Capt. Joseph Markus
Colonial Merchant Fleet
Captain-CMS Marauder
Civilian Captain, Colonial Citizen
Posts: 307
Registered: Apr 5, 2010 20:21:41 GMT -6
|
Post by Capt. Joseph Markus on Jan 19, 2013 0:12:48 GMT -6
For those few guests we receive
|
|
Judge Judith Schwein
Civilian Official
Judge, 1st Terran Circuit Court
I'm a Judge, not a general. Okay, I'm a general too.
Posts: 123
Registered: Nov 30, 2010 23:40:44 GMT -6
|
Post by Judge Judith Schwein on Jan 19, 2013 0:13:52 GMT -6
On board the CMS Marauder, now off-world (see Terran Airspace)
Judith made her way to the guest quarters set up for her. She would thank the Captain later but first, there was the matter of the two Colonial Admirals to tend to. The pain-in-the ass Gorno was certain to create a situation and this was a delicate matter. Shooting Colonial officers, especially Admirals, would not be a good thing, least not right now. Judith had no idea where they were off to but was glad to be off of Eresea. How she longed to be back home. For now though, this ship would serve that purpose. Stepping into the washroom, she turned on the faucet and brought the water up to her face. Staring into the mirror, she remarked to herself.
"No matter how much things change, they always seem to stay the same."
Drying her face and hands, Judith decided to take advantage of this down time and catch a quick nap. Within seconds of laying down, she was fast asleep.
|
|
Capt. Joseph Markus
Colonial Merchant Fleet
Captain-CMS Marauder
Civilian Captain, Colonial Citizen
Posts: 307
Registered: Apr 5, 2010 20:21:41 GMT -6
|
Post by Capt. Joseph Markus on Jan 19, 2013 0:26:21 GMT -6
On his way to the Bridge, Joseph stopped by to see the Judge. Arriving there, he was informed by the two marines standing outside that she was asleep. Joseph nodded and continued on down the corridor. He had bigger issues to concern himself with, such as two traitorous Admirals on board his ship. For now though, it was time to get the ship jumped out of here, to somewhere safer.
|
|
Demetrius Gorno
Civilian Official
Secretary of Terran Security
Posts: 33
Registered: Jan 17, 2011 19:06:43 GMT -6
|
Post by Demetrius Gorno on Jan 26, 2013 18:39:52 GMT -6
Demetrius had made his way to his assigned quarters and was impressed by the appearance of the room, considering the look of the ship from the outside. When the time was right, he would approach the Captain and ask him what would become of the two Colonial Admirals. Until then, he would get some sorely needed sleep.
|
|
Carlie McPherson
Civilian Official
President, Colony of Terra of the 12 Colonies of Kobol
Posts: 129
Registered: Sept 20, 2010 16:23:42 GMT -6
|
Post by Carlie McPherson on Feb 7, 2013 22:03:05 GMT -6
Carlie was aware that the Captain was going to be meeting with the two Colonial officers, Dualla and that Marine but she wished she could be a fly on the wall to hear what they were talking about. She was certain it had everything to do with the current crisis of the Colonial government being disbanded and the all to evident coup taking place.
She was curious how much longer her own safety could be assured.
|
|
Demetrius Gorno
Civilian Official
Secretary of Terran Security
Posts: 33
Registered: Jan 17, 2011 19:06:43 GMT -6
|
Post by Demetrius Gorno on Apr 3, 2013 20:36:41 GMT -6
Demetrius watched as the young Terran official made her way back to her quarters. Soon, they would be back on the surface. He would wait until then to make his move. He hoped the Terran special ops agent would be there as well. It was time to settle old scores.
|
|
James Sirius Zachary Drexl
Civilian Official
Director, Terran R&D
Life, which you so nobly serve, comes from destruction, disorder and chaos
Posts: 97
Registered: Oct 9, 2012 18:40:26 GMT -6
|
Post by James Sirius Zachary Drexl on Apr 7, 2013 14:27:16 GMT -6
James entered the quareters that had been assigned to him. They'll do, he thought. Though they were the most luxurious part of the entire vessel, they weren't all that fancy. He did notice that his quarters were directly adjacent to Dualla's, and he had no illusion that the two were being monitored. If Markus wasn't another do-gooder with pie-in-the-sky trust in all making, he would have the place bugged, not that it bothered James. The shiny material of his jacket wasn't just to show off his position and wealth. No, it was actually an antenna. It worked with the processor that was sewn into his suit. Even if it was detected, it would look like a personal health scanner or upscale pedometer. That was exactly how James designed it.
