Battlestar Galactica
by AJ Marks
Part 11: Down Time
Ares looked around the bridge for about the millionth time since he had come up there a short while ago. In the last half yehren there had been nothing for anyone to do. They had no encounters or anything else to keep the crew occupied besides their jobs and the reports from home.
“Commander, we’re within range of the next solar system,” Pratt said from where he was sitting as well.
“Have Captain Gunther and his wingman report for the patrol,” Ares said as Pratt got up and walked out to carry out his orders. This would be the first system they had encountered since their encounter with the advanced race that John and Able were a part of.
Ares was not sure if he wanted something to happen this time or not. Sure if something happened it would make for an exciting time but so far every time they had encountered a planet there had been something going on. A boring patrol would also be welcome. But that would mean that there was little for the crew to do and he did not want to conduct drills yet the longer the boredom set in the harder it would be to maintain discipline.
“I hope they find something, peaceful yet something,” Ares said almost knowing that such a thing was almost not possible.
He heard Renee a few moments later tell the patrol group that they were cleared for launch. He glanced at the scanners to see the familiar sight of the two vipers launching from the Argo. The two viper quickly and efficiently formed up and headed away from the battlestar and towards the system.
That was something else that he knew he could have to begin looking for, fuel. If they ran out it would mean disaster for everyone. He was not concerned with it now but he came across nothing during his travel then it would be a disaster for him and his crew. Taking a look at the supply chart they had enough for current consumption to last for another yehren or so depending if the rate increased or decreased and nothing else was found. They would run out of food first though. That was something that he would have his pilots keep and eye out for, or the next time they ran into an intelligent race.
Pratt walked back onto the bridge and returned to his position. He was looking much like the rest of the crew was. Ares knew that he had a place to retreat to but most of the crew only had their quarters which were shared by others. This would make private time very short and private space a bit rare. He would have to bring that up at the next meeting.
After Able had left he had decided to hold meeting with the heads of each department to find out what was going on and how morale was. So far things were not bad but there was a bit of an undercurrent there. Ares decided that it was probably the group that had been loyal to Able and was keeping an eye on them.
*****
Troy walked in to the rec room to see Bri and Nall already in there. Troy would have been there a bit quicker but there had been a briefing for red squadron. They had approached another system that they had to check out. The next system would be green squad’s to explore.
“Hey,” Bri said turning to Troy as he sat down next to them. Troy noticed that Nall had a grin on his face and Bri had an annoyed look on hers.
“What did you do now,” Troy asked Nall knowing that it had to be something that he said.
“Nothing,” he replied along with a look that said ‘who me?’.
Bri snorted and Troy thought he heard a ‘yeah right’ reply back at him. It really was one of the strangest friendships he was ever a part of that was for sure. Sometimes he had to wonder what kept their friendship together but then he already knew that. For all the teasing and fighting they did they would die for each other if needed. In this profession that was what was required for each other.
“I can tell by the looks on your faces that something happened,” Troy said looking back and forth between the two of them.
“Now he’s trying to get me in a threesome,” Bri said scowling at Nall. “As if I won’t do a twosome that a threesome would be better.”
“You don’t know unless you try it,” Nall said waggling his eyebrows as Troy groaned and placed his head on the table. He should have known it would have had to do with sex. An idea suddenly came to him though and his head popped back up.
“With who,” Troy asked looking at Nall. He had timed his question perfectly as Bri had just taken a drink and managed to spew it over the table in shock.
“I was thinking of Jax, or maybe Renee from the bridge,” Nall replied warming up. “They are both great in bed.”
“Not bad,” Troy said finally looking at Bri who was looking at him with slitted eyes that could kill a daggit across the galaxy. He finally started to laugh which earned him a raised eyebrow as Nall also joined in.
“Just great,” Bri said not taking her eyes off Troy. She had expected comments to come from Nall, but not from Troy.
“I’m sorry Bri, but I just couldn’t resist,” he said as he managed to restrain his laughter for a few seconds. “But the look on your face was priceless.”
“Ha-ha,” Bri said. “Just wait, I’ll get even,” she said in a calm even voice.
“Oh boy, now you’ve done it,” Nall said knowing what her mind was able to come up with. “Just don’t let her wash your socks,” he told Troy the pointed down to his socks that he had on.
Troy looked down and noticed that Nall’s normally black socks were pink today. He then looked back up to Nall.
“And don’t ask about my underwear,” he said shaking his head. Bri meanwhile had gone from scowling to a rather pleased look on her face.
“I can do yours if you’d like,” she said sweetly to the point where he almost would have agreed if Nall had not just show him his socks.
