Flight of the Libran

Written by: Wes Imlay

Chapter One: Awakening the Giant

Three Years before the Fall:

Queenstown, Picon:

Colonel Nicholas Theron Tattnall exited the elevator on the sixth floor of the main building of the Colonial Fleet Bureau of Ships. The thirty-eight year old officer had received a message the previous day ordering him to report to the office of Rear Admiral Scott Tolan at 0845 promptly. The time was now 0838, and his mind still carried the curiosity that he had dealt with since he had received the official notice. He had expected to be back on his battlestar, the Formidable, but when he arrived for the anticipated deployment he received the message from Commander Kelly Gyatt informing him of his appointment on Picon.

Walking through the corridors of the building he found himself immersed in dark wooden paneled walls that gave the building a much older feel to it inside than it appeared on the outside. Given that the building dealt with modern spacefaring fortresses it was a surprise to many who visited the location to find extravagant pieces of artwork depicting ancient sailing ships. This was by the wishes of Tolan who wanted to remind everyone that while the technology has moved on the one basic component of any vessel remained the same; the crew.

Tattnall turned a corner and saw a set of wooden doors, the lettering of each came together to read "Director of the Colonial Fleet Bureau of Ships". He pulled open the door and walked into a reception area.

"Colonel Nicholas Tattnall, I have an appointment with Admiral Tolan.

The receptionist, Tattnall noted that her nameplate said 'Miranda Sterne', picked up the phone and had a brief conversation letting the admiral know his appointment had arrived.

He took a seat and waited to be told he could enter the admiral's office. He picked up a copy of the Colonial Entertainment News and thumbed through the contents to see if there was an article that caught his eye. In this case it was a story of the movie 'Noble Causes', a Neveah Ratliff movie that had been filmed so far on the battlestars Athena and Cerberus.

"Colonel Tattnall, Admiral Tolan will see you now," the secretary said after five minutes.

Tattnall gave his thanks before putting down the magazine, gathering up his things and stepping into the office of Rear Admiral Scott Tolan.

He walked up to the desk Tolan was seated at, stood at attention and saluted, "Colonel Nicholas Theron Tattnall reporting as ordered, sir!"

Tolan stood and returned the salute, "At ease Colonel, you may have a seat."

Tattnall had encountered a few admirals before, but there was something to Tolan that he would not have associated with a flag officer. He had a more youthful complexion than most Admirals in the fleet. At first glance he didn't seem as stuck up as others as well. Tattnall noted quite quickly that had it not been for his pips he would have assumed that the man before him was just another of the grunts down in the trenches. And yet it seemed there was more him than a seemingly laid-back style; it was as if the man was capable of playing his cards close to the vest so it was practically impossible to get a read on him.

Standing before the Admiral he took time to check out the papers and folders that lay on the admiral's desk. There were folders with the names of various battlestars printed on them. There was also a folder with 'Lt. Colonel Archibald Bowman (Ret'd)' stamped on the front of it. A part of Tattnall's mind was curious as to who this man was and why there was a file on the serving Admiral's desk but thought better to indulge in his curiosity.

"I'm glad to see you were able to make it here early Colonel, I thank you for that," Tolan said as he shuffled some of the papers that were lying on his desk.

"You're welcome sir, if I may ask though why was I summoned here? The Formidable deploys tomorrow and I have a very busy schedule ahead of me over the next twenty seven hours."

"Ah yes," Tolan said in a manner that gave Tattnall the impression he sympathized with him, "Colonel that will not be happening. Colonel Lynn Woodward has been assigned to replace you as Formidable's Executive Officer."

"Admiral, if I'm in trouble for something, I fear I have no idea why. As far as I'm aware my service record is spotless, I don't believe I've once given Commander Gyatt a reason to replace me," Tattnall said, fearing his career was in trouble over some infraction he had no idea of having even taken place.

Tolan laughed, "You're not reading the situation correctly Colonel, there is a reason why you're here."

"Very well then, why am I here, sir?" Tattnall wanted to explode with exasperation but knew better than to lose his temper in front of a flag officer; there was a reason why his career had been so spotless.

"Part of my job here is to oversee various aspects involving the ships of the Colonial Fleet. Admiral Corman sent word to me yesterday to prepare the battlestar Libran for reactivation. She's been sitting in the Wilkins Shipyard on Active Reserve. The Colonial Fleet has decided that now is the time to bring her back into service."

