Post by BSC RPG on Apr 25, 2005 21:37:53 GMT -6
Astraea
Astraea brought their conveyances to a jarring halt then trained her weapon on the opening to their silver cage. As soon as the outer door slid away, Astraea blasted the two centurions on duty through the metal grate before kicking the inner door open with her foot. She turned back to Lazant as he helped Amy to her feet. “Out of this room, turn right and just keep going. I’ll find out where that cruiser is.”
Astraea didn’t bother looking back as she ran down the corridor. She knew that every available centurion had been diverted to the interrogation level as well as the sensor station. That is, if it was really happening.
She shook her head to clear the thought. She couldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up. Too many times she had been tricked into believing that she would be rescued, that she would be returning home. She didn’t want to fall for yet another Cylon plot, but she couldn’t help believing.
She pressed at the sensor pad to the landing bay then stepped aside as the door slid open. She did a quick peek around the door and, seeing no one about; she did a more thorough scan. There were several ships in the maintenance bay, but no centurions to be seen. Part of her rationalized that it was standard procedure for the low priority stations to be abandoned in an emergency, but part of her still wondered if she was walking into a trap.
“It doesn’t matter either way,” she whispered to herself then hurried over to the nearest control console. It took a centon to get through the numerous screens that listed the standard check points for vehicles in the maintenance area, but she finally arrived at the listing of individual ships.
“Two cruisers,” she said to herself as she pulled up a split screen to show the ships. “Both with communication problems.” She scrolled down the checklist of repairs. “Both with weapon enhancements.” She shook her head as the list continued with comparative equipment repairs.
If they had the time, they could check both ships for the disks that Lazant was looking for, but the cruisers were at opposite ends of the massive bay. She finally found a few variances in the two ships just as Lazant stumbled through the open door with Amy. “What was wrong with your cruiser?” Astraea called out then focused her attention on the screen.
Lazant drew in heaping breaths. “Forward sensors,” he puffed, “off line.”
Astraea singled out the cruiser and pulled up the location. “Got it,” she announced and shut down the screen before running over to Lazant. “Your cruiser is ten slots down on the left.” She grabbed Amy’s arm and slung it over her own shoulder.
Lazant didn’t question the unexpected assistance. He simply turned and started a slow jog down the line of ships. Upon entering the bay, it had looked empty, but now he realized that the hanger was so massive that he simply didn’t notice how full the facility actually was. Ten slots down didn’t sound like much at the time, but he was feeling the pain profoundly in his lower back as he passed the sixth ship.
“You’re doing great,” Astraea said softly to Amy as they kept pace with Lazant. “Keep those legs moving and you’ll warm up in no time.”
“It’s good news bad news,” Amy said as the nose of the cruiser came into view. “And the bad is forward sensors got knocked out.”
Astraea glanced at Amy in surprise. It was the first time that she had spoken. “Don’t worry princess. It’s already repaired.”
She shot another look at Amy as they neared their ship and wondered if Amy had actually remembered that the sensors were out or if she was merely repeating in her own words what Lazant had said. In either case, there was a good chance that they Cylons hadn’t completely erased her mind.
Astraea heard a familiar cadence as she helped Amy into the cruiser. She deposited Amy in the nearest seat and darted a glance over at Lazant who was kneeling at one side of the ship trying to remove a panel. Without a word, she slipped back out to sneak a peek at the squad of centurions entering the bay. One of them walked over to the control panel that she had been working on while the others spread out around the bay. Making a quick about-face, she closed the cruiser door behind her and hurried over to where Lazant was kneeling.
“They’re all here!” he said gleefully as he shoved the disks back into his pocket.
“Glad to hear it,” Astraea said as she reached into the hiding place and yanked out one of the glowing cords.
Lazant fell back onto his astrum, shielding his face with his arm from the shower of sparks. “Frack! What was that for?”
“We’ve got company,” she said obtusely as she rushed up to the cockpit.
He watched her go with a scowl of disbelief, then gathered up the last of the disks before following her to the front of the ship. “You do know how to fly this thing, don’t you?”
Astraea answered by revving up the engines. “You’d better make sure your girlfriend is strapped in.”
Brie
Several centars later Brie still sat on the sofa in Boleman’s quarters. He and Trula had both returned. Trula had retired to the bedroom in the back, Boleman sat on a chair next to the sofa. “We should be rejoining the fleet within the cycle,” he explained.
“What happens then?” Brie hated to ask.
