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Post by Brie on Dec 10, 2004 12:44:33 GMT -6
Brie sat in her chair, not really wanting to get up. Sitting next to her Boleman worked on organizing his things. In no time at all they were approached by Major Pierce. “I think we should wait,” he said in a rather monotone voice. “There’s still a crowd out there, I’m sure that Brie doesn’t want to be escorted through the middle of it.”
Brie stared at him. “Don’t EVER presume to know what I want or...”
Boleman put a hand on her shoulder and cut her off. “That’s a good idea.”
“She could temporarily stay in the same room as last time,” Pierce suggested. “For just half a centar or so.” Boleman nodded. “I’ll go speak with security,” Pierce continued. “Let them know what’s going on.” He walked away and approached the two blackshirts who were standing nearby.
A few microns later a civilian man that Brie had never seen before approached Boleman. “Excuse me, Sir? Your wife wanted you to meet her immediately.”
Boleman looked surprised. “Really? Where?”
“She didn’t say,” the man informed him, “but she headed down that hall and took a right.”
“What’s down there?” Boleman asked Brie.
“The Officers’ Club,” Brie replied. “A little further is the Mess Hall.”
“That’s probably it.” Boleman looked again at the man. “Did she say what it was about?”
“No, Sir,” the man said, “but she looked a little anxious.”
“Thank you.” Boleman sighed as the man walked away. “I hope everything is okay.”
“Go!” Brie instructed. “I’ll be fine. Look, here comes security now.”
“Major Brie?” one of the blackshirts started. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah.” She stood and took a couple of steps towards the room on the side. “Go,” she pleaded to Boleman. “I’ll see you back in the brig.”
Boleman left through the main door and fought his way through the crowd, refusing to answer questions. Brie walked with the two blackshirts to the side room. She was glad to not be returning immediately to the brig. She took a seat and the door closed behind her. She drummed her fingers on the table as she had before. There were voices outside, but she couldn’t tell what they were saying. She didn’t really care. The door opened again.
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Post by Brie on Dec 10, 2004 15:39:14 GMT -6
The door opened, and Brie looked up. Major Pierce walked through and made sure it closed behind him. On his face was the smuggest expression that Brie had ever seen. “What do you want?” Brie asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Pierce replied. “I’m here to gloat.”
“I’m really not in the mood,” Brie informed him. “So please just leave, or else I’ll ask security to throw you out.”
Pierce took a couple of steps closer to Brie. “It’s amazing what a couple of cubits will buy these days. The two blackshirts, well, they’ll let me stay for as long as I want. As Chief Opposer I have every right to be here anyway. And you don’t have to worry about that protector of yours showing up. He’s busy looking for his wife, who didn’t actually summon him. That one cost a couple MORE cubits than the blackshirts. But at least you and I now have a little bit of time alone.”
“What do you want?” Brie repeated. She was growing extremely uncomfortable.
Pierce stood over Brie and bent down, his face right next to hers. “I want to make sure you understand.” He stood up again. “This has been a glorious few centars. Yes, it’s about time that things were made right.”
“You haven’t won yet.”
“Yes I have,” Pierce corrected. “It doesn’t really matter if you’re convicted, Brie, although that would be a nice little bonus. Everything is now out. That idiot Boleman did my work for me. You helped, of course. I had never wanted your file sealed, and then you opened it to the entire fleet! Everyone now knows about your breakdown. Glorious. As I said, things will finally be made right.”
“What did I ever do to you?” Brie asked. “So there was one time that they didn’t follow your recommendation. Big deal.”
“You think this is about you?” Pierce actually laughed. “Surely you’re not that stupid. No, my dear, this is about that meddlesome twit that you were sealed to.”
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Post by Brie on Dec 12, 2004 13:47:43 GMT -6
Brie paused for several microns, trying to figure out what was going on. “You didn’t even know Turner,” she said at last.
“Not personally,” Pierce informed her. “Although I know what he did. Oh, he was smart, all right, maybe too smart for his own good. Brave too. But it was his ego that got him into trouble.”
Brie still had no idea what Pierce was talking about, but he was doing a pretty good job of describing her late husband. “How?”
Pierce continued to talk, almost as if to himself. “He thought it was just three warriors, but it went a lot deeper than that. He thought that an anonymous tip couldn’t be traced back to him. And he thought he could keep YOU safe.”
