{"id":9964,"date":"2025-05-02T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/?p=9964"},"modified":"2025-05-04T11:16:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T11:16:39","slug":"book-4-chapter-15-highway-to-helios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/?p=9964","title":{"rendered":"Book 4 Chapter 15 “Highway to Helios”"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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New chapter format….<\/p>\n

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\u201cCommander,\u201d the officer of the deck reported. \u201cWe have verified the jump coordinates with the flagship. We have been ordered to sync our systems and jump.\u201d
\u201cAll birds in the tubes. Prepare for a combat jump. We will launch on the other side.\u201d
\u201cWe are synced commander. Countdown is in six seconds.\u201d
\u2014—-
\u201cWhat the frak is that commander?\u201d
\u201cIt’s a comms array with FTL burst communications.\u201d answered the commander.
\u201cIt looks like a giant can opener!\u201d
\u2014—
03:29
\u201cContacts! One heavy about a dozen unidentified ships. There is a lot of jamming going on in there.\u201d
\u201cAny orders from the flagship?\u201d
\u201cWe have been ordered to launch all vipers.\u201d
\u201cAir wing. Go mission. Launch all birds.\u201d
\u201cWe have inbound vampires.\u201d
\u201cStandby to turn and fire up our flak.\u201d
\u2014———————–
5:05
\u201cRaptors are maintaining a forward missile shield commander. Cylons are running.\u201d
\u201cSignal the flag ship we are increasing\u00a0 to flank speed.\u201d
\u201cYes Sir!\u201d

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\u201cCommander\u2019s log: Commander Indirah Modi recording.\u201d
\u201cNow that we know New Helios has survived the forty years we spent trapped in a gravity well, we have made contact with two patrol ships. With the updated FTL technology, we have managed to capture a Cylon Tylium refinery.\u201d
\u201cIt is like taking a road trip back on Picon, except we bring the gas station with us. The mechanical Cylon\u2019s apparently without a short term purpose, have built a vast network across the galaxy.\u201d
\u201cOur ammunition bunkers are full. Extra ammunition is being stored on the Celestra. The Mercury has begun manufacture of replacement armor. If we could evade the Cylon forces long enough to do some mining, we could make some progress with the extensive battle damage.\u201d
\u201cThe decision to head back for New Helios is very risky. For forty years, the Cylons have not found this well hidden system group with 4\u00a0 habitable planets. Now we are leading them there. I don\u2019t know if the issue has even been discussed.\u201d
\u201cThis Captain James Scott seems so self assured. With the ability to take very long FTL jumps, while using fuel more efficiently, Captain Scott seems to think we have no possibility of failure.\u201d
\u201cI certainly do not want to rush off into the darkness, leaving behind the only civilization I know.\u201d
\u201cThe question I keep asking myself is what if that is the right thing to do?\u2019
13:42
\u201cForward and topside guns switch to salvo mode!\u201d
\u201cYes Sir commander.\u201d
20:14
\u201cMissile salvo ready sir!\u201d
\u201cFire the salvo!\u201d
\u201cFiring Sir!\u201d
24:04
\u201cCommander, the area is clear. We have been ordered to jump to the next waypoint\u201d
\u201cTriple check the coordinates. Anything come up like debris from the Saturn or one of her birds?\u201d
\u201cSir, we still have errors in the air wing inventory flying off this battlestar. I don\u2019t believe we have reliable information on any other ships.\u201d
\u201cWell if we encounter one of their birds, the IFF had better work. Make it a priority. Begin jump prep and countdown..\u201d
\u201cThis is the Admiral. We have captured new navigational data. We will be attempting to hide and make some repairs. Stand by for jump coordinates.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cCommander Modi, raptor 559 is on wireless. They have just picked up a Colonial transponder.\u201d
\u201cAuthorize them for a combat landing. Continue jump count. This is Solaira Actual. Raptor five five niner what do you have?\u201d
\u201cIts a Colonial transponder Sir. It was probably from a destroyed bird. No doubt about it\u00a0 sir, its raptor niner six one from the battlestar Saturn.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cThis is the commander air group Solaria. They\u2019re swarming.They’re all over us!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReady PPC for flak mode. This is Solaria Actual. Lead them in just like a training exercise. Pull back hard on the stick at the last second. Then we will snap the trap shut on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye skipper.Come on toaster follow me!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

38:29<\/p>\n

CIC Solaria<\/p>\n

\u201cCommander, taking light fire in the bow, toaster gunship has us ranged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDefensive posture. When we get a firing solution we can hit them with full offensive setting er um posture!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye commander. Posture to defensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

39:18<\/p>\n

\u201cGood shooting gun crews, Helm hard to port. Gun batteries in seeker mode.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cCommander, both battlestars are taking heavy fire!\u201d
\u201cHelm, stand by turn to port. Maintain formation with Mercury.\u201d
45:48
\u201cCylons are gone sir. Launching SAR birds. Medical bay, prepare for casualties.\u201d
\u201cSet ship to condition two. This is Solaria Actual to Mercury Actual. Board is clear of toasters. Requesting permission to drag in the wrecked Vipers. We need all the parts we can get.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Full Chapter video<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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New chapter format…. \u201cCommander,\u201d the officer of the deck reported. \u201cWe have verified the jump coordinates with the flagship. We have been ordered to sync our systems and jump.\u201d\u201cAll birds in the tubes. Prepare for a combat jump. We will launch on the other side.\u201d\u201cWe are synced commander. Countdown is in six seconds.\u201d\u2014—-\u201cWhat the frak […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001880,"featured_media":1979,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[259],"tags":[264],"class_list":["post-9964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prophecy","tag-prophecy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1001880"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9964"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10333,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9964\/revisions\/10333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/battlestarmercury.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}