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Post by Logan on May 25, 2005 22:34:44 GMT -6
After stopping by the Gold Squadron Ready Room and filing an automated report on the terminal there, Logan went by the barracks to get cleaned up and changed into a fresh uniform. She knew she looked like hell, walking around the ship in her ripped and bloody old one. She also knew Skyler and his penchant for uniform etiquette at all times. It would never do for him to return and see her wandering the corridors in her previous state. She was almost amazed that she even thought of it with all the thoughts tumbling around in her head. 'Frack, I need a drink,' she mumbled as she headed toward the Officers Club. She was trying to sort through the events on the Agro Ship as she walked, oblivious to the crewmen she passed. Brie...Amy's mother? Of course Logan had never met Amy, but had heard all about her from the other members of Gold Squadron. She knew she was young, but capable. Brie's story made sense, so she couldn't understand why she wanted her to believe she made it up. Logan didn't understand why this would be a problem...but, she was still relatively new onboard and hadn't gotten into the intricacies of ship politics yet. Logan was also concerned about her fellow Warriors on the Livestock Ship, but knew that Skyler would handle the situation. She had a feeling that the problems probably ended or at least diminished once Pierce gave the order for his followers to kill themselves. Reports had been coming in from all over the Fleet about people being found dead with empty vials next to them. Which led to Logan's next ponderings...Pierce. It was too cut and dry. That daggit was so self-important, she had trouble believing he would throw himself out of an airlock. Order the deaths of his devotees...yes, she could see that, but he had such a high opinion of himself...her suspicious nature couldn't help but question his death. Logan entered the O Club and walked over to the bar. There were several patrons at tables and a few Warriors at the bar as well, looked like Black Squadron. She recognized Dolet from the Agro Ship and nodded a greeting as she ordered her drink from the bartender.
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Post by Brie on May 26, 2005 13:06:37 GMT -6
Boleman walked away from Trula’s room, more confused and hurt than he had ever been in his life. How could he have been so wrong about her? How could he have let her manipulate him the way that she did?
As he was about to leave the med lab Boleman noticed a young woman sitting by herself in a corner. Although they had never met, he recognized her immediately. He approached her. “You’re Kyla, aren’t you?”
Kyla nodded. “And you’re Protector Boleman.”
Boleman sat beside her. “Please, just Boleman. I was watching Pierce’s takeover attempt on the bridge. I’d say the fleet owes you a debt of gratitude.”
Kyla sighed. “I don’t know why I ever listened to that man. Will I be prosecuted?”
The thought had never even dawned on Boleman. “I can’t say for sure, but my guess is that they won’t prosecute in exchange for as much information about Pierce’s organization as you can give them. I’d be happy to advise you, even act as your protector if you need one.”
“Thank you,” Kyla said meekly.
“What else is bothering you?” Boleman asked. “I know it’s none of my business, but I’m a good listener. And anything you say to me is off the record.”
“I overheard one of the doctors a few centons ago,” Kyla told him. “The surgeon who operated on Brie. He was talking to another doctor. He said that the waiting room is becoming too crowded, and to tell anyone who asks that Brie is doing okay and expected to recover, hoping that they’ll leave. Then he said she’s not doing okay at all, her heart stopped twice during surgery, and he’ll be surprised if she makes it through the next couple of cycles.”
“Frack,” Boleman said softly.
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Post by Amy81 on May 27, 2005 6:42:59 GMT -6
Dolet felt a strange mix of emotions as he stood there in the Officer's Club. He was a Black squadron member, and he now belonged there, but things had happened so fast he half felt someone would spot him and tell him to get out. Barely a secton ago he was just a cadet, and he still felt like one, in spite of everything.
He thought back through the entire mission, thinking about the things he could have done differently. The bridge had thought he'd done alright, and for a while he'd been on a direct channel to them, providing them with their first good, hard information on the situation aboard the agro ship. He felt pretty good about suddenly filling so important a role.
He felt horrible about Major Brie though. It didn't look good at all. There'd been talk that she was going to be fine, but most warriors had picked up on the official story and took it for what it was worth. Bits and pieces of how she really was were floating through the rumor mill, and Dolet felt bad about it all.
