Battlestar Galactica 6 - The Living Legend

by Glen A. Larson

  "Let's go," he said. They charged into the entrance of the Grand Hall, ready to shoot their way through.

  Cassiopeia had removed a small cauterizer from her kit. She had no time to do anything else but stop the seepage of blood, which was drenching Bojay's leg.

  "This is going to hurt," she said.

  "Can't you give him something for the pain?" said Sheba.

  "There's no time," Cassiopeia replied as she quickly set about her task.

  "We can't have him dopey," said Apollo, "he'd be dead weight. On your feet, Bojay. It's your only chance."

  With Sheba covering them, Apollo and Cassiopeia got Bojay between them and he struggled to his feet. His leg would not support him and putting weight on it was agony. Bojay's face was a mask of pain as they half supported, half carried him away from the bunker. The first series of charges went off and all three of them were knocked to the ground. Bojay screamed with pain. They picked themselves up and moved off again.

  Inside the Grand Hall, Starbuck and Boomer moved slowly, watching every branch of the corridor. They heard the first series of charges go off and ducked into an alcove.

  "Where the hell are they all?" hissed Starbuck.

  "I don't know," Boomer replied. The second series of charges went off and the building shook. "There go the bunkers."

  "What's going on?" said Starbuck. "Can't they hear it?"

  As he spoke, the main doors to the hall burst open and a crowd of Cylons came running out. Starbuck and Boomer tried to meld with the wall.

  "Search the grounds," said the base commander. "I'll be at the control center." He moved off quickly down another branch of the corridor.

  "Did he say he'd be in central control?" said Starbuck.

  Boomer nodded. "We lucked out, friend. I hope."

  They waited until the last Cylons had rushed by, intent on getting outside to see what had caused the blast, then they moved off quickly down the same branch of the corridor taken by the base commander and his escort.

  Outside, the others huddled in the shadows as Cylons came pouring out of the surrounding buildings. Cassiopeia held her hand over Bojay's mouth to prevent him from involuntarily crying out.

  "How is he?" said Apollo.

  "He shouldn't be moving." She shook her head, not knowing what to do. They couldn't possibly risk staying there.

  "I'll stay with him," said Sheba.

  Cassiopeia shook her head. "No, you're needed with Apollo. This is my job."

  "She's right," Apollo said. He handed Cassiopeia one of his two sidearms. "Keep your head down," he said. "I hope you won't have to use this."

  "Worry about the Galactica," she replied. She glanced at Sheba. "And the Pegasus."

  The Galactica was fast approaching Gomoray. Athena looked up from her console at Adama. There was a look of intense anxiety on her father's face.

  "I'm picking up sonic disturbances from the surface of Gomoray," she said.

  "We're closing to launch range," said Colonel Tigh. "And within range of their ground batteries," Adama said tersely.

  "Do we launch?" said Tigh.

  Adama shook his head. "We wait."

  On the Pegasus, Tolen clenched his fists and swore in exasperation.

  "What is he waiting for? We'll be on their scanners and under attack within microns!"

  Cain watched the screens intently. "He wants to give the ground assault team every chance to knock out their defense systems and get the hell out of there."

  "What about their fighters? Once they're airborne—"

  "We have eight squadrons to four of theirs," said Cain. "It's the ground batteries we have to worry about. Once we get in range, those missiles can take us out. A Viper could outmaneuver them and shoot them down, but we won't be able to evade them. Have all ship's batteries standing by—if they don't get those ground defenses our only chance will be to try and shoot those birds before they get us."

  "What are our chances?"

  "Don't ask. You'll only get upset."

  "Closing to killer range," said the officer manning the scanners.

  "Don't wait too long, Adama," Cain said softly.

  As the Cylon base commander entered the fire control center, one of the I.L. series Cylons manning the consoles reported that their scanners were picking up intruders.

