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Author	Topic: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Not Always Fair (Book Two) - COMPLETED: 24 JUL 2008
Darth McClain Registered: Feb '00	Date Posted: 6/2 3:22pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/02 - They're Behaving! Will Everyone Else...
	Jedi_Perigrine posted: Alexis_Wingstar posted: My twisted mind thought Stone would ask Bullwinkle so neither of the two women would wind up with him... it didn't occur to me he'd ask to escort both. That wasn't what I thought he'd do. I was actually looking forward to one of the Talons getting stuck with Bullwinkle. I would have considered it a test of character. That'd just be too mean. But it definitley would have been interesting! -----signature----- Once a Talon, always a Talon Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book 2! http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28489742 Tales from the Intelligence Gala! (TIS spin-off!) http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28600431
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stoneheart Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 6/2 5:51pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/02 - They're Behaving! Will Everyone Else...
	There is a bonus scene for this particular fragment, set just before the Talons are announced in; I'll post it in the "Deleted Scenes" section once Book 2 is done. Yes, that means you have to wait. And for the record, it was not my idea to have Stone walk in with both. I do, however, take full responsibility for what will follow. -----signature----- They're back. Don't bother running, you won't get far enough. http://www.talonintelligencesquadron.com
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 6/4 5:33pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/02 - They're Behaving! Will Everyone Else...
	Alexis, thanks for stopping by... you started quite a TIS discussion here! The thing about attempting to do a revamp on the original series is that a lot of what we punk teenagers wrote back then just didn't make a lot of sense at all. So, in trying to manipulate the existing plot to have some sort of continuity, some extras here and there are necessary. Stone's asking of Kaiba and Rubi wasn't in the original threads, but it just made things a lot smoother in the end. And like Stone said, what follows is all him... his clever writing and humorous take on the Talon medic is just classic, and you're sure to get a kick out of Stone in the upcoming post. ... and again, like Stone mentioned, there is super-duper bonus material being written all over the place for TIS! In addition to what he mentioned, other Talon authors are penning extra OC pieces to post eventually, giving several angles to the Gala and everything that follows. The TIS Restoration Project keeps expanding, and the enthusiasm of the Talon staff just blows my mind. Get ready for a real treat, everyone. Thanks again, Alexis! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. New update tomorrow! -----signature----- "Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 6/5 4:17pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/05 - And Now, For Some Fun! Do Talons Dance?
	Chapter Three: "She's alive." "Pustina saen!" the fiery Mekial said a little too loudly as she sat back down at her table with the rest of her teammates. The very people who had set them up had paraded them around on stage for the entire intelligence sector to see. "Count me out of any future galas we might be invited to." "It's not that bad," Quis piped up, yet still remaining quiet among her teammates. "We just have to wait until High Council leaves and then we can get back to the Nest." Jaren, now a lieutenant, tried to calm his teammates with an upheld hand. "Look, it's all over. There will be no more mention of us or what we did or what they've done. The rest of the night is reserved for all of the squadrons to rub elbows and celebrate the year's accomplishments. We've just as much of a reason to celebrate as they do, and we should just relax and enjoy what's left." "This will truly be a night to remember for many years to come, and we should enjoy it," Kithera chimed in. She felt it was part of her duty as a lieutenant to take a little more responsibility within the Talons. Keeping them all in order and behaving properly was likely a full-time job for multiple officers. Major Kevin Ski returned to his seat and saw that his team had done the same, but they were all looking right at him for instructions. They would stay if he really wanted them to, and they would leave if he made a move for the stairs. Ski gave a genuine smile to each of them sitting around the large table, letting them know he was still keeping a positive attitude about the whole evening. "Lieutenant Kai and Lieutenant Rinani are correct. We're here for the rest of the evening, so recall that the food tables are now open to you again and there are plenty of people to talk to and get to know. If you're not fond of dancing, introduce yourself to any number of intelligence officers or just chat with your fellow Talons. We survived the second phase, so just enjoy the party for the rest of the night. You all have done remarkably well." It was easy to say and a little more difficult to implement, but within a few short minutes, several Talons were wandering the facilities, looking for company or food, and in some cases, both. Jaren and Telia had actually started the trend, moving toward the dance floor and making themselves known