He thought about Major JustinB, and how he should be here celebrating his re-election, but he knew that the Major was taking Brie's condition pretty hard. Maybe JustinB might show up here. It'd be good for him to relax for a while.
He looked around, and his eyes fell on Lt. Logan as she walked through the door. He couldn't help but stare, and felt his face grow hot when she caught his glance and nodded to him. He gave her a half-wave, looked down at his mug of ambrosia, then looked back at her as she ordered a drink at the bar.
He wasn't sure what to do. Go over to her? They were both warriors after all. But she wasn't in his squadron. So what? She's so beautiful, that's what... He'd seen her a few times, passing in the halls, going in and out of endless briefings, and he'd found out her name. He'd never expected to actually share a mission with her.
He smiled to himself. Share what? They hadn't shared anything. Yet they were both on the Agro ship during the crisis. That was a bond of some kind, wasn't it? Go on, go say hi...
Or put your foot in your mouth and have to hear it from the rest of Black squadron for the rest of recorded history...
Dolet stayed right where he was.
Logan had her drink now, and turned around. Dolet looked away, not wanting to know which way she was going to go.
He took a good long swallow of Ambrosia...
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Post by Brie on May 27, 2005 12:36:30 GMT -6
“Oh look,” Brie said, not answering Turner’s question. “It’s JustinB. Good to know that I’m allowed visitors.”
“Brie...”
“Shhh!” Brie said quickly. “I want to hear what he’s saying.”
“That may not be a bad idea,” Turner said.
Brie felt slightly uncomfortable as she watched Justin take the hand of the person lying on the bed. She knew that it was her own hand that she was watching Justin hold, but being disconnected from her own body she couldn’t feel it. Standing next to Turner, she took his hand and held it tightly. Turner seemed amused, and squeezed her hand back.
"Brie," JustinB whispered, "No one has ever meant as much to me than you. It is my fault that I didn't testify for you and you were convicted. I am sure my testimony about what I saw on the ship would have set you free. Please don't die. I swear by The Lords of Kobol, if you pass away into the next world, I will resign my commission as punishment for failing to help you in your time of need. Please Brie, come back to us all that need you."
“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Brie said. “I didn’t want him to testify. He knew that. Boleman knew that. If Justin had testified...” She shuddered, thinking about the pictures that Pierce had held over her head.
Turner knew what she was thinking. “Maybe Justin doesn’t care about the pictures.”
“But I do,” Brie said. She purposely didn’t look at Turner. “It’s one thing for a guy to get drunk and lose control, but totally different for a woman. And how can I mean so much to him? We hardly even know each other.” She sighed. “Why are we even talking about this? This has nothing to do with what I’ll decide.”
Turner smiled. “Okay, then you can answer my question.”
“What question?” “What is it you’re really avoiding?” Turner asked Brie softly. “Is it Amy?”
Brie sighed again. “I swore I’d take that secret to the grave. I had promised Abby and Elmer that I would never tell anyone.”
“But you told me,” Turner reminded her.
“Because you’re my heart.” Brie sighed for a third time. “And back then I didn’t even know her name, she was just a girl growing up happily on the Agro Ship. That’s all I even wanted for her, to be happy.”
“What’s different now?” Turner asked. “How will your dying make Amy happy?”
Brie shook her head. “Amy’s not going to survive.”
“You don’t know that,” Turner said quickly. “As I said before, the future is always in motion. And even if she doesn’t live, a lot of people already have unanswered questions. Is it fair to leave all that on Abby’s shoulders? After she lost her husband and her adopted daughter...”
“Her daughter,” Brie corrected. “I’ve never thought of myself as being Amy’s mother. I was still a child when she was born.”
“Yet when she joined Gold Squadron you took a special interest in her,” Turner said.
“I saw her potential,” Brie stated.
“You saw yourself.”
Brie shook her head again. “No. I saw my own mother. I didn’t need to read Amy’s file to know who she was. She looks just like I remember my mother. But I NEVER made one decision based on Amy’s biology. Never.”
“I didn’t say you did,” Turner said.
