Blogs

Above the Colonial Fleet Shipyards, Leonis.

“Action Stations!, Action Stations! Set Condition One throughout the Ship!! All Pilots to your craft this is not a drill I repeat this is not a drill!!!”

The alarm and klaxon surprised Lt. Jg Jeff Phillips. Getting out of his bunk and quickly getting into his flight suit. He looks to his roommate and friend Ensign Eric Chronister. “Is everything ready to go with the Labrys, Storm?”

“Sure thing, Gambit everything is locked down tight, do not worry I will help get the kids into the planes.” replies Eric referring to him by his callsign.

“Make sure Ogre does not jump the gun while I go and get the brief from the CAG.” Gambit said as he head to the Ready Room.

Running as fast he can down the deck corridors of the Battlestar Raven the flagship of the Colonial Fleet. Gambit turns to the Ready Room where the rest of the Squadron Leaders were also running in.

Standing at the podium stood the CAG, that would be the Commander of the Air Group. Captain Keith Ranson known as “Leonidas” stood grim. Gambit had never seen the CAG look this way he was always kind of a hard ass as most commanders are but this time he looked like he had seen a ghost. This did not feel good. As Gambit sat in his seat noted by the seal of the squadron that he leads the Minotaur, Fellow Squadron Leader Lt. Jg. Roger “Reamer” Barstow of the Flying Tigers noted “Have a clue what is going on?” as he sat down.

“Not a clue but the CAG has never looked this way.” Replied Gambit. As the rest of the Squadron Leaders settled down the Commander of the Air Group cleared his throat and spoke the following.

After Reading The Report Of Ens. Quinn And Examining The Images He Recorded On a Covert Mission On a Possible Cylon Fleet Stalking Us, I felt It Necessary To Do a Follow-Up Recon Using The Second Blackbird, Supported By Two Raptors. We launched from the Raven, Then Jumped to an Intermediate Point Just Beyond DRADIS Range.

I Ordered The Two Raptors To hold position While I Jumped Ahead To The Last Plot Of the Cylon Fleet. I Managed To get Within Five kilometers Of The Cylon Fleet,Which Then Consisted Of a Resurrection Ship, Two Basestars, And About Two Detached Squadrons Of Raiders. To My Knowledge,They Did Not Detect My Ship. I attempted to Record More details Of The Fleet,But was Unable To Due to a Camera Malfunction. However, I Can Confirm That There Is Indeed A Enemy Fleet Stalking Us, Which Ties in With The Recent Probing Activity, And Also the Suspicious Activity On The Raven.

It Is My Judgement That this Threat be Eliminated As Soon as Possible. Therefore,Recommend, as A Primary Plan, Co-Ordination With TWO Other Battlestars Due To the Possibility Of encountering Up To FOUR Enemy Basestars, In a Strike To Eliminate the Cylon Fleet Stalking Us.

Oh Frak, this is for real. No more playing tag with other pilots from the other Battlestars, this is the real deal. The Cylons are back. Wow this is very heavy. This time this is for real. Gambit thinks on the fact that while the recruiting is still going strong that I still do not have a full complement of pilots for this kind of operation. We will make due but boy howdy this is going to have a strain on their skills.

Gambit’s thoughts on the matter were shattered when CAG called out attention and wished the leaders good luck and good hunting.

Running down to the flight deck, Gambit takes stock of the pilots that are preparing their fighters. Eric, Shane “Ogre” Coble who is also his assistant Squadron Leader. Then there is Cherie “Dunrite” Leach who is in a new and shiny Mark VII Viper, Laura “Machine” Morris, Don “Dice” Orser, Tifany “StarCat” Oslin, and the nugget Ensign Elizabeth Nicholson. A lot of new faces, and not a lot of combat experience. Even Gambit himself does not have true combat experience, despite his senior pilot status. Taking the time to brief his pilots of what is going on a lot of white but steeled faces. No one responded in the negative when asked are “you all ready for this?”.