as a formal couple. Kevin and Danya had remained, perhaps sensing the other had something to say. "Congratulations on your promotion, Major," she let out first, shyly looking down at her lap. Lame, Danya... very lame. Talon Lead waved the comment away. "Please, it's Kevin," he told her softly. "Titles are hardly necessary outside of our work. I never was very good at handling all of the pomp." Danya leaned her forearms on the table, showing much of her slender figure in the process. Kevin found himself noticing how perfectly her dress uniform fit her, and again, he had to make an effort not to stare at his beautiful partner. Perhaps also feeling the awkwardness, she changed the subject. "I think that the High Council is about to retire for the night," she said, stating the obvious. The group of high-ranking officials was practically making a spectacle of themselves as they began to leave the party, which would soon be overtaken by "lesser" officers and intelligence operatives. Kevin gave a look to the staircase and instead noticed a very young Omwati cadet running his way. Wearing a traditional errand-runner's blue jumpsuit, the cadet blazed past the dance floor and came to a stop right in front of him. The Omwati's white feathery "hair" was strikingly noticeable despite the light glare coming from the cadet's light blue skin. Taking a moment to catch his breath, the cadet gave a sharp salute and waited for acknowledgment. Major Ski returned the salute. "What is it, Cadet Orhan?" he asked, finding the name written on the cadet's jumpsuit. Orhan looked to Kevin's collar and uniform to make sure he had the title correct. "Major Kevin Ski? It's about Jane Muir, sir." When Danya’s face fell, she knew Kevin's had as well. "What is it? What about her?" he asked. "Jane Muir's been spotted by an undercover operative in the Outer Rim," the cadet explained, still out of breath from his dash across the gala. "We are unsure as to her movement from there, but we do know that she's alive." Danya felt a dull shock come over her upon hearing the news, then jumped as a sticky object hit the table just in front of her arms. Letting out a small, startled cry, the hacker looked up into the eyes of Sergeant Bullwinkle, whose half-eaten pastry had dropped out of his mouth and landed with a thump. Kevin had turned to see the scary man as well, his face full of questions as to how the sergeant had made it into the gala with his dress uniform looking as if it had been dumped into a bucket of grease. No one had expected to see Sergeant Bullwinkle, but the cadet didn't seem to care. He eyed the dropped pastry piece longingly as Bullwinkle tried to swallow the rest of his food. Finally, the cadet had to ask, "You gonna eat that?" ********** "It's about Jane Muir, sir." Stone froze, his drink halfway to his mouth. A string of Chandrillan invective came to mind, but he dismissed it. He downed the rest of his punch and filled his cup back up, not wanting to really think about Jane Muir and her escape from the burning... no, completely annihilated Black Fire Mercenary Base. Milan had heard the comment as well, making himself unseen near the food tables with Stone. "We should have pumped her full of laser fire," he merely said, not entirely sure of his emotions considering the news. Trika skipped up to the duo, holding out her award for being wounded during a conflict. "I just found out this thing is pretty much a knock-off." Stone took another sip of punch. "What do you mean? That's the genuine award for taking a hit like you did. Jaren and Rubi got one, too." Trika shook her head, her micro-braids looking ridiculous. "No, no, I mean, it's not worth anything." "You mean you would actually sell it?" Milan chuckled, figuring he would never understand his partner and questioning whether he ever wanted to. The female shook her head again, but scrunched up her face to show them how stupid they were. "Not unless I get a whole bunch of them are they ever worth anything, so I'll be looking for someplace I can get them real cheap and make a packaged set out of them." Stone took his free hand and rubbed his forehead with it. "You are absolutely, without a doubt, the weirdest being I have ever met." Trika took the comment and acted bashfully, giving him a wink and blowing him a kiss. "You're just so sweet. Keep the compliments coming." As she turned to leave, Stone lifted his glass in mock-toast to his teammate. "I still owe you one for that little stunt with the shooting drill training." She may have not heard the comment, but Stone had a feeling she had pretended not to hear it so she wouldn't have to feign innocence. ********** Kendrick Quinn leaned against the wall nearest the food table, watching the couples swirl about on the dance floor. Everyone looks so natural, he thought. So happy and content. It was hard to believe that the people in this scene were also hardened warriors. The transformation that some of the Talons had made was simply amazing. He glanced over at Jaren and Telia as they swept past him. Those two seemed most likely to enjoy and embrace this sort of environment. He gave Jaren a wink and grin, but he wasn't sure whether the other Talon saw him in the dimness of the room. Ken settled back, tugging uncomfortably at his dress uniform. He hated the thing... it felt like a straightjacket. He hadn't really asked anyone properly to the dance. Sure, Quis had joined him for introductions, but he hadn't made the effort to make the event as special as Jaren had. There were many women in the unit, and a lot of them were