“No, but others will,” Brie replied. “I’ve heard people talking. So many of them thought that Amy was promoted because of her relationship with Charybdis, and my supposed friendship with him.”
“Supposed?”
Brie ignored him. “Even Pierce brought that up at the tribunal.”
“Don’t make any decisions based on Pierce.”
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Post by Logan on May 27, 2005 13:12:04 GMT -6
Logan waited while the bartender got her drink, thinking about Brie. She was worried. The whisperings in the medlab were hopeful but guarded, mostly from the other patients. The staff was too tightlipped, which bothered Logan. Brie put up a good front until her collapse on the Agro Ship, but Logan knew what severe blood loss looked like. the Agro Ship's decks were covered in Brie's blood. She was pretty sure that if Brie pulled through this, it would be due to JustinB's quick reactions in getting her back to the Callisto. Logan was aware of Dolet at the other end of the bar staring at her, but when she looked up he quickly turned back to the conversation his fellow Black Squadron Warriors were having. She had been impressed with his work back on the Agro Ship, especially considering she had heard that was his first assignment. She knew some veteran Warriors who wouldn't have handled that kind of pressure as smoothly. She picked up her drink and headed to the other end of the bar where the group of Black Squadron Warriors were gathered. Dolet didn't look up at first, so logan cleared her throat. he turned to see her standing there and seemed surprised, so did his fellow Warriors. But they did a good job of pretending to go back to their conversation when she spoke. 'Hello Dolet. Just thought I'd see how you were doing,' she said. He looked confused at first, but then it seemed to dawn on him that she was asking about how the mission had affected him. He considered his answer before saying, "I'm fine, better than others. Its a lot to absorb actually." She nodded. "I know what you mean. I just came from the medlab. I don't know if Brie's going to make it or not. And I ran into JustinB...he's, well, not really in the mood for talking. Too worried i guess." She looked him in the eye then. "Listen, i know we're not in the same squadron, but we are fellow Warriors and I just wanted you to know that you did a job over on the Agro Ship to make the Fleet proud." He seemed embarrassed and couldn't look at her for a micron. Then, he looked at her, smiled and said, "Thanks, Lt. That means a lot to me." Logan returned the smile. "No problem...and please, its Logan. i'm not much for formalities, especially offduty. I'm glad you're ok. Let's just hope that Brie turns out that way as well." She turned and headed over to a table in the corner, leaving him looking after her at the bar. One of his squadmates jarred him out of his reverie by asking, "What was that all about?" Dolet looked over to where Logan sat, absorbed in her own thoughts, and shook his head. "I'm not sure."
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Post by Logan on May 27, 2005 13:33:26 GMT -6
logan didn't like feeling helpless, but thats exactly how she felt now. She knew that she had done everything she could back on the Agro Ship to help Brie, as had JustinB and Dolet...she just wondered if it had been enough. She had seen the determination on Brie's face to keep going and hadn't interfered. She knew had their places been reversed, she would have wanted Brie to do the same. Every Warrior knew that they may have to give their life for the Fleet at some point and this could possibly be Brie's. She hoped not, for all their sake's. A conversation at the next table broke into her solitude. Usually she wouldn't pay attention, but someone had mentioned Gold Squadron and they didn't sound happy. She sipped her drink and tried to ignore it, but someone had had too much to drink and decided to share their opinion with the room. "He's crazy, i tell ya! Don't need Warriors like that in the Fleet. He HIT Sheba, for Sagan's sake!" Ahhh, Logan immediately knew the man was referring to Captain Hawke. She had never met him, but the stories were legendary. She took it all in stride, of course. She tried not to make assumptions about people until she'd actually gotten to know them. Stories passed around in bars and barracks were notoriously exaggerated. It suddenly dawned on her that besides herself, Captain Hawke was the only member of Gold Squadron onboard the Callisto...well, the only other conscious one that is. She'd heard he was in the medlab in bad shape himself. She wasn't sure what had happened to him, only heard a snatch of conversation between a couple of med techs when she was getting checked out after returning from the Agro Ship. The man at the next table was still loud, but had moved on to another topic now. Another Warrior who was a disgrace to the fleet, one she'd never heard of. it seemed he didn't think anyone was good enough to be a Warrior besides himself. She knew the type and ignored him. 'Well, Gold Squadron has to stick together after all,' she thought to herself as she got up from her chair and headed towards the door, on her way to the med lab to meet Hawke.
