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Talon Intelligence Squadron: Not Always Fair (Book Two) - COMPLETED: 24 JUL 2008
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Trika_Kenobi
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
7/14 2:47pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/14 - They're Stuck. Can't Get Any Worse, Rig
- Date Edited:
7/14 2:48pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Trika_Kenobi
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Chapter Eight, continued
**********
"We just don't have enough tech-heads on board," Rubi spat disgustedly as she attempted to replace a circuit board in the passageway between the cockpit and the interior holding rooms. Literally the brain of the entire network, this section held the inner workings of the air ventilation, communications, vehicle control, and life support systems. The mechanics and other tech-heads were sorting out the problem of the hyperdrive, which had blown a hole in its gut. Rubi had been assigned to get into contact with the Sector, but dealing with a mass of wires and electronics that had everything to do with the very soul of the machine was a little unnerving. So far, her intended distress signal was not working so well.
Mekial peered into the gap in the wall, partially blocking her teammate's light. "I can't believe it's this hard to get to," she marveled, watching Rubi snap the board into place. She pushed her earpiece deeper into her ear and listened intently. Rubi pulled her hand out of the wall and plopped onto the floor. She watched for a few moments while Mekial strained for sound. "There's still nothing on this frequency. Just static."
Rubi hauled her fist back and punched the adjacent wall with as much force as she could manage without hurting herself. "That's the third one. It's obviously not our circuit boards," she bit out while attempting to sound hopeful. "Something's definitely fried on the extender. We'll never get that signal back to Coruscant."
"It was worth a try, I guess," Mekial said, sounding neither hopeful nor discouraged. She peeked back into the mess in the wall, frowning. "You reckon anyone will hear the distress signal anyway?"
Rubi shook her head. "Probably not. My experience is that weaker signals are pretty much worthless. No one will come this way because of the navigation standards. We pop up on potential courses, you know. Nav computers will pick that up immediately and steer away from us... too far, of course, for our signal. They'll never even pass close enough to pick up a shard of the signal."
"What luck." Mekial rolled her eyes with the statement. "And what irony. Who was due to check the communications system before we left?"
"Quis. Not that I trust her to do a full check without completely going crazy. We should probably have someone with her at all times."
Mekial sighed. "Doesn't really matter now. We'll sort that out later." Hearing footsteps down the passageway, she turned to see the approaching form. "What news, Telia?"
The woman had a sloppy gait about her. She was in no obvious hurry. "Well, we can't send or receive data, and the crew in the engine room can't seem to patch the hyperdrive. So, we're stuck."
"Can't patch the hyperdrive?" Rubi asked, not sure that the analysis was very encouraging.
Telia took a seat next to the two women, who looked rather miserable in the dimness of the passageway. "They're going to need a new part," she said as she slid against the wall and settled on the ground. "Kit seems to think that the damage is irreparable and we won't be able to fly until someone finds us or we get that signal back to the Sector. Something about the alternator being burnt beyond recognition."
Mekial exhaled a very deep breath. "So, we're stuck."
"We're stuck," Rubi repeated, feeling a tightness in her chest for the first time in years. Nervousness had never really been a concern in her life, but every new moment she spent with the Talons seemed to try her patience and resolve.
"Danya's working on the communications system from the cockpit," Telia said, leaning her head back against the cold metal of the passageway. "Everyone else is either in the engine room or in the cargo hold. Jaren... uh, Lieutenant Kai has ordered us all there to help."
Mekial cocked an eyebrow at her. "Did he happen to mention where my smuggling prowess would help down there?"
"Me, too," Rubi joined in with a sarcastic smile. "Do they need a disguise and quick plan to infiltrate a culture? I might be able to be of some help."
Telia gave her best, faked laugh. "Ha. You're talking to a sniper, remember? I can hardly give encouraging words down there, let alone help somebody with all of that technical mess."
"Well, my technical skills are a little rusty, but," Mekial started, getting up from the floor and onto her feet, "I guess I can help out somewhere. What did you say they were doing in the cargo hold?"
Telia didn't have to fake this chuckle. "Aside from arguing with Trika about everything from weapons to hair care, the intrusions team is gathering any spare parts they can to donate to the cause. They figure they might be able to piece together a part if it's desperately needed. They'll be moving back and forth between the hold and the engine room... acting like they have a clue about what they’re doing, of course."
"Count me in," Rubi and Mekial said at exactly the same time, a move that made them both flip around to give each other a harsh, yet playful glance.
**********
Danya poked around the small control unit while ignoring the continual stream of warnings and notes of interest coming from the display. Kendrick had notified her of the mess that was the communications system, but she hadn't really thought it would be this bad. The mess could have understandably fazed Ken and other non-technical people, but Danya shouldn't have had any problems with something so basic.
But here she was, cursing at every piece of electronic equipment the Talons owned. She had done her best to ease the flow of the distress signal coming from the main passageway, but there was only so much that was available in the middle of space. She sure hadn't counted on the entire system getting wrecked along the way.
Did the system even get wrecked at all? she asked herself, tapping her right index finger on the pilot's controls. Some things, like the hyperdrive blowing to bits, made sense. The hole in the fuel reserves even made sense. The communications system being unusable was hard to believe. Danya counted only one time that she had seen something so basic go completely out of kilter, and that was a horrible experience on a schooner that she wished to never repeat again.
She continued to tell herself that the hole in the fuel reserves made sense, that an explosion would have quickly and efficiently caused a hole in the tanks. Forget blowing them all apart. It was believable that the hyperdrive could cause every bit of the damage it did without causing the entire engine room to go with it.
It was believable. Completely feasible. Not likely, though.
Danya noticed that her finger tapping was becoming annoying. She continued to do so anyway, focusing instead on the mechanics behind everything that was crashing down around them. She tapped her side communicator before she could stop herself, waiting for the response from the engine room.
It came a lot more quickly than she would have liked, and for a short moment she regretted hitting the button at all. "Jaren Kai here," her lieutenant responded.
She clenched her eyes shut, feeling stupid for even thinking about her idea. "Faithwood here," she started, contemplating the idea of making something else up to tell Jaren. "I, uh... have you guys checked the fuel tanks for any sort of corrosive matter?" Danya winced after she had said it.
There was a moment's hesitation before Jaren answered. "You think something in the fuel caused the leak?"
"I've heard about it happening before," Danya said, trying to sound logical instead of defensive. "The leak would have saturated the hyperdrive and caused it to blow. Something like that would be hardly accidental, of course."
"Are you saying that someone would have done it purposefully?"
Danya rolled her eyes. "Yes." Simple reply for an equally simple, and stupid, question. "I know it sounds kind of ridiculous, but -"
"It actually makes more sense than you think," Jaren interrupted. "I'm going to get everyone down here to take a look. Thanks for the idea."
And with that, he clicked his communicator off. Danya sat back in the pilot's seat and took a deep breath. If she wasn't so busy nursing an ulcer from all of the stress she was under, she might have taken more time to consider how fortunate she was to be somewhere where her opinions were valued. With that, she turned back to her work on the nuisance that was the communications system.