quite attractive. No one would have really wanted to go to the gala on his arm, though. He was probably too quiet, too reserved, and too pensive. He had never really considered himself blindingly handsome, either. Unable to resist the temptation, he checked his reflection in the nearby punch bowl. But he wasn't an ugly Hutt, either. Some of the men in the squad took the dance in stride. They had more experience than Ken did. So much of his time was usually spent shying away from human contact that finally seeking it out seemed a little unnatural. Talon Intelligence Squadron was much different than some of the others he had belonged to over the years, but he wasn't sure he was ready to accept these allies as friends. He kept his face impassive, watching the other Talons fraternize with each other while an Alderaanian waltz began to play. ********** Quis chatted quietly with Kithera at one of the connected tables belonging to the Talons. The topics flowed from their mission just two days ago, to men, and to the finer points of weapon design. Kit was actually quite intelligent. The more she talked, the more she seemed to reveal how much of an expert she was in engineering and the mathematical sciences. Quis found their conversation to be a great release after the years she'd spent alone after her father's untimely death. She and Kithera looked up as Jaren and Telia, arm in arm, took the dance floor. An Alderaanian waltz played softly in the background. The two women were more than a little jealous, but they were also glad the two snipers were patching the rifts that had separated them. "Some people have all the luck," Kit commented dejectedly. Her right elbow on the table, she dropped her chin into her hand and sighed. "It certainly seems that way sometimes," Quis returned, gazing at the beautiful couples on the floor and the happy squadrons talking amongst each other. "Oh, yeah, and uh... before I forget... congratulations on your promotion." “Thanks,” Kit replied. She wasn't sure what else to say. She had merely tried her best to do her job, and she had wound up earning the title of a lieutenant. They sat for a moment silently, not sure how to follow up on their observation of Jaren and Telia. It was Kit who spoke first. "So what about you and Ken? What's with you hanging out with him all the time?" Quis tried to laugh it off. "I, uh, well... there's nothing really to say about it." Kit gave her friend a look. "You don't, you know... have a thing for him, do you?" "No, no," Quis was quick to say. "I just feel like, well, I, uh... I don't know." Kit gave the woman another look, her face a clear indication she knew better. "I'm going to go freshen up a little bit. I'll catch up with you later." Quis took the last sip of her drink and looked over to see Kendrick eyeing his reflection in a punch bowl. She couldn't contain her smile. That man was without a doubt one of the squad's lone wolves. Too lonesome, she thought as he rubbed his face in the "mirror." It's not good. Quis got out of her chair and approached him, feeling brave for a brief moment in time. Ken didn't seem to notice as she stopped right in front of him, and he seemed quite shocked when he looked up to see her slender form standing there. "You're looking pretty good tonight, Ken." The pilot merely shrugged, uninterested in talking or returning compliments. "Dance with me?" Quis asked, placing her hands on her hips playfully and seductively. Kendrick looked at her for a moment stupidly, but his eyes say it all. Why me, and why now? Quis grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the dance floor. ******** Kaiba, Rinin, and Ty sat in a row just along the dance floor, watching the festivities from the safety of the sidelines. The three friends had exchanged jokes about other squadrons and cheered the two Talon couples now dancing among the rest of the gathered couples. "He's too smooth." Rinin kept shaking his head, referring to Jaren's ability to act gentlemanly. He had asked Kithera to the gala, but the woman seemed too much of a free spirit to really attach herself to him or any other male. "I don't know how he does it, but he's too smooth." "I agree," Kaiba said, her thoughts dwelling on suitable dance partners and how she might approach them. "You two should take notes and focus on being more like Lieutenant Kai." Ty snorted, sitting back in his chair. "He's nothing special," he told the two nonchalantly, sure of himself and his own gentlemanly abilities. "I could have any woman in this gala if I really wanted to." Rinin rolled his eyes, sitting forward to look his partner more squarely in the face. "You had the lovely Mekial on your arm at the beginning of the evening, but it seems that you cannot manage to keep her there." Kaiba began to chuckle. "Yeah, you might be able to ask a complete stranger, but could you really get someone like her to accept an offer to dance?" Ty scoffed at the question. "Of course I could! Why, I would go right now, but she's talking with Rubi, and I shouldn't like to disturb her." Rinin and Kaiba shook their heads. "Yeah, we believe you,” Kaiba said sarcastically. Truth be told, she knew Ty was nervous at the prospect of having to dance, as were most of the Talon males. Jaren seemed happy with Telia, as the two had resolved their differences and renewed a previous romance. She found the lieutenant a suitable prospect, but of course he was already taken. And then there was Kevin. Her commanding officer was the kind of man she could imagine falling in love with, but she wasn't sure if he was