Chapter Four: "We have to make this work."

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Jaren straightened his uniform once more. He wasn't really trying to impress anyone, but he did want to appear responsible and confident. He was sweating, though. Wiping the wetness from his brow, he brought his right hand up to gently rap on the door. To his surprise, the door opened almost immediately, and every preparation quickly fled in light of the situation.

"Hey, Tel," he greeted his sniping partner at her door, also surprised that she wasn't too dirty from kitchen duty. The woman did not seem pleased to see him. "Were... uh, you about to go out or something?"

The beautiful and dangerous sniper played aimlessly with her brownish hair while leaning on the doorframe. "I heard you outside my door five minutes ago and came to see what you were about."

Jaren could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. "Oh, uh... well, I came to talk..."

"Look." She tossed a strand of hair back and stood up to full height, ironically not much shorter than Jaren. "What happened between us is over. Done with. I have no desire to revisit our mistake."

Jaren unconsciously tried to calm her with a hand on her shoulder, but the angry woman jerked away. "Tel," he pleaded, "we have to make this work. We need to talk."

"I don't want to make this work," she spat back quickly. "Every time I see you I relive your sniping obsession." One hand on her control panel, she attempted to close the door before he noticed.

Jaren's palm slapped against the sliding door and sent it back. "I'm not talking about us," he clarified, hoping to soothe Telia. "We were both under a lot of pressure and I regret a lot of the actions I had to take."

Telia snorted. "You didn't have to take any of those actions."

"I took them to advance our team!"

"And it hurt me in the end! You're such a jerk!" Telia attempted once more to close the door, but to no avail.

"Please, let me explain -"

Her blaster out of range, Telia instead reached behind her for the nearest weapon and prepared to launch it at her former love interest.

*****

Ty Flynn and Rinin Altura walked by just as Jaren stumbled back a couple of steps. The attack gave Telia the needed time to close her door and lock it, leaving the two Talons to stare at their superior and the thrown weapon.

Jaren brought the pillow down slowly, not sure if he wanted to see those particular squadmates after such a display. The two seemed to be very mellow, however, and he briefly recalled their meeting with Captain Ski after kitchen duty. He nodded slightly to both of them. "I hope it's been a good evening for you both?" he asked, eager to take the attention away from himself and his altercation with Telia.

"We saw two of the females of the squad wrestling on the kitchen floor and had our faces singed by Captain Ski's hot breath," Rinin said with an unusual smile on his face. "The evening just couldn't have been better."

Ty voiced his agreement. "I'm just exhausted." He threw his hands into the air. The two secondary operations team members shared a laugh, and Jaren's confusion only doubled. As they continued toward their end of the hallway, he made a mental note to ask Ski sometime about his words to the unruly team.

"And did you see her face?" Rinin continued, picking up their conversation before the odd interruption. "That was absolutely classic!"

"Your face was almost as picturesque," Ty said with a grin. His gaze dropped to the ground as if in deep thought. "I clearly remember your eyes -"

Rinin held up a hand. "All right, all right. Remember, though, that we should all take the threat very seriously." That simple statement brought both Talons to chuckle once more. Ty was about to add yet another comment when another Talon greeted them.

"Hey, guys." Mekial waved to them, her huge smile melting away their feigned masculinity. She tapped a series of buttons to lock her door and then turned to give them her full attention. Ty and Rinin could see that she was dressed for the night. "How do you like things around here so far?"

Ty couldn't get past that smile... she was so disarming! There was something about her he found quite attractive. "So far so good," he said. "The second operations team has had a change of heart after tonight's events, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's competitions, whatever they might be."

Mekial threw him a twisted grin. "No more playing around for your division? I wouldn't have thought that you all would make the change so quickly."

The Twi'lek was quick to add his voice. "Change is very good. We only had to be threatened once."

