By Phillip Wright
Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last
surviving Battlestar, Galactica. Leads a ragtag fugitive fleet, on a lonely quest. That
shining planet, known as... Earth.
PROLOGUE
"It has been many yarens
since we had fled far from Cylon territory, escaping the colonies with the lives we had,
heading for the only place that mankind could survive. Along the way we have gathered an
ally, the starship Voyager, lost within the far reaches of space trying to return home.
Their home the one we have struggled hard and searched long for, but now we have found it.
The planet... Earth. Along the way though, we have also made new enemies that much like the
the menace behind, they too were persistent in the total annhiliation of mankind. We are
close to Earth, but the Empire continues to follow." Adama, Commander of the last Battlestar
in existence and the only surviving member of the original Quorum of the Twelve, flicked the
recorder off with a single finger, placing the microphone down onto the table below as the
computer recorded his log entry, appending it with the rest ever since that first day that
they had left the devestation of the colonies behind. The large city in space, was currently
in orbit of a planet that contained the presence of the enemy. The Empire consisting of
groups of outcasts that had been exiled long ago from the colonies had returned to wreak
their vegenance along with their allies, the Dominion, they were more powerful than the
Cylons ever were. Adama slowly rose from his seat and walked slowly to the small window that
displayed a field of stars beyond, watching as the sleek starship Voyager along with three
of the Galactica's best pilots sped towards the planets atmopshere to eliminate the empire
threat below before they made their last, final jump to Earth.
CHAPTER 1
Captain Kathryn Janeway sat within her seat on the bridge of the
Voyager, her hand close to her chin as the starship that she had commanded for at least
seven years approached the atmosphere of the planet below. The wide spacious bridge was
darknened, blue lights flashed all around as the Voyager was in Blue alert, preparing to
enter the planets atmosphere. Which so far, the Intrepid class starship was the only one of
its size capable of this.
"Entering the upper atmosphere, Captain." Lieutenant Tom
Paris reported from the wide console of the helm station in front of the viewscreen. His
eagerness for flight was clearly recognized although early in his career was expelled from
Starfleet, joining the Maquis and then sent to a penal colony after being caught. Not a
prime example of Starfleet material, though he was one of the best pilots that Janeway had
ever known and was glad to see that he had gotten his life back on track, serving the ship
well.
"Warp Drive is now offline, all warp plasma has been vented." Ensign Kim now
gave his report on the ship's atmospheric insertion status from his station as Operations
officer. This had been his first posting straight from the academy and on his first mission
ended up being flung 75,000 light years from everything he had cared for. Family, Fiancee
and his life. For the last seven years he had worked valiantly to help bring the ship home
on its 75 year voyage across the galaxy and was now excited that they were so close to being
there.
"Gentleman, how are we doing out there?" Janeway spoke with a smile on her
lips over the comm. system that was linked to the three pilots in the fighters outside. She
waited for their response, a tiny giggle emitted from her mouth upon thinking of the
situation.
"Oh, we're quite dandy out here, Maam." The unserious tone of the Viper
pilot crackled over the comm. system reporting the status. The Vulcan, Tuvok looked up from
his console, as he continually ran sensor scans of the planets surface, searching for signs
of the enemy below.
"Captain, picking up EM signals from the planet below, they
appear to match Imperial frequencies." The dark Vulcan relayed the details of his findings
to his Captain.
-------
The small Colonial Vipers began to enter the
atmospshere below, the Voyager following close behind, heat raging off of the reflective
armor outside the cockpit.
"How are you doing there, Starbuck?" Apollo spoke into the
headset within his helmet, keeping his eyes on the view outside as well as his hands on the
joystick below.
"Like a Daggit on a sunspot, Apollo." Starbuck replied from the
Viper, a bare eight meters beside Apollo's. Complaining wittily in his usual manner and
tone, not thinking of the seriousness of the entire line of events outside.
"Look,
i'll shout you a bottle of Ambrosia when we get back to the Galactica." Apollo tried to
calm down his old friend as both Vipers now started to pass through the clouds.
"You
mean two bottles!" Starbuck remarked over the comm. system.
-------
"We've
cleared the upper atmosphere." Ensign Kim continued to provide new information towards his
Captain, taking his position very seriously, unlike one of the pilots from the Galactica
outside.
"Can you clear up the signal, identify how many targets are down there and
their location?" Janeway turned speaking directly to Tuvok, expecting all that she had said
from the Vulcan, who she had known for a long time and was her friend that she could trust
implicitly.
"There are three seperate signals moving slowly, their location is in a
canyon at 065,773."
"Thank you, Mr Tuvok. Mr. Paris, set a course for Tuvok's
coordinates, full impulse."
"065, 773 now on course, Captain." Paris responded
slowly, only requiring to press a few buttons until the order was carried
out.
"Captain Apollo to Voyager, i've got a few targets on my scanner, Eta about
thirty sectons." The comm. system crackled as the voice sounded throughout the large command
deck of the USS Voyager.
"Confirmed, Apollo, proceed and scout out ahead." Janeway
then moved closer to her first officer, Chakotay, who then stood up to respond to whatever
the Captain has to say.
"It would be better if we had a more detailed scan of the
area." Janeway spoke softly, loud enough for Chakotay to hear. She stood in place as the
Voyager cleared the cloud layer of the atmosphere and continued to descend toward the
surface of the planet.
Adama strolled into the large circular chamber, which was a
flurry of electronics, computers lining each wall of the bridge of the Battlestar Galactica.
Klaxons sounded and the bridge was illuminated in a deep red as crew scattered between their
stations. Adama stepped into the center where Colonel Tigh, Executive officer of the
Galacitca, stood overshadowing Omega, who worked at his console efficiently during the
alert.
"Commander, we have over ten unknown contacts closing in on us at Light
speed." Colonel Tigh informed Adama as he looked over at the scanner display that showed a
Tactical grid with the words.
CONDITION RED
Constantly blinking on
the screen as tens of triangular contacts closed in towards them.
"Contacts at eight
hundred parsecs and closing." One of the technicians in the lower section reported as Adama
studied the display for a few more seconds, before he gave one of the most importants that
would ensure the survival of them all.
--------------
The three Vipers sped
forward past the Voyager the blue flames of their engines burning brightly as they skimmed
slightly across the icy waters of the artic planet, heading towards the mouth of the canyon
ahead.
"Starbuck, you ready?" Apollo asked.
"I suppose so." Starbuck replied
back, a little unsure of the task ahead and more importantly of what was ahead, but he was
an experienced pilot and he could handle whatever it was. Lieutenant Starbuck had been
through those years, fought and destroyed Cylon fighter after Cylon fighter, even taking on
a Basestar in its destruction.
----------------
"Launch Fighters!" Adama
shouted, keeping his eye on the display as the contacts drew closer and closer to the
Galactica and the fleet that it had been protecting. Microns later, the deck shook under his
feet as he felt the power of the Colonial Vipers that launched from the Galactica's bays
and into space, swarming around the Galactica and the fleet in its defense.