She had been too busy worrying about her idea that she hadn't even noticed the awaiting call coming through the system. Danya flew into action, flipping the frequency dial and setting her earpiece to catch the signal. As soon as she was sure the data was secured, she returned the call. "Unidentified cruiser, this is Danya Faithwood of the transport carrier Hawk. Please respond on this frequency. Over."
Danya gazed out over the vast darkness of the front viewport, searching for the ship or some semblance of its wake trail. From the monstrous size of the data stream, she had figured the ship was a cruiser or something even larger, although she couldn't be sure without having more experience in the area. Given the fact that the Talons had most of the Hawk powered down for repairs, she hadn't even received a proximity alert. Just a little bit of warning might have helped, she thought resentfully.
A warble of static filled her ear, then faded to crisp oblivion. The voice that followed was both deep and smooth. "Transport carrier Hawk this is cruiser Sixth Extinction. My name is Captain Re'deis Krycek. I received your distress signal coming out of hyperspace. Can I be of some assistance?" The voice on the other end sounded inhumanly smooth and calm, holding a friendliness not normally reserved for complete strangers.
The relief on the woman's face was utterly obvious. "Yes, sir," she said, punching in the call to Jaren's communicator. The connection was instantaneous. "You're also on line with Jaren Kai, the captain of this vessel. We've blown our hyperdrive and cannot patch the damage. The digital alternator was charred in an engine room fire. It's a fairly standard part that you might have on board your vessel, and we'd be willing to pay well for the trouble."
The man on the other end of the signal seemed to scoff at the notion. "No trouble at all, actually. We keep some amount of smaller dee-alts around for our ground craft, and I am most certain that we have something that might fit a vessel like yours. I will send my mechanic team down to dock with your vessel, if that is all right with you."
Danya had already begun to receive the Sixth Extinction's coordinates and docking procedures via the direct data link. She took note that the reason she couldn’t see the other ship was because it was practically right over top of the Hawk. Its docking platform would connect from above through the cargo hold. She quickly sent that information to Jaren, who would meet Krycek's mechanic team after docking. "I've received all procedures. We'll initiate docking immediately." She took a moment to breathe, then added one last item. "Thank you for your help. Again, we're willing to pay for any and all services rendered. We appreciate your gesture of kindness."
"My team will meet you shortly. Krycek, out."
Danya sat back and smiled. They just might all get through this mess, and without too much chaos. What blind and stupid luck, she thought, shaking her head at the fortune of the wandering cruiser.
**********
Jaren had gathered a suitable greeting group together to meet the docking vessel's mechanic group. Kithera, Rinin, Ty, and Quis would all be present. Given that they would all have the necessary knowledge to answer any questions the mechanic team would have, Jaren doubted that anyone else was necessary for the operation. The lower profile they all had on the Hawk, the better, too. Jaren wasn't beyond being paranoid at the idea of being boarded by complete strangers. The gentleman on the communications system seemed nice enough, but that didn't mean that he or anyone from the Sixth Extinction would get a first-class tour of the facilities. And let's face it, he thought, the ship's name is more than a little ominous.
Not that there was a lot of important information to see, but still... Jaren supposed it stood as good practice not to let any detail slip past his sight. Even the minor slip of the transport's design might cause damage to a future covert action.
"Act like you've got nothing to hide," he ordered his gathered engineering crew. "I don't want them thinking we've got any involvement with the New Republic, let alone the intelligence sector."
"Not that we look like it from the outside," Ty pointed out, referring to the hasty design and poor treatment of the Hawk. "The New Republic does have standards... well, except for us, that is."
Jaren snickered, and the others thought the statement funny as well. "Regardless," he reiterated while regaining his military bearing, "I definitely don't need anyone asking questions. I've got you all here to answer any of their technical questions. Let them know what part size you need and let them give it to you. We're good enough to install whatever it is on our own."
As if on cue, the Hawk jerked forward slightly with the docking cruiser, which would be connecting to create a sealed compartment for transferring the people and the part. Jaren didn't want to be too direct or too assuming, but he released the safety on his sidearm and charged it. He directed the others to do the same.
"So, uh... do we shoot first or what?" Kithera asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"Just making sure we're all on the up and up about what's going on," Jaren replied, setting his gaze on the cargo bay’s back end. He could feel the slight connection, pressurization, and established linkups in the makeshift compartment. "There are still bad people in the galaxy, and I don't intend to get caught up in the raw end of a deal."
He gestured his people to the back of the cargo bay with a wave, and the group of five started that direction. A simple yellow light at the top of the door control panel meant that the connection was secure for transfer. Jaren slapped the large button on the panel's bottom. Instantly, the gears in the doors began to turn, splitting them down the middle while opening to reveal the Sixth Extinction's gift.
After a few seconds, the doors had opened fully into the hull of the transport. Five of the cruiser's crew stood there in dark uniforms, four with smiles on their faces. The four were well-built, yet normal-looking men, much like some of the Talons, and the last seemed to shyly keep his head down from his companions, his dark robes covering most of his body. The one on the far left approached first and identified Jaren as the leader. "Captain Kai, I'm assuming?"
Jaren stepped forward and offered his hand. "I am," he responded, taking a slight moment to admire the bump in rank and how it sounded. He would have to make sure to file all of his flimsies for his next promotion detail. "Welcome to the Hawk. This is my engineering crew." He rotated to motion at the line behind him. "They'll be able to better tell you what they need than I can." With a slap of his hand on the bottom panel, he shut the cargo bay doors.
The leader of the transfer party observed the four for a moment, took in their quiet manner, and ventured to say something. "Will you require some assistance in installing the part? We'd be glad to take a look and see what else we can offer."
"Quite all right," Kithera interjected before he could make another offer. "We're quite capable of installing the part. Do you have a digital alternator that is fifteen centimeters in diameter? The Hawk has an older model of the G-27 hyperdrive, so it can't be any bigger."
The leader twisted around to the quiet hand in the back. "Fifteen centimeters, what do you think, Lieutenant? Do we have that size?"
The calm form in the back began to shuffle around in his robes. He tossed out a cylindrical object to the leader, then moved forward with his head still hidden behind the cowl's lip. "It needs an extra part beyond what we have."
Rinin and the others noticed that the voice was clearly feminine, something they had not known of the figure until that moment. His light blue lekku twitched suspiciously at the comment and at the voice. "What do you mean? What part are we missing?"
Distinctly feminine hands came from the mass of robes to untie its hold. Once undone, she threw back her cowl and tossed off the mass from her shoulders. Jaren's hands were already moving, but hers were the faster.
Jane Muir's right hand was already flung forward, a peculiarly foul blaster held in it. Her robes no longer concealed her dark gray uniform, and a deeply evil smile remained where before there had been shadow-shrouded mystery. "You were actually missing the part about my commandeering this ship." She chuckled, eyeing Jaren specifically. The Talon was still attempting to raise his weapon. "And you're also missing the part about surrendering quietly. I'd disarm now before I start picking off your crew."