“No thanks, I’ll keep my guard up,” Troy replied.
“So what’s up,” Nall said moving the conversation forward.
“Red squad just went on patrol to another system. So we’re kind of on a yellow alert until they return,” Troy replied. It was becoming an unwritten rule that the ship would be in a combat situation until the patrol returned with word of what was in the system.
*****
Gunther and his wing mate, Iolase, headed towards a system that had about seven planets. Several were gas giants but there were a few that were more of the size of the colonies. It was one of these that they were more concerned with as the others seemed just a bit too far away for human life.
Gunther and Iolase stayed together just in case there was any trouble. So far there had been nothing that they could see that might cause any trouble. Heading to the planets that might be able to support life they passed the first planet and it was bare. It was the second planet they passed that they noticed something right away.
“Captain, does that planet look green to you,” Iolase asked as they approached the planet.
“Yeah,” Gunther replied. “We’ll take a closer look. It could be minerals giving that appearance.”
They flew closer and the scanners confirmed what they thought they were seeing, life was on the planet.
“Let’s go down for a closer look,” Gunther said as they steered their vipers down into the planet’s atmosphere.
*****
“Commander, I’m getting a transmission from the patrol,” Renee said from where she was sitting.
“Put it though,” Ares replied as he listened to what Captain Gunther was saying. He appeared to have found a planet that supports life. There was no sign of intelligent life on the planet but the atmosphere was compatible with their own.
Ares decided that if everything went right that now would be the time for relaxation. He told the patrol to continue then return to the Argo then got in contact with Doctor Weaver.
“Commander, what can I do for you,” Weaver asked over the intercom.
“I need you to assemble a team and head to the planet that the patrol just discovered. I want to make sure that the atmosphere is breathable to us without any dangers,” Ares said.
“I’m on it commander,” Weaver said signing off.
“Colonel, have another team assembled to go with the doctor to perform scan for any hostile danger that might be on the planet,” Ares ordered.
Pratt replied that he understood and left in search of the team that would head to the planet. He was not quite sure what the commander was thinking but did not question it for now. The commander always told him what was going to happen.
Ares really was not expecting to have something come up so soon for a relaxation time but he would take it now. He was not sure when the next opportunity would come along again. Ares also hoped that they might be able to replenish their supply of water at this planet.
*****
Colonel Pratt found who he was looking for in the rec room of the battlestar. He wondered how they would react to this mission. It was different from any of the other missions that they had been sent on so far. They were to provide security for Doctor Weaver and his team.
“Captain,” Pratt said as he approached the table where they were sitting at.
“Colonel, did something happen,” Troy asked suddenly worried that the patrol did not go as planned.
“Nothing like you’re thinking captain,” Pratt replied knowing that his appearance could mean a lot of different things. “The patrol encountered a planet that supports life. The commander asked for the doctor to go and check it out to see if there was anything dangerous to us on the planet. He wants a security team to go with him as well.”
“To make sure that there is nothing there that harms the science team,” Troy replied knowing what type of mission they were store for now. “Why is the commander so interested in this planet?”
“I think that he’s thinking of using it as a place to rest for a while before we move on,” Pratt replied.
“Ohh, that would be nice,” Bri said from where she was sitting having heard the conversation. “The rec room is nice but some space would be great.”
“I think you just want that so you’ll have more ways to get back at us,” Nall said looking at Bri who had her ‘who me’ look on.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, pinkie,” Bri replied sweetly.
“Ha-ha,” Nall replied then turned to the colonel. “You can count me in.”
“Actually its up to Captain Troy, he’s responsible for the team,” Pratt said looking at Troy.
“And I’ll accept,” Troy said looking at Nall then at Bri. “What about you?”
“Gee, a chance to get off the ship, onto a planet and with my favorite friends or stay here by my self on this steel battlestar, let me think,” Bri said rolling her eyes while she talked.
“Well if you don’t want to go you don’t have to,” Nall said which earned him a slap to his shoulder.
“Smart daggit,” Bri said. “Of course I’ll go.”
“Good, I’ll expect you and your team to report to the briefing room as soon as possible,” Pratt said then turned and left the room.
*****
“Hello doctor,” Troy said as he approached the shuttle. He was going to be the pilot along with Bri and Nall and Jax were going to provide escort to the planet, not that they expected anything to happen on the way but it was better to be safe then sorry everyone agreed.
“Captain, how are you doing,” Weaver said as he approached the man. Weaver had been in his laboratory since the encounter with Able. It made Troy wonder if the man ever got out much when he was at the colonies. He was a dedicated man that was for sure.
