Post by Logan on Oct 25, 2007 9:09:34 GMT -6
Logan was still hesitant to exhale fully even with the hiss of the airlock as the air of the Prison Barge's controlled atmosphere met
the recycled air of the interior of the shuttle.
The tow had gone on in silence. The only real chatter that of the too talkative pilot of the Tiberon, Lt. Stone.
He was a good pilot and a fine Colonial Warrior, but had a tendency to want to keep the comm link full of his baritone voice.
Logan almost thought he was more verbose than usual with the audience he knew he had in Rozxanna-Rizou.
Her hand was throbbing, but she bit her lip and handled the pain as she had sat back in the pilot chair with nothing to do for the first time in a cycle.
She had almost given herself a kink in her neck from continously looking over her shoulder into the passenger area. But the prisoners had evidently
decided that being bound hand and foot with Persephone's blaster pointed in their faces meant their undeniable defeat.
Except for Comeek. He had a serene expression on his face that had bothered Logan more than his earlier fury and violence.
The docking clamps on the exterior of their shuttle having been disengaged and the hatch now opening, Logan finally stood up and moved to the
entryway to greet the Chief on duty.The burly man who entered must be Ghim. He was short and stocky, with wide shoulders and what seeemd to be
a perpetual frown etched onto his features. The two security guards who waited behind him were armed with heavy blasters.
Ghim scanned the cabin, taking in the four prisoners trussed on the deck, the body of Chip in the farthest corner of the cabin, the two civilians who
were battered and bruised standing behind Persephone, still grasping the blaster and never taking her eyes off the men on the floor at her feet. Duran
made a noise in his sleep and the Chief's gaze darted to the man laying across the seats behind the civilians.
Hush joined Logan in the main area, having shut down all systems. The two of them looked the worst. Hush had a bruise over most of the right
half of his face and his lip had started bleeding again. Logan's uniform top was covered in blood and torn to reveal the lower half of her back, singed
and dirty.
"What in the name of Hades happened to you all?" Ghim's voice was gruff to match his appearance.
Logan couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips as she ran a hand over her tangled hair and stood up straighter. She gestured towards the
prisoners and said, "They happened to us, Chief. You might want to get more guards."
Ghim seemed caught between surprise that these beaten down prisoners had done so much damage to trained Colonial Warriors and reluctance
to accept Logan's notion that he didn't know how many guards he'd need to handle a few prisoners. Looking between Logan and Hush and the
prisoners on the floor, he made his decision. "Beryl. Call for two...no, four more guards."
The man nodded and ran out of sight.
As the remaining guard entered the cabin and began checking the prisoner's restraints under Persephone and Hush's watchful gaze, Logan
filled Ghim in on their journey. "...and we'll need to get Duran to the Infirmary until transport back to the Callisto can be arranged."
Ghim nodded. "Shouldn't take long. The other shuttle should be arriving shortly and I'm told they have casualties as well. The tow shuttles
will do a quick turnaround and take you back."
Logan felt a knot in her stomach. "Do you know who's hurt?"
Ghim shook his head. "Just that their trip was about as hairy as yours and someone was hurt."
Sighing and trying to put her concern for her friends to the side for the micron, Logan watched as the reinforcement guards
arrived and a med crew with a gurney for Duran.
Before Logan could say anything else, there was a muttered "Harumph" over her shoulder. She turned to see Rizou, N'Rondar close on her heels
but eyes darting all over the cabin. "Lt. I need to get back to the IFB ship immediately. I have to report this story and I doubt the Prison Barge
has adequate facilities."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Givng up on my love life?"
Rizou pulled a false shocked expression, but smiled warmly. She glanced at Hush and back at Logan saying, "I think that the resurgence of Pierce's group
trumps the extracurricular romps of the Callisto's finest."
"Agreed. And if you need any quotes for that story, I'll be available for an interview when I return to the Callisto." Logan extended her hand
and the reporter grasped it. "If you ever feel the call to become a Warrior, I'll also be available to give you a recommendation."
Rizou laughed. "I'll remember that."
Duran had been taken out of the shuttle, as had Chip's body, and the prisoners had been hauled to their feet and untied just enough so they were
able to shuffle along in front of their guards. They exited the shuttle and remained standing in a line as everyone else went through the hatch.
Once outside, Chief Ghim addressed Logan. "We'll take these vermin to their cells. The rest of you will be escorted to the Infirmary
and checked out until the other shuttle arrives. Then you can get back to the Callisto."
"No."
Hush whipped around to look at Logan as she braced her hands on her hips. His eyebrows came together as he frowned at her, recognizing
the stubborn set of her shoulders.
Ghim sputtered. " Excuse me, Lt.?" He glanced to wear the gurney carrying Duran sat waiting between the two med techs.
"Rizou and N'Rondar will accompany Duran to the Infirmary to await the return shuttles. Lt. Stone can make a detour to the IFB ship and drop them off.
The other tow shuttle can take back the wounded. I'm going with you to make sure the prisoners are secure in their new home."
Ghim didn't seem to take too kindly to the inference that he couldn't handle his job, but seeing the fierce look of resolution in Logan's eyes made
him hold his tongue.
Hush spoke up. "I'm staying too."
Logan saw her own stubborness mirrored in his face so she didn't bother arguing with him. "No offense meant, Chief. But after everythig these people
have put us through, I intend to close the doors to their cells myself."
Ghim met her gaze and seemed to understand what he saw there. "Understood." He motioned to the med techs and they hoisted the gurney between
them. Rizou and N'Rondar followed. Another two techs had already taken away Chip.