"Right and my part in all this is?"

"This is a letter that was delivered to me to give to you, I believe it will clear everything up for you," Tolan produced a letter and handed it to Tattnall.

Colonel Nicholas Theron Tattnall,

By order of the President of the Twelve Colonies you are hereby directed to report with all due speed on board the battlestar Libran, lying at Scorpia. It is required that no time be lost in carrying the ship into space, taking on board her ammunition, water, provisions, and stores of every kind while completing what work is yet to be done before taking about her complement of crew and Marines. It is the President's express orders, that you employ the most vigorous exertions in order to accomplish these several objectives and bring the now decommissioned battlestar Libran back into service for the Colonial Fleet.

Richard Adar

President of the Twelve Colonies

"Colonel Tattnall you are hereby promoted to the rank of Commander. You are to report to Wilkins Shipyard and oversee the reactivation of the battlestar Libran. Your transport, the O'Bannon, will leave from the Queenstown Spaceport tomorrow at 1100 hours. When you arrive you will report to the accommodation ship Ausburne until the Libran is habitable. You will be given the chance to choose the majority of your senior staff while this is taking place," Tolan opened up a drawer and pulled out a jeweler's box, "Congratulations Commander Tattnall on your promotion and new command."

Tattnall took the box and shook Tolan's outreached hand, "Thank you Admiral, this is an honor. I promise the Libran will be considered one of the finest ships in the fleet."

Tolan smiled, "I have no doubt about that one, congratulations Commander Tattnall and I wish you and your crew nothing but the best," Tolan then reached down and pulled out a large brown folder sealed around the front with a plastic strap, Stamped in red across the front was the word 'DECLASSIFIED'. "This is all the information we have on the service history of the Libran, read up on it so you'll have a better understanding of your ship."

Tattnall thanked him again before saluting the admiral and leaving the office. He could not get his mind clear after his meeting with Admiral Scott Tolan. He was a Commander now, he had his own ship, and it was all hitting him at once. The walk to the elevator he had just recently used provided his mind with time to process what all had taken place. Instead of confusion he now felt a sense of euphoria; this was something every career officer dreamed of. He had climbed the highest mountain and earned a command in a peace time fleet, and the fact that it was a battlestar made it all the more sweet.

Scorpia:

Wilkins Shipyard:

Tattnall looked out the window of the transport shuttle as it maneuvered through the various hulks of the decommissioned battlestars of the Active Reserve stored at the Wilkins Shipyard. The ships at this yard were the ones the Colonial Fleet intended to keep in case they were needed for some unforeseen conflict. Greater care had been taken with them during the decommissioning process, so that they could be reactivated easily. This was the opposite from the Inactive Reserve located at the Hargrove Shipyard, the ships there were stored with no maintenance until the day came when they were either sent to the scrap yard or destroyed in a live-fire exercise; a sad end indeed for these once proud and mighty vessels.

He opened up the heavy brown folder that Tolan had given him back on Picon. Inside was the service history of the Libran. The ship dated back to the Cylon War, It was one of six dreadnaught warstars that composed the Virgon-class. Due to the need for more battlestars to fight the Cylons, the Libran and the Gemenon were taken into the Pollack-Stockton Shipyard for their conversion to a new role as battlestars and forming the Gemenon class. Both ships would be a part of the Colonial Fleet beyond the war with the Cylons. Eventually, as more of the Mercury-class battlestars came into service, the two Gemenons were decommissioned and sent to the Active Reserve Fleet. Gemenon had been there for eight years while the Libran had been there for seven years. There had been rumors that the ships would be sent to Inactive Reserve, and while that may still be true for the Gemenon it would be so for the Libran.

The pilot said nothing to Tattnall, which he was fine with him in all honesty. His mind was already bristling with a thousand thoughts over his new posting and he did not need the ramblings of some Colonial Fleet taxi driver to distort them for him. He searched through the sea of battlestars and other assorted relics of a war long over to see which of the docks the Libran was located at. He looked up from his notes and recognized it. The battlestar was in one of the main docks the shipyard used, with a smaller vessel tethered to it by an umbilical. The pilot announced they would be on approach momentarily and would dock with the Ausburne.