He strolled over to the bar and found it decently stocked. Removing a glass, he filled it with straight whiskey and downed it in a single swallow. It wasn't good enough to savor so he didn't want it to linger on his palate, but was satisfied with the burn and the mild kick.
Now that they were going back to Eresea, James twisted a cufflink a quarter turn. A signal was sent that called off the six fighters even now on an intercept course. Had they remained in space, the destruction of the Marauder and all aboard - except for James, who would have 'been ushered into an escape pod by the courageous Colonel Dualla right before the former Colonial was sucked out into vacuum'. To return in one piece was more expeditious, though.
|
|
Clayton Dualla
Colonial Retired
Colonel
Terran Senior Technical Advisor
Posts: 5,380
Registered: Jul 3, 2011 19:48:16 GMT -6
|
Post by Clayton Dualla on Apr 7, 2013 18:16:01 GMT -6
The first thing Clayton did after closing the hatch to his quarters was to sit down at the computer terminal. He'd heard from reports of the attack on Corinth and Earth. He wanted to find what he could on his own. He had been given a login and password, as well as the biometeric security measures that went with his new position. What he didn't get was much security clearance. He didn't expect it, but he still didn't like it. When he perused the files, he was still greeted many times with 'RESTRICTED', followed by 'INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE'. Sighing, he would have to try other resources if he could find them.
He looked at the wall to the adjoining quarters, which were occupied by Director Drexl. This only amplified the impression of his role as babysitter/guard to the man. He only had a vague idea of what it was he as to be watching for.
|
|
Clayton Dualla
Colonial Retired
Colonel
Terran Senior Technical Advisor
Posts: 5,380
Registered: Jul 3, 2011 19:48:16 GMT -6
|
Post by Clayton Dualla on Apr 14, 2013 17:59:35 GMT -6
Giving up on the political side of the investigations, he selected a icon that he hoped would provide more than the previous warnings. It read simply 'CAD'. Well, they gave me that much. I may not have clearance, but they gave me something I can finally do something with that would justify my job title.
The giant trackball that Clayton was used to was present, and his hand began to turn and press it smoothly as a stock image flipped and spun in CADspace. After half an hour of getting the feel of the commands, he began composing the concept that had previously existed on scraps of paper and in the Sagittaron's head. Dualla was glad to have Savage around, and he hoped that the two could spend more time in collaboration. He didn't think he could get Doc off of Marauder, so he even wondered if he could be assigned temporary duty aboard here. Not likely, he scoffed. Drexl's obviously too big a handful to be let alone.
When he was finished, he filed the model and protected it with a password that consisted of the exact age of the Universe, down to single years. It was handy that the only other person to know that was no longer on this plane.
|
|
Judge Judith Schwein
Civilian Official
Judge, 1st Terran Circuit Court
I'm a Judge, not a general. Okay, I'm a general too.
Posts: 123
Registered: Nov 30, 2010 23:40:44 GMT -6
|
Post by Judge Judith Schwein on Apr 15, 2013 11:30:56 GMT -6
Judith was tired yet she could not fall asleep to save her life. The ship was taking entirely too long to get back to the surface. She realized with a cylon attack underway that it would be a slightly longer trip than usual but this was ridiculous. Getting up from the bed, she crossed the room and opened a cabinet. Removing a bottle of Scorpia whiskey, she grabbed two glasses and made her way to the door. Fumbling to get the darn thing open, she entered the corridor, slinkily making her way to the room next door. Knocking on the hatch, she called out to the person inside.
