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Author	Topic: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Not Always As They Seem (Book One) - COMPLETED: 05 MAY 2008
JediXManSerenaKenobi Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 4/2 1:20pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 03/31 - Lemme Guess. They're Not Going to Play Fairly, Righ
	Fantastic chapter! Looking forward to more. Great update, Trika! - Serena -----signature----- " 'Do you believe in God?' written on the bullet/ Say 'yes' to pull the trigger / And I will pull the trigger!" Talon Intelligence Squadron Artist! Talons rule! Proud member of Wrenga Jixton's Virtual Blondies! Christian=follower of Savior Jesus Christ
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/2 6:24pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 03/31 - Lemme Guess. They're Not Going to Play Fairly, Righ
	LadyLunas, thanks for stopping in! More "loveliness" to come tomorrow. I believe we get down to some real action soon! Serena, thanks for reading! New chapter tomorrow! Things are going to get good, so watch out! -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Philomena Registered: Feb '08	Date Posted: 4/3 9:40am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 03/31 - Lemme Guess. They're Not Going to Play Fairly, Righ
	Oooh, war! What fun! Can't wait for the action to start, but I have a feeling I won't have to wait long. Things are going to get pretty messy pretty soon, I bet. Philly -----signature----- WARNING: Unsocialized homeschooler. Communicate at your own risk.
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/3 12:31pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 03/31 - Lemme Guess. They're Not Going to Play Fairly, Righ
	Philomena, glad you got in here today! Thanks for reading! You won't have to wait long at all... the war games begin today. Let's see if these Talons can actually do this without killing themselves! -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/3 12:36pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/03 - War Game Tricks! Don't Shoot Out an Eye or Anything - Date Edited: 11/13 8:01pm (2 edits total) Edited By: Trika_Kenobi
	Chapter Eight: "Don't shoot anyone too close or else you might knock out an eye." Every Talon was accounted for at the hangar at the time set by Sergeant Bullwinkle. Both teams had already entered their team's transports and hidden most of their equipment and supplies away from view. Even the master spies, Mekial and Rubi, were not able to glean anything from their enemies. From here out, whenever Blue Group saw Red Group or vice versa, there would be shots - in an assortment of colored stains - fired. "All right, grunts, listen up," said Bullwinkle from the hangar floor. He stood away from both transports so that everyone could hear him. It was understood that he would be taking an Intel shuttle to the planet to monitor both ships and teams. "I gave each of ya enough C-rations to last a week. Make sure you keep yerself dry when ya can, yer socks fresh, 'n' the same with all yer other underwear. Y'all should keep warm above all else. Don't forget to cook any ljutefisk, too, if you decide to catch 'em." Red Group looked incredulously at the sergeant, who continued giving random tips for the war games. They knew that Blue Group was doing the same. "Yer weapons are hot fer staining, so don't shoot anyone too close or else you might knock out an eye." Bullwinkle looked at his chrono. "I'll see y'all at the end of the games, and good luck." Both transports were given the signal to ship out. Kendrick began to close the cargo hold and waited for Red Group's departure. Kevin was already lifting into the air, getting a proper head start so that Blue Group could not locate their base. When the opposing team's ship had departed, Kendrick was finally given the signal to head out. But before he could give his controls one last check, he saw Sergeant Bullwinkle through his front viewport. The Talon cook was holding up a package of freeze-dried Corellian rhyshcate, and suddenly Ken groaned rather loudly. "Ken, you all right?" Jaren called from the back. The sniper had been applying camo paint to his face and teaching the others how to use their face's natural shadows to conceal their presence in foliage. He made his way forward to the co-pilot's seat and shared Kendrick's horrible view. "Yeah," Ken mumbled. "He found the rhyshcate I stole from the food locker, though." As they took off and soared away from the Nest, only then did Kendrick catch himself. He had just told a superior officer about stealing official military resources. He was certain to get a bad mark on his record for that one. "Bummer," he was surprised to hear Jaren say instead. The lieutenant patted Ken's shoulder before strapping himself in. "While you keep practicing up on your thievery, I suppose I'll have to share the wealth that I brought along with us." Ken had the flexibility at that moment to glance toward Jaren. The lieutenant was definitely serious. The pilot gave a sigh of relief. "I thought I was going to have to eat the straps on my pack, considering the rations we were given." Jaren chuckled. "Things might get rough down there, but I don't think we'll need to take to those sorts of measures," he said, as if keeping in a big secret. The transport was now past atmosphere and the chaos of Coruscant's airspace, headed into free space. The sweeping black void loomed ahead and filled the viewport. Even though both soldiers had seen the sight hundreds of different times, it was still incredible. Kendrick gave another quick glance at Jaren while setting their course. The man had a simple smile on his face, and Ken brought his attention back to piloting the transport. The distant green planet would be within range very soon, and there was no sight of Red Group's transport. They had already effectively disappeared. Ken ventured to ask Jaren what he was hiding, but Jaren spoke first. "I think that we're all getting very good at our jobs," he mentioned. "Mekial