The armory was a mess. Blood was splattered everywhere, and the normally systematic layout of the different armaments had completely disappeared, as if there had never existed anything like it. There was equipment on the ground, the shelves had been tripped over and a bad stench had filled the air.

"Lords of Kobol, did a hurricane pass through here?" John's long time teammate asked. "No one knows Vlad. Whatever it was, it was crazy!" Suddenly Vladimir's foot stepped on something and a clicking noise was heard. "We've gotta get out. NOW!" John screamed from the top of his lungs. The two ran as fast as they could towards the exit. As the makeshift device exploded, the two men jumped out of the hatch together and landed on the metal floor on the other side of it.

"That was a hard landing. You alright Jack?" The Alarm klaxons could be heard and the lights in the corridor were flickering. Yet, John Harper was not experiencing any of it. It was as if he was in a trance. After repeatedly trying to get an answer from him and failing, Corporal Vladimir Skalinsky lifted up his friend and comrade-in-arms and started to carry him to sickbay.

———

As corporal Skalinsky reached sickbay with Harper in tow, the Heracles shook again.

"Doctor, I got a wounded, doctor I got a wounded!" He called out. Daniel walked over to his patient and started to examine him. "Did he hit his head?" He asked "I think so. We... we were in the aft armory when an explosive went off. We made it out but it seems like he hit his head after the jump."

To Vladimir'a horror, the Doctor slapped John's face. In an instant John was completely conscious again. "Nurse, get him a bed. He needs some rest. And I believe you should report to CIC. You can use my comms unit over there." Daniel pointed to his small working area.

———

"Commander, incoming communique from Sickbay." Reported the comms officer from his station. "Patch it through." Ordered the XO. Both him and the CO wore headsets.

"This is actual. Go ahead."

"This is corporal Skalinsky. There was an explosion in the aft armory caused by a makeshift explosive. Corporal Harper is recovering in sickbay."

"Do you know anything about the explosion after the first one?"

"Negative, sir. It could have been another explosive device."

"Those explosions caused a lot of damage. Corporal, secure your section and inform CIC in case you receive new intel." Came the order.

———

Back in CIC, the damage control panel was lit up like a Christmas tree. "Those two explosives blew clean through our aft sections! Engines 2 and 3 are out of commission until we reach a shipyard and the fuel lines to the rest have been extensively damaged. We're dead in the water." Reported the XO. The situation was dire. "We are receiving reports of violent decompressions from frame ten to twelve. What are your orders sir?"

"Seal off everything from frame 9 onwards and vent. Anyone in one of those frames will have a minute to evacuate on my mark." Kane took and activated a ship wide intercom. "This is the Commander. Seal off everything from frame 9 onwards on my mark. Everyone in the affected frames and sections has a minute to evacuate. Your minute begins in 3, 2, 1, MARK."

With that, the few crewmen that were in the affected sections evacuated and sealed everything off. With the turn of a key, the sealed off sections air was vented into space, extinguishing every fire.

"Commander, we're having an incoming transmission from the unknown vessel." Informed their comms officer. "Put them through."

"Hello Colonel Kane. I want my prisoner back."

"What prisoner?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. How about you tell me the truth, Kane. That explosion was visible all the way to Caprica."

"I do not know what you are talking about. We do not have a prisoner of yours on our ship."

"Wrong answer. Too bad." And with that, the caller hung up, leaving the sound of static to be heard on the phone.

Another explosion rocked the ship.

"Sitrep!" Demanded the commander.

"Main sensor-array has gone off-line. DRADIS and comms are out. Estimated activation of secondary arrays in 2 minutes."

Out in space, 20 of the boarding crafts were approaching the blinded ship. They quickly connected themselves to the hull and disembarked their passengers.

The invasion of the Heracles had begun.

Finally back with a Battlestar chapter!