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Post by Logan on Dec 12, 2008 12:15:15 GMT -6
***Continued from Chapter 38-I "Meeting in the Conference Room" *************************
Commander Sheba was almost to the doorway when Lt. Baris caught up to her. Logan wasn't close enough to hear their words, but Baris seemed almost animated in his half of the discussion. She hadn't seen him that agitated since he had rebuked the Warriors for not avoiding injury on the last mission.
Logan uncrossed her legs and arms and braced her hands on her thighs to stand. The members of her team were also getting up and preparing to leave the room for final tasks before the mission. She looked over her shoulder and saw Persephone in a whispered conversation with Triton. Logan had no clue what hisroty they had and it concerned her for a micron. Persephone was new and there was a difference in going on a mission with people you had been in distress with before and those who you had emotional attachments to. She smiled and almost laughed. Like we all don't have emotional attachments. Her eyes fell on Hush and Brik as the thought came to her.
Hush moved in that catlike way he had about him, smooth and graceful, quiet, yet determined. "So, what do you think?"
"I think, " she was talking to Hush but made a point to include Brik as he tried to walk past them, stopping him with a light touch on his upper arm, "that we need to get our gear and check out the shuttle." She didn't break eye contact with Brik.
Hush didn't say anything as an apparent battle of wills took place between the auburn-haired Captain and her large friend. Neither of them moved until Logan said, " If we have time."
It wasn't an order, but it was necessary to say it out loud. Logan knew that Brik wanted to go find Skyler. She was fighting the same compunction. She was struck by the oddity of her being the one not to act on impulse. Typically, Brik would be the one holding her back.
"I know." It was all Brik said and it seemed to satisfy her.
Hush knew that as an outsider it would take a while to get used to the almost eerie way Logan and Brik had of commuinicating without words. But as a man of few words himself, he could appreciate the friendship that existed making two people that in tune to each other.
"I'm going to my quarters to get my gear. Meet you in the bay in a centar?" Hush and Brik nodded as she turned and skirting Sheba and Baris, walked into the corridor.
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Post by persephone on Dec 15, 2008 22:49:10 GMT -6
Still on the Celestra:
Icarus sat himself down at the table Zorrin read his newspaper at. Zorrin was deeply ingrosed in a IFB news story, but his eyes slowly glanced upward from over the paper he held up in front of him.
Clutching the photograph in his palm, he finally spoke. "Pardon me, my name is Iltar, a shuttle pilot from the Adina. Your senior technician, Iltar told me I could find you here. i hope I'm not disturbing you. Er..Zorrin, isn't it?", asked Icarus.
Zorrin looked up at the tall brown, but greying, haired man. "Yes, that's right. Have I worked on your shuttle before? Is that why you here?"
"Ah, no, we haven't met before, I believe some of the other techs have always maintained my shuttle. I'm here for another reason. " He paused. "May we talk? Do you have a couple of centons spare?"
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Post by Skyler on Jan 7, 2009 11:55:14 GMT -6
Skyler sat at his desk, the chair pushed back away from it, his head against the head rest and just stared at the status board on the wall… His mind raced at light speed, had he missed anything. Was there something there that he should of have seen. His heart still wouldn’t accept Apollo’s decision. It never would… His eyes focused on Brie’s name on the board.
Maj. Brie (ret) Gold One Status: Galactica
He brought his left hand up and wiped across his face and felt the growth, more then stubble, but less than a beard, it had been cycles since he had shaved. After his last meeting with Sheba he had flown non-stop, except for fuel stops. That was how they got him. He landed and taxied into the refueling lane and they shut down flight operations. He had looked down the line and no Vipers were in the ready position. Flight Deck Vehicles and Vipers and Shuttles littered the deck in both directions, not that he had the fuel to restart the engines and shoot back out the other end. Apollo and Sheba knew that was the only way they had to make him stop looking for her. He was handed sealed orders from Commander Sheba, he had opened them, and found a personal note…
Skyler,
Apollo has called it. There is no way for her to be alive unless she found breathable space, and you know better than any of us, there is none other than on a ship out there. No planet in this system can support life, and half of them can barely support machines with the effects they are having on our vipers. I know nothing I can say will ever change your heart, or ease the pain you have, but we have to move on, for the safety of the Fleet. Brie’s status has been changed to Deceased. I have a briefing with members of Gold Squadron that are doing that little favor for me concerning Amy. I will meet you afterwards in your quarters for a briefing on your last patrol. I will see you soon….