has a little something from her own stash and Ty keeps sipping something that's making him laugh really hard." The two shared a brief laugh. They were all getting really good at their jobs. The green planet ahead drew closer with each passing second. "Has Mekial found any surprises in our things?" Kendrick asked. He was actually curious to see if he had inadvertently picked up any bugs while moving from his room to the hangar. "She found and disabled several devices in our bags and electronic equipment," Jaren informed him. "I'm pretty sure that we're clean now." The lieutenant and pilot watched the planet fill the viewport fully. Kendrick began to pay more attention to the navigation system, following the landing instructions to the letter. "I recommend we land a short distance from our base and check the ship for bugs. We can then move the shuttle from there to the base," Jaren said as the planetary clouds began to fly past the Hawk. "I can go ahead and perform some terrain recon. I'll scout around and get some ideas about how to design our defense." Kendrick nodded his own approval of the idea and began his landing cycle. The Hawk was running under minimal power to lessen the chances of the enemy detecting her. He was bringing the main landing gear down when he heard the intense shouts coming from the cargo bay. ********** The insertion had gone perfectly. The Eagle had landed and Red Group had unloaded everything from the transport's cargo bay. Kevin Ski had assisted with the transition to the temporary base and the camouflaging of the Eagle. His team members were currently preparing to take up their positions and were going over last minute details in their heads. Telia was suited up for a lengthy stay on a hill approximately one kilometer away. She was to keep up with Stone, who would relay information to the other team members. Everyone was equipped to handle the recon work set out for him or her. Jane, Stone, Rubi, and Danya in particular were ready to infiltrate enemy territory and take the victory for Red Group. "We've been over this several times, people," Kevin reminded his team. "Keep cool." If his group could keep their heads, he was positive that they would be able to conquer Blue Group. "Telia will give the word to go ahead with the main plans. Keep up the constant scans and maintain comm silence. The infiltration team will go ahead with their attack on Blue Group once a location and recon work has been established. You folks know what to do." Stone checked his communications equipment one more time before giving Telia the signal to get into position. As the sniper disappeared from the base, Kaiba called to Kevin from the upper floor. "Did you find a good spot?" he called back to her. Kevin had ordered Kaiba to search the upper floors for storage locations and sniping holes before the sun went down. While the Talons would normally be waking up on Coruscant right now, they were just getting into their first night on this small planet. This drill would definitely be a test for all of his people, mentally and physically. "I found two good sniping holes and some walled-off rooms for all of our ammo," she called back. She jumped down from the second floor and landed in the midst of Red Group. "It seems to be a standard base in square meters, but it lacks anything more. We weren't given any special treatment, if that gives you any idea of what we've got." Kevin had assumed as much. Intel had set them up in the area, but the equipment and extras were completely up to them. "That's where our super intelligence will come in handy," he told them while tapping his temple, and his group smirked in return. Jane Muir broke the silence in an uncharacteristic fashion. "We sure don't have any good looks to help us out," she said with a snide look toward Stone, who returned the glare equally. The two ended up smiling, which took the rest of Red Group by surprise. Was the infiltration team finally getting along? "I'm going to make myself useful and unpack some of the equipment," Kithera announced. "Good idea," Kevin agreed. "Let's get busy and wait for Telia's signal." ********** "What in the name of Vader are you all doing back here?" Jaren had let Ken continue the landing procedures so that he could see what all of the commotion was about. Blue Group was crowded around a central point in the cargo hold, and from what he could see, Quis was the main attraction. "Are you seeing this?" "How did you do that?" Jaren eventually pushed aside Mekial and Ty to reveal a crouched Quis, who was protecting some sort of device in her hand. Only then did he notice what the commotion was about. "Your hand!" he shouted a little too loudly and backed up a step. The engineer was holding a completely functional cloaking device. "I was hoping it wouldn't blow up again," she admitted, watching the device make her hand partially transparent. It wasn't perfect by any stretch, but it certainly would make the war games a little more interesting. "My father and I worked on the design, but we could never get a functional prototype. I messed with this a little bit during these last few weeks and realized the problem was back in our early theoretical work. I've managed to get it working... to a degree." Jaren and the rest of the group just stood and marveled at the creation. So that was the trick she had been protecting. "That's rather impressive," he stuttered, unsure of what to say to their resident genius. "Rather impressive?" Trika questioned with a hint of incredulity. "Watching me braid my hair is 'rather impressive.' This thing has the potential to make history!" Quis flicked a switch and watched her hand return to normal. The device sat still in her palm. "It may have that kind of potential, but for right now, it's still in its prototype form." Rinin cocked an eyebrow. "Can it cover a larger area, like say, a body?" "I'd have a lot of work to do," Quis confessed, thinking about the details for a moment. "It's not as easy as flipping a switch or changing a wire. I'm going to have to reconfigure the opacity