PHD #314: Waypoints
Waypoints
Summary: Marko and Leyla bring their findings on The Notebook to the CAG.
Date: 6 Jan 2042 AE
Related Logs: More Than Just Ashes and Beachhead?
Players:
Cidra Leyla Marko 
Map Room
The one object that dominates this room is the one it is named for: the giant plotting table in the center of the room. Bottom-lit like the plot in CIC, this one is twenty feet across and about the same distance wide. The maps, which are rolled and kept in a locker at the side of the room, provide much more detail than most of the charts in CIC and are especially useful in planning tactical operations. Unscaled models of ships are available to be situated on the surface of the table and risers on each side of the room allow for a small audience to watch or be briefed. A single large LCD screen is built into the wall at the far end to display reconnaissance or other supplemental material.
Post-Holocaust Day: #314

"Sweet Pea, the notes on that last bit are clear right?" Marko asks, going over his copy of the briefing papers they've been working feverishly for a few hours now to put together. Maps, dates, times, course projections, vectors, everything they've been working at is there in three file folders formerly belonging to the Galley's office. Repurposing, it's called.

"I used small words and everything, just so she'd be sure to understand, Flasher." There's a decided humour in Leyla voice, as she finishes setting out everything they need in the room, including the maps they've redrawn and highlighted on the lit table. "Rumour has it she's flown a raptor once or twice, I think she'll be able to figure it out."

"Small words, Sweet Pea?" So cometh Cidra's voice as she enters the Map Room. A little early for her appointment with the pilot and ECO, but Toast is generally one for promptness-and-then-some. "I do appreciate that, long ones strain my tired old eyes."

"Oh, Major." Marko says, head swiveling comically towards the door. "You're early." he comments, shooting Leyla a look that positively screams 'Nice going'. "Glad you could make it." he smiles. "This one was Sweet Pea's find, so I'll let her kick things off." he says, nodding towards his pilot. "Can I get you anything? Got a jug of water around here."

"Whatever we can do to ease the strain on you, Toast, we're happy to do." Leyla, completely unrepentant. Cidra, used to Leyla humour. "Yes, so Flasher and I have been going over the coordinates Captain Nikephoros brought back from the operation on Wreath of Roses, and we think we've come up with an idea of where they're going, and a few points of interest we might want to look into."

Cidra is smiling, ever so slightly. Amused, perhaps. Perhaps. "Ah, yes. The excursion to the estate there. I did not know quite what to make of the preliminary information from it, I shall admit." An arc of her brows. "Coordinates? Well, do start there. Enlighten me, please, Aydin. What have you found, and where is it going?"

Marko seems content to let Leyla do the talking for now as he takes a pull from the omni-present water bottle he keeps on his belt. Dehydration is a soldier's worst enemy, you know. "What estate was this, Sweet Pea?" he asks curiously. "Never got to read the after action on that one."

"Erendira Payo. She was a pretty well known artist. Most of her work was in the political and religious overtones area. She painted herself as Medusa and put it up in her foyer." A hand waves, as that's clearly neither here nor there. "While we were at the estate, it seems as if someone came through and made a detailed study of her artist's studio and then her library. Almost everything they touched was on art and art history, and whomever it was left behind a notebook which included jump coordinates which we've managed, I think, to piece together." That comes first, as Marko gives her the go-ahead. As Cidra asks her question, Leyla looks away from the map table, ignoring the fact that the upward lighting from the apparatus does tend to give one a slightly ghoulish appearance, "Gemenon."

"Ah…" Cidra draws that out long and low. "Gemenon…Captain Quinn was speaking to me of the place not a few days ago. And a few of my other officers not so long before." Though she seems reluctant to say precisely why. "I have been thinking much of our last reconnaissance there." Eyes fall on Marko. "It was most strange, Flasher. Most strange. You say 'someone'? Cylons, is the thought, I do trust?"

"Well, it's a guess, sir, but the data we've recovered seems to support it." Marko replies with a nod. "But, as I said, I wasn't there, so I'll defer to Leyla on that one."

"There are few facts that we know about what the Cylons are doing at this point in time, besides making more of themselves. What we do know is this. One, they've raided at least two estates on Wreath of Roses. In both instances they took or used things of value to art historians. In the first estate we visited, they stole a helmet belonging to Peleus, who supposedly became a god after he wore it. In the second they stole her art, this is my hypothesis, as her studio was nearly bare of any artwork, which would be unusual for an artist as prolific as she was. And then they clearly went through her library and chose other historical texts to study for research. The fact that they chose art history over say…anthropology is telling. Anthropology tends to be concerned with what people have done, how they have developed. Art history tends to focus on why things were done and how it reflects the history and important milestones of a people." Leyla pauses, as she takes a moment to make sure all the points on the map table are still precisely where they should be.

