| Bonfire of the Vashtis |
| Summary: | The Orion's Vashti population increases by one Marine. |
| Date: | 28/07/2013 (OOC Date) |
| Related Logs: | None |
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| Hangar Bay — Battlestar Orion |
| Each hangar deck is divided into five one-hundred yard sections, each divided from the others by massive blast doors that close vertically from the floor and overhead. Each hangar section houses all of the Vipers, Raptors, and Predators that the wing operates as well as the vital work areas to support and maintain these fighting platforms. Each bay is large enough to accommodate one of these frames and still get heavy work done, though the fore- and aft-most sections are dedicated to overhauls and major work to be done. The bays along the center section are located across from launch tubes and elevators in order to provide scramble and Alert-Five capabilities. The second-to-aft bay provides major elevator and transport access to the starboard bay as well as the major manufacturing facility. Due to the nature of the work, the hangar decks are major hubs of activity at all hours of the day and all but four hours overnight. |
| AWD #203 |
It's a semi-busy afternoon on the hangerdeck. Flying vehicles being repaired, being wheeled in for post-flying maintenance, and being directed out toward the launch tubes. Amongst those vehicles that are being rolled in is the Raptor that is just coming in from CAP, piloted by Butch with Milkshake in her backseat.
Phin was flying one of the Vipers on the combat air patrol that's just come in. His craft is being lowered down on the elevator just now. He waits until it's safely down on the deck before popping his canopy and taking off his helmet. He fiddles with his instruments as he goes through a standard post-flight check. Everything reads as it should be. It was a quiet CAP, as most CAPs around Piraeus are. So he just gets through it and jots down particulars like the levels in the fuel and oxygen tanks.
The CAP was quiet in more ways than one, given that Holtz was leading the Viper element. While he was perfectly professional, he's also usually given to a bit of banter to pass the time during a CAP, and this time he was relatively quiet. Still, there's no indication of trouble as he opens his canopy; his Viper is brought down at the same time as Phin's, and he too pops his helmet and removes his seal collar, handing them to the crew chief who brings him his post flight checklist. Calmly, he begins running down the various items, scribbling the appropriate notations in the appropriate places before handing the clipboard back.
Another amongst them is Warrens Viper coming back from the CAP as well. Once its slid into its place he opens the cannopy and takes off his helmet. He grabs the postflight checklist from the deckie who comes by and starts going through that. "Rear starbord RCS seemed a little sluggish out there. Not bad, but can you take a look yeah?" he asks as he hands back the checklist and starts to climb out.
Shuttle duty to and from the planet. Jason steps out onto the hangar deck a bit slowly, looking like he's drawn the short straw or something like that right now. Looking to the CAP as they come in now, offering a smile to the ones that was out there, as he moves his way over towards his assigned Raptor now.
Bennett is staying inside the shuttle to do her post-flight checks, but in the interim, the CAP raptor opens its side hatch and Ygraine bounds down onto the deck. She offers a thumbs up to the approaching deckies and takes off the helmet of her flightsuit, shaking out her braids. "Easy peasy." she remarks to no one at all, and then starts to make a walk around the raptor to check it from the outside. As she passes her noses, she flashes waves to the CAP vipers that kept her and Butch company as she continues inspection.
Phin has flown enough with Holtz that he's used to banter, and has probably noted the lack of it. He didn't make anything of it during the flight, though. And he doesn't now, save looking over his shoulder at the senior pilot, as he finishes off his checklist and hands it off to a technician. "How'd you like flying Air Piraeus, Toast?" he asks Warren, as he hops down from his ship. The ladder's raised, and the deckhands start towing it away for a post-patrol go-over. Ygraine's wave is returned with a two-fingered salute.
Yet another Raptor sits nearby, its pilot pulling itself out of its cockpit, its cargo doors open. A lone figure, a Marine by the looks of it, disembarks, carrying a duffle on his back and the rest of his gear, including an acoustic guitar case. The pilot and the Marine approach each other and seem to engage in a friendly back-and-forth.
Holtz doesn't duck out of his Viper right away; he lingers for a moment, but finally starts climbing out a few moments after Phin and Warren disembark from their own ships. He either doesn't see Ygraine's wave, or ignores it; in fairness, he seems to have something else on his mind as he flags down one orange-suited knuckledraggers from his deck crew before they can make their escape. "Let Chief Rutlii know I'm having trouble with my port stabilizer, yeah? Damn thing felt loose the whole last half of the flight." The deckie nods quietly to the major before scrambling off.