Gambit moves over to his Viper Mark III and takes a look at the new modifications that Storm and the Chief of the Deck have put on all of the Minotaurs Vipers. Now being nicknamed the Labrys, these Vipers are currently featuring an ominous looking mini-rotary cannon sticking just a bit outside of the nose assembly this cannon along with some modifications to the reaction thrusters to be more powerful and stable for this armored fighter to be a lethal weapons platform. Seeing all of that time and the hard work putting this design together, and the discussions with the CAG and the Commander of the Raven to get the permission to make these modifications brings a smile to Gambit’s face as he gets into the cockpit of his fighter.  

“All Vipers are cleared to launch, All Vipers are cleared to launch!!”

The Minotaur’s Vipers slide into the launch tubes and are shot out of the Battlestar in quick succession. Gambit keys the comm link to check to see if all of his Vipers made it out the Battlestar. “All Minotaurs check in, by the numbers please”

“Two here, Lead” says the Ogre.

“Three here, Lead” replies StarCat

“Four here as well” acknowledges Machine

“Five here Gambit” calls out Dice

“Six here Sir” the Nugget Nicholson replies

“Seven away Sir” calls out Storm.

"Eight out in front Lead" calls out Dunrite.

“Alright Minotaurs lets show these toasters exactly how we fight. Form up on me and lets take the fight to the cylons.”

Various sounds of “Roger” come thru from the entire squadron.

A full squadron of Cylon Raiders jump in from hyperspace and begin to fire their guns all aimed at any and all of the Minotaurs Vipers.  the Vipers break into their pairs of wingmen save for Dunrite as she breaks off with Machine and StarCat. Weaving and sliding around the combat zone the Vipers and their pilots calmly and cooly try to get behind the Raiders and hope to destroy the Cylon threat.

“Splash one Lead!!!” Cries out StarCat as an explosion flashes off the Starboard viewport of Gambit’s Viper.

“Make that two Lead” calls out Machine who takes out a second Raider with the wing cannons.

“Keep it up guys” replies Gambit.

“HEAVY RAIDER OH FRAK IT IS A HEAVY RAIDER!!!” screams out the nugget Nicholson.

“Keep calm Nugget, I am on the way” Gambit replies. “Alright Ogre, watch my six and keep the forward gun trained we are going to prove that this thing works.”

“Roger that Gambit on your six” Replies Ogre.

Gambit Slides in and puts a run on the Heavy Raider getting on his backside or six as it is said in pilot speak. Gambit cooley reaches over and flick the switch and internally hears the miniguns rotor start to hum. Then with a intake of a deep breath and exhale he pulls the trigger.....

In a flash of fire and bullets the minigun roars to life immediately punching holes into the back of the Heavy Raider unlike when the wing cannons of the Viper fire the rate of fire from the minigun is compared to a complete stream of bullets....in less than a second the Heavy Raider explodes as the stream punches through the other side. Gambit goes through the explosion and starts to breathe normally again. “Wow that was intense” he thought.

“Whoo Hoo Nice shooting LT!!!” calls out Dice.

“Lead transmission coming in from the Tigers asking for reports...” crackles Storm

“You should tell those Tigers that the Minotaur are still going and the toaster are in the maze and will return soon blowing the toasters to all Hades”

“Cool it Two we do not boast our accomplishments we just do our job.”

“Roger that Lead” replies Ogre.

“Watch your ass out there Storm looks like you have two on your tail” Ogre cries.

“Roger that Two someone get them off my ass please.”  Shortly after that transmission two explosions take place as two Vipers swoop in from different directions.

“Thanks Dunrite, Thanks Dice that was a little close”

“Got your back winger” calls out Dice.

Ogre flips his Viper in a one hundred and eighty degree turn to get into a firing line on a normal Raider and splashes the Cylon into space dust. At the same time the Nugget Nicholson lines up and allows Storm to take out a single Raider as well.

“They are bugging out Lead I just lost a solution when he jumped away!” Cried out the Nugget.

****ATTENTION TO ORDERS***

Actual has ordered recall!! Bring em back home CAG! The ship remains at Level 1. Prepare to jump to battlestargalactica.com for further action. Good work everyone!

XO out.

“Okay keyup a response and lets go home gang.” calls out Gambit. “Good work everyone.”

“Remember Combat Landings and do not dare come in too hot or spend a week in the galley”