Tattnall stood up from his seat and stretched his legs before picking up the envelope and other assorted documents he had brought with him. He felt the shuttle slowing down before it came to a complete stop. A moment later came a hissing sound from the outer hull as it finished its docking with the accommodation ship Ausburne.

"Welcome to the Ausburne, sir. I'll grab your belongings and take them to your quarters," the pilot, a civilian by the way the young man looked, said as he motioned for Tattnall to make his way to the other ship.

Tattnall crossed over to the Ausburne and was met by a middle-aged woman wearing a Colonial Fleet officer's uniform. He looked at the pips on her collar and saw that she held the rank of Colonel.

"Colonel Susan Minerva," she declared whilst saluting her new Commanding Officer. As he returned the compliment he realized that this was probably the first time he had received such a gesture from a subordinate as a Commander. It felt a little awkward while at the same time it gave him a sense of being fifty feet tall. "I've been assigned to the Libran as your Executive Officer."

After having returned the salute Tattnall motioned for her to follow him, "Tell me, Colonel, how long have you been here?"

"I arrived here about an hour and a half ago, give or take, once I got notice that I had been assigned to the Libran I left the Atherstone. Admiral Tolan recommended me for the assignment," Minerva said as they rounded a corner and proceeded down the corridor.

"How do you know Admiral Tolan?" Tattnall asked, wondering where his new XO had met the man he himself had only just recently met.

"I was his CAG onboard the Vanguard four years ago, after my first year onboard he was moved to an assignment on Caprica until his promotion to the Admiralty. He's one of the more...'interesting' people I've served under but he does care about his crew," Minerva said as the two began to descend steps that would take them to the deck below.

"What do you think of our girl?" Tattnall asked in reference to the Libran.

"It's a good thing the Fleet put her and the Gemenon through the SLEP program like the rest of the Columbias," Minerva replied.

The Service Life Extension Program, abbreviated as SLEP, was an attempt by the Colonial Fleet to get further service out of its aging vessels. Leftover battlestars from the Cylon War and the immediate post-war era were taken out of service for a period of two to three years and given a thorough modernization to bring them up to the materiel standard of the newer ships. Some, such as Galactica, were instead given an austere overhaul instead of a SLEP due to budget cuts that were put in place by the Adar Administration who were trying to desperately make up for the deficit in the Colonial budget, a result of their own clumsy handling of it over the past five years. Transferring money away from the fleet to other things was a politically acceptable and time honored practice especially since there had been no sign of the Cylons for almost forty years now. They had passed almost into a mythological state of being in the minds of the ordinary civilian and the Colonial Fleet was seen as little more than a roaming security force fighting the age old problems of crime, piracy and of course terrorism.

They descended another level before they turned down a corridor where an airlock was in view. Standing before it waiting for them was a man in the uniform of a Chief Petty Officer.

"That is Chief Stavros Navarino; he's been assigned as our Senior Chief. He's been here for the past month overseeing the reactivation of the Libran along with our Chief Engineer, Louis Sayre," Minerva said as the duo began to close in on Navarino.

"Commander Tattnall welcome to the Libran, sir," Navarino said as he saluted the Libran's CO.

"Thank you Chief, how's our girl?" Tattnall asked after returning the Chief's salute.

"We were lucky; the last crew did a thorough job of preserving her. According to Admiral Tolan the Gemenon wasn't so fortunate, that's part of why the Libran is being brought back into service and her sister is not," Navarino said.

"It's a shame, but not much we can do about that. If they need her badly enough the Gemenon will be commissioned again. Where's our chief engineer?" Tattnall asked even though he had a good feeling as to where he might have been; chief engineers aboard space faring vessels were notoriously stereotypical of their breed.

"He's inside Main Engineering attempting to get the power back on; right now it's fairly dark in there only vital areas have auxiliary power so we'll need flashlights to navigate our way around some parts of the ship. If you would please follow me," Navarino said as he hit a button on the wall that caused the airlock to open up. A moment later they were stepping onto the hangar deck of the Libran.

When the airlock into the Libran opened Tattnall was overwhelmed by the stench of oil, steel, tylium fuel, and stale air. He kept the shock from the smell to himself and stepped into one of the aft storage bays for the hangar deck. After Navarino and Minerva stepped in, the Chief hit the button that would close the airlock.

