BRIK
Viper Pilot
Posts: 227
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Post by BRIK on Mar 5, 2007 18:32:22 GMT -6
Logan had lit into Brik, calling him out on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of leaving Med Lab prematurely and possibly placing himself in further danger.
Her fury was legendary, particularly among the members of Gold Squadron and Brik was no stranger to her temper.
And he couldn't be happier!
Brik knew from long yahrens of experience that Logan only really got angry when she was upset, and that only happened when she gave a frack...and her anger at him reminded him that she loved him dearly and had been quite worried over his safety. Knowing her, she might've even been biting her lip before he walked in.
But first things first... "You say Skyler's still in Med Lab but doing fine. By the Lords, we made it, Logan!!!" As Brik's hands gripped her shoulders in joy and relief, Logan saw some of the stress visibly drain away from her friend and he seemed to breathe easier. She recognized herself feeling the same way only moments ago...and possibly for quite some time, given the situation.
Brik also felt the tension relief. With that relief, however, came the realization that his concern had been part of his fuel and now he was a bit pooped and a bit woozy. Only a bit but just enough to make actual sitting down in a chair sound like a good idea. He hoped that he was casual enough, pretending that he was sitting out of relief, that Logan wouldn't notice his mild discomfort. Of course he was wrong but she might ignore it. Maybe.
Before more could be said, a Med Lab technician walked in and gave Brik a look that could freeze entire suns and lock them eternally into the current location of their solitary orbits. The very small woman with the very large scowl walked over and looked down at him (it wasn't very far, even though he was sitting) while pointing a finger close to his nose. He realized that this must be what daggits felt like when getting chastised for pooping in the house. In this, he was absolutely correct.
"Lieutenant, as a Colonial Warrior and an officer I would expect you to have much more respect for rules, procedures and discipline and I will expect no less from you in the future! Do you understand me, young man?!?" If she had worn glasses she would be peering over the rims at him. The effect was the same, nonetheless. "Uh, y-yes...Yes Ma'am!" he managed to get out at last.
It was like being in Primary Class all over again.
She placed her hands on her hips. "Good. I'm glad that we understand each other. Lieutenant." "Now," she continued, "Here are your release papers. We were coming to give them to you when we found you missing. Tracking you was not difficult. Oh, and I went to supply, I thought you might need this." She handed him a new uniform shirt in his size. "Just because you fight Cylons all day doesn't mean that you can't catch your death of the chill. Good day." And with that, and the swoosh of the door, the small storm was gone and suns thawed, returning to their orbital spin. He found a small piece of paper tucked in to the folds of his shirt. On it was written the simple message of: Had it been my injured friends, I wouldn't have stayed either.
He smiled. So did the nurse as she walked down the corridor.
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Post by Logan on Mar 6, 2007 9:56:00 GMT -6
Brik smiled as he sat back in the chair, pulling on his uniform shirt.
Logan looked at him across the table and shook her head. And they say I'm the stubborn one.
As Brik continued to grin at her, she reached over to pick up the release orders he had discarded onto the table. Standard for a wound like his. She noticed that Lt. Baris had made notes at the bottom. Light duty. No patrols until a follow up exam within 24 hours. Mandatory.
"Don't look so pleased with yourself just yet, hotshot," she said, passing him the orders.
His smile didn't break as he read Baris' comments. She could relate. Being stuck grounded for a day wasn't as bad as being stuck in Med Lab.
"You'd better follow those orders. Too many of Gold is inactive right now. I don't want to end up the only one out there babysitting the new pilots." Logan gave him a serious glare just to drive her point home. They both knew that any new pilots assigned to Gold would be the best Warriors the Academy could churn out, but it was a long-standing tradition to give the fresh faces a hard time. They couldn't afford not to. Too much was at stake, even on the most routine patrol.
Brik nodded. "I'll be back in the cockpit soon enough. You know me."
"Yes, I do. That's what worries me." She laughed at the put upon expression he faked for her benefit.
"We have a jump coming up soon. And an inquiry from the Galactica to answer to for the Baseship mission. Maybe we should get some sleep while we can." Logan stood up and stretched. It was quiet in the Ready Room.
Her thoughts slipped to the Bronze Squadron Ready Room and barracks, wondering what was going on there. And wondering if they would be working together again.
Some things had changed for them on the last mission. Bronze and Gold had worked together successfully. She knew that Hush seemed bitter and she couldn't blame him. He'd lost friends. She could only hope that he would eventually see what he had gained in the process.
