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Post by LucianG on Jan 18, 2007 6:29:50 GMT -6
In Commander Sheba's absence and during Colonel Charybdis's incapacitation, Major Lucian had the privilege of being the officer of the watch. Stifling a yawn, his eyes reviewed current status, course, speed, and external scans before turning to the report that had just arrived on the screen for the commander. It wasn’t marked “Eyes Only,” “Top Secret,” or anything similar, so he clicked on it to see whether the contents were immediately actionable. What he found was a brief report sent by Major Urdea, the head of Fleet Security aboard the Callisto.
* * *
To: Commander Sheba
From: Major Urdea
RE: Status of Current Security Investigations
Commander, Pls pardon any misspells & abs, I’m composing this on c-pad over quick bite in the o’club (finally). Oldr fingers don’t work as wel on littl buttons as used to. Update for you:
1. Evidence indicates Col. C’s injur was accidntl. Broken vibration attenuator on turbolift door. Lucky he’s not dead. No sign of tamper. Full report expected tom’w. Invest closed.
2. Unless you objct, plan to proceed with previous planned inquest tom’w morn into Ch. Farmer Elmer’s death despite Col. C’s amnesia. Have his statements on file, so can go on without him. Must get very prolonged case out of FS’s hands and into Opposer’s office.
* * *
Lucian checked the commander’s schedule and found that the inquest was indeed scheduled, so he had the adjunct officer send Urdea a quick note that it was still scheduled for now. Sheba would confirm on her return.
Taking a sip of coffee, Lucian took a walk around the Bridge, speaking with various officers. Though he’d filled in as officer of the watch a few times in the past, he didn’t know a number of the usual second shift officers very well, so he took advantage of time to speak with some of them as he reviewed the status of their various duties. Some of them looked nervous about having a relative newcomer in charge, so he tried to lighten the mood with a joke. The bridge officers who were listening laughed, in politeness since they’d all heard it before, but they seemed more relaxed around him after that. He asked a few questions as he went, engaging even more of them. He was just about to conclude his second transit when the adjunct approached and said, “Major Lucian, there’s an incoming call from the Galactica. Do you want to take it in the Commander’s Ready Room?”
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Post by Col. Charybdis on Jan 23, 2007 10:40:49 GMT -6
I opened the door to my room and out I walked into the corridor. I noticed that something was wrong immediately. Not sure of what it was, just, something wrong. A few people stared at me and giggled. I kept walking.
I went down to the pilot's quarters to see if I could get something to eat. I was starving. All throughout my sojourn, warriors kept staring and smiling. Some of the ladies were turning their eyes away and quickly leaving the scene...
Then, I noticed that it was a bit drafty, just a little bit too drafty. I looked down at myself when I suddenly noticed that I was completely naked!!!! Well, almost naked, I had on a skimpy pair of pilot briefs that barely covered the essentials!!!
Now I knew why all the people I ran into were staring!
"Colonel, colonel" I heard from behind me. The voice sounded strange as if it was underwater. Then slowly, it became clearer and clearer as if cotton was being pulled out of my ears.
"Colonel?" the voice asked.
I opened my eyes. I woke up from my very strange dream with a pounding headache. "Uhhhhh" I moaned as I tried to roll over. With as much strength I could muster, I looked underneath my sheets just to make sure I was wearing something. I was....
"Yes," I responded, "what is it? And get me something for this pain."
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Post by LucianG on Jan 23, 2007 12:04:05 GMT -6
It had been nearly six and a half yahrens, but she looked almost exactly the same. Oh, there were possibly a few more lines around the eyes, and there was a touch of gray in her dark hair, but essentially, she was the same as when he'd spent a few months aboard the Galactica as he completed his Warrior training. She looked at him and smiled as she said, "Well, young Ensign Lucian, it appears you've done fairly well after all since you left us and moved on to the Callisto."
"Colonel Athena, it's good to see you again, too, Ma'am," said Lucian. She was actually only five or six yahrens older than he was, but he couldn't resist using the feminine honorific as a reminder of the few conversations they'd had when she was assisting with training. He'd been the oldest cadet in his training class, so they had had a couple of serious conversations regarding age, reflexes, willingness to do what it took to become a Warrior, and willingness as a Warrior to do what it took, period. He'd had to prove himself both in class and in the simulator before she'd finally let up, but after that, he'd never really had the opportunity to really talk with her again.
She laughed slightly and said, "Well, Lucian, congratulations. Now, on to the business at hand...."
And, he thought, I won't have the opportunity this time either.
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Post by LucianG on Jan 24, 2007 6:35:26 GMT -6
Athena launched directly into the briefing, saying, "We're in the final stages of dispensing the fuel that has been refined from this system and that was recovered from the Cylon Base Star. All of the ships of the Fleet should now have enough fuel for several sectars of travel, assuming that we don't run into anything unexpected that causes accelerated consumption. It's not a long term solution to our problem, but we at least have some time."
"That's good," said Lucian, rather lamely.
