Post by LucianG on Apr 26, 2005 12:01:46 GMT -6
CHAPTER 7—ALONE
<Note: Most of Chapter 7 was lost when the SciFi Board deleted the posts. The following fragments opened the chapter, followed by a few short synopses and additional recovered fragments….>
Lt. Resonat finally had a break to search for Ensign Kris, who had been his wing in the battle. He was proud of his Ensigns Kris and Anubis, who had been his students, but also of the other two young Ensigns who had given their lives in “Dasher Wing” protecting the Callisto. He was particularly proud of Kris, and he arrived in the MedLab to thank her personally and check on her recovery.
Kris saw Lt. Resonat as he approached the bed where she was resting. Her temporary amnesia suddenly cleared. She didn’t remember the actual blow she took when her ejection cockpit fired, releasing it from the exploding Viper below her, but she now remembered the battle. She had stayed with Resonat throughout the early part of the battle, taking several shots at the ever-circling horde of Raiders. One of her shots had even hit a Raider—at the same time it was hit by another Warrior, but she was now sure that it had to have been her shot that caused its destruction! She might have been a brand new Ensign during the battle, but she had done her duty to her fellow Warriors and her Battlestar, and now she had a new sense of fulfillment. My! Kris thought. Her old teacher does have a nice smile!
The dark haired Resonat flashed the smile again as he shook her hand and thanked her for sticking with him as long as she did in the battle. “Without you there beside me, I’m sure I’d have been blown to smithereens a couple of times over,” he said. “Together, we gave the bad guys something else to think about so they couldn’t come after one of us alone. When you got in trouble, I was able to take out the first one, but the second one was locked, and he hit you before I smoked him for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t get to him in time, but I’m relieved you’re okay. Now before I quit talking shop and move on to other things, I just want you to know, I’d be glad to give you the last few flight lessons that you missed before your abrupt, but deserved promotion. Now,” smiling again, “since you’re technically not a recruit anymore, can you tell me a little about yourself, Ensign?”
* * *
Descara wailed again, “It hurts, you bastards! Let me out of this infernal place, and take me to Sick Bay where they can make me feel better. Please!!!”
The guards gave a quick call to Lt. Merak, who was in charge of security for the shift. Merak gave permission to take the prisoner, in wrist-to-waist chains only to the Med Lab for treatment. Considering his attitude, Merak said to keep Descara from getting too close to anyone. The prisoner was a nutcase who should be transferred to the prison barge. When we ever catch up with it, he thought.
The guards almost dragged him into the MedLab. “Doc! We’ve got an ill one here! He’s got an acute stomachache, and he’s a mean one. Be careful!” The guards kept him in check as the MedLab personnel decided who would deal with the prisoner.
* * *
He had no clue as to the time, but Lt. Lucian’s ejection cockpit computer model had finally worked, and then worked repeatedly under numerous conditions. Of course, there were even more numerous others for which it could never work, but if it could work for some, it might reduce the loss of pilots in a battle by a significant amount (up to about fifteen percent was Lucian’s guesstimate). The modifications were possible aboard the Callisto, so he had fired off a memo to Lt. Titon, copying Commander Sheba and Lt. Colonel Charybdis. Lt. Lucian flipped off the light in the Engineering Lab and headed for his bunk in the Black Squadron barracks. He had to get some sleep before beginning the next round of SIM training at the start of the next cycle.
* * *
Commander Sheba and Lt. Colonel Charybdis meet with the Captains, their seconds, and the surviving top Bridge Officers to review the situation. Following the Battle of Shonada, the Callisto had been forced to flee in a different direction from the rest of the Fleet to throw off pursuit. At the meeting, Sheba was obviously concerned, saying, “We are now alone, without support from other ships, and the fleet is without our protection.” The plan was for the Callisto to jump to a system code named Garrano, quickly find another jump point, and then exit that system as soon as possible before the Cylons arrived. From Garrano, it would be necessary to make a jump to at least one more system before making a final jump to rejoin the fleet. Sheba had continued, “If we are delayed, it may take yahrens to find them.”
