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Topic:
Talon Intelligence Squadron: Not Always Fair (Book Two) - COMPLETED: 24 JUL 2008
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JediXManSerenaKenobi
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
6/20 5:03am
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/19 - Talons Go Spying; A Former Spy Returns!
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Another great chapter!! I 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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Trika_Kenobi
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
6/22 6:02pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/19 - Talons Go Spying; A Former Spy Returns!
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L0B0, yes, indeed... can't get too far doing sneaky stuff with a squadron full of intelligence officers and spies! And as for that Lady Carre!  Holy sha-kaka, she really is a frightening adversary! Her deathly calmness coupled with the determination of her infinite evil is an amazingly cruel and unusual combination. She's definitely a favorite around the Talon writing crew... kudos to Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand for her creation and growth. Carre is, in my own opinion, one of the most amazing original characters ever created in any fandom. Glad you enjoyed the skewering and the rage-filled Force-toss. You caught a good glimpse of a most vile Talon baddie, and there's more to come yet! Thanks for reading! (And, BTW, that icon is free to anyone who wishes to use it; we'd be honored if one day it made it underneath your name!  )
Serena, more excitement coming tomorrow... thanks for stopping by and reading!
Side Note: TIS.com has been updated with an authors page and, of course, the Nest is still the most happenin' place for our jolly crew. Feel free to peruse our interesting chitchats... you all are certainly welcome to join in the fun. 
-----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
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Date Posted:
6/23 6:42pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/23 - Girls' Night Out! Illegal Break-Ins FTW
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Chapter Five, continued:
**********
"I could get into so much trouble doing this," Rubi said as she twisted the last bit of coil around the control panel wires. "This sort of thing throws people back in jail, you know."
"Back in jail?" Danya questioned with a smirk, watching with interest as Rubi and Mekial worked their magic. Traditionally, a slicer would already be in the facility and ready for action, but the two espionage experts had insisted on taking a couple of extra precautions. By hooking up their monitors to the entrances, someone coming into the building would trip one of their silent alarms and alert the group to get out. "Have you frequented those sorts of places in the past?" she asked rather sarcastically.
Rubi snapped the last piece of equipment into place and moved away, giving Trika room to slice the panel. "Not on purpose, anyway," Rubi chuckled. She wiped a few splats of grease and a few metal shavings from her hands onto her dark jumpsuit. "When you smuggle to live you usually run into trouble everywhere you go. I wound up in jail because someone thought handing me over for a few credits would save his life. That's where they found me when they started naming Talons."
Trika typed in a random series of numbers, followed by another, and then another. She flipped the panel lid back on and stood back as if to admire her handiwork. Within five seconds, the door lock clicked clear and slipped open. "Well, that sounds like a nice place to wind up," the slicer added to the conversation. "You meet killers and psychos like Milan Lirac in places like that."
The four moved into the building and shut the door behind them, taking a moment for their eyes to adjust to the hazy light. The High Council chambers stood many stories tall, with the first three housing many of the lesser workers in the intelligence community. Mekial and Rubi had agreed to check those offices while Danya and Trika investigated the upper floors, where the most important officers and workers had daytime abodes. The winding, ornate staircases and the marbled floors were evidence enough that they had come to the right building. "No expense spared for the higher ups, right?" Mekial scoffed, paying particular attention to the shining railing that spiraled upward to every floor.
Danya and Trika were already moving toward the main office, figuring to get a good look at the network and the exact scope of their highly illegal project. Mekial and Rubi followed, but since it had only taken Danya a few seconds to slice the panel to the room, they all simply walked right in.
Trika slid into the first rolling chair she found and glided across the office, coming to an abrupt stop when she collided with the nearest workstation. Much like a small child allowed to run rampant, she gave an exaggerated, excited, stupid giggle and sat down to work. Danya rolled her eyes, watching carefully as her partner in crime exited the main startup sequence to go around the operating system entirely. After performing some of her black magic, Trika easily gained access to the origin and logged in.
"First we need to check to see if everything is shared on this network," Danya said, watching as Trika's fingers flew across the keyboard.
Within a matter of seconds, Trika had identified the issue to be true. "No hidden network drives and no secret servers, either," Trika told the group. "I'm going to do a search for that program or any sort of program files on the network. If I can find an extension trace through any type of comm feed or data pool, we'll know who's left a trail."
Mekial and Rubi looked stupidly at one another for a moment, until Danya translated the sentence for the two spies. "Trika is looking for evidence of the program or the security feed going out or into the building. If she can find it, we'll know where to look around the building. The program or files themselves are probably stored on a local terminal, so it's doubtful that we'll know who is behind -"
"Look at this!" Trika interrupted, pointing to a series of lines on her screen. Her three companions drew closer to her terminal like dogs with waging tails. "The trail exists, and there's even a signature."
Danya analyzed the lines. "devros3481," she mumbled the identity of their target. "I'm supposing that's the first and last name of someone in this building with a login number. List the officers and employees who have combinations of their names that fit that signature."
Trika tapped a couple of keys on the keyboard, then paused to consider her code. "I suppose we should look for 'D. Evros-,' 'Dev- Ros-,' 'Ros- Dev-,' and anyone with the code '3481.'"
"What exactly is that number for?" Rubi asked, watching as Trika continued to work. "Is it specific to a name?"
The slicer typed in another string of characters, hoping for few matches when she finally searched the database of names of the people who worked in the building. "Could be," she conceded, then reconsidered. "Or it could be a number to identify departments of workers. Or a number renewed at each login. Or a -"
"Would you hurry up?" Danya snapped, tired of Trika's games. "My aging grandmother could slice this system faster than you."
Trika snorted. "Relax, Danya. You're about to witness to complete solution to all of our problems. I've narrowed the search criteria so much that we're bound to only get the guilty party behind all of this."
She hit the last key with confidence, sitting back and awaiting the search results. The terminal visibly ran through hundreds of names of workers and officers, then ran through the results again. Each time Trika's program looped through the names, the list trimmed by dozens.
Then suddenly, the list stopped. Dumbfounded, Trika raised an eyebrow from her relaxed position, the smirk never leaving her face.
"What happened?" Mekial asked, nervousness coating her whisper.
"I think we just got caught," Trika said solemnly, her expression fading with what everyone present had started to realize. Leaning forward, Trika began to analyze the code more closely. "They know we're here."
Rubi and Mekial looked at each other, then back at Trika, who was still picking apart the screen. Their nerves on fire, the two reached for their side arms, ready to stun their way out of the facility if needed.
Danya took the wide arc of her arm and brought her flat palm to strike the backside of Trika's head. The slicer jumped slightly, grabbed for her head, and let out a pointless yelp. "Stand down, soldiers," Danya frowned at the slicer and at her own sarcasm. "She's just playing around."
Rubi and Mekial exchanged their own frowns before following Danya's strike with slaps of their own. Trika yelped again, laughing in between the thumps. "Look, it just gave us a couple more names than I thought it would."
"Not funny," Rubi growled at her and began to pay more attention to the screen so she wouldn't be fooled again. "Are those our targets?"
"Those are your guilty parties," Trika said, pointing to the list of five. "There's apparently a lot of activity in this building aside from officers who work here. Probably some form of terminal access room around here."
"Devlyn Rossy, front desk secretary to the High Council," Danya began with the first name on the list. "Her terminal is likely up there with the rest of the higher ups."