algorithm to run in 'one-half of the variable, squared' time so that the magnifying reflective output is multiplied by -" "See what you can do, in any case," Jaren said, not entirely familiar with the complexity of her algorithms and not exactly sure if he cared. "We're about ready to move into position near the base and scout out the area. Make sure you all are ready to move out." The gathered group began to disperse, and many were still chattering about the cloaking device while they collected their things. Jaren grabbed his and Ken’s things, noticing that certain care had been taken to maintain the secrecy of one of Kendrick's weapons. An A-280 Sharpshooter, perhaps? He had not been aware that Ken owned one of those. It was a fine weapon with plenty of power, but without the range of his own RL-54 Ranger. He would have to compare notes with Ken at a later time. He gave the team a few last reminders as the shuttle touched down safely. It was show time, and he and the rest of the team were ready to go. ********** Telia set up her gear on the proper hill, ready for just the right time to strike. She was camouflaged about as well as she had ever managed, as she was sure Blue Group would be keeping an eye out for her. She had already pieced her rifle together, fitted the staining mount, and covered the black beauty under sufficient camo netting. I will not let Jaren ruin my opportunity to make a few easy kills, she thought to herself, lying prone on the cold ground. As she lined up her shot with the flat plain below, she briefly thought about a similar training scenario, when she and Jaren had been assigned with the 527th. They had performed perfectly together. They had been at the top of the kill charts in training and on missions. On their first day, they had practically ripped the first place position from the previous reigning champions. Things just weren't that simple anymore. The night was setting in. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the dimming light. Vandor-3 had no moons, but she knew from her previous research that the light from Coruscant bathed the nighttime in a strange, yellowish glow. If the cloud cover cleared a bit it would make for perfect sniping conditions. The terrain was wonderfully formed so that it was nearly impossible to get to Red Group's base without passing through the plains for at least a quarter of a kilometer. Thinking about putting a splotch of red over Jaren's chest, Telia settled in and awaited Blue Group's first move. -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/7 7:05am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor - Date Edited: 11/13 8:03pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Trika_Kenobi
	Chapter Eight, continued: ******** A soft breeze rustled the tops of the trees and gave him the cover that he so desperately needed. Although Jaren Kai was sure no one was in the vicinity of Blue Group's base, he also realized that he needed the practice. Remaining untraceable to all forms of tracking, Jaren began to move again, letting the noise of the night cover his movement. As he scanned all surroundings for possible traps and defensible positions, he knew his sniping experience would serve him well. Over the past hour, he had moved the short distance to his team's base and had begun a systematic reconnaissance of the entire area. He made himself familiar with every fallen tree, stream, and boulder in the dense woods covering the war zone. He had noticed upon touching down on planet that there was one open plain as far as he could see, and he was sure that it would be a particularly strategic place for Telia to set up her rifle. He would have to warn the team to be cautious if they had to cross that area. He, however, had also found a perfect sniping position on a small hill, with a fallen tree nearby that would cover all likely avenues of attack. He began by setting up his camo netting in the branches of the downed tree. The netting was constructed of a material that would dissipate his heat signature and scatter any sensor beams, which he was sure Red Group's infiltration team would be also employing to assist them. Once the net was in place, Jaren examined his handiwork from several angles to make sure it wasn't visible, then settled in to wait for the rest of his team to make the trek to the base. ******** Quis had shuffled her way up to Ty and had attempted to discuss the specifics about her cloaking device. Ty had made little effort to assist, given that he was actually trying to keep his mouth shut. Blue Group was making its way toward the base, with Trika, Milan, and Mekial leading the group. Trika was set to attempt a cracking on the base in order to better assess how to stop it from happening again while the other two infiltrators would determine if the structure was ready for all other intrusion techniques. The rest of the team kept silent while observing the terrain for good hiding spots. "Boy, am I sure glad we've got all of you guys on the team," Quis changed subjects while fixing a minor issue with the device. "I was getting worried for a bit there. I mean, it's not like I'm the greatest asset to the team, is it now? What good am I in a combat situation, anyway? I'm slow and pretty uncoordinated, to say the least..." Great, Quis. Why don't you just impress the whole lot of them with your impressive skills in babbling and self-degradation? Ty didn't immediately reply, but continued to be cautious about his steps. Quis eventually struggled over a fallen tree and fell behind the pilot. That went really well, she silently cursed herself. Today was going to be different, though. Today she wouldn't be useless. Today she'd win the day. Her stealth device would bring victory to Blue Group. Quis accidentally caught her gear on another fallen tree. The others, not noticing, continued. "Umm, hey!" Quis called in a hiss. "Can I have a hand here?" ********** Rubi Jais took pride in being one of Red Group's primary intrusion members. The lead position was practically hers, with Jane Muir and Stone