address 3; previously on battlestar galactica...

[cabins]

[the cylons were created by man... They evolved. There are many copies...]

[Backdated to the jump.]


[When the feed flicks on, there’s a bit of static before, muffled through the fabric of a blazer. A woman’s voice, with a slight tone of authority can be heard. Laura Roslin.]

For someone who eradicated nearly all of humanity, you're awfully scared of a cancer-ridden woman. I have no power here, no title. And I have no idea where Caprica Six is. I've told you.

[The sound of an elevator door closing, then a man, his voice new to those on Tranquility speaks. He has no idea he’s being recorded.]

Yes, so you've told me. And Kara Thrace is dead.

You speak like I'm personally responsible for humanity's destruction, but it was God's plan for you. This is your path, and mine, and we must all play our parts.

[The woman again, her voice clear.]

She is.

And Gaius Baltar has been cleared of all charges.

Were either of those in your god's plan? Was this ship? You assisted the genocide of the human race all the same. And if that was also part of your god's plan, I want nothing to do with it. This place is beyond gods and prophecies. That line of thinking will get you killed, Conoy.

And not by my hand.[She'll just ask nicely. Or throw him out the airlock again. Anyone know where they're located?]

Threaten me all you want, by all means, shove me against a locker like we’re in high school, but for Kobol's sake listen to me. Because I am not afraid of you. [Laura’s words are pointed, This is the vengeful President that the Colonials are used to.]

[A beat] I'm supposed to meet Adama. For a Cylon that wants my protection, you're doing all you can to throw it away.

[As the tone of her voice changes, the man with her starts listening a little harder to her choice of words, to the direction behind them. She's speaking to him and past him, and he recognises the difference. Leoben knows how to listen; it's what he does best.

When he speaks, softness to mirror her aloofness, he knows what he’s doing. She’s broadcasting this, and he directs his own words past her, straight to her listeners.]

It isn't about what you want. It isn't about what I want. You may say you're not afraid, but you don't know fearlessness. Not yet, but you will before the end. Why don't you tell them the truth? We are the children of humanity, brought into the world to fight your battles; commodities, unpaid labor, slaves. Tell them how you gave life, and how you now fear the life that you created, deprived of the ability to simply switch it off.

[There’s a small ruffle of fabric, fumbling as he reaches for her hip, and grabs the communicator. He raises it to his mouth, and as a result his voice is louder; clear.]

My name is Leoben Conoy. I have Laura Roslin. I want to speak to Caprica Six. [The feed falls silent.]

---

[Sometime later, Laura’s voice once again can be heard on to the network.]

Hello, citizens of the Tranquility, this is President Laura Roslin. I'm currently being held hostage by the Cylon model 2 known as Leoben Conoy. I cannot say where I am being held, Athena save us, or he will move our position. He is unarmed but extremely dangerous. Proceed with caution.

[Bill please figure out she's on floor 82. With the reference to model 8. And 2.]

Across the room, her captor raises his voice, just loud enough to be heard.]

Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy. You can speak to them, when they answer.

[ooc: let us know who you want to talk to, Laura, Leoben, or both! Feel free to come to the rescue as well, try to reason with them, whatever.]

Comments

action; continued

[hairlocked]

[ He watches her hawkishly, once she's done speaking, shifting just slightly forward. ]

Why Athena?

[cabins]

After I've already given the opening comments, yes.

I taught at Athena Academy, before. I've always had an inclination towards the goddess.

[hairlocked]

[ He narrows his eyes very slightly. She's up to something. Her deliberate avoidance on the topic of faith, and now this use of the name of Athena, her attempts to cover for it. They're offline now, but he peers up at her, keeps his thoughts to himself.

It doesn't matter. If it's a hidden message, he'll appreciate the irony. It's better than waiting forever to be found. ]

You enjoy teaching. Why?

[cabins]

I like children. They bring new light to everything. I never had my own children.

[Stupid small-talk]

[hairlocked]

[ He shifts forward, attention brighter still. ] They do, don't they? New light. A glow.