The woman eyed them both with a curiosity, but she didn't pursue it. "Well, whatever competitions are in store for tomorrow, be sure that you watch for the support team. We're all kind of fired up to smack the intrusions team, but you guys weren't even a question in our mind."

Ty gripped his chest as if he had just been wounded. "Ouch," he said, his sour face pouting. "I'll be sure to tell my team to just to lie down and die when we arrive tomorrow."

Mekial gave one last smile to her two squadmates. "Get a good night's sleep. You'll need it," she called, waved, and left them standing there. One in particular stared long after she rounded the corner and disappeared.

Rinin turned to his partner and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "You can pick up your jaw now."

Ty didn't bother turning his head. "She's intriguing."

The other snorted. "Oh, is that all?"

"No, seriously," Ty chuckled, dreamily envisioning the woman in midair. "I can't see anyone not getting along with that woman. How can anyone be that happy all the time?"

"Well, I sure am going to learn." Rinin put on his best, cheesy smile.

Ty finally gave Rinin an odd look. "Are you sure you're not taking that threat a little too seriously?" he asked as the two turned once more for their rooms at the end of the hallway.

"I don't think so, and I don't want to find out after what happened tonight."

The two shared a final laugh for the night, one that only they could understand.

*****

Kevin Ski was up bright and early along with his squadron that next morning in the simulation room on the sixth floor. Many were still nursing wounded muscles and egos, but the majority was starting to get used to each other. Mekial was trying a little too hard to be friends with Rubi, he thought, but as he glanced their way, he noticed a private joke between the two. Perhaps Rubi would come around and become a part of the support team. Mekial might have achieved the impossible by making the other woman a friend.

Stone, Trika, and Milan all stood in a small group, away from the rest of the squad and from their leader, the mysterious Jane Muir. She was one of the sharpest of recruits, but she would not relax her stern face and serious attitude. And then there was the second operations team. Kithera's wide smile mirrored his own, and he knew that somehow that group would come out all right. Kaiba and Ty were arguing about something, but Rinin continually chuckled throughout the entire ordeal, a new sight if Kevin had ever seen one.

Captain Ski cleared his throat and ordered his group to come to attention. The formation was sloppy, at best, but all had quieted. Giving a quick scan of the line, he decided to correct a few matters from the start.

"Stand up straight," he ordered Kendrick and Quis, who stood at the front of the line. "I don't run a sissy squadron full of weak warriors." Ski continued to the support team. "Eyes forward," he told all of them, save for Lieutenant Kai, who was as perfect as an officer could be. "We are a unit. Everyone should be looking forward."

The intrusions team was next. "Stone, you may have a busy schedule as our medic, but your uniform should be cleaned and pressed." Ski knew Stone desperately wanted to explain himself, but he kept going. "Adair, shine those shoes before our session this afternoon." Kevin paused before going to the second operations team. "Lirac, loosen up a bit," he said with a smile, and the squad returned a brief chuckle.

"Operations II, stop slouching," he could have instructed practically all of them, with the exception of Lieutenant Rinani, of course. With those final orders, he turned back and faced his entire group. "Let's all get some confidence about us, folks," he said. "The enemy out there does not know about your pasts, your quirks, your problems, or your issues with each other. The enemy will not care that you were not prepared, not disciplined, or not trained well. You may be an emotional wreck, an Imperial defector, or an irresponsible sap, but that will not stop the enemy from killing you and destroying this squadron. Make the choice now to train hard and discipline yourself. Know that while you train here, your enemies are plotting your demise."

If that didn't get their attention and their devotion, nothing would. He noticed some were standing even taller than when they had been corrected. "Today we will be journeying to the wonderful world of simulation and shooting. I hope you all have had time to investigate the lounge reading material and educate yourself on the types of craft we will be flying and riding. Our new toys should be delivered within the week, so be ready for an introduction to our home away from the Nest. Until then, feel free to check out what we have on our own roof. You'll be pleased to know that we've acquired several of your favorite machines, everything from the X-wings you started with to some A-wings and Y-wings. Many have been tricked out to the point that they function quite differently from what you have trained on. They're worth studying.