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Post by Brie on May 28, 2005 20:34:19 GMT -6
After signing the necessary papers, Commander Apollo headed to the Med Lab. He walked swiftly, hoping that people would see he was in a hurry. It had been a while since he had visited the Callisto. There was hardly ever any need with the ship in Sheba’s capable hands. A few times people tried to stop him, but he brushed them off with a quick, “Sorry, I’m in a hurry,” and continued on his way.
Once he made it into the Med Lab’s waiting room he approached an assistant med tech. “How’s Major Brie?” he asked. “Any change?”
The assistant refused to look him in the eye. “She’ll probably be okay, but has a lot of convalescent time ahead of her.” It sounded rehearsed.
“Thanks,” Apollo said, then walking away mumbled, “for nothing,” under his breath. He saw Doc Bkj and approached her instead. “How’s Brie really doing?” he asked. “Don’t give me that felgercarb that the staff is handing out.”
“She’s not my patient, but from what I’ve been told not well,” Bkj said quietly. “She’s not fighting. It’s like she doesn’t want to live any longer.”
“Can I see her?” Apollo asked.
“I think there’s someone in there with her at the micron,” Doc replied. “If you can get him to leave, I don’t see why your sitting with her for a little while would be a problem. Sorry, Sir, but I’ve got to get back to my own patients. I’m the lucky one with the privilege of treating Pierce’s surviving followers. He messed with their minds so badly...it’s a good thing he’s dead. Brie’s in room one.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Apollo replied. Not even the blackshirts tried to stop him as the fleet’s commander placed a hand on the door.
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Post by JustinB on May 28, 2005 20:51:29 GMT -6
I knew the time for me to leave was just about upon me. I laid Brie's hand back on the bed. I wanted to leave her something, but I didn't have anything on me. I reached up on my left shoulder and gripped my Black Squadron insignia and pulled it off. I took a few times but eventually it came off. I then placed it beside her.
Suddenly, the door opened and I turned around to see who it was. I immediately stood myself at attention upon seeing who entered the room.
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Post by Brie on May 29, 2005 8:25:30 GMT -6
Commander Apollo half-smiled as JustinB snapped to attention. Part of him hated it when that happened, but part of him loved it. “At ease, Major,” he said. “How’s Brie doing?”
“No change, Sir,” JustinB replied. “I wish that there was something that I could do. I...” Justin stopped.
“You what?” Apollo asked.
“I should have testified at her Tribunal,” Justin said. “Then maybe she wouldn’t have been convicted, and things would have been different.”
Apollo placed a hand on Justin’s shoulder. He noticed the missing patch, but didn’t mention it. “From what I remember you and Brie had a little, ‘altercation’ on the bridge of the Galactica. Pierce would have used that against her.”
“But still...”
“Don’t worry, Son,” Apollo said quietly, “things will soon be made right. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to sit with her for a little while. Do you think she can hear us?”
Justin took a step closer to the door. “I think she can.”
“I hope so,” Apollo said. “There’s a lot I need to tell her.”
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Post by JustinB on May 29, 2005 9:17:59 GMT -6
With one last glance I looked upon Brie. My heart had never been so heavy. As I left I bumped into Captain Holodoc. "Major, how are you?" she asked me then surveyed my uniform. "You aren't hurt are you?"
"No, 'doc, this is all from Major Brie." I replied.
"Well let me do a quick check just to make sure." Holodoc did a quick check and a few tests then let me go.
I made my way to my office. On arrival I noticed I had some messages that needed to be attended to. The first was a request I submit my report of what happened on the agro-ship by the second shift of the next cycle. The second was a message informing me I had been re-elected as Commanding Officer of Black Squadron. I went to my room as quickly as I could. I picked up a towel, discarded my bloody clothes and went into the turbo wash.
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