“Just fine doctor,” Troy replied as he then looked to Weaver’s assistant and someone who was from the medical staff.
“Well then shall we go, I myself am looking forward to see this planet,” Weaver said. This was part of the reason he was brought along.
“Let’s go,” he said ushering everyone inside. He sat down next to Bri who was already beginning the warm up procedures. “A little anxious are we?”
“I can’t help it, I guess I just want to feel the wind in my hair,” Bri replied.
“You mean standing in front of the air-conditioning doesn’t do it for you,” Troy replied with a smile.
“No,” Bri replied giving Troy a look that said quite a bit making him laugh. “Just wait, sure you don’t need your clothes washed?”
“Ah, no thanks,” Troy replied as the clearance came over the communicator for their launch. He pushed the launch button and they quickly launched out of the shuttle bay of the Argo with two vipers quickly following.
*****
The shuttle landed on the surface of the planet in a large meadow with a lake nearby that was fed from what they could see in the air by a stream coming from the distant mountains. The doors opened and Weaver and his crew walked out and quickly went to work setting up their equipment and beginning their experiments to check out the planet’s atmosphere and water.
“Let’s go take a look at the lake that we saw,” Troy said as Nall agreed. He decided that Bri and Jax would stay behind to keep an eye on Weaver and look around the meadow.
The two of them walked down the slight slope that led to the lake. He could head the lake already as the sound of water splashing against the shore carried over to where he was walking.
“You know that Bri likes you right,” Nall suddenly said as the lake came into view.
“I had a feeling, of course I like her as well,” Troy replied.
“I know, I can see it every time I see the two of you,” Nall said and Troy thought he heard something in Nall’s voice.
“You love her as well don’t you,” Troy said suddenly wishing he had not said that. “Sorry Nall, that’s probably none of my business.”
“No, it’s all right,” Nall replied. “I think that I’ve been in love with her for a long time now. I think I always knew that she’d find someone that she would love as well. I just hoped that perhaps I had a chance.”
“Bri would never do anything to hurt you,” Troy said as Nall turned and looked at him. “I meant emotionally.”
“True,” Nall said smiling as he picked up a rock and tossed it into the lake. “This conversation didn’t go like I had planned.”
Troy stood there not sure what to say about his as he watched Nall skip another rock across the water’s surface.
“What I wanted to say was Bri loves you, don’t do anything to hurt her or you’ll have me to deal with,” Nall said acting very much like a father and brother rolled into one person.
“I think if I did, you would not have much to do after Bri finished with me,” Troy said as the two of them laughed about it as he tossed a rock himself. “So does Bri know you’re talking about her like this?”
“By Kobal no, if she found out I shudder to think what she would do,” he replied with a smile. “I think I will anyways.”
Troy just shook his head. “You two have a strange relationship, just strange. And I think it won’t matter who else she loves you’re relationship won’t change.”
*****
Ares stood on the bridge waiting to see what type of results would come back. Pratt was now on his down time and had gone back to his quarters for some rest. Ares was sure that if he did not tell Pratt to leave the bridge that the man would always be here. If the planet came though clean the colonel was going to be one of the first ones down.
*****
Weaver pronounced the planet to be clean enough for the crew to be on the planet’s surface. He still recommended that they go though detox when they came back but Ares did not have a problem with that.
The Battlestar Argo was now orbiting the planet as shuttles went down to the planet’s surface. Ares wanted everyone to have a chance to head to the planet’s surface for some time to relax. This seemed to be a good time as there was nothing on the scanners and the patrols had not found anything that might endanger the ship.
Pratt had been one of the first down on the planet’s surface. That was only because Ares had almost forced him to go first by promising that when he got back Ares would go down next. Pratt looked across the bridge that was now operating on a skeleton crew but he was not worried. The pilots had taken their vipers down to the surface just in case.
Ares had given permission for the ship to remain at this planet for a couple of rotations of the planet around its axis. He wanted to make sure that everyone had enough time to relax. He also had them on the look out for anything that might be able to be used as food or anything like that.
The crew was already replacing their water supply with fresh water. He could always tell the difference between fresh water and the recycled water. Even though he was now used to the taste of the recycled water he preferred fresh water.
There was still a lot of things to do but even he could feel some excitement that they would be having some time off. He hoped that they might be able to do this a few more times during their voyage but he had decided to stop now in case the next possible stop was some time from now. For now they would enjoy this stop.
*****
Bri watched as Troy and Nall were participating in a game that several of the other crew had started up. Even though she was not any good at playing sports she just did not like playing them. They had a ball that they were kicking around. It was an ancient game that was present on all twelve worlds and did no require much equipment to set up and play.