"Clayton Dualla, I cannot sleep and it's time to have a drink, so open up you ruggedly handsome Colonial devil you or I swear by the unics of Athosia, I will break this hatchway down!"
Judith loved being the over-dramatic type at times and this was one of them. She stood there, tapping her left foot on the deck, waiting for the hatch to open.
|
|
Clayton Dualla
Colonial Retired
Colonel
Terran Senior Technical Advisor
Posts: 5,380
Registered: Jul 3, 2011 19:48:16 GMT -6
|
Post by Clayton Dualla on Apr 15, 2013 19:16:35 GMT -6
Clayton was just shutting down the CAD station when he heard a pounding on the hatch and a loud voice calling to him from outside. What was bringing Judith out at this time, this way? He could hear enough through the armored structure. The metal of the hatch had surprisingly good acoustics, the hollows working like kettle drums to amplify the sounds while the heavy steel muffled them.
He undogged it and pushed it outward, then stepped back while Judith strode inside, bottle and glasses.
"Why, Judith, good evening," Clayton greeted her. This did not look like a business call, so he didn't mention her disappearing with Captain Markus while Clayton was left to keep Drexl from getting into more trouble than he had with Doc Savage.
"I'll take those." He gently accepted the Scorpia whiskey and the glasses, then set the tumblers down on the table while he undid the bottle. Pouring each glass two-thirds full, he lifted them and gave one to the Judge.
"To what do we toast this fine evening?" This was a social gathering, and a toast was a very social thing to do.
|
|
Judge Judith Schwein
Civilian Official
Judge, 1st Terran Circuit Court
I'm a Judge, not a general. Okay, I'm a general too.
Posts: 123
Registered: Nov 30, 2010 23:40:44 GMT -6
|
Post by Judge Judith Schwein on Apr 15, 2013 19:56:46 GMT -6
Judith smiled at Clayton as she stepped inside the room. She surveyed the furnishings and was surprised to see the decor was somewhat different than those in her room. Turning to the man, she lowered her voice.
"There's an old saying, a VERY old saying. It goes something like 'Something is rotten in the State of Denmark' or something like that. I smell something rotten on this ship my good Colonel. But first, we drink a toast to the continuance of the ties between our two people's."
Judith took the glass offered to her and in one fell gulp, finished the whiskey. Holding the glass back out to Clayton, she walked around the room, looking here and there. Taking a seat in one of the sturdy but fashionable chairs, Judith spoke.
"Do you ever get the feeling you're being pushed off to the side Clayton, as if your services aren't quite fully needed? I've only felt that way twice in my life and now is one of them. I didn't like it the first time and, well, I like it even less now. There's an attack fully underway on the planet, so we're re-routing to Eresea, as if that's a safer place than the capital city. And your new found best friend Drexl seems awfully content about all of this, too content."
Judith was aware of the good Captain's predicament. On the one hand, he had to make certain she was kept safe. On the other hand, he had to keep Drexl under wraps, if only somewhat. Throw in the middle of it all, one former Colonial Colonel and well, you have a small circus. She looked at the man.
"I have this feeling the Captain is about to discover his actual need of you Clayton. I can assure you Drexl is playing all sides in this game-coup, attack-you name it. More so than usual. The nationalists will do his bidding in the hopes of getting their hands on his technology, the tech he says doesn't exist, the nasty stuff. Right now, things are still getting started down there but each minute builds bigger and bigger. Our good Captain is still trying to figure out where the missing Admiral Middleton and her fleet are. What we need to do is get our collective asses on the surface. I can't do anything from way up here."
Actually, Judith had been in constant contact with the surface, same as Drexl. Neither of them had gotten this far by not being in communications with those who worked for them, especially in times of crisis. Right now, units of the Judicial Constabulary were silently forming up their positions near the cylon lines. Judith felt it was time Clayton learned a bit more about her.