"Good, but not great," agreed Athena. "Commander Sheba has proposed a possible long term solution that Commander Apollo has approved, but which is being delayed for the moment due to our little reprieve. Some sectars ago, shortly after we entered this system, Apollo dispatched several scout ships to nearby systems to help us find us a safe escape route from here, and to look for natural resources that could help replenish Fleet supplies. When you have this many people on aging ships with inadequate growing and production facilities, we're always low on something, and most often, lots of somethings, or in need of materials that can be used to make replacement parts, etc."
"Understood," agreed Lucian, who had frequently faced these issues in the Engineering Department aboard the Callisto, and to a lesser degree, in his earlier years aboard the Odyssey Nine.
"One of our scout ships visited a small star group called the Borreck Cluster. The crew of the scout ship set up a FTL relay so they could stay in touch with us, and then they visited a couple of the stars in the group, including the one designated Ten Borreck. They reported finding a world there with abundant resources including water, timber, mineral and metallurgical ores, foodstuffs, and animal proteins. They scouted the world in detail, found no signs of Cylon activity or other intelligent life, though they did report frequent storms and seismic activities. They sent back their report on Ten Borreck, which appears to be a near paradise with some bad habits. The scout team then moved on to the next star in the Borreck Cluster, but nothing has been heard from them since...."
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Post by LucianG on Jan 25, 2007 6:53:28 GMT -6
"Borreck Cluster?" questioned Lucian. "That name sounds sort of familiar."
"It probably should," replied Athena. "History tells us O'Borreckelli was a rather prolific astronomer."
"Prolific? He must have cataloged a great number star systems to have achieved that particular epitaph."
"He did," she replied laughingly, "though I don't think that's what they were referencing. Legend has it that he fathered more than 20 children with a least six different women, several of whom were married to someone else at the time. He sometimes named the star systems after his kids or his paramours, though more often, he used some variation of his own name. There are 14 stars in the Borreck Cluster, and he named all but three of them after himself."
Lucian grinned slightly as Athena's image on the screen looked away and nodded to someone else before turning back to Lucian and continuing, "Lucian, I've got to go. I'm sending you the orders now. Review them and get back to me shortly. Athena, out."
Lucian opened the file, briefly scanned it, then read it in depth. He closed the file, and went back on the Bridge. "Lieutenant Finky, contact Commander Sheba. We have new orders. And send Major Urdea a note. We're going to have to postpone that meeting after all."
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Post by Col. Charybdis on Jan 25, 2007 11:25:35 GMT -6
The med tech brought me a pill and I quickly took it. I laid back down. The soothing calmness took over my head and I felt better immediately.
"Colonel, if it's alright. I'll get the doctor?" she asked.
"No. It's OK. I'm feeling better. I just want to know when I can get back to the bridge and return to duty."
Suddenly, a wave of knowledge infused intself into me. I felt as if something that was taken away from me was suddenly given back. I knew everything I was supposed to know.
I remembered....everything!!! I was Colonel Charybdis, second in command of the Battlestar Callisto. Everything was as it should be...
I smiled as I rested...
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Post by LucianG on Jan 25, 2007 12:05:35 GMT -6
A few centons later, Lucian couldn't resist a smile. He had issued orders for preparations for the jump, and even now, the flurry of activity had begun. There was much to be done in the next few centars. The long range patrols were already being pulled in tighter around the fleet, and there was a spate of shuttle activity carrying foodstuffs and supplies between ships. He was reading another series of reports when Finky approached with the "I've-got-a secret-but-I'm-not-telling-you" grin that Lucian had come to know and hate so well. "Well?" he asked.
"You've got another call from the Galactica," she said. "Want to take it in the Commander's Ready Room again?"
"Sure," said Lucian, forgetting the tell-tale grin as if it hadn't existed. Moments later after entering the room, he activated the viewscreen and said, "Colonel Athena, good to speak with you again so soo--"
Only, this time, it wasn't Colonel Athena.
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Post by LucianG on Jan 26, 2007 6:30:13 GMT -6
She was smiling broadly at his surprise. The smile changed to an impish grin after a few microns of relative silence from Lucian--relative only because the "ah"s and "uh"s he was uttering as he overcame the surprise really didn't qualify as real speech.
"Ah, Mar-nee'! I was expecting a call from the Galactica, but, ah, somehow, they must have transferred you in to me instead of Colonel Athena."
She smiled again and asked, "Lucian, did they actually tell you it was Colonel Athena, or did they just mention the Galactica?"
"Well, the Galactica...really," he replied. Finally noticing her uniform, he asked, "Wait a micron, why are you wearing that?"
"Like it? It seems I'm the newest member of the Galactica's communications team. There were a couple of immediate openings that needed to be filled, so as the Assistant Chief Comm Officer on the Rising Star, I applied for the temporary duty assignment. They gave me this 'snazzy military uniform' to wear with a nice console right off the Bridge."
"Why'd you apply?" he asked.
