AWD #080: Many Feelings on the Obs Deck
Many Feelings on the Obs Deck
Summary: A wide range of them displayed from the various humans (and human-ish things) passing through there.
Date: 27/03/2013 (OOC Date)
Related Logs: Some, I'm sure
Agrippa Ceres Maia Nicodemus Phin Tasha Ygraine 
Observation Deck — Deck 3 — Battlestar Orion
The Obs Deck is one of the more quiet areas on the Orion where people can come to get away from the hustle and bustle that goes with of the rest of duty on the ship. The front of the room is a very large armored glass window to allow a dominating view of whatever is out ahead of the battlestar. Seats rise up at even levels, plush chairs and couches provided for the crew to relax in. During Condition One an armored plate is lowered down to cover the view and prevent the room from becoming a hazard and seal tight.
AWD #80

It has been rather quiet on this part of the ship and that is most likely why Alex has found his way to the Observation Deck. He is seated on oen of the seats closer to the large, armored glass window as he looks out into the darkness of space. He is leaning back in his seat, his eyes not exactly focused on any single point outside as his thoughts are most likely lightyears away from their current location. With all that has been happening this week, his mind is still trying to cope and work through it all, to make sense of it all.

With more on her mind than the cylons that have infiltrated their ship, taking over positions of command. Maia had made her peace there, for her part. Instead, she's thinking over events of the day. So where does she go? The observation deck, it used to be one of her favorite places. Even yesterday she'd sat in here with Dell and Luc constructing a megaplex out of legos. Now though she is empty handed when arrives wearing her off duties, not even a side arm. She steps inside and is drawn to the large window, not even bothering to look at the couches at first.

Despite being off-duty, Alex has not changed out of his duty uniform as it is also the uniform where he gets to wear his sidearm, something he has found rather comfortable at his side. The reflection of Maia's approach catches the Viper pilot's attention and his thoughts slowly retract to the present. Recognizing the pretty blonde in the reflection, he offers a quiet greeting, "Maia… hi." There is space for another on the couch if she chooses to join him.

Yeah she'd not exactly realized how distracted she was. When she focuses, Maia can see his reflection in the large glass, so she turns to face him offering him a crooked smile. "Hey Grippa. How's things?" Walking over, she doesn't sit on the couch beside him. Hey old habits die hard. She sits in the arm chair, extending her legs to the table and propping her boots there.

"Just… thinking, and stuff. About the announcements, about how these… types are different than the other toasters." Agrippa says with a slight shake of his head, obviously still confused and bothered by the whole issue. It's not easy for him to accept that Redux is 'different' than the other Skinjobs, how she had supposedly been against the Cylons from the start when she herself was one.

"Yeah.. They are different." Say what? "I had a long question and answer session with Knox today. I believe he's got our best interests in mind. He's flesh and blood." Or was it blood and guts? Did it even matter? "We either trust them or we all fall apart, segregating ourselves from each other. We have been given orders for one. We have no choice." Maia draws her feet back to the floor, knees together, posture straight. "So what are you thinking?"

The name isn't familiar with Knox but after thinking for a moment, Agrippa remembers that it is the other 'good' skinjob that is on board. "Flesh and blood… if they are Cylons, they are still Cylons, no matter how real they are made, Maia." He says quietly though he isn't trying to preach, just sharing his views. "You are right though, we have been given an order. But orders are different than actually believing it. You can order us to fly with Redux, but to order us to trust her fully is a different issue." There is a pause before he shrugs his shoulders at her question, "Just about this stuff… and how there is still one that is on the loose that killed a lot of our friends. A /lot/."

"Do you know what their original intentions were when they boarded the ship? What they were ordered to do? Blow up Orion and kill us all. They defied orders at their own risk." Her voice does not sound exactly like she is on board with the cylon lovers one hundred percent, but more like she is quoting almost verbatim from them. "We have to work by faith, just like they are when around us, that one of us isn't going to kill them at the first opportunity."

Nicodemus has arrived.

There is another shrug of shoulders from Agrippa as he listens to what Maia is saying, "Who knows what their original intentions were, or their current intentions. We only have what they say to go on, they could be deep cover agents, just waiting for a more opportune moment to strike, like they did when they nuked all of our colonies. Right now they can demolish this Battlestar, but if they wait, who knows what they can destroy?" The Viper jock definitely doesn't sound convinced that the Cylons are all peaceful, something that has been troubling him.

Phin has arrived.

Maia is sitting in one of the arm chairs while Agrippa is sitting on one of the couches. There's just talk, mostly about the recent events. Maia is in her off duties, unarmed. Agrippa is still in his duty and armed with his side. The blonde Raptor pilot is looking out towards space through that reinforced window, listening to the Viper pilot talking. "It's almost like we're not even allowed to voice a protest among ourselves or we're treasonous.. so I have to do what I am ordered to do. It's all I can do, I am not risking Brig, or.. you know we were even threatened with demotion, remember? I'm just going in blind. I've got to trust someone, may as well be our superiors."

The doors open and in stomps Nicodemus, in his off duties. He has a bit of a sour scowl on his face and he grumbles as he makes his way to a chair in the corner, flopping down hard on it. He glares out the window, hands clenching and unclenching, clearly angered by something.

Phin is in his off-duties, no service weapon on him. He looks recently from the gym. The pool, more specifically, if the towel around his neck and slight smell of chlorine about him is any indication. He doesn't stomp, but he's frowning thoughtful. He walks around Nicodemus with a muttered, "'Scuse me" - not that he was really about to get in his way - and heads over to deposit himself in a free chair.