"I realize that not everyone is a pilot, let alone an expert, and that is fine. I am not expecting the intrusions team to beat my pilots in the sims." A few laughs ensued, especially from the intrusions team. He understood that all had flown in the past, but none of the intrusions team had done so more than a couple of times. "Pardon the expression, but there will be a 'crash course' in piloting for those particular members.

"Shooting range drills are for everyone. I expect that all of you will see some form of combat and will need to know how to shoot quickly, accurately, and be able to recharge or switch weapons immediately. We will be going over these same drills for the next few weeks because your enemy will not give you time to think about your next move. Therefore, we will practice until it is simply in your nature to do what needs to be done. Any questions?"

Danya shifted a tad and stepped forward. "Yes, Two?" Ski prompted his partner, who had seemed a bit subdued, not to mention more than a bit aloof toward Trika, since the previous night's kitchen detail.

"Sir, I saw Sergeant Bullwinkle practicing a lot of odd moves in the gym earlier this morning and I was wondering if he would be teaching us later tonight."

Ski punched in a couple of commands into his datapad and reviewed some specifics about the training. He made a particularly puzzled face and shook his head. "He will be teaching you something, although I don't know what these items have to do with survival techniques."

"Thank you, sir." Danya slipped back into line and bit her lip, a little disappointed with the answer to her question.

"Any other questions?"

Some of his team actually looked a little too frightened to ask whatever questions they might have had. When no one spoke up, Ski continued onward. "Intrusions team, to the simulators to your right. Everyone else, to the simulators on your left."

"Why does this keep happening?" Quis Heartilly grumbled, staring longingly at the intrusions team. She figured that she was not cut out for anything but engineering and that this would be yet another misadventure of large proportions. On the other hand, her partner Kendrick looked completely taken with the idea of simulation training. He was already climbing into his simulator pod and strapping himself in with a familiarity that bespoke experience.

Kevin instructed the intrusions team to begin training via a guided tour and a couple of lessons, then surprised many of his squadron by joining the other teams. Although many had somewhat expected the famous Kevin Ski to join them in the sims, their disbelief was still evident. A few looked forward to the challenge, particularly the pilots and veterans, but the rest grumbled curses at having been assigned to their particular team.

Kevin waited for the rest of his squadron to figure out where the controls were and how to get started with the basic program functions. "All right, folks," Kevin came through on a universal comlink. "Let's practice some technique. Some of you might consider yourselves 'Rogue-worthy,' and that's a nice thought. However, I want you all to be 'Talon-worthy,' and to do that, you've got to pass my standards. Understood?"

The affirmative replies came back strong, even with a few key members attempting to hide their nervousness and inexperience. The sims came to life, projecting an open space environment, several standard leagues above what appeared to be Coruscant. "Your entrance scores prove that you all should be able to handle a little team-versus-team action. Leaders should communicate with their wingmen and make sure their team is the last standing. Any questions?"

Mekial growled in frustration. "And why isn't the intrusions team in here with us? I demand to have a chance at them later, sir."

"Eight, if those guys have to pilot us anywhere, we're all dead anyway," Ski answered. The entire squad, save for the commandos, had a laugh at the expense of the intrusions team. "You'll all get your chance to beat up on them later. We are an intelligence squadron, however, and the only flying they will be doing will relate to vehicles they commandeer on missions. They will be training extensively for those types of adventures. I want you all to avoid their form of transportation. Instead, I want you crisp on what we use and what your enemies will use."

After a brief pause, Ski readied his own craft. "Let's fly, Talons. Simulation exercise in five seconds." His comlink cut off, and suddenly, all team members were in communication with their own teams. The three division leaders began to bark out a seemingly endless string of coded assignments. Within a few seconds, they were able to watch in delight as the trained Talon X-wings took to different formations.