  "Scan for identification," said the base commander, even though he was certain he knew who it was. That damned human raider had ruined everything, but perhaps his audacity had finally taken him too far. It appeared as though he had actually been fool enough to get within range of their ground batteries. They would make short work of him and he would be rid of him at last. "Alert ground-to-air stations and intercept fighters," he said.

  As the Cylon began to bring the weapons systems to bear, Starbuck and Boomer leaped into the room, firing in all directions. One of the consoles, along with its operator, was instantly demolished.

  "General alarm!" shouted the base commander, clawing for his sidearm.

  "Too many of them, Boomer," Starbuck shouted. "Back out!"

  Starbuck ducked out of the control center just in time. The energy beam from the base commander's weapon singed some of his hair off. He pulled out one of his demolition charges, quickly set the timer and lobbed it inside the room.

  "Get down!" he shouted at Boomer. They hit the floor just as the control center was blown to bits. Smoke came pouring out of the room. Starbuck looked up to see the arm of a Cylon cybernaut lying just before his face.

  "Let's move!"

  They ran for the exit, shooting their way through, taking advantage of the confusion. They turned a corner in the corridor and almost shot Apollo and Sheba.

  "Did you find the control center?" Apollo said.

  "We found it all right," said Boomer.

  "Where—"

  "It used to be in there," said Starbuck, jerking his head in the direction they had come from.

  "Nice work. Now let's secure that fuel depot."

  "We're in scanner range," said Tigh. "They'll be coming up after us, with or without ground missile support."

  "Launch," said Adama. "Notify the Pegasus."

  "The Galactica is launching," Tolen said to Cain.

  "Good."

  "Now what?" said Tolen.

  Cain frowned. "I don't think I follow you, Colonel."

  "What do we do now? What's your plan? You never did tell me what you've got up your sleeve."

  "That's right, I never did, did I?" Cain smiled.

  The death of the base commander caused a fatal delay in the launching of the Cylon fighter squadrons. The Vipers came streaking in over the ground base, laying down a blanket of fire. Some of the Cylon fighters managed to launch, but most of them were destroyed before they could leave the ground. With the central control station of the ground base destroyed, the missile launchers were useless and the Vipers came in unopposed.

  Jolly, leading Apollo's strike force in his absence, marveled at how easy it all seemed. It was the first time that they had caught the Cylons on their own turf, the first time they outnumbered them. His enthusiasm was short lived, however, as several new Cylon fighter squadrons appeared, diving down on them. He didn't even have time to speculate as to where they had come from. Suddenly they had a fight on their hands.

  Before the Cylon ground base commander had died, he had managed to send a distress call to the commander of Imperious Leader's flagship. Although the flagship commander would have loved to engage the Galactica, he didn't dare. His first responsibility was to Imperious Leader. The supreme Cylon had to be protected at all costs. He kept his ship out of sight of the Galactica behind Gomoray, blocked off from Adama's scanners and he sent in his fighters squadrons. They would engage the Vipers, but their primary mission was to rescue Imperious Leader and return him to his flagship. Once Imperious Leader was safely aboard, then they would be able to dispose of the invading humans. The flagship commander's greatest fear at that moment was that Imperious Leader could be killed in the attack
. He could not afford to take any chances. He had to pull Imperious Leader out of there, no matter how many fighters it would cost him.

  Baltar was anxious to take another crack at Adama's fleet. He had conquered his earlier fears concerning the two battlestars. After all, he had three base ships at his command. They had turned him back the first time only because he had been taken by surprise. This time there would be no surprises. And if things went wrong, he would send for help from the ground base on Gomoray. Not even two battlestars would be able to survive such a concerted attack. He summoned Lucifer.

  "Are our ships ready to launch the final assault against the Galactica and her sister ship?"

  "There is a problem," Lucifer said.

  "I don't want to hear about any problems," Baltar snapped. "We have them where we want them. Now launch our fighters!"

  "But they aren't where we want them," Lucifer replied.

  "What do you mean, they aren't where we want them? Speak up!"

  "They are at this moment over Gomoray," said Lucifer.

