| So Long and Thanks For All The Fish |
| Summary: | Spider gathers the pilots to say goodbye to the 51st Fighter Wing. |
| Date: | PH238 (12 Dec 2009) |
| Related Logs: | All Recent Logs |
| Players: |
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[Intercom] Kai says, "All Air Wing personnel to hangar bay one. Pass the word. All Air Wing personnel report to hangar bay one."
CEC Kharon, Hangar Deck, Hangar Bay 1
IC Time: Post Holocaust Day #238
OOC Time: Sat Dec 12 20:02:35 2009
There's activity here at almost every hour of the day. Impact guns can be heard with their shrieking rumble while crew call back and forth, their voices carrying just above the din of the work here. What's readily apparent is that this is the main Hangar Bay for the Vipers, the distance going back further than the other two Bays which are separated by thick, hydraulically rolled blast doors. On each side of the room, near the Fore end, six Viper tubes are ready for quick deployment of the Kharon's Viper squadron. Lining the rest of Hangar Bay One, each Mark Two and Mark Seven has its own place to be kept with a small red toolchest that holds the minimum of required equipment for quick maintenance.
Along the floor, each individual Viper bay is painted off with a single hashed yellow and black stripe. A deep red line denotes important electrical conduits and access ports just below the deck while a bright blue line follows up walls and across the floor to tell where the Tylium lines run in case of fire. Outlets along the wall for the fuel as well as corrugated rubber piping stand ready for use, fluorescent yellow firefighting gear kept in plain sight for easy access nearby.
Martin's here ahead of time, waiting patiently in his offduties. Smelling of cigarettes and coffee, it's his day off shift as he stands near the assembly area. Arms folded, he glances around and finds a crate to sit on by himself.
Harrison is already dawdling in the hangar bay when the call comes across the intercom, somewhere between CAP and sleep. As the other pilots start to filter in, he meanders over to the assembly area as well to wait.
Its a boring afternoon apparently. Sitting on the ladder to his viper is Absalom, reading over a well-worn book as he waits for his round at CAP. The man stretches his legs out a little, yawns, and then turns a page.
Currently lazing, if you will beside a gathering of vipers, one tall Lieutenant seems rather easy at parade rest. His black naval issued duffel at his feet, it seems more or less time to look over the deck before he's mustering on out tonight. unlike Martin who is in his offduties, Hale is dressed in his blues. So needless to say- he's made his arrangements. Now, it is just time for goodbyes, as it were.
Unlike, it seems, most of the ship, Roubani showed up /after/ the intercom went off, having been off-duty when it sounded. He makes his way onto the hangar deck and towards the collection of pilots, wherever that may happen to be, a pencil stuck behind his ear.
Thea is in her flight suit, coming out of one of the back corners of the Hangar Bay, helmet under one arm. Ahhh, Raptors. The taxi drivers of the universe.
Kai steps onto the hangar bay from the direction of the ready room, where he evidently placed the preceding call over the intercom. Dress code here is roughly an even split; some pilots are in their flight suits, others are in blues. There's an air of nervous tension running through most of them. The CAG himself favours the latter, tonight. He's carrying a file folder under one arm, and tidying the pins on his collar as he marches through the bustling hive of orange coveralls-clad deck crew.
Sweats-clad and smelling faintly of shampoo, Marissa's present as well. She's seated on an unused rolling toolbox, awaiting /some/ kind of information regarding the transfers to the Hestia.
Leda is coming back from CAP as Wolf-8's canopy is opened and the pilot is stepping down from his bird. He is in his flightsuit at the moment. As he spots all of the other pilots he stops to join them since he isn't in the loop on this one.
Sapho arrives quietly, a stoic air about her mingling with the professional, cool demeanor she more commonly exhiibits. Flight gear donned, she finds a place to stand, her helmet set down before she turns an attentive eye to those already here.
Jupiter makes her way up the stairwell in sweats, with her habitual coffee in hand. It seems she's always drinking coffee. She's caffeinated to the max, but really only looks sort of half awake — if that. Her hair is still blonde, with a pretty darn good showing of dark roots. Someone needs a dye job, stat! "Frak me, I just fell asleep…" She rubs a hand over her face, stifles a yawn, and walks in a more or less straight path onto the Bay.
Eyes catch the Captain as he is coming from the direction of the ready room. A half smile tugs at the scarred face of Rabbit, before he's quickly snapping to attention. One hand coming up in a quick and even salute-before that bellow is working out. "OFFICER ON DECK!" Nothing like a bark in the backwoods Leonisian accent to get the blood pumping wot? Still the tall Jockey will hold it-as it might be the last time for such a thing to occur. "Cap'n.." offered only when Kai does come closer.