Both operations teams might have had a slight advantage in piloting skills, if not for the coordination of Jaren and Telia. While a little uncertain at the controls, the two snipers seemed to move in concert without thinking. Rubi and Mekial were not bad pilots themselves, and the combined effort quickly proved to be devastating. Choosing a tight offensive formation, the support team managed to wrap around the second operations team and let fly a couple of shots at an unshielded Rinin Altura, knocking him out early in the game. Kithera avoided the initial barrage and got off some shots of her own, but the support team had already flown off in search of other prey.

The flight controls, so natural in his hands, were a welcomed reprieve from the stress of everyday life. Kevin Ski knew his operations team would be able to fend off anything the support team could throw at them, even if Jaren and Telia were hotshots themselves. "Three, you ready to try out that 'formation' in the manual I gave you?" Kevin obviously referred to the more-than-risky section near the back of the Talon manual.

Kendrick's tone bordered on eagerness and excitement. "If Two and Four are ready, I say we go for it."

"Well," Talon Two, Danya, popped up, "I'm not planning on losing, so you'd better be ready."

Kevin waited for Quis to respond, but the shy woman merely brought her X-wing into line and awaited the order. Her lack of enthusiasm for the formation could prove fatal if this was something other than a sim. "Four, I want you to lend a hand to Three. Make sure he's covered while he's pulling this off. Two, you know what to do." On his mark, the X-wings formed up tightly and shot forward in a daring drive deep into the heart of the battle.

Kithera called for Kaiba and Ty to regroup, but it seemed the second operations team was a little rusty on its coordination. Rubi doggedly pursued Kaiba and Ty, and with some tight maneuvering around the operations team, broke hard to the right and scored a second hit for the support team. Kaiba screamed in frustration and pounded her controls just before the disturbing image of Sergeant Bullwinkle alerted her to the fact that she was dead. His intensely odd face was enough to make her scream at him as well.

Just too easy, Kendrick thought before he broke off, sending his fighter into an inverted dive below his group. He had particularly wanted to take out Ty Flynn, his main source of piloting competition, but he avoided the mistake of breaking formation to pursue him. Instead, Rubi found herself on the receiving end of his lasers, which knocked her from the sim. Curling back into formation, the operations team began a sweep of the area, eager for another turn at both the support and second operations teams.

Ty Flynn finally came back to Kithera just in time to meet Jaren, Telia, and Mekial, charging headlong against them. "What is he doing, Five?" Telia asked Jaren, curious as to what strategies everyone else was employing. So far, it seemed that no one had any clue about handling shields, let alone their heads while in battle. Telia prayed that she never had to support any of these psychos in space.

"He's loaded," Jaren said, remembering seeing Ty's insane pull-offs from the military archives. "I'm taking him out."

"Ty, what are you doing?" Kithera yelled, on the verge of losing her mind. Her team was completely chaotic. She snapped her thrusters to full power, hoping the support team would not catch Ty and take her down as well. "Answer me, Ty!"

The pilot wasn't listening, however. It was a tingling sensation he got in the heat of battle. Simulations always gave him the opportunity to explore it, because if he got hit or shot down, it wasn't as big of a deal. Embracing that tiny flare at the edge of his mind, Ty jerked his ship slightly and narrowly avoided four separate blasts from Danya and Quis, who had paired and come straight for him. His reaction time was shockingly fast, and his sharp left twist had caused a moment's hesitation in the rest of the gathered ships. Only Danya responded by throwing her fighter into a near ninety-degree vertical climb to get out of the way of the Kithera's fire, who was merely trying to keep up with Ty without getting herself killed.

Quis never saw the feint coming and was hit, but with luck, managed to get away with everything intact. She was shocked when Jaren's shots struck her twice and clipped her wing. The resulting explosion of Quis's ship rocked the remaining X-wings, who continued to exchange fire before Kevin and Kendrick came to ruin the party.