-----signature-----
Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com TRY-kuh. el-oh-el.
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JediXManSerenaKenobi
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
7/14 2:59pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/14 - They're Stuck. Can't Get Any Worse, Rig
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Fantastic chapters! I was wondering where to find TIS artwork - would that be in the thread in the FF resource?
-----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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KyleNyte
Registered:
Jul '00
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Date Posted:
7/14 4:32pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/14 - They're Stuck. Can't Get Any Worse, Rig
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Wow...
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I'm like a bag of chips, baby: Free-to-lay!
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Darth McClain
Registered:
Feb '00
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Date Posted:
7/14 6:40pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/14 - They're Stuck. Can't Get Any Worse, Rig
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KyleNyte posted:
Wow...
Now, that's a name I haven't seen in a long time! Wow, glad that another old timer found us! I don't know if you're interested in jumping with this project, but if you are, you can head over to the new and improved Nest! Either way, nice to see a familiar face dropping on by!
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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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L0B0
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
7/15 4:47am
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/14 - They're Stuck. Can't Get Any Worse, Rig
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That figures. Just when you think the Talons might catch a break, they get hijacked instead. Everybody seems to be handling the situation about as well as can be expected...except for Quis.
Come to think of it, what are the odds anyway? The chance that another ship would just happen to drop out of hyperspace on the Hawk's vector, right after the hyperdrive just happens to crap out and the comm gear is on the fritz must be infantesimally small. Muir must have a partner she intends to collect (and I bet it isn't who I thought it was a few posts ago) - that's the only thing that makes sense, because otherwise Muir could have simply blown the Talons to smithereens at her leisure.
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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:
7/17 1:29pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/14 - They're Stuck. Can't Get Any Worse, Rig
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Hey, Serena, thanks for reading! Did you get my PM about the website and other information? I hope that helps a little.
Kyle! Wow. Nice seeing you back in action! Thanks for stopping by!
And L0B0, ain't it great how things work out? Someone's been planning this thing for a while... ersh. They're in it up to their knees this time. What a mess, as usual for this crew. Thanks for reading. 
More in just a few minutes. Thanks, all!
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Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com TRY-kuh. el-oh-el.
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Trika_Kenobi
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
7/17 1:31pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/17 - What Do You Know? It Got Worse! lolz @
- Date Edited:
10/9 11:42am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Trika_Kenobi
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Chapter Nine: "I know it looks pretty bad."
He knocked on the door with a three-rap series and then stood at attention, awaiting a call from inside. He didn't immediately hear anything, and thought perhaps that the man was not in his office. Tempted to try once more, Major Kevin Ski lifted his clenched fist to the door and pulled back for another knock. Much to his surprise, however, the door suddenly slid open to reveal a weary Major Devoe Rosche in oddly normal civilian clothes.
Ski snapped the crispest salute he could muster. Kaiba stood at attention and did similarly, looking the junior officer she was next to the major. Nothing in the entire galaxy really compared to the entirely suave and debonair Kevin Ski, even hastily dressed and still looking the worse for wear from the disaster at the Gala. Ensign Delph had been dismissed after spilling his guts about everything that had happened, and needless to say, there were a lot of things that needed sorting out. "Major Kevin Ski and Flight Officer Kaiba Cloudrifter requesting a few moments of your time, sir," he belted out with every ounce of confidence and pride he had. He needed as much to mask the ridiculous burns and bruises that covered his face and arms.
Rosche's brown eyes bulged, then rolled at the sight of the two. "Would you please get in here and quit with the formalities?" he derided Ski, ushering them in quickly. Kaiba slid in behind her leader, and Rosche closed the door after her. "You are no longer any lower in rank, in any case." The two Talons had stopped in front of the liaison's desk, still at attention. Rosche thought to chide his friend again, walking past Ski to turn and face him. Instead, the man grabbed Kevin by the shoulders and took a good look at the damage that the tragic explosion in the Intelligence Gala had done. He sighed. "I was extremely relieved to hear that you had survived the bomb. I've been tied up around here with the resulting work. I wanted to come and see you. Reassigning the lone survivors of some squadrons is not something that I have enjoyed."
Kevin saw everything in Devoe Rosche's eyes. Uncertainty, fear, doubt... it was all hidden beneath a layer of protective stoicism. The man's frazzled hair and unshaven face were clues enough that Rosche had spent a good deal of time in worry over the last couple of days. Kevin could only guess what kind of madness his friend had been forced to deal with at the hands of the IHC.
Rosche was genuinely glad that his old friend had survived the blast at the Gala. It was bad enough dealing with the loss of many acquaintances from the Intelligence Community, in addition to an old friend who had been the leader of the Spectrum Special Operations Group. It would have been far too much to add the formerly great Kevin Ski to that list.
Ski brought his right hand up to Rosche's shoulder, gave him a curious look, and asked directly, "How are you doing with it all?"
Rosche snickered at a number of thoughts, all foreign to the two Talons. He let Ski go and moved to sit down in his chair. He then gestured for his two guests to do the same in the two chairs available to them. "It's... uh.. all very complicated," he told them. "I really don't know what to say. I come across information nearly every day that leads me to the High Council, but whenever I ask questions, I always get deferred elsewhere."
Both Kevin and Kaiba were unfamiliar with what the man was talking about, but it didn't take much imagination to create a million different scenarios that matched his description.
Devoe Rosche stared long and hard at his desk, upon which flimsies and datapads of every sort were strewn. He didn't move his gaze one bit through his monologue. "I'm being blackmailed, Kevin. By people I cannot identify except by relation to the Council. They've come up with a few 'reliable' sources of information from my office that supposedly connect me with Black Fire, and they're ready to let it all fall on my head." The major ran a nervous hand through his black hair, ruining what little order there was to the style. "Flimsies with numbers on them. Something like that. They've had some of this business arranged since they put me in this office. I know it. They've planned for someone to take the fall from the beginning."
Kevin leaned forward in his chair, yearning to draw the man from his thoughts. Devoe did not waver from his gaping expression, however. "Devoe, you can help to end all of this. We've come because we need your help."
The liaison's eyes shifted to Kevin's gaze, wearily full of cynicism. "Almost thirteen years of dedicated service isn't enough to help me now?" he asked sarcastically, holding his own reservations about anything his friend had in mind. "I've dedicated my life to making sure that enemies of the New Republic never had their way in our territory, and now the 'enemy' is right in the midst of Intel's entire campaign."
Major Ski couldn't properly respond to his friend's statement. The devotion shown by a number of military personnel had been rewarded with nothing less than complete dishonor. Devoe was one of those people, and although Ski hated to admit it, it appeared that the major had been placed in a position to fail, and the fall was quick in coming. "There are few people with your connections, and even fewer that would assist me and my squadron right now, Devoe." Ski's voice laced a sense of urgency into each word. "We need your help. The Talons have gone missing."