flanking her and Danya Faithwood bringing up the rear with her load of equipment. Her stain-mounted blaster ready for anything, Rubi and the infiltration unit carefully wound through the planetary forest. Their job was to secure the area surrounding the base and engage the enemy if necessary. Given the short length of time since touching down, Rubi was sure that they would not encounter any of Blue Group's members. Stone signaled that he saw some movement to his right. The rest of the group froze in their tracks and watched Stone describe the motion in some quick and easy hand gestures. From what Jane could understand, the motion had come from a series of trees coming from a small hill in the distance. Rubi's eyes attempted to adjust to the pale yellow glow so she could get a slight view of the enemy. On Jane's signal, Danya pulled out her all-in-one detection device. The heat signature, she signaled back, was definitely Human. "Why would Blue Group be so blatant?" Rubi asked in a hiss, her face a disgruntled twist of confusion. "They haven't even had time to get this far," Danya told her team, watching carefully as her trace program ran a few lines of code. The numbers just weren't adding up. "The closest I calculate them to be is four kilometers, and that way," she pointed the completely opposite direction of the movement. Stone hadn't said much, but he had continued watching the area of the motion. Whoever the figure was had made no move since the initial sighting, and he had even appeared to be watching them. "I thought Intel had cleared this area for war games," Jane said, a scowl etching her face. "Are there locals to consider?" Rubi came to a conclusion quickly. "Blue Group must have planted someone there during their landing. Can you get a read on any details?" she asked Danya quietly. Danya punched a few commands into her equipment. Her expression changed from intent to perplexed. "They're gone," she said, and she looked up as if the person would come out into full view. Again, she checked over her screens. "They just disappeared. I'm reading no heat signatures from one kilometer out." The four teammates remained silent for a few moments, contemplating what exactly that meant. "Blue Group had to have planted that trick," Rubi reiterated, breaking the silence. "Quis has been hiding something ever since the war games were announced." Her face had twisted up in silent regret at not having the genius on her team. "Mekial might have something to do with it," Stone said, suspicious of just about every member of Blue Group at that point. "Or Jaren. Or Trika. Any one of them could have set this up." The air began to lightly pick up speed. Only then did the four notice the air change was coming from above, as if something were causing a stir from the atmosphere. All four shifted their sights above, searching the skies for an answer. "That can't be anything Blue has," Danya mumbled quietly, watching the large form getting even larger in the night sky. She stumbled back a couple of steps to get a better view from underneath the thick foliage and couldn't help her mouth from falling open. "Unmarked merchant vessel," Stone identified the ships touching down. He, too, stepped backwards, but only to duck away from the spotlights that were searching the plain and surrounding woods from the bottom of the craft. "It's stolen," Rubi added, her own experiences with such craft a valuable asset. "Any ideas?" Jane seemed to be thinking hard for some detail. "I've seen that kind of ship before. The identification numbers have been scratched from the bottom in that corner." She pointed off in the distance. "Have you all heard of the Black Fire Mercenary Group?" Her three teammates shook their heads. "Is that one of your past alliances?" Stone asked, curious as well as anxious to learn any details of this surprise. Jane snorted. "I couldn't make it into Black Fire if they were short of every type of personnel," she said, obviously familiar with the group. "They are a group of extraordinary precision and they only hire the best of the best... mostly those they've trained and brainwashed for more than five years." Danya was already on the line to Captain Ski. It was difficult to explain the situation without the captain interrupting to question every sentence. "Are you sure it's a merchant vessel?" Ski questioned, sounding agitated and a bit confused. From the background noise, Danya could tell that Kithera and Kaiba were investigating the matter from their spots on base. Their yelling was all she needed to confirm everyone from Red Group was on the same page. Ski paused for a moment before responding, and the intrusions team waited for his instructions. The freighter had landed in the middle of the plain and sat silent for quite a while. Jane, Stone, Rubi, and Danya had effectively dropped to the ground to hide out. "I'm signaling Telia and Blue Group now. We need to regroup away from both bases and contact Intel. I'm sending Danya the coordinates for our meet. Head that way immediately," he ordered, and then cut the feed to eliminate any other noise. With their instructions in line, Jane took the helm and ordered her team to move out on Danya's direction. They moved quickly and efficiently, ignoring the subsequent voices and shut down of the freighter's engines. As the unknown visitors began to unload their cargo, all four Talons could only think of the potential for a real mission... a mission for which they could not say that they were fully prepared. -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Darth Muis Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 4/8 12:30am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor
	Well, the story is really picking up now! It's so awesome to see this stuff posted and all! -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Three! http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28952461 Tales from the Intelligence Gala! (TIS spin-off!) http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28600431 "Once a Talon, always a Talon."