Mekial pointed to the next name. "Devan Rosk. The message carrier. No office."
"Sounds really dangerous and conniving." Rubi followed up with her own sarcasm.
"You can never be too sure," Danya chided softly. "If Black Fire actually infiltrated the intelligence sector, any position with access would do."
"Devoe Rosche, liaison to both the High Council and to all intelligence squadrons. Third floor office," Trika continued. "Sounds suspicious to me. He's already tried to kill us once."
Danya held back her hand from smacking Trika again. "We've cleared that by Major Ski. He's as crispy as they come. Major Rosche is about the only friend that squadrons have in the Sector."
"Guilty," Rubi voiced her opinion with a smirk. "Can never be too sure, right?"
The hacker smiled wryly. "Not funny," she said, taking another look at the remaining names. "Ross Devlo, Senate liaison and communications officer. Fourth floor office. Rosa Devse, front desk secretary."
Trika perked up and tapped the terminal at which she was sitting. "Why, she probably sits right here! I feel so special!"
"And that's everybody?" Danya ignored Trika's banter. "These are all names that have logged with that number?"
Trika nodded, reaching on top of the desk for a piece of Rosa Devse's candy. "It's a renewable number based upon a task. These people all have done a similar task recently."
"These names have all logged on within the last week?"
"Five names were eliminated from the list because they haven't," Trika responded flatly.
"Have they all been active on the network out of the building?" Danya pressed.
"Yes, Danya, yes," Trika groaned loudly and leaned back in her chair. "These are our targets. Stop nitpicking."
Danya backed off and placed her hands on her hips in a faked huff. "Well, then?"
Trika looked back at the hacker stupidly. "Well?"
"Get to work!" She threw up her hands. "You said yourself you were 'special' in that seat of yours, so snap to it!"
Trika didn't have to be told twice. Rosa Devse's terminal wouldn't be that difficult to search, and Trika had a unique feeling that the secretary wouldn't be the guilty party in their search, anyway.
Mekial began to look around the office, perhaps as a nervous twitch. "You're reading visual loss on all spectrums, right?" she asked her partner.
"They can't see us, even if they have non-networked, private feeds," Rubi said, taking a glance at her equipment. "Good thing, too. Someone has an infrared camera set up on the southern wall."
"Odd." Mekial scrunched her nose at the idea and turned her attention back to Trika, who was searching the front desk terminals for signs of disloyalty. "Wouldn't someone clever enough to do all this just delete whatever he or she did?"
Trika's furious hands stopped suddenly, and the slicer gave a cynical look at Danya. The two shared a laugh at the expense of the espionage expert before Trika turned back around to continue her work. Danya took a deep breath and prepared her own explanation. "Someone can delete work that they've done, but traces of that work will always remain. The only way to truly get rid of the entire idea of your work is to well, practically set fire to the drive, but the evidence will still remain on the network. If you just wipe a drive, it will have a date of creation inconsistent with the longevity date."
Mekial and Rubi just stared back plainly at their squadmate. "Yeah, well, you just do your job and we'll do ours." Mekial shook her head at the overly complicated explanation and the idea that any of it made sense.
"Well, I thought we had something, but gosh, the front desk secretary didn't do it," Trika said as if she were astounded at the results. The slicer snickered to herself before cleaning up her mess and packing up her belongings. No one paid any attention to her as she grabbed three more candies from the desk.
"One down and four to go. Shall we move on?" Rubi asked.
"We've actually got time enough so that all of us can investigate the rooms as we progress," Danya said after checking her chrono. "I'd like for you two to search the offices while Trika and I look for information on the terminals."
"Sounds good, boss." Mekial winked, turning around to head out of the front office. Rubi followed suit, checking her equipment one last time. "Just as long as we can get down to doing something that makes sense to us normal people, I think we'll be all right."
**********
Lieutenant Jaren Kai woke suddenly to the annoying sound of his personal alarm. He had set the alarm to collect Major Ski's calls in case of an emergency, and he had to admit that he was surprised at how popular a squadron leader could be. This was the fifth of such alarms in as many hours. Contemplating whether to ignore the call, Jaren instead turned over and grabbed the small device from his nightstand. He took a brief moment to let his eyes adjust to the blinking lights before fully being able to see the message.
The other four messages all had something to do with flimsies and assigned forms that had to be returned. While Jaren could not be responsible for such work, he had tried to locate the requested items from Ski's desk and had been unable to find them. This message, however, was a different lot altogether.
Jaren stumbled out of his bed and reached for the light switch on the wall. He didn't really concern himself with decency or his appearance, only desiring to get a clearer look at his alarm. As the lights overhead flickered on, Jaren rubbed his tired eyes and focused on the red characters on the screen.
"Oh, no," he grumbled, letting his free hand steady himself against the wall. "This can't be happening."
He would have to wake the squadron.
**********
The door to the intelligence liaison's office slipped open to reveal devilish Trika Adair's sly smile and an awaiting group of three behind her. The quartet slid into Major Devoe Rosche's place of work and made sure the door slid shut before getting down to business.
Mekial and Rubi had already checked their scanners to ensure that they were safe inside the four walls of the office. Their equipment read that they were completely alone with the major's terminal and surrounding tools. Putting their items away, the two spies began to hunt for any information that might be vital to any amount of knowledge of Black Fire.
"This is going to be pointless," Danya complained rather loudly as Trika began to work on the only terminal in the office. "Kevin knows this man. He's not going to be guilty of anything more than being loyal to the New Republic."
Trika rolled her head from side to side, as if she were keeping the beat to a tune in her head. "Better safe than sorry, right?" she asked in a slightly humorous imitation of Danya.
"I'm not so sure about that 'pointless' comment," Rubi called back to the two computer experts. While Trika continued to access Major Rosche's terminal, Danya strolled around the corner of the desk to see what Rubi had found. "Someone has apparently been keeping tabs on Black Fire for a very long time."
Rubi passed a handful of flimsies to Danya, who took them tentatively, as if nervous to know that their liaison had a part in any underhanded dealings. She scanned the first page carefully, taking in major headings and anything that stood out from the rest of the small print. "It's a listing of contacts and times," she gasped unconsciously while flipping through the rest of the pages. "It's coded, though, so it could be anybody. We'd be hard-pressed to decode that here."
Mekial took the flimsies back from Danya and held up a miniature camera. "We'll take a look at it later," she smirked, placing the flimsies on the floor and snapping some quick, but highly detailed shots of them. "It is kind of odd that they were way out here in the open, though. You'd figure someone with something to hide would... well, hide it."
"It's not him," Trika said dejectedly, as if she deeply desired to pin some charge against Rosche. "His computer is shinier than every part of my luscious hair."
"Are you sure?" Rubi asked, checking over every aspect of Major Rosche's bookshelves. "I'd rather just find the guilty party and get out of here."
"It's a cryin' shame," Trika moaned with a chuckle, beginning the shutdown procedures for the terminal. "I was hoping to nab him on something, too."
The two spies were putting a series of books back onto a shelf on the northern wall of the office when Mekial received a buzz from her side. She grabbed the small device and took a glance at it. "Speaking of getting out of here, I think we'd better get back to the Nest," she said with a very obvious urgency.
"What's wrong?" Danya asked anxiously while grabbing her small pack. "Someone coming?" The hacker had a sudden urge to get out of the building.
Rubi had peered over Mekial's shoulder and saw the general alert. "What kind of a signal is that?"