"So the abominations that destroyed humanity lingered over this house to…read about what humanity did create?" Cidra shakes her head. Clearly not understanding this, and anything Toast does not understand automatically unnerves her. She lets out a long breath. "Well, whatever there reasons, you say they left as good as a sign post behind pointing toward Gemenon." Another look to Flasher. Thoughtful. "When you and Bunny flew over there I recall footage of…excavations. As if they were in search of something. Though what I cannot fathom. All the holy places there were glassed violently in the initial attacks." Try as she might to say it with an inscrutable face, she can't manage. Gemenon, after all, was home to her.

"There's also been some information about increased activity at Lampridis Falls." Marko notes. "Don't know anything about them, sir. Never got over that way in college." he adds. "As far as the hop me and Bunny took, mostly what I remember was trying to get the FTL to green-light before we became Cylon chow." he smiles weakly. "But, these…" he says, gesturing to the maps and the spatial co-ordinates on them. "Paint what we think could be a pretty interesting picture." he says, grinning a little. "As far as the art stuff goes, I dunno, sir. It doesn't seem to add up. Maybe we could get the Chaplain in on this one?" he suggests. "She might could give us a few clues."

"Gemenon is a colony the focuses on the religions that are most prevalent in the colonies, correct, Toast? That is to say, polytheism. Monotheism appears to have been a fairly blasphemous idea there. If, as we have heard rumours, the cylons believe in some sort of 'one god' theory, it's understandable that they would destroy the strongholds of polytheistic faith. But Gememon is a colony steeped in religion. Perhaps they are looking for the same thing there that we see them looking for here. Certainly, if they were looking for something along a monotheistic line, they would not be looking for them in the religious centers, but in the places people might have worshiped in secret." Leyla pauses, allowing Marko to move into the more technical aspects of things, "And the jump coordinates could not be more clear. From Tauron space to Gemenon space. The only problem is two anomalous jump points." Leyla indicates them on the map. One along the Pelias Run, the other in deadspace.

"Lampridis Falls…" Cidra repeats the place's name, her Gemenese accent wrapping easily around it, whereas it tends to have a way of doing odd things to Standard words. A nod to Marko. "Yes. The Cylons still maintain a presence on Gemenon. Which puzzles me. They have abandoned the other outer colonies and Gemenon is the one with the least strategic value to them, in terms of resources they could exploit. And yet…they are doing something there, something much stranger than building Raiders or basestars…" Another nod at mention of the chaplain. "Yes, I do hope Intel is making use of Sister Karthasi's skills. She knows her business very well." As to Leyla's question. "All but fringe…blasphemy worships the gods." Not God. No singular from her. "Gemenon is home to the fundamental teachings of the sacred scrolls. The worship on other colonies tends to be less…hard-line." Which, from her tone, she doesn't quite approve of. Though she tries to moderate whatever she might feel about that. "The Cylons took care to rain fire down on Gemenon's holy places. As if to strike at the heart of our Faiths. Why would they study such things they clearly despise?"

"You got me, sir." Marko replies with a simple shrug. "That's the first I've really heard about the Cylons and a one God notion." he comments, nodding a little, his tone more than slightly dismissive. Marko Scaurus has never been the particularly devout type. "But these two spots here and here." he says, turning his attention back to the map and the two anomalous co-ordinates. "We think these could be very important." he says firmly. "Now, before I go any further down this road, sir, I have to caution that all of this is strictly speculative, but, as we don't have anything _else_ to go, as usual." he notes. "Logical deduction's all we've got to go on. So, with that in mind, I think it's very possible that we just found at least two of the jump points from which the Cylons were able to mount their recon mission into Colonial space, if not the whole attack."

"They might have despised the manner in which Colonials practice their faith but clearly one aspect, the fringe element is of interest to them." Peleas being a very good example of a one god cult. "We all began as something else, Toast. One world, Kobol, the histories tell us, became twelve worlds. One people became twelve people. But in the beginning, even your sacred scrolls tell us, we were all one. We all had once source. Perhaps that is what they are looking for." Leyla lifts a hand, inviting Cidra over to the map table. "This first point," she continues where Marko left off, "Is in the middle of a known smuggling route. Far on the outside of Colonial military traffic. A perfect point for enemy incursion, with the ability to pick up pirate and civilian ships as necessary." She indicates the second point, "This is far away from anything civilian or military, but still close enough inside colonial space to make movement within the colonies possible, as well as opening up the possibility to monitor civilian and military radio traffic."