“Well, the Callisto will be contacted. As soon as we have clearance we’ll shuttle to the Callisto. Once we land you’ll be officially changed and escorted by Security forces to the brig. I’ve made arrangements for it to be officer’s from the Callisto instead of the Galactica, I was reading up on what you told me about Hawke and it seems that some members still think that they owe you for the problems that some of their former members caused you. I’m going to try to get Captain Urdea himself, but there’s no guarantee.”
“Then what do I do?”
“Then you wait,” Boleman told her. “There’s nothing you can do. Tribunal has to begin within ten centars. Just make sure you don’t discuss the case with anyone, especially the people we’re calling as witnesses. If anyone asks any questions about the mission just tell them that it’s all in the debriefing report.”
“Okay,” Brie said.
“Try to get some sleep,” Boleman suggested. “I know that’s hard, but you need your rest. Let me know if you need anything. Good night.” Boleman turned off the lights and closed the bedroom door behind him. Brie sat quietly in the dark for a while. She eventually lied down on the sofa and closed her eyes. The only thing that she was glad about was that she hadn’t run into Justin again.
Lucian
The ships ahead of the Callisto were, one by one, engaging their jump generators and entering folded space on course toward the Quarro system. There was a flurry of activity aboard the Callisto as its jump generators were readied for engagement. Captain Lucian was monitoring the engines from a command station in Alpha Bay, and, as much as possible when one was operating with certain parts shot to Hades, everything seemed to be operating as efficiently as possible. Despite all the readings from the Bridge, Sheba had still contacted Lucian for his analysis on the situation.
"Yes, Commander, she's ready to jump on your command," said Lucian. "We're going to start shifting these new parts after we're underway, after the start of Second Shift."
"Very good, Lucian," replied Sheba from the Bridge. "Keep me informed."
As Sheba closed the comm connection, Miri, one of the comm officers, said, "Commander, I don't know if I should inform you of this or not, but just before the Rising Star jumped, we received a message."
"Captain Katanka calling to inform us of his shuttlecraft's approach, no doubt? A little late, I'm afraid."
"No, Commander, nothing from the Captain. It was actually a message for an 'Officer Lucian.' It wasn't coded or anything, Ma'am."
"If it wasn't official business, then put it in his message center. Considering the state of our engines and the fact that we're just entering a jump, he doesn't need to be interrupted by private messages at the moment."
Astraea brought their conveyances to a jarring halt then trained her weapon on the opening to their silver cage. As soon as the outer door slid away, Astraea blasted the two centurions on duty through the metal grate before kicking the inner door open with her foot. She turned back to Lazant as he helped Amy to her feet. “Out of this room, turn right and just keep going. I’ll find out where that cruiser is.”
Astraea didn’t bother looking back as she ran down the corridor. She knew that every available centurion had been diverted to the interrogation level as well as the sensor station. That is, if it was really happening.
She shook her head to clear the thought. She couldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up. Too many times she had been tricked into believing that she would be rescued, that she would be returning home. She didn’t want to fall for yet another Cylon plot, but she couldn’t help believing.
She pressed at the sensor pad to the landing bay then stepped aside as the door slid open. She did a quick peek around the door and, seeing no one about; she did a more thorough scan. There were several ships in the maintenance bay, but no centurions to be seen. Part of her rationalized that it was standard procedure for the low priority stations to be abandoned in an emergency, but part of her still wondered if she was walking into a trap.
“It doesn’t matter either way,” she whispered to herself then hurried over to the nearest control console. It took a centon to get through the numerous screens that listed the standard check points for vehicles in the maintenance area, but she finally arrived at the listing of individual ships.
“Two cruisers,” she said to herself as she pulled up a split screen to show the ships. “Both with communication problems.” She scrolled down the checklist of repairs. “Both with weapon enhancements.” She shook her head as the list continued with comparative equipment repairs.
If they had the time, they could check both ships for the disks that Lazant was looking for, but the cruisers were at opposite ends of the massive bay. She finally found a few variances in the two ships just as Lazant stumbled through the open door with Amy. “What was wrong with your cruiser?” Astraea called out then focused her attention on the screen.
Lazant drew in heaping breaths. “Forward sensors,” he puffed, “off line.”
Astraea singled out the cruiser and pulled up the location. “Got it,” she announced and shut down the screen before running over to Lazant. “Your cruiser is ten slots down on the left.” She grabbed Amy’s arm and slung it over her own shoulder.
