PEGASUS Book 10: Return to the Fray
Note: This book - a straight continuation of PEGASUS Book 9: Brothers is Arms - was started because I do not beleive in writing stories too long in length. Breaking 30,000 words on Book 9 was where I drew the line. As such, there is no Cylon prologue for this book. This book takes place at the same time-line of Jum Quiqley's BATTLESTAR HYPERION series, which at this time of the story is set three and-a-half months after the destruction of the Colonies.
A personal Thank You is given to Jim for coming up with the solution to rectifying Garris Cain's PEGASUS with that of Admiral Helena Cain and her successor PEGASUS...
P.S., Reviews Appreciated (though try not to flame too much, please...)
CHAPTER ONE
One day after the decision was made on the PEGASUS to repair the COLUMBIA-class Battlestar CEREBRUS with parts from the heavilly damaged heavy cruiser TANTALUS, work was well under way. Technical crews from both the PEGASUS and TANTALUS were hard at work getting the necessary work done.
"Who'd have thought that we would be rebuilding a legend, Wyatt?" Engle said to Thyssen as they were busy supervising the removal of the destroyed primary energizers on board the CEREBRUS.
The CEREBRUS was indeed a legend from the first Cylon war. Thought destroyed, the CEREBRUS had been found derelict and adrift in the remote Erenkoy Sector.
"I'm just glad that the TANTALUS has here in order to make it all happen, Harrison", Thyssen replied, "Without her, the CEREBRUS would be half-way to being completely stripped by now".
"Certainly a better fate than having her scuttled after stripping her", Engle commented.
"We'll have to do that to the TANTALUS once we're done", Thyssen noted, "but at least we won't have to strip and scuttle the CEREBRUS after all. She really doesn't deserve that fate".
"There are some people who are a little peeved that that is no longer happening, though", Engle added.
"Oh, yeah", Thyssen agreed, "the CAG's. Well, the CEREBRUS – once battle-worthy – will want its fighter wing back, and both Syke and Voight realize that, so they'll soon get over it".
"Just like Colonel Wright got over having to leave the TANTALUS, right?" Engle asked rhetorically.
"The TANTALUS has served he – and his crew – well, so I can understand his initial reaction to his losing her, but he and the TANTALUS crew are itching to get the CEREBRUS up and running", Thyssen stated, "And after all, a battlestar is a heck of a step up from a heavy cruiser".
"Major", one of the engineering techs who was working on the removal of Energizer 'A' said, interrupting the conversation, "We've made the final disconnections. "We're clear to remove the energizer from its mountings".
"Excellent", Thyssen replied, "get the heavy lifters to work. Make sure that before we dump it into space that every possible usable component is stripped from it".
"Yes, Sir", the crewman acknowledged. He headed back to the other techs to convey Thyssen's instructions
"With that piece of scrap out of the way, we can start getting the TANTALUS' energizer over and installed", Engle commented. The bay that held the 'A' energizer would house the TANTALUS' energizer.
"Remember that it's not quite as simple as that, Harrison", Thyssen pointed out, "we still have to partially dismantle it once removed from its housing. How else are we going to get it through the docking port between the two ships?"
"I know", Engle replied, "but I want to get the old girl back up and running!"
Engle's sentiments regarding the CEREBRUS were shared by a lot of other people. Colonel Wright in particular. He was up on the CEREBRUS' bridge, with a number of TANTALUS CIC personnel overseeing the dumping of the old program routines from the mainframe and the loading of the new navigation and engineering programs that would be needed to make the battlestar to be able to use the new components.
Just then, Wright's communicator beeped. Wright pulled it out of his pocket.
"Wright", he said into it.
"Colonel Wright", Major Gale communicated from the TANTALUS, "We got word from Major Thyssen that the trashed 'A' energizer is being dismounted. Once we get our primary energizer dismounted and partially dismantled, we'll be able to get it over to you and get it installed".
"How long will that take, XO?" Wright asked.
"Captain Zale" – the TANTALUS Deputy Chief Engineer overseeing the dismantling – "has informed me that they should be able to move it over by the end of the day".
"Not bad for work that a dry-dock would normally be doing", Wright commented, "and the auxiliary energizer is keeping minimum power levels on the TANTALUS okay?"
"No problems there, Colonel", Gale answered, "neither with the cannibalizing of the FTL-drive. That little project is well under way. I'm glad that we have the PEGASUS personnel to help us".
"Me too", Wright agreed, "oh, and has Zapper got his squadron over okay?"