Storm does notice the lone Marine leaving the Raptor, and he stares curiously for a moment before giving a slight shake of his head, tossing a final look back in the direction of his fighter, and resuming his path down the flight line.
Warren glances over at Phin as he climbs down the ladder from his Viper, "Well it was a hell of a lot more quiet than the last time we flew yeah?" He smirks giving a wave back towards Ygraine as well, "Also had prettier company out there." He grins a bit and nods towards one of the deckies nearby as he gets to work.
While making her circuit, Yggy seems to notice something amiss. "Hey, Crewman!" she calls out, crouching so she's able to peek under the wing of the raptor. "What's that there hangin' like that?" she asks in concern as one of the deckies comes jogging over.
Bennett arrives from the Main Corridor.
Jason finsihes a walk around the Raptor he's about to ferry people around in, and looks between the others present now, as he nods a bit. Looking over towards Yggy as he hears her words to the crewman, seeming a bit curious now.
The Marine seems to be asking questions of his pilot, resulting in much pointing in the direction of the main corridor. An intricate series of hand gestures follows. This way? No, that way. Okay, then that way, then straight then that way, and then… Right. Got it. The Marine seems the thank the pilot and the, lifting up his gear and duffle and guitar case, starts to leave the hangar.
"Doesn't tend to get very loud out here, thank gods," Phin says to Warren. "Want to see if the deck crew'll let us dip into their coffee?" He starts to angle toward the more proper hangar bay floor. Noticing the Marine and his guitar as, now that he's turned in that direction. That's enough to get his attention. He does a double-take at the Marine himself, eyes narrowing. Like he's not entirely sure he's seeing what he's seeing.
Holtz quickens his pace just enough to catch up with the other two Viper pilots. "Quiet day's a good day, Toast," he says with a sardonic little smile. He pulls down the zipper of his flight suit a little as he passes Jason's Raptor, returning the other pilot's nod. His attention wanders back to the lone marine, and grunts. "Looks like we got ourselves another new fish." Not that he seems surprised, given all the transfers that have been happening lately.
Bennett doesn't like to rush her post-flight, as a general rule, and tonight is no exception. She's finished ticking off most of the boxes on her list, and is down to the perimeter check and miscellaneous column by the time she emerges from the still-warm raptor. Her clipboard hits the deck first, followed by the solid thump of her boots as she clambers down off the raptor's wing. "I think that CO2 scrubber is acting up again, Vashti," she tells Yggy without so much as a glance over her shoulder to verify her backseater is still within auditory range.
"Look, it just needs a weld, and my hands are smaller than yours. I - " Ygraine is engaged in an earnest conversation with the deckie, when she hears Bennett call out. "Gotcha, Captain!" she says cheerily, but she's still squatted next to the raptor wing and is on the opposite side of the exiting marine.
Warren nods to Phin, "Quiet is good. Deck crew likes us better that way certainly." He chuckles glancing over at the Marine that everyone seems to be glancing at and raising an eyebrow. He shrugs, "Yeah coffee does sound great. And hey you brought your viper back in one piece so there is that yeah?" He does glance over towards Bennett as she finally decides to climb out of the raptor and gives her a nod in her direction.
Something makes the Marine slow down from his purposeful march toward the corridor. He turns his head, as if hearing his name or something. Instead of finding whoever the speaker was (probably), the jarhead stops and pretty much stares at the pilot that's starting back at him. His stare slowing softens and his mouth turns up a little bit. "Holy…
Holtz grimaces at the mention of deck coffee. "I wouldn't. Never been on a ship where deck coffee didn't taste like tylium." He rolls his eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Bennett gets a jaunty two-fingered salute as he passes.
Bennett hasn't yet spotted the marine who's drawing all the fuss; she's no doubt thinking about that CO2 scrubber as she scribbles something in mostly-illegible left hand-ese. She does however look up in time to catch Warren's nod— and returns it with a smile. Brief, polite. Holtz's salute is returned in kind before she returns to her paperwork, and her slow meander around the beefy bird. "I am going to mention it to Shackleton again when I see him next.. what needs a weld?" She interrupts her own murmuring with the question.