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Idiots Array Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 4/8 10:29am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor
	This story is excellent! I can't wait to read more! -----signature----- "I will meet you on the other side of the clouds, with a breath of hope and a shimmer of light upon my wings." -- Talon Squad Leader http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28126755/
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Kevin_Sabersmith Registered: Dec '07	Date Posted: 4/8 11:25am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor
	AHA! Plot development! Wonderful! Write more! [face_drooling_over_existing_story] -----signature----- Kevin Straw, Lightsaber Creations . The Force is like Duct tape. It has a Dark Side, a Light Side, and it binds the universe together
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/8 6:20pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor
	Muis, you're so awesome! Thanks for stopping by and keeping us going here! IA, this story is excellent, and you're just going to have to wait until Thursday, mister. Kevin, write more, eh? We've got plenty in the storehouse. Stay tuned for some action on Thursday. I hope you've got your pants on tightly. -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Philomena Registered: Feb '08	Date Posted: 4/9 2:53pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor
	This story just keeps getting more and more exciting! Hurry with the next update, I'm feeling very impatient right now for more. -----signature----- WARNING: Unsocialized homeschooler. Communicate at your own risk.
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/9 8:10pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/07 - We Interrupt These War Games for Unexpected Visitor
	Philomena, you're just in time for an update tomorrow, and I assure you, things from here on out are going to get a little crazy! Thanks for reading! -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/10 11:40am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/10 - Forget the War Games! It's Time to Rock and Roll!) - Date Edited: 11/13 8:05pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Trika_Kenobi
	Chapter Nine: "I've actually got a blaster pointed at my head." The soft whine of a starship's repulsorlifts slowly became audible in the distance. Jaren glanced at his chrono. That must be the Intel shuttle that Bullwinkle is on, he thought briefly before taking a final look around his sniping area. He had spent the last hour planning possible ways to protect against an oncoming attack. Jaren slowly stood up, stretched, and started moving back towards his base to brief the rest of Blue Group on what he had learned. He had only moved a few meters from his sniping position when he noticed another sound that was not so familiar. Several other ships were approaching at high speed. Jaren hit the ground as the starfighters screamed by just above tree level. He couldn't make out the type, but he was sure they were not anything that Red Group would have. What did that mean? Did someone mistake the small planet for a refueling stop? Did someone get the wrong location for a cargo drop? Neither scenario made much sense. Beginning to make his way stealthily back to base, Jaren took note that the fighters had since grown silent and had probably landed very close to his position. Keeping his cool, he pulled out a pair of macrobinoculars and searched through the thick forest for signs of the landing. Unfortunately, he was too far away to even see the area, but he figured the landing had taken place near the plain that he knew was not too far away. Jaren pulled his communicator out of his tactical vest and set it for an encrypted burst transmission. "Talon Five to all of Talon Squad," he began, making sure to keep very quiet. He had to steady himself to make sure he was analyzing it all properly. After all, it could have been a setup from Red Group. Maybe not. There was no way. He continued. "I have an emergency. An unknown dropship and several starfighters have landed near grid six-four. Again, starfighter support is present. I am moving to rendezvous with the Hawk. Over." Jaren was about to return the communicator to his pocket when a signal came back to him. It was his team at Blue Base. Apparently Red Group had seen the same thing that he had. He plugged the coordinates into his pocket-comp and began the trek to rendezvous instead with the entire squad. Falling into the role of the sniper, Jaren suppressed his anxiousness and settled into the mindset of a soldier, ready for any course of action the captain might decide to take. ********** Ty and Kendrick, on the captain's order, had remained with the Hawk to provide air support. From that and the fact that he had given no other indication to his intentions, the two had come to the conclusion that the Talons were going to investigate the unexpected visitors who had crashed their party. They were prepping the transport for a quick entry (or exit) and awaiting Captain Ski's further instructions, or at least an explanation for what was going on. "Do you think Intel knows about these guys?" Ty asked casually, maybe in an attempt to make friends with Kendrick. The two had battled it out in the simulators, but it seemed Ty's more upbeat manner almost intimidated Ken. Kendrick shrugged. "It's hard to say. Without knowing what kind of transports they've got or what their markings are, they could be anything from smugglers to mercenaries, or even worse, a branch of the Imps." "The Imps?" Ty snorted, inspecting the space available in the cargo bay. "There's no way they'd run this close to Coruscant." "And