Mekial slapped the device back onto her belt and waved that they all should leave. "That's a little addition I attached near the end of the hallway at the Nest and connected to my transmitter," Mekial explained while opening the door to Rosche's office. "Three or more Talons are no longer sleeping in their rooms."
Danya's eyes widened as she slipped out of the office. "Does that little button happen to mention why Talons are getting up and around?"
Mekial shook her head and smiled wryly. "No, but I'm figuring they're going to be missing us if they end up taking a roll call."
Trika made sure that the door was secured before joining her teammates. It took a slight jog to catch up with them, as they were very eager to get back to the Nest. "Give me two minutes upstairs and then we can go," she pleaded without sweating, perhaps certain the suggestion would go over well.
"Are you kidding?" Danya stopped suddenly to gawk at the slicer. "We can't hit every terminal anyway, and we're probably already in a world of trouble for all of this!" The hacker was used to such things as being in trouble, but being in trouble in a place where she entirely didn’t desire to leave was becoming a nightmare.
"Being in a world of trouble with the High Council is not so bad," Rubi snorted, comfortable with being in trouble with everyone.
"It's not about the High Council!" Danya snapped, her face flushing with anger. "Can't you care a little bit about maintaining your position in our squadron?"
Trika put a reassuring hand on Danya's shoulder and used her other hand to point to the communicator sticking out of her right ear. "We've got to use these sometime, right?" Just to make sure Danya understood, Trika tapped the device a couple of times. "Just wait for me down here. Give me two minutes and I can close the gap between us and exactly who's behind the deceit."
"She's right, Trika," Mekial simply insisted. "I'm not sure staying longer is such a good idea. I'm actually starting to like where I am with the Talons."
"Remember what got us all there?" Trika asked with care, leaving Danya's side and beginning the start up the ornate staircase to the higher offices in the intelligence community. "As I recall, our histories reek of everything except being in line. What was all that about going to jail, Rubi?"
Rubi chuckled. "I've done a lot of time and don't really care to spend more there," she began, "but if it happens, it happens."
Danya watched remorsefully as Trika continued up the stairs. "You're halfway crazy, you know," she called to the slicer, but the sentence didn't faze her. "Liking trouble so much only leads to lots of punishment." Feeling the stares of her other two teammates upon her, Danya dismally trudged toward the stairs after Trika. The others were not far behind.
The marbled staircase was again hard to believe. The cost to the taxpaying galaxy had to have been extremely excessive. The higher a person climbed in the intelligence building, the more ornate the décor became. The quartet rose quickly through the levels, skipping several floors of lesser importance. Following Trika, the other three could only guess that she was headed to the top of the building, the heart of the High Council.
Mekial popped up onto the ninth floor first behind Trika. She quickly had to put on the brakes to avoid running right into her. Rubi and Danya were not far behind and nearly tripped on their teammates. "What in the -" Rubi sidestepped Mekial roughly.
"It's gone," Danya heard Trika gasp. She watched as the slicer dashed across the floor to the High Council front desk, slid into the secretary's chair, and began to grope all around the area. "The terminal... it's not here." Frantically feeling underneath the desk, Trika paused only to identify exactly what had been done. "It's been removed recently. The only marks left are the holes where the main processor was attached."
"What about the drawers?" Mekial asked, forgetting quickly the urgency to leave and falling back into their mission. She rushed to the desk to watch Trika open four separate, cleanly cleared drawers.
"Clean," Trika said stupidly, still looking for something on, under, or around a completely sparkling desk.
Rubi approached the desk while messing with a pouch on her utility belt. Taking out a bottle and a cloth, the spy began to work. "It looks like someone did a heck of a job cleaning this one out," she marveled, beginning to wipe a bit of a mysterious liquid onto the desk. She stood back for a moment to observe her effort, then leaned closer to see the results. "This was Devlyn Rossy's desk?"
"So says the output from the network," Danya mumbled, irritation plain in her voice. "Will that juice of yours tell us differently?"
Rubi scoffed at the idea. "Not really. The lacquer used on this desk is extremely recent, though." The spy stood back up and looked very seriously at Danya. "Our front desk secretary here has had her desk completely smoothed and refinished. Aside from that little novelty, I'd say Ms. Rossy got relocated or fired."
"No," Trika protested while peering down the hallway. The slicer had gotten up from the desk and worked her way toward the offices of the High Council. "I'd say it's definitely her terminal that has all the evidence on it."
Danya appeared stunned. "I don't think we've fully ruled out the rest of our list," she reminded her teammate. "And we're probably not going to. We need to get back to the Nest and right now would be a really good time."
"Take a holo of this area," Trika told Mekial, gesturing to the newly finished desk. "We don't have any more evidence than this site right here."
"It won't indict anyone," Rubi said while putting away her tools. "It's just as plausible that her workstation has been moved. People get promoted and relocated all the time."
Trika snorted. "Did she get promoted to the High Council or something? There aren't a lot of places for a secretary to go in the Sector."
"You're halfway crazy, you know," Danya repeated her earlier sentiments to Trika, who made sure Mekial had snapped a few shots of the area. The four silently agreed to leave the building and started back down the stairs. "If anything, I'd like to come back later and check out the Senate liaison's office. To be honest, any of these people could have used another terminal for their dealings, anyway. There are a lot of scenarios that make more sense than the secretary."
Rubi chuckled for a moment, almost predicting the answer to her own question. "There's no real logic to any of this, which makes any of us more than a little crazy. Where did you mention you were from again, Trika? Spend a little too much time in solitary confinement in jail, maybe?"
"Nothing like that," Trika smirked, taking a brief moment to give Rubi an evil smile. "In order to assign me to the Talons, the Council first had to find me in Kray Military Hospital's psychiatric ward.
"Couldn't you tell?"
-----signature-----
"Once a Talon, always a Talon." Clear skies, sir. http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com proud oldbie master to -Kypster-
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Jedi_Perigrine
Registered:
Apr '08
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Date Posted:
6/23 7:32pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/23 - Girls' Night Out! Illegal Break-Ins FTW
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Trika_Kenobi posted:
"Nothing like that," Trika smirked, taking a brief moment to give Rubi an evil smile. "In order to assign me to the Talons, the Council first had to find me in Kray Military Hospital's psychiatric ward.
"Couldn't you tell?"
This is my favorite line I've read from the Talons yet. I just can't help but bust a gut! Love it! 
-----signature-----
Look out boards, MamaVader snipped my braid!
Still a Talon!
Visitors+Vacation=Barely any time for writing! WAAH!
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L0B0
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
6/24 6:51am
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/23 - Girls' Night Out! Illegal Break-Ins FTW
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This update made me LOL more than once 
When Danya smacked Trika upside the head, I lost it. That was fracking hilarious. I almost felt bad for Trika, but somehow I get the feeling that the little scamp figured the prank was worth it.
These four have great chemistry during this op, and although the situation is serious and the consequences of being discovered would be severe, their antics come off with a mischievous dose of sarcastic mirth. The wisecracks and blunt comments serve to build upon the sense of camaraderie, as well as contribute to the unified sense of purpose towards accomplishing their objective.
The insight into some of Rubi's past is intriguing, and I am picking up a real 'bad girl' type of vibe off of her right now. She is really in her element in this post, no doubt about it. I don't know if I can say the same about her teammate though...
Mekial seems edgy. I can't really explain it, but something about her demeanor is making me uneasy. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid and Mekial is just worried about getting caught.
