Tigh shook his head. He had his orders. They were firm and it was time to exercise his authority.
"Commander Adama wants the fleet to be able to get under way within a few centons," Tigh said. "We can't do that without fuel. Now carry out the order."
"Yes, sir."
Apollo gently eased the shuttle through the force field of the landing bay and set it down upon the deck. Jolly came up from the shuttle's cargo bay to announce that all was in order. Together, they climbed out of the shuttle only to be confronted by a dozen warriors led by Sheba and Bojay.
"Something we can do for you, Captain?" Sheba said.
"Not unless you want to assist in the transfer of fuel," Apollo replied.
"Oh?" said Bojay. "What transfer was that?"
Apollo was in no mood for games.
"We have a job to do," he said. "Stand aside."
None of the warriors moved.
"All right," Apollo said, glancing sideways at Starbuck. "What's going on here?"
"We're just standing up for our commander," Bojay said.
"Your commander accepted the order relieving him of command," Apollo said. "You would do well to follow his example."
"Look, Captain," Sheba spoke angrily, her tone of voice challenging Apollo to make an issue of it, "you don't seem to understand the situation. Adama humiliated my father, the greatest military man in the history of the colonies. A man who can think and fight circles around your father. He had no right to do that. It was an unconscionable act."
"She's right, Apollo," Bojay said. "Cain saved every one of us from certain death. Standing by him is the very least that we can do. You're not going to take that fuel."
"Look," Apollo said, anxious to avoid a confrontation; "no one wants to see Cain hurt or disgraced. That isn't—"
"It's a little late to be saying that, isn't it?" snapped Sheba.
"Don't you see, Commander Adama had no choice," said Boomer. "Cain left him none. He pushed Adama too far and there was only one course of action open to him. For better or for worse, there can only be one leader. What you people are doing constitutes mutiny."
"That's right," said Bojay. "You said that we can only have one leader, and the way we see it, we've got the wrong one. We fought for that fuel and we're going to keep it."
"I'm only going to say this once more," said Apollo tensely. "Adama is the fleet commander. He's determined that we're not going to send our defenses off on a wild gamble to take a Cylon ground base while the rest of the fleet is left helpless. I happen to support that thinking. So you'll either have to stand aside . . . or I'll blow you aside."
Before any of the warriors from the Pegasus could react, Apollo had his sidearm out, as did Boomer and Jolly.
"Well?" said Boomer. "What's it going to be?"
They never had the chance to find out. At that moment, the bridge sounded red alert throughout the ship.
"It's happened!" shouted Apollo, barely making himself heard over the din of the klaxon. "Just what my father was afraid of, we're under attack! Come on, Boomer, Jolly, we've got to get back to our ship!"
On the bridge of the Pegasus, Tigh suddenly found that the resentment of his crew was the least of his problems.
"Large Cylon task force coming in . . ."
"Fifty microns and closing . . ."
"Get me the Galactica," snapped Tigh.
On the command bridge of the Galactica, there was an equal amount of pandemonium as the ship geared up for the attack.
"Forty-five microns and closing," Athena reported from her scanners.
"It's the largest task force since the destruction of Caprica," said Adama, his face grim. "They really mean to finish us this time."
Cain came charging onto the bridge.
"What is it?" he demanded. "What've they got?"
"We're not certain yet," Adama said, "but from the size of the attack fighter force on our scanners, I'd say they've got at least three base ships closing on us."
Cain stared at the scanner in disbelief. He swore, furious with himself.
"You were right, Adama. And I was wrong. Horribly wrong. If we had attacked their ground base, the fleet would have been completely at their mercy. Totally defenseless. I was a fool."
"It's no time for self-recriminations," said Adama. "What I need right now is your tactical wizardry. They didn't use much more than three base ships to wipe out our entire fleet at Caprica."
"Yes, but they had the advantage of surprise at Caprica," said Cain. "It might be on our side this time."
"Pull out the Pegasus?"
