Gold Squadron (inspired by reply 18, Ch28-Z)

[BRIK]

*Admin Note* This is Chapter 28KK-a

(Continued from Reply#18 of "Ch 28-Z Major Buellah's Day Off")

Turning to look at squadmates and friends Ike and Wraith...

"Gentlemen,'' he begins...
"There's been a lot going on and that odd look on Skyler's face just now didn't help me one bit...and he seems to be headed in the general direction of the bridge. So..." glaring his eyes and raising his eyebrows,
"I believe that I'm going down to the launch bay to give my "girl" a quick pre-flight, just in case. Ike, if you happen to ACCIDENTALLY mention this to some of the people in Gold Squadron, what can I say? Rumors spread quickly . . . if you're lucky!" he finished with a sly grin.

Walking in the general direction of the Gold Squadron recreation area, Ike was smiiling and looking suspiciously casual...as were Brik and Wraith headed in the direction of the launch bay!

[Brie]

Commander Sheba sat in her office, physically and emotionally exhausted. She was grateful to Major Buellah for handing the search for Brie. Although it was still being treated like an escape, she knew deep down that it wasn’t. Then there was the whole situation with Captain Hawke. It reminded her so much of...she shuddered, recalling yet again a time that she wanted so badly to forget.

Her comm buzzed, pulling her back to the present. A signal was coming through on the line used only between battlestars. Soon Commander Apollo’s face was showing on her screen. He didn’t look any happier than she felt. “Sheba,” he said softly, “we’re about to head into crisis mode.”

“The Agro Ship?” she asked.

“So far there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong there,” Apollo told her, “except, of course for the shuttle. Major Buellah spoke with Captain Suttir and sealed the ship off until it can be searched. Someone said that they saw Pierce board that same shuttle, which worries me a bit. But what concerns me the most right now is the Livestock Ship.”

“Why?” Sheba asked. “What’s happening?”

“They sent out a distress signal a couple of centars back, but it only lasted a micron,” Apollo replied. “Since then we’ve been trying to contact them, there seems to be something wrong with their transmitter. I had Blue Squadron ready to launch, but remember all those problems we were having a few sectons back...”

“Let me guess, they’re not totally fixed,” Sheba replied. “Okay, I’ll have Gold Squadron launch. I needed to make sure that they stay away from the Agro Ship anyway, and this is in the opposite direction.”

“Thanks,” Apollo replied. “If there’s anything new I’ll let you know. Commander Apollo out.”

Commander Sheba quickly wrote out her orders. “Major Skyler, I need you to prepare a patrol from Gold Squadron to be ready to launch within a centar. I know you’re worried about Brie, but I need you to personally lead this mission. It may be nothing, but we’ve all but lost communications with the Livestock Ship, and I need you and your patrol to check things out. Come see me as soon as you have your people in place. I’ll be on the bridge. Commander Sheba.”

After sending the message Sheba returned to the one place that she knew she needed to be. She had let Major Buellah handle everything for too long.

[CaptStadia]

Capt. Stadia was watching from her viper cockpit as the others arrived to do pre-flights on their vipers. She let a giggle slip from her lips aas she saw them walk toward the vipers.

Stadia climbed out of her cockpit and hollared at Ike, Brik and Wraith,
"I wondered when you guys would think of doing this. I was about to give up on you and go back to the bunk room." She laughed at the looks on their faces.

She jumped down from her viper and approached them. "So whats the plan gentlemen?" She smiled.

[BRIK]

"Well...it is my gut feeling that something...maybe everything...is about to come to a boiling point. I mean look...a WARRIOR being sent to the brig for surviving a suicide mission,usually the fleet as a whole doesn't notice, Brie "escaping", whatever the frac that's supposed to mean, the uncertainty about the Agro ship...It's about to get INTERESTING is all that *I'm* saying.

Anyway, we're Gold Squadron and it's our sacred duty to be ready...so we're getting ready. To your birds people, make sure that everything is ready for the worst, that's why we make the big cubits!"

[BRIK]

"I quickly headed back to the bridge. "Geenie, all squadrons on alert!"
The klaxon began sounding throughout the ship... "

Brik loved being right almost as much as he loved being in the seat of his Viper!
"Captain Stadia, now's your chance, and we ALL get to play", Brik said with a smile and a good-natured wink.
Activating his comm unit Brik used the Gold Channel:
"This is Lt Brik...all Gold Squadron personnel know the regulations, SO...Third Watch into your ships and everyone else initiate a full pre-flight check on your spacecraft and...watch each other's backs people."
And added with a proud smile, "Things have been crazy in the Fleet lately but we still have a duty to perform and a people's faith to keep!"

Then, turning to his friends and comrades,
"Let's get seated and on stand-by for launch AT LAST...I don't know about the rest of you but it's been too long just doing standard patrols!"
And to himself
"I wonder where Logan is..."

[CaptStadia]

"I will taking over the squad until the situation is brought to a conclusion. Go to the bridge and sound the alarm."
_________________________________________
I quickly headed back to the bridge. "Geenie, all squadrons on alert!"
The klaxon began sounding throughout the ship... "
__________________________________________
Stadia made a note to find a way to rein in his attitude.
It may be the cause of someones death.
___________________________________________
Brik loved being right almost as much as he loved being in the seat of his Viper!
"Captain Stadia, now's your chance, and we ALL get to play", Brik said with a smile and a good-natured wink.
__________________________________________
"Brik put all pilots on standby. Order them to do pre-flight checks and to make sure they have ample fuel."
_________________________________________
Activating his comm unit Brik used the Gold Channel:
"This is Lt Brik...all Gold Squadron personnel know the regulations, SO...Third Watch into your ships and everyone else initiate a full pre-flight check on your spacecraft and...watch each other's backs people."
And added with a proud smile, "Things have been crazy in the Fleet lately but we still have a duty to perform and a people's faith to keep!"
____________________________________________

Stadia turned away from the group and went to her viper to check it out. She heard his last comment and just shook her head.
____________________________________________
Then, turning to his friends and comrades,
"Let's get seated and on stand-by for launch AT LAST...I don't know about the rest of you but it's been too long just doing standard patrols!"
And to himself
"I wonder where Logan is..."
___________________________________________

Stadia motioned to the others to go and prepare their vipers. She then turned to prepare her ship.