"Well, they didn't specify where the assignments would be, but with more experience than most people who were likely to apply, I figured I'd get one of the first choices. I did, and the Galactica was the best assignment available. I was really disappointed that there wasn't anything available on the Callisto. I guess this isn't so bad, though. Unfortunately, it's second shift work; I'm finding that 'light shift' on a battlestar is every bit as busy as first shift, particularly considering that they just announced we're prepping for the next jump...."
Outside the Commander's Ready Room on the Bridge, Lieutenant Finky received word that Commander Sheba was on her way back to the Bridge. Finky stuck her head in the door and did a silent throat slash sign, followed by a thumb over the shoulder and mouthed "Commander!" that Lucian could almost hear despite her silence. He interrupted Mar-nee' and said, "Sweetheart, I have to go. Commander's coming and I'm swamped with pre-jump prep. I'll try to speak with you before the jump, okay?"
She nodded in understanding as she said, "You'd better, because I don't want to get stuck without talking to you again until after we come out of the jump. I really miss you, Lucian...Mar-nee', out." She quickly killed the feed to keep him from seeing the tear that had suddenly started running down her cheek. On the Commander's desk, the screen faded back to the usual Callisto screensaver image, but Lucian continued to stare at it for several microns, as if seeing, instead of the emblem, only Mar-nee's lovely image in his mind....
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Post by LucianG on Jan 26, 2007 20:05:12 GMT -6
"Major, a priority shuttle is arriving from the Galactica. It's that debriefing team from Colonial Intelligence. They're arriving about three centars behind schedule, and the team leader has demanded to see the Commander on arrival."
"Have him report to the Bridge, but make sure his team is sent to temporary quarters. They'll be with us through the jump, which is probably partially why he or she is so ticked. Who is it anyway?" Lucian asked.
Lieutenant Finky looked up from the nearby monitor. She had a frown on her face as she said, "Ah, Lucian, it's that Lieutenant Colonel Flynt. I had him in a lecture once, and I swear, he's gotta be the meanest person I ever met. He made most of the girls in the class cry, and some of the guys even!"
Lucian nodded. Flynt...it was going to be really fun jump.
* * *
The shuttle settled on the Callisto's landing deck, and moments later, four men and two women in the gray uniforms of Colonial Intelligence officers emerged, each carrying a duffle and briefcase. Close inspection would have revealed that the briefcases were compartmentalized, with each having a computer pad and interior locking pockets, plus an exterior lock that would prevent anyone without authorization from opening it. Of course, these officers were all fairly good size, and all were very powerfully built, both the men and the women. In addition, all of them were well armed with a laser pistol and military style utility belt. They looked tough, as if they could likely prevent anyone but the most determined individuals from making such a close inspection. And in fact, they most likely could.
A seventh person emerged. He was tall, nearly two meters, and powerful, weighing just over 100 kilograms. Nearing 50 yahrens of age, he was left with a ring of short graying hair around the sides of his head, and a full, nearly black moustache atop his lip. The face was set in a near permanent scowl. He stretched on the deck and popped his fingers loudly. Seeing one of the maintenance Techs, he called, "Hey you...."
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Post by LucianG on Jan 28, 2007 8:08:16 GMT -6
The voice arrived before the man.
Lucian looked up from the report when he heard it, shook his head ever so slightly, and under his breath declared, “Flynt.” Though he didn’t know the man personally, he’d heard that voice a couple of times when he’d been assigned to the Galactica as he’d finished his training.
“Captain Kotsalof, you are a DISGRACE to the Colonial Intelligence Service! You have gathered no useful information about the mission? None?”
The reply was too low for Lucian to hear, but the gist was apparent only a moment later. “COMMANDER SHEBA was gathering the intel for you? WHAT? WERE YOU TOO BUSY TAKING A FRACKING NAP? THE INTEL IS GETTING OLD, JUST LIKE YOU, YOU CROTCHEDY OLD FOOL!”
Captain Kotsalof was the Callisto’s senior officer assigned to Colonial Intelligence. He had been a Warrior assigned to flight duty prior to being transferred to the intelligence service, so Commander Sheba had allowed him to wear blue command uniform while aboard the Callisto instead of the dark gray uniform favored by most C.I. officers who’d never served in the Warrior Corps. Lucian had known Kotsalof since he’d become Black Squadron Leader nearly six yahrens before, but had never been close friends with the man, and really, rarely spoke with him. Kotsalof was nearly twenty yahrens Lucian’s senior, a short, now pudgy, quiet intellectual type who almost always flew below the radar screen. Even when he prepared intel reports for missions, he almost never gave them due his inability to project his voice without a mike. Rumor had it that he’d been injured in a Triad game over 30 yahrens before, but no one asked, and Kotsalof, generally a loner, never told….
Lucian stepped up behind them and said, “Colonel Flynt, THAT is enough. I'm Major Lucian, Duty Officer in Charge of the Callisto. You and Captain Kotsalof will join me in the Commander’s Ready Room, NOW.”
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