Devoe shook from his state of comfort. "Missing?" he demanded while giving his friend an odd eye.
"I awoke earlier this evening to a frenzy of New Republic Guard personnel wrecking my medical wing," Kevin began, feeling slightly enraged at the entire situation. It showed in his mannerisms. "Lieutenant Sharla Palrr had been given instructions to search my base for some form of medical information, but she was never greeted by any of my people, and it seems that another group was in the building before she had even gotten there. The medical droid left by my bedside had been tampered with, and the security feeds had been erased. I'm under the assumption at this point that my people have been ordered to official duty; all of my lift identification and tags for transport have been removed, and my lieutenants would be the only ones with access."
"Lieutenant Kai, or Rinani?" Rosche asked, then shook his head. "I can see why you believe that something is awry with your squadron." He paused to consider the information, scratching his forehead. "They didn't leave any indication of where the orders came from or where the squadron was being sent? That doesn't sound very much like your lieutenants."
Kevin breathed in deeply, attempting not to sigh in aggravation. "I assume that every effort was made, but I don't know what other equipment was ruined during the time that I was in the medical ward."
Rosche looked at Flight Officer Cloudrifter and took in the woman's burns. "You, too, eh? Got messed up at the Gala?"
The woman gave a curt nod in response, but offered little more. She wasn't sure how to act in front of the major and under the completely ridiculous circumstances surrounding her visit.
Major Rosche stood from his seat and began to pace behind his desk. His hands fidgeted behind his back. He was clearly in thought. "I don't understand what you want me to do about it. I've got certain connections in the Senate, but filing formal grievances takes time... time that you certainly don't have in this instance."
Ski cocked his head to the side, almost appalled by the idea of filing meaningless flimsies against the Intelligence High Council. He ignored the urge to tell his friend what kind of punitive measures he thought appropriate for the Council. "I'm not talking about anything official or formal," he corrected the other, reaching into his front pocket and pulling out a slip of note with a few numbers on it. He slid it across the desk for Rosche to read. "We cannot reach our squadron's transport... likely the result of more tampering. I've a bad feeling that they're in terrible danger, and I absolutely need to contact them before it's too late."
Devoe picked up the flimsy and knew exactly what his friend wanted to be done. "Kevin, if I use the broadcasting override, my name will be all over it. Everyone on the Council would be alerted in a matter of minutes. I'd probably be arrested within the hour for improper and unauthorized use of such a system. Haven't you tried to locate the calls to duty for the past few days?"
Kevin clenched his eyes shut against the pain of his next statement. He had completely forgotten to mention that little detail. "Talon Intelligence Squadron has been listed as under 'unauthorized leave' as is necessary for Lieutenant Palrr to do after attempting to make contact at the Nest. The Council is likely to begin hunting my squad down within the week, if they're still alive."
Devoe merely gawked at the suggestion before beginning to fume. "Why the games, Ski? What the hell did you do to deserve the torment of the Council?"
"Devoe, please," Kevin returned to the task at hand, "you can clearly see the wrongs. If we cannot intervene, someone is going to get killed. I can only hope that my squadron is not already dead. If we don't do something now, it's going to be too late."
Devoe's eyes left Kevin's to stare at his wall. He took a few moments to glance at the awards plastered across its surface; most were a tribute to his dedication, not valor. Sure, he had accumulated some interesting war stories and the medals to prove them, but his shining example had earned him more accolades than his combat roles. His upper lip turned at the sight of a few. Those that had been given by the High Council particularly upset him after hearing Kevin's latest batch of insults. "Kevin..."
Kevin stood up suddenly and slammed his fist onto Devoe's desk. "If you stand aside and let them do whatever they want, your life will be next!"
Rosche flipped around fiercely as if he were in shock at his friend's boldness. The only emotion that clouded his eyes was of uncertainty, however. Devoe bit his bottom lip. "How is it that you are so intrepid even when there is not a single person standing beside you?"
Kevin gave no response, and he didn't have to. Devoe rubbed the flimsy between his fingers while musing on the implications of what he was about to do. He lifted it to his eyes and gave it an uncharacteristic smirk. With a brief glimpse at the two Talons, he asked, "Well, which do you want me to try first?"
**********
She was lining them up like a pathetic string of diseased animals, ready to be slaughtered one by one. Lieutenant Jane Muir, as she had insisted she be called, hadn't flinched one bit while keeping her aim on his crew. Jaren glanced down the growing line of Talons that were being taken by surprise around the ship. It hadn't been that hard to find the few groups working about, though. Everyone had been working on the problem of the engine room, and the engine room was not exactly the best place to play hide-and-seek.
Quis was shaking directly beside him, her attempts to hold back her sobs failing. They had all been disarmed quickly and had had their hands bound just as fast. Forced to kneel before their captors, each and every Talon knew that he or she was in very deep trouble. Kithera, Ty, and Rinin were next in line, and a new wave had just been brought to the cargo hold. Muir's little minions had found Kendrick, Telia, Rubi, and Mekial in the engine room, apparently.
"What the hell, Muir?" Kendrick indirectly asked the woman whom he had come to know as completely insane. Although his hands were incapacitated behind his back, he was still struggling against the might of one of Muir's people. "Don't you have anything better to do than chase us around the galaxy?"
Muir let her eyes drift to Jaren's left. Her blaster followed, placing Quis in its sights. "I'm just cleaning up some of the mess from my last assignment. I'm not planning on staying long."
Quis clenched her eyes shut, unable to look at the weapon or the former Talon. Kendrick's face sank upon seeing his partner; such complete agony enveloped her entire demeanor that he couldn't help the sick feeling forming in his stomach. He and some of the others in the squadron had been in situations just as dangerous before, but Quis was a different breed of intelligence officer, and it showed. He wished at that moment he could have done something... anything to get between Muir's blaster and Quis.
Rubi gave Muir a harsh glare as she was forced to kneel on the deck. The spy had had her back turned and her entire body deep into the pit of the hyperdrive hole when the four Black Fire operatives slithered into the engine room quietly. Mekial had been in the hyperdrive with her, and Telia and Kendrick were on the deck sorting through tools attempting to find something feasible to work with.
It was just a little too easy, Rubi thought disgustedly. But who would have thought that Jane Muir would be standing no more than two meters from a line of Talons, ready to shoot the whole lot of them? Rubi would have taken the time to smirk at the ridiculous irony, but the situation was much more serious than the puzzle of how Muir was onboard the transport ship.
Muir grew bored of making Quis sweat and turned her attention down the line. Her team of four had finished with Telia and had moved out of the cargo hold and onward to find the rest of the Talons. "We're missing some, aren't we? I fondly recall my teammates in intrusions were a sneaky bunch, so be careful," she called to the four. Directing her attention back on Jaren, she asked directly, "How's Major Ski doing? Still back at the Nest, I'm assuming?"
Lieutenant Kai snorted at the question. "Unlike you, there's no way that I would be stupid enough to betray my teammates or my commanding officer."