[cabins]

[carefully:] ...yes

[hairlocked]

What happened to Kacey? Kara came back for her--did she make it back to Galactica?

video. private.

[xerampelinae]

Leoben.

[ She's excited to see him, it's true, but her initial burst of joy has since lapsed as she's listened to the recording progress. When she speaks now, her voice is calm, patient, possessing some warmth. A little exasperated, as only one can be of their siblings, sometimes. Leoben.

The video shows her in some private corner of the medical bay. Her knees bent, just shown, as she focuses on a task downwards and aside of the comms device.

(She's painting her toenails.) ]

You didn't have to hostage the President of the Twelve Colonies just to speak to me.

video. private.

[cabins]

Hello, Caprica.

[Oh look, it's the hostage. She's not happy. SOMEONE took her time.

Looking up at her captor, Laura slides him the communicator.]

It's for you.

video. private.

[xerampelinae]

[ There's a batting of eyelashes for Laura, an indulgent half smile, in the fleeting moments it takes to pass along the device. ]

video. private.

[hairlocked]

[ There's the sound of movement, a mattress creaking as Leoben climbs off the bed and leans over the device before plucking it off the ground. He clambers back into place, all limbs, searching gaze taking Caprica in swiftly. He casts another glance toward Laura to ensure that she's staying put against the far wall of the room before he speaks. ]

She didn't leave me much choice.

[ He doesn't need to explain how. This is Laura Roslin, after all. More explanation is hardly necessary. ]

You're unharmed?

video. private.

[xerampelinae]

[ Caprica picks up her comms device from its lean, studying Leoben likewise while she is studied in turn. Her expression has gentled ever so, by now, when he chooses his first question. ]

Yes. I've been here nine cycles.

[ And has, by context and implication, survived any airlocking or public lynching that could have otherwise come her way. ]

She knew how to contact me.

[ So she's not buying any indignant righteousness on the part of the human over there, thank. ]

She didn't give you a choice and now you're the villain. Do you understand where you are?

video. private. not here.

[cabins]

[Laura makes a rather indignant face. She didn't have her exact number, GOSH.
Also, y'know, she didn't want Leoben and Caprica in contact.]

video. private.

[hairlocked]

[ Leoben is the most ragged-edge that his model has ever been, a certain wildness and yet serene psychosis in his expression, from seeing great resistance and strife but being on the side being resisted against. Observed with bias, it might even look like cautious superiority.

Unlike his conversation with Laura, which was one of lies and half truths on both sides, Leoben doesn't pause for a second to consider that Caprica Six could lie to him. They're family after all. Six's word is gospel: Laura deceived him, but his glance toward her is understanding and pitying. He knows how hard humans will fight. He's been burned and stabbed and bludgeoned to death to learn that lesson in detail.

Nine cycles shouldn't be possible, but Six claims it, so it must be true. ]

A prison ship somehow outside of time as we know it. [ And then he brightens, as he did when Laura mentioned it to him: ] An enormous living ship.

video. private.

[xerampelinae]

[ Her head tips at his claim, but her expression doesn't show disagreement. His curiousity mirrors her own when it comes to the sentient nature of this place's mysteries, but hers is predatory and calculating, while his holds excitement. ]

A vacuum.

[ It's not correction so much as addition. ]

We suffer with them and they suffer with us. Madame President and I had a conversation on the topic. I'd been hiding, before then.

[ A delicate eyebrow raise. Twos are the worst at infiltration. (Sixes are second worst.) ]

They know me here as Natasi.

video. private.

[hairlocked]

[ So it would be so much more gratifying to turn the enemy into something to feel, to touch, to punish. That's what this is about: frustration. We're all in this together can only last for so long before something broke--the suicide bombings on New Caprica prove as much.

Ironic use of the term vacuum in Two's case notwithstanding. ]

Natasi. I understand.

[ He assumes she's telling him so that he'll go along with it, and he will; he doesn't need to be told in so many more words.