"I'm not sure what the higher ups are thinking, they didn't tell us a thing, then spring this on us and expects us to continue marching without missing a beat…" Agrippa says with a shake of his head, obviously not pleased with the way things are done, "I guess I can't complain too much though, I'm one of the newer pilots here, I guess I should be grateful that they found me on that derelict transport." When Nicodemus enters, the Viper jock grows quiet as his attention is diverted, the angry looking man given a wary glance. The last time an angry man stomped in somewhere public, he ended up killing a lot of people. Then when Phin makes his entrance, Punchdrunk recognizes the other pilot and raises a hand for a short wave in greeting.

"Then we march without missing a beat, Grippa. What else can we do? I talked to Knox today. He told a convincing story, much more convincing than Ceres did. It was a free for all, question and answer time. I asked just about everything I could think of right off hand." Maia glances up when Nico walks in, somewhat familiar as another pilot, so she doesn't give him any wary glances, but she does arch her brows. When Phin comes in closely following she nods, "Hey Dolly." Looking back to Nico. "Bats, right? You okay?"

Nicodemus glances towards Maia, "Yeah," he answers, that she has his call sign right. He inhales, sighs, and visibly tries to relax a little. He purses his lips, and then just says, "I just left Petra." It seems Grippa and Maia aren't the only ones with Cylons in the Mist on their minds.

Phin looks in Agrippa and Maia's direction when he catches the wave. He waves back, though he's not in a smiling mood. "Hey, Punchie. Centerfold. What's the word?" He must've caught some of their conversation, because he replies to Agrippa, "They're thinking they've got to cover their asses. Gods know how long they've known. You figure this ever would've come out if nine people hadn't been murdered in the mess because of their pet toaster? I wouldn't put cubits on it." Though Maia's mention of Knox does get his attention. And Nico's mention of Petra. "What'd they say?" Either or. He's curious about both.

For now, Agrippa remains more or less silent, as he is still unsure what to think. He doesn't have a long history with the people on the Orion, he doesn't know either Ceres or Knox too well, the former a bit better but only because she is a Viper pilot but even then she was recovering from her injuries when he was put on active flight status. For now, Punchdrunk chooses more to listen than to speak.

Nicodemus shrugs, "I told him Redux and Knox ain't soldiers who've chose to defect. They're machines working to defy their programing. That sort of thing can go wrong any time. Also told him machines come off assembly lines. If they built one Redux, they could build another. I asked if we could somehow mark them, so we know if they get replaced by lookalikes who aren't playing nice." He shakes his head, "Petra's convinced those two are good. Says if they weren't they would have already just taken us all out instead of leaving us as a last thorn in their side." Another shake of his head and he rolls his eyes, "Things are never that simple in war."

Giving a single nod in acknowledgement to getting the callsign right, Maia frowns at the mention of Petra, having heard the announcement the previous night. "What did Petra say?" Looking back to Phin, she shrugs. "Knox said they mean us no harm, that we either trust them or don't, basically. Taking it or leave it pretty much. He sounded pretty convincing, I won't lie." Though that's all she says before looking back to Bats, waiting for the wisdom of Petra.

Nicodemus shrugs, "I told him Redux and Knox ain't soldiers who've chose to defect. They're machines working to defy their programing. That sort of thing can go wrong any time. Also told him machines come off assembly lines. If they built one Redux, they could build another. I asked if we could somehow mark them, so we know if they get replaced by lookalikes who aren't playing nice." He shakes his head, "Petra's convinced those two are good. Says if they weren't they would have already just taken us all out instead of leaving us as a last thorn in their side." Another shake of his head and he rolls his eyes, "Things are never that simple in war."

Phin snorts at Maia's words about Knox. Though he doesn't immediately argue with it. "What else did he say? I mean…about what him and Redux were doing here? About why they turned? About…anything?" Nicodemus' story makes his jaw tighten. "What's he going to say? Command's just trying to pacify everybody. Hoping this'll blow over. Nevermind it's us who've got to fly with a Cylon we've got no reason to trust. And the Marines have got to stand next to one holding a rifle."

"If I'm ordered to fly with them, I'll fly with them since we still have other Cylons to dismantle. But if Redux is on our wing, I know I'll be keeping an eye on her as well as any hostiles we come across…" Agrippa says flatly, as his sense of trust hasn't extended that far out yet, and who knows when it will. But for now he is playing it safe, just in case the Cylons are able to do something if they are on a mission. "And they still haven't found the frakker that murdered our friends… how can a tinnie that was popped three times run off without a trace?"

"Frak.." Maia hears out Nico's words on Petra, her frown deepening. That's all she can manage to say about it. Looking back at Phin, she sighs, repeating all the incriminating words Knox had said, from what she can remember. "He was sent here to to wake Ceres and destroy Orion. That was their intent. But they defected from the Cylons claiming that they desired what we had, basically, humanity. To be like us. So they risked their own lives. Ygrain said if we kill them they'll just download into another body and then really be pissed at us. What can we do but be on the right side? Who wants a toaster pissed at you personally? They're unstoppable. They've infiltrated us and now they're here, what else can we do? Knox calls himself a bomb. He'd kill us all if someone were to kill him. No, it wasn't a threat, but it was a bleak warning, one he didn't seem too fond of."

Nicodemus grits his teeth a moment, and then stands, leaning against the glass window and folding his arms over his chest. "Frak it. We may have to follow orders, but that doesn't mean there's not things we can do." He smirks a little, "For example, maybe it's time Redux gets a new call sign. Something maybe that makes her wish she wasn't flyin' with us." He lifts his brows a bit, "Maybe if they get enough unfriendly from all of us, they'll just quit."