"I was impressed to hear that he survived the explosion at the Intelligence Gala," Muir continued while ignoring Jaren's smart comment. "If he's not completely brain damaged from the ordeal, I'm sure he'll be sorry to learn how this whole thing went down."
A loud shuffle of commotion from the forward passageway interrupted Muir mid-gloat. As loud as it was to the deathly quiet Talons, the struggle was actually very quiet considering the amount of movement. Jaren's face lit up at the possibility that Milan had taken out Muir's cronies with nothing but his bare hands... the Kiffar was quite capable of that and much more, Jaren knew.
The scuffle was lasting longer than it should have, however. A couple of grunts sounded from the passageway, and even Muir had leaned inboard to get a good listen. She was apparently satisfied with waiting it out, cockily confident in her men. Without warning, two pointed blaster shots sounded through the air. Unfamiliar groaning followed, but every Talon had already sucked in a sharp breath of air in anticipation of a body hitting the deck.
"Drop the weapon or he dies!" one of Muir's goons yelled, and every heart sank upon hearing the words. It seemed as if the Talon, whoever it may have been, hesitated, then remorsefully threw his weapon to the ground.
Muir smiled widely. It didn't take long to find out which Talons were the new additions to the firing line, either. One operative had tamed Milan, Trika, and Stone with his one blaster, although the verbal threat had not been lost on their teammates. The blaster was pointed directly at the back of Milan's head. As the operative guided the three in front of the gathered Talons, the idea of Milan being beaten in combat was generally lost upon everyone else.
The captured Talons on the deck watched their three intrusions team members being paraded in front of Muir. Her man in the back of the line sported a bloody gash across his forehead and a growl to match his revolting face. "We need to kill these ones first," he told his lieutenant. He took the brief pause between statements to smack Milan in the back of the head with the butt of the blaster, the force of which only made Milan scowl all the more. "They took out the others." He holstered his weapon and quickly began to bind the intrusions team, beginning with Stone.
Trika's mouth wouldn't stay shut, even under the dire circumstances. "I shot the two ugly ones," she boasted to Muir while being forced to her knees. "Not that you're any better looking, but..." She trailed off, her smart smirk relaying the end of her idea.
Muir's eyes flashed smugly, the warmth on her face ironic, as if she were actually happy to see her old teammate. "Trika, I'm quite surprised to see you looking so well." No one missed the slight aim adjustment of her blaster.
"Well, I still have a dull ache in my gut from a couple of weeks ago," Trika replied, her reference to Muir's betrayal obvious. "But I actually can't get rid of this sharp pain in my back, like someone stabbed me there, you know?"
Lieutenant Jane Muir disregarded Trika's comment as the Chinaési woman's hands were bound behind her. "And the third?" she asked her minion with the slightest hesitance. Her eyes drifted down Milan's right arm, the bloodied hand at his side the greatest hint at the grisly action.
The man tightened Trika's restraints and moved on to Milan. He reached into his trouser pocket and lifted out another length of line. "This one," he spat, grabbing Milan's wrists roughly, "killed Staepan. Ripped his throat out." With a strong tug on the line, he finished the job. He smartly drew his weapon and aimed it for Milan's head. "We need to get rid of him first."
Muir raised an eyebrow, impressed with both the killing and the insistence to kill on the parts of both the Talon and her own man. He wouldn't make a move without her approval, and that fact stroked her twisted ego. "We're still missing a couple," she mused, taking a moment to scan her prisoners. "Faithwood, and Cloudrifter... I'm assuming you left the esteemed Sergeant Bullwinkle back at the Nest. He wouldn't be much help on your mission, anyway, unless, of course, you were planning on poisoning someone covertly." She nodded to the operative behind Milan, allowing him to relish the pleasure of charging his blaster with a snap. Muir crossed her arms across her chest, her nasty blaster still at a proper angle to get a shot off at the front row of Talons. "So, tell me, Trika, where are the rest of the Talons? Call them out or else we're going to have one rather large mess in about ten seconds."
Trika met Muir's raised eyebrow with her own, shooting back with as much sarcastic venom as possible. "Go to hell. I hear there's a couple of seats reserved for your fat -"
She couldn't have seen the wide smile on their executioner's face when he smacked the back of her head with his weapon, but she could get a good enough vision from Muir's ugly expression of pleasure. "Very well, Trika," she gloated above her former teammates. "I hope that you can live the next few moments knowing what your little comments have done here."
Muir gave her final nod with a most satisfied smile.
-----signature-----
Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com TRY-kuh. el-oh-el.
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L0B0
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
7/17 2:01pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/17 - What Do You Know? It Got Worse! lolz @
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"Well, I still have a dull ache in my gut from a couple of weeks ago," Trika replied, her reference to Muir's betrayal obvious. "But I actually can't get rid of this sharp pain in my back, like someone stabbed me there, you know?"
LOL. I know the situation is dire, but that just cracks me up.
Jane Muir is Hutt-slime.
-----signature-----
Check your Six! ---> http://www.talonintelligencesquadron.com/index.htm * Mando'ad draar digu... * Self Appointed FADA Acolyte
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JediXManSerenaKenobi
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
7/17 2:20pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/17 - What Do You Know? It Got Worse! lolz @
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Oh boy...
Great update, Trika! Unfortunately, I couldn't find any fan art on the website. Maybe I'm missing something...
- 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:
7/17 2:31pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/17 - What Do You Know? It Got Worse! lolz @
- Date Edited:
7/17 2:32pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Trika_Kenobi
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L0B0, clever line, eh? It cracks me up, too, despite the tense situation on board the Hawk. Thanks for reading... sort of a cliffhanger for the weekend, though. Oops. 
Serena, thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately, we really don't have any fan art. At all, really. Mostly image manipulation via Photoshop. The website as it stands right now is going to be the future place for such things, but we're currently in search of, with bow and arrow in hand, artists to round out our creative crew. 
-----signature-----
Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com TRY-kuh. el-oh-el.
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Trika_Kenobi
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
7/21 1:37pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/21 - Let's Come Up with a Plan to Kill Us Al
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Chapter Nine, continued:
**********
The supply closet was cramped beyond words, filled with annoying remnants of machinery and cleaning products, not to mention a spare game set or two that didn't belong. Danya had found out through a most difficult path that the Hawk had more than a few interesting tricks up its sleeve, including more than a few trap doors that had pushed her from the cockpit's underbelly all the way to the cargo hold. She had merely been looking for a good place to hide and wait out the chaos, but she had wound up finding the most perfect ambush point in the transport. She hadn't expected to be in this position, and it didn't help matters that the chaos had ended with the intrusions team being taken prisoner just seconds before she had arrived.
She calculated out the numbers of Talons and figured out rather quickly that she was the only one left undiscovered in the ship. So far, no one had thought to check the closet, and if she were very careful, no one would check it out at all.