Persephone stood watching the scene and Logan watched the girl. She didn't want to order her to leave. This wasn't officially a part of their mission and
she wasn't forcing anyone else to stay. So she didn't say anything and left it up to the young lieutenant to make her own choice.
the recycled air of the interior of the shuttle.
The tow had gone on in silence. The only real chatter that of the too talkative pilot of the Tiberon, Lt. Stone.
He was a good pilot and a fine Colonial Warrior, but had a tendency to want to keep the comm link full of his baritone voice.
Logan almost thought he was more verbose than usual with the audience he knew he had in Rozxanna-Rizou.
Her hand was throbbing, but she bit her lip and handled the pain as she had sat back in the pilot chair with nothing to do for the first time in a cycle.
She had almost given herself a kink in her neck from continously looking over her shoulder into the passenger area. But the prisoners had evidently
decided that being bound hand and foot with Persephone's blaster pointed in their faces meant their undeniable defeat.
Except for Comeek. He had a serene expression on his face that had bothered Logan more than his earlier fury and violence.
The docking clamps on the exterior of their shuttle having been disengaged and the hatch now opening, Logan finally stood up and moved to the
entryway to greet the Chief on duty.The burly man who entered must be Ghim. He was short and stocky, with wide shoulders and what seeemd to be
a perpetual frown etched onto his features. The two security guards who waited behind him were armed with heavy blasters.
Ghim scanned the cabin, taking in the four prisoners trussed on the deck, the body of Chip in the farthest corner of the cabin, the two civilians who
were battered and bruised standing behind Persephone, still grasping the blaster and never taking her eyes off the men on the floor at her feet. Duran
made a noise in his sleep and the Chief's gaze darted to the man laying across the seats behind the civilians.
Hush joined Logan in the main area, having shut down all systems. The two of them looked the worst. Hush had a bruise over most of the right
half of his face and his lip had started bleeding again. Logan's uniform top was covered in blood and torn to reveal the lower half of her back, singed
and dirty.
"What in the name of Hades happened to you all?" Ghim's voice was gruff to match his appearance.
Logan couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips as she ran a hand over her tangled hair and stood up straighter. She gestured towards the
prisoners and said, "They happened to us, Chief. You might want to get more guards."
Ghim seemed caught between surprise that these beaten down prisoners had done so much damage to trained Colonial Warriors and reluctance
to accept Logan's notion that he didn't know how many guards he'd need to handle a few prisoners. Looking between Logan and Hush and the
prisoners on the floor, he made his decision. "Beryl. Call for two...no, four more guards."
The man nodded and ran out of sight.
As the remaining guard entered the cabin and began checking the prisoner's restraints under Persephone and Hush's watchful gaze, Logan
filled Ghim in on their journey. "...and we'll need to get Duran to the Infirmary until transport back to the Callisto can be arranged."
Ghim nodded. "Shouldn't take long. The other shuttle should be arriving shortly and I'm told they have casualties as well. The tow shuttles
will do a quick turnaround and take you back."
Logan felt a knot in her stomach. "Do you know who's hurt?"
Ghim shook his head. "Just that their trip was about as hairy as yours and someone was hurt."
Sighing and trying to put her concern for her friends to the side for the micron, Logan watched as the reinforcement guards
arrived and a med crew with a gurney for Duran.
Before Logan could say anything else, there was a muttered "Harumph" over her shoulder. She turned to see Rizou, N'Rondar close on her heels
but eyes darting all over the cabin. "Lt. I need to get back to the IFB ship immediately. I have to report this story and I doubt the Prison Barge
has adequate facilities."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Givng up on my love life?"
Rizou pulled a false shocked expression, but smiled warmly. She glanced at Hush and back at Logan saying, "I think that the resurgence of Pierce's group
trumps the extracurricular romps of the Callisto's finest."
"Agreed. And if you need any quotes for that story, I'll be available for an interview when I return to the Callisto." Logan extended her hand
and the reporter grasped it. "If you ever feel the call to become a Warrior, I'll also be available to give you a recommendation."
Rizou laughed. "I'll remember that."
Duran had been taken out of the shuttle, as had Chip's body, and the prisoners had been hauled to their feet and untied just enough so they were
able to shuffle along in front of their guards. They exited the shuttle and remained standing in a line as everyone else went through the hatch.
Once outside, Chief Ghim addressed Logan. "We'll take these vermin to their cells. The rest of you will be escorted to the Infirmary
and checked out until the other shuttle arrives. Then you can get back to the Callisto."
"No."
Hush whipped around to look at Logan as she braced her hands on her hips. His eyebrows came together as he frowned at her, recognizing
the stubborn set of her shoulders.
Ghim sputtered. " Excuse me, Lt.?" He glanced to wear the gurney carrying Duran sat waiting between the two med techs.
"Rizou and N'Rondar will accompany Duran to the Infirmary to await the return shuttles. Lt. Stone can make a detour to the IFB ship and drop them off.
The other tow shuttle can take back the wounded. I'm going with you to make sure the prisoners are secure in their new home."
Ghim didn't seem to take too kindly to the inference that he couldn't handle his job, but seeing the fierce look of resolution in Logan's eyes made
him hold his tongue.
Hush spoke up. "I'm staying too."
Logan saw her own stubborness mirrored in his face so she didn't bother arguing with him. "No offense meant, Chief. But after everythig these people
have put us through, I intend to close the doors to their cells myself."
Ghim met her gaze and seemed to understand what he saw there. "Understood." He motioned to the med techs and they hoisted the gurney between
them. Rizou and N'Rondar followed. Another two techs had already taken away Chip.
Persephone stood watching the scene and Logan watched the girl. She didn't want to order her to leave. This wasn't officially a part of their mission and
she wasn't forcing anyone else to stay. So she didn't say anything and left it up to the young lieutenant to make her own choice.