Lazant didn’t question the unexpected assistance. He simply turned and started a slow jog down the line of ships. Upon entering the bay, it had looked empty, but now he realized that the hanger was so massive that he simply didn’t notice how full the facility actually was. Ten slots down didn’t sound like much at the time, but he was feeling the pain profoundly in his lower back as he passed the sixth ship.
“You’re doing great,” Astraea said softly to Amy as they kept pace with Lazant. “Keep those legs moving and you’ll warm up in no time.”
“It’s good news bad news,” Amy said as the nose of the cruiser came into view. “And the bad is forward sensors got knocked out.”
Astraea glanced at Amy in surprise. It was the first time that she had spoken. “Don’t worry princess. It’s already repaired.”
She shot another look at Amy as they neared their ship and wondered if Amy had actually remembered that the sensors were out or if she was merely repeating in her own words what Lazant had said. In either case, there was a good chance that they Cylons hadn’t completely erased her mind.
Astraea heard a familiar cadence as she helped Amy into the cruiser. She deposited Amy in the nearest seat and darted a glance over at Lazant who was kneeling at one side of the ship trying to remove a panel. Without a word, she slipped back out to sneak a peek at the squad of centurions entering the bay. One of them walked over to the control panel that she had been working on while the others spread out around the bay. Making a quick about-face, she closed the cruiser door behind her and hurried over to where Lazant was kneeling.
“They’re all here!” he said gleefully as he shoved the disks back into his pocket.
“Glad to hear it,” Astraea said as she reached into the hiding place and yanked out one of the glowing cords.
Lazant fell back onto his astrum, shielding his face with his arm from the shower of sparks. “Frack! What was that for?”
“We’ve got company,” she said obtusely as she rushed up to the cockpit.
He watched her go with a scowl of disbelief, then gathered up the last of the disks before following her to the front of the ship. “You do know how to fly this thing, don’t you?”
Astraea answered by revving up the engines. “You’d better make sure your girlfriend is strapped in.”
Brie
Several centars later Brie still sat on the sofa in Boleman’s quarters. He and Trula had both returned. Trula had retired to the bedroom in the back, Boleman sat on a chair next to the sofa. “We should be rejoining the fleet within the cycle,” he explained.
“What happens then?” Brie hated to ask.
“Well, the Callisto will be contacted. As soon as we have clearance we’ll shuttle to the Callisto. Once we land you’ll be officially changed and escorted by Security forces to the brig. I’ve made arrangements for it to be officer’s from the Callisto instead of the Galactica, I was reading up on what you told me about Hawke and it seems that some members still think that they owe you for the problems that some of their former members caused you. I’m going to try to get Captain Urdea himself, but there’s no guarantee.”
“Then what do I do?”
“Then you wait,” Boleman told her. “There’s nothing you can do. Tribunal has to begin within ten centars. Just make sure you don’t discuss the case with anyone, especially the people we’re calling as witnesses. If anyone asks any questions about the mission just tell them that it’s all in the debriefing report.”
“Okay,” Brie said.
“Try to get some sleep,” Boleman suggested. “I know that’s hard, but you need your rest. Let me know if you need anything. Good night.” Boleman turned off the lights and closed the bedroom door behind him. Brie sat quietly in the dark for a while. She eventually lied down on the sofa and closed her eyes. The only thing that she was glad about was that she hadn’t run into Justin again.
Lucian
The ships ahead of the Callisto were, one by one, engaging their jump generators and entering folded space on course toward the Quarro system. There was a flurry of activity aboard the Callisto as its jump generators were readied for engagement. Captain Lucian was monitoring the engines from a command station in Alpha Bay, and, as much as possible when one was operating with certain parts shot to Hades, everything seemed to be operating as efficiently as possible. Despite all the readings from the Bridge, Sheba had still contacted Lucian for his analysis on the situation.
"Yes, Commander, she's ready to jump on your command," said Lucian. "We're going to start shifting these new parts after we're underway, after the start of Second Shift."
"Very good, Lucian," replied Sheba from the Bridge. "Keep me informed."
As Sheba closed the comm connection, Miri, one of the comm officers, said, "Commander, I don't know if I should inform you of this or not, but just before the Rising Star jumped, we received a message."
"Captain Katanka calling to inform us of his shuttlecraft's approach, no doubt? A little late, I'm afraid."
"No, Commander, nothing from the Captain. It was actually a message for an 'Officer Lucian.' It wasn't coded or anything, Ma'am."
"If it wasn't official business, then put it in his message center. Considering the state of our engines and the fact that we're just entering a jump, he doesn't need to be interrupted by private messages at the moment."