Eddie is here, hanging in the back. The waaaaaaaaaaay back, being quiet.
Matto drifts in after Nadiv, dressed in blue and actually shaved half-decently. He takes a deep breath and lets it out through lips just pursed enough to puff out his cheeks a little. Not exactly nervous. Ready to hear the news.
Thorn's one of the ones here in his blues, and he looks distinctively uncomfortable in them. Then again, it might not be just the uniform. He's slouching over by one of the Raptors, stiffening only as he hears the call of 'officer on deck' from Hale.
Roubani straightens his collar and the front of his uniform, brushing off some mostly-imagined piece of lint clung to a button. Exhaling softly through his nose, he comes to attention at Hale's call of Captain on deck, straightening and raising proper salute. Damn right.
Turning, Martin eyeballs Jupiter, and for a second the relief to see her up and walking is hard to ignore. However, then the call for officer on deck rings out, forcing him to snap to attention. Despite being offduty, he's here for a meeting that he's required to be at…for however long it takes. Straight backed and eyes forward, he keeps his arms pressed to his sides.
If Nikolo is ecstatic about the recent news filtering about regarding the change to the Hestia he is definately keeping it from reaching too far into his features. Rather the pilot is standing casually amongst the rest, hands tucked into pockets as he rocks back and forth from heel to ball of feet.
Absalom hops up off his ladder, and stuffs the book into his flightsuit as he comes to attention. Its not entirely proper attention, but, close enough. Feet together, straight back, but, not quite as sharp as usual. The man watches Kai expectantly.
Mimi blinks at that shout. Is this going to be military protocol after all, despite the sudden summons? "Fudgesicles…" she mutters, and stands and salutes sharply.
Jupes pauses in her walking, and goes to attention, as much as she's able with a cup of coffee in hand. She stares straight ahead, restsing the urge to scratch an itch at the tip of her nose. Must. Not. Move.
Snapping to, Sapho's back straightens, chin lifts to level, eyes drart quickly forward. Even her arms are held stiff, locked at the elbows which holds those limbs tightly to her body.
Castor moves into his attention position as his left hand cradles his helmet, seriously, again, another meeting with arm cramp from standing at attention. Still though Leda is in full on attention mode as he looks at Kai and braces himself for what is coming next.
Matto follows Nadiv's lead, if a little less sharply than most here, drifting to a halt and into the proper posture, keeping it without much effort, for the time being.
Thea pulls to attention as well, once she clears the bird she was walking behind. She looks about briefly, until, of course, Kai is spotted. Ahhh, the source of the call.
Kai meets Hale's eyes for a moment, and there's a flicker of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He refrains from clapping the taller pilot's shoulder, however, and strides on past as salutes go up and pilots collectively straighten to attention with a scrape of boots simultaneously meeting on the deck. Once he reaches one of the parked raptors, he clambers up onto its wing, in order to provide a vantage point for addressing the gathering. And for a few moments, he simply.. watches them. Several pairs of eyes are met in turn, some for only a second or two, some longer. And then he dries his sweaty hands off on the thighs of his trousers and begins, "Shit, there's a lot of you." He clears his throat, then tries again. "At ease, ladies and gentlemen. I'm, ah, I'm not really good with speeches, but.." Awkward pause. "As all of you are aware, this is pretty much the end of the road for the fifty-first fighter wing. I've known some of you since the day we set out from the Scorpian shipyards.." His gaze passes briefly over Eddie and Roubani. "Some of you, from back in the old days." He hitches his chin toward Alex, then Legacy. "And some of you, we've picked up along the way. But.." He clears his throat again. Nervous? Yeah. "But regardless where we came from, we all fly together, live together, watch each others' backs out there and never, ever let each other get drunk as piss and play strip triad with the marines. We're Vigilantes, and we're Ghostriders. Whatever ship we're on, whoever we happen to be calling CAG. I've been proud to serve with you all, even if I've felt like throttling a few of you at times. You're my.." He gives a flickering, nervous smile. "You're my kids. Always will be. The eleventh fighter wing isn't going to know what hit it."
Going to stand at ease, Martin folds his arms across his chest but remains standing. Smirking with a slight bit of disappointment at the announcement that the Vigilantes will be no more, he straightens his back until he feels one of the vertebrae pop. "Damn right." Martin mutters under his breath, nodding his head in agreement.