"Follow me," Navarino said as he hit a button that would open the sliding metal doors leading into the storage bay.

The three stepped into a dimly lit corridor that looked like it could use some cleaning to get it back up to Colonial Fleet standards. There was barely any conversation as the two officers followed the Chief down the corridor until they stepped into the cavernous hangar deck. The three of them had only known each other for a few minutes and they were still testing the waters with one another. It was at times like these that Tattnall was grateful of the formality of life aboard ship.

"It's so…empty," Minerva said as she took in the sight of the cavernous expanse of empty hangar space.

"I've never been on a battlestar where there weren't Vipers or Raptors on hand this is something different," Tattnall said. From his first posting on the Tulare to his time as XO of the Formidable he had never once been on a battlestar that was not in commission. Seeing the Libran's hangar deck caused him to take a step back and picture how it would look once the battlestar actually had an air group once again. The Gemenon and the Libran were able to accommodate an air wing of six Viper squadrons and two Raptor squadrons, this number stayed the same throughout their careers thanks to the efforts put into the SLEP the two battlestars had received.

"It'll look different once we have our birds onboard," Navarino said. He could tell by the look on the Commander's face that the sight of an empty hangar deck was a foreign concept to him as well.

Tattnall did not say a word for a few moments before simply nodding his head, "You're right Chief, when we have the air group onboard this deck will be a different sight. It'll be a Battlestar again," he said with a feeling of pride."

"Chief Sayre won't have the power up and running for a while, may I recommend we retire to the Ausburne and get situated?" Minerva suggested. There was little they could do at the moment and they might as well get settled in on the accommodation ship.

Again little was said as they made their way back through the airlock and back onto the Aubsurne, the former Army troop transport that was now serving as the accommodation ship for the small group that would see the Libran brought back to life. Judging by the look of the battlestar, it would require work to get her back to being able to serve in the Fleet but it was not as daunting as task as awakening some of the older battlestars from their slumber in the Active Reserve.

The airlock opened and the three stepped back onto the deck of the Ausburne, they stopped and saw that there were seven new arrivals onboard.

"Commander Tattnall, I presume?" the man who stepped out from the group asked as he walked towards them.

Tattnall stepped forward and extended his hand, "Commander Nicholas Tattnall and you are?"

The man gripped Tattnall's hand in a firm handshake, "Major Evan Windsor, Ministry of Intelligence."

"What is the MoI doing here?" Minerva asked with what Tattnall thought was an undue bit of apprehension. Perhaps she had dealings with them in the past that he was unaware of?

"Perhaps there a conference room would be a more appropriate setting for this talk," Windsor said as he motioned to one of the corridors.

"Very well, lead on," Tattnall said as he waited until the seven MoI officers began walking down the corridor towards one the Ausburne's briefing rooms.

"Chief, Colonel if the two of you would follow me. We'll see just what our new friends here have in store for us," Tattnall said as they began to follow the group.

The large briefing room had a conference table, cabinets that would have normally held important documents pertaining to a deployment, a large video screen on a far wall, and other assorted items a general or other ranking officer would use to conduct a briefing.

Windsor stood before the group and hit a button on the podium he stood at, a whirring sound emanated from an overhead video projector and the screen began to come to life. Tattnall may have only just taken command of the Libran but the way Windsor strutted around the ship as if he were its Commander irritated him somewhat. Nevertheless he bit his tongue and let Windsor carry on for the time being.

"As I told you earlier, my name is Evan Windsor. With me is Captain Whitney Thompson," Windsor pointed to a tall blonde who sat on the right side of the table, "Captain Leonard Harmon," Windsor pointed to a middle-aged looking man with dark skin and a black mustache, "Lieutenant Imani Farai," Windsor pointed to a young woman who was of the same dark complexion as Harmon, "Lieutenant Brooke Carlson," Windsor pointed to a young brunette who looked as though she had just graduated from college, "Agent Nessa Gendreau," Windsor again pointed to a young woman with raven hair and a serious expression on her face, "Finally, we have Agent Victor Ashfield," Windsor pointed to the last person in his group, a bespectacled young man who looked more like a lawyer than an MoI agent.