smugglers or mercenaries would?" Kendrick posed back, moving some spare equipment to the side of the cargo bay. Ty was maneuvering a huge box of stain ammunition into the corner furthest from the actual boxes of ammunition on the starboard side of the cargo bay. "Given that no one could properly identify the ship, though, I doubt it's Imperial." Static began to come in from the cockpit. Both Talons dropped their current projects and rushed to the front of the transport, eager to hear what Captain Ski had to say. He had already begun by the time they settled into the pilot's and copilot's seats. "... and Intel still assures me that the area is clear, but every piece of data we've collected proves otherwise. Muir has seen craft like this before and thinks it is the Black Fire Mercenary Group. If that is the case, they've figured out that this planet already has base support and might be looking to take it over." "This is going to be their new base?" Ty questioned quietly, still watching and listening to his leader from the video feed. Ski continued after reading some more information from his datapad. Apparently his conversation with Intel had not gone well. "It all makes logical sense, but only from Intel's point of view." He frowned. "An abandoned location near Coruscant would allow mercenaries to strike the New Republic fleet as they please. The threat that this group is posing to the New Republic is not something Intel is taking lightly." "It still seems too bold of a move," Mekial voiced her opinion of the whole ordeal from off-screen. "And it is kind of ironic that this all happened while our exercises were going on," Stone said, the sound of prepping his weapon louder than his obvious displeasure at the IHC. The Intelligence High Council had ordered Talon Intelligence Squadron into combat. All Talons were in the process of dropping their stain mounts. Thankfully, the large cargo holds in each of the ships stored quite an excessive amount of ammunition. "We have our orders," Ski said, ignoring for the moment the questions to everything that was happening. "You all have been trained for a moment like this, and you know what to do. This cuts our training a bit short, but I've no doubts in your abilities. From here out I want you all to obey standard mission procedures and maintain the codes set apart by New Republic Intel for Talon Intelligence Squadron. Is that understood?" Everyone, even Ken and Ty, and Kaiba and Kithera on the Eagle, responded with a solid affirmative. There was even some shuffling amongst certain groups. It was assumed that everyone would be performing in his native role. From what Ty and Ken could see, Stone wasn't the only one prepping his weapons. "Fifteen," Ski addressed Rinin, who was alone because his usual Ops II teammates were running the air support, "you'll be running with Ops I as a backup support team. Support, be ready to engage if Intrusions needs you." With their instructions in hand, the Talons geared up for their first ever run with a real enemy. ********** It was actually quite beneficial to be dressed for war games and then be called to real duty. Talons Nine through Twelve, Intrusions, were dressed for success and prepped. Every member had at least two weapons on his person, and the only one with that and no more was Trika, who was loaded with her own weaponry of slicing materials. The infiltrators had moved toward the last recognized landing location of the supposed mercenaries. The mission at this point in the game was to see what was happening past the plain where the freighter had landed and check out the spot where Stone had last seen the rogue Human on that particular hill. Stone was signaling everything back to Captain Ski and Support, who were not far behind their own position. As the Talons came into view of the plain, they noticed that the transport was still there, but it was now almost unloaded. Gray-clad soldiers were rushing a multitude of boxes and crates out of the cargo bay and up the hill in the distance, as if they were setting up something just over the hill. Intrusions kept silent as they trekked up the hill and slowly began to creep forward to get the first view of all the commotion. Stone was on his communicator immediately. "When we came in from the other direction, we didn't see this," he told Ski in an aggravated grunt. He made no effort to hide the displeasure coating his tone. "This base has to have been here for at least a few months. There's no way this kind of activity just happened overnight. They've been here a lot longer than Intel thinks." Ski's frown was evident even without the visual aid. "Intel said that if they had set up any sort of base or perimeter, we should proceed with infiltration and retrieval of vital intelligence concerning their plans. I just got word that the New Republic has sent two cruisers for support and we can expect them at zero-seven hundred." Jane Muir made a face at the revelation. "Is that to assist in the taking of all of these ships and the base? That's a lot of air support for a rogue group." There was no response for a long moment, as if Captain Ski were thinking. Really, he was considering how to relay the next bit of information without getting too angry. "They're not coming to capture anything." Suddenly, it all became clear. Trika's eyes doubled in size. "We've got two hours to do the job and get out before they open up?" she asked incredulously, playing absently with a few of her computer components. "Did you tell them to kiss my -" "Talon Two has cracked a bit of the air network these guys are running on," Ski continued, attempting to get through every piece of information quickly so that he could give the intrusions team