too involved with his own partner. Danya seemed to be paying him a lot of attention, and she wasn't sure if the two were hitting it off or not. Kevin was almost too handsome to be alone, and Kaiba knew if she didn't act quickly, he might be gone, too. "Fine," Ty said, standing quickly and straightening his uniform. "I'm going to ask her." There was finality in his voice that was convincing enough, if he went ahead with his threat instead of sitting back down. True to his word, Ty marched over to the other Talon tables, ready to ask Mekial to join him for at least one dance. ******** I told myself a long time ago that I would never get involved inside the unit, Stone thought, watching the dance continue. Unfortunately, he knew he had to put in at least one dance or risk alienating himself... and he had just the plan. This might result in me being sent out for a psych test, but it'll get me out of having to dance with anybody. Stone smirked slightly as he reached underneath the food table and pulled out his dancing partner. As he made his way towards the dance floor, he decided to unveil his real date. Talon Null, the stuffed hawk-bat the squadron had bought for their leader, fell into his arms as he began to waltz like a madman. Stone reveled in the looks his teammates gave him, especially the jealous pranksters who wished they had thought of it first. At one point, as he passed the far end of the Talon table, he could have sworn he heard Major Ski choking on his drink. The song ended quickly, and he bowed with his date to the applause of his squadron as well as scattered applause from some of the other intelligence units. He disappeared back into the comfort of the food table and his teammates on the intrusions team. Trika and Milan gave him a standing ovation as he returned. Trika was smiling for another reason, though. She was holding a small piece of flimsy out for him. "Here you go. I wanted to give this to you earlier, but you were too busy putting the moves on your date," she smirked, handing him the flimsy and waiting for his response. "Well, I couldn't let the squadron think their corpsman was mentally stable," he said, taking a look at the flimsy and looking at it uncertainly. "It would be bad for the image. And why am I suddenly getting a note from you?" "Oh, I'm giving it to you because I won the drawing to do it. Go on, open up," Trika replied, smiling all-too-sweetly. Stone began to unfold it, still eyeing Trika suspiciously. "Uh-huh. Don't tell me they were foolish enough to hold this 'completely random' drawing on a computer network?" Trika’s innocent smile was all the answer Stone needed, and he started to look at the contents. The numbers were baffling, and he hazarded a guess. "Census figures for Coruscant?" "Nope. Your bar tab." Stone was about to question the validity of it until he saw the logo of a local bar at the top and the date range of the charges. Talon Squadron had racked up quite a bit of a bar tab after his speeder bike crash all of those days ago, and he was now looking at the results. Trika and Milan again began to snicker at the look of despair that was dawning across his face. Stone sighed and folded the bill. "I guess I'd better pay this sometime." "You'd better pay it before you lose another contest," Trika chuckled. "You pull another stunt like you did with the bikes -" Stone interrupted, eager for revenge. "Oh, I know that you think you got away with it," he began, his grin turning truly evil, "and you think you can't be repaid for the favor. I'll be letting Major Ski know very soon that the entire squadron is due for their physicals." The threat had its intended effect. Trika and Milan quieted rather quickly. ********** As the Alderaanian waltz ended, Jaren freed himself from Telia's embrace with a wink. "I'll be right back," he said, smiling brighter than he had in months. "I think you'll like this." Jaren made his way to the Bith conductor and gave him a slip of flimsy. The conductor turned to his band and began to give instructions. Telia watched the events with a curiosity. What did Jaren have up his sleeve this night? Jaren had moved to their table to pour a glass of wine for both him and Telia. After retrieving the drinks, he wound through the small crowd back to the dance floor. Handing a glass to Telia, he kissed her on the cheek. In the background, the band began to play "Eyes on You," their song. -----signature----- "Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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JediXManSerenaKenobi Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 6/5 6:41pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/05 - And Now, For Some Fun! Do Talons Dance?
	Another great chapter!! Can't wait to read more! - 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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Alexis_Wingstar Registered: Sep '06	Date Posted: 6/5 9:30pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/05 - And Now, For Some Fun! Do Talons Dance?
	Bullwinkle actually showed up! Who was his date? Telia + Jaren = -----signature----- "Change. It can be good. It can be bad. It can be expected or come as a thief in the night. Invited or not, it always comes." ~Koria "Tender Shadows", co-written w/ The Musical Jedi Padawan to DarthIshtar Failed member of CA (Challengeholics Anonymous)
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Darth Muis Registered: Mar '00	Date Posted: 6/6 6:20am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/05 - And Now, For Some Fun! Do Talons Dance?
