Battlestar Mercury Book 3 \u201cLogistics\u201d Chapter 42: \u201cSmoke & Mirrors\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commander Indira Modi walked into Athena’s CIC. \u201cWho is the task force commander?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou are Sir. Commander Evan’s wife went critical.\u201d The Executive officer, the LSO (Landing Signals Officer) handed over a printed command orders. \u201cThis is the list of ships and tactical orders. Flip side is the number and disposition of Cylon forces. The big ones are Cratus class, we call them bulldozers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was Saturn I saw here. Saturn actual is senior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNegative Sir. Commander Ramirez is down with sunspot virus Sir. You are task force 58 actual. Major King is now Solaria actual. He has been notified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCombat jump? First salvo & air wing launch?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAir wing launch in progress. Heavy battlestar salvo fired, looks like the three Rangers are lagging. Comms signal the Rangers to fire salvo one. Sir everything is going according to plan, we are executing a starboard turn in a standard flak left formation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere is the Admiral?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo idea Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCarry on Captain Leslie,\u201d ordered the commander. Modi flipped to page 3 of her orders, written meticulously by she assumed Commander Evans or Admiral Lawson. The handoff of the task force and the mission was quite odd, to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThree hundred plus mark 1 first war raiders inbound. CBDR. Flak is already picking them off on the edges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modi spoke softly not necessarily meaning to be audible. \u201cFirst war fighter craft, no modern raiders. Hmm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRadiological alarm. Nukes inbound from the back of the enemy fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaptain Leslie, order capital battlestar posture to defensive. Intensify the flak field. Gun ships and scout ship tighten the formation. Order the air wing to be ready to pounce, on our side of the flak barrier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlready ordered Sir. All ships checking in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have several squadrons of war driver jamming and hacking ships attempting to breach our network. Squadrons are tasked to take out this threat if the point defense cannons do not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The LSO, now XO was looking up at her specially configured monitor. In one window there were the battle plan steps. A square window on the lower right gave her DRADIS its operator able to concentrate on getting ID of the various ships. Captain Leslie had reconfigured the CIC to allow her to give status without adding to the heavy background noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFighters are engaging as per the battle plan Sir. These old first war fighters are outclassed by any fighter we fly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modi clicked on a button on her headset, making her voice live, flipping to the air wing channel. \u201cCommander Air Group, this is task force actual. Two hundred more raiders CBDR.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3:30<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFighters report heavy fire Sir, they have it under control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3:50<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRangers, you are doing a great job. Maintain firing rate.\u201d Leslie heard the acknowledgment in her headset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n