Whatever the outcome of this incursion, the lady Talons had better skee-dattle back to the nest pronto with this latest intel if they don't want to wind up back where they all came from...
Now why can't I get the theme song from COPS out of my head all of the sudden... 
-----signature-----
Check your Six! ---> http://www.talonintelligencesquadron.com/index.htm * Mando'ad draar digu... * Self Appointed FADA Acolyte
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Alexis_Wingstar
Registered:
Sep '06
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Date Posted:
6/24 3:12pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/23 - Girls' Night Out! Illegal Break-Ins FTW
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Sorry I haven't replied in awhile. Every time I start to read this, I get interrupted! 
Well, that means I got to read three great posts. I loved seeing the "Girl's night out". It was hilarious.
I can't wait for more. 
-----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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Trika_Kenobi
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
6/26 4:09pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/23 - Girls' Night Out! Illegal Break-Ins FTW
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L0B0, the TIS crew works hard to ensure maximum LOL-ness most days. That's a definite part of the way we want this story to feel, so if you didn't LOL, I'd be mighty disappointed. And any prank is worth it for Trika... her future is definitely filled with an assortment of pranks and an assortment of come-backs and punishments. Rubi truly is the "bad girl" of the squad, though. She's done her share of illegal doings, and while Mekial's got a wild streak in her, too, she definitely would prefer to stay out of trouble. The four, however, have a great girls' night out, and you'll get an update on some developments that have happened since the break-ins. Thanks for reading... you're awesome!
Alexis, girls' night out was actually an affectionate term created by StarscreamPrime for this section, and again, it's hilarious. More coming up next. Thanks for reading!
-----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
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Date Posted:
6/26 4:36pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/26 - Oh, noes. Now, there's a dead body...)
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Chapter Six: "There's a lot of frack I haven't sorted out yet."
Danya, Trika, Mekial, and Rubi burst through the doors to the third floor conference room to the awaiting eyes of every other Talon. Lieutenant Kai stood at the front of the room. From his expression, anyone could tell that he was not happy.
"You four are extremely late," he said with a touch of flat sarcasm, "but I see that you’re well-prepped for almost any scenario."
The four looked down at their obvious attire as if to make sure they were still wearing clothing. At a glace, they truly looked like they were ready to raid an enemy compound.
"We went for a late jog," Mekial lied with her patented smile. She's bold, Jaren would give her that.
"We were doing a bit of investigating," Danya corrected the statement with a frown, attempting to avoid trouble, perhaps.
"We were being rebellious," Trika offered to the list with her own smirk. The four had begun to take their seats in their proper team places.
Jaren didn't know what to say. After being woken up to some very terrible news, seeing some of the squadron playing around was not particularly helpful. "I'm actually considering your behavior as such," he replied, rubbing a hand through his black hair. "Under the circumstances of this week, I'd figure everyone would have the sense to remain inside the Nest. You four don't think the intelligence community is just looking for something to pin on us?"
"Who said we were doing anything illegal?" Rubi asked innocently from the support team's table.
"Cut it out," Jaren shot back authoritatively. "Explain yourselves, and hurry it up."
Danya stood up before her three teammates, perhaps hoping to explain their actions before the others had a chance to botch the story and ruin their reputations. "We all went out in pursuit of some answers to all of the questions our investigations have yielded since yesterday. While we don't exactly know anything more about the location of Black Fire -"
"We know who's stabbing us in the back!" Trika blurted out.
Danya glared daggers at the slicer, but continued her explanation. "Trika came to me last night with some compelling evidence of direct intelligence manipulation. Someone has gone to great lengths to cover it up, and while Black Fire was at the heart of the bombing this week, we now know that somehow, the High Council has one or several moles who were responsible for the entire thing."
"I expect to see this evidence after this briefing," Jaren stated, his expression solid and tone unwavering.
Kit nodded in agreement. "I'd like to see it as well."
"Yes, sir, and Trika will be happy to share it with you," Danya said. "This evidence compelled the four of us to investigate the matter at its heart. We believe we have hunted down a few of the names that may be responsible for everything from the Black Fire mission to the bombing."
"Devlyn Rossy did it!" Trika again blurted out to the obvious dismay of Danya. The hacker quickly told her to shut up before turning back to her explanation.
Jaren held up a hand for them both to stop. "You intentionally broke into the Intelligence High Council building, stole information, and expect me to just condone the whole thing?"
"But Devlyn Rossy did it! She did it all!" Trika protested while inserting her own hyperactivity into the explanation.
"That's funny how you've so clearly pinned her as being a Black Fire ally," Jaren chuckled ironically despite the news he was about to deliver. "Devlyn Rossy is dead."
The shock on the four teammates' faces was obvious. Danya just stood stupidly for a moment before sitting down slowly. "How?" she dared to ask as she quieted for the briefing.
"Black Fire assassination," Jaren told them. "I've been briefing the Talons on the details while you four were off playing around with your gadgets." He took another moment to eye the four troublemakers. He wasn't sure what kind of punishment would be in order, but their actions were definitely worthy of some form of discipline. "Coruscant Police found her body after getting an anonymous call about a disturbance near her apartment. After a thorough search of the entire building, they found her on her balcony."
"Just on the balcony?" Mekial asked slowly, purposefully, her own expression changing to disbelief.
"Hanging off the balcony, yes," Jaren answered the question flatly without thinking too much of its morbid nature. "The details are on their way, but the intelligence officers on the scene are saying that the person responsible was very good at his job. The body had been completely mutilated and hanged without much of a struggle."
Milan spoke up from the intrusions table. "Are we all assuming a single person did this?" His own experience in infiltration was broad enough to understand that a single attacker would have had to be an extremely strong, accurate, and sly assassin to have accomplished his feat and get away.
"That's the theory right now."
"Can't be." Stone shook his head. "I've sparred Jane before; there's no way that someone like her could pull all that off without being seen. And if someone higher-ranking than her did it, there's no reason to it. Why would they bother knocking off the High Council secretary?"
"She was convenient," Telia surmised, able to use her own experience in the field as well as the facts. "Rossy's high up enough to warrant attention and is probably unguarded while she's away from the Sector. The assassin just picked the easiest target. Wanted to send a signal of some sort."
"That she's completely guilty," Trika muttered under her breath, just loudly enough for a few to hear.
Jaren heard it very clearly, however. "Do you even understand the gravity of the situation?" he barked at the slicer, whose wide-eyed stare told him that he had gotten her attention. "I didn't get this news as a courtesy, and I didn't wake everyone because I wanted to tell you a story. We've gotten this information because so far this squadron is the only one with a link to Black Fire, and some of you are too new to the Sector to comprehend that detail."
He quieted and glanced down at his podium, sorry that he stood in the exact place of Major Kevin Ski. It wasn't that he was fearful of leading or scared of giving orders. Jaren just wasn't sure that he could live up to Ski's high standards. Trying to replace the man was too big of a responsibility for any one person, or even two. The man had worked his whole life being a leader, and now Jaren had to take the reins with little more than a couple of years of officer's training underneath his belt. Kithera was also helping, but Jaren still felt the heavy burden on his shoulders. He knew that she was feeling it, too. They both were sorry that Kevin suffered in silence while they were standing in his place.
Jaren was even sorrier that Kevin would have to wake to more than just a possible headache.