"I'd introduce us but I get the feeling you know who we are," Tattnall said with a laugh.

"Stereotyping Commander, but in this case very correct stereotyping; with you are Colonel Susan Minerva and Senior Chief Stavros Navarino. Along with Chief Engineer Louis Sayre you are the only members of the senior staff to be assigned to the Libran thus far," Windsor said with smile.

"Is there anything you people don't know?" Minerva asked which in turn earned her a warning glance from Tattnall.

"Allow me to get down to business, have you heard of the pirate group known as the Erebea?"

"According to President Adar there are no pirate groups, right?" Minerva asked before Tattnall could speak.

"Forgive my XO, yes we have heard of them," Tattnall said, when this was over he was going to have to find out just what it was about the MoI that got under Minerva's skin in such a manner.

"There was an operation three years ago, one I believe Colonel Minerva was a part of before medical issues befell her. The Erebea is a splinter group of the old Tauron Military. They opposed the Articles of Colonization and formed their own paramilitary group rather than fight for the Colonies. In time they turned to piracy to strike back at the society they wished to have no part of. Six years ago the Erebea had allied with the Sagittaron Liberation Army. It was their forces, under the command of Admiral Pierre Renoir that kidnapped President Adar's sister and niece. To make a long story short, when the Colonial Fleet attacked the SLA base parts of the Erebea escaped the attack. Among them was Admiral Renoir. The Libran is being brought back into commission to wipe out these remnants Renoir's forces," Windsor said. Throughout his talk various images had flashed on the screen, the last one was that of Admiral Pierre Renoir.

"So we're essentially tasked with hunting down Renoir and capturing him?" Tattnall asked.

"Yes and no, we're hunting down Renoir but we're not capturing him. The MoI has been tasked to ensure that he is eliminated permanently," Windsor said with a casual tone that made it seem as though killing a man was no big deal.

"One battlestar against an entire pirate force, shouldn't we have backup in case the Erebea are more heavily armed?" Minerva asked, having to have seemingly put her issues aside.

"On the advice of Admiral Tolan, who has first-hand experience with fighting the SLA in space, there are two groups of Faststars being brought back into commission to accompany the Libran," Windsor said as he hit a button that brought up a list of ship names.

"What classes are these faststars from?" Tattnall asked.

"They are all Clemson-class faststars. Twelve of them are at the Valkenburgh Shipyard undergoing reactivation and are being modernized to meet the current Colonial Fleet standards," Windsor said.

"You're telling me these ships have not seen action since the Cylon War?" Tattnall asked, wondering just why these were chosen.

"They were considered…expendable, it was either this or they'd be sold for scrap. The Libran will be accompanied by the Warrington, Rathburne, Robert Smith, Clemson, Gerhardt, Aspis, Asturias, Velos, Kanaris, Cassin, Ariadni, and Psara. These will be divided into two groups; Faststar Group 248 and 249. Colonels Arleen Baines and Geoffrey Mandeville will have command of these two groups, but they will take from you Commander Tattnall."

"That's an awful lot of faststars to protect just one battlestar," Tattnall commented, twelve faststars just seemed to be overkill in his imagination.

"Depending on how well Renoir has regrouped after the attack on the SLA base, there is a chance that a second battlestar will be needed. The two that have been mention is either the Libran's sister ship, the Gemenon, or transferring the Mercury-class Achilles to take part in this mission. In fact, the reactivation of the Libran will give some idea as to how well the Gemenon can be reactivated even though the last crew did not such a thorough job of decommissioning her," Windsor said.

"Will all seven of you be on the Libran?" Tattnall asked.

"Two of us, me and Lieutenant Carlson will be stationed on the Libran. The rest will disperse among the various faststars, but all intelligence will be sent to the Libran of course which will act as a de facto flagship for this flotilla," Windsor said.

"Of course," Tattnall said before standing up from the table, "Thank you for the briefing Major Windsor it was quite informative. If you'll excuse us now we'll get settled in here on the Ausburne."

"Thank you for your time Commander, I look forward to working with you in the near future."

When they had left the room Tattnall motioned for Minerva to follow him. Arriving at his quarters he let her in first before closing the hatch behind him.

"Colonel Minerva, what the hell just happened back there?" he demanded as soon as she had taken a seat.