"How the heck did he do that?" Ken flipped around to see Ty's fighter dive into a nearly-blind maneuver that would have killed anyone else in his position. "Lead, permission to engage?"

"Not without Two," Kevin called back, awaiting Danya's return from above. A slight look, however, revealed that Mekial and Telia, with Jaren close behind, were tailing her. "She can use the assistance right now, I'm betting."

As if on cue, Danya called in frantically. "Hey, umm, mind giving your favorite hacker a hand here?"

Kevin and Kendrick seemed to work together, rolling to come up on either side of the opposing force. Jaren had seen them coming and let back on his throttle just a tad, lining up for a direct shot at Kevin's aft shields. But a hunch and a proximity warning caused Jaren to shift hard to the right, and a shot from behind nearly scorched him. Ty Flynn was back.

The operations team successfully pulled Telia and Mekial off Danya's tail, but only for a brief moment before Ty interrupted the mess. Two of his shots knocked out her aft shields before she could maneuver away from him, and by that time, Telia was back and hungry for the kill. Danya was out within seconds.

It was not a complete victory, however. Kendrick did not hesitate in locking onto Mekial's fighter and working her shields hard. Kevin moved in for the kill, but Jaren was suddenly there, causing Kevin to swing back out of the way. Kendrick paid for his persistence with a hit, and he, too, had to relinquish his position.

"I'm going to hurt you if you don't tell me what you're doing!" Kithera called to Ty for the last time, just as Mekial hit her port side. Telia finished the job, leaving Ty as the last of the second operations team. Still, he didn't seem to notice or care.

"Nice flying, Eight," Telia complimented Mekial. The two seemed to be getting along nicely, at least during competition. Someone dedicated to making the lives of the other teams miserable could hold a special, friendly place in their hearts.

"Thanks for the follow-up," Mekial returned, ready for a couple more runs to victory. The two began to return to Jaren but were stunned by the flash of an explosion filling their viewports. The surprise of seeing Jaren vaped before their very eyes was alarming. The shooter? None other than Kevin Ski, a man who had more than a few "trophies" in his office for flying missions during the Rebellion, and a few promotions along the way, too.

He obviously had not forgotten how to fly.

"I'm coming around to -" Mekial began, seeing a familiar form pull up from her side. Ty was in pursuit. Knowing she was already in danger from her battle with Kendrick, she rerouted all of her power to her aft and starboard shields and prepared for the worst. She and Telia were both surprised when Kendrick returned to finish the job, attacking her from the left and taking her out. Telia barely escaped, high-tailing it out of the fight with warning lights flashing.

Unfortunately for her, Ty had another feeling of his and had let fly a couple of random shots in her general direction, which finalized the death of the support team. In a moment of frustration, Telia cursed loudly enough at Sergeant Bullwinkle to be heard throughout the entire sim room.

Unfortunately for Ty, his feeling hadn't compensated for the persistent Kevin Ski and Kendrick Quinn. Six shots later, the second operations team was out, and everything was finished in the simulators. The machines all powered down, spilling on the screen a series of statistics and awards for those who performed admirably. The three teams emerged from their crafts with a variety of emotions.

"That was most upsetting," Telia spat, calming herself by imagining her fist crunching through Ty Flynn's skull.

"We've got to do that again sometime," Ty eagerly suggested.

Danya brushed her dark blond hair back and threw it to the side. "Because getting blown out of the sky was just so much fun..."

Kevin motioned for his group to gather around. Even though he had expected to win, he was more than a little disappointed with the turnout of events and was curious to see the statistics from the exercise. "We've got a lot of work to do, folks. I'm not quite sure whether I am pleased with anyone's performance, but we're going to get better and learn to work together. There's not a lot I can teach you if you're not willing to cooperate with your team leader. I'll have the final results shortly and we'll go over what went wrong with everyone." Kevin made sure to emphasize that particular word. No one in his squad was without fault in this particular exercise. "Be prepared for shooting drills in one standard hour. Dismissed."