"Talon Squad is being placed on a mission alert," Jaren gruffly told his squad, and there were more than a few shocked stares returned. "I'm not sure of all the details, but in response to this attack on one of our own, the Council is prepared to send us out to deal with the threat in as few as twelve hours."
The Talons fell utterly silent. Save for his people's slow blinking, Jaren could hardly tell they were alive. "No complaints," he informed them, his stern demeanor shocking. "I can't be certain of exactly what will happen in the next few hours, but be sure that we will perform as we have trained and we will not vary from it. All Talons should return to their rooms and prepare."
Hardly a Talon stirred. "What about Major Ski and Kaiba?" Quis had the nerve to ask.
Jaren didn't know about that issue, giving a brief look at Kithera and searching for an answer. "I've got it all worked out," he lied. "Don't worry about any of that. Keep an ear out for your communication devices. Dismissed."
**********
Ty heard the footsteps approaching his door long before the knock came. With hardly a look over his shoulder, the unusually quiet Talon beckoned Kendrick inside.
The lead pilot greeted his colleague weakly, keenly aware of the mood setting in around the Nest. Each team member was already busy packing and preparing for being shipped out in as little as a few hours, and no one was quite feeling up to talking, either. Ty didn't bother returning the greeting, his focus clearly on gathering his tools from his desk and closet.
"I've seen you in better moods," Kendrick brazenly said while eyeing the other pilot.
Ty remained quiet, but after shoving another set of tools into a large black bag, he responded. "Having the threat of being shipped out looming over your head can do that to a person."
"We've all been shipped out before," Ken stated flatly, though he honestly knew they were in an entirely different situation. "What kind of supplies are you taking? I don't want to duplicate any unnecessary items."
Another set of tools slammed into its cousin in Ty's bag. "Standard mechanic's pouch. I'll have most everything solid to fix the machines if you bring the liquid materials for patching."
"I'll note that," Ken answered, taking a look around his teammate's room. "Do you happen to have a -"
Ty turned around suddenly, his face a twisted mess. "You ever wonder if we're all going to die for some petty squabble? You ever get the feeling that you're just a sacrifice waiting to happen in the name of someone's agenda?"
Ken didn't know exactly how to answer that one. Sure, he wasn't happy about the assignment they had the possibility of getting, but... "Just a sacrifice? Isn't that the name of our game here in Intel?"
Ty began fiddling with a pair of pliers in his hands. His eyes darted downward to his work. "I don't so much care about that. I joined Intel because I knew I could help make a better galaxy for others. I get a lot of satisfaction out of my job, and some of the home crowd remains safe while I'm out here."
"Your family?"
"Yeah," Ty admitted. "Some of my work has actually lessened the grip some of the smuggling organizations hold over my homeworld, Blonus. I can't trade anything I've done for the entire universe."
Kendrick watched the man fiddle nervously and finally put the tools into the bag with the others. "If you don't mind my asking, then what's the problem?"
Ty's face pulled upward and he rolled his eyes, caught being whiney, apparently. "Oh, I don't know. We just haven't exactly been treated fairly lately, and I think it's just starting to wear on me."
Ty looked like he was holding something back, Ken could see. "Something else on your mind?"
He stood there for a short moment, then spilled it. "Yeah, my stupid brother," he shot out, turning back to his closet and searching the mess for something in particular. "He can't just go off to school like a good kid, he's got to be right in the action." Ty's hand slipped trying to grab a box and the mass came tumbling down from its perch. Luckily, Ty was quick enough to catch it in mid-fall. Throwing off the lid, Ty grabbed the box tightly and turned to put it on his bed. "Owen left a message on my communicator last night. The idiot is actually trying to get transferred here."
Ken tried to hide his shocked expression as best as he could. "To the Talons? Really?" he asked incredulously, his astonished voice not helping the fact that he was trying to cover the surprise. "Does he work with Intel right now?"
"Unfortunately." Ty fished inside the box for a moment and pulled out a small case of tools. "The kid has emulated the kind of work I've done for the last few years, and I suppose that no matter what I say he'll try his hardest to transfer in with the rest of us just because we're right on the front lines."
"Is he a pilot like his big brother?"
"No, actually," Ty chuckled, probably reminiscing about some family memory Ken wouldn't have a clue about. "He works with the Guard right now. He's a computer technician and programmer by trade, which leaves him along the lines of somewhere between a Danya and a Trika. Don't ask me why he chose that field... I told him that it was a bum career. Won't get you anywhere in this universe." Ty offered Ken the case he was holding. "You need a set for a hyperdrive? I've already packed one and really can't see having two."
Ken reached out and accepted the gift. "I've always just used the standard set on ship, but I could probably use my own. Thanks."
Ty stood over his bag for a moment more, seemingly satisfied with his work. He leaned forward and zipped it up, then threw it next to his door, right next to Kendrick. "You already packed?"
"Just missing the liquid patch bag now," he confirmed, watching as Ty moved toward the door. "You headed to the lounge?"
"Yeah," Ty said, leaving the bag in its ready position on the floor. "I see no sense in trying to sleep. If you're up to it, I say we go grab some caf and wait until we know what's going on."
"Sounds good." Ken got out of Ty's way as he locked his door. "And don't go on worrying about your brother. If he's following in your footsteps, he's sure to fit right in with us troublemakers."
**********
Stone frowned yet again at the droid. "This thing didn't work at all when I arrived here, and I just know it won't last four hours on its own."
Danya took another look at the readout on the datapad that she had connected to the broken medical droid. She had been commissioned to get the machine up and running as soon as they had found out the high probability of being shipped out in search of Black Fire. Some of the programming was skewed badly, and her readout was very specific about some of the logic centers being completely missing. "Well, it doesn't need to treat injury or illness. It really just needs to be present when they wake up, right?"
Stone sat back in his chair and sighed. Some of the stress he was under lessened for just an instant. "I would like it to be fairly competent so they can perhaps treat themselves with a bit of instruction."
The hacker, currently putting her training in programming to good use, typed in a few corrections to the code and slapped the cover to the droid's insides shut. "As long as you're competent enough to give it good instructions, it should be fine," she smirked playfully. "I wouldn't dare let Sergeant Bullwinkle try to heal anybody, anyway, but are you sure H9 can't do this?"
"Our resident punching bag?" Stone asked, flipping the switch to the medical droid. The gray and rather dull machine lit up and became animate. "H9 doesn't have the protocols for medicine, and I'm going to be leaving a few reminders and packages of pills for both Ski and Kaiba. Plus, I think Jaren's rewiring our scarlet darling for a potential mission."
Danya stood back not only to marvel at the now-living droid, but also at the medic's revelation. "H9-0's coming with us?" she stuttered as if uncertain she had heard properly. "You can't be serious. Now that is a droid with issues."
Stone eyed the medical droid, making sure its facial components were functioning properly. "MD-32, list your serial, registration, and medical program numbers." While Stone kept one ear on the droid's first words, he responded to Danya. "I think it's kind of insane, but the Hawk still hasn't been fully repaired yet. Some of the communication is going to have to take place at the machine-code level, which is H9's specialty, if the stupid thing has one."
Danya rolled her eyes. "Trika could talk to the transport," she said, an evil smirk on her face. "The code-pounder probably dreams in machine language."
"That's not nice," Stone pseudo-chided his teammate in a startling imitation of a mother. "I thought you two were getting along so well together." The sarcasm covering his statements was obvious.