"Exactly. It's on the far side of the fleet and I doubt it's on their scanners yet. They don't know we've got two battlestars. I'll bring her around and squeeze them in between us. That is . . . if I've got my ship back?"
"Get going, Cain. And don't take too long getting into position. It's going to be awfully close."
"All right," said Cain, "but I'll be burning up a lot of fuel. I'll practically have to make light speed."
"Do I have a choice? You're going to have to burn off at least half your fuel to get around them, skirting their scanner range and still make it in time. Just be there when we need you."
"Twenty-five microns and closing," said Athena.
On board one of the Cylon fighters, Baltar relished the moment as his pilot gave the order to attack.
"This is going to be a classic defeat," said Baltar, licking his lips in anticipation. "It will be spoken of throughout the Cylon nation for the next thousand yahrens! Goodbye, Galactica. Goodbye, Adama. You're finished."
They weren't even making any effort to escape, thought Baltar. They knew it would be useless. The Galactica, possibly, would be able to outrun them, but that would mean leaving the rest of the fleet behind to be destroyed, and that fool Adama would never do that. They were going to stand and fight against overwhelming odds. They had no chance, none whatsoever. Baltar knew that he would get his victory and his place in the Cylon nation would be assured.
Starbuck was slammed back against his seat as he and every Viper aboard the Galactica launched to engage the Cylon task force. He felt the familiar surge of adrenaline as his Viper hurtled down the launch tube. He knew it was crazy. What sort of man would smile at the prospect of engaging an entire Cylon task force? Yet he was smiling. Gone from his mind were all thoughts of Cain and Cassiopeia. Gone were all the questions that plagued him when he could not sleep. This was what he lived for. His heart seemed to slam against the inside of his chest as though it would break free at any moment to fall, pulsating wildly, upon the floor of the cockpit. All his senses seemed to be upon the verge of overload. Starbuck was feeling terror and it made him high.
"Okay, boys," he said to himself, "you want me, come and get me!"
On the bridge of the Pegasus, there was a flurry of activity as the crew ran for their battle stations.
"Incoming communication from Commander Cain, sir," Tolen said to Tigh. "Coming in on the scramble frequency."
"Put it on p.a.," said Tigh.
The image of Cain sitting in the cockpit of a Viper appeared on the monitors.
"I'm resuming command of the Pegasus, Colonel."
"So I've been informed by Commander Adama," said Tigh.
"Good. Now get that ship out of there. Swing her around in a one-eighty and head out on course one one oh. Stay out of the Cylons' scanner range. I'll rendezvous with you."
"What about the attack force coming in?"
"You let me worry about that. Have all fighters standing by, ready to launch. I'll be aboard in ten minutes. Cain out."
A cheer went up from every man and woman on the bridge. Tolen, swept up in the spirit of the moment, turned to Tigh and tried, unsuccessfully, to wipe the smile from his face.
"Nothing personal, Colonel" he said. "It's just that—"
"I quite understand," said Tigh. "After all, who can fight a living legend?"
Every monitor aboard the Galactica showed the Cylon fighters streaking in to
the attack. Athena counted off the time to contact.
"Closing fast . . . ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . six . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . ."
"Positive shield," said Adama.
The shield slid over the massive observation port on the bridge as the Cylons attacked. Every monitor showed Cylon fighters and Vipers engaging.
Baltar kept his fighter out of the fray, at a safe distance from which he could observe the battle.
"This time the Galactica doesn't have a chance," he said. He was in communication with Lucifer, aboard his base ship. "Concentrate our fighters on the Galactica's landing bays. Destroy them and her warriors won't be able to land to refuel."
The Cylon fighters converged on the landing bays and scored several telling hits.
"Fire in the bay," reported Omega, "deck three."
"Damage control," snapped Adama, "how bad is it?"
"It's out of control, sir. We're going to have to shut off Alpha bay and turn off the force field."