"I'm sure you recall that slip of the tongue back on Eresea, some few weeks ago, before the President was kidnapped, the one about me being a Brigadier? Well, there's a bit more to it than that. I and the other judges are the beneficiaries of a private and very secretive military force known as the Judicial Constabulary. No uniforms or ranks pins, just one million men and women scattered around the planet, working non-descript jobs here and there and waiting for that one call that hasn't been made in quite some time."
Judith stopped to take a sip of her whiskey before continuing.
"Well, that call has been made and now certain measures have been initiated to activate those men and women. It's about to get real ugly down there for certain people.. My problem now is, how far do I trust this Captain Markus? Your President seemed to trust him enough to place him in charge of my safety, and the safety of several others but that trust has yet to fully extend to myself. How much do you know of the man?"
|
|
James Sirius Zachary Drexl
Civilian Official
Director, Terran R&D
Life, which you so nobly serve, comes from destruction, disorder and chaos
Posts: 97
Registered: Oct 9, 2012 18:40:26 GMT -6
|
Post by James Sirius Zachary Drexl on Apr 16, 2013 17:53:15 GMT -6
James was working with the computer in his room, furiously breaking through the codes that would keep him from running rampant, when he heard several thuds on the wall outside.
Rising, he walked to the door intending to whittle the noisemaker down to size. When he opened the hatch, he saw Dualla's own hatch open, and a shapely derriere disappear into the Colonial's cabin. James caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Dualla's hatch closed, and he pulled his own hatch closed silently.
"Well, well, she's got herself another boy toy. And so quickly! Dualla didn't even get time to settle in before the spider started spinning her web." He went back to his hacking.
"I wonder if the Colonel will get to land his Viper tonight," James mused.
|
|
Clayton Dualla
Colonial Retired
Colonel
Terran Senior Technical Advisor
Posts: 5,380
Registered: Jul 3, 2011 19:48:16 GMT -6
|
Post by Clayton Dualla on Apr 19, 2013 19:22:01 GMT -6
Clayton refilled Judith's glass before taking a swig of his own. The only part of Terra he really knew was Eresea, and he'd take a reinforced military installation to the middle of town anytime. He hadn't explored the depths of the base, but judging by the mountains it was built in, it was proabaly proof against anything short of a crustbuster at the lowest levels.
"I think it's probably the safest place on the planet except for the depths of Gondawa," he replied, and nodded at her observation about Drexl. The man was cool, to say the least. His left eyebrow cocked at Judith's mention of Markus needing him. This was not the first time, so there was something that the woman knew. "I'd like to know just what that is. You didn't recruit me to babysit a merchant of death - I've seen Drexl's type before, before the Cylon attack, and in the refugee fleet. They were black marketeers and small-time bosses, but Drexl, he's way beyond that. He's Terra's technical director. I've read about him in - fourth-richest man on Terra, and that's just what is known he's into. If he's up to as much as I keep hearing, he's the richest guy on the planet for sure. He's after something bigger, no doubt. What it is, we won't know until he decides to reveal it, or we get lucky."
When she mentioned the Brigadier comment, he held his glass steady. He wasn't going to be surprised by whatever she said. This world was already as convoluted as Caprica if not more so. If she was about to tell him of some secret society, he wasn't going to be shocked. When she did so, he nodded sagely. 'Judicial Constabulary', it was called. It sounded so proper. Understanding that Judith was a General, he could imagine that they would be as improper as need be.
"A shadow army, and they're being mobilized." He wondered what their role would be, what Judith's would be within them, and what his own would be in relation to them.
"Markus, Markus," Clayton tapped his chin with the rim of his glass. "He stayed within the Merchant Fleet, away from Galactica and the other Fleet ships. Marauder was always considered almost a capital ship. We knew she was loaded to the gunwales with weaponry, despite her registry. She was considered a brigateer, but Markus was no pirate. He fought the Cylons as well as any Colonial warrior. When he took off to explore what was left of the Colonies, half of us thought it was a wild goose chase, the other half thought it was a secret mission. We're hearing of some kind of society there, but he'd reported that the worlds were all pretty much radioactive, so whoever is repopulating them is probably pretty different from us. He's seemed a bit off kilter, but he was shrewd. Not one to be underestimated. His allegiances, though? He was hard to figure out. In some ways, he's like Drexl. Oh, not that he'd sell you out for a cubit, but he has his own priorities that keep him out of the mainstream. He's probably hating every minute of us strait-laced types because we're cramping his style. If his style is going in the same direction as we are, he can be a good ally."
