TM 185: Moment of Triumph

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

OOC: Here be spoilers for season three's "Collaborators." And a bit of speculation on the mun's part into the Occupation.

It should have been a moment of triumph. For that niggling voice inside my head that had told me that not everything was as it seemed. The voice that had followed me day and night for four months, through Cylon occupation,

Comments

[personanongaeta]

Every day we all manage to stay ahead of the Cylons, ahead of death, and keep living, is a triumph, Chief.

OOC- Is it okay to tell you I love you and this rocks my socks? Thank you on behalf of Gaeta, both mine and the original version. This was so full of grace and kindness.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

I'm not sure if we're quite back up to living yet, Lieutenant. Those of us who came back from New Caprica are still in survival mode at the moment, I think.

I lie in bed at night, awake, knowing that Cally's awake and yet we can't bear to talk about what keeps us awake sometimes, and I think the price of this latest survival is almost too high.

On the other hand, what else is there to do but keep moving forward?

OOC: Ever since the original airing of Collaborators, I had been absolutely fascinated, hoping to see the fallout of The Circle and their daily interactions with the one who got away. I still firmly believe that Gaeta was the biggest hero of that entire Occupation arc and was so disappointed when the only thing resembling fallout was the brief moment with Tigh when he finally made it back to CIC. I don't know if you feel the same way, but I have a feeling that the Chief, after sitting down with Gaeta for chow time, he wouldn't have stopped with that. He probably would have gone overboard trying to make it up to Gaeta for

[arrow_of_apollo]

You're a good man, Chief. You were before, and still are.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

A good man couldn't have done the things I did. Couldn't have allowed the things I allowed.

I was a better man before, sir. But thank you.

[arrow_of_apollo]

I think I understand your meaning Chief. But I'm glad for your hand in people surviving. You're welcome.

[callsign_helo]

I'm still amazed by what you all went through. And I'm glad that eventually, most of you made it back all right.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

Well, from what I hear, those four months weren't exactly a walk in a park for you people in the air, either.

Maybe we should try to talk about it some more. Some of the things that happened to us, some of the things that we made happen to other people, not just Cylons... it'll never go away, Helo. But we made those decisions for the greater good. On New Caprica, it was us or them. And they were determined it would be them. So we had to play by their rules of engagement. Rules we never thought we could live by and still live with ourselves.

It's been... difficult, to say the least. For most of us.

But what kills me is Gaeta. If I were him, I'd be wearing that damn dog bowl around my neck as a big old sign, proclaiming that I was the one who got our sorry asses off that godsforsaken planet.

Thank you for coming back for us.

[callsign_helo]

Felix is a good man. Probably better than he knows, and you're right-- he ought to be recognized for it.

Thanks for still being alive when we got there.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

Colonel Tigh was responsible for that. He never let anyone give up. Kept his eye on the goal, making damn sure there were enough people left to make your trip back worthwhile.

[rebekah_adama]

The Cylons succeeded in taking something away from us. I guess all we have to do is work on building ourselves up again. They broke us, it's taken me a while to admit that out loud, but all we can do is try and come back stronger than before.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

But at what point do we cross the line of coming back stronger than before, getting some of our own back, and just continuing to fight for revenge's sake?

And what the hell is wrong with revenge, anyway? Isn't what they did to us sufficient provocation for hardcore revenge, even before they put us in glorified concentration camps on New Caprica?

[rebekah_adama]

After New Caprica revenge seems to be on everyone's mind. Even my mother. I've never seen her this way before. Frankly, after my time in their frakkin detention center, I'm considering joining the Military just for a chance to shoot 'em up.

But what are we to do? It's not like we can turn around and fight. We don't have a chance at a stand off if they're regenerating every time we shoot them down.

We deserve to seek revenge, but at what risk?

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

The ironic thing? If we could only get past all of this, that would be the best revenge I could think of. But all we have to do is look around and see what we were robbed of and I don't know how to get on with our lives. I can't come to terms with what I did, how can I help anyone else? And just like you have your son looking to you for the answers, I've got the entire deck crew, my "kids," looking to me.

OOC: It is a son she has, right? If not, I'm sorry.

[number_eight]

[Locked]

Ch--

Galen. You're a good man. Lt. Gaeta is a good man. Sometimes... well, sometimes things get frakked up, you know? Don't lose your idealism, ever. It's something I know that she had that I don't. Maybe that's why we haven't talked as much as we should, maybe...

I could say maybe forever and it really doesn't matter. God, what the hell am I even trying to say to you?

I guess what I'm saying is you're still the man we can all depend on, Galen.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

[locked to Athena]

Listen, anything I might have said, or done, in the week after you guys came back for us... I don't really recall much except trying to get everything settled. If there was anything I said or did to make you feel uncomfortable, or underappreciated for what you did for us, I hope you would let me know.

Before she started unravelling, Boomer had more optimism than I did. I think that's why things went down the way they did. I couldn't bear to see her losing that. She was letting them win. Little did I know it had nothing to do with what I thought it was. And it's okay. You can invoke her name without me reaching for the nearest wrench.

It is good to be home.

[unlocked]

[number_eight]

[Locked]

You didn't say anything to me. I think that was more of the problem. Then again, I'm just as much to blame since I didn't go out of my way to talk to you, either.

I have my own issues with her that have nothing to do with you, Galen. Don't worry.

I'm glad.

[cpo_galen_tyrol]

[locked]

I guess I didn't want to put myself in the position of saying something I'd have to apologize for later. It was a really difficult transition, no matter how happy we were to be home.

[/unlocked]