Awaiting the Verdict

[falafel_musings]

Intro: Secrets & Whispers. The seventh in a series of Baltar/Gaeta missing scenes fics. These stories may be read together or as stand-alone oneshots.
Chapters: 1. Devotion to Good, 2. Return from Kobol, 3. After the Election, 4. The First Intern, 5. Judgement Day, 6. A Walk at Midnight, 7. Awaiting the Verdict, 8. Voices in the Mind. 9. Last

Comments

[safenthecity]

Oh, Romo. <3 I love your Romo. In hindsight, I almost would have liked to see him pick Felix apart and catch him in his lie. That could have been a fun scene. And Felix in prison for perjury is better than Felix with one leg and a firing squad. I'm probably always going to watch BotS now thinking about this chapter in the back of my mind. And, of course, the episode this comes from.

I like the way Romo just reads Gaius and Felix's relationship so easily. I also like how he describes Felix as believing his lie. I'm not sure Felix actually believes Gaius signed the warrant as easily as he testifies, but I can certainly see him believing that after everything Gaius did, he may as well have.

The last six paragraphs broke my heart, from explaining why Gaius watched Felix in the infirmary but didn't go to him, to the kick-in-the-gut last line. I am both eagerly awaiting and trying to brace myself for the next few chapters. I think you may succeed in making me cry all over again.

[falafel_musings]

I think the writers said in the podcast that the original plan was for Felix to get caught in the lie with Romo having some evidence that Felix was at the yellow dog bowl spot at the same time Gaius was signing the list. They cut it out because they wanted it to look like Romo was sunk just before he put Lee on the stand. You're right that going to jail for perjury would have saved Felix from worse fates. Still, Saul didn't get a prison sentence for murder.

Oh and for the record, I think in Crossroads Felix is just lying tactically. But since the Webisode retcon about Felix's suppressed or warped memories of New Caprica I thought it might be interesting to look at the perjury scene a different way. It fits better with Felix's forced belief in the trial in BotS.

Hmn. If I don't make you cry in the final chapter I will have failed in my mission. Just to warn you. Thanks for reading!

[safenthecity]

Yeah, I guess I see why they did it, but still. How could there be Dog Bowl evidence if no one knew he was the source? Writers... And why would Saul get in trouble for that? It happened on New Caprica, and everyone was forgiven for everything on New Caprica except Gaius, as Lee was kind enough to point out.

Well, it makes sense. I think it was just tactical lies, but if you look at it as also tactical lies and sub-conscious self-preservation, it still works with the webisodes. Mostly.

I can't decide what to make of Felix's little trial for Adama. He can't possibly think it's a fair trial with Zarek as the judge, unless he figures Adama is so obviously guilty that any other judge would make the same call. I think Romo was right when he said "I know you want him to understand." Otherwise I would have to come to the conclusion that Felix is delusional, which doesn't make sense to me.

God I hate you. You and your damn mission. How many times are you even allowed to make me weep? I think there has to be a limit to this madness. ♥

[falafel_musings]

Mmmm *is distracted by hot girls kissing*

Oh yes, good point about the pardon for all crimes on New Caprica. Lee also points out that lots of crimes NOT committed on New Caprica are overlooked too. It'd be kinda twisted if Gaius got acquitted for treason and crimes against humanity while Felix got sent down for telling lies. Just his luck.

Felix does many things during the mutiny that are counterintuitive to what revolution is supposed to achieve. Felix is a little psycho like that. Yeah, Zarek is judge but they bring in the one lawyer famous for getting acquittals for treason. So that's interesting. Basically I think the trial was stalling. Felix didn't want to kill Adama; he just wanted Adama to listen to him and then admit to feeling guilty. I think Felix wanted from Adama what he got from Gaius in Exodus-II. He just wanted Adama to put things right.

[icedteainthebag]

I like this a lot--it offers a lot of insight that the series didn't present to us. Your Romo is extremely in-character, and he does so well trying to pick apart the Gaius/Felix relationship.

[falafel_musings]

Thanks so much for reading! Extra insight is the joy of missing scenes fics. Glad you liked it.

[blue_crow]

Normally I'm stunned and awed at hearing your Gaius's voice, but I actually couldn't hear it because I was so busy listening to your Romo. I found myself reading the words with his pacing, and it was so dead on. Really incredible. I love the way you deploy him, too, how he waits for Lee to be gone, and how he toys with Gaius.

I feel so bad for both Gaius and Felix. And I love how you have Gaius resolve to leave Felix alone, even though he can't quite bring himself to. D: As always, thank you for this.

[falafel_musings]

Romo was seriously enjoyable to write. I think I'll have to write him again (since I have a little AU fantasy where Romo gets Felix acquitted after the mutiny). I guess it helps that Gaius and Romo are both British voices and I'm British so it's easier for me to get them in my head. I was always better at writing the Brit characters in Lost too!

Thanks for keeping up with this fic!

[kappamaki33]

Wow, your Romo is so spot-on! He really stole the show. He's such a perceptive bastard--I think it was a great choice to let him be the one to smack Gaius upside the head and show him how much he's hurt Gaeta, and Caprica, too.

I go back and forth about the trial scene. On one hand, I agree with Romo that I don't think Felix would be able to pull off a lie like that without having convinced himself of its truth. On the other hand, the look on Felix's face when he's perjuring himself is so--I think defiant might be the word, like he's so morbidly pleased to have finally found a way to make Gaius pay that Gaius can't squirm his way out of. I love it when scenes are complex enough that you can tease multiple viable readings out of them like that.

"I dare say that if you two ever sit down in the same room again, we’ll know our world is coming to its end.

*unabashed lower-lip wibbling*

[falafel_musings]

Yay! I'm so glad people like my Romo. I must write him again sometime. I really liked the Romo-Caprica scene in the Brig. I do think he was genuinely sympathetic towards her heartbreak. And Romo would be the first to admit he has some crazy emotional baggage of his own.

I think the way you describe the perjury scene is spot on. I think all those elements are at play. It is complex. I think Felix has more than one level to his thoughts and the freaky thing is the different levels don't acknowledge each other.

Thanks for reading!

[cylune9]

Romo!!! Oh, I love your Romo!

Like if there wasn't enough subtext and layers in Gaeta's perjury, I love how added another layer by including the raptor events to explain how Felix was so convincing and unflinching in his lying, it was because he convinced himself it was true. So his deluded ming, he wasn't perjuring himself. He's so frakked up in the head, loving it. And it was so great for Romo to spell it out to Gaius - Felix is not in his right mind.

Nice to see Gaius accepting to leave Felix alone and touché on Romo's part to realize it's what best for him. The last line is a killer.

Only two more chapters??? Argh!! can't wait!!

[falafel_musings]

Thanks for all your feedback, Lune. As I said to someone up-thread, this is subtext that is not necessarily THERE in Crossroads, but since the webisode retcon it is interesting to read it that way. I was thinking of the moment when Felix is saying "I saw them, I know I saw them" to the Eight. I like this freaky idea that Felix can invent new memories for himself and start believing in them.

Two more chapters indeed. Next one tomorrow!