"I'll follow orders," Phin says to Agrippa. "But I'm not going to pretend it's just OK. It's dangerous. Not just because her programming might flip and she could frag us. We've got to be able to trust each other out there to operate. I don't trust Redux, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. I'm working up a protest letter on the CAG's decision to keep her in the Strikes that I'm going to submit through the chain. Probably won't change anything, but Buzzkill and that thing should know how it sits with us. Wouldn't mind a few other folks signing on." He takes in Maia's words with a deepening frown. "So Knox flipped her programming once. Who's to say another Cylon couldn't flip it back. And his, too. I'm still not seeing any real reason to trust those things, other than 'we've let them on the ship this long and we're frakked, so let's act like it's not a problem.'"

Agrippa almost jumps out of his seat when Maia shares the revelation that Knox is a bomb, "Frak… did you just say he's a bomb? Did he mean an actual literal bomb, one with a dead-man switch?" Maybe it was just a phrase that the Cylon used or he misunderstood, she could mean that he would just go postal on them when he returned in a new body. Punchdrunk does nod his head at Phin, "I'm gonna wait a little bit to see what else comes out of this before signing your petition, Dolly. And that's what I'm worried about it. What is pretenting the tin cans from beaming over a software patch into Redux and the other one, correcting whatever is wrong with them?"

"Honestly, I don't think Redux would be bothered by any callsign, she's a toaster, remember? They don't have feelings, right? Manufactured, you said. Assembly line. Knox said they're blood and guts inside, Ceres said she feels pain and bleeds like us. Has anyone heard them mention emotions in there though?" Surely they had, but Maia can't remember right offhand. "A letter hm? I'll consider it, but I've got to talk to Ceres and Petra first. I want to hear first hand a lot of things before I am convinced. Sure they may not have time for me, but I want answers." Looking back at Agrippa, she smirks. "I don't think he meant a literal bomb.. It was more.. not a literal bomb, no. Not like a cranial job or anything. Just that if he were killed and was close enough to download, he'd be dangerous as hell, more like, with all of the information he knows."

Nicodemus nods at Agrippa, "I said the exact same thing to Petra, about hacking into them over wireless or some such. Would you believe, he actually dismissed the notion because he believes if the cylons had the capability, they would already have done it." He shakes his head, "Which is crazy, because if they don't already have that capability, they're surely now working on it." He scowls, glancing out at the stars a second, before looking back at the others. "Makes me wonder if Petra ain't a cylon too, protecting his own."

"Sounds more like a threat than anything," Phin says, about Knox and the bomb thing. "And a good reason for Command not to put them in front of a firing squad, but that doesn't mean we've got to treat them like they're flesh-and-blood comrades anymore." To Agrippa and Maia, he nods. "Copy that. No pressure. I just don't want to shut up and act like I'm OK with this. And if there's any chance they might reconsider on making us fly with her, might as well try." He shakes his head a little, at the suggestion that Petra's a Cylon. "We can't let ourselves get paranoid and call everybody who looks cross-eyed a toaster. Situation's frakked enough as it is."

Shaking his head at the clarification, Agrippa echos Phin's words, "It is definitely a threat then, Centerfold, from that toaster. If we harm him, he'll come back and kill us, that doesn't sound very much like someone who has thrown his lot in with us. Sounds like he's just frakked in his programming and isn't able to make a decision right now." The Viper jock is certianly unsettled, more for him to think about as he releases a sigh, "I think I'm gonna go spend more time at the firing range."

"That's another thing I asked Knox. How many there were on the ship. After the mess hall massacre, there are three remaining. Knox, Ceres and the killer. Ceres is a Nine, Knox is a Six. The killer is a One. I don't know the significance of that but Knox mentioned it so obviously it means something. He didn't actually say he was a bomb in those words… more like what they know would poison the entire line of a single number forever, meaning that they would learn from each and if the predecessors knew it was intel that others didn't have, it would endanger all of us, Orion, the Colonies, everything we've worked to save. It's fifty-fifty whether they are close enough to download and kill us all. No, I don't think it was a threat, you're getting it wrong. He didn't even sound volatile. He was.." Nice.. "Ah, I believed him."

"There were four Cylons, but one of the dead from the shooting. A female, but he didn't give her name." Maia adds.

Nicodemus shakes his head, "This whole thing is wrong." He looks at Phin, "We NEED to be paranoid." Unfolding his arms, he turns and heads towards the door.

Phin does some frowning at Maia. "Centerfold, that's what they want you to think. They're trained to make you believe them. That's the whole point of making Cylons that look like us. They're infiltrators. Spies. Designed to get your defenses down so they can exploit you. Redux totally had me snowed. I'll admit it. She figured out what buttons to push and she got inside my head. I know better now, though." He half turns to say something to departing Nicodemus, but all he manages is a "Bats…" before the rest of what Maia says registers. "Shit…"

Agrippa was about to rise out to head out of the Observation Deck to head to the firing range but when Nicodemus rises and turns to leave as well, Punchdrunk remains seated for the time being, silent again as he watches Bats. Then his attention returns to Maia and Phin, a frown on his face now as the implications gets deeper and deeper.

"Oh.. Gods.. I never thought about that. If one of the dead was a Cylon.. and Knox was right, does that mean there's a frakking bomb in our morgue? I mean.. Gods, I need to talk to Knox again. I'm going to confront him with that. If they are veritable if not literal bombs then where the frak did the deceased download? What did she know?" Maia stands but not to leave, she glances towards the departing Nico then begins to pace. "I want to talk to Petra. Soon. Or Knox again." Looking back at Phin, she seems somewhat agitated, not at the pilot, but at what he says.. the truth in it. "So I'm a sucker huh? I guess that's true. A few pretty words and I'm all ready to play nice."

"Maybe." That's all Phin says in response to Maia about the possible bomb in the morgue, blue eyes widening as the implications of that bat around in his head. As for being a sucker, he shrugs. "I sure as hell was. Won't get fooled again, though."