Sheba.
Life would go on, it always did, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to face it….
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Post by Skyler on Jan 8, 2009 12:06:19 GMT -6
Skyler forced himself to get up out of his chair. His uniform, though clean was full of wrinkles and he needed to shave. One did not report to the commander of a Battlestar looking like a 3rd Orbit Cadet that had been on a weekend bender with the guys. He finished his turbo shower and pulled on a new uniform, has was almost finished shaving when the felt the ship start the jump. It wouldn’t be long now… He finished shaving and returned to the office. He walked over to the status board and wiped the word Galactica off of Brie's status and wrote in Missing. He turned and faced his desk, a fresh jacket was hanging from the back of the chair. He strapped on his blaster and dropped into the chair. He pulled up his computer screen and ignored the flashing icon telling him he had new messages waiting. He knew what they would be, and he wasn’t interested in them just yet. He had to get his thoughts together and prepare a report for Sheba. He went to the report forms and began filling it out. Every detail, still fresh, but forever burned into his mind. The burnt and shattered wreckage that used to be Gold One would haunt his dreams…. Forever…
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Post by persephone on Jan 13, 2009 22:21:33 GMT -6
"So what do you mean your mother told you that your brother is alive, Pers??"
The two lieutenants walked along the corridor after coming out of the meeting room. Persephone was in the middle of explaining everything that happened while being under the gas that the prisoners released on the shuttle a day ago, when Triton's attention was distracted and looked up toward the hall entrance to beta level. Persephone's eyes followed her co-lieutnenant' s gaze. Someone was calling out to him, and it came from the voice of a younger man.
She had not encountered this person before on the Callisto. Little wonder, as his uniform bore the markings of the Galactica.
"Uncle Triton!"
"Troy?" he answered. Triton's face lighted up with a big smile. His pace quickened to meet the warrior walking toward him.
Persephone smiled confused as she watched Triton greet the Galactican warrior. She waited to hear Triton say something else to give her some further clue of who he might be.
"Troy, I'm so glad to see you." He put his hands upon the young man's shoulders. "It's good to see you again too Uncle Triton". The young man's bright brown eyes matched his brilliant smile.
"What has it been? Five sectars? Or Six...I've lost count", Triton continued.
"I don't know myself, all I know is, it's been too long", Troy replied.
"Well now that you're captain, I guess that keeps you pretty busy, what, with commanding a squadron and all".
"Yeah, it's a full plate, but I love it".
"Well, what brings you to the Callisto?"
"Actually, a few things. I have some messages to deliver, and some other colonial business to attend to."
"E-hem", Persephone pretended to clear her throat, as she held her arm with her other hand against herself, slightly rolling on her heeled boots. Medium widened green eyes signaled to Triton that she awaited an introduction. Triton turned his head, remembering Persephone was waiting.
"Troy, I'd like you to meet someone." Triton moved near to Persephone. "This is Lieutenant Persephone, Gold Squadron. And a very good friend of mine".
Troy took a moment to meet with Persephone's eyes, and smiled at her, in wonder.
Triton continued the introduction, "and this is ...my nephew, well, second in line that is, Captain Troy from the Galactica. Troy is the son of Commander Apollo."
It dawned on her. Yes of course he is the commander's son. Well, adopted son, so she had learned from Triton. It made sense why he addressed Triton as 'uncle'. She stepped forward to shake his hand. "It's an honor to meet you Captain Troy".
He returned his hand to shake hers, "The honor is all mine, Lieutenant". Troy seemed to be mesmerized by Persephone. She noticed it, and thought he was fixated on her for some reason. Did she have something stuck in her teeth? Or maybe there was a trace of the berry preserve she had eaten on her toast at breakfast that she hadn't wiped away from the corner of her mouth properly with her napkin. She knew she should have checked in a mirror before leaving the mess hall. But then why wouldn't Triton have said something to her, would he rather she look like a ...." Her thoughts were interrupted as Troy spoke to her.
