Battlestar Mercury Book 3: “Logistics” Chapter 43: “Operation Magic Trick: The Understudy”

Commanders Log, Maria Ramirez reporting. With the Battlestar Mercury and Admiral Eva Lawson missing, intelligence has located a Cylon staging ground. As per my orders, I have assembled and will lead a strike force.

CIC Saturn: “Jump complete. 10 contacts on DRADIS. 4 large ships base stars, several smaller ships launching raiders. Air wing is launching and forming a perimeter. All ships report condition one.”

Execute fleet turn to starboard. Commander Modi, take tactical command. Execute the battle plan,” Commander Ramirez ordered.

“Acknowledged, this is Commander Modi. All vipers in position for air defense. Stand by for orders to attack Cylon raiders. The tactical plan is to bring the modern raiders into a flak trap and kill zone in the point defense sweet spot of the three large battlestars. All planes and warships, good hunting.”

“All ships executing battle turn to starboard. Point defense cannons ready to fire.”

“Deploy PCM. Port side engagement zones, weapons free!” Ordered Commander Modi.

“Vampire Vampire Vampire, 300 missiles inbound.”

“Missile strike! Athena! Port flight pod.”

“This is Commander Modi. All flak full defensive posture, port side. Now!”

“Athena engineering reports medium armor damage port pod.”

“Damage control teams to the port flight pod.”

“This is Solaria Actual. Air wing hold position.”

“Pony! Commander Air Group. Holding order acknowledged.”

“Vampire Vampire Vampire 300 more missiles CBDR.”

“Athena port pod taking heavy fire!”

“Gunship charging the fleet! Two of the heading for Mercury class.”

“Focus fire on the gunships,” ordered Commander Modi.

“This is the tactical commander. Vipers engage the enemy. Assault raptors move to paint position one.” ordered Commander Modi.

“Woo got one. Eww big red splotch. That’s just disgusting.”

“300 hundred more heavy missiles inbound.”

“4 more Cylon base stars jumping in launching raiders.”

“Squeaky, in trouble. The raiders are all over me.”

“Squeaky. Hotpot here. Break right! Now! Now!”

“Green squadron, the raiders are going for the Orions. Take them down now!”

“Athena taking fire!”

“Commander Modi, Athena has heavy armor damage to port pod, they request an armor conservation turn to port.”

“Deploy PCM. Crash turn to port all high warships.” ordered Commander Modi.

“This is Pony. Press it home. Their air wing is collapsing.”

“Saturn is taking a salvo starboard flight pod.”

“All large warships report flack, starboard, active!”

“Engaging new toasters! Squeaky two on your tail, break left!”

“Pony! Commander Air Group. Green squadron. Break off the toasters and provide CAP to the two Orion’s”

“300 heavy missiles inbound. Targeting the Athena.”

“Flack is up! Flack is up don’t worry about us!”

“Orions’ fire full salvos at the nearest base star. Increase altitude to lock on light guns.”

“Phobos inbound coming in at high speed. He is trying to hack into our network.”

“This is Commander Modi. All starboard guns, lock onto that Phobos. Smoke it!”

“This is the Orion squadron. Credit us 1 KIA base star. We are moving at flank speed to run down the next one.”

“Pony to Orion squadron commander. You are a disgusting pig. The three heavy battlestars put in a couple of salvos before you. Selfish. Selfish.”

“Saturn is taking some hits during the turn due to gaps in the flack field.”

“This is the commander. Flank speed. Close on the base stars until we get them into gun range. Report a firing solution and then go to salvo mode.”

“Vampire, vampire, two hundred plus heavy ordinance coming in.”

“Continue the turn,” ordered Commander Modi.

“Vipers moving to intercept!”

“Squeaky, just got a bunch of missiles.”

“Pony to Squeaky shut the frack up and keep shooting.”

“This is Solaria actual. All ships change posture to offensive and prepare to attack, remaining Cylon forces.”

“All main force ships, this is Commander Modi. Execute starboard battle turn and go to flank speed. We need to take out those base stars before they spool up, jump and bring the entire Cylon fleet down on us.”

“Mercury class, fire missile salvo at the closest base star. Weapons free!”

This is Commander Ramirez. Launch a full salvo at the remaining base stars.

“Athena has a firing solution.”

“Saturn has a firing solution.”

“Solaria has a firing solution.”

This is the commander, all guns salvo mode. Weapons free. Best possible firing rate.” ordered Commander Maria Ramirez.

“Assault raptors, firing on target.”

“This is Pony to assault raptors, break right after you fire, the big girls are getting another salvo together.”

“This is assault raptor 894. Did you see that base star blow up? Wow!”

“Another salvo slammed into the next base star! This is toaster revenge.”

“Pony to all players. This is not a sight seeing trip. Keep the channels clear for urgent communications. Like Pocket. Break right, you got a modern raider on your tail!”

“Wha?”

“Boom Boom! Base stars are blowing up like firecrackers in a barbeque.”

“Horse. Shut the frack up. We have a half dozen ejected pilots and Search and Rescue are having trouble with comms. This is the commander air group. Pony. I want communication discipline and I don’t want to ask again.”

“Orion squadron, firing  salvo!”

“This is assault raptor squadron two. We are painting the target, Let them have it.”

“Copy that!”

“Orion squadron firing the next salvo.”

“This is Commander Modi. We have a firing solution and are switching to salvo mode!”

“We are hitting the last group of base stars.”

“This is the tactical commander. Set up a C A P. Launch S A R birds. WE want to pick up all ejected pilots and jump in 20 minutes. I see all ship green ready to jump. This was a fleet assembly area for the Cylons. Let’s move!”

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