Shaking his head, Agrippa finally mutters, "Everyone who wasn't in on the loop was all fooled, I'm sure. It seems like only Command knew and them not sharing it contributed to the deaths of our friends."

Tasha arrives from the Fore Corridor.

"I'll admit to being a trusting idiot, but I don't know what to think about them now. I do want to talk to Petra, get his take personally. Bats seemed pissed after their talk." Maia sighs and continues her pacing. "I don't know what to think. I just.. I don't. Today's been a hell of a day anyway."

"Seems like," Phin agrees simply with Agrippa. He's seated in a chair on the Obs Deck near the other two pilots. Talking, if plainly not about pleasant subjects. As for Petra. "He'll give you the party line. Trust our Nice Toasters, go about your business. But do what you feel you've gotta, Centerfold."

It hasn't gotten on to late yet… Poeple come and go about their duty and one such person is LTjg Stryker… Having been wandering the corridors for most of the day after completed her duty obligations, the viper stick still wears her duty uniform rather than a flight suit… Cool blue eyes sweep across the other pilots in the room but she doesn't offer much in way of greeting while manuevering along the edge of the room to the port viewing windows to look out on the darkness of space and the planet below. It's obvious to any who care to look that there is alot on the young woman's mind as she holds the wings from her uniform jacket in one hand and purses her lips only to catch a bit of what the others are saying…

Agrippa finally rises from his seat, releasing a long sigh as he does so, "You can't try to figure it out all in one day, Centerfold, I know I can't. I'm gonna go shoot some targets, being accurate with our sidearm is much more important than our Vipers these days. Especially with a toaster still on the loose hell-bent on killing people." With that, Punchdrunk heads for the exit of the Observatory Deck, giving Tasha a wave on his way out.

"Party line, yeah. I know." Admitting defeat there, Maia continues her pacing though when Tasha comes in, she nods to her too. Yeah she has a lot on her mind too, but she can always spare time for a friend. "How's you, Tasha?" For some reason always using her name instead of her callsign. When Agrippa goes to leave, she looks surprised, but lifts her shoulders in a careless shrug. "See ya Punchdrunk." Walking to the window, she stares out blindly. "Gods I need to go workout. I've been doing too little of that lately."

"Later, Alex," Phin offers simply to departing Agrippa. Followed by a "Hey, Blackbird" to arriving Tasha. To Maia, "I went swimming earlier. Figured it'd clear out my head. Not sure it did, but it at least gives you an excuse to concentrate on something without really thinking for awhile, y'know?"

With a slight tilt of her head, Tasha meets Agrippa's departing gaze breifly whilew running her thumb across the top contours of the wings held loosely in her hand. Swallowing she offers a faint nod and then looks back out into space letting the other pilot slip by and leave as he chooses.

When Maia calls out, Tasha deosn't react for a second or two before looking over her shoulder without turning her body as the other woman approaches, " I'm sure we have all been better… You?" A delicatly arched brow rises fractionally in a curious manner but her eyes just hold a deadness that indicates a going of through the motions rather than any real intrest in what other poeple may or may not be doing right now.

As Phin interjects, Tasha turns to the side more fully now and allows her gaze to shift to the other man… It's then evident that the viper stick is wearing her side arm… the more robust design of the Dragon Mark XIX .357 caliber side arm set in a low drop leg holster on her right hip. " Dolly… " It's her way of responding as he begins talking more to Maia once more.

"Sounds good, Dolly. I may just go swimming." Looking at Tasha, she sees the wings now in her hand, Maia turns back to her, her frown deepening. "What's on your mind, Tasha. Should talk through it." Getting some impending sense of doom for some reason. Looking back at Phin, she checks to see if he feels the same.

Phin is not wearing his sidearm, for his part. He's in off-duties at the moment. He doesn't prompt Tasha anymore than Maia did, but he's not going to stop her from talking. His head tilts a little up at her, to see what she'll say.

With a casual lift of her chin, Tasha's head tilts to the side before blinking with a lazy almost uncarring quality, " Nothing… Just…. You know I remember how beautiful it was back home at this time of year. Flowers would just begin to bloom on my grandfather's place near the capital on Scoripa…" Lips part and the viper stick takes a slight indrawn breath before her tongue toys with one canine breifly. Hand tightening around her wings, she inhales and then closes her eyes in a moments silence before looking back to Phin as he remains silent. " Do you think they had time to scream before they burned? Even knew if it was coming?" She blinks a few times as her knuckles go white from gripping the wings to hard." I wonder… Do you think Ceres or Knox knew about it and just played their part like they were programed to when it all went down?"

Deep deep emotions are in the observation deck this day. Maia glances towards Phin whether to ask for help or gauge his reaction, but it's the blonde Raptor pilot who steps up, leans against the reinforced glass and faces the Viper pilot. "I hope they didn't have time to scream before they burned. I hope they never saw it coming. I hope they were looking at the flowers and just enjoying life, thinking about happy things when it happened." Her voice turns gruff as the lump in her throat grows with each word. Finally she is forced to stop talking and swallow hard. "I don't know what Ceres or Knox knew. Or the Cylon that died in the mess hall that day. All I know is I've been ordered to continue as is. The Cylons created the war, the Cylons as a whole. Ceres and Knox.. I have to believe weren't part of it or else I'll just go crazy."

Phin smiles slight. "The countryside around Celeste was gorgeous in the springtime. Once you got a little away from the city, up toward the mountains." Though her mention of burning makes his smile fade. "Who the hell knows? Can't trust anything they say. She's…they're liars. On top of being Cylons. And they had to know it was coming. Their kind did, at least. There were people who served with Redux years ago. She'd been planted in the Fleet for ages as an enemy agent." He tilts his head up at Tasha. "Blackbird…look, I heard some stuff went down in Sickbay between you and the Toaster Who Was Redux. Look…we can't go after them. We can't whip ourselves into a mob. That's not going to solve anything. It's just going to make everybody more paranoid, and people'll get hurt who don't deserve to."