That little comment made Danya roll her eyes again. "Yeah, we get along at opposite ends of the Nest and a minimal amount of time on illegal missions into our own territory." Danya paused so that Stone could test the medical droid again. When he was finished, he again paid half of his attention to her and half to their project. "It doesn't work well around here because we both know our craft too well. Imagine having a naturalist healer on the squadron and trying to come up with a single treatment plan for someone."
"Sounds complicated," Stone admitted, turning his attention back to MD-32. He really didn't want to get involved in a conversation about hacking and cracking, about which he had absolutely no clue, and he really didn't feel like being the source of a rift in the squadron, especially against someone on his particular team. He'd leave that to the two women. "I've uploaded all of my notes on the protocol treatments and procedures for both of the patients in this medical facility. When they wake up, you are to give them the instructions I've listed with you. Is that understood?"
"I will ensure that both patients will follow all protocols," MD-32 responded, his voice deep yet extremely mechanical – a sad sign that he was aging beyond what was considered standard for a medical ward.
"Good. Check their vitals and report back to me when you’re through," Stone ordered. The gray droid turned around and obeyed. Confident that it could handle itself, Stone turned back to Danya. "We'll probably need all the help we can get while fixing the Hawk, though. For all of her annoyance, Trika is a quick one."
"That's part of the annoyance, if you ask me," Danya stated, keeping her own eyes on MD-32. The droid had made it to the two corner beds and was checking on both Major Ski and Kaiba. "She is that, though. Almost sinfully quick."
Stone grunted. Yeah, and she wasn't the only one with issues. He was contemplating the matter of spilling the latest batch of test results on his current discussion partner, especially because she was a minor part of them, too. Stone had been a medic almost since he was first enlisted, and despite being bounced from unit to unit, he could not name more than two soldiers who had been identified as Force-sensitive, and at that, both had been little aware that they were at all cursed as such. Stone wasn't blessed with an overabundance of insight, but he knew something was awry when he received the parcel from Intel that afternoon. He couldn't name another medic in the business facing the treatment of as many as six Force-perceptive personnel, and the thought wasn't comforting. Ski would definitely be demanding an explanation of how to prevent a disaster from occurring, and Stone wasn't sure he would be able to provide one. The fact that Ski himself was implicated in the group and had previously denied such information was just another complication on the pile.
"There's a lot of frack I haven't sorted out yet about this squadron," he finally replied, not sure if Danya had noticed how awkward his silence had been. If she hadn't, she surely noticed it after his frustrated sentence. "Can I ask you a question about your medical history?"
Danya looked dully at the medic. "Sure. Something wrong?"
"No, no, nothing like that." Stone was quick to defuse that bomb. "I've looked over your genealogy and can trace the line from you back to your great-great-grandparents on both sides. Your medical history is very complete up until your grandparents, but I've noticed that before that there is no record of anything to do with a doctor or a medical facility. You know much about your great-grandparents and beyond?"
Stone couldn't pin it on her, but he could almost see Danya tense up with the question. Disciplined properly, she quickly recovered. "My homeworld embraced Imperial rule because it benefited the poor populace," she began, "and once government-run medical buildings began to spring up, everyone's files were kept up-to-date, including my now-deceased grandparents. We were never lacking for money, anyway, so the details are probably quite extensive. The best quality care was the only care for anyone in my family."
"And before that?" Stone prodded softly. "Do you know anything more?" He already suspected what she was trying to conceal.
Danya took her gaze away from his, looking over at MD-32's work with Major Ski and Kaiba. "This is about the results you got today, isn't it?" Stone didn't even have to nod for her to know it, and she turned around to defend herself. "It was only a rumor, and at that it wasn't anything to boast about, I swear."
"Care to explain?"
"My great-great-grandfather was supposedly gifted with a green thumb," Danya almost confessed to the horribly anti-climatic sentence. "Like I said, it's nothing special. He was a herbologist, but his knack for the trade was second-to-none. His plants were bigger, better, and more potent than any others around, and praise flowed from his colleagues around the galaxy. You can imagine how much everyone desperately desired his secrets, but even through dozens of interviews and as many protégés, no one was able to figure them out." Danya took a deep breath, preparing for her next statement. "He had never done anything more than make really great medicine, but we figured it was the result of something a little more than a green thumb. My family claims he could use his understanding of the Force to manipulate his plants."
Stone stared at her for the longest time, not really sure whether to laugh at her story or comfort her. She didn't seem all that happy about telling him about it, and to be honest, he couldn't really find a reason that someone would be happy about it. Ever since the purging of the Jedi during the Clone Wars of old, trained users of the Force were few and far between. Sure, some were making an effort to resurrect the Order through academies and other forms of nonsense, but the galaxy was a long way away from totally accepting back a group of beings that could move objects with mere thoughts and read minds. The Talons were enough of an example of what could happen with just a couple untrained Force-users. Ty Flynn's excitable stunts in the simulator were just a few of the unique gifts that the Force had granted the squadron. What were the implications of this news?
"Have you -?" Stone started to ask the obvious question.
"No!" Danya cut him off abruptly, the defensive tone hard to hide. She recovered just as quickly, though, perhaps embarrassed by the sudden outburst. "I mean, nothing impressive or even noticeable." Stone watched Danya's whole composure crumple. "It's nothing I really like to mention," she continued, her voice getting smaller and smaller. "It muddles my thoughts more than anything. Gives me a headache every once in a while."
Stone put a hand on Danya's shoulder. "Hey, look at me," he told her in as commanding a voice as possible. He waited for her gaze to meet his. "It's nothing to be ashamed about or afraid of. All that this means is that we'll have an explanation for when you do get those distractions and headaches. The results will be kept with the officer database and with me. The only people who will know are me, you, and Major Ski."
Tears leaked slowly from Danya's grey-green eyes as she struggled to keep Stone’s gaze. "I'm not a freak," she sniffled, her voice wavering. "This isn't something I wished for me or my teammates."
The medic sat back and let Danya regain some semblance of poise. "I don't think any of us wished to even be in this squadron, really," he mumbled, feeling set up all over again. "Believe me, your particular test results are about the least of my problems." Stone took a look over at MD-32, which was still running evaluations over Kevin and Kaiba. Suddenly, from beside him, his personal communicator buzzed, shocking him from his inattention. With a jerk, he grabbed the vibrating device and took a look at the alert.
"Time to go?" Danya asked, wiping her eyes and attempting to look presentable.
"Hmm, don't think so," Stone responded, tapping absently on the device. "Lieutenant Rinani and Lieutenant Kai are probably eager for a report on our two patients. They'll be happy to know that the droid is up and running. I'll be right back, all right?"
"Oh, I'm not staying too much longer," she said, standing with him and watching him walk toward the medical ward's exit. "I'll make sure EmDee doesn't break anything before he gets done."
Stone nodded, grabbing a datapad on his way out. He turned as an afterthought, leaving her with a soothing idea. "If you'd like, I'll make an effort to find a remedy for that clutter you were talking about. I've heard of some treatments available for those kinds of symptoms, and it wouldn't be too hard to create something for your personal use."
Danya appeared to think about it for a moment, then smiled, even if it was half-hearted. "If you get a chance?" she requested.
Stone gave a brief nod her way. He left her there with that pledge on his mind.