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BRIK
Viper Pilot
Posts: 227
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Post by BRIK on Mar 7, 2007 3:00:07 GMT -6
"We have a jump coming up soon. And an inquiry from the Galactica to answer to for the Baseship mission. Maybe we should get some sleep while we can." Logan stood up and stretched. It was quiet in the Ready Room. Brik knew that, despite the joyful moments and the traditional joking and teasing, Logan's thoughts probably held a consistent theme as dark and worried as his own... A jump...that usually means several cycles (at least) stuck on the Callisto. Well, that's probably a good thing and I can spend a cycle or two in the sim to make sure I'm ready to fly. And then there's the matter of the mission inquiry...that should become downright interesting indeed. And still the other matters scuffle among his other thoughts and refuse to leave. Bronze. Bronze, the squadron left so long in the muck and finally given (and taking successful advantage of) the opportunity to shine and shine brightly...only to pay such a heavy price in, yes, blood, sweat and many many tears. Far too many, in fact. And the other Bronze, his first Bronze. The beautiful woman and courageous warrior called Ally. They should be preparing for a date by now, no doubt like many couples are probably doing even now. Instead she lies in a dangerous state in some ward (he didn't even know where) and he can't even pay his respects as a fellow warrior and squadmate. The only thing to do now was to make himself busy...for that would make him ready for whatever was to come. "Hey..." Brik began as he waved his hand in front of Logan's distant stare, "Now that I know that you and our boys are essentially ok or accounted for, I'm going to be 'respectful' and take care of these orders. I'll be in Med Lab. Lieutenant." He couldn't help but smile as he performed his impersonation of the nurse and Logan was no different. Again the door sensed his approach and opened to allow his exit. He paused and caught his friend's eyes. "And...I love you, my friend." He turned and left the room without waiting for a reply that he was certain of. Anyway, he had been sending a message not attempting to receive one.
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Post by LucianG on Mar 10, 2007 5:51:06 GMT -6
Lucian’s hands cupped and massaged his neck as he stretched, trying to shake off the fatigue. Just a little longer, he told himself for seemingly the twentieth time in the last twenty centons. It was tough switching from First Shift to Second without a cycle between the two, but people did it all over the Fleet, all the time, so it could be done. In fact, Lucian had done it a number of times while in his yahrens aboard the O-9, but that had been quite some time ago, in a younger incarnation of himself. Fortunately, the shift was almost over now, and Commander Sheba had just returned to review the overall status and take over for First Shift.
It didn’t take her long to have a thorough understanding of where everything stood. When she was ready, they moved into her Ready Room for an extended briefing, where they discussed more sensitive matters. First, Lucian briefed her on the Callisto’s initial mission in the Borreck Cluster. He was quite surprised when she didn’t ask any questions about it. Instead, she said, “Start working up the Squadron assignments. We’ll have a staff meeting early in the jump so we’ll have plenty of time to get everything in order prior to arrival in that system.” Then, she moved on, asking a number of questions about the resupply effort, and then some questions on other notes in the log.
“Any further word from Lt. Colonel Flynt or his team? His decision to, I believe you said, ‘get some rest,’ was quite surprising.”
Lucian shook his head, “I’ve heard nothing else from him so far, Ma’am. I think Flynt really was just in bad need of his grouchy sleep.”
“Grouchy sleep?” she questioned. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well,” replied Lucian, “if you’ve ever seen the guy up close, you know he doesn’t get beauty sleep. Anyway, I suspect he’s sleeping like a bear about now, which should return him to his usual ogrish self by the time he gets up. Besides, that’s about the only way I can account for the guy’s perpetually ‘wonderful’ attitude.”
Sheba stifled a laugh as she said, “Be careful, Major, very careful. He is a Lieutenant Colonel, even if he is from another service. Overall, he’s a dangerous man, and an even more dangerous enemy. It’s quite possible to win battles with him, but he doesn’t see things like isolated battles. No, he sees campaigns. He doesn’t see winning wars, he sees out-and-out annihilation of enemies. That makes him very, very good in this war with the Cylons, but makes him a great big loose laser cannon among our own people. Don’t get caught in his laser sights by surprise, Major.”
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Post by LucianG on Mar 10, 2007 6:19:35 GMT -6
“Yes, Ma’am,” said Lucian, properly chastised. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Status of our injured Warriors?” she asked, with a look of concern.
“Most of them are still improving, with most scheduled to be returning to duty by the end of the jump. However, there’s been no word on Lieutenant Ally who was transferred off ship. I’ll have Doc check on her status before the jump.”
“Thank you. Now,” she said with the hint of a smile, “what about this rumor I’ve overheard from two people that one of my squadron leaders went on a date off ship last evening? Is he back safely, and if so, how did the date go?”
Not knowing how much she knew but guessing that it was less than the whole story, Lucian decided to say as little as possible. “Said squadron leader has reportedly returned safely. As for how the date went, I really have no idea.”
Sheba looked at Lucian, as if she thought that he knew more than he was saying. Still, she let it pass. Moving on, she asked about another shuttle arrival. “It says here that the shuttle was nearly empty. Any idea why?”
“Hmm, I haven’t a clue on that one, Commander,” replied Lucian, genuinely puzzled. “I’ll check on that one. Anything else?”