Slowly Brie began to piece the puzzle together. Several yahrens earlier Turner had discovered a plot to assassinate the president. He had shared the information only with Brie and Charybdis, both of whom had thought it was a joke. Turner recorded conversations and gathered evidence and turned it anonymously into security, and the three warriors involved were arrested. Two sectons after that Turner was killed on patrol. “What are you talking about?” Brie asked.
Pierce rolled his eyes. “Don’t play stupid with me, Brie. I’ve waited a long time to have my revenge. You see, killing the president was only supposed to be the first step. Adama was next. We were going to take over the fleet, then find some place to live. ANYPLACE but inside these falling-apart metal crates. But then that troublemaker Turner got involved. With the first three arrests people got scared. It was the beginning of the end. Some people left, others died, still more were arrested on unrelated charges, soon our group AND our hopes were just about gone. I’m the only one left with the full knowledge of our original plan, since everything was on a ‘need to know’ basis.” He laughed again. “At least your husband got what was owed him.”
Brie stared at Pierce. “What do you know about Turner’s death?” She tried hard to remain calm, if she strangled Pierce like she wanted to do she would never find out the truth.
“What you have known all along,” Pierce confirmed. “Captain Turner wasn’t killed by the Cylons.”
“He WAS murdered,” Brie mumbled.
“He was executed!” Pierce corrected. “For crimes against humanity. That bad batch of bovine stew that caused so much food poisoning? There was nothing originally wrong with it. We just needed to get Turner on that patrol. His viper had been...modified. Unfortunately someone had to mess with Ensign Cal’s as well, since they weren’t sure which viper Turner would be taking. There were a lot of incompetents in our organization. Ironically, the two warriors who ‘fixed’ the vipers were killed themselves in the battle which followed with the Cylons.”
“Why should I believe any of this?” Brie asked. She believed every word.
“The Cylons hadn’t yet attacked when Turner’s ship exploded,” Pierce said. “They didn’t attack for at least 15 centons, and it was no where near where Turner had been. You know all this. You had figured it out from the very beginning.”
“So what’s to stop me from telling someone now?” Brie asked.
Pierce smiled a very creepy smile. “That’s the beauty of this whole situation. I know what you did as well.”
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Post by Brie on Dec 13, 2004 14:43:18 GMT -6
Brie was confused again. “What did I do?” she asked.
“You tried to let them know,” Pierce said. “They didn’t believe you. Everyone wanted to think that the problem was over. They thought you were crazy. So you let them think that you were. But you faked the whole thing.”
Slowly Brie shook her head. “I faked it? Want to see the scars?”
“I’m not stupid, Brie, so please don’t treat me like I am. When no one would believe you, you got nervous. You didn’t know how deep the plot went, and you were scared for your life and Charybids’ life as well. Your suicide attempt, your whole breakdown, was your way of showing us that you didn’t know anything else. Interesting idea, although by that time there was almost no one left, so it was really for naught.” Pierce chuckled. “Go ahead and tell someone now. You’ve just admitted to the whole fleet that you went crazy when Turner died. Let security know about the whole conspiracy. Or how about Doc Bkj? The two of you have had appointments twice a yahren since you returned to active duty. Tell her everything that I’ve just told you.”
“Don’t think that I won’t,” Brie said.
Pierce bent over again, his face right next to Brie’s ear. “You miss it, Brie? The restraints on your wrists and ankles? Being held down so tightly that you can’t move? Then the needle jabs into your vein, and slowly your whole mind starts to slip into nothingness........” Pierce straightened up and took a step back. “This tribunal couldn’t have gone any better. You’ve admitted your insanity, so no one will ever be able to trust you again. Charybids, well, he’s a bonus. Imagine seducing that poor, young girl right before she was to leave to her death. He really showed where HIS priorities are! I was so upset when Boleman decided not to call him to the stand, but Buellah allowed me to instead so it worked out even better. You now know the truth about Turner, and you can’t do a damn thing about it. And to top it all off, you’re probably going to be convicted. I’ve cost you your husband, the respect that you’ve worked so hard for, your so-called sanity AND your freedom. Everything! I never thought in a thousand yahrens that things could go so well.”
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Post by Brie on Dec 15, 2004 18:27:19 GMT -6
Once again Pierce moved close to Brie. “When Major Buellah and the others come back, they’ll already have your sentence planned. But if Boleman and I agree on our recommendations, most likely they’ll change their minds.” Pierce took a finger and stroked Brie’s face. Although she was repulsed she didn’t move away. “You know, I could be persuaded to go along with what Boleman says. Even if it’s just community service. Although you’d have to do something for me in return.”