"They're using our own tactics against us for a change," Adama said. "Destroy our ability to land our fighters and then run them out of fuel. Not that we have any to give them."
"Baltar?" said Omega.
Adama nodded. "Of course."
"I'd say they were in for a slight surprise," Omega said.
I hope so, thought Adama. Cain! Where are you?
"Continue leading her warriors away from the fleet," said Baltar. "They can't keep using full power on their thrusters for very long."
"A word of caution," Lucifer's voice came back to him over his comcircuit. "We, too, are expending great amounts of fuel in a sustained attack."
"Yes, but our fighters have a place to land and theirs do not. Or will not before long."
"We have always found it best to attack and then fall back," said Lucifer.
"That's why you always lose," Baltar replied. "We have the last surviving battlestar just about ready for the kill. There will be no falling back. Not this time. This time we finish it!"
Aboard the Pegasus, Cain was once more in command, having practically burned up his Viper's engines in order to effect the rendezvous,
"Steady . . . steady, skirt their scanner range as closely as possible. We can't give our position away. Not yet."
"We are now running parallel to the attacking Cylons on their rear flank," reported Tolen, "but the Galactica is taking some pretty heavy damage."
"Helm, stand by . . . We're going in."
Baltar exalted as he watched the Galactica take hit after hit. Her shields couldn't hold up much longer. They had extinguished the fires in her landing bays by sealing them off and shutting down the force fields, allowing the air inside to escape, but that also effectively neutralized those bays, since the ground crews would not be able to enter them without their suits, and the attacking fighters would now easily fire directly through the massive entry ports, causing even more damage. Baltar watched as the Vipers tried in vain to intercept the Cylon craft as they made their passes at the Galactica. He had to give Adama's people their due, they were putting up a valiant resistance, but they were too outnumbered.
"Sir, if I may—"
"Not now," said Baltar, cutting off one of his Cylon pilots. "I don't want to miss a moment of the last battlestar's destruction."
"What about the other battlestar?" the pilot asked.
"What are you babbling about? What other battle . . ." Baltar's voice trailed off as the scanner on his fighter craft picked up the Pegasus closing with them fast.
"It's impossible," he said.
"No, sir. It is a second battlestar and it is closing with us at the rate of—"
"Turn, you fool, turn! He's coming straight for us!"
Like seeds exploding from a pod, the Vipers from the Pegasus launched from their mother ship and attacked the task force. Baltar panicked.
"Retreat! Order the retreat! Return to our base ships!"
"But the Galactica—"
"Our fighters are half out of fuel and those Vipers are coming in fresh," said Baltar. "Now do as I say before they cut us off!"
Tolen looked up from his monitor screens on the bridge of the Pegasus. The plan had worked.
"The Cylon fighters are retreating, sir."
"Go after them," said Cain. "Get as many as you can before they reach their base ships. Then bring your warriors home."
Cain turned to his communications officer.
"Get me the Galactica."
There was not a moment of rest for Adama as he coordinated the defensive squadrons and directed the damage control teams in their work.
"What's the situation with the sealed-off landing bays?" he asked.
"Heavy damage, sir, but not insurmountable," said Omega, his face showing the strain. "We're working on the force field generators and clearing away some of the wreckage, but they've breached our hull in several places and it'll be quite some time before we can effect repairs and land any of our Vipers."
"Thank God the Pegasus is with us or we'd lose every ship," said Adama.
"Commander Cain on the line," said Athena.
"Adama? You alive?"
"I appear to be," Adama replied. "Thanks for the assist. It wasn't looking too good for a while there."
"It doesn't look too good now," said Cain. "What's your status?"
"Everything is under control for the moment," said Adama. "I've got my people running themselves ragged trying to repair the damage, but I'd like you to land some of our fighters. It's going to take some time to repair all our landing bays."
"My pleasure," said Cain. "Commander, may I suggest we call a council of war as soon as possible? Those Cylons are in a state of shock right now, but that won't last long."