the time they would need to complete their mission. "They've set up some anti-air defense measures and other security that would enable them to scramble if anyone gets within range of their sensors and satellites. When I told that to Intel, they decided annihilation was the only course open to eliminate the threat to Coruscant. Your mission, however, stays the same." "Wonderful," Milan scowled, probably anxious to begin killing someone in order not to lash out at his teammates. Ski sounded like he was upset, and he had a right to be. Was his squad even ready for something like this? Intrusions had proven that they could work together, but their first live mission was meant to be a fake intrusion assignment on Coruscant. This was real, and the stakes were very high. Any mess-ups, even incidental ones, could remove him from his post and break apart his squad, if not get someone killed or injured. "Two came up with something. It's not much, but if you can possibly disable the security systems once you're inside, Intel might spare the base and apprehend anyone who escapes. It would put you all in a bit of a conundrum, but Support is behind you to provide cover fire and assistance on your perimeter. "Good luck, inside. Proceed with radio silence until you've disabled any security or are ready for the Hawk to pick you up. Talon Lead, out." And that was it. The intrusions team looked each of their teammates over and decided that they had stood around long enough. With a myriad of thoughts flying through their heads, the team moved out, unsure if any of them knew what to expect or what to do. ******** Closing her eyes momentarily, Danya tried to get a hold of herself. She was vividly aware of the squadmembers around her and the blaster strapped to her waist. She prayed that she would not be called upon to use it. "Sir, I finished the second device," Quis alerted Captain Ski. "It will work, but only for a couple of minutes." Captain Ski, his attention and vision lost in the horizon of the battlefront, never bothered to turn back. "I doubt we will need the second one, but keep up the good work." Danya turned a kind face upon him. She was sitting the closest to him and could see his hazy blue eyes. Worry etched nearly every part of his face. "They'll be fine, sir," she said, calling him back to the present. Ski made an effort to look at her, and he smiled at her optimism. "You've got the best people out there. I'm sure everything is proceeding as expected." Rinin was helping Quis with the spare parts to her stealth machine. "I've seen Intrusions survive some pretty intense practice without a flaw. They'll make it through," he said, adding to Danya's assurance. Quis couldn't help to add her own words of encouragement, though she was practically a nervous wreck. "Support is more than prepared for assisting them, too." With a wink, she added, "They've got my stealth device, remember?" ******** Sergeant Bullwinkle returned to the control center on his Intel transport, a little bucket of bolts he liked to call the Claw, with his cup of caf and pastry. There was a good deal of commotion as he took his seat. "How are the teams fairing, Ensign?" he asked his Epicanthix pilot, curious to see who had gotten "killed" or captured so far. "I just got a transmission from Talon Two, the hacker," Ensign Qui-Sein Delph replied, bringing up some images on several screens. "There's a mercenary base near grid six-four and the squad has been ordered to infiltrate the base for reconnaissance." Bullwinkle's eyes bulged as he spewed hot caf into the technician’s face. "It's a trap!" Ensign Delph nearly lost control of the Claw for a split second as he wiped his face clean of Bullwinkle's caf. "It sure seems like that, Sergeant," the pilot answered. "I'll let you know of any more transmissions." Bullwinkle nodded, his steel-trap of a brain hard at work. He wanted the Talons to make it back in one piece. He was getting a good deal on the food supplies, and losing one of the troops would mean leftovers, something that would permanently ruin his cooking rhythm. ********** Jaren and Telia moved silently through the forest toward the enemy base. Their job was to set up crossfire and cover both Intrusions and their two teammates, Rubi and Mekial. The two slick Talons were poised to take advantage of the outside perimeter and plant the few explosive devices they happened to have had onboard the Eagle and the Hawk. There were two ships in particular that seemed like the best areas to target, but the two were confident they would succeed in at least blowing something up. It was good for Jaren to be working with Telia again. They complimented each other's abilities very well and, despite the fact that they weren't on the best of terms, could still work together to get the job done. Jaren covered Telia as she climbed a large, old tree with wide branches. She perched herself high up in a position that would hide her from view. She began to prepare her rifle, recently refreshed from the stain-mounting. When she was done she signaled Jaren to do the same while she covered him. He approached a proper position and began to prepare his rifle. After settling in for a long ordeal, he used his laser range finder to measure the distance between several points at the base. He selected a scope from his pack, attached it to his rifle, and made a few minor focusing adjustments. He then signaled to Rubi and Mekial that he and Telia were in position with a double-click of his comlink. After a few minutes, he saw the faint form of Rubi come into view carrying a couple of small, but powerful bombs, and one certain cloaking device. The results of Quis's machine were incredible. He knew that Mekial was working