Roubani clasps his hands behind his back, feet at the formal shoulder's width apart. He listens. The JG doesn't smile, though neither is he frowning or wearing that brow-tensed expression that he so often does, courting wrinkles a few decades too early. His face is unreadable but it's calm as he absorbs all this that they knew was coming.
Woot. As the at ease is ordered, Jupes reaches up to scratch her nose, then sips her coffee, pale eyes on Marek. She tries, but fails to suppress a little eyeshift at the drunk as piss strip poker with marines comment. Must not… dammet. She clears her throat, reaches up, and whistiles a harsh, shrill whistle at the conclusion of Kai's words. So much for not drawing attention to herself, her coffee, and her hair. A smirk is in place shortly after.
Salute going down, Hale just holds the smile there for a moment, as he looks back towards the Captain, as his had slides back down. Moving into a parade rest, Rabbit looks back to the assembled pilots, turning so as to keep an eye out over the others, and on Kai. A right grin there, for a moment fore he's letting it falter for a moment. Nodding along to the CAG's words he simply coughs once. "Bloody, hell sir." affirmation in his own way.
The past few weeks has eroded away a lot of the tough shell Sapho worked so hard to put about her shatters some and the tears start to roll down her face, for one allowed to without any effort made to hide them or wipe them dry made. She doesn't say anything, just listening, the only sign given that she's in agreement being a faint nod.
Leda listens to Kai and he calls out, "So say we all." He then lowers his head for a moment in silence as he doesn't have anything to add because at this point there is nothing to add. Then his head raises an he scans each face in the room and a brief smile comes across his face as he watches everyone.
Absalom slides into at ease, watches Kai's speech, and then scratches at his cheek a little. Maybe he missed something being in the back, but, he's apparently not has happy with the CAG's words. At least he doesn't show it. The man frowns just a little bit, looks over at his ship, and then starts to wander off in the direction of the simulators/readyroom/pilot country.
Matto eases out of attention with an almost visible leeching of tension from his frame, shifting his weight predominantly to one foot as though leaning against something, a quiet smile touching his features as he listens.
Thea's attention drifts from Kai briefly as he talks, wandering out over the gathered Air-Wing members. And then she looks back to the man, smile small, but there.
"So say we all," Mimi murmurs half under her breath, smiling faintly. Kai does know how to give an encouraging speech.
Harrison stands at ease after ordered, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes travel toward the second bay, where his baby sits for the moment.
Eddie doesn't have anything to say on the matter, no hoots or hollers to add of her own. Her face cants towards the deckplating, hearing the speech that disbans the Fighting Fifty-first.
At first, when Kai heads straight for the Raptor he's slouching against, Thorn thinks there's something wrong with his uniform. But Kai's not looking at him at all as he steps onto the wing of the Raptor. Anton takes a few steps away, standing at jaw-clenched attention as he listens to the CAG speak. That might just be the barest hint of a nod as Marek wraps up the speech.
"I never did find out what the frak the purple people eater was, I know I still owe Nadiv a birthday present, and I'm pretty sure I owe the wheel of callsigns over there an apology for 'Bubbles'," Marek continues, glancing over at Castor for the last. His face has gone back to stoic for the most part, though Jupiter gets a bemused look for the whistle. "Finish it or toss it, Black," he reminds her. "But ah.. but, seriously. It's been an honour. You do half as good a job for Whiplash as you've done for me…" He chuckles a bit hoarsely. "I'll kick your asses." A steadying breath is drawn as he turns his eyes from the assembled pilots, to the file folder in his hands. "So I guess what you all want to know, is who stays and who goes. We're going to be moving roughly seventy-five to eighty percent of you over, including myself. So don't even bother thinking you can get the party started now that Spider won't be around. Lieutenant Valasche will be running a minimal wing over here, but Kharon's going to be reduced to primarily a refueling and storage platform." He reads off a short list of additional names, to mixed reception in the crowd. "In terms of new squadron assignments, Captain Sito's asked for my input on that front. They'll be announced as soon as she's finalised them. Other than that, I don't think I have anything else for you."
Jupiter snorks her coffee when Kai says 'purple people eater' and it dribbles all over her sweatshirt. She spends the next 35 seconds trying not to breathe down the rest of the coffee, and alternately expel some from her lungs. Choking. Oh god.
"Frakkin' freaks in the black bunks," Isaiah mutters, although it sounds good-natured as he glances around the assembled pilots. There is a moment, though, where his good humor doesn't show in his eyes.