"I agree," Adama said. "We'll meet in twenty centons in my quarters."
"I'll be there," said Cain.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was dark inside the war room. The only illumination came from the giant star map before which stood Adama, Cain, Apollo, Tigh and Tolen. In the shadowed silence of the war room, it was almost possible to forget the frenzied activity that went on throughout the rest of the Galactica as her crew worked desperately to allow the ship to recover from the devastating attack of the Cylon task force. Each of the men inside the war room knew that the battlestar could not withstand another such attack.
"It's confirmed," Apollo said. "They've got three base ships."
"Plus whatever they want to throw at us from Gomoray base," said Cain.
Tigh shook his head. "We can't allow them to launch that united assault. We'd never survive."
"We've got to knock out that ground base on Gomoray and we've got to do it now," said Cain.
Adama knew that, even with the Pegasus, they would not be able to fight against an assault from both the ground base and the base ships, still, to go on to the offensive when the odds were so heavily against them seemed insane. But then, everything about the rag-tag fleet was insane. Those ships had never been designed for deep-space travel and yet they had come this far. The odds against their ever finding Earth were also incredible, but that was what they had set out to do. How much longer, Adama wondered, can we get away with pushing our luck?
"We've got to do it, Adama," said Cain, seeing the commander of the Galactica hesitating. "It would take them completely by surprise. We've got a chance and we've got to take it. It's the only way."
"He is right about that, Father," said Apollo. He knew that it was no longer a case of leaving the fleet defenseless to mount an unnecessary attack on Gomoray. If Gomoray joined the base ships in their next attack, nothing they could do would enable them to defend the fleet, much less themselves.
"Spending lives in exchange for that ground base is against everything I believe in," said Adama. "Is there no other choice available to us?"
"Adama," Cain said, "two battlestars can overwhelm Gomoray. We won't suffer any losses."
Apollo shook his head. "With all due respect,
sir, I can't agree with you on that. Cylon anti-aircraft batteries are practically foolproof. We could never hope to get past them without sustaining casualties."
"Yes, if we went in in force," said Cain. "But we could send in a small team to neutralize their anti-aircraft batteries. Then our Viper squadrons could Sweep over the city and shut down the whole place. Then we go in and keep on fighting until Gomoray is ours."
"No," said Adama. "We cannot attempt to capture a land base. The only thing we can hope to gain from Gomoray is the fuel we need to elude those base stars."
"As soon as they discover what we've done," said Apollo, "they'll send those base ships against us with everything they've got. Our fuel landing teams would be vulnerable targets on the ground—they'd never lift off."
"Once we secure the fuel base," said Cain, "I propose we withdraw one battlestar to delay those incoming base ships."
"A single battlestar to fight off three Cylon base ships?" said Adama.
"Not fight off, old friend. Delay. I'll give the impression that we're leaving Gomoray. I'll lead them away."
"You seem to have decided that it's to be the Pegasus that withdraws and tackles the base ships," said Adama.
Cain shrugged. "The Galactica is damaged."
"What about the ground force?" said Adama. "We have no intelligence reports on the installation."
"Some of my fighters have flown so close to it that by now they probably know the name of every Cylon down there," Cain replied.
"Father, if this installation is anything like the one on Naytar, Starbuck and I have already taken one apart. All we'd have to do is get inside."
Adama turned away from them and walked across the war room. As the ranking officer, he would have to make the final decision. And he would have given anything not to have to make it. He couldn't leave it up to Cain. The commander of the Pegasus was a good officer, but he took too many risks. He had earned his nickname, the Juggernaut had. Once Cain made up his mind, he went ahead at all costs, with winning as his only objective. Adama could not fault him for that, but he could not afford Cain's tactics in this case. There were so few of them left, he thought. Human life was precious. To take a chance on losing even one seemed unthinkable, yet how was it possible to mount a military operation with no loss of life? Especially an operation such as the one that Cain was proposing.
Battlestar Galactica 6 - The Living Legend Page 7