"Would you mind if I speak with my uncle for a few centons, Lieutenant?"
Persephone recomposed herself. "Ah, no of course not. You probably have family things to discuss. I know Triton doesn't get much time to spend with his family these days."
"Thank you Lieutenant", Troy responded back.
"Why don't you go on Pers, and I'll meet you in a while", Triton suggested. "Sure". Persephone turned and walked with a stride just to look confident. She headed toward her quarters to gather provisions and a napsack from her locker for the assignment.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Troy ran his hand through his soft brown hair, as he turned to his uncle. His hair was straight and worn long and parted in the middle. A haircut very much like his father's when he was younger, but a little longer. Troy's face had grown handsome. He was in his mid thirties now, all grown up. He no longer went by the name of Boxy anymore, as that was just a pet name or nickname his mother had given him when he was just a small boy. He was a handful back then.
Troy was the name he chose, as was per custom to the colonials, on a person's Name Day. When a child comes of a certain age, he or she will choose the name they wish to be known by for the rest of their lives. Often parents have already chosen their child's name at birth, but when they reach the age of ten yahren, they are ready to consciously choose their name, as either the name their parents gave them, or a different name if they prefer another. It is then sealed in a traditional ceremony with a high priest of their local temple, as the child is then officially introduced to society under their chosen name.
Troy's name day was celebrated amongst the stars on the Fleet, as many children survivors did. All that was missing was his mother, Serina. But his father couldn't have been more proud of him. Troy was the very name Serina had chosen for him when he was born, and Boxy was more than happy and proud to choose his mother's choice of name for him.
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Post by Logan on Jan 17, 2009 8:44:21 GMT -6
Logan was in her quarters, sitting on the edge of her bunk. Her forearms resting on her thighs, slightly hunched over, hair hanging free and almost touching the floor. Her eyes closed, she breathed slowly in a pattern she had taught herself yahrens ago to calm her inner demons.
She was more affected by Brie's death than the others would ever see. Her close friends would know, but to the casual observer she would be understandably shaken, but not crushed. After all Brie and Logan weren't exactly best friends. They were fellow Warriors and Brie was Logan's superior officer.
But Logan had admired Brie greatly in the several yahrens they had served together. She had always meant to socialize more with the Major, to learn from her as she had the gut instinct that Brie had much to teach. Logan didn't make emotional attachments often or lightly and the loss was deep.
And she also knew that Skyler thought highly of Brie and that was the best possible recommendation of a person's worth that Logan knew.
She wanted to talk to Skyler but knew that Sheba was with him most likely. And there was her own mission to carry out. So she stood up, pushing the hair out of her face and tying it back in a loose ponytail with a piece of leather twine.
Turning to look at herself in the mirror, she sighed and smoothed the front of her tunic. She felt old. There wasn't any gray in her auburn hair yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. Her tall frame was still athletic due to training but she could see areas that were fuller than they ought to be. She shook her head at this small vanity and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears.
She had that feeling again. The one in the pit of her stomach that told her something was wrong. Something she wasn't seeing. She had the familar prickling sensation up her spine. She stared at her reflection hard in search of answers, but nothing came to her. Not that she thought it would. Over the yahrens, she had accepted these 'hunches' she had and learned to respect her instincts. She also had learned that whatever was going to happen would happen without her knowing for sure what it was. Only that it was coming.
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Post by Logan on Jan 25, 2009 8:59:08 GMT -6
The person standing in front of the mirror looked almost comical to Logan. She had gotten so used to wearing her uniform that civilian clothes made her look like an entirely different person. But incognito was the nane of the game for the upcoming mission.
She adjusted the simple leather vest over the large white tunic she had pulled from the back of her storage locker. She almost thought she must have gotten taller since the hem of the tunic fell mid-thigh now. She could have sworn the last time she wore it that it was shorter.