Phin doesn't come to the defense of the deck coffee from Holtz's (probably accurate) summation. He's too busy staring at Arthur, blue eyes several notches wider than normal. He quickens his pace, half-jogging over to meet the man. "Holy frak…" he murmurs. Still clearly not really trusting what he's seeing. When he's near enough that visual confirmation hit his brain, he lets out a startled exclamation of "Dude!" It's accompanied by a grin.
"Flap on the underside of the wing," Ygraine dutifully reports, calling out from her side of the raptor and rising to her feet as Bennett makes her way to the other side to come into visual range. "It's a little loose. Add it t'the report, would ya? Since th'deckies will have a conniption fit if I try t'slide under there."
Jason looks around once more, pausing as he sees Phin heading for Arthur, and remains studying the two of them now. After all, people finding people they know is a good thing, right?
When he doesn't get an answer from Phin, Holtz looks at the younger pilot, who's staring at Arthur with a surprised expression on his face. Holtz, for his part, just looks confused. "What, you know him or somethin'?" When Phin answers by jogging over to meet the marine with that giant grin on his face, Holtz just shrugs. "Guess so." A sidelong look at Warren. "Small world, yeah?" he notes drolly.
Warren chuckles at Holtz's comment, "Ah deck coffee the stuff of legends. Its not deck coffee till you can fly your Viper on it." At the 'Holy frak' he glances over towards Arthur again raising an eyebrow starting to glance to see what the fuss is about. As he walks over past Bennett and Ygraine a moment he glances over towards Arthur and intones to the two, "Hey you guys got any clue why Phins freaking out over there?"
"The Gods be damned," the Marine answers, "I shoulda known I'd be seein' you again, Phinny." He extends his hand for has to be their secret handshake, or something, because who shakes hands all formal-like on deck? "Almost didn't recognize you with that catepillar on your lip," he quips, adding quickly "Sir."
Bennett braces her clipboard against the raptor's flank, and takes notes while Ygraine talks. A small, conspiratorial smile is shared when the ECO mentions coniption fits from the deck crew, and the pilot responds with a soft-voiced, "No kidding." Then her signature is scrawled at the bottom and she hands the clipboard off to a waiting technician. "Mm?" is the sound she makes at Warren's query, long fingers pausing in the midst of pulling her messy waves into a ponytail as she spots Arthur finally. And Phin acting like he knows the guy. And maybe.. maybe the jarhead looks a little familiar.
"I'm trying, uh, something." Phin goes to the defense of his mustache as he reaches out to catch Arthur's arm and clasp it warmly. He still looks stunned, in a good way, to see the man. If, perhaps, a little sad that nobody likes his 'stache. He's worked so hard on it, too. He gives his head a slight shake, like he's trying to right it, and turns to the nearest person on the deck. A technician, probably. "Umm, somebody needs to find Lieutenant Vashti, like, now."
"Is his viper broken?" asks Ygraine with a laugh, adding, "What are ya all starin' at?" That's when she actually bothers to walk around the viper, her helmet curled into her fingers as she starts looking around the deck.
"Wait, what?" Arthur quirks his head to the side, eyes narrowed. "Lieutenant Vashti?" He starts scanning the hangar bay, craning his neck to look around the wide area. Of course, why would she be in here? Wishful thinking, surely.
Warren looks to Ygraine and gives a point over to where Phin and Arthur are, "I think he just saw someone he knew." He shrugs glancing to Bennett, "Coffee and a smoke? Still owe you one of those after all." He glances over towards Phin and Arthur again before back to Bennett to see her response to the question.
Holtz still isn't entirely sure what's going on as he looks from Phin to the vaguely-familiar looking marine, but nevertheless, when he hears Phin flag down a deckie, he chucks a thumb back in the direction of Bennett and Ygraine's Raptor. "She's still in postflight," he notes to Phin. "Why?"
Phin nods to Holtz, then attempts to steer Arthur in the direction that the major indicated. Toward said Raptor that Ygraine is doing the post-flight on. "Uh, c'mon," he says shortly. He's not about answers or full, coherent words at the moment.
"I would like that," Bennett answers the viper stick with a warm smile, in response to his question about coffee and a smoke. She still does not seem to grasp the gravity of what is going on between the two Vashtis. Or even that there are two. "Welcome aboard, Sergeant," is offered in a friendly enough fashion as she passes Arthur, and then she's hoofing it for Warren— and the stairwell.
And then Ygraine sees the marine, and her helmet actually drops to the deck floor with a loud thud. She all but shoves the crewman out of the way in her haste as she starts running toward Arthur. He better brace for it, because there's nearly six foot tall worth of little sister about to tackle him. Incoming!