A call from one of the pilots, apparently Absalom, comes, "We keepin our birds, Spider?" He does not notice Jupiter choking, which, is par for the course for him.
As soon as the name Bubbles is mentioned a smirk and a nod are given to Kai, not that he didn't earn it, however when Kai finishes he goes silent and he begins to peel back slowly since maybe he needs to get out of his flight suit or maybe because he will miss this place and there is something in his eye, either way, it is hard to say since he is out. Yup, if anyone had to get all emotional it is probably Castor.
Captain Sito's choosing the squadrons, that settles it. Frowning, Martin turns his head at the sight of Jupiter choking. Stepping over to her, he pats her on the back a few times softly to try to get the evil out. "Hey Spider." Martin calls out, nodding upwards to the man as he does so. "You did a hell of a job, man, and we're with you one hundred percent of the way." Martin calls out, clapping his hands a few times, trying to drum up a round of applause for their CAG.
"You gave em all bloody hell, Captain. Bloody frakkin hell." Words jostled out from Hale, as he nods back in Martin's direction. Black seems to be trying to get a round going, and far be it, that the old pyramid player would be left out of it. His hands move form being clasped behind his back to add to the applause being added into it. After all there are no desks to stand on and quote poetry on the flight deck. So a clap can do.
Roubani's lips finally twitch. Not once but twice in there somewhere, take a picture. He doesn't start applauding, but then again he rarely does join into noisy sorts of things. Where some people will bring their mementos and photos and knicknacks, his souvenir from Kharon will be the stick up his ass. But he does say: "Tashakkor…" The word's quiet and drawn out as his eyes sweep left to right across the whoel bay, birds and people and everything, and finishing on Kai with a formal nod.
Oh, Purple People Eater. The Cylons are enjoying you now. Field Trip gets an eyeing from a Kissybear across the way before the Madman joins in the applause, sure, smiling for the Marek up there.
At first, Eddie is clapping with the rest of them, as she'd be one of the first to take a bullet for the CAG. Her gaze shifts around and spies a chair, and quietly she slips up onto it. When she's there, her fingers are fiddling with her belt. Once it's undone, Eddie's bottom lip pulls tight against her teeth and she gives a shrill high pitched whistle. "FIFTY FIRST FIGHTING SQUAD…I SALUTE YOU." And then, for old times sake, Eddie's dropping trou and saying goodbye the only way she knows how. Mooner lives on.
"Your birds go with you, Harris," Marek answers decisively, "unless they've been trashed, melted down, and begun a new life as modern art in the Chief's office." He starts to climb down from the raptor, and the applause seems to catch him off guard. Martin's shot a glance as his boots hit the deck, and his mouth twitches with a smile he's trying to restrain. "No, Rabbit, you all gave them hell. I just kept an eye on you crazy little shits." He succumbs to a grin finally as he spots Thea watching him across the way, then snaps and holds a long salute while he still faces the 'bay full of pilots. "Mo'afagh bashed. A'afiat." The words are offered crisply, confidently in Kashmiri. And then his hand drops, and he threads on through, between the shoulders of those (mostly) taller than him. His face is a study in trying to hold back some emotion or other.
Jupes gets hold of herself after not too long, though she's going to have to change her top. She sniffs, wipes her chin with the back of her sleeve. and brushes a hand down her top. Be cool, act casual. Maybe no one noticed. She puts down her coffee, and joins in the applause just as the full moon is bared. "That's what I call Vigilante pride." She laughs, and whistles again, this time it's a little less shrill. Barely.
As is appropriate, Thea pulls to attention and salutes Kai in return. There's a small smile on her face, one tinged with pride and sadness all at once. Then she lifts her voice, oddly enough. "To the best damned CAG this fleet has or will ever see," she calls out, actually exercising those vocal chords.
"Vigilantes and Ghost Riders forever!" Marissa calls, and stands for a moment, trembling. She's only just realized what this 'meeting' was really about. She gives Kai a salute in imitation of Thea and slips away into the corridors, brushing back tears of her own.
Absalom claps for Mooner's display, and then sighs just a little, "Gonna miss that…" he mutters, walking out of the hangar.
Knowing well ahead of time what Mooner's doing, Martin tilts his head and laughs as the ass is bared. Applauding loudly, he nods towards Kai with a grin on the side of his face. All packed and ready to go, he eventually stops applauding and looks to his sister. "We're probably gonna get split up now, you know."