With a slight shake of her head, Tasha tilts her head to the side and simply looks into Maia's eyes…. Lips parted she doesn't say anything at first, " There machines… Just wired and pluged in like the rest… Deep down they know… deep down they are just programmed to react so we will be attached to them… They are playing the long game and we are just eating it up." Swallowing softly, she looks down as if feeling a pinch as a drop of blood runs from her overtightend grip on the edges of the now bent flight wings. " I don't know if I can do this…"

When Phin speaks up, Tasha swallows and loosesn her grip on the wings while her hand drops to her side letting the blood coat her fingertips in a slow ebb as her other hand drops to her side… Finger tips brushing the pistols hard grip. " You want to know what happend in sickbay Dolly…." More a statement than a question. "Our marines are more loyal to cylons than us… They would rather let them walk amongst us than see them locked away…. They would rather have the MPs escort me out while that machine walked free… They woudl rather the ship go down than two machines…." Her voice never rises in inflection… It's just like she is stating the cold hard facts. " I'm going to talk to Petra… And then… " She looks out the window of the observation deck and a sad tired smile brushes her lips. " I'm going home…"

Dear Gods.. for years. It's like a sucker punch to the gut. Maia has to work to inhale breath, her throat working, her chest burning. "Years," she croaks out, running a weary hand over her face, turning towards the window and bracing herself against the window with a hand flat against the surface. Years was before the war. Why hadn't she thought about that? Flinching with each word about the happenings in sickbay from Tasha, the Raptor pilot bows her head. What a fool she'd been. "Home?" The implications were there… irrefutable, undeniable. "What are you planning to do, Tasha?"

Phin says nothing about going home. The idea just makes him look sad. "I'm just saying…we should try and handle it within the regs. Otherwise it'll get out of control, and people who don't deserve it'll end up being hurt. Maybe the brass has to keep those things on board. Like Centerfold was saying, maybe they'll just…upload everything they know back to their own kind if they're iced." A look to Maia, before his eyes go back to Tasha. He doesn't ask about home. But he does wait on what she might say.

Wetting her lips before the white enamal of her teeth catch her tongue breifly, Tasha swallows and listens… A certain type of calm realization about what she is going to do having settled across her like a cool blanket hours ago while walking the ships corridors. Eyes finding the dark reaches of space, they narrow breifly as if trying to see something out there before she reaches up with blood stained fingers to touch the cool surface and leave a single imprint of one finger. " I was here… "It doesn't make any sense really but it makes her smile before her eyes shimer with unshed tears breifly. "There's alot of ways home… " She looks up then. Fingers hovering inches away from the holsterd pistol before that self same hand comes up to brush an errant strand of hair from her face to be tucked behind one ear. " It's better you not worry about it Maia."

Exhaling softly to calm and push those tears back down, Tasha drops both hands once more to her side… The drip of one drop of crimson impacting the carpeting to sink into the fabric and be asborbed away. " When we do what were told were just like the machines were fighting against… The one thing that makes us different is being able to effect change… When that stops being a choice and command doesn't have the faith in it's own poeple to explain what is going on and would rather let those responsible for mass genocide roam these halls armed and free… Then… I swore to defend the colonies from enemies both foreign and domestic." She swallows…" I don't even know what that is anymore…"

"I don't know what their plans are, Dolly, but I know it can't be good. Years.." That seems to have a really, really huge impact on her. They'd had to have known and known for a long time.

With a set expression, blue eyes settle on her friend, a woman she had shared so much with. "Tasha," Maia says, trying to remain as calm as she is able. "I need to speak with Petra also. Promise me." Again, she chokes back the lump in her throat that threatens to turn into tears she never sheds and never stop falling. "Promise me," she tries again, "That no matter what, you won't go speak to him without me there. I want to see his face, I want to hear what he has to say when you confront him. Promise me."

"I'm not saying just do what we're told. We can't disobey orders, but we can tell the brass what they're doing is wrong, and maybe if enough of us do it, they'll see that thing can't fly with us," Phin says. "I'm planning to submit a written protest of Redux's continued status as a pilot with us to the CAG, and our commanders. Maybe you should, too. Maybe if enough of us do, they'll realize the way they're handling her is seriously frakked." Though as Tasha goes on, he watches her with increasing concern. "Blackbird…we can still trust each other. We've got to."

Lifting her bloody hand and looking into the balm to see the now bent and deformed emblem of her once hard fought dreams, Tasha swallows harder this time and exhales slowly, " You know Maia I never knew my father?" She blinks and looks at the other woman before chewing her lower lip breifly. " My mom was… a free spirit. But I don't care… All I knew was he was a Viper pilot." A smile at that and she blinks softly as childhood dreams wash through her. " I used to think about what he was like… Handsome… the best viper jock in the fleet… All I ever wanted to do was be like that." She shifts her fingers causing the wings to roll in her palm showing where the dammits lacerated her palm. " When I made it… I thought my life was perfect… Even when Scorpia burned and the Cylons came back I felt like being behind the stick was the right thing… that those around me had my back and in a way my father was with me… But now… It's like ash in my mouth."