	Alexis_Wingstar posted: Bullwinkle actually showed up! Who was his date? I think they made an exception for Bullwinkle; he doesn't have to bring a date. Not even the High Council could be so cruel to force someone to be Bullwinkle's date... Thanks for reading! You to Serena! -----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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-thor- Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 6/6 7:20am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/05 - And Now, For Some Fun! Do Talons Dance? - Date Edited: 6/6 7:23am (2 edits total) Edited By: -thor-
	Trika_Kenobi posted: [...] He was probably too quiet, too reserved, and too pensive. [...] [...] So much of his time was usually spent shying away from human contact that finally seeking it out seemed a little unnatural. [...] Okay ... if I didn't know better I'd swear I know one of you personally. So who is it? Who spied on me and gave you my personality profile? -----signature----- Signature space for rent ... now where did I leave the HoloNet address ???
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 6/8 6:14pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/05 - And Now, For Some Fun! Do Talons Dance?
	Serena, thanks a bunch for reading! Update tomorrow! Alexis, Bullwinkle did indeed show up, but Muis hit it on the head. I don't think anyone would be so cruel to force a date on him! And as for Jaren and Telia, they do kind of make your heart do a little jump, don't they? -thor-, hey there! Thanks for reading! And as for spying on you, maybe we are... the subliminal advertising to get you in this thread obviously worked, so who knows what else we have in store? Thanks for peaking in on us, and I hope you'll stay for the update tomorrow and for the rest of the series. Thanks for reading again, everyone. Update tomorrow... the end of chapter three is something that you do NOT want to miss. -----signature----- "Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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Trika_Kenobi Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 6/9 2:03pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/09 - And Now, For Some Disaster! What in the
	Chapter Three, continued: ******** The news of Jane Muir's reappearance had practically shut him down for the night. He would have to tell Danya how sorry he was a little later. Kevin couldn't truly focus on the festive events of the evening with the cadet's words still ringing in his ears. His eyes found a slight glimmer at the edge of his peripheral vision. Danya had taken the liberty of pouring him a glass of water. "Anything I can do to take your mind off it?" she asked softly, seeming to know everything that might have been wrong with him. Her perception and attention to detail was amazing. Kevin gave her a smile, as if to assure her that she was wrong and that he was fine, but he couldn't leave it at that... not to Danya. He was about to let go and talk to her. Kevin knew this woman was special... he just didn't know how exactly he felt or why exactly he was falling for her. She was beautiful, sure, perhaps more so because she didn't seem to be particularly aware of her beauty, but she was more than just a pretty face. Danya seemed genuine in her care and concern. Their ideals were very similar, and though they had gotten off to a rocky start just a few weeks back, they seemed to get closer every passing day. He was about to even say that he liked her, not positive that the result would be acceptance at all, but willing to give it a try. He was about to ask her for a few minutes of her time, perhaps ready to give the dance floor another try after several years away. Before he could open his mouth to do any of those things, though, the Omwati cadet who had given him the news of Jane Muir returned, running up to him the same way as before. It seemed the young man could not march or walk anywhere. Kevin waved away the cadet's salute when offered. "This just came for you, sir." Cadet Orhan, out of breath yet again, handed Kevin a piece of flimsy. "It was marked for delivery in my pouch when I got back to my post. I must have missed it before I came in the first time, sir, and I'm terribly sorry, sir." "No need for apologies," Kevin chuckled, more than a little amused at the cadet. He sent him away with his thanks, then turned to Danya. "I seem to be very popular in one form or another tonight." He turned his attention then to opening the folded piece of what looked like official flimsy. Due to the dim light, Kevin had to turn the flimsy to a proper reading angle in order to see any of the words. Danya couldn't quite make out what was on it, but she did read Kevin's reaction. He stood and blanched a very pale color, and his muscles tensed suddenly. Danya stood up from her seat, wondering if she would have to support her leader if he were to collapse. Kevin reread the words again. Congratulations on your promotion and awards. It's nice to see you enjoying the company of your partner and squadron. I wish to give you a present as a token of my pleasure. Sincerely, Jane P.S. Look up. Kevin got the nerve to look up only after a moment, and he immediately regretted the decision to hesitate. It was small, but it was also very apparent that the item attached to the ceiling had been turned on since they had all arrived. The flashing red light was all the indication he needed to know exactly what the item was. "Everybody, get down!