The Callisto’s supplies were generally considered to be at a moderate level, though some items were already in short supply since it had not been possible to resupply prior to the Battle of Shonada. Because of the probability of Cylon pursuit, and the possibility of more Cylons in the upcoming systems, Sheba was concerned that it might take more time than planned to overtake the Fleet. Therefore, she ordered immediate additional conservation steps to help stretch the remaining supplies. The selection, and as a result, the quality, of food and drink available was reduced in the mess halls and officers club.
Lieutenant Colonel Charybdis made the announcement to the ship’s company about the conservations steps. In addition, he announced the basic plan regarding how the Callisto would be overtaking the Fleet in the near future, though he did not give the exact details. Since the Callisto must be ready for a fight to the finish if the Cylons get to the next system before the battlestar, he ordered that all Warriors were to participate in Viper simulations. Several SIM shifts were scheduled, and started immediately.
* * *
The Black Squadron SIM training went quite well, with many Warriors participating. The Gold Squadron SIM training was scheduled for just after Black Squadron completed its turn.
* * *
In their off-duty time, a number of Warriors started developing relationships and exploring the battlestar.
* * *
Captain Lazant couldn’t sleep. It was the second sleep period since the battle, and all he could think about was Lt. Martinzi’s death. Being blown to bit by those bastards was one thing, as he had initially believed, but a moment later, seeing what he had believed to be Martinzi’s ejection cockpit, he had had great hopes of having his best friend rescued. A later statement that the C.O.R.A.’s had picked up all of the floating ejection cockpits had been a huge relief—until, on his return to the Callisto, he found that Martinzi’s loosed cockpit had not even been recorded by the bridge personnel! Then, to compound the inanity, the bridge officer who knew about the report of Martinzi’s cockpit didn’t even tell Commander Sheba so she could order forces to locate it and a C.O.R.A. to pick it up.
Flipping the light back on, and not having to even say “Sorry” since Martinzi was gone, he looked over the printout of the battle record again. “Why?” he asked again for at least the hundredth time. One name on the list glared at him like a shining beacon. One person could have—NO, make that SHOULD have made a difference but did not. “Why?” he asked himself again for what, he suddenly decided, was the final time. It was time to ask someone who had the power to answer! He slipped on his clothes and boots and headed out the door, going to see that someone.
* * *
The Callisto continued on its long jump to the Garrano system.
<Note: Most of Chapter 7 was lost when the SciFi Board deleted the posts. The following fragments opened the chapter, followed by a few short synopses and additional recovered fragments….>
Lt. Resonat finally had a break to search for Ensign Kris, who had been his wing in the battle. He was proud of his Ensigns Kris and Anubis, who had been his students, but also of the other two young Ensigns who had given their lives in “Dasher Wing” protecting the Callisto. He was particularly proud of Kris, and he arrived in the MedLab to thank her personally and check on her recovery.
Kris saw Lt. Resonat as he approached the bed where she was resting. Her temporary amnesia suddenly cleared. She didn’t remember the actual blow she took when her ejection cockpit fired, releasing it from the exploding Viper below her, but she now remembered the battle. She had stayed with Resonat throughout the early part of the battle, taking several shots at the ever-circling horde of Raiders. One of her shots had even hit a Raider—at the same time it was hit by another Warrior, but she was now sure that it had to have been her shot that caused its destruction! She might have been a brand new Ensign during the battle, but she had done her duty to her fellow Warriors and her Battlestar, and now she had a new sense of fulfillment. My! Kris thought. Her old teacher does have a nice smile!
The dark haired Resonat flashed the smile again as he shook her hand and thanked her for sticking with him as long as she did in the battle. “Without you there beside me, I’m sure I’d have been blown to smithereens a couple of times over,” he said. “Together, we gave the bad guys something else to think about so they couldn’t come after one of us alone. When you got in trouble, I was able to take out the first one, but the second one was locked, and he hit you before I smoked him for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t get to him in time, but I’m relieved you’re okay. Now before I quit talking shop and move on to other things, I just want you to know, I’d be glad to give you the last few flight lessons that you missed before your abrupt, but deserved promotion. Now,” smiling again, “since you’re technically not a recruit anymore, can you tell me a little about yourself, Ensign?”
* * *
Descara wailed again, “It hurts, you bastards! Let me out of this infernal place, and take me to Sick Bay where they can make me feel better. Please!!!”