Cidra's eyes narrow on the two 'way points' Leyla has identified, though her mind is likely still on the planet at the end of them. "I am interested in taking another look at Gemenon. Lampridis Falls in particular. As is Captain Quinn." Why, again, she does not go into exacting detail about. But Lampridis keeps popping up in enough odd places that it may not occasion much comment. "This shall have to wait until the ship is repaired, of course, and the mission Colonel Pewter has dubbed Operation Silent Mastiff has our full attention after that. But I would like to mount a second look at Gemenon. I cannot help feel we missed something…or have something we do not know quite what to make out…the enemy *is* up to something there, and I feel it important." If perhaps not as obviously so as the mining on Canceron or the basestar being crafted by Picon.

Well, that was, anti-climactic. "What is Lampridis Falls, sir?" he asks simply. "I mean, other than the obvious?"

Leyla remains quiet, her expression carefully schooled. Whether or not she's either pleased with Cidra's comments or not, she makes no mention. For the moment, perhaps she'll take what she can get. The calm before the storm, as it were.

"And at these way points as well," Cidra says, frowning at them. "Which *should* be simpler things to scout than Gemenon herself. A quick Raptor jaunt to and from them. We can get to planning that sooner, I do think." Up her gaze goes, to Marko. "That is the odd part, Flasher. It is…not much, really. It is a very pretty retreat, popular with tourists, but not a holy place. It is only the name that has resonance. It was named for a Lampridis Falls on…" Small nod to Leyla. "…Kobol. Though the import of the Falls there is rather lost to antiquity."

"Kobol…." Marko says, frowning thoughtfully. "The birthplace of humanity, where mankind lived in harmony with the Gods.." he says, thinking out loud. His tone in the end has a ring of 'yadda-yadda-yadda'. "They're looking for art history, artifacts and a falls named after Kobol….." he says, chewing the notion for a few moments. "I dunno what that means, folks, but it doesn't sound promising."

"Not holy to us. But perhaps of import to the Cylons. Like these two points have little to no importance to us, but the cylons clearly used them. If they were insertion points before the war, why would they use them now. Unless there was still something of value there to them now." Leyla pauses, waiting for Marko to do the quick and slightly irreverent lowdown on Kobol. "At some point I am really going to have to read these scrolls of Pythia. But before that, Flasher and I would like permission to scout these two waypoints."

"At some point, perhaps you should if you wish to," Cidra says simply to Leyla. Though it is not a matter she presses. "Permission granted. Any foray to Gemenon will be more of an undertaking but you can begin preparation to scout these spots as soon as we are off Condition Two. I shall be *most* interested to see what the Cylons might have been making of them. Draw up a plan, make sure Bootstrapped is properly advised, and we shall what we shall, eh?" Faintest of smiles. "This was a good work, the both of you. I know not quite what to make of the deductions myself, but they are most…intriguing." Albeit also a little unsettling to her, clearly.

"We'll get started on the mission preps just as soon as we get off CAP." Marko replies, smiling proudly. "Would it be all right if I talked to the Chaplain about Kobol and Lampridis Falls?" he asks. "I don't wanna blow compartmentalization."

"And I'll handle getting the mission briefs ready." There's one thing you can say about Sweet Pea and Flasher, they do know how to split responsibilities to share the load. "As soon as we're clear of Condition Two, I think we should get started. I have the feeling that if we don't get this figured out soon, we might just lose our window of opportunity. They clearly are moving as a faster pace than we are able to."

"More than all right, Flasher. I think that an excellent idea," Cidra says to Marko. "Though she may know not much more than I. It is not, as I did say, a holy place in and of itself on Gemenon. What she may have more insight into is the older history behind the name. And she may be helpful in figuring out precisely what the Cylons were so interested in, in those estates on Tauron's moon." Short nod to the pair of them. "Good hunting in this. Is there anything further for the moment?"

"That's all the news that's fit to broadcast, sir." Marko replies, shaking his head a little. "Thank you for your time, sir. I know you've got about a thousand different plates to keep spinning." he smiles slightly. "Think I might be able to answer the why of that last part, Sweet Pea." he says. "The difference is, they've got numerical superiority and an obviously carefully tuned timetable. We're making this up as we go, more or less."

Leyla shakes her head, as she begins to clear away the maps and the briefs that she put out before the meeting got underway, "Nothing on my end, Toast." Leyla glances at Marko, "They're also machines, and machines are indefatigable. They have no need for food, water and rest. Even their humanoid models…if one of them breaks down, they, what is the analogy, they can just bring another one online?" Leyla doesn't know the specifics of how the humanoid cylons work, but there are multiple copies, so perhaps it is a valid assumption. "They can work on this with 24/7 focus. We can only put time into it when our other duties allow it."

Cidra returns Marko's smile. Ever-so-slightly, but there's real warmth to it. "I have good help under me to catch them if they drop, however. Well. Fatigable as we are, we are far from finished yet. Any assistance you need, do let me know with this and it shall be provided. Dismissed." She'll acknowledge any parting salutes, but with that they are left to run free.

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