PHD #073: Overdue
Overdue
Summary: Following the non-return of the Leonis team, the XO and CAG discuss their options.
Date: 10 May 2041 AE
Related Logs: Have One For the Road!
Players:
Tillman Cidra 
Combat Information Center - Deck 7 - Battlestar Cerberus
The central nexus of the ship, the fighting capability all stems from here. With entrances on both sides, an entire section of the wall will twist its armored glass and doorframes out of an air locked position and allow access. At the rear of the room is a standard hatch that allows access as well. Computer terminals sit in a semi-circle around the main plotting table in the center of the room. DRADIS and other essential readouts are displayed on screens that hang from the ceiling. Forward and aft are a set of glass plots that hang vertically from the ceiling and provide the crew with the ability to coordinate air traffic operations in the easiest way possible.
Post-Holocaust Day: #73

The CIC looks a little harried, relief hanging in the air among most of the crew here. Except for Tillman. He's standing by the plotting table and ordering charts from the map room. A Petty Officer is already scrambling out of the room to go grab the requested charts. The XO looks like he just lit a cigarette.

Cidra is without a cigarette, in a rarity. But, then, she didn't pause for a smoke break. She marches into CIC still in her flight suit, helmet under her arm. Hair torn from its standard flight bun and now hanging in sweaty tresses to her shoulders. "Major." She comes straight to Tillman, posture straightening, salute raised fluidly. "I apologize if I was delayed. One of my Viper pilots came in very hot. The medics were taking her to Sickbay when I left the Deck."

"The last thing you should do is apologize, Major. Your people did everything they were supposed to out there. Including you." Michael suddenly states, snapping his head back. He stands by the center tactical plotter and laces his fingers together.

Tillman returns the salute crisply. "No need to apologize, Cid. I understand." His jaw sets and he looks to the empty plotting table asif willing the charts to be there already. "Major, they met us at the exact point and time that the Eidolon was to meet us. The Admiral and I are assuming that the mission to Leonis has failed. And given the lack of communications, it has probably failed massively." The toll of it all is plain on the man's face, the strain visible in his eyes as he looks back to the CAG. "There was no record either written or electronic of where we were meeting."

Cidra lowers her arm but her posture remains straight. And tense. She does not nod. The full import of that is too grim for her to manage that. But she can't disagree. A blink, slight shake of her head, and she manages to maintain her composure. But she's obviously holding onto it tight. "You are suggesting the Cylons got that information from our people on the ground?"

"At ease, Cid." The words from Tillman are terse as he tosses the pack onto the plotting table. "But yeah. It makes the most sense. Capture them, get the location of the meet-up. Probably from either Kulko or Barto." He's not going to delve on how it might have happened. "The other alternative is that someone on the inside knew and somehow alerted the Cylons. Only a handful of people knew what our rendezvous location was." This is all said -very- quietly. "Thought I couldn't imagine why anyone would alert them, so its just a theory without teeth."

Cidra's shoulders sag a notch but it wouldn't be accurate to say she relaxes. She's wound tight as a spring right now. But, it holds her together. She doesn't even speak to Tillman's alternative suggestion. It's possible. It's horrifying. There's little she can do about it now. A beat before she speaks and, when it does, it comes out all-too-stilted and fast. "Major Tillman, I request authorization to begin planning and implementation of Raptor reconnaissance to Leonis to search for some sign of…our people down there. Or what became of them."

Clive doesn't even wait. "Approved. Its why I called you here. Make it happen. I'll get you the radio frequencies that the two teams were operating on. When you get the Raptor down there, try to make contact. Figure out who was taken. Tell them to signal their location with smoke grenades IF you can get that Raptor low enough. But don't push it. I don't want anyone else down there." The Major's voice is stern but all business. He's got Quinn down there but Cid has a bunch of pilots missing. "When can you leave?"

"I shall get personnel together for it as soon as possible, sir," Cidra says. "We must make sure the ship is defensible before we send off more people. Also…Major, should we attempt to use the IFF technology our technicians have devised upon return? There is no way to tell if it worked or not but if it did…it might buy a search more time."

"No arguments from me, Major. As for the IFF?" Tillman shakes his head. "Don't bother. As soon as you guys try and pop off communications? The game is up. They will know you're out there and come hunting. Jumping into atmo right near Anadyomene will probably be your best bet. Recon the base and see if there is any sign of movement. Get to Kythera if you can. And whatever your crew does Cid, don't land. They meet resistence, and they don't bug the frak out right away, I will personally get involved in making sure they don't misunderstand orders again." The petty officer returns with the charts and unrolls them onto the plotting table. "Second, we need to start figuring out a way to get them off planet. I want every one of them back. But this plan? You and I. Nobody else unless I personally approve them. Clear?"

"Understood, Clive," Cidra says. Her voices comes out a little hoarse. Her throat's dry. "I shall start cobbling immediately." A pause. That seems to be all for the request, but she does say, "We lost a Viper pilot back there. It was not to the enemy. He launched and…Clive, I do not know what happened. Our other Alert Vipers were out of the gate but he was just…gone in a flash before he even engaged."

Tillman has looked to the charts for a moment, selecting through to find the one that details out CFAS Anadyomene while the others go on the floor - much to the dismay of the PO who has to clean them up. But it all stops when Cidra mentions that. "What?" Its not so much a question of repeating what she'd just said as clarifying. "We lost a Viper that..just exploded. Right out of the launch tubes?"

"Clive, I do not know what happened. I was out with the CAP, we moved to get a visual ID on those Cylon signals. Confirmed, Alert Vipers launched and…Lieutenant Nostos was not with us. We received reports his ship was destroyed, and not by the Cylons, but our other Vipers were too long past him to see what happened. He had some trouble with the launch and I…I do not know." Which is the part the really kills her, obviously. Cidra clears her throat. "My first priority, even before planning the recon, shall be back to the Deck to ask them if they know…what in devils happened. The last we heard he had cleared the tubes and was just…gone in flames. He had just launched, he should not have been near enough to the flak zone to be hit…"

Tillman narrows his eyes, dropping the chart onto the table as he steps quite close to the other Major. "Cid? Find out what the frak is going on. After all the shit that's happened in the last few weeks?" He stares right at her. "Plus the Cylons knowing our location? It might be prudent to assume we could have a sabateur aboard. The number of people who knew where we would be meeting and stayed with this fleet..and had access to our ship? You could probably count them on your hand. Maybe two."

Cidra nods short. There's nothing she can do but grimly agree with that. "I shall do what I can," she promises simply. "I will get to it directly, Clive."

"Make it happen. I'm going to start working on a deception operation. Some kind of false flag. Something to smoke out any potential turncoats. If I issue a strange order in the next few days? I'm not going nuts. Just be ready for it. This crew is new. But I know you. I've served with you. I trust you." Tillman is about as serious as he gets, the man's voice not even above a whisper. "If you see anything, let me know. And get me a quick memo - nothing official - about what the Deck thinks about the Viper exploding. Under the radar. All of it."

"Under the radar, aye," Cidra says. She'll wait for a proper dismissal and then be off. And several tasks of grim business.

Tillman steps back and moves to the plotting table with the parting words. "Thanks, Cid. Get on it." She's dismissed.

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