  "What?"

  "Reducing the ground base to slag, if the reports coming in are accurate."

  "They cannot attack Gomoray," said Baltar in a disbelieving tone. "They are themselves on the verge of extinction."

  "I know that," said Lucifer, "and you know it, but they don't seem to understand the situation. And the news is worse."

  "Worse? How can it be worse?"

  "An envoy had arrived at the ground base moments prior to the raid. He—"

  "What do I care about an envoy? I have my own mission to carry out. The fact that Gomoray is being attacked is perfect. It means the Colonial Fleet is unprotected. Launch our force at once."

  Lucifer did not move.

  "Did you hear me? I said destroy the fleet!"

  "The special envoy to Gomoray was accompanied by our Imperious Leader," said Lucifer.

  "Imperious Leader is on Gomoray?"

  "I wonder what he'll think when he finds that the base on which he is standing is being destroyed by two ships you had within your grasp only centons ago . . ."

  "This is unbelievable," said Baltar.

  "We cannot reach the Gomoray ground base," Lucifer continued. "It can only be assumed that the humans have destroyed the control center and effectively neutralized their ground defenses. I have been in communication with the commander of Imperious Leader's flagship. He has sent in his fighter squadrons to rescue Imperious Leader. We must rush to assist in the defense."

  "Yes, of course," said Baltar. "Send everything we have to destroy those two battlestars and let not a single ship return until that is accomplished."

  "If you succeed, Baltar, you will be greeted on Gomoray as the greatest military leader in Cylon history."

  "Thank you."

  "That is, if there is still a Gomoray."

  "Go . . . go . . . go!"

  "The launch order has already been given," said Lucifer. He silently glided out of the chamber.

  It could still work, thought Baltar. What had at first seemed to be a disaster could prove to be the answer to all his prayers. If he could succeed in rescuing Imperious Leader, then his place in the Cylon hierarchy would be assured. Between his three base ships and the Imperious Leader's flagship, they could pulverize the two battlestars. And then wipe out the undefended fleet at their leisure.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Adama waited tensely for word from Jolly. The Viper pilot had reported that they had caught the Cylons on the ground and that most of their fighter craft had been destroyed. Knowing that he had no time to waste, Adama had sent down the tankers to get the fuel that they so badly needed from the Cylon depot. It had been necessary to drain almost every ship in the rag-tag fleet in order to enable them to have enough fuel to bring off the attack. If Baltar's base ships were to come upon them now, they would be finished. Adama had received the favorable report from Jolly and, trusting the ground mission to secure the fuel depot, he had sent the tankers down. Only now Jolly reported that a fresh squadron of Cylon fighters had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. He had just broken contact after reporting that yet another squadron had arrived to oppose them. Either Cain's intelligence was wrong and the ground base on Gomoray had fighters kept in reserve in another location, or Baltar's task force had come upon them. If it was Baltar, then all was lost.

  "Jolly coming in on the scramble circuit," said Athena. She patched it through to the main screens. Jolly's face appeared above them. There was strain and confusion in his expression.

  "I don't understand it," he said. "They're engaging us, but it's little more than a token effort. Some of their fighters have landed outside the Grand Hall and the rest of them are flying patterns above it, attacking anyone who gets near them. But they're not giving pursuit."

  Adama frowned. "Say again?"

  "They're not coming after us, sir! Their main intent seems to be to keep our fighters away from the area around the main building. But that makes no sense. We've already knocked out their control center, the ground team took care of that. I can see where they blew out a whole side of the building."

  "Jolly," said Adama, leaning forward and staring intently at the monitor screen, "do you think they could possibly manage to effect repairs on the control center and get their missile batteries operational?"

  "No way, Commander. Apollo's team took it out but good. They couldn't possibly repair the control center in time to do them any good."

  Adama frowned. "There must be something or someone in there that they're very anxious to protect. Unfortunately, with Baltar's base ships in the vicinity, I haven't got the time to find out what or who that is. We need the fuel. Harass them, Jolly. If they want to protect the headquarters building, make them work for it. I need that fuel depot secure and free from fire. If those tankers get hit, it will be the end for us."