Working her mouth as if tasting that ash, Tasha exhales and lets out a tired sigh. " I've never given up on anything in my life… But this is to…. to much and I just don't want to be a part of it anymore…" Blinking softly, she offers a weak smile to Phin. " It hurts knowing you've been out played by the machines… It hurts worse when those you thought had your backed turn on your because they are more loyal to the machine…"

Swallowing now and looking to the floor for a moment, Tasha hears what they are saying… With a lift of her chin and tired eyes, she parts her lips, " I'm not just signing a petition Phin… I'm going to resign my commission… I'm never going to fly again… and then I'm going to make Petra watch as I go home once and for all…" She blinks then and swallows hard… She doesn't quiet say it but it's almost evident what she has in mind. " Maybe that will help you get your point across a helluva lot better…" Lifting her shoulders. " Easier to replace one Viper jock I'm sure than their pet machines…"

Trust.. Phin was right. That right there was one of the biggest fears Maia had. That they would all distrust each other. The story was a heart wrenching one and the telling of it was so intense, it brought tears to her eyes. The lacerations are seen and the Raptor reaches out a hand, brushing her thumb over her palm where the cuts are before she continues holding the hand and looks into the Vipers eyes. "That's not the way to do it, Tasha. That's giving up." She doesn't fool herself to think it's anything different that what is glaringly obvious. "You promise me you'll take me with you when you go see Petra. Gods dammit, if I'm going to lose a friend, I am going to be there with her till the end. Allow me that at least." Her eyes beg Phin for help, for wisdom when she looks back over to the Viper pilot. Help…

"Never knew my dad, either," Phin admits with Tasha, with a little shrug. He cracks a faint half-smile. "Hell, we're both from the 'Bay. Maybe we're half-sibs and we just don't know it." It's a maybe highly inappropriate joke, but he can't seem to think of anything else to say to that immediate. The smile fades as she talks about resigning her commission, though. "They're not going to let you. This is a time of war. None of us can just leave. Look, at least talk to Storm first. He's not saying we should coddle Redux like everyone else seems intent on doing. And he's our squadron leader. He can…I don't know. Do something." What, he does not specify.

Feeling that pinch of pain as Maia takes her hand and brushes her thumb across the lacerations, Tasha lets the bent and blood soaked wings fall to the deck without any reaction save to glance at where the land for a moment… The memory of her show girl mother making the trip to pin them to her breast floods back… the image slowly fades as her imagination manipulates it in ways it never happened…. Smiling her mother is halo'd in a brilliant flash of white… the skin of her smiling face cracks and begins to peel before blackening… A gust blows away the flesh to expose the darkend skull beneath a moment before it explodes in a shower of nuclear fire… Blinking… Tasha shivers dispelling the corrupted memore to look up at Maia as if only just then realizing the woman is holding her hand. " You don't want that Maia… Not really."

HOlding her gaze for a time, Tasha's smile is sad and if nothing almost final as if her mind may already be decided… Glancing at Phin, she shakes her head however breifly and allows a ghost of a smile to play across full lips that doesn't reflect within her tired eyes. " I'm not asking his permission Dolly… I want him to see how deep my feelings in this matter run… He won't be able to stop me from going home… " She blinks softly once more and tilts her head to the side… an errant strand of hair spilling across her brow to bursh at those lips. " Don't worry Phin…. I wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone else… It's just time…" Shifting her gaze back to Maia once more and she wets her lips. " I didn't come her to confess some final aspect of my life… I just wanted to see the stars one more time you know… Who knows… Maybe things will change…"

Ygraine arrives from the Fore Corridor.

"You don't know that, Tasha. I do want that. Really. Because I have every intention on stopping you. If you think I will stand by while you end your commission by ending your life, then you don't know me at all." Her hand remains holding Tasha's. The wings on the floor forgotten now, there's a quick glance to Phin though, but her gaze falls back on Tasha and she doesn't look away after that. "I will shadow your every waking step, I will not rest, I will be there when you shit but I will not allow you to follow through with this. You see, I care. You're my best friend on this frakking ship and you're not checking out."

Ygraine comings into the obs deck. Remember the days when Ygraine could shoot rainbow powers of awesome cheer through her spirit fingers? Those days are back, y'all. Well, maybe in miniature form. Her hair's been tugged out of its braids, loose and wavy, settling past her shoulders in a tumble and her freckled face is aglow, and even if she's not beaming, it's there. Oh, it's there. Just under the surface. Beaming. Rainbows!

"Nobody's going to end anything." Phin tries to sound firm and convincing about this, while keeping his voice somewhat low. Blue eyes watching Tasha with increasing concern. "Blackbird…look, just sleep on this. Centerfold'll hang with you. And when things are clearer tomorrow you guys can both go talk to Lieutenant Colonel Petra if you want and…things'll be better." How they will be better, he doesn't specify. He tries to sound like he believes it. A look up at Ygraine, who he looks very glad to see just now, though her cheer doesn't rub off on him just yet.

Parted lips allow a soft rush of exhaled air to escape her lungs as Tasha returns Maia's gaze with a deep seated soul tiredness that resides within their ice blue depths now. Listening as she pleads and outlines her intention to stop Tasha from leaving, The Viper leaves her blood slick hand still grasped lightly within Maia's own hand… They stand silouhetted against the backdrop of space near the observation window with Phin standing next to them… A set of bent and blood soaked Viper PIlot wings, missing from Tasha's uniform, rest upon the ground near their feet. " We loose poeple we care about all the time… I just want to go home… If I can't win back that home because those I trusted turn there back on me to hug and make nice with those skin jobs then I can't be a part of this anymore… We already lost the fight."

As Phin tries to offer more common sense into a situation that has long since stopped making any, Tasha inhales deeply through flared nostrials while her free hand still hangs at her side… finger tips brushing agianst the hilt of the holstered Dragon Mark XIX .357 cal hand gun there… "Dolly… Your sweet…. but… I don't know… I'm going to talk to Petra and… We will see. " She swallows and then blinks feeling rainbows and good cheer edging into the room as the dark cloud she has pulled with her ever since the sickbay flashes with dark bolts of threatening lighting.