Danya was lost in her own thoughts for a long while, not even noticing the bumbling MD-32, looking confused after finishing its evaluation of Kevin and Kaiba. She eventually ordered the droid to start some of Stone's miscellaneous work and then moved aside, figuring the droid would need room to work without her sitting around. She instead found herself moving toward the two beds, where Kevin and Kaiba were lying in complete stillness.
Only a few weeks stood between being total strangers and that very moment in time, but Danya felt like both injured Talons were uniquely close to her. Kaiba was a good friend… a hyperactive, but good friend. The good-natured Kaiba had shown a lot of knowledge and skill during their first mission, and her excited personality was genuinely fun to be around. Danya regretted that the young mechanic had been so badly hurt during the gala blasts.
And then there was Kevin, the man she wanted so desperately to understand and care for. She couldn't pinpoint why he made her so perfectly bewildered that she could hardly stand to be away from him, but she knew in her heart that he was something special. Kevin Ski was the leader she had always dreamed to work under. Although she wished it were under better circumstances, Danya felt so entirely attached to Major Ski that she almost wanted to call it love.
Not love, she analyzed while she looked down on her leader. Stone had reassured her that all of Ski's internal injuries were healing and he would be all right, but she couldn't get past her overwhelming concern for his well being. Already shaken from her talk with Stone, Danya began to fight back tears. On sudden impulse, she reached out and grabbed the major's hand.
What is wrong with me? She wanted to say something important, but couldn't think of anything coherent to say, especially to a man who was unconscious. The only thing in the galaxy she wanted was to see her leader back to full health with that passion that she loved.
Taking a breath, Danya took a stab at speaking. "You take care of yourself, you hear?" she said around the lump that had inexplicably formed in her throat. Lame, Danya... extremely lame. "Take care," she repeated softly, giving his hand a slight squeeze and turning to leave, not wanting to battle more emotions in the same standard hour.
Given her bad feeling about the mission ahead of them, Danya didn't want to think about much of anything.
**********
He knew someone was talking to him, and although he couldn't make out the voice, he knew it was that of a friend.
Take care. The voice was both sad and concerned.
The warmth from the hand transferred to his own like he had never felt. A mysterious energy filled him then, and everything grew very quiet. It was in the silence he realized the strength that was compelling him to awaken. He wasn't prepared to accept it quite yet, but he knew he was almost ready.
And he had a lot of questions he was going to want answered.
-----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
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Date Posted:
6/26 4:58pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/26 - Oh, noes. Now, there's a dead body...)
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Great chapter!! Thanks for the PM.
- 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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L0B0
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
6/27 8:20am
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/26 - Oh, noes. Now, there's a dead body...)
- Date Edited:
6/27 1:38pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
L0B0
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All things considered, I think Jaren handled that pretty well. Some disciplinary action for the break-in may be in order eventually, but for the time being the whole squad needs to keep their attention focused on the bigger picture. I think Jaren recognizes that, and although he may be understandably reluctant to really take charge of the situation, he appears competent enough to succeed as their temporary leader.
Too bad about the secretary though - that was a good lead.
I'm not too sure what's going on with Ty and/or Kendrick at this point, but I suspect they are just anxious about the impending deployment and the possible consequences that may occur. So far, these two haven't had a lot of quality screen time, so maybe they just need a bit more development before I really learn to appreciate these characters. Interesting development about Ty's sibling possibly joining the fun, but I wonder how Ty will handle the potential conflict of interest when little bro is in the line of fire with the rest of the team. At Any rate, Kendrick sounds relatively self-assured, so I'm guessing he's good-to-go for whatever lies in store next.
Then we have the ever-perceptive and emphatic Stone, deftly coaxing Danya to discuss her latent Force-affinity as if it is some sort of mildly inconvenient medial condition instead of the fundamentally extraordinary connection to the very fabric of space & time itself that it is. Needless to say, to what degree and of what benefit that may be has yet to be discovered.
Considering the circumstances of her upbringing, as well as the current galaxy-wide perception of Force sensitives in general, I suppose it is only natural that she is apprehensive about disclosing this information. Still, the Force can be a powerful ally, and the Talons need all the help they can get.
It certainly seemed to have a positive effect on the condition of our wounded leader, so at least it's good for something...
-----signature-----
Check your Six! ---> http://www.talonintelligencesquadron.com/index.htm * Mando'ad draar digu... * Self Appointed FADA Acolyte
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Trika_Kenobi
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
6/30 6:42pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/26 - Oh, noes. Now, there's a dead body...)
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Hey, Serena and L0B0! Sorry about the delay today. I went and got myself game-banned attempting to debate sports. lol @ me. Thanks for reading, though! The big thing in this chapter is definitely uncertainty, and each Talon, despite his or her cool exterior, is handling it in his or her own way. And the Force! Oh lawd, talk about some drama. Can the Force be a powerful ally for these misfits? How far should Danya go to experiment? Ty's already shown he's erratic in the simulator, at best, so it's questionable whether this will be a big source of drama or a benefit. You're definitely thinking in a good direction, though, L0B0. Again, you've got the knack for this.
Update in approximately five minutes. Thanks for reading!
-----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
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Date Posted:
6/30 6:45pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 06/30 - Uh, You're Getting Shipped Out Right No
- Date Edited:
6/30 6:46pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Trika_Kenobi
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Chapter Six, continued:
**********
Kithera Rinani waved her hand to her left. "That way," she told her teammate, gesturing toward the edge of a rack in the Eagle's hold. "Watch out for that bar, though."
Rinin lifted the cover into place and let it fall onto its hinges, completing the quick replacement work on some of the weapon racks. During the Talons' firefight with the Black Fire uglies on their first mission, every lucky shot had landed on the Eagle and had ripped apart any impression that the ship could fly. Piece by piece, the operations teams had been putting the poor ship back together again. No one was really sure if the thing would fly again so soon, but everyone was positive about the repairs. The Hawk was patched up from the air battle and would be ready to fly whenever needed. "Quis is coming with the equipment, right?" Rinin asked while wiping a pool of sweat from his brow.
"Whatever can't fit in the Hawk," Kit replied, tossing the Twi'lek a tool for tightening the fixed hinges. "I think it's pretty much a done deal that we'll be taking the Hawk on our mission. I really can't see taking both ships out just for the heck of it."
Rinin caught the tool and turned to his work. "You think we'll be sent so soon?"
Kithera snorted while moving to rearrange her toolbox. "It's already been decided by Intel..." She paused from her busy work and mused on the statement. She wanted to say more, but couldn't. It was all over Lieutenant Kai's face, and she knew it, too. The two of them had been privy to a number of incoming statements about potential targets and mission protocols... not exactly the sort of thing that comes across the wire unless it is to be used. She chuckled. "And why not? No one else is going to have the guts to say it, but sending us back out so soon from our last mission is just another reason Intel is trying to trash us."
"Trash us?" The phrase was obviously lost on the non-human, who continued to tighten the equipment holding the weapon racks.
"Disown, dishonor, disgrace... hell, they might even succeed in killing us all off," Kit fired out. "I'm just really sick of it all. If any of them, Muir included, had a bone to pick with any of us, why couldn't they have just done it instead of sneaking about?"
Rinin finished the new installation and moved back from the completed job, as if to behold its majesty. "It's not comforting to be a moveable piece in their game of deceit, but I know a lot of us wouldn't have another option if it weren't for the Talons," he told his teammate solemnly, his own baggage evident without even mentioning it.
"Well, where exactly would you be if you hadn't been assigned here?" Kithera asked, the curiosity bleeding from her comment.