His eyes leave the screen to watch Roslin as he says the next part. ]

Adama will be with us shortly. [ He's not sure how she revealed their floor to him, but he knows she did. It doesn't harm to present it as foresight. ] I intend to surrender.

video. private.

[cabins]

[Laura says nothing, doesn't let a bit of emotion flicker across her face. Poker face. And FYI she knows her way around a poker game.]

I hope you realize how unnecessary this whole thing has been.

video. private.

[xerampelinae]

[ Something harder flashes in Caprica's eyes at this news.

Distrust. ]

Where are you?

[ --said over the top of Roslin's voice, tinny in the background. Natasi's nails aren't done drying. That's how much she loves you, Leoben!! ]

Action

[oldmanhusker]

[Bill's never liked the network, but he really doesn't like getting message like that over it.

He doesn't hesitate. Laura's clever, there was a message there. And he's fairly certain he has it right. Though he does take a moment to inform a few others to check other floors in case he's wrong.

But then he's off. Up to the little occupied decks. The ones they try to steer new arrivals away from. THe perfect place for sinister intention.

He opens the door, sidearm drawn, glare equally armed. And growls.]

Leoben. Get away from her.

[Abduct his whatever they're calling themselves, will he?]

Action

[cabins]

[Here he comes to save the day! Enter Husker on a white horse or something. Regardless, it's really hot, and Laura is going to make sure he knows just how much later. But right now, that's the last thing on her mind. What's on her mind is the knife at Leoben's throat, and how she's against the wall.

Oh, right and how Caprica is on her way and they're all fraked.]

Bill-- he has a knife. 6 is coming.

[She's not panicking slightly. She's just relieved.]

Action

[hairlocked]

[ The device is still recording. That's for Caprica's sake--he doesn't want her walking into Adama's bullets unnecessarily. Or at all, in fact. Still, with his back to the Admiral it's a miracle he doesn't immediately get a bullet in his back, and he turns, his hand closed over Laura's, bringing the knife - still in her hand - to her own throat, while tugging her body against his own.

He holds her there for a moment; a human shield, watches Adama over her shoulder.

He's close to her. He leans in to speak into her ear. ]

I'm a man of my words.

[ And he thrusts her away from him, knife and all, toward her waiting hero. The plural is deliberate. He's recorded a great deal of their conversation now - or rather, Six has. And if it isn't enough, if they kill him anyway, she will destroy them both. ]

Re: Action

[oldmanhusker]

[He squeezes Laura with one arm, the other still out to keep track of the knife. He's not letting his guard down around Leoben any time soon.]

If this were Galactica you'd be dead.

[As it is, the balance is too delicate. Going around killing other passengers is an extreme action. No matter their history.

If this were Galactica he wouldn't have confronted him alone.]

Action

[cabins]

[She'd gasped as he'd spun her around, holding her, her eyes wide as she focused on Bill, Bill and his gun. All too quickly, she was pushed away from her captor, his words still ringing in her ears. The knife clattered uselessly to the floor, near his foot, Laura having been trying to get rid of it from the beginning.

Unarmed. Frak.

If this were Galactica she wouldn't be in this mess, Laura adds silently, returning the squeeze to Bill's arm as she comes to stand dovetailed behind him. He's got the gun, she doesn't. Hand on Bill's shoulder, she isn't letting go of him.]

Action

[hairlocked]

If this were Galactica, I'd be at your mercy. That hasn't changed.

[ Unarmed, yes. It would have been easy to kill an armed man and claim self defense, and Leoben's considered that - of course. Instead he crosses his wrists behind his head, kneeling deliberately on the ground, and enunciates clearly. ]

I surrender.

[ He never takes his eyes off Bill. ]

My killers. Look at you.

Re: Action

[oldmanhusker]

[He places his foot on the knife, just to be sure. He doesn't take chances. Not when it comes to Laura's safety.]

I accept your surrender.

[His eyes don't waiver either]

You realize the ship has its own security force, yes?