even as he lined up another raider and taking it out before it could destroy a viper. He heard a quick thanks even as they both turned to find another target. He looked down at the scanner noticing the raiders were beginning to retreat and hoped for some good news at last and they might be able to refuel and rearm before the next attack.
“Frack,” he heard Jolly say and noticed the incoming phalanx of raiders incoming.
“They must have more than one basestar out there,” Apollo said, and the knowledge dampened the moral of the group a bit. They were outnumbered, outgunned and had no time to regroup.
“If they keep this up I’ll be out of ammo real soon,” Starbuck said, glancing down at his supplies. He and Starbuck were probably the lowest on fuel having been on patrol when the fighting started. He hoped he would be an opportunity to land and refuel.
*****
“Commander,” Tigh said, walking up to Adama.
“I know, I heard,” Adama said wishing he hadn’t heard the reports. The Cylons were going to continue to pound the fleet’s defenses until they broke leaving him with no choice in what to do. He had to take the Galactica into the battle otherwise they might not survive. The vipers could not defend the fleet without fuel and ammo and if the vipers flew back to the fleet it allowed the raiders to approach closer. A no win situation for them.
“Sir, if we do the fleet will be defenseless,” Tigh said to him, something Adama already knew.
“If we don’t go, our vipers will be eliminated, our greatest defense will be gone,” Adama replied turning to the bridge crew. “Take us in,” he ordered, watching as the helm officer nodded and plotted the course.
He understood Tigh didn’t agree with the decision, but Adama had to protect the fleet. To do that meant the warriors had to survive the attack as well and the best way for that was to actually engage in the battle.
He watched as the Galactica turned and maneuvered through the fleet towards the battle and Adama hoped they could do something upon arriving.
*****
“Report centurion,” the basestar commander ordered wanting to know how the battle was coming along. Its battle plan seemed flawless, and it was hoping the plan worked to perfection.
“The battle goes as planned, the first wave is withdrawing and the second wave is engaging. The Colonial vipers won’t be able to maintain battle formation for much longer,” the centurion reported.
“And the Galactica, what is it doing?” the commander asked knowing that the human commander would be torn between coming out to help the vipers or staying in the fleet not that it would matter in the long run. The plan would work regardless of what the Galactica did, the battle was theirs to win.
“Raiders are reporting its moving toward the battle,” the centurion reported.
“Then it will be destroyed, prepare all basestars to move forward as well,” the commander ordered but noticed the centurion remained where it was. “Speak.”
“There is one strange report, communications has picked up an unknown group of signals coming from a different direction. They appear to be Colonial in nature but we are unable to decipher them,” the centurion replied back to him.
The news gave the commander pause, this was unexpected. It had not thought of something else. “Its probably the Pegasus,” it finally said recalling the other surviving battlestar which was no conformed if it had been destroyed or not. “Send out the next attack wave in that direction. It should have no vipers according to the reports, and it will probably be damaged, easy prey,” it replied unwilling to underestimate Commander Cain’s ability to survive.
“By your command,” the centurion said, turning to carry out the order.
*****
Nick watched his scanner as a group of raiders approached the three larger ships even as another new group appeared. He figured he was watching a battle going on, but who were they and what were they doing. It made no sense that his scanners identified the ships, and even labeled one as hostile. Even as he watched the new group of raiders had lined up and were heading his direction. It was unexpected and he froze upon seeing it.
“Um, slim, you see this?” James said breaking the silence indicating he saw the same thing Nick was seeing on his scanner.
Nick had no reply to the question. He wondered if they had been spotted somehow? The next question which came to him, what was he to do about it? Was he to race back to the fleet with this group on his tail? Nothing at all made any sense to him anymore.
He then thought about the last order from Admrial Anders, their weapons were hot. Did he know about all of this? Could Nick open fire on another sentient life-form in space?
“What do you think?” James asked.
“I don’t know,” Nick finally replied back to him, the only thought he had was retreat. “Never had anything like this in training.”
“Looks like you won’t have to make that decision, seems like ones already been made for us,” James said confusing Nick for a second. “We have reinforcements coming.”
Nick looked down to see squadrons forming up at the fleet and heading towards them, and the fleet was also heading in their direction as well. The admiral was taking the fleet into battle for some unknown reason.
“Patrol five- one, meet up with your squadron and engage enemy raiders,” the controller said giving him his new orders.
Nick’s emotions warred with his knowledge he should obey the order. He hoped something was going on turning his tomcat towards the squadron, nervous about what would soon happen.
“This is Admiral Anders to everyone in the fleet,” he heard over the intercom. “In a few minutes you will be engaging in Earth’s first ever space battle. The enemy before you is an enemy of all organic life. They will give you no chance to surrender, to not give them a chance either. The true nature of the ‘event’ ten years ago, a crashed spaceship which we learned of this enemy and why the military was built up so much. Remember, you are fighting for all on Earth to survive, do your utmost.”
Nick heard the words but struggled to understand. Were the conspiracies of the ‘event’ true then? If this enemy was so bad why were they not told? Even as the questions swirled in his mind the two groups entered firing range.
“All fighters, open fire,” his squad leader said.
Nick hesitated only for a second until the Cylons opened fire. He watched a tomcat explode in front of him and quickly knew this fight was for survival. He would worry about the politics later on, for now he wished to be alive to know what was going on.
*****
Anders looked on watching as the information came into the bridge.
“Admiral all squadrons have engaged the enemy,” Otto reported to him.
Ryan nodded seeing the scanners and the fact both forces were engaged. Some would die in this battle never knowing the full truth of what was going on. He then realized he had to inform HQ of the change in the situation, knowing what would happen when he did.
“Get me HQ,” he said looking over at Sara who nodded. Events had changed quicker than he anticipated and he hoped the admiral wouldn’t be angry with him.
“Sir, HQ is on the line,” Sara said to him a few seconds later. Ryan thought it was a bit quick but looked down and instead of seeing Admiral Cave saw the same captain as before.
“Admiral?” he said.
“Let the admiral know things have changed out here, I’m informing you of a new code, Black Alpha One,” Ryan said watching as the captain looked on in shock as he processed the code in his mind. The duty officers knew what the codes meant, and this code was the one no one wanted to hear as protocols were set up to automatically begin.
“Code Black Alpha One,” the captain repeated as if he wanted Ryan to say something else.
“Affirmative,” Ryan said as the captain turned a bit pale.
“I’ll let him know,” the captain said turning to someone off screen. “Code Black Alpha One, NOW!” he yelled before turning back towards the screen in front of him. “The admiral will contact you the moment he arrives.”
Ryan managed a reply before the screen went black and he turned his attention back to the bridge and the situation. The fleet was still closing the distance with the Cylons, three basestars and soon Ryan would know how well they had managed to copy the Colonial systems, and any improvements, if they worked. The one thing he had hope for was the fact the fighters appeared to be holding their own.
“Captain, entering firing range,” Otto said.
“All ships, engage,” Ryan said, tightening the seat belt on his seat. He didn’t need to be toss around the bridge and injure himself.
The Seydlitz and Kiev battlegroups engaged the first of three basestars even as Ryan relayed the information back to HQ on how the battle was going.
End part 4