Summary: This is a story told from five different point-of-views. Kai, Paige, Gian, Talia, and Javid, the youngest members of the Rescue Team, have formed a small group called the C squad. In this story they have been a group for about a year. WARNING: This is the first long serious story I've ever attempted to write and some of the characters aren't as developed as I would have liked.
Talia's story
"Can't be late, can't be late, can't be late." I told myself as I ran down the hallway. My boots made loud stomping sounds as they struck the metal floor. I was so determined to be on time that I didn't see the supply officer until it was to late. Boxes went flying, spilling their contense everywhere. The man looked bewildered as I darted past him. "Sorry!" I yelled. "C squad meeting!" The C squad. That's what my life revolves around. We used to be a ragtag group of rejects from the Rescue Team but we were joined together and are now one of the best and most valuable teams in the RT. anyway, back to the present. I had been in the simulators working on my long-range shot and had lost tract of time. Which is why I was now racing through the halls running into supply officers. I turned a corner and grabbed a support beam to keep from slamming into a wall. I skidded into the room just as the chronometer hit the 12th hour. "Just in time." I said as I seated myself backward in my chair. "Another lucky break for the blaster master." Gian muttered. "Jealous, are we?" I shot back. "We have other things to discuss then each others luck." Paige cut in smoothly. "Kai?" "I was contacted by President Leia Organa-Solo today. She said we were recommended by a Hapen friend of hers. She needs us to do some scouting for her. But we have to go to Coruscant first. Kai said. "Javid, you might need to do some slicing on this mission." "No problem." He replied. "Are we going to take separate ships of the Silent Wind?" Gian asked. "The Silent Wind." Kai replied. "We leave right away. So everyone gather up your stuff and meet me in the docking bay in 15 minutes." As everyone started to leave the room, Kai stopped me. "Are you sure your up to this?" he asked. He was referring to the last mission we went on. A trader set a bomb on our ship and I had been hurt pretty bad. "I'm all ready there and waiting for you." I replied. "Alright then." Kai said, patting me on the back. As I walked to my quarters I thought about this mission. The rest of the C squad was worried, I could tell. Trust has to be earned in my eyes and once it's broken it can't be fixed. After I was hurt by someone I considered a friend, I didn't trust anyone, not even the C squad, for awhile. But that was in the past. I fully trusted the C squad, even if I didn't trust many other people. "Home sweet home." I said to no one in particular as I opened my door. My room is just like all the other rooms. Very temporary looking and ready to be packed up at moments notice. It contained a roll out sleeping pallet, a create I had fashioned into a nightstand with a small glow panel on it. There were also three stacked up boxes for my clothes and things. The cockpit of my ship was more homey then this. Sometimes the RT is pressed for living quarters. My room itself had probably been a supply closet at one time. But you can't complain. Every room on the base is like this. I grabbed a small pack and shoved clothes, an assortment of weapons and some other odds and ends in. Leaving my room even emptier then before, I started down the hallway.
"Hey Talli!" Gian called. "Wait up!" He caught up with me. "So what do you think of this mission?" "I think its going to be another boring mapping mission." I told him. "Really?" he asked. I nodded. "Long and boring." "I wouldn't say that." Gian said and we continued walking. "I thought you thought scouting missions were annoying." I replied. "I do." He explained. "I just wouldn't say it." I swatted at him. "We are going to see President Organa-Solo." Gian reminded me. "Wimp." I said, shooting him a challenging look. "Just because I don't spend my free time picking fly's off the wall with a blaster doesn't mean that-" "Hello." Paige's soft but stern voice interrupted. By then we had reached the docking bay. Kai was waiting for us. "Come on. We better not be late." He said motioning for us to get on the ship. Javid was all ready there and had just finished programming in the cordenince. "I did my job." He said, taking his seat. "Okay, then let's move." Kai said, sitting in his pilot's seat. "Sounds good." Gian added from his co-pilots chair. Minutes later we were in lightspeed.
"Okay everyone. "Paige, I don't have to warn you. You know what to do. Javid, don't let your habit of giving people more information then they asked for kick in. Gian, they know you're an important member of the team, so don't jump in to defend your self. Talia-" Kai gave me a stern look. "Be nice." We were standing outside the presidents quarters, receiving the usual warnings from Kai. He pressed the door chime. All most immediately Han Solo answered. "Were the C squad." Kai said, using his friendly, conversational yet businesslike voice. "Were here to speak with President Organa-Solo." Solo nodded and called into the house. "Hon, those kid you hired are here." I felt anger rise in me. Kai must have seen my eyes blaze because he placed a hand on my arm. "This is Talia, our weapons specialist." "Hello." Solo said. I unclenched my jaw enough to say, "We are not kids." Solo grinned as if he found this funny. "Ya know, I'm hearing that more and more these days. Why don't you come in." As we stood in the entry hall, Solo continued, "You don't have to stand against the wall like a group of fugitives. Come sit down." He motioned for us to follow him. Despite myself, I was starting to like Han Solo. As we entered the room I noticed two 16 year-olds and the 14 year-old that were all ready there, watching the holovid. Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin. I had heard of them. As we approached they turned off the holovid and sat up. The rest of my group started to sit on the couch. I didn't want to let my guard down but I felt Kai's eyes burning into me so I sat down anyway. With my hand close to my blaster. "These are my kids Jacen, Jaina and Anakin." Solo said, gesturing to them. I nodded my greeting. Just then, Leia Organa-Solo walked in. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." She sat down next to her husband. "President Organa-Solo." Kai addressed her. "Please, call me Leia." "Thank you Leia. I'm Kai. This is Paige, our diplomat in training. Javid, the teams expert slicer. Our weapons specialist, Talia and this is Gian, our defense expert." "Nice to meet you." Leia said. The group voiced their greeting and I nodded curtly. She turned to Paige and said, "You're a diplomat in training?" And for the first time since I met her, Paige looked slightly embarrass and shy. "Yes. I've always had a knack for it." Paige said, ducking her head. "Well perhaps I'll call on you for further assistance. Maybe you could even tag along to a meeting before you leave." Paige's eyes lit up. "Do you really mean it? Because if you do, then I would love to!" "Of course I mean it. There is a debate tomorrow morning that you can come to." Paige looked ready to jump up and hug Leia. "I'll be there." Paige breathed. "Thank you." "Tomorrow?" I blurted out. "Won't we be gone by then?" "Well, no. The information won't be in until tomorrow afternoon. You are welcome to stay here tonight, I have rooms ready for all of you." "That would be great, thank you." Kai replied for us. "But what can we do until then?" "Well, you can try the optical courses, go to the holoclips (is that what movies are called in SW? I'm not sure...), try the flight simulators...