Troy came over to where she was sitting having had enough of playing the game. Nall was still engaged in the game that looked like there was no stopping it. Sitting down next to her he waited a second while taking a drink of water. The game had been quite stimulating and was not something that they could do aboard the Argo.
“Have fun,” Bri asked as she glanced over at him.
“Yeah, did you have fun watching,” Troy asked her.
“Yeah, I did,” Bri said with a smile not saying who she was watching the most.
“I’m sure you did,” Troy replied right back.
“Do you think that Doctor Weaver has found anything on the planet,” Bri asked changing the topic.
“Last I saw he was down at the lake fishing to see what type of fish lived in there,” Troy said.
“Fishing, yuck,” Bri replied. That was something she did not like at all.
“There’s nothing wrong with fishing,” Troy replied.
“Yuck,” Bri said making a face anyways. Just the thought of something so slimy and scaly in her hands made her shiver. “Eating fish is fine, catching them is gross.”
“Well I guess its your loss,” Troy said as he stretched out beside her. “Its nice here. One could almost forget that the Cylons are out there.”
“Yeah,” Bri said as she looked up at the sky that had clouds indicating that the water on this planet had a cycle as well. “I can’t remember the last time I just look up at the sky.”
Troy caught the wistful note of her voice and was not sure what to say to that. There were many things that they had not had growing up with the war against the Cylons. Families were torn apart as members were killed. He could understand the growing sentiment for peace among the people.
“Perhaps one day we’ll have peace and be able to tell our children about the war,” Troy said not really thinking about what he had just said.
Bri rolled her head to look at Troy for a second. “Our children,” she said meeting his gaze for a few seconds before he realized what he had just said.
“Ah, well, I mean, I just assumed that we would get married, ah I mean, frack, this isn’t coming out right,” Troy said. He could not believe he was having so much trouble. “You know what I mean.”
“No I don’t, explain it too me,” she said rolling onto her side to watch Troy.
Troy saw the look in her eyes and he wondered at how she could put on such an innocent face at a time like this. He knew that she knew what he was trying to say but as Nall had told him she always got you back.
“This is payback isn’t it,” Troy said as he turned to look at the sky again.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Bri replied in an innocent voice. Then she quickly leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then looked back up at the sky missing the look that Troy gave her.
*****
“Aww, isn’t that sweet,” Jax said from where she was standing next to Nall.
“What,” Nall said turning to look at Jax then turned to see what she was looking at.
He saw Bri and Troy both lying in the grass of looking up at the sky. Even from here he could see the quick exchange of glances that they gave each other when they thought the other was not looking. He wondered if they really knew what was going on between them. He had given Troy what he thought was enough information to make a move even though it did break his heart a the thought.
“Hey, you all right,” Jax said nudging Nall with her elbow.
“Yeah, fine,” he said in time to see Bri give Troy a quick kiss. He knew that he would never stand a chance now. Taking a deep breath he turned his attention back to the game that was going on. “Come on, let’s go get the ball and score.”
“Now you’re talking,” Jax said knowing that Nall saw what had just happened. She mentally kicked herself for saying anything, but also knew that Nall would have to move on sooner or later anyways. He moved from girl to girl, which many did not mind, and seemed to care for them all. She wondered who would take Nall’s heart and mend it.
*****
Ares climbed off the shuttle after being on the planet’s surface. The couple of days at the planet had been good for everyone. The spirits seemed to have risen quite a bit. He could feel himslef rejuvenated as well. He was ready to go for another couple of sectons before the next break.
“Report colonel,” Ares said as he approached Pratt. The colonel looked to be refreshed as well and Ares knew that he had done the right thing in ordering him to rest for a bit.
“The last of the crew is going though detox right now. The water supply has been replenished and filtered for consumption. We also found some fruits on the trees that seemed to be quite good that we added to our food supplies,” Pratt told him. He knew that the addition of some new food would help spice up the meals.
“Did everyone take some time off,” Ares asked making sure that everyone got some time to have fun.
“Yes commander, even the workaholics,” Pratt said with a smile.
“Good,” Ares said. “I can feel the difference in the crew.”
Pratt was quiet for a few microns before replying. He could also feel it. There was a relaxed feeling in the air. The quarters did not seem so closed in anymore to him. This small vacation was the right thing to do.
“Where to next commander,” Pratt finally said.
“What next on the list,” Ares said as they walked over to the long range scanners.
“This system right here,” Pratt said.
“All right, helm plot a course and engage at light speed,” Ares said to the crew. There were other adventures waiting for them out there.
End part 11