“What?” It was obvious what Pierce was thinking, but Brie asked anyway.
“Well, walking in on you and Justin brings a few things to mind...” Pierce put his hand on the back of Brie’s neck and slowly pulled her towards him.
Brie stood up and smiled at Pierce. “I have an idea,” she said softly.
Pierce was almost drooling. “What?”
“This!” Brie replied. She punched Pierce with all her strength in the stomach. While he was doubled over in pain Brie grabbed him from behind, throwing her left arm around his neck and although it was still in a sling, she used her right arm to keep her left arm steady. She slowly tightened her grip.
“Can’t......breathe,” Pierce managed to get out.
“Sure you can,” Brie replied cheerfully. “If you’re able to get words out, then there’s SOME air that’s passing through. It might be difficult, but you’re not going to die. Yet.”
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Post by Brie on Dec 16, 2004 12:17:47 GMT -6
Pierce struggled but it didn’t do any good. It was the first time in a long time that Brie had any sense of control, and she was really enjoying herself. It was her turn to laugh. “It’s funny. I was the last thing on Turner’s mind before he died, and now I’ll be the last thing on yours as well. How’s that for poetic justice?”
“You.....wouldn’t.” Pierce was fighting for every word.
“No?” Brie took a few steps, dragging Pierce with her. “You said it yourself, I’ve got nothing to lose. I figure if I’m about to spend the rest of my life on the Prison Barge it might as well be for an actual crime instead of this 'gross negligence' felgercarb.”
“It would be.....murder.”
Brie grew serious. “No, it’s an execution. For the murders of Captain Turner and Ensign Cal of the Battlestar Galactica.” She laughed again. “See, Major Pierce, you’ve taught me well.”
Pierce had never been so scared in all his life. “You don’t.....have.....it.....in.....you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Brie corrected. She continued to drag Pierce across the room. “They say killing someone the first time is hard, but the second time is a lot easier. I killed a man once before. It was ruled self-defense, but his blood was still on my hands. This one, though, I think I’m really going to enjoy. So how do you want it? I could break your neck OR crush your windpipe. The choice is yours.”
“You’re.....crazy.”
Brie shook her head. “We already went over that. I’m NOT crazy. I faked it, remember? Even you figured that out.” She tightened her grip just a little. “Did you know that Turner didn’t die immediately when his viper exploded? The Cylons picked both Turner and Cal up in their escape pods. Turner died centars later, but poor Cal. He was tortured extensively before he was killed. He was a good kid, and that was his very first patrol.” She took a couple more steps. “So, Pierce, what’s it like to know that you’re about to die?”
“Brie.....please.”
“Oh, that’s really good,” Brie said. “I’d love to hear you beg. Let’s see, should I have you beg for mercy? Or forgiveness. Hmmm. Oh, what the frack, go ahead and beg for both. Let’s try forgiveness first, and if you can sell me on that one we’ll try for mercy.”
Pierce had broken out into a cold sweat. “I’m.....sorry.”
Brie sighed. “You’re going to have to do better than that. Sorry for what? For killing my husband? For ruining my life? What?”
“Didn’t kill...”
Brie pulled tightly around Pierce’s throat. “Don’t even go there, Major. Just because you didn’t tamper with his viper yourself doesn’t make you any less responsible. Tell you what, let’s forget the begging, it’s not going to do any good anyway.”
Pierce tried to say something but could barely get any sound out.
“Are you ready to die, Pierce?” Brie asked. “We might as well get this over with.” Having positioned herself next to the door Brie let go of Pierce and knocked. “Security?” she called as sweetly as possible. Pierce was bent over, holding his neck and coughing. The door opened and the two blackshirts walked in. “It’s been half a centar, hasn’t it? I think it’s time you escort me back to the brig.”
The two blackshirts stared at Pierce. “What’s wrong with him?” one of them asked.
“Oh, he’s fine,” Brie informed them. “It was just something that he ate. Something that was hard to swallow. It didn’t really go down right, came back up, and now he’s choking on his own vomit.”
“I hate it when that happens,” the other blackshirt commented. “You ready, Major Brie?” She nodded, and the three of them left for the brig, with Pierce still coughing in the background.