She bent over to adjust the black boots that came to her knees and tucked her olive green trouser legs more snugly into the tops. The boots were well-worn since she wore them all the time off duty, but were comfortable and in better shape than they looked.
She wasn't sure if her civilian garb was exactly what Sheba had in mind and appropriate for a scientific mission, but Logan only owned one dress. It was a frilly moonlight blue affair that she was forced to wear for special occassions when her dress uniform would be out of place. And the accompanying cape that went with it would be impossibly restrictive if action was called for.
You couldn't tell to look at her, but she was well-armed. The Colonial issue blaster was tucked in the belt at her waist and hidden by the folds of the shirt and the vest. No one had said no weapons on this one and until they said otherwise, she was going to make sure to not be caught in a similar position to that of the last mission. The slimy fell of Comeek's breath on her neck and firm grip around her torso was an appalling experience she didn't intend to duplicate. That entire encounter still didn't sit well with her. If she wasn't bound to duty, she would be back on the Prison Barge right now hunting the vermin down.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she pulled the leather strip holding her long, auburn curls a bit tighter at the base of her neck and considered herself in the mirror.
That prickling sensation up and down her neck wouldn't go away. Taking a look over her shoulder at her bunk and the light pack of supplies she had gathered for the mission, she went over and snatched it up, grumbling under her breath as she headed for the door to her quarters.
Once in the corridor, she turned not towards the landing bay and the waiting shuttlecraft, but towards Skyler's office. She had time before launch and the nagging bit of doubt in the pit of her stomach told her it was the right thing to do.
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Post by Skyler on Jan 26, 2009 15:05:55 GMT -6
The Callisto had just exited the jump and the patrol Vipers would be launching. In a couple of centars, select warriors from Gold Squadron and assigned mission specialist would be leaving via a Civilian Transport shuttle to begin the search from Amy. It should be a fairly quite time from him. With the loss of Brie and the warriors on the search for Amy mission, Gold Squadron had been giving a little time out of the patrol rotation. Frack, even the deck crews had it easy since they had worked non stop during the jump to make sure the Vipers were fit for duty once the jump ended. Skyler’s viper had given them the most trouble since he had not stopped during the search long enough to allow them time to do anything more than check fluids and refuel.
Skyler thought of his friends preparing for the ‘undercover’ mission and smiled. It was the first time he had smiled since he had gotten the news about Brie…. Brik had stopped by during the jump looking for civilian clothes. The closest thing Skyler had was his old Colonial Infantry Uniform, which was a variant of the Warrior Uniform they now wore. It had a few more pockets to make it a little more practical in the field, but other wise, it was Colonial Military all the way. They had managed to scrounge up a few places on the Callisto to look for civies as they were nicknamed and off Brik went. Skyler can only imagine his big friend trying to find something that would fit his massive form.
An even bigger smile crossed his face, he had been by one of the locations, a makeshift store of sorts. He remembered most of the clothing was female, since most of the men on the Callisto were like Skyler, always in some form of uniform. One item stuck in his mind, a frilly pink tutu with a matching top. He wished his big friend luck....
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Post by Logan on Jan 30, 2009 8:01:58 GMT -6
Now that she was outside Skyler's office, Logan hesitated.
There was so much going on. The mission. The Prison Barge fiasco. Amy missing. And Brie...
Squaring her shoulders, she walked through the entry and found Skyler sitting at his desk going through reports. She thought she could detect a slight slumping of his shoulders, but otherwise it looked like business as usual.
The desk was as immaculate as his uniform. Reports weren't scattered but in neat rows and his she didn't see a speck of dust anywhere. Her old friend was a stickler for protocol and appearance regardless of the circumstance. The only tell-tale sign of anything ever being out of the ordinary in this office was the slight dent in the locker on the far wall that had never been hammered out. She remembered the day she and Brik had been forced to physically restrain Skyler from going after Pierce when Brie had been...it all went back to Major Brie. Logan wondered if Skyler would ever have that locker repaired now.
She didn't know how long she stood there but when she came out of her reverie, Skyler was looking up at her, report in hand and shoulders a bit more square then when she had entered.