Rinin wiped his brow again and moved to help her with the box. Returning his tool to the collection, he laughed quietly. "Jail, I guess," he started, then paused to consider, "or maybe an extremely grotesque trophy hanging on the wall of the great smuggler Tad Nyko. You know of him?"
Kithera nodded. "One of the best examples of why people like us exist."
"I pretty much owed him my life and anything I would ever do with my life when I was born," Rinin said, placing the last of the misplaced tools in their place. "My family had gotten into a bit of debt two generations back, and working for Mr. Nyko in his weapons division was the only way to repay it with any decent speed. Eventually, he bought our debt and began to own us from the moment we were born. I was really young when I started work, and I didn't know some of the consequences of my actions. I must have cost him more than all of his servants and slaves combined. I was a bit of a hothead."
"I would have never guessed that was so," Kithera snickered while rolling her eyes.
Rinin blushed past his blue skin. "Yeah, well, as soon as I came of age, I was looking for a way out. I traded the knowledge of Nyko's organization to the New Republic for my family's freedom. I barely made it out, and I do believe if he had gotten the chance, Nyko would have plastered my blood all over his wall."
Kit looked confused. "And as for jail? Your aid to the New Republic was probably invaluable."
The Twi'lek raised one eyebrow, a distinctively human trait he had picked up from his former owner. "The New Republic was firm about the fact that my family's freedom depended on the use of my skills in whatever endeavor they had for me. It took two years before they found a suitable place for me, and I spent much of that time in a military holding unit." Rinin sat back again the wall of the Eagle, just underneath the rack he had just fixed. "I guess they weren't willing to dump me with any of the usual squadrons because they already knew I was a troublemaker, and now I am here. Given the opportunity, I'd like to correct my record of being a risk."
Kithera just gazed at her teammate, wise enough to know that he had just spilled a rather large secret. The two sat in each other's company, content for the moment. "I think we're all making strides toward that end," she affirmed, taking a seat beside him against the wall. "And even if I may not agree with how we're being treated here or what's happening, I guess I'm glad we're all here."
That profound statement eased the mood between the two, allowing them to feel secure for the first time in a long while. They didn’t say anything for a few moments, satisfied in the simple company of a friend. Kit shifted slightly to a more comfortable position and looked at Rinin. "I guess I'm feeling a little attached to what we all have made for ourselves here," she finally said, focusing more on playing with her brown, curly hair than talking. "I don't know. There's that little spark in all of us that desperately wants to make the galaxy a better place. We're all destined for something greater, but it just seems like everyone is against us."
Rinin breathed in the idea and mused on it for a moment. "Have you ever wondered what Major Ski would be like if he wasn't here? If anyone has the potential for greatness, it is he."
Kit frowned. "I really don't know too much about him aside from the fact that he really shouldn't be here. You can definitely see it in the way he walks and talks. I almost see him as more of a colonel than a major."
"He wears it all rather lightly," Rinin analyzed. "I think he was a commander. He never gripes or complains. He just works." He paused, then chuckled softly. "You know he flew in Endor, right?"
"I had heard something like that," she responded thoughtfully. "I also heard he's topped about every kill chart in every squadron he's served in."
"Our first simulation practice should have told you that." Rinin smirked and ended up blushing again, remembering the embarrassing showing that they had all had. "He's somewhat of a living legend to those who served in that era."
Kit gazed up at the ceiling of the Eagle. Bare pipes and crude wiring met her sight. "Does anyone around here know exactly why he was demoted to a captain's ranking before winding up here?"
Rinin shook his head. "Not that I know of, and I don't think Ski has really told anybody. The only people who know are those involved, and I doubt we'll know the specifics of such internal drama."
Her face suddenly turned downtrodden, perhaps made sullen by their conversation. Kithera tried to smile at the irony, but found herself miserable for trying to make the whole scenario seem better. "And we're the punishment," she simply stated, letting her flat expression give new meaning to the words. "He's been put here so that he can't do any good. He's been put here to baby-sit us."
Kit and Rinin were clearly not expecting a response so soon, so when the voice piped up from the outside of the Eagle, both Talons jumped almost off the floor completely. "Makes you feel really good, doesn't it?" Quis asked with a touch of sarcasm. The woman was carrying a large wooden crate up the ramp toward them. The load was obviously the weapons that they had been expecting, but they clearly weren't expecting it so soon. "I knew I couldn't have been the only one who felt like she was holding a few good men back."
Kithera and Rinin stood up to help Quis with the load. She set the crate down on the floor and all three moved to open it up. Once the lid was off, everyone in turn began to unload the myriad of guns and ammunition. Kit grabbed two large packages of shells and tossed them underneath Rinin's finished racks. "It can really get to you if you think about it long enough," she exhaled. "We didn't ruin his life or anything, but we sure are keeping him down."
"It's enough to be on my mind constantly," Quis admitted with a sheepish frown. "I'm not exactly the best suited for this line of work, you know." The self-degrading woman brushed some of her long, black hair behind her, the gesture appearing nervous despite her attempt at a stoic face.
Rinin slid a rather awkward gun into one of the rack holds. The long barrel was perfect for hanging, but the butt of the gun was atrociously weird… probably one of Milan's arsenal or an odd trophy of one of the snipers. "We shouldn't dwell on it too much on the eve of a mission," he countered the negative comments quickly. "I have a feeling we'll need all the positive vibes we can get."
Kithera took a deep breath and apologized. "I'm sorry about getting you two into it. I shouldn't have brought anything up. Not very leader-like of me." She took another handful of ammunition and continued to load the Eagle up.
"We've all been under a bit of stress lately, but we should anticipate ways of making things better," Rinin offered, conceivably the wisest idea he had ever come up with. "After all, I don't want to think about things in the months to come being like they are now."
"I don't think anybody does," Kithera added. "Besides, I think everyone else around us has enough of a poor attitude about this squadron to fill up our roster."
**********
Milan Lirac strapped on the last bit of weaponry he had in his closet, making sure that every square centimeter of skin and clothing was covered by something that could kill. Explosives were located conveniently within reach on the front of his belt. Knives were slipped in carefully at his boots and back. Guns and other short-range weapons were holstered at his sides. The combined weight would have dropped any lesser man, but it didn't seem to hamper Milan's mobility. A trained killer, he heard his partner's quiet presence long before she cleared her throat.
Milan grunted. It wasn't a signal to enter or to leave, but the slicer took it as acknowledgment. He knew she was there, so she decided to speak. "You almost ready?" she asked solemnly. Her tone was unusually hushed.
Milan grunted again, but this time the nod accompanying the sound meant he agreed. Trika Adair stood at his door and didn't dare move lest she be killed. "You seem in an abnormally bright mood."
The Kiffar turned around slowly, his stature and demeanor oozing heartlessness. "I'm working," he told her like a child.
"Aren't we all?" Trika sang, her sarcasm mixing wonderfully with her feigned joy.
Milan only had to take three good steps to cross his room to the door. Trika was leaning back against the frame, but his intimidating stance forced her to attempt sinking even further into the durasteel. "I suppose you know that the pilots were called up a few minutes ago," he said.
Trika nodded. "I expect we'll get a green light to the roof in five. What's with the large display of killing devices?"
"I'm working," Milan repeated while gesturing to his appearance. The simple motion was almost funny. His expression wasn't.
Trika snickered. "Well, you're doing a fine job.. | |