Welcome to the very first installment of a Jedi Council Forums fan fiction legend! What you are about to read is a collaborative effort by the original authors to restore the Talon Intelligence Squadron series, the best-known and longest-running squadfic ever to grace the JC with its wild and hysterical antics. Talon Squad Leader created TIS in January 2000, but never in his wildest dreams could he have ever foreseen its growth. It practically took on a life of its own. Two years, twenty large threads, dozens of authors and characters, and a myriad of plot twists later, the series was legendary.

The story has never left our hearts. For those of us who survived all of the threads, TIS remains a subject of awe. Recently, the original authors have regrouped and have dedicated themselves to restoring the series from the beginning for a new generation to take in. While it has been eight years since the series began, it is still as fresh to me as ever. With the passing of TSL in 2004, his story has become even more important to me and many others. In his honor and in the memory of what was and still is the greatest squadfic ever to hit the JC, we, the original Talon authors, are dedicated to restoring TIS to its original glory.

Talon Intelligence Squadron:
Not Always As They Seem

Book One of the
Talon Intelligence Squadron series

Various Authors

Disclaimer/Copyright

We, the Talon authors and artists, do not own Star Wars and do not claim any rights to the characters, places, events, and ideas in this book that are not original creations. We acknowledge that we are merely "playing" in an already-extant creation and appreciate the oppotunity.

We also do not own or the Jedi Council Forums and do not claim any rights to these entities based upon their use in planning and organizing this series.

All original characters, places, events, and ideas in this book belong to their respective authors and artists and may be used with permission from the author or artist who created the work. This is no assumption of legal copyright, but a respectful request to acknowledge the hard work that went into this project. Just as we enjoy playing in this particular universe, readers and future Talons are certainly welcome to enjoy what we've put together, and in fact, we encourage it.

Acknowledgement/Dedication

Many Talons have contributed to this series, including the following Talons responsible for the work put into this first book:

Darth McClain
Darth Muis
Idiots Array
Lilith Demodae
Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand
RogueLead11
StarscreamPrime
stoneheart
Trika_Kenobi
TrulyGhent

Thank you all for the journey!

To Mr. George Lucas, who created a masterpiece of wonder that is enjoyed the world over. You've inspired us to channel our own creativity and passion into your world, and we appreciate the freedom to play.

To Kevin, who created a masterpiece of wonder that is enjoyed the world over. You've inspired us to channel our own creativity and passion into this wonderful Talonverse, which is now the highest form of appreciation we can give back to you. Thank you.

Dramatis Personae/Roster and Crew

Operations
Lead - Captain Kevin Ski - pilot, engineer
Two - Second Lieutenant Danya Faithwood - hacker, slicer
Three - Second Lieutenant Kendrick Quinn - pilot, mechanics
Four - Second Lieutenant Quis Heartilly - engineer, chemist

Support
Five - Lieutenant Jaren Kai - sniper, infiltration
Six - Second Lieutenant Telia Aris - sniper, infiltration
Seven - Sergeant Rubi Jais - espionage, infiltration
Eight - Second Lieutenant Mekial Yrisar - espionage, infiltration

Intrusions
Nine - Lieutenant Jane Muir - infiltration, combat
Ten - Staff Corporal Janus "Stone" Talson - combat, medic
Eleven - Second Lieutenant Trika Adair - slicer, hacker
Twelve - Staff Corporal Milan Lirac - infiltration, combat

Operations II
Thirteen - Lieutenant Kithera Rinani - weapons, engineer
Fourteen - Second Lieutenant Kaiba Cloudrifter - mechanics, engineer
Fifteen - Second Lieutenant Rinin Altura - weapons, engineer
Sixteen - Second Lieutenant Ty Flynn - pilot, mechanics

Talon Support Group
Sergeant Floreverus Bullwinkle - culinary art, drill

Dramatis Personae/Pronunciation Guide

Kevin Ski (Human male from Dantooine)
KEH-vin SKEE

Danya Faithwood (Human female from Commenor)
DAN-yah FAYTH-wood

Kendrick Quinn (Human male from unknown homeworld)
KEN-drik QUINN

Quis Heartilly (Human female from Lamaredd)
QWYS HART-il-ee

Jaren Kai (Human male from Kuat)
JAIR-en KY

Telia Aris (Human female from Melida/Daan)
TEEL-ya AIR-is

Rubi Jais (Human female from Adumar)
RUE-bee JYS

Mekial Yrisar (Human female from Stepula)
Meek-ee-YAL REE-sar

Jane Muir (Human female from Balmorra)
JAYNE MEW-er

Janus "Stone" Talson (Human male from Chandrila)
JAN-us STONE TAL-son

Trika Adair (Chinaési female from Chinaé)
TRY-kuh Uh-DAIR

Milan Lirac (Kiffar male from Kiffu)
MY-luhn LEER-ak

Kithera Rinani (Human female from Circarpous V)
Kih-THAIR-uh Rih-NAN-ee

Kaiba Cloudrifter (Human female of Frigate Dark Mystic)
KY-buh CLOUD-rift-er

Rinin Altura (Twi'lek male from Ryloth)
RIN-in Al-TUR-uh

Ty Flynn (Human male from Blonus)
TY FLIN

Floreverus Bullwinkle (Human male from Atiragram)
Flor-EV-er-us BULL-wink-ul

The following events take place 11 ABY

Talon Intelligence Squadron: Not Always As They Seem
Chapter One: "It's not every day that a young officer gets to work under Captain Kevin Ski."