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Post by Brie on Dec 17, 2004 11:54:49 GMT -6
Brie sat in her cell in the brig, full of mixed emotions. She still felt an incredible high after threatening Pierce, but she knew that there would probably be ramifications. She was furious over finding out that Pierce had been involved with Turner’s death. But she also felt a sense of relief, she knew for sure that she hadn’t been delusional, Turner HAD been murdered.
Several centons later Boleman entered the cell. “Did you find Trula?” Brie asked.
“It was the strangest thing,” Boleman replied, shaking his head. “She wasn’t even looking for me. I saw the man who had given me the message, he had me mixed up with someone else.”
“Imagine that,” Brie mumbled.
Outside the cell another person approached. Doc Bkj, medical bag in hand, joined Brie and Boleman. “I’m here to look at that elbow,” she said.
“Can’t it wait?” Boleman asked.
“Major Pierce’s orders,” Doc Bkj replied. “Not that I have to accept orders from him...”
“It’s fine,” Brie replied.
“Medical exams are confidential,” Bkj informed Boleman, “so if you’ll please excuse us...”
A few microns later Doc Bkj was looking at Brie’s elbow. “Looks good,” she said. “Does it still hurt?”
“Just a little,” Brie replied.
“Well, I think you can do without the sling.”
Brie changed the subject. “So Pierce sent you?”
“Yeah,” Bkj replied. “Strange man. I think he’s done a little bit too much yelling during the tribunal, his voice is really raspy. I wanted to take a look at his throat, but he wouldn't let me.” Doc Bkj packed up her stuff. “I think we’re just about through. You can use your elbow, but take it easy.”
“Okay,” Brie said. “Thanks, Doc.”
Doc Bkj left and Boleman returned. “I’m going to see if I can find anything out. I’ll be back soon.” Brie nodded and once again was left alone with her thoughts.
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Post by JustinB on Dec 19, 2004 0:45:35 GMT -6
It had been a while since Rose and I had spent some time together. Too make matters worse I had started to have genuine feelings for Brie. Where did it come from and considering the rivalry between the Squadrons if I did start seeing, would it work?
Just as if she read my mind, Rose entered the Officers Club. She sat down next to me and gave me a kiss. When I didn't return the kiss, I guess she knew something was up.
"What's up sweetheart?"
"Rose, how does one define a relationship? We have hardly spent time together in the recent sectons. I feel I need to move on. Plus I thought I could get over sending you on missions and not caring, especially when I was commanding them. You are a good person Rose, you deserve better. It is my fault for falling for someone under my command, a mistake I won't make ever again. I would like us to be friends and still talk, but we didn't get of the ground. We are over. I'm sorry.
With that I stood up and left the Officers Club, not daring to look back at Rose.
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Post by JustinB on Dec 19, 2004 1:01:58 GMT -6
I don't know why, but maybe I did. I was standing just outside the brig when Doc Bkj exited.
"How is Brie Doc?" I asked
Seeming a little perplexed at why I would ask about Brie, Doc Bkj replied, "Well Major, she seems fine at the moment, but she needs all the help she can get. I have to go and tend my duties in the Med lab now. See you around there sometime for maybe a check-up sometime soon ok Major?"
"Yeah Doc, you will."
I entered the Callisto Brig and walked in on two Blackshirts talking and laughing about what Pierce looked like when they went to escort Brie to the Brig.
"What happened to Pierce? Not bothering to use his rank.
"Nothing Major, What can we do for you Sir?
"I'd like to see Major Brie now."
"You have five centons Major, but that is if Major Brie wishes to see you."
If Major Brie wishes to see me, what the Frack is going on. Just as they were letting Brie I was here, I barged in and ordered the Blackshirts out. Before she could get a word out I got in first.
"Brie, First of all I don't care of the consequences and I want to testify on your behalf. I owe it to you as a friend and a Warrior. Secondly on a minor note, Rose and I are no longer together."
I wondered how she take the news.
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Post by Brie on Dec 19, 2004 8:24:14 GMT -6
Brie stared at JustinB, not really wanting to see him. She was still incredibly embarrassed for the way she acted on the Galactica. "I'm sorry," were the only words that she could think of saying.
Justin stood there for several microns. "Sorry for what?" he finally asked.
Brie sighed. "Sorry for your relationship ending, I know how hard that is. Sorry for some of the things that I said to you back on the Galactica. Sorry that it's too late for you to testify, although unless you could have proven that Amy was the best warrior in history it wouldn't have made a difference. They should be delivering the verdict any time now." She paused. "And sorry for this whole mess that I've dragged you into."
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