| Semper Frakking Fi |
| Summary: | Corrath takes a stand. Circe and Van don't try to talk him down. |
| Date: | 09 Apr 2042 AE |
| Related Logs: | All the CylonHunt stuff |
| Players: |
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| Security Hub & Offices |
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| Stuff. With computers. And Marines. |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #407 |
Later into the evening, Vandenberg leads Circe into the Security Hub and towards the S-Two's door. There is a pair of armed Marines standing to each side of it that are dressed just like Van - combat blacks. The officer hasn't said much to the Crewman, really only "Lagana, come with me." when she found her back in the berths. Vandenberg knocks on Corrath's door with a heavy hand and it creaks open a few paces. "O'Hare," comes Van's voice. "Got something you need to see. And things you need to know."
Learning not to argue outright with the Lieutenant, Circe has come along, tired from her visit to sickbay which ended up with her helping DeMaratus with some tests. The Crewman waits patiently behind for the door to be opened. Her gaze shifts to Vandenberg, now with a little more ease after some application of cream to her skin. "Always waiting.." She whispers and smiles despite it all. The blisters from her dogtags and chain still white and painful against the red of her skin.
Corrath's in his office at this particular time, along with one of the original MP's from when Cerberus launched. The knock on the door ends their conversation, though, and when the door is cracked open, there's a slight nod to the private, who promptly makes his way towards the door, so that he can slip out and past Van with a murmered 'Sir'. Then, the S2 is rising from his seat, hands lowering to hook his thumbs into the web belt before he's offering a quick, "Come in, Nat."
Vandenberg opens the door full to let the Private out and Vandenberg dips her head in reply to his address. And right behind her is Crewman Lagana in all her burned glory. Van holds the door for Circe to enter before shutting it behind her. The S-Three looks from Circe to Corrath and her arms cross on her chest, resting on a set of flashbang holsters. "Lieutenant O'Hare? I believe you know Crewman Circe Lagana. Kincaid delivered on his promise to have her returned this morning. Circe, you can speak freely in here. Stand at ease. You're among friends."
Stepping in to the room after the door is held open, Circe tilts her head and then salutes Corrath. It is only after she is asked to ease that she does, folding hands behind her back and wincing as she does so. "Sir." She intones to him and then looks to Vandenberg. "The sixth day of April, this year of twenty-forty-two, I was taken by request of Lance Corporal Kincaid to the Aerion." She starts, clearing her throat. "It was there I was escorted by two marines of the Aerion crew into the reactor chamber of the gun and forced to sit. I was strapped into place and then they proceeded to hook me up monitors, to keep a watch on my vitals. Once everyone was clear." She tilts her head and meets Corrath's gaze, "They fired up the reactor and let it run. Then they began to ask questions. I was allowed to remain in the chamber and then was escorted to a cell. Wher I saw Captain Nikephoros." She then continues, "The next day I was returned to the chamber and with no questions asked, they strapped me back in. After further exposure to the gun, I was then released and allowed back here."
Once Vandenberg and Circe make their way into the office and Van gives the okay for Circe to relax and then to speak, the S2 simply moves back to his seat, lowering himself down and resting his elbows on the armrests so that his fingers can steeple before him. There's nothing more then a simple nod of his head as the Crewman speak and after a moment, the corner of his lips begin to curve downwards into a frown, "Any side effects of exposure to the Gun and it's radiation?"
Vandenberg stands there with her arms crossed and lips pursed while watching the Crewman out from under her helmet. She listens quietly, the mention of Cora not even getting a blink from her. Apparently the S-Three already knew about that. After Corrath asks the question, Van looks to Corrath. "Look at the burns, Cor. Does this look like a simple question and answer session? Looks like a torture interrogation to me." Eyes lift to Circe. "That how you would describe it?"
"None so far, I have been given medicine and some painkillers to help ease the pain, but time will tell." She says. Circe then looks to Vandenberg, hesitating a moment, "I wouldn't say it was meant to be pleasant. Definitely torture with the temperatures it got to." She says and then looks back to Corrath, "Sir, they were drilling in to me that I was a Cylon until proven otherwise. There were times I felt as if they were right. This is not meant to be a friendly chit chat, though I can understand why. Longer exposures to the radiation could very well cause lasting damage, if not give rise to cancer some time later in life."
There's a flit of Corrath's eyes in the direction of Vandenberg before the S2 is offering, "One never assumes, Natalie. I needed to her it, directly from her." Then, he's looking back over towards Circe as she resumes speaking, giving another nod of his head, one that's followed by a faint cluck of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The word "Torture" escapes past his lips and let linger in silence before he's casting a look back in the direction of Vandenberg, "I'm all for finding a way to reveal skinjobs and the like, but not at the expense of torturing our crew. My previous orders will remain in place. We are not to allow another single personnel from Cerberus to be taken to the Areion. Further to this, I think we need to pay the Areion a visit, sooner then we anticipated."