Maia doesn't release her hand, not a chance. Not until she elicits a promise from her. "You promise me, Tasha, that you will wait for me to go with you and I'll not dog your steps. I'm more serious about this than I have been about anything in a long time. "Say the words, I want to be there with you, for you, if it comes to that." The intensity of her expression is mirrored on the reinforced glass beyond them, but there's not much more she can say than to practically beg her to give her word.

With another look to Phin, Maia nods, giving him an almost grateful smile. "He's right you know. I'll hang with you, you can try on all my clothes, we'll have fun. I'll paint your nails or something." As the reflection of Ygraine is seen, Maia glances over and does a double take, having only seen her leaving sickbay earlier in a much darker mood. "Hey Shake.." offering a nod, but inevitably her gaze goes back to Tasha.

A tired sigh escapes parted lips as Tasha drops her gaze before letting it trail back up to meet Maia's once more, " If it will help… You may come with me when I go to see LTC Petra…" Wetting her lips with a sweep of her delicate tongue, the svelt blonde swallows and blinks a few times slowly behind long lashes.

"Are you frakking kidding me?" Ygraine's brows hit her hairline as she addresses Tasha. "We've got two cylons on board that are identified and monitored. And it really sucks that they're here and we gotta deal with them. There are also a thousand or so humans on board, none of whom have resigned their commissions or mustered out because there's literally millions of people on the remainin' colonies who need our help, and we're the only ones trained t'give it to 'em. So you're talkin' about what, throwin' away a resource that is a viper pilot - ya, over two cylons, and not thinkin' about the millions of people ya might save. That's…awesome math there, Blackbird." She shakes her head, and goes to sit down next to Phin with a sigh/

Maia is visibly relieved at the promise, she offers a brief hug, bends down, scoops up the wings and places them back in the hand she was holding. "You earned them, for good reason hold them. Help us fight, Tasha. Stay. We need you." With that, the Raptorette has to go.

"That's…a really cool gun, Blackbird," Phin says. For a complete lack of anything else productive to say. "You mind if I take a look at it?" He tries to make this request casual. "I've just got a Picon Five-seveN. Which ain't too impressive but…neither is my shooting, so it works." He scoots a little to make room for Ygraine, and he does nod along some at her interjection. "Look, everything seems frakked right now. But there are people still back on the colonies, since you're talking home. Talk on it with Centerfold and the Lieutenant Colonel in the morning. It'll…work itself out." Somehow. He does not say how.

Sunshing… and rainbows… LTjg Stryker's hand tightens unintentionally in Maia's hand before she releases it and lets her blood soaked palm fall to her side a moment after Maia replaces the bent wings once more within her grasp. Each word that leaves Ygraine's lips slash into her already raged psych with a hatchets ragged precision. " I'm going home Milk…" Shortening her call sign more from tired resignation than any other reason, the viper stick half turns placing her back to the glory that is the rich tapestry of space behind her. "Things are changing here… And no one is willing to face the hard fact that there are two cylons walking free and heavily armed within this very ship."

With Phin's interjection causing her to draw up short on what may have been a much longer discussion, Tasha gives him a tilt of her head and purses her lips while narrowing her gaze. The subtleness of his move obviously as transparent as the glass behind her and as such she doesn't comment on the side arm ready in the drop leg holster at her side… Something she normally never carried off duty before despite still being in her duty uniform but off shift. " We'll see Dolly… You keep working on your petition. Maybe I'll see how it works out…"

"You're runnin'. Like a coward. You're givin' up. You're failin' t'adapt. Ya would rather run and hide like a little bitchbaby than put on ya big girl panties and fly a viper and blow up th'enemy. I get it. I have those days too. But I get over 'em." Ygraine flops bonelessly into a seat next to Phin. "Believe me, every single person on this boat is aware of how frakked up everythin' is and copin' with how t'deal with that. Ya ain't special. As it happens, Ceres is in th'brig right now. Keep calm, carry on, and kill the cylons tryin' t'kill ya, Blackbird. Smartest thing ya can do right now. Do the math: pull your hair out over two cylons, or get in your viper every and blow th'shit outta more of 'em and save millions of humans. Your call."

"It's not technically a petition, it's…" But Phin doesn't bother to finish defining the finer points of his letter. He holds up a hand. "Look. Everybody please calm down. Yggs is right in that, we need every pilot up there we can trust. So…stow the talk about going anywhere for now. OK?"

Widening her stance with a slight shift and a step to the left, Tasha leaves her hands to hang at her side for now and blinks letting Ygraine spill her own view on the world at large and one person's possible place within it, " Millions may be overestimating… Knox and Ceres are responsible for mass genocide and the command is willing to welcome them with open arms… What chance do we have when were being subverted from within?" Her tone is tired… Hardly confrontational as if she has had enough time to dwell on this and all it represents. " You weren't there Ygraine… Our own Marines had me hauled off by the MPs and lets those two skinjobs walk… "

When Phin stops to throw up his hands and make his final point, Tasha just looks at him and lets the silence hang in the air for a moment, " You saying a good stick is hard to find Dolly?" If it's humor it's given in a very deadpan manner as she takes a breath and looks away. " I am calm… Probably calmer than any other time in my life and as for trust… You know how I feel… Trust is getting cheaper all the time. The cylons are playing the long game… And were still just trying to make it through till tomorrow…" Half turning now, her body language suggests that it's time to move on… while not leaving as of yet her gaze shifts to the corridor…

"Hi, me, sittin' down, perfectly calm." Ygraine points out. "Actually, Knox and Ceres are personally responsible for savin' th'lives of th'entire crew of the Orion, but if ya don't believe me, let Petra tell ya. Again. I ain't ready t'trust them, but I'm also not gonna call for a lynch mob. Heard about that, by th'way. Not exactly what I'd call behavior befittin' an officer, but then, diff'rent strokes, right?" she shrugs. "Do what you're gonna do. Me, I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fight, and no, millions ain't overestimatin'. Go read the survival projections for Aerilon, Picon, and Leonis if ya haven't already."