"They are all over on the CEREBRUS' starboard bay", Gale replied, "and they are ready for deployment if needed".
Lieutenant Grant 'Zapper' Wise was the commander of the squadron of twelve viper VII's that were based on the TANTALUS. He and his other pilots had been busy the last day-and-a-half getting the squadron's assets transferred over to the CEREBRUS. The squadron's fifteen vipers (the twelve primary and three reserve vipers) and its raptor were the last assets to be transferred.
"I suppose that Zapper likes his new digs", Wright commented.
"He had no objection, especially with the CEREBRUS' viper II's, not to mention the javelins, at his disposal, he has more ships than pilots now. His bunch of reserve pilots is loving that prospect", Gale commented.
A squiadron typically has twenty-four pilots, thus maintaining an adequate reserve of qualified personnel to keep a squadron operational.
"So will the other idle pilots over on the HYPERION and TRINITY once we get the CEREBRUS back to them", Wright added.
Over on the PEGASUS CIC, Cain was being kept informed on the repair operation. This work did not distract him from the other necessities of the PEGASUS – like maintaining a constant vigilance in case any unwelcome attention appeared in this sector. A Cylon base star would not be something to look forward to, particularly now.
"I just got word from Captain Voight that the Viper II's over in the starboard bay have been flown back to the CEREBRUS", Tolen said as he walked up to Cain, "Captain Syke will have the remaining ones over on the port bay flown back within the hour".
"I'm going to need a list of the remaining reserve pilots we have once the CEREBRUS is brought back to battle-worthiness", Cain said.
"What's up, Garris?" Tolen asked quietly.
"I'm concerned about the current lack of offensive armament on the CEREBRUS, Geoff", Cain replied equally quietly, "with only the vipers on the CEREBRUS as its offensive arm, plus the fact that the TANTALUS' squadron pilots – reserves included – means that there will be not nearly enough fighters to support her, I'm intending to loan out our reserve pilots to the CEREBRUS until she returns to the HYPERION".
"Are you intending to take the PEGASUS with the CEREBRUS back to Hatari, Garris?" Tolen asked, recognizing the tone in Cain's voice.
"Our offensive firepower will be needed to help cover the CEREBRUS until she rejoins the HYPERION", Cain replied, "besides, its time to give the tin-heads a reminder that we're out here!"
Tolen grinned at that last statement. After all, the PEGASUS was a warship, and playing escort to the CEREBRUS was a good excuse to get back into the fray. Still…
"Not to rain on one's parade", Tolen said suddenly, "but a jump from Erenkoy to Hatari will push our fuel reserves some. The CEREBRUS' current stock of fuel – coupled with the fuel that will be transferred over from the TANTALUS - will be ample for her, but they won't be able to spare much to give to us".
"I've spoken about it with Colonel Wright", Cain replied, "the HYPERION task force has at their disposal a refinery ship, and once we make the rendezvous, we should be able to refuel and bring our stocks back up".
"Assuming that they are still out there and not wasted by the tin-heads", Tolen said.
"Ever since the colonies got nuked, we have been running on a wing and a prayer. At least with the HYPERION, there is a better chance of getting fuel than hoping that we find another source in an uncharted sector", Cain pointed out.
"Good point", Tolen acquiesced, "but don't you want to send out the peregrine to make an initial scout?"
"I'd rather have the AVENGER do that once we make the jump to Hatari", Cain replied, that way, the AVENGER's fuel load will not be prematurely depleted".
"Hopefully, it will bring back better results than their last mission", Tolen commented. Cain nodded.
Colonel Wright had mentioned to Cain that they were trying to head to a position in this sector that was rumored to be a supply post. Commander Tillman has told him before the TANTALUS had left Naylor Station that according to a freebooter by the name of Kendrick Ralls, the trade syndicate had a storage depot in the Erenkoy Sector. The TANTALUS was heading that way when they encountered instead the CEREBRUS and the PEGASUS.
Cain had ordered the FLEET AVENGER to head out to the co-ordinates that he had been given, but when the FLEET AVENGER had arrived there, there was nothing but empty space. Either the co-ordiniates given were wrong, or Ralls was misinformed. Given the remoteness of the Erenkoy sector, an established supply post - by anyone - was a long shot at best...
While Cain and Tolen were talking about future plans, Syke was piloting one of the Mark II's. He had just catapulted off the PEGASUS, and was taking it for a quick spin before returning it to the CEREBRUS. Ensign 'Jet' Vansen was flying another Mark II as his wingman.
