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Post by Amy81 on May 23, 2006 23:16:26 GMT -6
Ally walked down the corridor back to the flight deck. She shook her head, disappointed in herself. What exactly was wrong with her? Twice she'd been caught with no answer about her viper, twice in the same cycle. She was better than that. She needed to focus. Put all the distractions aside.
But Bulk-up was really bothering her. What was wrong with him? He'd never ever indicated that he liked her. All he'd ever done was pick on her and make his stupid suggestive comments. Was she supposed to know there was some hidden meaning under it all? She fingered the side of her face gently. Men. They're so lame sometimes. Most times....
Except for Brik. Lords, that seemed like a lifetime ago. But it had happened. Bulk-up wouldn't have gone off like he did if it hadn't happened. She wondered if things were like this in Gold. She imagined that they weren't, that everyone there behaved in a manner that lived up to the proud name of colonial warrior. But that was part of the problem, she knew. It was that impression that helped form the perspective the people in Bronze had of Gold, for Bronze was far from perfect.
She saw her viper up ahead. She wasn't going to leave it without an answer this time. First Jorlan, then the captain. She wasn't going to be caught a third time, by anyone.
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Post by Amy81 on May 24, 2006 5:30:34 GMT -6
Continuity alert!
Ally's story continues in 36N- "Ally/Brik II"....
While she's away, the story of the rest of Bronze Squadron continues....
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Post by Amy81 on May 26, 2006 6:00:12 GMT -6
When Lt. Janey reached the firing range, Bulk-up had already charged his weapon and was shooting at targets. Janey stood behind him, a few feet away, watching him shoot. Cylon targets were popping up at random, and Bulk-up was scoring hit after hit, his low-charge weapon finding it's mark each time he fired.
Janey walked up and stood next to him, staring out at the targets. "You never shot that straight when we were dating" she said.
Bulk-up started to laugh, and missed the next three targets before he stopped shooting. "Thanks" he said, turning to her. "You're the only one who is talking to me it seems."
"Can't say I blame anyone" Janey replied, "after the way you attacked Ally like that. What were you thinking?"
Bulk-up grunted, looking at his score. Three misses shy of a perfect round. "Guess I wasn't thinking at all."
"Come on, Bulk-up" Janey said. "It's me, remember? We might not be anything anymore, but there was a time I knew you pretty well. What's going on in that musclebound head of yours?"
Bulk-up looked at a loss for words. "I, I don't know" he said, looking off into the distance. He looked at Janey. "I see Ally, and I freeze up. I can't talk to her. And I'm afraid of what she'd say if I ever did."
"She's been in the squadron five yarhens. You've felt like that this whole time?"
Bulk-up nodded.
"Even while you and me were..." Janey began to ask. Again Bulk-up nodded. Janey felt a rush of memories and feelings come over her. She felt played. Used. It's not the first time she'd felt this way. She sighed, pushing the feelings aside. "So you just snipe at her. Pick on her. Rude comments...."
Bulk-up nodded. "It's all I've got." He shrugged. "It's just joking around. But she laughs, fires back. Janey, I live for those moments cause it's all I'm capable of when it comes to her."
"The way you hit her isn't a joke" Janey scolded. "You could have really hurt her bad. Just cause she broke your nose over that whole 'Bedher' thing doesn't give you any payback rights. You're a foot taller than she is. And that was a long time ago."
Bulk-up looked concerned. "I know. How's she doing anyway?"
"I haven't seen her" Janey admitted. "She's off checking her viper. She'll be around soon enough."
"What do I do, Janey?" he asked. "Everyone hates me now. I crossed a line and now...."
"They don't hate you" she said. "They just don't understand. I'm not sure I do myself. But for starters, you're going to have to apologize to her. Make it right. Then give her some space. She's got to be as confused about all this as anyone."
Bulk-up nodded. "Thanks Janey. You're okay." He smiled at her, but Janey couldn't see any of the old feelings in his expression. There'd been a time when she saw a lot more in it, but she wondered now if it was ever really there at all. She wondered even more about why she'd ever been attracted to him in the first place.
Yup, Janey thought. That's me. 'Okay'....
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Post by Amy81 on Jun 20, 2006 5:46:37 GMT -6
(Ally returns from thread 36N- Ally/Brik II...)
Ally reached the target range, seeing as she entered that her squadron was all there, firing away at a variety of cylon targets. With some sort of instinct borne of their close friendship, Janey looked up right away and saw her in the doorway. She immediately stopped shooting and ran over.
"I can't help but notice we're not scrambling to the ready rooms" Ally said.
Janey didn't answer. "Lords, look at your face, girl!"
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Post by Amy81 on Jun 21, 2006 5:59:27 GMT -6
Janey looked closer at the discoloration on Ally's face. She reached up gently to touch it. "Lords, Ally. Does it hurt?"
Ally pulled back instinctively. "Yeah" she replied, "if you're going to do that to it!" Her voice softened. "It's not that bad, is it?"
"You ain't winning no beauty pagents any more" Janey answered.
"Good, cause I forgot to enter." She looked around. "So, no mission, huh?"