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "There's a bomb in here set to go off any second!" ******** Ken admired Quis's tolerance for pain. Had he been in her situation, he was sure he'd be howling in pain and limping toward the nearest medical center to receive treatment for crushed feet. He was sure he'd stepped on her toes so many times he had smashed them all flat. Yet she didn't complain. She just smiled and helped him get back into the sync of the dance. How odd. Her smile made everything seem all right. The last lines of "Eyes on You" began to fade away, and only then did he notice they were standing rather closely together in the middle of the dance floor. Quis took a small step back to put some more space between them. Kendrick suddenly saw that his hands had somehow found their way down to her hips. He wasted no time in removing them. "I'm sorry," he said, blushing almost immediately. "For your feet, I mean." He attempted the raise his eyes to meet hers, but apparently they had found something very interesting to look at on his dress boots. "You dance very well... well, uh, no thanks to me." He heard her laugh and was finally able to wrench his gaze from the ground. "I'm sure I'll survive," she smirked. "You weren't that bad." She was very pretty. Not to mention smart. Very smart. She could definitely take care of herself. The rest of his brain was throwing a fit. Come on, Ken. You've seen girls before. Why get all starry-eyed over this one? Distance, remember? Keep your distance... you can't get hurt if you don't get close. "I, uh, don't suppose," he said against everything his mind was screaming, "you would want to risk being permanently crippled to... well, uh, would you want to give this dancing thing a second try?" Flight Officer Kendrick Quinn, seasoned pilot, paled. "Would you?" Before Quis could reply, Ken heard a loud voice above the fading music. Was that Major Ski? Kendrick heard the last few words he spoke... enough to know that everyone on the dance floor was in danger. "Down!" Kendrick yelled, shoving Quis to the floor and dropping on top of her protectively. There was a thunderous roar above them, the explosion jolting the entirety of the gala room and sending a blistering wave of heat and fire over the dance floor. The sound was deafening, and the outburst of light was blinding. He could barely hear the chaos of overturning tables and people being tossed around, that is, until he was forced away from Quis. The force of the blast lifted Ken from the floor and flung him backwards and through the air. Luckily, the nearest wall - the hard, durasteel wall near the stage - managed to stop him. Ken never did get to hear Quis's answer to the proposal for another dance. ******** The bomb exploded way too quickly. Jane Muir and whoever might have happened to be on the inside had known exactly when and where to detonate the device. Kevin had pushed her out of the way and hit the floor next to her, but Danya could tell that all of the effort had come just moments too late to prevent anything. The force threw them both away from the dance floor and past the food tables at the back of the room. Danya was briefly aware of passing several tables before landing amidst a host of bodies and wreckage. She was then aware of nothing. ****** Mekial had just agreed to dance with him. That's when the explosion went off. Ty and Mekial had been extremely close to the bomb, but its force spared them a flight across the room. Instead, blazing hot fire came dangerously close to them, even from their prostate position on the floor. The heat singed his scalp and back, and he was sure Mekial was feeling much of the same. By the time the explosion was over and the pandemonium of reaction began, he had flipped over and inspected himself just to ensure he was not completely on fire. Mekial was currently checking herself over. She seemed fine. "Did you break anything?" Ty asked in concern, acutely aware of the screams and shouts beginning to fill the room. He only then noticed that much of the gala room was on fire. She shook her head. "I'm all right, but we've got to get out of here." Looking around, Mekial saw the same fires and smoke filling the room. "We've got to get the others out of here, too." Ty nodded, standing up and turning to give her a boost. She accepted, standing unsteadily on her left leg and shaking off whatever injuries she might have incurred. The two looked at each other and nodded, splitting up to find their teammates and get out of the building. The party was over. ****** Trika picked herself up from the floor and twisted her crooked arm around to a feasible position. "What the kriff?" she asked loudly, unable to hear herself after such an explosion. Her vision was blurred, but she could distinguish Milan and Stone next to her, standing slowly to their feet. The trio had been standing next to the food tables and away from most of the blast of what they now knew was a bomb. "You two all right?" Stone was asking, though neither of the teammates could really tell. Trika had apparently found out that they were near the food tables when the explosion happened. "I'm covered in food!" she exclaimed, not entirely happy with the gooey substances all over her uniform. Milan grabbed her roughly by the arm and pointed to the dance floor. "Everyone's over there," he said, blinking a few times to clear his vision. "Let's move. We need to get out of here before the fires spread. We don't have a lot of time." It was true. The fire that had started close to the explosion was now spreading the length of the gala room. Emergency sirens sounded from all ends of the room, and the overhead sprinkler system had been