The rest of the afternoon Paige spent with Leia, Kai worked on the Silent Wind, Javid found a computer and stayed there, and me and Gian went to the flight simulators. Soon we were joined by Han and Jaina Solo. A little while later I went running and tried some of the hardest optical courses. By the time I got up to my room I was dead tired. I flung my bag down and flipped on the lights. The room was large and luxurious. My room at the base was probably as big as this room's closet. I threw myself down on the bed. It was so soft I almost sunk into it. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The room smelled of figisi wood. Before I drifted to sleep I changed into my nightclothes and washed the grease stains off my face. "Be glad you're only staying here one night." I told my reflection. "If you lived here all the time you would get as soft as that pillow." I climbed into bed and was about to turn off the lights when the door burst open. I had grabbed my blaster and was on the ground in firing position before I even saw who it was. "Paige!" I exclaimed, standing up and putting my blaster back under my pillow. Paige seemed unfazed by my actions. She practically skipped over and sat in one of the chairs. "Talli, Leia is the best! She told me all about debates and the rebellion and did you know that she was the youngest member of the imperial senate? She took me shopping and I got a really great outfit for the debate and she promised to fix my hair and..." Paige went on and on about how great Leia was. After awhile, I kind of zoned out. I don't remember when she left, I just remember that I was half-asleep and she was going to find Kai and tell him.
Morning. I'd forgotten how much I hated it. I'm used to waking up early but I'm not used to being comfortable when I wake up. I suddenly realized. I didn't have to get up. I didn't have to be anywhere or do anything. The thought was lulling me back to sleep. "Rise and shine sleeping beauty!" Gian's voice called from the other side of the door. "Beat it." I mumbled. He opened the door and pulled the curtains away from the window. "Lets go. I know your awake." He said. In one swift motion, I sprang out of bed and ran after Gian. He ran away. I chased him into the kitchen- and he stopped dead in his tracks. "What was that for?" I snap. Gian stepped aside and reveled Paige. She was wearing a deep green kimono embroidered with dark blue and tied at the waist with a dark colored obi. Her long hair was made to look like a braided tiara with the rest flowing freely down her back. Not, I noticed a flight suit, or even a shirt and skirt, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Run Gian, it's a body snatcher!" I yelled, and tried to run away. He grabbed my arm. (I really hate it when he dose that.) Paige smiled happily at us. "Do you like it?" she asked, doing a little twirl. "You look great Paige. Leia did a good job." Gian told her. She looked expectantly at me. (I hate it when she dose that. She expects me to say something and I don't have a clue what it is.) "It's you." I finally said. "It's 100% you." Paige beamed. "Paige, time to go." Leia called. "Bye!" Paige yelled over her shoulder as she raced after Leia. "She's gotten kinda close to Leia, hasn't she?" I observed. "I think Leia reminds her of her mother." Gian said quietly. I nodded. Just then Kai and Javid came in, looking bewildered. "Did you see-" Kai started. "Yeah." Me and Gian said. "I wouldn't be caught dead in something like that." I said. "No, you can't fight in that, so why in creation would you wear it?" Gian said, before Kai could scold me for my rudeness, even though no one was around to hear it. "Now I'm hungry, lets go get something to eat." "Do you always think about food?" I asked him. "Some people don't devote our entire brain to envisioning the perfect fight." Gian retorted. "Well maybe if more people did then-" I stopped. "What are you waiting for?" Kai asked. "Nothing. We never get past this part. Paige usually stops us." I replied. "Lets go get something to eat." Javid said. "You might not be hungry Talia, but I am." I sighed and said, "That's what I get for being friends with a bunch of guys."
Later that morning, I paced restlessly around my room. I had done everything there was to do. I'd gone to the flight sims, practiced shooting targets, took a hand-to-hand fighting course and ended up buying the holoclips, even hung out with the Solo kids. Now, a few hours later, I was bored stiff. "This may be luxury," I muttered. "But it sure lacks in entertainment." Just then Kai poked his head in the door. "Talli, Paige is back. You might as well come and talk to her. You've been stalking around this room like an angry wildcat for almost an hour." I nodded and he was gone. I sighed and followed him. Why not?