Roubani pinches back at smile at Eddie, mostly succeeding. Mostly. His eyes sweep faces around, pausing on Kai's and then continuing. Still no shouting, or even speaking beyond the bit of Kashmiri he offered to the air around them, his restraint is nontheless one that still wears the remnants of a trace smile, both joyous and not at the same time. As he watches the meeting start to break, he hums quietly under his breath. The Colonial anthem.
There's so much going on. Between being eyed by Matto, mooned by Eddie, Jupiter's whistle, Kai's salute, and Legacy's call, Exile does the only thing he can do. He looks confused, snaps off a return salute to the CAG, then looks back and forth before he starts to move out from the crowd. "Good thing my duffle's sitting next to my bird," he mutters.
Sapho salutes, her face tight. It isn't until people start leaving that she lets it drop but, unlike a lot of people who seem to be exiting the hangar she disappears into it, heading towards the second hangar bay.
Jupiter glances over, pale blue eyes meeting her brother's. "How far apart can we go? It's the same ship, Boner." She steps closer, to slide an arm around Martin's shoulders. "Besides, I'll still kick your ass at everything. I promise. It'll be just like old times."
Kai meets a couple of faces on his way through. Thea's, and Roubani's briefly. Then he ducks his head, and his blues-clad form vanishes down the stairwell with a clatter of his boots.
Hale watches Mooner for a moment, before he's grinning. A turn there and he's making right for where Kai has disappeared, leaving his duffel with his ship, for the PO to stow back. Not saying anything else to the others it seems the Lieutenant has a few more things to gather before he's shoving off from the old bird.
Martin laughs, leaning in to give his sister a hug. "Oh I know, just not the same squad. Probably for the best so you don't have to listen to me and my girlfriend." He chuckles softly, pulling back from her. "Lunch or Dinner once a week minimum. How's that sound?"
Thea's quiet for a moment as she watches everyone go, then she moves to saddle up in her raptor, beginning the process once again of moving crew.
Eddie gives a little hop as she pulls her trousers back up, a bittersweet smile on her face that seems pained around the edges. As she steps down off the chair, she's giving little nods to some others, little snickers to those laughing at her or with her. Soon, she's just dispersing with the crowd, melting back into the Kharon's corridors for likely the last time.
"Yeah, but if we do end up on the same squadron, you will wither frak in her bunk OR you will move your ass to the furthest you can get from me. I am not sitting in the row next to your piece of ass parties ever again. I haven't gotten any in weeks. I'm scarred for life." Jupiter nudges Martin in the ribs, then nods. "Yeah, you can gimme your jello." Aw, isn't that sweet?
Matto gives a breath of a laugh at the little ray of Moonshine, then shouts out some approving word to Legsy's call, but for the most part remains withdrawn in all the noise. He scans the room and his face grows solemn for a brief moment before he turns his eyes back to Nadiv and reaches out two fingers to just touch at his wrist, a smile returning to his face.
"Sounds like a plan. We already talked about it, she's good for visits." Martin replies, nodding his head softly as he turns to head towards the lockers. All of his things ready and packed, he glances around the hangar. Blindly, he extends his closed fist to his sister. "Alright, round two. See you on the other side, okay?"
Jupiter reaches over and fistbumps with Martin. "Try not to blow your landing. The last thing I need is to be mistaken for you when they go bitching about JiG Black's dents." She retrieves her cup. "I gotta go change and get a final clearance for duty."
Roubani is watching floor, a few feet from his Viper way over there. At the touch on his wrist he turns eyes to Matto and nods towards the exit. Not a lingerer tonight, is he.
"Alright, I'm gonna fly over and try to track down the new hardass, find out where I'm gonna be. Watch, I'm gonna get a shitty placement because the CAG told her I'm a pain in the ass." Martin rolls his eyes, laughing softly. "See you on the other side. If we're offduty I'll be at this observation deck." Pause. "Frak that, the pool."
"We'll be bringing our boats along," Kisseus remarks to Nadiv, as if he hadn't heard from the Marek, beginning to walk along. "It's good to know they've got room for them all… or… well, maybe that's a bad thing," he furrows his brows at the conundrum.
"Could say the same thing about the bodies, I suppose," Roubani replies quietly, somehow managing to make that sound not quite as macabre as it could. He glances back at Martin and Jupiter, giving a small wave over his shoulder.
Matto pauses just a moment, looking back toward Legsy and her Foxbat, then follows along downstairs.
Jupes nods to Martin, heading over for the hatch. "Don't pee in the pool, Boner." She glances back. "I mean it!" And then she's gone, boots sounding on the stairwell down.