Clayton felt a sudden change in the air. There was a change in energy. He could tell that the FTL was powering down for some reason. Doc would keep the drive on full boil while they were in combat, so they could Jump out at a moment's notice, but it was backing off for some reason. The only thing that Clayton could think of was a ship in close proximity. The field could play havoc with the occupants if they weren't shielded by their own FTL powerplant.
|
|
Judge Judith Schwein
Civilian Official
Judge, 1st Terran Circuit Court
I'm a Judge, not a general. Okay, I'm a general too.
Posts: 123
Registered: Nov 30, 2010 23:40:44 GMT -6
|
Post by Judge Judith Schwein on Apr 19, 2013 23:24:43 GMT -6
Judith was about to speak when she felt the change in the ship. Looking at the expression on Clayton's face, she smiled.
"I have a feeling we're getting close to our destination. Too bad, I was really just getting started on talking, I mean actually talking, to you. There's so much I want to share with you, so much you need to know, about terra, Drexl, about our past. This coup is not like other attempts, there's so much more at stake. In the end, Drexl will choose the side that has always offered him the most, and that side just so happens to be the side I serve, and the side your people serve as well. Drexl's involvement in this will make things more interesting to say them least and in the end, a number of Nationalists will not be around to see the next day."
Judith was wondering just how far along the Constabulary was in establishing itself across the planet. She wondered where the operative known as Marla was located. Most likely, the woman had never left Eresea. There was a rather large contingent of Constabulary located there, along with their gear.
"One variable in all of this is Ms McPherson. I'm not sure if you were aware of this or not, but the woman had been working with the rebels for a number of years. She believes her contacts there to be on the other side. In fact, they work for me and the others. She's been fed false information for years and is either very stupid and thinks she is furthering the rebel cause or is very smart and figured it out from the start. She's purposely fed the rebels her own brand of false intel on most instances, intel that has sent a lot of rebel scum to their graves. So far, she has yet to give them any info that would have proved her treason."
Judith already knew Carlie had been trying to work both sides at first but her breeding had kicked in and she kept any intel that would actually benefit the rebels from falling into their hands. Still, her monkeying around with them in the first place was cause for some sort of disciplinary action. Looking at her glass, she took another large swig, handing the empty glass to Clayton.
"Have you ever loved someone Clayton, I mean, REALLY loved someone? I did. Many, many years ago. He was handsome, especially in his uniform. I was a mere girl still, fresh out of training and assigned to a remote outpost near the forbidden area. He was assigned to a larger base about a couple hundred kilometers away. Our families had known each other for years, all the way back to before the Gondawans arrived. Different political houses, but friendly."
Judith stopped for a moment, recalling that fateful day. Her eyes moistened somewhat, her voice a bit thicker. Looking at Clayton, she continued.
"The passing of time can change loyalties. His family drifted further to the other side, whereas mine stayed the same. He was suspected of working with people bent on returning us to a more unstable, barbaric time. I was assigned to keep tabs on his group. When I found out he was trying to smuggle high-tech weapons to enemy agents, I was instructed to follow him so as to learn the identity of who he was conspiring with. Things went wrong, horribly so. There was a weapon fired, by whom nobody knows, to this day. In the end, I was face to face with him, his weapon pointed at me."
Judith stopped again, looking at the floor for a split second, then returning her gaze to Clayton. He face showed no emotion as she spoke.
"The weapons were recovered and returned to their proper place. The mission was declared over and I was returned to the capital region, where I was promoted. A hero they said. The rest, as they say, is history and here I am today."
Judith felt the ship slowing down even further. She decided to sit on the couch nearby.
"I'm thinking perhaps it's best to be seated as we make our approach. The rough ride and the whiskey probably won't mix very well, don't you agree?"
|
|