"Survive and adapt," Phin mutters. "Nothing else you can do." He snorts at Tasha's comment about sticks. "Yeah, that was pretty much what I was saying. Look…I'm going to hang here for a little longer, but I'll see you back in the berthings, OK?"

Now her lips do tug at the corners as Tasha pauses and brings her arms up to cross under her breast, " Lynch mob… Of what… one?" Blinking now as a bit of indignation finally colors her voice. " I don't remember seeing you there Milkshake but good to see the rumor mill is running strong. But go ahead and propogate that little myth." She inhales as the blood begins to color her cheeks turning her normally pale skin a brighter pink. " I've read and I'm at every mission breif… As for saving the ship… Machines do what they are programmed to do for the long game… Whatever their purpose they are doing what they have to for that final coup de gra… So yes. I'm gonna believe and you know what Milk… Frak you."

It's a hard gaze as Tasha continues to look at Ygraine… Not will to explain any further about the sickbay and how it went down in any more detail. Better to just let others believe what they choose to. Instead she simply ignores Phin as her blood pressure continues to rise and she then turns and begins walking out… Leaving the other two to gossip and build the rumors to a fever pitch… After all what does it truly matter in the end….

"Some people's children; what can ya do?" Yggy shrugs and leaves it at that, and then turns and beams at Phin. "Holtz an' me, we had a talk." A beat. "No, not a frak that I'm callin' a talk. An actual talk." Sunnily, "And then we frakked. Like jackrabbits.'

Tasha leaves, heading toward the Fore Corridor [FC].

Phin is torn between looking worried and very confused at Tasha's departure. "This place is getting seriously frakked…" he mutters. That was not a pun about Ygraine's love life. Though it comes just when she mentions Holtz. He snorts. "So, like, with words, then?" Though he can't help but smile, when she beams like that. "You look happy."

Ygraine is sitting on one of the obs couches next to Phin. Her hair is down, and she seems happy. But she's turned to Phin, and says very seriously, but with all the glow around her, "Phinny, th'hardest thing I've ever done is tell a man I love him. It's also the scariest thing I've ever done. My gods, I think it was scarier than most combats I've been in."

Free from the brig with a brief meal under watchful eyes, a MP posts himself at the hatchway after giving a look inside and seeing the nearly empty obs deck. Ceres lingers though, noting the two on the couch. Avoiding the berths till after the change of hands was the idea but didn't seem to entirely work. Despite Dolly and Shake perched where they are, she moves for the windows, strolling past the seating area and trying to give the two a wide berth as they may wish.

Phin blinks. He's surprised by that, no question. "Love? Wow." It takes him a second to wrap his brain around that. "So you and Storm…wow." This will require him to adjust his worldview a bit. At least he doesn't take too long with it. As it sinks in, with her beaming like that, his smile crooks at her. And he reaches over to put an arm around her shoulders, for quick hugging purposes. "You don't look too freaked out, Yggs. You look…you seem really happy. And that's the goal, right?" He doesn't notice Ceres' presence. Yet.

"I know!" Ygraine looks baffled and happy, and there are no such thing as short hugs with her, she bear hugs him and admits, "I am terrified." She just happens to look then, and see Ceres. Her happy beams are still on, but she doesn't seem to know what to do when confronted with a Ceres-spotting in the Orion wild.

The happiness rushing through the room is enough to make Ceres keep her distance still as well as maintain a strict silence that dissolves into her just staring off into the great beyond that lays below the Orion in orbit. In fact she seems to shrink back a little look towards the hatch. Firming her resolve, she glances over towards the two. "Storm finally spoke up." She breaks that silence that had been like a wall. "Bout time. Congrats." Just a brief glance towards the two and she eases a little, arms unfolding from before her.

Phin can't help but laugh, and he bearhugs her back tight and warm. "Well, you wear terrified real well." And he does seem glad in that moment, maybe just to have some happiness to be adjacent to, given the last few days. And then there's Ceres' voice. He straightens up from hugging Ygraine, muscles tensing. Smile fading. He turns his head to just stare at her, that same cold look he had in his eyes the last time she saw him in Sickbay returning.

Ygraine slips he hands into Phin's, or at least tries to, to give him something to squeeze. Ygraine's happiness doesn't falter, but her tone is much more serious. "What happened in the sims?" she asks, tone even.

That question alone gives her pause and Ceres meets Phin'a chill gaze briefly before centering on Ygraine. "I arrived early for my alotted time to look through the simulations. Storm went to reset another program and we had a disagreement. It was entirely my fault…he started through punches at me for something I said and when he lost control…I hit him once. That is it." She says and looks between them. "MP's escorted me to the brig, last I saw he was fine. I am guessing since he proclaimed his love for you that he is doing well?"

Phin says nothing, but his mood has turned on a cubit. He says nothing, just keeps regarding Ceres. He does let Ygraine take his hands, squeezing them quick in return. Otherwise, he's perfectly still.

"I said it first." Ygraine admits. "There ain't nothin' wrong with that. And he's…about as well as any of us are doin'. But there are still good things." She keeps her hands in Phin's.

"He still said it," Ceres points out and then looks between them. "Have a good evening," She adds the, watching their reactions to her presence before she gives them both a nod and moves for the hatch again, looking the MP escort who looks less than thrilled. Orders are orders though.

"Frakking toaster," are Phin's parting words to Ceres. That's it.

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