"What do you think?" Janey replied. "I mean, we haven't heard, so we just stay with our last orders for now. How's your viper?" She waited for an answer, but Ally suddenly had that far off look Janey recognized immediately. "Spill it" Janey said firmly.
"Wha?" Ally said, blinking as she returned to the present.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'd better get my weapon, huh?"
"Don't give me that" Janey said. "I know when you're not right. And you have enough reasons to be, lords know. So talk to me."
Ally sighed, and suddenly looked ready to crumble. "I uh..." She went silent again.
"That gold pilot? Brik?" Janey asked. Ally nodded. "What happened?" Janey asked gently.
Ally smiled, though there wasn't much happiness in her expression. Everything flooded over her as it had been doing: The way he'd spun her, and distracted her while she was on duty. Getting caught a third time without an answer about her viper. Her name on Brik's viper, and how it seemed to mean so much to him. What exactly was wrong with that anyway? Was it too soon? Should it matter? Yesterday she was comfortably single. Suddenly she had someone naming his viper after her. Then there was Bulk-up and his unprovoked attack on her, something she still didn't understand. It was too much to process all at once.
"I need time to sort it out" Ally said. She looked beyond Janey, noticing Bulk-up near the other end of the room. Janey turned and looked too.
"Yeah, the big jerk. He's sorry you know. Maybe he should see your face. He deserves to feel worse than he is." Janey looked again at Ally's face. "That sure looks painful." Ally was about to reply when a shout broke over the noise in the room.
"Attention!" Everyone froze and spun in the direction of Major Jorlan as he entered the room. He stood in the doorway, surveying his squadron. He noticed Ally's face, but said nothing. The captain had filled him in on the incident, though he'd said that all the facts were not yet in.
"Listen up" Jorlan said loudly. "The following personel report to Gold ready room. Seems the top guns can't do this without our help." A little laughter broke out, just as Jorlan figured it might. He'd tried to play down the feelings Bronze had about it's inferiority, but he'd found it too ingrained. So he tried instead to use it as an inspirational tool when possible.
He went on: "Bulk-up, Grease, Hush, Janey, L-Tude, Weasel" he said, running down the list, "you've been picked. Get your ground gear and report. The rest of you, get your vipers in launch position. This is the real deal, people. And remember. You are all warriors. Conduct yourselves as such. You represent Bronze, so do us proud."
Everyone stood silent. Jorlan waited an extra moment before dismissing them. "Now go!" he shouted. A cheer went up as the squadron broke at once for the doorway. Ally and Janey exchanged a concerned glance at each other a micron before they joined the mass exodus flowing past Jorlan and out the door.
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Post by Amy81 on Jun 22, 2006 5:58:25 GMT -6
The six picked to support Gold were in the Bronze supply room packing their gear. In the hall, the rest of Bronze made a lot of noise as they stampeded down the corridor heading for their vipers.
"This is wrong for so many reasons" Janey said as she passed by Ally, carrying some armor.
Bulk-up heard her from where he stood across the small room. "Cold feet Ho-down? I don't remember you having cold feet."
Janey bristled at her call sign. 'Ho-down' had been a quaint nickname at first. She'd been every bit the wide eyed, sweet, far from worldly girl entering the big time when she entered the squadron. But after a few sour relationships, Bulk-up being one of them, the nickname had taken on a second meaning, at least in their eyes. Still, she'd learned she could handle anything these lugs dished out.
"Oh stow the felgercarb for once, will you Bulk-up?" she replied.
"Way I see it, Ally's already paved the way" Bulk-up went on. "You've put in the good word about us, right L-tude?"
"Nice Bulk-up" Janey snapped. "I see you're still broken up over what you did to Ally. What's the matter? Couldn't fit enough suggestive material into your apology?"
Bulk-up gave her the look of death. He did feel bad, but now wasn't the time, was it? He'd automatically lapsed behind his tough guy exterior when he'd heard his name called for this mission, and he hadn't even realized it. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? A chance to do something more, and do it with the top guns? He buried the doubts before his mind could entertain more.
"She's right" Bulk-up admitted. He looked at Ally. "I-I'm sorry Ally. It wasn't anything I meant to do." He stepped toward her, hand extended, shaking like a leaf.
Ally turned around, saw the hand, saw Bulk-up's expression change as he finally got a look at what he'd done to her face. It softened Ally's heart, made her want to smooth it all over, but she stood where she was.
"Forget it Bulk-up" she replied. "But I'm not quite ready to forgive yet. When this is over you and me are going to talk, got it?" She spun back around, turning her back before her expression betrayed what was happening inside her.
"Yeah" Bulk-up replied. "Sure Ally." He withdrew his hand, and got the rest of his gear in silence.
"Good going, Ally" Janey whispered. "Let him stew."
"You forget it too" Ally said wearily. "We don't need distractions."
"Got 'em anyway, huh girl?" Janey said. Ally just gave her a look, shut a locker and headed for the door. "Like I said" Janey said to herself, "this is wrong for so many reasons." She and the others followed Ally out the door.
(For Bronze the story continues in Ch 36 O-Missions, Reply #16!)
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