"Major," she found the words hard to come by but struggled through as he sat silently. He looked tired.
"Captain."
"Skyler, I'm sorry." She didn't say anything more. There really wasn't time and there was a mission to attend to. She knew that Skyler would talk to her when he was ready and he held his Warriors and friends to the same standard he set. Duty first.. She could tell he wasn't ready now, but the pain in his eyes almost broke her heart.
He sighed and leaned back in his chair, setting the report on the desk in front of him. "I know. We all are." He got up and walked to the front of the desk then, leaning his frame against it for support and crossing his legs. "So, I can tell by your civvies that you're ready for the mission. I'm surprised that you even have any civilian clothes. Well, besides that blue dress they made you wear to Ensign Loomis' sealing. " He almost had some of the old twinkle in his eye as he said deadpan, "Maybe you should wear that. It would match the tutu that Brik might end up having to wear."
She couldn't help but smile a bit. She had known that their big friend would have trouble finding any civvies to fit his large form.
The wall comm beeped and Sklyer walked over to it, hitting the activation switch. "Major Skyler."
"Major Skyler. Commander Sheba needs to see you on the bridge immediately. She requests you bring Captains Brik and Logan with you as well." Logan didn't recognize the voice and guessed that someone new must be manning comms.
"Right away." Skyler turned to look at Logan, both of them confused.
"What is that about?", Logan asked as the major straightened his uniform jacket and started walking for the door, Logan falling into step beside him.
"No idea. But I really hope Brik isn't already in his tutu."
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Post by Skyler on Feb 2, 2009 12:16:28 GMT -6
Skyler and Logan entered the Bridge about the same time Brik caught up with them. The big man carried a bundle of clothes tucked under his arm. Skyler was relieved that what little pieces that were exposed were not pink, so he must of have passed on the tutu. Sheba caught sight of them as they entered and motioned them towards the War Room. Skyler was scanning the bridge as they made their way across. Something was happening, duty stations that were normally unmanned had warm bodies sitting at them. It wasn’t shift change yet, but he noticed the arrival of a few bridge officers, more experienced officers, replacing the third shift officers. That would explain the unfamiliar voice that had summoned Logan and him. A quick glance to the status board showed the Black Squadron Vipers that were flying recon, there was a problem, one was marked in a different color, but he couldn’t quite make out the name. It also showed two Bronze Squadron Vipers were space borne. No doubt to check on the status of the Black Squadron Viper. It was all standard operating procedure, more than likely a communication error or scanner glitch that needed to be followed up on. Anything more and the bridge would be awash in a red glow and Warriors would be on their way to the launch bay, not the bridge.
They entered the war room and the doors slid shut behind them. Sheba didn’t seem more worried than usual.
“Major, Captain’s, just wanted to make some last minute changes to the mission. As of right now, it is still a go, just delayed.” Sheba started the conversation.
“Understood Commander, but our transport?” Logan started…
“I know Captain. We want to use the civilian shuttles to keep prying eyes from knowing what we were doing. In doing so we are at their mercy on schedules, and if I alter or delay one with out reason, well, prying eyes.” Sheba looked at a printout on her table and looked back up at the small group. “We will have to delay about 48 centars, I have looked over the civilian shuttle schedules and this one will keep you on your outlined search pattern we had discussed earlier.”
Skyler saw the look of relief on Brik’s face. No doubt he wanted the extra time to finish his civilian disguise. Skyler also saw the look on Sheba’s face.
“Commander, it’s the Black Squadron Viper that is delaying the mission, what is the status and what are your orders.” Skyler asked.
Sheba knew that there wasn’t much that got past Skyler, she smiled “Major, Lt. Dolet’s Viper reported back that he had found something and started transmitting data to the bridge. The data readings changed drastically and the next micron we knew we lost everything. Dolet’s Viper disappeared from the scanners, no wreckage, nothing. Bronze had two Vipers in alert status and we just launched them to investigate what happened. We are focusing our scans on that region, but we are having a hard time detecting anything. So as of right now, no orders, it depends on what Bronze finds out there.”
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