Sheba nodded, then scanned on down the log before asking, “Yes…Hmm, what’s this about a party in an engine compartment? Broken up by Fleet Security?”
“Happened a few centars ago,” replied Lucian, who had hoped she wouldn’t catch that, though he had known that she would. “A few cadets, some Techs, and a few kids evidently decided to have a ‘Goodbye Quarro System’ bash. It got a bit out of hand and a bit loud, so someone reported them. Captain Proteus showed up with a squad of Fleet Security guys, and took most of them by surprise. They hauled the ones they nabbed down to the Security Office for questioning and to cool their heels. Some of them are still there. A few others reportedly slipped away, but none of the ones captured was up for naming names. I understand Lieutenant Flell placed a few of the cadets from the Training Academy on probation for being out late and possible underage drinking. When he gets through with them, they’ll probably be begging for an early evening, and they sure won’t want another drink for a long, long time. I sent an engineering team down for assessment. There was something of a mess to clean up, but no serious damage, so they took care of it.” Lucian paused for a moment before making the next statement. This was where he’d stretched his neck out. “Commander, none of those who were taken had any type of significant record with Fleet Security, so instead of filing formal charges I recommended that those involved be assigned an extra duty shift in place of their next furlon cycle. That should teach them a lesson without getting them involved in the justice system. After all, most of them were young people just trying to have fun, but in an inappropriate way. We’ve been in this Lords forsaken system for a long time now, so I think a lot of people are looking forward to escaping from it. Overall, I wrote this one off as resolved, subject of course, to your final approval”
There was a long pause before she responded. “Fair enough. Approved,” she replied, though not sounding quite convinced. Sheba turned away for a moment, then said, still facing away, “We have had a tough time in this system, but there have been some good things that happened here, too. We’ve knocked a Cylon Base Star out of the heavens, we have fuel, and we’ve recovered friends. We’re still alive, and we’re one step closer to Earth.” Her voice trailed away, “One step closer to Earth….”
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Post by LucianG on Mar 11, 2007 5:47:45 GMT -6
Lucian was in serious thought after leaving the Commander and returning to the Bridge. Something she’d said about the Quarro System stuck in his mind. As he observed the Bridge in silence, Lieutenant Finky came over to him and asked, “Any new orders, Major?”
“Not at the moment, Finky. Carry on,” he replied, then having second thoughts he continued, “Say, tell me, what are your thoughts on the system we’re leaving. Anything stick out in your mind?”
“Lucian, it ain’t Earth, if that’s what you mean. That’s the biggest thing, but there are some other memories, too, good and bad. What are you thinking? You definitely had an interesting time here.”
Interesting. That was probably the best term for it, Lucian thought. Not good, not bad, just interesting. There were some of both he knew, but the good memories were muted to a degree by the bad, and vice versa, making it difficult to make a good assessment. Overall, though…
“You know, I’m usually a half-full type of person,” he said, “rather than the half-empty type, but this time, the usually latent pessimist in me feels like its eating at my soul and just won’t let go. I can’t quite put my finger on it, though I suspect it has to do with the combat on the Cylon Base Star, the dead we suffered, and even worse, the wounded. I keep flashing back to it, to guys like Lazant who may never fully recover. Too, it’s been a long time since I faced a Cylon up close like that, and that last time, not only didn't I really face him since he caught me from behind, I almost ended up as burnt toast or possibly unsweetened, highly condensed human falling into the atmosphere of that gas giant in Pangara. Now, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to sleep when I go to bed. In fact, I think I’m going to stay here until the jump starts, since if I’m asleep, the queasiness will probably wake me up anyway. I’m one of the few Warriors I know who experiences any sort of jump effects.”
“Yeah, you’re just a wimp,” she said, nodding with a smile. “A pessimistic wimp. I’ve never had to go into combat up close like that, so I don’t really understand what it’s like, but let’s stop and think about something else. What have you done in this system that means something to you or more important, to someone else? Hmm, one of your best friends in the who Fleet turns up missing, you come up with a rescue plan that is almost turned down by the Commander, then you guys go after him, and bring him home safely. I suspect that means something to JustinB. You finally get together with some hot chick that you’ve been in love with for yahrens, and now, you guys can’t stop sending love notes to each other—she called for you, by the way, when you were with the Commander—and you get to go on an important mission that leads to the destruction of a tin-can base ship and capture of some data-base and even a tin-head for questioning. Yeah, I know it’s a secret, but the rumor is all over the Callisto, and probably all over the Fleet by now, and I'm sure flint-head will be all over you about that. I could add a bunch of other things—”
As she had been speaking, Lucian was running those events and many others through his mind. Slowly he started nodding in response as a slight grin crept across his face. He looked around and spotting something—”
“—but,” she continued, “I can see from your expression that you’re itching to get to a comm station to call little miss huney-bunch before the system goes down for the jump….”
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