"I lost my senses back there Commander; there is a history with the MoI as I'm sure you can guess."

"I kind of picked up on that one, but it does not excuse your unprofessional behavior. Now we have to work with them whether we like or not. If you cannot put your personal feeling aside, I will be happy to allow you to find a position on another ship and bring in someone who can, am I making myself clear?"

Minerva nodded, "Yes sir, I understand."

"It's going to be a challenge, I won't lie to you about that, but we'll work together and make this possible. Let's have a drink and we'll get started on bring our ship back to life," Tattnall said as he took two tumblers out of a nearby cabinet and filled them with water from a nearby tap.

Eight Months Later:

Wilkins Shipyard, Scorpia:

The day had finally arrived and it was time to commission the Libran back into the Colonial Fleet once again. The assembled crew of 5,731 had mustered into the large space dock that had been closed and pressurized so that they could board the battlestar when given the order. The man giving that order would be Governor Mitchell Bradford, the governor of the battlestar's namesake colony of Libran.

Bradford gave a speech that dealt with the importance of Libran in the society of the Twelve Colonies, and how the battlestar would keep the commitment to justice that the colony was known for. When he had finished it was time for Admiral Robert Lee Wilson to give his speech.

"Governor Bradford, we are extremely honored with your presence here today. On behalf of the crew of the crew of the Battlestar Libran, I want to thank you very much for joining us today!" Wilson began as he looked over the notes he had prepared for this particular speech.

"This day has really been made possible by this 5,731 who are the lifeblood of this great warship. Without the crew, this ship, or any ship for that matter is simply a combination steel plates, miles of cables and wiring, tanks, ladders, and lots of paint. The crew gives the ship its own personality and war-fighting spirit. The men and women of the Battlestar Libran will exemplify patriotism and what this great country of ours stands for. We take an oath "To support and defend The Articles of Colonization of the Twelve Colonies against all enemies."

"Ladies and gentlemen, before you stand the officers, chief petty officers and sailors of the Colonial Fleet that will form the crew of this fine ship. They are the best our worlds have to offer. They will be held to and uphold a higher standard by virtue of the fact they willingly serve to protect the people of the Twelve Colonies."

"I am certain that Commander Tattnall is both proud and honored to be the Commanding Officer of these fine examples of the people of the Twelve Colonies. May the Gods bless and guide this warship and all who serve as her crew and may the Gods continue to bless the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. So say we all!"

It was at this time that Commander Tattnall walked up to Admiral Wilson and saluted before saying, "Admiral Wilson, we are ready to proceed with the commissioning."

"Very well, in accordance with this authority, I hereby place the Battlestar Libran in commission." Wilson said formally as he finished reading the orders from President Adar to place the Libran into commission.

At this time the anthem of the Twelve Colonies began to play, when it was over the time had arrived for the next part of the commissioning ceremony.

"Colonel Minerva, set the first watch," Tattnall ordered.

"Aye, Aye, sir ," Minerva announced with a salute before turning to Lt. James Grebory, the Helm Officer, "Helm, set the watch."

Grebory walked over to where a receiver had been set up with a connection to the CIC. He picked up the receiver and announced, ""Set the watch! On deck section one, watch one!"

Minerva walked over to where Tattnall stood and announced, "Commander, the watch has been set."

Bradford then walked up to the podium and said, "Man our ship and bring her to life."

With this the Colonial Fleet anthem began to play as the crew began to enter the Libran through the airlocks located on the port side. This took time as the crew boarded and went to their watch stations.

Once the anthem had finished, Governor Bradford once again came to the podium and presented a gift on behalf of the people of Libran. This gift was a solid gold replica of the 'Scales of Justice' that stayed in the courtroom of the Colonial Supreme Court located in the city of Themis.

With Tattnall's acceptance of this gift it was time for the benediction to be given asking for the Gods' guidance for both the ship and its crew. That marked the conclusion of the commissioning ceremony.

As the guests dispersed, Tattnall walked over to where Minerva stood.

"That went well Commander," Minerva said with a smile that suggested how happy she was to have the ceremony over with.

"Indeed it did Colonel. There's only one thing left to do now," Tattnall said as they entered the airlock to make their way to the CIC.

"What would that be?"

Tattnall smiled, "We get our air group onboard and start hunting the Erebea."