She continued prepping her viper.

[Brie]

A group of six blackshirts entered the launch bay. They stopped as the vipers came into view. "They're not going to like this," one of the men in front said.

"Yeah," another agreed, "especially the Gold Squadron pilots. They can be so hot headed sometimes, and some of them still don't think that Brie did anything wrong. She confessed, for Sagan's sake!"

"It doesn't matter what they think," a third blackshirt added. "We have our orders. All vipers are to be searched before they're allowed to launch, no exceptions. If they don't like it they can complain to Major Buellah or Captain Urdea."

"As if Captain Urdea doesn't have enough to worry about," the first said. The group stood there for several microns, as if trying to gather up enough courage for the inevitable confrontation. "Come on, let's get this over with."

[Skyler]

NOTE-The next two posts take place before Pierce contacts the Galactica (for the second time) and the Callisto

***

Skyler entered the Bridge to see Buellah and Boleman standing off to the side of Commander Sheba. He approached them with the forged leave papers in his hands. "Major, Boleman I have something here that I think you need to see." he stated handing them the papers.

"Leave forms Major?" Buellah asked cocking his head to one side.

"I never approved this, and it is not my signature on the paper, its forged, bogus. Now I have a Lt. missing as well as a Major. Something is up with this."

"Was Lt. Logan in on this with you? Did you think that showing us this before we found it would turn the attention away from you?"

"Not that felgercarb again. For the last time, on my word as a WARRIOR, I had nothing to do with this."

The heated conversation attracted the attention of Sheba, who intervined on Skyler's behalf.

"Major, Protector... I will second Skyler's claim. I trust him, and his word is more than enough for me." turning to Skyler "Any ideas on your missing Warrior?"

"No M'am, none. Her closest friends in the Squadron don't know where she is, I was hoping someone here might know."

Skyler glanced at a open file in Buellah's hands and a named jumped off the page and him. The color rushed from his face. "It can't be" he paused, with a puzzled _expression, trying to work an answer out in his mind. "She's dead." Boleman picked up on his comment. "Who's dead Major...?" Skyler pointed to a name on the list..

"Here, Kellie...." his voice faded as he pointed to a name on the page.. "She was my Fiance', she was killed Yarhen ago.... back when I was in the Infantry. She can't be flying a shuttle. It must mean something...... Logan."

Before anyone could question him futher, Sheba's runner walked up to Skyler, out of breath. "Sir, you are a hard man to keep up with. I check the office, you already left, I go to the launch bay and you aren't there, come to find out, you are where I just left. Ran over half the ship to find you and BAM, right where I just left from. You must have came up the back way or I would have passed you in the corridor..." the runner rambled on. Skyler took the folded paper from him and read it and turned to Sheba.

"The livestock Ship? Ma'am I was kinda hoping to go after my people." Skyler gave a hurt look, knowing he had a job to do. He was a Warrior first.... "IF you need me here, than I will head that way. I have a small team checking their Vipers now. Lt's Brik, Ike and Wraith. Ike and Brik also have an Infantry Background, so if we need to retake the ship, they have the skills to do it. Wraith, well, if he is with me, he is not trying to head to the Agro ship." Skyler saluted and turned to head to the Flight Deck after getting approval from Sheba on his team members.

[Skyler]

Skyler walks in on the Blackshirts and his members standing toe to toe.

"You are not touching my Viper." Ike stated, rather loudly to one of the Blackshirts.

"I have orders to check all ships leaving this Battlestar for stowaways, and that includes Vipers? the security officer replyed nervously.

"You can check mine first..." Wraith said pointing to his ship " A great hiding place is right inside that little tube, you look inside while I push the little red button on the navi hilt to turn on the Lights so you can see better." he mocked the leader of the security detachment as he pointed to the muzzle of one of the turbolaser's

"Guys, its ok, Sheba ordered the seach" Skyer interrupted "try looking behind the seats, thats the only place big enough to put a person in a Viper, the rest is engines and turbo laser pumps and navi controls." The security teamed checked behind the seats and one of them started looking into the nose cones of the Vipers.
"Hey Bozo..." Ike called out. "Thats the navigational array and sensor pod housing. Its also not sealed from the vacum of space. Not a smart place to hide, but if you want to try it out while I launch, just to make sure...." Skyler placed a hand on his shoulder.... "Relax guys, the faster they finish, the faster we can launch.

[BRIK]

"Glad to hear it Skyler, I'd hate for something...some sort of improbable but still-possible ACCIDENT to occur here in the bay." said Brik in conspicuously loud and ominous tones. Skyler hoped, for their own sake, that the guards wouldn't take much longer...he had known Brik long enough and in enough SITUATIONS to know how he came to be called BRIK before adopting it as his actual name. He had noticed his friend and squadmate rubbing his favorite fist, a pre-brawl trait that he hadn't witnessed in many yahrens. He had come a LONG way in mastering his passions but he was still a fighting man, by nature as well as profession.