"You know, Jet", Syke communicated, "these Mark II's really handle well. When you think about it, the Mark VII's are really not all that much better".
"Yeah, Bojay", Jet replied, "these forty year-old buckets still have a lot of life in them".
"Judging from those reports we intercepted of the GALACTICA making good use of them, it makes one wonder why we didn't keep them operational", Syke mused.
"Well, the Mark VII does carry missiles while the Mark II doesn't..." Vansen replied.
"I was being rhetorical, Jet", Syke replied, "but if you had gone to A.T.T., you would have had a better appreciation for dogfighting skills. The Mark II is one heck of a dogfighter, and Rogue can attest to that".
A.T.T. was the Advanced Tactical Training course on Picon for the best viper pilots to hone their dogfighting skills. Only a small percentage of pilots ever got the chance.
"Point taken, Bojay", Vansen said, "but we'd better get these buckets back on board the CEREBRUS. Joyriding really is not in our job description".
"When you're a CAG, Jet", Syke responded, "then you can add it to your resume, but you're right. We need to get back to the PEGASUS, so let's drop these birds off".
After getting clearance from CEREBRUS Core Command – now operational – Syke and Vansen skillfully piloted their vipers into the starboard landing bay.
Quickly alighting their vipers on the flight deck, Syke and Vansen powered down their fighter's systems, then opened their canopies. Crewmen in the landing bay quickly brought up ladders, so that they could climb down.
"I really like that force field, Bojay", Vansen said as he climbed down from his viper and walked up to Syke, "it saves a lot of time from having to elevate the vipers down to the hanger bays and go through the entire re-pressurization routine".
"It is pretty convenient", Syke agreed, "but remember why they dropped the force field in the next generation of battlestars".
Vansen nodded. While convenient, the Cylons – in the first war – had made a point of targeting the field generators when attacking the COLUMBIA-class battlestars. The resultant explosive depressurization of the landing bays from such attacks had caused a lot of losses in both fighters and personnel, resulting in the design change on the GALACTICA-class battlestars.
"Heads up, Bojay", Vansen suddenly said, gesturing to an approaching officer, "we've got Zapper incoming".
"Welcome back aboard, CAG", Lieutenant Wise said, extending his hand. Syke shook it.
"These two are the last of the Mark II's from Silver Spar, Zapper", Syke said, "So I guess that makes you happy".
"I'll be happy once we get enough pilots to fly 'em", Wise replied, "Still, it is a lot roomier over here than on the landing bay on the TANTALUS, and there's also the port bay as well".
"You get all of your squadron's equipment over from the TANTALUS okay, Zapper?" Syke asked.
"Yeah, but of course, we have to get it all stored and to get settled in. Still, my squadron's vipers and raptor have all been refueled, armed, and placed in the launch tubes. They're ready to go immediately if needed", Wise reported.
Syke nodded. Wise was taking no chances. He certainly did not forget of the necessity of keeping vipers ready for combat, and the addition of Wise's squadron to the PEGASUS' strike wings was very welcome.
"How long before you and your pilots will be able to call the CEREBRUS home, Zapper?" Vansen asked.
"Fighter readiness notwithstanding, We should all be fully settled in once the CEREBRUS becomes operational", Wise replied, "but for the moment, I have a transporter ready, so I can run you over to the top-side docking port. I assume you both want to get back to the PEGASUS?"
"Great minds think alike", Syke replied with a smile, "That is very much appreciated, Zapper".
With that, Syke and Vansen followed Wise out of the landing bay and over to the awaiting transporter. Behind them, the two delivered vipers were being taken care of by TANTALUS crewmen.
"The CEREBRUS has already removed the first of their two trashed energizers, so they're ready to receive the one from the TANTALUS", Wise said as the transported drove off, "it should be over here by the end of the day, and installed shortly after that".
"That's good news", Syke replied, "that means that the PEGASUS will be able to reduce it's power supply to the CEREBRUS".
"Colonel Wright is working everyone hard in order to get the CEREBRUS up and running", wise said, "In fact, my off-duty squadron techs are being drafted in to assist the other work parties. I hope that they won't die of exhaustion".
"I understand your concern, Zapper", Syke answered, "but considering the chances of a Cylon base-star dropping in at any time, I think your boys would rather be exhausted than dead".
"So say we all", Wise replied, nodding.
Syke was right: time was of the essence. The sooner that the CEREBRUS could be brought back into operation, the better. Not just for them, but for the HYPERION task force as well…