Vandenberg listens with the same grim expression. "If you were a skinjob you'd probably have shot me when you had the chance when you found out I was planning the drop on Gemenon. Frak those people." The Areion's crew, not the Gemenese. "I don't know what the S-Two's take on it is but there's very few times I've seen torture yield what is needed. Exposing our crews to radiation that fries your skin like that is -not- a valid test of someone's loyalty to this fleet." Interesting way to put that, perhaps? "Not just cancer, radiation can lead to infertility and sterilization." A look back at Corrath when he finishes. "You think the shit this boat ran into with those radio-biological warfare experiments was scary? How about a man purposely exposing hundreds of people to this? There aren't enough of us left to fart around with radiation. This shit needs to stop. Right frakking now." The older woman seems -quite- adamant about that. "There's a problem, though, Cor. Several actually. I've been kicking over rocks today for ya. Found some interesting things." By the tone of her voice she doesn't sound as if these will be pleasant.
Falling silent, her part for the moment done, Circe listens to the two officers. But at the mention of a problem, the crewman looks fully to Vandenberg, lifting a brow. Interested to say the least - the corpsman keeps quiet, easing a little more into a relaxed stance.
"Oh, I don't disagree, Nat," is Corrath's immediate reply, but he doesn't go into any further spiel of things. Rather, his hands unsteeple and he's giving a slight wave in the S-Three's direction, "Let's here it, Natalie. This problem can't be any worse then the shit Kepner and his goons are conducting."
Vandenberg tilts her head forward as she looks at Corrath. "I talked to Lance Corporal Kincaid. He didn't work on the list alone. Guess who helped?" She makes a face as if she might vomit. "Captain Mathers. They picked Lagana to go for the sake of..some godsdamned frakking reason I couldn't ever had justified." She's on the verge of getting angry again but backs down. "Those assholes shoulda volunteered to go first before exposing out crew to it." She looks like she could spit. "I told Kincaid that if he wanted to try and get his ass in gear, he should get back over to the Areion since he's got access and try to confirm who they have. And guess what they told him when he called? They confirmed Constin, Averies, and Nikephoros. Not to mention several other individuals from both the Praetorian and Corsair. They denied his request to come visit, though, citing 'operational tempo' or some bullshit. If we're going over there, I don't think its going to be with permission from Fleet Command. I suspect they're locked the place down like a prison."
"It will be hard to get back over there in any case. The fact Raptor pilots and crews are not questioning what is happening is the problem. Which means they have to be in on it too. It will require us to look at possibly fashioning some aid fro the Air Wing. But you need a reason. They are still waiting for me to show a reaction." Circe starts, looking between them. "It may an opportunity to use my early return as a way to get back over. I can fake some seizures, possibly get some added aid in that from the medical staff. Kincaid would have to take me back, perhaps with a contingent of marines to make sure I don't 'harm' anyone. As long as you have Kepner, you have the ship. By this time Cerberus can respond."
Oh. That most certainly is a problem and judging by the look on Corrath's face, it rates right up there with all the issues transpiring on Space Gitmo. "Frak me. This just keeps getting better and better." Now, the S2 begins to lift himself from his seat, once more lowering his hands so that his thumbs can hook into his web belt as he takes a moment to consider something. Then, when Circe offers up her suggestion, the S2 simply begins to lift a brow, taking that into consideration before he gives a nod of his head, "Good thinking, Crewman. I was going to suggest seizing their Raptor when they come drop off one of their current prisoners, but that will work so much better. Of course, the moment we arrive on the Areion, we're going to be treated as a hostile boarding party." Le sigh. "Natalie, think you can get a small contingent prepared? I'm going to see if I can't get myself invited over to the Areion, but sending a message directly to Kepner, indicating that he's no longer going to be seizing members of the Cerberus crew."
"I have no doubt that Areion Raptor crews are in on it. They'd have to know about the prisoner transports. Hell, Kepner and Laughlin are issuing them orders to be doing it. Why should they care? They aren't kidnapping people they care about. But I've already got Major Hahn on it." Vandenberg looks to Corrath. "She's refusing Marine escort. Fine. But she's going to have us alerted to any Raptor crews landing with more than just their pilots and ECO's. We're good to go. But we should also stop all travel to Elpis unless you want us getting into gunbattles over there. Averies and Nikephoros were seized from the civilian ship." More problems. Yay. She look between Circe and Corrath, then. "This isn't the redshirt army. These are highly trained crews. Marine, pilots, everyone. They aren't going to balk because we point a gun at Kepner. They're going to frakking kill us. Then they are going to kill our people. Then? They're going to open fire on Cerberus. Its like I told Rassvet. Once you cross the line of violence in this scenario, there is no going back. Tensions and stakes are too high. Once that first round is fired it will devolve into a slugmatch until we're all godsdamned dead or they are. It doesn't matter who wins because we all lose. Big." Her gaze settles on Corrath. "I can have a team in fifteen minutes if you want it. But you better be damned sure about what you are doing, Cor. I got your back no matter what, though." Semper Frakking Fi.