triggered. A gentle, cool rain began to fall, but the danger was still imminent. Trika couldn't hear him still. "I don't know what you're saying," she began to yell at Milan, pointing toward the dance floor, "but I'm going to go find everyone else and get out of here. We don't have a lot of time." Milan started to regain all of his hearing and just rolled his eyes, following the odd slicer toward the dance floor and hoping to find all of their teammates alive and well. ******** Kithera returned from freshening up too late to see the explosion, but she could sure see the damage. Running down the stairs in her dress uniform, the woman forgot everything about being proper and civilized, dashing past fires, upset tables, and piles of people. She knew the dance floor was where most of the Talons were hanging out, and she knew that the Talon table was set close to that point. Smoke blocked a clear view, but she was sure she could make out the forms of some of her teammates. "Jaren! Telia!" she shrieked, practically sliding onto the floor and coming to a stop beside the two. Neither was conscious, and as she cupped her hands behind their heads and tried to get a response from them, she heard the frightening sounds of screams and crying behind her. Someone apparently hadn't survived the blast. "Kit!" she heard coming from her side. It was the voice of Stone. He, Milan, and Trika were headed her way, looking bruised but fully capable. "We just found Ken and Quis. Did you see anybody else?" The screams were getting louder, but Kit knew she couldn't panic. "I just got here," she said. Her voice began to crack. "Can you guys help me get them out of here?" she asked, referring to Jaren and Telia. Trika and Stone had already begun to pick up Jaren, and they simply assumed Milan would be able to carry Telia. Kit made sure the three were all right with the differing weights before setting out to find other Talons. She found Ty and Mekial as they were helping Quis and Kendrick to their feet. The two operations team members looked to be seriously burned and injured, but with some help, were walking. "Get them out of here," Kit ordered. "Head back to the Nest and set these guys up with Stone's help. He'll be able to start treating those who need it most. If you can't help him, get back here so that we can help some of the other squadrons." Mekial shielded her eyes briefly from a flaring fire in the corner. The light rain from the above sprinklers was helping very little. "I just sent three different calls for help. Some of the public service departments should be here any moment." Kit nodded her approval, moving on to find more Talons. A firm grasp found her ankle, and as she jerked back to look down at the shocking touch, she saw one of the most pitiful sights she had ever seen. One of the promoted captains of the night, a member of an illustrious reconnaissance squadron, grabbed her ankle in a last moment effort to find someone to help him. That movement had been his last, however. The young, handsome man collapsed, dead on the floor from a head injury too grisly to comprehend. Kit almost knelt down to see if there was anything she could do, but she knew the effort was futile. Screams from either side of her jolted her attention back to reality, and she moved on, tears in her eyes. As Kit looked up, she noticed Rubi Jais approaching; but the woman looked delirious. Rubi's head was spinning her around, and she could barely comprehend when Kithera began to ask her questions. "Were you with the others? Where is Rinin?" Kit grabbed her teammate, holding her steady against her overwhelming tendency to fall backwards. Rubi's green eyes began to roll toward the back of her head, but she shook them back to normal, putting a hand to her face as if to check to see if it was still there. She pulled her fingers back, only then noticing the blood pouring from her nose. Kit's breathing became more frantic, her eyes searching the gala room for another Talon to assist her. "Let's move, Rubi," she instead said, leading the woman toward the nearest exit. All around them, more officers and operatives were beginning to move, and more and more were beginning to find out that some of their comrades were seriously injured, or worse. "Somebody help me!" a woman called from behind them. "Colonel?" another called to the smoke-filled room, his voice beyond frustration. The destruction was making it hard to find people, even those who had been very close by only moments before. Kithera left Rubi by the door, making sure the woman could sit on her own. "Don't move," she told her, dashing back into the room to find the remaining squadron members. As she plunged back into the smoke, she gave a brief, but hearty cough. It seemed the fires were being put out, but the suffocating blanket was beginning to be too much. She knew if she didn't find everyone and get them out, the smoke might begin to play a very important role in the survival of the others. Rinin and Kaiba greeted her next. Well, just Rinin. The Twi'lek was covered with burns, but was walking and carrying an unconscious Kaiba. The young woman appeared to be alive, but she didn't look well at all. Rinin paused for a moment and took a breath of the acrid air. "Kevin and Danya are close to the back wall," he directed her on. "I grabbed her first, but I don't think that the major is..." He couldn't really finish his sentence, but Kit didn't really want him to, anyway. He continued on, moving toward the exit. Kit also moved on, eager to get out of the destroyed building before anything else happened. ********** Danya