  "We'll keep 'em busy, sir."

  Jolly broke contact.

  Apollo's ground team had secured the fuel depot, and the tankers landed, accompanied by shuttles carrying troops. They set up a perimeter around the fuel depot to protect the loading crews. Apollo headed for one of the shuttles.

  "I'm going back up," he said. "Starbuck, you're in charge."

  "Me? What are you going to be doing?"

  "They don't need trained pilots to load fuel," Apollo said. "We've got three base ships coming our way."

  "How about a second volunteer to go back up there?" Sheba said.

  "Make that three," said Boomer.

  Apollo quickly assessed the situation. "The troops do seem to have things under control here."

  "If you think I'm going to stay down here while you guys are taking on those base ships," Starbuck said, "you're crazy. Let's go."

  They boarded one of the shuttles, carrying Bojay with them. The shock was wearing off and he was in even greater pain now. Starbuck took the controls and the shuttle became airborne. Keeping a sharp eye out for Cylon fighters, Starbuck headed into space.

  "Wait," said Apollo, moving up to watch the screens. "That's not the Galactica we're heading for. That's the Pegasus."

  Starbuck nodded, "Orders."

  "Orders from whom?"

  "From me," said Cassiopeia. "It's a medical emergency, Captain. Bojay is in dire need of attention and the Pegasus is the closest ship."

  "We're cleared to land," said Starbuck. "Do I go in?"

  Bojay groaned. His face was white and he was bathed in sweat. His teeth were clamped together as he fought the pain.

  "Better get in fast," said Boomer.

  Apollo nodded. "The Pegasus it is."

  "Long-range scanners are picking up an unbelievable number of enemy craft heading our way," said Tolen.

  "Prepare coordinates to intercept," Cain replied.

  "You mean to attack and lead them off? Hit and run, just like the old days . . ."

  "No, I mean intercept," said Cain. "I mean go right through them."

  "Through them?"

  "Tolen, how long do you think
we'd last against a fleet three times our size?"

  Tolen shook his head.

  "Come on, man, think."

  "I thought the whole point was to hit them a glancing blow, then run for it," said Tolen. "See if we could get them to follow us until Adama's forces were clear."

  "What would you do, Tolen, if you were a self-centered lunatic like Baltar and all of a sudden there was a crisis? Would you continue after Adama? Would you still try to save Gomoray?"

  "No," said Tolen slowly, beginning to comprehend. "I'd try to save myself."

  "That's right," said Cain. "So we're going straight through his attack force and right for his base ships."

  "And when Baltar figures out that it's his hide you're after, he'll recall all of his forces to protect him. Only it will be too late," said Apollo. He had come upon the bridge in time to hear Cain revealing his strategy to his exec. "It's a brilliant plan," he said. "If it works."

  "My plans always work," said Cain. "May I ask what you're doing on the Pegasus? I thought you were still down on Gomoray."

  "We came in on that last shuttle," said Apollo. "The troops have the fuel depot under wraps and our job was done. Besides, your battlestar was the closest we could return to. We had a wounded warrior—"

  "Who?" snapped Cain.

  "Bojay. Your daughter and Cassiopeia are both fine. And Bojay's going to be all right, but he's out of this fight."

  "Sheba was on that mission with you?"

  "She said you ordered it."

  "She told you that?"

  Apollo permitted himself a smile. "She decided to show a little initiative. Like father, like daughter?"

  "I guess you could say that," said Cain. "In any case, you did well. They didn't get a ship off the ground and we didn't lose anyone."

  "That's not quite true," said Apollo. "We didn't lose anyone and we did nail most of their fighters on the ground, but they had ships in reserve somewhere, in another location. Jolly is taking on several squadrons right now, but with the combined forces from the two battlestars, he's got them contained and kept away from the fuel depot. Loading is under way."