Chapter 1: Between the two Cylon Wars: A meeting a few months after the armistice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aboard the Battlestar Galactica in Admiral Silas Nash meeting with his XO a year after the end of the first Cylon war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell Colonel,\u201d Nash leaned back in his office chair. \u201cWhat do you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Colonel Washington, a dark skinned, woman with only a few flecks of gray in her tight military hairstyle sighed. \u201cIt’s not good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sat in the chair opposite of her longtime commanders desk, leaned forward and laid a top secret folder on the desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Admiral Nash, whose hairline had receded rapidly during the long war, leaned forward and took the folder. He flipped through it. His brow furrowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe three surviving Jupiter 2 Battlestars are fully funded. I see they are giving you the Atlantia. Congratulations Commander.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington moved stiffly. \u201cThat was a bone to get your cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo talk like that Julia,\u201d Nash gestured. \u201cIf they had given you Columbia she would not have been lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLook at the cuts,\u201d Washington urged. \u201cAll forty seven Artemis class. 33 Minerva class. Half of our Valkyries, that will leave us with just 30,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich we will modernize and turn into a strike force.\u201d Nash was always the fateful optimist. \u201c Three Jupiter mk3’s are funded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose will take 12 years to build and are still using the same frame with all its defects of the original Jupiter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrue,\u201d Nash nodded agreement. \u201cIn five years we will start the new program to take the best of the Minerva technology and combine it with whats right about the Jupiter and the Mercury project will begin. In twenty years we will have a modern force of Mercury’s and Valkyries based on totally new technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Mark IV fighter program funding is cut 80% but its still in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe active reserve plan to keep the ships we are cutting now as ready reserve?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington frowned. \u201cTotally cut. The quorum vote was veto proof. 9 to 3.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs there money to scrap the ships?\u201d Nash flipped through the folder hopeful look on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey cut 90%\u201d the Colonel answered. \u201cThey did give me the Atlantia but they decided in peacetime Colonel was good enough to command a Battlestar group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFuel and training was cut 50%\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBanzai!\u201d Nash said. \u201cWe have 30% more than we need. We will watch the border and train up as best we can. This is a win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe did manage to hide Adama from from the pilot cuts,\u201d Washington concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ten years later at Picon fleet headquarters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Admiral Washington stood stiffly at the podium. \u201cThe Colonial fleet without Admiral Nash at its head will be less than it was. However the inspiration of his leadership will inspire us to train even harder. Hopefully when he is elected to the Caprica Quorum seat, he will educate his peers on what resources it requires to be ready for the Ongoing Cylon threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nash nearly bald, saluted, both officers were grayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They stood together in a quiet corner after the ceremony, drinking wine next to a tropical plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow many ships in the reserve fleet?\u201d He asked quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNearly 180,\u201d Washington whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTime to dismantle them at current funding levels?\u201d Nash gave a wry grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeventy six years give or take six months. I have managed to slip funding into the budget for six marine training bases to keep pirates from stripping them clean. The guns and FTL drives alone are with billions of cubits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank the Gods for corrupt contractors who don’t want to hire the workers needed to do the job!\u201d Nash smiled again. \u201cI will get you the money for the Mercury program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey laid off Major Adama,\u201d Washington added with a grave countenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe new sensor technology will get us the ability to eaves drop on the toasters,\u201d Nash added quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo far,\u201d Admiral Washington said, \u201cthey have kept the armistice with machine like efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA pity they have not decided to test their new technology,\u201d Nash said. \u201cThat might really wake up the Quorum and the peoples council.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Admiral Washington nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twenty years into the Armistice<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Admiral Washington’s hair was snow white. Her hand shook with age. She took her hand written letter to her successor, folded it and sealed it in an envelope. It was labeled, \u201cCommander in Chief: Colonial Fleet\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One year after the fall of the Colonies in the second Cylon war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis came in from the former head of the Colonial fleet,\u201d Commander Ramirez gently placed the notebook on Lawson’s desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you read it?\u201d Lawson newly promoted to Admiral rubbed her tired eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI did not!\u201d Ramirez flashed an faux offended grin. \u201cIt’s labeled CINC: Colonial Fleet. I am merely a Battlestar commander praying for a demotion to her pre-war job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawson wrinkled her nose as she flipped through the notebook. \u201cLetters and good wishes from Fleet Admiral’s Nash, Washington, McCoy, Rogers and Nagumo. I am overcome with nostalgia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhats on the USB stick?\u201d Ramirez asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour job!\u201d Lawson playfully tossed the flash drive to her second in command, who caught it and connected it to a tablet computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A serious look overtook her as she fingered through the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Lawson stopped twirling her hair, suddenly focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIts a map of six graveyards where every Colonial Fleet vessel that were not destroyed were stored after decommission. We hit one of them after we caught the Cylons trying to spool things up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe other five were destroyed by the toasters on the day of the fall?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can’t say,\u201d Ramirez answered. \u201cAdmiral McCoy diverted some of the Mercury program money and relocated all but the ones we destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI’m sure the Cylons figured it out,\u201d Lawson concluded. \u201cHow many ships?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwenty-five Atlas, about 90 Valkyries, 25 Artemis, 20 Minerva class probably a hundred composed of Janus, Bezerk, Ranger,Minataur and Celestra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is enough ships to take this ill advised new Colonies on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike you advised the Peoples Council Admiral.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are the chances that these ships can still fly, have working FTL?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think if McCoy did the transfers that puts us 30 years closer to today when Nash and Washington started this little off the books project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am adding this to your portfolio Commander Ramirez,\u201d Admiral Lawson ordered. \u201cFind and verify this treasure trove.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ten days before the Cylon offensive<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need three thousand bodies to set these ships up with skeleton crews,\u201d Ramirez reported. \u201cI don’t know where I am going to get the Tylium.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood work,\u201d Admiral Lawson smiled wearily. \u201cI am declaring a special shore leave for 4000 Colonial Fleet personnel. Go get these ships ready for rescue operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes Sir,\u201d Ramirez saluted. \u201cAt the very least we can stop pouring resources into ship building and restore the Valkyries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawson nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five Days Before the Cylon Offensive<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commanders Conference<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commander Maria Ramirez stood ramrod straight, her uniform hanging loosely on her frame. The clicker for the slide show was in her right hand. It required all her concentration to not click nervously through the slide show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the event of an exodus from the new Colonies,\u201d she said clicking the next slide. \u201cWe attack aggressively to provide cover for the civilian evacuation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acropolis Actual, still wearing his Major rank pin raised his bony hand and asked a question. \u201cWhat percentage are we expected to evacuate? My briefing shows we have the capacity to save maybe 4 or 5 percent with civilian vessels, perhaps an equal number crammed into military ships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat depends on the success of Operation Bus Heist.\u201d Ramirez replied while the Admiral nodded. \u201cWhich relies on the laziness of the Virgon contractors who were hired to scrap the surplus warships from the first war. There are various theories, the most widely accepted by Professor James Bogomolny based on the spot price of various components during the first twenty years of the Cylon armistice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n