Neither does Holtz yet understand, as he just stands in the middle of the hangar deck looking confused and annoyed at the same time. He's nearly run over by a knuckledragger carrying two heavy toolboxes, who turns to say something to Holtz — and decides better of it after seeing the withering look on Storm's face, not to mention the pins on the collar of his flightsuit. He finally shakes his head and starts moving towards the stairwell… at least, that is, until he sees Ygraine suddenly charging towards the new marine.
Warren gives a nod towards Bennet, "Sounds good then" He starts heading with her and glances back as Ygraine starts heading full tilt towards the new marine. He raises an eyebrow, "Looks like someones about to get tackled" he mentions off hand as he starts on the stairs after Bennett.
"Thank you, sir," Arthur replies to the passing Bennett as they pass each other and then is alerted back toward a Raptor as he hears a helmet clatters to the deck. "You gotta be kidding me," he almost shouts as he drops his gear and catches his equally tall sister as she throws herself at him in a pretty good flying tackle. He spins her around, forgetting about rank differences in the excitement and, yes, joy of family reunion.
Phin gets out of the way of the Vashti family reunion before he's bowled over by it. Standing off to the side to observe. Grinning broader now, and still looking like he can't quite believe this is properly happening. "Ho-ly frak…" he repeats, just to himself this time.
Jason pauses for a few moments as he sees this, looking a bit surprised now. For a few moments he shakes his head a little, before he can't hold back a grin as he watches now.
Bennett turns, too, when Warren draws her attention to the happy reunion. A smile blossoms on her lips, and her helmet dangles, mostly forgotten, from her fingers as she watches. Yes, yes there is a resemblance. One she no doubt plans on grilling Ygraine about, later. "Coffee, then?" she asks Warren, resuming her tromp up the stairwell that leads out of the 'bay. "There's usually a fresh batch in the ready room after the evening patrol.." Her voice recedes as she vanishes through the hatch.
Bennett leaves, heading toward the Main Corridor [MC].
Holtz keeps walking, but instead of going for the stairs he stops next to the smiling Phin. "Now you wanna tell me what's goin' on, Lieutenant?" he whispers, sounding a little cross. He watches Arthur and Ygraine spin around in each other's arms, his expression neutral; while he seems pleased by the apparent reunion, there's also a bit of apparent annoyance at being out of the loop.
Warren grins a bit seeing the reunion and seeing Ygraine spun about like that. He nods a moment and then looks up after Bennett as she heads for the hatch, "Yup coffee's good" He glances back at the group for a moment before finishing the stairs and pushing through the hatch.
Warren leaves, heading toward the Main Corridor [MC].
There is a stream of Leonese that comes out of Ygraine before she leans back and beams up at him. "How'd ya get off Leonis? Where's Ewan and Herry? Mama didn't make it, did she? Is th'farm alright?" This and a flurry of other questions are offered in rapid fire pace as Ygraine is set on the floor and she starts tugging him toward the deck doors.
"Oh. Um." Phin blinks up at Holtz. He notes the annoyance, and offers the older pilot a half-sheepish shrug. "Sorry. I just…that's Yggs' brother. Somehow." He still hasn't wrapped his brain around this, so he's probably of limited help to Holtz. But he's speaking in complete sentences now, at least. He finds an out of the way place to lean and observe, which isn't far from Jason.
Holtz knew Ygraine had brothers, but he didn't know… "Her brother's a marine?" he asks Phin, standing eyes-wide and shaking his head silently. "Well, this ought to be fun, yeah?" he mumbles after a moment to no one in particular, since Phin is already gone once more. Letting out a sharp exhale, he finally heads off towards the stairwell, already reaching for his pack of cigarettes.
"Whoah, whoah, whoah, hold up there, sis," replies the jarhead, putting his sister back on the deck. "Let's just simmer down a bit, okay? Plenty of time to catch up after I get to my bunk and settle in, right?" Is that a touch of sadness in his voice? Probably not, as he quickly adds, "Plus, I'm pretty sure you owe me a round of drinks. I mean, I remember that the right way, right?" He smiles, then adds, again, "Sir." There -might- be a bit of a playful stress on that word. Maybe.
Phin half-turns again toward Holtz as the man heads for the stairwell. He looks like he wants to say something to the other Viper pilot, but can't quite figure out what. So he just contents himself with standing in place and kind of gawking at everything.