Danya absently tucked a stray strand of her golden hair behind her ear and let her right hand settle on the blaster tucked comfortably into her trousers. In her left hand was one of her many miniature computer modules, capable of sending and receiving messages via a relay node. She had quickly checked the frequency of the ship's receiver and programmed it into her module before taking off through the ship. She wouldn't have thought to do so, wouldn't even have left the cockpit if she hadn't answered the urgent message from Major Devoe Rosche. Apparently, Major Ski had come out of his coma, gotten in contact with the liaison, and was in possession of a lot more information than the Talons knew. Danya clenched her eyes shut at the idea of what her situation would be if she hadn't answered the message. Muir's men had more than likely stormed the cockpit already and would have found Danya lounging in the pilot's seat. Major Rosche's vague warning about the lack of communications equipment and potential for a trap barely gave her the needed time to escape undetected.
The hacker looked down at the computer again, hoping for another message. Major Rosche had only sent a message about the potential for danger, not about anything real. She had quickly sent back a note about how understated his assessment really was, but so far, the computer had received no response. She had relayed some basic damage assessments from the engine room and a little note at the end about a certain situation in the cargo hold. She noticed her hands were shaking, and taking a moment to force them still, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Any second, Muir was going to figure out that she was missing, and with only a thin closet door keeping her from being seen, Danya could hardly contain her fear.
"We're still missing a couple," Muir said flatly, and Danya sucked in her breath unconsciously. She sank to the cold deck and wished she could have melted right through the grating. Just then, her computer vibrated silently. She accessed the new message just as quietly.
Status report? Casualties?
Danya bit her bottom lip. She wasn't quite sure how the next few moments would play out and couldn't really say with precision how many Talons were already injured or about to be executed. At any moment, shots could take out at least one or two of the intrusions team, and if Muir or her minion were feeling frisky, multiple Talons could be dead within minutes.
Currently no casualties. It was all she could really put without going into too much detail. She sent the message and pushed the main power button on the computer's side. There was really no need to keep the thing on any longer. If she made it back, she could report at that time. If she didn't, there wouldn't be a need to make the major worry over the nasty situation unfolding.
"So, tell me, Trika, where are the rest of the Talons? Call them out or else we're going to have one rather large mess in about ten seconds."
The hair on the back of Danya's neck stood on end and her skin crawled at hearing Muir's threat. The low pang of complete illness filling her gut overtook her effort to ignore the words, but with an unexplained surge of courage, Danya gripped her blaster tightly, stood up, and prepared to do either one of the most heroic or most regrettable actions of her life.
"Very well, Trika. I hope that you can live the next few moments knowing what your little comments have done here."
Without a second thought, Danya flung open the closet door and took aim for the very first person actually on her feet in the cargo hold. Jane Muir never saw the shot coming, and Danya took the time to fire off two shots at the traitor's skull.
Milan rolled backwards into his captor's legs, the force knocking the underling to the ground. The back row of Talons pounced, separating the weapon from the operative immediately and leaving Milan to his work. With his hands still bound behind his back, Milan used his speed to land a crushing blow to the other's throat and head. Milan's elbow strike awkwardly silenced the man, whose shocked expression became a frozen feature on his face.
Muir crumpled into a heap and landed with a thud on the cold deck. Danya's blaster remained steady, as if Muir's body would, at any moment, rise up again to torment the squadron. She took a step forward and peered down at the still body. Nudging it with her boot, Danya confirmed that Jane Muir was really dead. Somehow, she had almost expected Muir to disappear in a cloud of black, acrid smoke.
One long heartbeat later, Danya raised her gaze to her squadmates. Several had looks of complete relief written all over their faces, and several others had almost forgotten about the sticky situation completely, only curiosity filling their minds about where exactly Danya had come from. She didn't exactly know what to say; it wasn't as if she had planned on being a hero that day.
"Well, I suppose I should untie you guys so we can get out of here, huh?"
**********
The Talons were a frenzy of motion after being released from their bonds. There was still the matter of the Sixth Extinction. No one had forgotten about the ship hard lined to the Hawk, and no one had to mention that the transport only boasted two turrets, and those were poorly placed underneath the rectangular mass of the craft.
"We're going to have to pull an Irizan Mount!" Kendrick shouted as he and Ty scrambled to the cockpit. Many of the mechanics and engineers had all been ordered to the engine room, and all extra hands had been assigned to deal with the mess in the cargo bay and in miscellaneous rooms full of wires and upturned panels. The Talons were once again in a complete mess, with little time to clear the muddled chaos.
"An Irizan Mount?" Ty scrunched up his nose at the term as he crashed into the pilot's seat. Kendrick had slid onto the floor in preparations for whatever maneuver was up his sleeve. "What in the name of Vader is that?"
Kendrick yanked open the control panel underneath the pilot's seat to reveal a waterfall of colorful wires and metal spewing from the cockpit's inner workings. "You've never seen an Irizan mating ritual?" he asked awkwardly, as if the other should not have needed to be told.
Ty heard the footfalls of Quis behind his seat, the engineer's intent to assist evident. "Not something I’ve ever seen or really want to see, I'm sure," Ty replied, checking his gauges for a possible speedy take-off. The fuel tanks were painfully low and wouldn't take the Hawk but a small distance away from their newfound enemy. Ty silently hoped that whatever Ken's explanation for the maneuver, it would include some way to immobilize the Sixth Extinction.
"We'll need to sever the atmosphere feeds that are hard-lining us to the ship at the last possible second," Ken explained, pulling apart some of the wires in some form of organization that only he knew. "To be honest, I think it will take both of us to get it right. Those lines will jerk us back toward the ship when we pull away. When we cut them, the snapback will slip us underneath the Sixth Extinction. We'll be without atmosphere, but we'll be loose. If we're lucky, they won't mount us, and we'll slip right under their crotch." The implication of the damage that "mounting" could do to the Hawk did not go unnoticed, and even as he pulled out another series of wires, Ken caught the pinched look on Quis's face. She was perhaps confused by his work. "Don't say anything," he told her, holding up a hand before she could express how her worst nightmares were coming true. "I know it looks pretty bad."
Quis sucked in a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to cover her chagrin. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Without completely losing your mind? Kendrick was about to ask, then thought better of it. "Uh, do you know what a Tayo Teaser looks like?" he instead asked her.
Quis nodded with little enthusiasm, but the reaction was almost more than he could have hoped for. "What about a set of 10-04 wire strippers?" he continued.
The woman had already moved toward the toolbox lying against the bulkhead. She easily picked out both tools and rushed over to Kendrick. With an outstretched hand, Quis presented both tools to him.
The pilot grasped the Tayo Teaser and began to work. He had separated a particular blue wire from the pack and was offering it to Quis, who had noticed that Ken had not taken the wire strippers from her. She didn't immediately take the wire, and Ken gestured again for her to take it.
"Oh, no," she said while shaking her head, her mind filling with a hundred different reasons why she was not qualified to mess around with the inner workings of the Hawk's cockpit. She was no mechanic. Theoretical work and tinkering with parts was a completely different monster than getting her arms into a greasy mess. "No, no, no. I'm not made for this kind of thing."