was in a daze, sitting up from a pile of bodies and looking about confused. Blood was coloring her vision, and only by focusing on the red did she see Lieutenant Kithera Rinani running at her. "Danya!" the woman shouted rather loudly, heaving aside a table and throwing a chair behind her in order to get to her friend. "Are you all right? Can you stand up?" The hacker nodded numbly, getting to her feet and wiping the blood from her face as if to look more presentable. Kithera was looking around for Major Ski, but found Stone instead. The second operations team leader handed Danya to Stone and got the two moving out of the building. Danya stopped, though, a sudden panic snapping her out of her stupor. "Major Ski..." she whispered hoarsely, pulling against Stone's grip, her eyes wide with fear. "We've got to find Kevin. He's still in there..." Ignoring Stone's startled yells, she yanked her arm from his grasp and shot back to the pile of injured operatives. The air was difficult to breath around the back of the room. Dust and smoke assaulted her at all angles, but she began to move about, her eyes darting back and forth amidst the gruesome scene. Kithera and Stone were now searching, too, and by the time Danya had located him, all three were a mixture of frenzied emotions. "Kevin!" she screamed, falling down beside him and holding his bloodied face in her hands. The man felt cold... too removed from her realm, and she exploded into tears. "Sir, you've got to get up. We've got to get you out of here. Please, get up!" Her voice was pleading with a man who could not hear her. Stone's face fell upon seeing their leader, and on his first glance, knew the outlook was grim, if not a waste. His firm hand landed on Danya's shoulder, but the woman shook it away while still attempting to wake her partner. Stone grabbed her and physically removed her from the scene, his strong muscles able to lift her without difficulty. Kit grabbed her from there, ignoring her pleas to remain next to her leader. Stone had no trouble with the rest of the duty, picking up Kevin and heading away from the rubble. Help arrived a few moments later. Kit, Danya, and Stone were exiting the building as rescue workers were moving in. The squadron had returned to pick up the few remaining injured Talons and the group began the long walk back to the Nest. Screams continued through the night at the former Intelligence Gala, and the Nest was alive with cries of its own. By the time the morning came, the casualties had been counted on both fronts, and although no Talons perished, the outlook for a few was very grim. It had truly been a night to remember. -----signature----- "Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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Alexis_Wingstar Registered: Sep '06	Date Posted: 6/9 2:50pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/09 - And Now, For Some Disaster! What in the
	Damn! That's all I can say! I'm to shocked to say anything else. Except of course, great job! -----signature----- "Change. It can be good. It can be bad. It can be expected or come as a thief in the night. Invited or not, it always comes." ~Koria "Tender Shadows", co-written w/ The Musical Jedi Padawan to DarthIshtar Failed member of CA (Challengeholics Anonymous)
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Darth McClain Registered: Feb '00	Date Posted: 6/9 6:54pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/09 - And Now, For Some Disaster! What in the
	Alexis_Wingstar posted: Damn! That's all I can say! I'm to shocked to say anything else. Except of course, great job! Yeah, not exactly a great day to be a Talon, huh? Or any member of the Intelligence Community. Don't worry, there's more where that came from. In fact, we're starting a little side project about other people who happened to be at the Gala for whatever reason. So be sure to keep your eyes open in the next week to week and a half! -----signature----- Once a Talon, always a Talon Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book 2! http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28489742 Tales from the Intelligence Gala! (TIS spin-off!) http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28600431
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-thor- Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 6/9 9:09pm Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/09 - And Now, For Some Disaster! What in the
	Well, that party certainly ended with a big BANG! -----signature----- Signature space for rent ... now where did I leave the HoloNet address ???
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Jedi_Perigrine Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 6/11 10:39am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/09 - And Now, For Some Disaster! What in the
	I think any party that the Talons show up at will end with a bang, whether they cause it or not is another question altogether. -----signature----- Look out boards, MamaVader snipped my braid! Still a Talon! Visitors+Vacation=Barely any time for writing! WAAH!
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-thor- Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 6/11 10:45am Subject: RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/09 - And Now, For Some Disaster! What in the
	I think it depends on the BANG whether it's judged a success or not. Now why do I suddenly think of a champagne fountain? -----signature----- Signature space for rent ... now where did I leave the HoloNet address ???
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