The guards gave a quick call to Lt. Merak, who was in charge of security for the shift. Merak gave permission to take the prisoner, in wrist-to-waist chains only to the Med Lab for treatment. Considering his attitude, Merak said to keep Descara from getting too close to anyone. The prisoner was a nutcase who should be transferred to the prison barge. When we ever catch up with it, he thought.
The guards almost dragged him into the MedLab. “Doc! We’ve got an ill one here! He’s got an acute stomachache, and he’s a mean one. Be careful!” The guards kept him in check as the MedLab personnel decided who would deal with the prisoner.
* * *
He had no clue as to the time, but Lt. Lucian’s ejection cockpit computer model had finally worked, and then worked repeatedly under numerous conditions. Of course, there were even more numerous others for which it could never work, but if it could work for some, it might reduce the loss of pilots in a battle by a significant amount (up to about fifteen percent was Lucian’s guesstimate). The modifications were possible aboard the Callisto, so he had fired off a memo to Lt. Titon, copying Commander Sheba and Lt. Colonel Charybdis. Lt. Lucian flipped off the light in the Engineering Lab and headed for his bunk in the Black Squadron barracks. He had to get some sleep before beginning the next round of SIM training at the start of the next cycle.
* * *
Commander Sheba and Lt. Colonel Charybdis meet with the Captains, their seconds, and the surviving top Bridge Officers to review the situation. Following the Battle of Shonada, the Callisto had been forced to flee in a different direction from the rest of the Fleet to throw off pursuit. At the meeting, Sheba was obviously concerned, saying, “We are now alone, without support from other ships, and the fleet is without our protection.” The plan was for the Callisto to jump to a system code named Garrano, quickly find another jump point, and then exit that system as soon as possible before the Cylons arrived. From Garrano, it would be necessary to make a jump to at least one more system before making a final jump to rejoin the fleet. Sheba had continued, “If we are delayed, it may take yahrens to find them.”
The Callisto’s supplies were generally considered to be at a moderate level, though some items were already in short supply since it had not been possible to resupply prior to the Battle of Shonada. Because of the probability of Cylon pursuit, and the possibility of more Cylons in the upcoming systems, Sheba was concerned that it might take more time than planned to overtake the Fleet. Therefore, she ordered immediate additional conservation steps to help stretch the remaining supplies. The selection, and as a result, the quality, of food and drink available was reduced in the mess halls and officers club.
Lieutenant Colonel Charybdis made the announcement to the ship’s company about the conservations steps. In addition, he announced the basic plan regarding how the Callisto would be overtaking the Fleet in the near future, though he did not give the exact details. Since the Callisto must be ready for a fight to the finish if the Cylons get to the next system before the battlestar, he ordered that all Warriors were to participate in Viper simulations. Several SIM shifts were scheduled, and started immediately.
* * *
The Black Squadron SIM training went quite well, with many Warriors participating. The Gold Squadron SIM training was scheduled for just after Black Squadron completed its turn.
* * *
In their off-duty time, a number of Warriors started developing relationships and exploring the battlestar.
* * *
Captain Lazant couldn’t sleep. It was the second sleep period since the battle, and all he could think about was Lt. Martinzi’s death. Being blown to bit by those bastards was one thing, as he had initially believed, but a moment later, seeing what he had believed to be Martinzi’s ejection cockpit, he had had great hopes of having his best friend rescued. A later statement that the C.O.R.A.’s had picked up all of the floating ejection cockpits had been a huge relief—until, on his return to the Callisto, he found that Martinzi’s loosed cockpit had not even been recorded by the bridge personnel! Then, to compound the inanity, the bridge officer who knew about the report of Martinzi’s cockpit didn’t even tell Commander Sheba so she could order forces to locate it and a C.O.R.A. to pick it up.
Flipping the light back on, and not having to even say “Sorry” since Martinzi was gone, he looked over the printout of the battle record again. “Why?” he asked again for at least the hundredth time. One name on the list glared at him like a shining beacon. One person could have—NO, make that SHOULD have made a difference but did not. “Why?” he asked himself again for what, he suddenly decided, was the final time. It was time to ask someone who had the power to answer! He slipped on his clothes and boots and headed out the door, going to see that someone.
* * *
The Callisto continued on its long jump to the Garrano system.