"Nonsense," Kendrick reassured her, placing the blue wire in her hand. "You're now enrolled in Kendrick Quinn's Fix-A-Rotten-Control-Panel-In-Less-Than-Ten-Minutes 101."
Quis cautiously began to work, her vast knowledge taking over even her dubious expression. The sharp edges of the strippers slowly began to tear away the blue lining of the crispy, copper wire inside. "This may be a tough course," she answered flatly.
Kendrick managed a grim smile and a sly wink. "Don't worry. I won't let you fail."
**********
"What about now?" Trika called to Danya. The Chinaési woman's hands were busy setting up a makeshift relay node in the cargo hold. Danya was set to make another connection with Major Ski, if the two could manage to get the communications equipment to work so far away from the cockpit. Kendrick and Ty officially had that little area hosed up, rendering most of what the two computer experts could have used practically useless. Both would not be beaten, however, and being of little use elsewhere, the two were determined to get into contact with their leader.
"I'm pretty sure the scramble configuration is wrong," she replied, her words coming out methodically, as if dazed and confused. She sat slumped forward, back toward the bulkhead, staring at her computer with empty, dull eyes.
Trika sat cross-legged in the middle of the cargo bay, working with the spare parts to an older transmitter. She took a moment to give Danya a concerned eye. "You all right?" she asked as her hands slipped past a clipped piece of metal and snapped it off completely. Her nearly silent curse was not lost on Danya, nor was the implication of the question. With a shudder, Danya remembered Jane Muir's body hitting the deck.
Shake it off, Danya. As long as you're with the Talons, that won't be the last time you have to wield that blaster.
The pool of blood that had spilled from Muir's head flashed across her vision. She felt slightly queasy, but responded with as much confidence as she could muster. "I'm fine," she told her teammate, then focused back on the computer. The wench deserved it. Don't think about it any longer. "Counter the frequency with a three-two-eight scramble." Her eyes glazed over and she slid back into her stupor.
Trika raised an eyebrow, but decided not to push Danya for greater information. Her teammate had given her an incorrect scramble number, but Trika could sense the overwhelming distraction that killing Jane Muir had become for the woman. Unlike many other members of the squadron, Danya was probably unaccustomed to death, especially causing it. Trika could not say whether she would have had the same reaction. With Muir, probably not. Trika wished she could have shot the traitor in the gut and danced around her head. Shooting at a target and shooting a real person were totally different acts, though. Given the opportunity to shoot Muir, Trika wouldn't have hesitated. The aftereffects of such a chance, though, Trika could not fathom. To her thinking, Danya was probably in the proper state of mind for having just blown someone's head off.
The computer in front of Danya began to beep, registering some form of a signal intercept. The hacker jumped awake at the sound. "You got it to go through?" she asked rather startled.
Her teammate joined her on the visual side of the computer. "The scramble worked just fine," Trika complimented the hacker with a lie. "I rerouted it with the signal you first received from the broadcast override. Transmission will be slow, but it'll do the job."
Danya took a deep breath and pushed the receiver down once. The screen powered on, but remained blank for a few, tense moments. Suddenly, the picture sprang to life. The two females were face to face with their leader and Major Devoe Rosche. Both had a hard time catching their breaths after getting the first glimpse of their wounded leader, alive and well.
"Good to see you well, sir," Trika answered the call first, knowing Danya's mind was probably garbled beyond comprehension. It was pretty obvious Danya... appreciated the company of Major Ski. "Major Rosche, you're on with Flight Officers Adair and Faithwood."
The response was indeed slow. "You'll have to forgive whatever transmission problems we're having here," Rosche replied, his eyes scanning the screen in front of him. "We should be sending out fine, but we're not receiving a visual signal at this time."
"That's normal for the scramble we've used," Trika said, keeping the details out of it. It really didn't matter if they could see the two of them or not. "We're sending spurts of audio so that Black Fire doesn't know we're doing it. They are probably watching us rather closely for distress signals or -"
"Black Fire?" Ski threw the words back with anger. "Danya never mentioned Black Fire was a part of this."
"I didn't know anything more until I saw Jane Muir in the cargo bay," Danya explained, her voice sounding confident even though she didn't feel that way. To be honest, at any moment, the Hawk could come under fire and be obliterated. Their situation was precarious, at best. "Our current position is still hard lined to the ship. We direct-connected to receive aid and instead were ambushed. The sabotage and setup are all linked to Black Fire."
Rosche glanced at his friend, who was busy attempting to come up with something to say that would mean his squadron could come home. The dangerous circumstances, however, held no quick answers, and Ski turned his back to the screen. "Jane Muir and the others? The squadron has taken care of them?"
Danya nodded, even if Rosche and Ski could not see it. "Yes, sir. Confirming five Black Fire operatives dead, including Lieutenant Jane Muir."
"What is everybody doing to get the Talons back home?" Rosche asked, unable to properly conceive everything that had happened. "We're getting a couple of ships underway to your location, but it's going to take them some time to get there."
Trika flinched, unsure if she should spill the crazy idea Kendrick had come up with. She shrugged, figuring it would come out eventually. "Well, sir, have you ever heard of an Irizan Mount?"
Ski lurched toward the feed, open-mouthed. "What?! Who came up with that idea? Did Ty tell you he could do it?"
"No, sir," Trika responded while hiding a gulp. "Kendrick volunteered the idea, but he mentioned that Ty would be a rather large part of it. Ty having one of his spells is probably going to be the only way this will work, sir."
"One of his spells? He's too erratic," Ski declared with a finger pointing toward the screen. "The snapback alone has the potential to toss a body fifty meters! Is Lieutenant Kai aware of the plan?"
"Lieutenant Kai is currently piecing together the remnants of the hyperdrive and fuel tank," Trika returned rather coldly. "Sir, the honest truth is that we don't have very many options up here. He agreed to the plan because it's the only thing we have left. If we don't try something in the next hour, Black Fire is going to catch on to what's happened."
Ski clenched his eyes shut, bit his bottom lip, and took a deep breath to steady himself. "If he's even a fraction of a second off, it could rip the atmosphere lines through the bulkhead," he mentioned rather flatly.
Trika took her own breath to steady herself. Being sucked out of the Hawk and into space was not a particularly cozy idea. "I've analyzed it to that extent, sir." She nervously wiped some of the sweat from her palms onto her trousers. "Kendrick and Ty will have to be absolutely perfect. Even if the bulkhead doesn't break, once the lines are severed, the crew won't last an hour without atmosphere."
Danya had put her aching head in her hands. Now she really felt sick.
Ski's eyes opened slowly, the hazy gray and blue orbs mirroring the sudden mood that had set in across the feed. He honestly didn't know what to say, and he was glad when Rosche spoke up to fill the void. "Keep this line open," he told them. "Do what you have to, but keep this line open. I want to know the instant the Hawk is away from that ship, understood?"