twice as hard just to keep herself hidden while she planted her own explosives. Rubi approached a stack of boxes near the open cargo bay of one of the transports, paused for a moment, then moved slowly away, carrying one less bomb. "Seven," Jaren called to Rubi through his comlink. "Target, thirty degrees north-northwest. Twenty meters out." She ducked back behind the boxes as a gray-clad trooper patrolled past. If she had been without the cloaking device, the trooper might have spotted her. "Clear," Telia's voice came over the comm as the trooper moved out of view. Rubi continued her sabotage while Mekial began her own. The support team continued their vigilance and assistance, hoping that the intrusions team was having the same bit of luck. ********** Jane Muir led her intrusions team to a side entrance in the base and took one last look at the perfect cover set up by the support team. She knew they were likely planting the explosive devices by now, and they had to hurry. Trika snapped off the cover to the password-protected lock and inspected it for insertion areas. She frowned, seeing no such place for her devices. "Piece of Bothan excrement," she mumbled inaudibly, keying in a couple of basic commands and scrolling through the couple of instructions the lock gave for entering. Two-zero-four-eight encryption, standard advanced algorithms on a single-mute system, she thought, running through three different logic charts in her head. This is exactly what the slicer ate, drank, and breathed every day. It was time to perform. Pressing the final command, she watched as line after line of code began to fly across her vision. Catching each one and manually computing the answer in her head, she awaited the final line and punched in the ten-digit code that resulted from all of her computation. Just as the rest of the group was getting impatient, the door flung open with a satisfying whoosh. Trika slapped the cover back onto the lock and gave a short chuckle. Amateurs, she thought with a satisfied smirk. The infiltration team rushed in and took a defensive formation – perfect for unknown scenarios such as this one. Blasters charged and aimed, Jane and Milan spread out in front while Stone and Trika supported them from the back. The door slid shut behind them. Not a soul stirred as Jane and Milan traced separate lines with their laser sights down the two barren hallways that ran perpendicular to each other through the base. Stone and Trika had similar weaponry, but their sights were on completely different items. Stone's video recordings would help Intel determine structural anomalies that could single out similar structures belonging to Black Fire Mercenary Group. Trika's electronic machinery would map out most security feeds and terminal technology. "Clear," Trika informed her teammates. "The base has been here a while, but apparently it's still too new for a lot of security feeds. We're safe as long as we stick to the hallways." Milan turned to his partner. "Which way, Eleven?" Trika studied her equipment screens. "I'm reading possible terminal plugs in both directions, but the most information is traveling that way," she pointed to the right, following the trail of electric power running through the compound. "What if they rerouted their information to hit somewhere else first?" Stone asked. "It is a possibility," the cold Jane Muir conceded. "We should split up." Milan tensed, a good sign he wasn't fond of the idea. "I think we should stay together. There's no need to get caught by splitting up. We have plenty of time left to hit both locations if the first is a dud." Jane shook her head, with her mind obviously made up. "I don't want to miss anything big. If we reach two spots and can analyze them both, we'll know we've gotten all of the information, just in case of a data split. It won't take that long in the end and might lead to something else," she explained herself. "Ten and I will take the left and signal two clicks if we find something." Stone began to see the potential as well. "I can get double the footage. It could help not only Intel, but our teammates right now." His deep, brown eyes narrowed, Milan backed off. "Let's do it, then," he said, his tone an indication that the only reason he gave in was because Nine, in fact, outranked him. With a flick of his wrist and a slap from his other hand, he made sure his BlasTech carbine was charged and ready. The two partnerships split down separate hallways. One hour and forty-five standard minutes to eliminate the air defense system and hack the base, Milan thought as he and Trika stalked down the dark, gray hallway, or else I'll never be able to throttle Jane Muir for her tactical ignorance. -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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JediXManSerenaKenobi Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 4/10 11:53am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/10 - Forget the War Games! It's Time to Rock and Roll!)
	Great chapter!! I love this squadron!! - Serena -----signature----- " 'Do you believe in God?' written on the bullet/ Say 'yes' to pull the trigger / And I will pull the trigger!" Talon Intelligence Squadron Artist! Talons rule! Proud member of Wrenga Jixton's Virtual Blondies! Christian=follower of Savior Jesus Christ
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 4/10 7:38pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron (UPDATED 04/10 - Forget the War Games! It's Time to Rock and Roll!)
	Awwww... thanks, Serena. I this squadron, too. Thanks for reading! -----signature----- Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to GIRLSOLO
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