Part 5 Battlestar Galactica: Back To The Colonies: Homecomings

Chapter 1

I

General Kendrick Grayson hadn't seen Nick Bond's Raptor go down. The attack had taken place about twelve miles from the West foot of the Mountains, and the CAG had been below Grayson's horizon at that time. But it was all he could do at the moment to keep his Marines from scrambling up into the Mountain and killing anything in sight.

"This is General Grayson, let's cut this shit out, and get ready for business." He hadn't shown it outwardly, but he was not a happy man that his troops had damn near rioted like that. He would have to deal with that at another time. He liked their enthusiasm to immediately go after the CAG and his shipmates, but they needed to be reined in.

"We are expecting to be reinforced by a Division at the end of the day. The first transports are leaving orbit now, and are bringing more Marines and more arms. We don't need a whole division for a SAR, but upon their arrival, we will be sending two full brigades into the area where CAG is thought to have gone down. I want everyone to prepare camp within a kilometer of the slopes and hunker down while reinforcements arrive. For the moment, all SAR activities are being done via the air.

"You all know the drill for this. We do not go in until we have sufficient forces. Going up those hills in small groups is an invitation to get killed. I appreciate your willingness to go in like that; but I need everyone to use their fuckin' heads, not their balls out here. Grayson out."

"Very diplomatic, General", his Second-in-Command, Colonel Henrich Otter said evenly. A sixty-year-old German, he had served in the Wehrmacht and with U.N. forces before joining UED. Like most Germans in the military, he was usually tough and no-nonsense. He wasn't above tweaking his boss's nose, however. "And I thought you were upset?"

Despite the situation, the Commanding General laughed. It broke the tension for a moment.

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Commander Chase Carrico, XO of the Battlestar Laura Roslin was a busy man. He didn't have pandemonium in his CIC like Lee did, but people were on edge. The didn't like an attack on their people any more than the next person, but they were trying to focus on the job at hand, which was to get this part of the fleet, at least for the moment, to Canceron.

"Helm, new course 155 mark 291, all ahead half, advise all ships." He said calmly. He was a sturdy soul, and the burden of command had not gotten to him in the few times he had been put in charge.

"Aye, Sir, 155 mark 291 at one-half."

Just then Signals looked his way. "Commander, I have Admiral Baltar on the horn for you."

Carrico adjusted his headset and switched his computer screen to the phone application. "Send the Admiral through, Lieutenant."

Moments later, he heard the line click. "Admiral Baltar, this is the XO, how may I help you?"

"Chase I just received a communique from Lee. He's putting me, at least for the moment, as head of this half of The Fleet." Like any such news that was given to someone, she hoped he wasn't angry about it. He wasn't.

"I kind of expected that Admiral, to be honest", he said ruefully. "It was kind of strange giving orders to you and Admiral Tyrol, you know."

Caprica chuckled. "I know it was, Commander, but you handled it like a pro." She paused for a second. "As for now, I'm remaining on the King; the Adama is yours. Unless we're called over to Caprica under Condition One when Kara is still away, you're still in titular charge of The Fleet."

"I'm honored by your confidence in me, Admiral Baltar", Chase said, meaning every word of it.

"Don't sell yourself short, Chase, you're going to have your own ship someday. I have every faith in you to operate this half of The Fleet indefinitely. I just wanted to let you know what Lee told me and how I want to handle it for now."