"Yes, sir," Trika understood, turning the frequency to a passive angle. The visual feed turned gray, signaling the computer was on standby. She turned briefly to Danya, who was paling even as she watched her. "Let's get strapped in. This is probably going to be a very bumpy ride."
-----signature-----
Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com TRY-kuh. el-oh-el.
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L0B0
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
7/22 4:33am
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/21 - Let's Come Up with a Plan to Kill Us Al
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No Way! I did not see that coming...but who cares? Way to go Danya!
Muir was a crafty one, but trying to take the whole squad with only a handful of troops was...misguided. I know it may have been suspicious if the boarding party had been any larger, but Muir should have called for backup instead of playing mind games with Trika after Milan took out some of the gang members. Not that I wanted her to succeed mind you, but knowing the Talons like she does I would have expected her to plan for this contingency. Besides, I'm still not convinced Black Fire doesn't have another sleeper agent in the mix.
Things are looking up, but even with Kendrick's-fix-it-in-a-jiffy starship maintenance course available, I'm not so sure this maneuver is such a good idea. Maybe I have watched one too many Jedi holodramas, but I would be inclined to at least consider infiltrating the enemy vessel before attempting this plan of theirs. That way, they would eliminate the threat and gain a spaceworthy vessel - or at least more spare parts for the Hawk and access to a working comm unit.
-----signature-----
Check your Six! ---> http://www.talonintelligencesquadron.com/index.htm * Mando'ad draar digu... * Self Appointed FADA Acolyte
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JediXManSerenaKenobi
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
7/22 8:57am
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/21 - Let's Come Up with a Plan to Kill Us Al
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Hope Danya feels better!! Another great update. Thanks for the comment on the art!
- 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:
7/23 4:25pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Book Two - (UPDATED 07/21 - Let's Come Up with a Plan to Kill Us Al
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Hey, L0B0! You won't believe it, but when this storyline originally ran, we didn't really believe it, either! Danya indeed took out the formerly great and mighty Jane Muir, however, so that's definitely cause for celebration. And it really is kind of suspicious about Muir and her handful of agents thinking they could take down the Talons... I'd be willing to bet that there's a little more to that story than meets the eye.  In any case, things are looking up a little, but dern... this idea of Kendrick's seems a little crazy. Here's hoping for the best tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
And Serena, as always, thanks for sticking around with us, and thank you again for the wonderful fan art. For everyone else to see, here is Serena's sketch of Major Kevin Ski, and what a wonderful work it is!
Would you all believe we've got one more chapter left? And that whole chapter is going down tomorrow? We'll wrap up Book Two tomorrow and see if these Talons can survive this botched mission. Thanks for reading, all. 
-----signature-----
Talon Intelligence Squadron: Assaulting Good Sense and Order Since Y2K http://www.TalonIntelligenceSquadron.com TRY-kuh. el-oh-el.
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Trika_Kenobi
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Date Posted:
7/24 5:56pm
Subject:
RE: Talon Intelligence Squadron: Not Always Fair (Book Two) - COMPLETED: 24 JUL 2008
- Date Edited:
8/13 7:22pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
Trika_Kenobi
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Chapter Ten: "Good thing we didn't try anything ridiculously stupid."
She gave one more check to her harness, her hands shaking with the tugging motion. Why she had chosen to stay in the cockpit instead of getting below deck with the rest of the crew was a mystery to her. Perhaps she felt more comfortable in Kendrick's presence. She might have even felt better knowing what exactly was going on during the operation.
More likely, Quis thought with a very visible frown, I wasn't thinking when I sat down in the navigator's seat.
Her hands dropped to the seat's bottom and she gripped the foamed cover tightly. She turned to watch Kendrick and Ty begin their final preparations.
"I'm receiving a burst of chatter on the waves," Trika's voice pierced the cockpit over the communications system. "I think Black Fire's getting a little bit antsy."
Kendrick flipped the reply switch. "It's about time they figured out something's up," he said while monitoring a few miscellaneous controls. "We're ready up here. Is everything secure in the hold?"
The sarcastic smile on Trika's face was evident even without the image. She was fully aware of just how rough of a ride was in store for the Talons. "Well, someone keeps asking to be let off with a grenade to make sure Muir's dead, but we're ignoring him. All personnel and equipment are secured." There was a slight pause before she mentioned her last thought. "We're all as secure as we're going to be."
Quis tried hard to swallow, but her throat had gone completely dry. She clenched her eyes shut and tried not to imagine the snapback, but the images of the Hawk being flung right into the Sixth Extinction assaulted her mind. If the Hawk took off at its normal rate of flight, the snapback condition would rip the atmosphere lines at a very irregular speed. Considering the size and strength of the lines and the tautness at which they were normally kept, the maximum strain on such lines would create such an enormous buildup of force that they would likely rush right through the cargo bay doors and into space, sucking the Talons with them. There were twenty or so such lines leading out of the cockpit and into the other main compartments. The cockpit would likely rip into five or six large slices. Speeds close to that would bend the hull in half if it didn't tear completely. And if the cockpit could actually survive such a blow, they would likely be thrown around so violently that they would be rendered unconscious after such a severe thrashing. And...
Get a hold of yourself. Quis attempted to calm herself by taking large gulps of air. She thought she might begin to hyperventilate before she clenched the seat more tightly and focused all of her energy on controlling her breathing.
"Did you reconnect the secondary power generator?" Ty asked quietly, more as a last minute twitch than a real question. "It can get wedged behind the fan pretty easily."
Kendrick gripped his controls tightly. "Everything's been reconnected. I checked everything twice." He gave a look at his copilot that belied his worry. "You have the Quinn Seal of Approval."
Ty nodded, not able to say much more. He knew that without his complete concentration, every Talon on board would be dead in an instant.
Ken looked back at Quis for a brief moment, then decided not to say anything. The woman was already distraught beyond all comprehension. Saying something more to her would only make matters worse. He turned around and gave his final instructions to the cargo hold. "Snapback should occur approximately six seconds after you hear the engines fire up. Brace yourselves." He quickly flipped the switch and cut off any response. He and Ty needed every ounce of their attention on the task at hand.
"Fire up the engines," Kendrick ordered with little enthusiasm. Ty was already attempting to get into one of his dazes, and the flick of his wrist was, what looked like by chance, right on target. The engines fired to life, and Kendrick shuddered with the machinery. That exact moment had been the point of no return.
One second passed as the Hawk began to move. The sounds of the ship beginning to moan were immediate, threads connecting it with the Sixth Extinction being stretched beyond their normal range.
"We're too high," Ken uttered, watching out the front viewport as the Hawk began to pull forward. Kendrick compensated quickly with a slight adjustment to the trajectory. Ty's eyes had already closed, his mind elsewhere. Kendrick was essentially on his own to direct the ship's movement.
The strain on the ship was nearly at its limit. The Hawk had only moved slightly, but it was only going to take a sort span to work.
Or to fail. Either way, something | |