Part 2: Battlestar Galactica, Dawn: Collision

Chapter 11

XI

Finally, after a sixteen-day hiatus, the Cylons jumped back to Earth. Both Admirals knew they wouldn't be back until they had purged Gaius Baltar's virus from their systems, and that had taken some monumental doing, they both concluded. But they were back, and the Admirals knew that they were back and that they were seriously pissed.

The two Admirals were right. It had taken a full eight days to figure out the extent of the virus, and another three to figure out how they might eradicate the damn thing. It took two to wipe their systems clean and restart them, and two more days to test their systems to make sure no trace of the virus was left.

They had found Bulldog's Raider. Every Cylon Raider had the equivalent of a serial number, where it could be identified. So they knew someone had flown it there. No one had ever been found. Whoever it was would remain a mystery. Cavil knew that wasn't a concern now. They had a war to fight, and they were determined to pay the humans back for their arrogance.

Admiral Galen Tyrol had barely slept in the last month. He was frantically trying to get the ship that for now was called Victory ready to go. She had been camouflaged in the plains of Southeastern Spain so that the Cylons couldn't identify a Battlestar under construction. He was pushing his people as hard as humanly possible. Or maybe I should say as Cylonly as possible, he thought sardonically. They had tripled the workforce when ordered to have Victory ready with all haste. They were making great progress. But they were still at least a week away.

And the Cylons had returned, and he knew they'd return with a vengeance.

Admiral Hoshi was pushing the Victory crew just as hard. They were running battle drills on the ship, even as workers were still finishing up the last of her innards. The jocks were in the sim as much as possible. It wasn't the same as actual live training but it would have to do. They had no choice.

He and Hoshi had dinner the night after the Cylons returned. As far as the Cylons could see there was nothing of interest here in Southeast Spain, so they ate without much worry. Their conversation, however, was full of worry.

"Hoshi, I'm trying to cut even a day or two off the estimate. Gods strike me down if I'm not. I just can't see where it can be done."

"I know, Galen, but is there anything that we can skip, that maybe isn't necessary until after the Cylons are destroyed? What about officers quarters? Or ceiling panels that haven't been put up? Can we shave a day or two with that."

"Hmm", Tyrol thought. He always liked to do a thorough job and hated to leave any loose ends, but it wasn't time for being pretty. "The last thing that would be completed would be the cosmetics, like painting the quarters, the ceiling panels and the like. None of that can be completed until the innards are in, and we're pretty close to that."

"How much time would that cut?" Hoshi was as intent as he ever had been.

"Not one hundred percent sure, Louis, but maybe two days?" He did some calculating in his Cylon brain. "Yeah, about two days. If we don't have to put in all the cosmetics, that should be right. As for how many days that means would be left?" He intently did the math in his head. "Louis, I think I could have her ready in five days, max."

"Then let's do it, Admiral." Hoshi stood up. "You need to speak to your foremen and I need to send a scrambled message to UED. Five days?"

"Yes, Admiral Hoshi, I believe I can have her ready with those parameters in five days."

"Let's get moving, Galen. It's almost time to dance." They both saluted and went off in different directions.

We need to hold them off for four more days, Godsdammit! William Adama was sure Pegasus would survive the onslaught but that Galactica couldn't take the beating. Lee had tried as much as possible to put himself between the four Baseships and Galactica. He knew he couldn't completely protect the Old Girl, but if he could make the Cylons dance for four more days...