"There is risk in anything we try, Lieutenant." The Crewman offers but then again she hasn't been leading people through this horrible war. She's been treating them. "I am willing to risk it. They should not be allowed to continue and if this is a chance we have, we should take it." Her gaze meets Vandenbergs and she holds there, looking the woman down. "But I won't go against an order. I won't question it." There is something there in the younger woman's voice as she watches Natalie, her hazel eyes lingering as she studies her face. "I won't question either of you, but that is the only offer I can come up with. Kincaid may ease it..may ease the chances we have as well as my return."
Listening to both women, Corrath simply expresses his displeasure with this situation by allowing another sigh to escape his lips. As his gaze shifts over towards Natalie, the S2 gives a quick nod of his head, "Alright, I'm going to draft a notice to the CAG that all non-essential Raptor flights to the Elpis are to halt under the auspice of ship security. It won't last long, though, before it gets overriden, I'm sure of it." Then, he's looking back to Circe, eyes resting on the Crewman for a moment before offering a nod of his head, "You do realize, Crewman, that if we go this route, there's a good chance you may wind up in a brig with us, facing charges of treason or conspiracy. Are you prepared for that?"
Vandenberg nods to Circe. "I'm well-aware of the risks possible, Crewman. I don't think we can allow it anymore than we should accept it." Her gaze then falls to Corrath. "I doubt the CAG will be happy but that's not my concern. As for brig for treason?" Van smirks and looks at Circe. "We all gotta die someday, Crewman. The question you gotta ask yourself is whether or not you earned your life. Most honorable thing possible is to risk it all for other people. Constin's a brother to me - and more than just in matters of Corps. O'Hare is proof that you don't need to be rifles to know how to swing." She cracks a smirk but it disappears quickly and she looks back to Corrath. "Planning to take this to Pewter, el-tee? I'd recommend it."
"I haven't had a chance to get close enough, medical is my home but we are all marines here, sirs." Circe intones, listening to each before she gives a nod. "I would risk it for those people who are being wrongfully put through that torture. This was not volunteering, this was forced and I can not see this as anything but going against our very principles. If we can not trust each other, we have nothing left." She pauses a beat. "I am in, no matter the cost."
Circe's reply draws the faintest of smiles from Corrath's lips before he's looking over towards Vandenberg, "Alright, work with the Crewman and get it setup. I'm going to send out the notice about the Elpis to just the CAG. Then, I'm going to go to Pewter and see if I can't get his support on all of this." Pause. "In the mean time, Natalie, consider this operation as part of ship security. That way, if any of you get brigged, you can say you were operating under valid orders at the time."
Vandenberg gives a firm nod to Circe. "You remember how to get to the cellblocks? How to get to the gun chamber? I can get schematics of the ship but I need you to draw us a map." She then looks to Corrath. "You got it, el-tee. I'll start drawing something up but I really think we oughtta keep this basic as possible. Complexity will frak us. Tell me what Pewter says, though, too. If he balks, I dunno what to tell ya except 'Im right behind you'." That'll be jail time for sure.
"I wasn't knocked out, I walked the whole way. I am pretty sure I can remember, even more likely with schematics. The didn't keep anything secret, and I am not sure why." But she nods to them both. "Kincaid will need to be informed, but he's already got interests for returning. He would be the on that would be bringing me back because nobody else would have known." Save Mathers.
"You know how to plan these things, Nat. Do it up how ever you think it's best going to work." Now, the S2 begins to move back to his seat, lowering himself down into once more, hands shifting from his belt to active the personal computer terminal on his desk, "Time for me to send some notifications out. I'm also going to be speaking with the Captain and Major about things."
"Their loss. Guess they aren't as bright and shiny as they like to think they are." Vandenberg's voice is quite dry. "If Kincaid is informed, I'll leave that to Lieutenant O'Hare. My squad assembly will not be including him without your request, Cor." She probably already knows who is on this team. Who can be trusted to go to the mat. One name sits in her mind: Cowboy. "If you need anything, let me know. I'm on rotation on the Elpis tonight. If I see any of those fraks from Areion it probably won't end well. Give me an order when you have them, el-tee." Vandenberg taps her fingers to her temple in a lazy salute and turns for the door.
With her orders at least, she knows who to contact. Circe gives a nod of her head to each and a salute to Corrath in finality. "Sir." She says again. The Crewman as committed herself to the task and with a turn about, she is not far behind Vandenberg on her way out the door. Pressing it aside, Corrath is soon left to send out his own memos and information to the right people.