For ten years I have seen my career with the New Republic flourish and soar, much like the eagle I presently wear on my shoulder. Now I see that same career circling the drain and into an abyss of disgrace. Will this particular insignia be my bane?

"Sir, the first of the lieutenants has arrived."

I am not bitter for the assignment. The assignment is good... and needed. I am more than ever challenged by it. Perhaps, though, I am made bitter by the humiliation.

"Sir, Lieutenant Kai is waiting. Shall I escort him in?"

They couldn't have picked a better person for the job. I'm probably the only one who has a chance to pull this off. I am also the only one that they would ever set up like this.

"Sir?"

Finally looking up from his brooding thoughts, Captain Kevin Ski cocked an eyebrow at his persistent military droid, H9-0. For a brief moment he entertained a thought of letting a couple of his new personnel reprogram him. "Escort him in, H9." Ski gestured toward the door of his office. The red and white droid turned and headed into the lobby. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Ski added quietly, "Here goes nothing."

It was only a short second later that Lieutenant Jaren Kai was escorted into his office. Snapping a salute, the young human male appeared disciplined in the highest regard. His uniform, marked with the proper rank and rating, was pressed and clean. His gaze was perfectly set just above his captain's head.

Ski made a mental note to thank whoever assigned this fellow to Talon Intelligence Squadron.

Captain Ski smiled slightly while taking a look at Kai's datapad. Fortunately, the only red mark on the display was the small detail that Lieutenant Kai had been raised Imperial through and through. The fact that it was marked to "alert" him to the potential danger made Ski chuckle a bit.

"Jaren Kai, correct?" Ski wasted no time with formalities, standing and returning the salute. Kai dropped his right arm and nodded with a formal, "Yes, sir." The captain extended his hand in greeting, a casual move normally reserved for days down the road. Hesitantly, the young officer took the hand. "I am Captain Kevin Ski. Welcome to Talon Squad."

"Thank you, sir," Kai returned. "I appreciate your invitation. It's not every day that a young officer gets to work under Captain Kevin Ski."

Ski released Kai's hand and offered the seat on the other side of his desk. The two sat down. "You've heard of me, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, it is hard to have not heard of you," Kai returned, sitting attentively and giving his new commanding officer his unwavering attention. "You're practically a legend to those who know anything about the Rebellion."

He knew this wasn't plain flattery. "I would say that Commander Antilles holds the status of 'legend' fairly well," Ski retorted, taking another brief glance at Kai's collected data. "My files are filled with worthless information, just like any pilot of that era. Your own are quite impressive, however. I see you have a bit of an Imperial background."

Kai remained composed despite the somewhat implied insult. "My family's devotion to the Empire is not my own, I assure you. My record since joining the New Republic should prove my loyalties."

"Join the club," came the simple response. Ski tossed the datapad aside and looked squarely at his first recruit. His demeanor changed rapidly and his tone turned very serious. Even his bluish gray eyes iced over. "I'm going to be quite honest with you, Lieutenant. This all seems quite..." Ski waved his hands loosely around the cluttered and unpacked office, as if trying to pinpoint the correct word, "...mysterious, am I right?"

The young man seemed taken aback by the quick change and nodded slightly. "All I was told about this assignment was the basic mission profile of Talon Squad, plus your note about my heading up the Support team. I was not even given any information about the other personnel you will be placing in my care, sir."

How to explain the situation? "Let's simply say that the first few weeks are going to be some of the most fascinating I will ever experience in my life. I'm going to let you get settled before the rest of the group arrives, but we will be discussing the details tonight when everyone else is unpacking."

Ski stood, the obvious sign that their meeting was over. Kai stood and sharply saluted. The salute was returned casually and, as Kai turned to leave, Captain Ski tossed an information pad and a set of scan cards to his first recruit. "Rooms are on the fourth floor. You'll find what you need in that datapad." With that, Lieutenant Jaren Kai exited the office and left Captain Ski with a slight smirk on his face.

He allowed himself the pleasure of leaving the smile there for a second longer. Ski flipped one of the datapads around so that he could see it more clearly. He took a look at his next officer's record. Solidly clean in every way. Past experience in intelligence analysis. A weaponry expert, skilled in determining signature data from orbital missile-defense systems. Thinking back over his career, he honestly couldn't say whether he had met such an expert. She seemed very specialized in her knowledge, but her leadership qualities intrigued him more. An early leader. One who could be a benefit in keeping troublemakers in line. Ski was so engrossed in thought that he hardly noticed the petite form awaiting him at the door.

She cleared her throat, drawing him from his wandering daydream. Ski started with a visible jerk, yet composed himself quickly before it was completely obvious. "Lieutenant Rinani. Kithera Rinani. Correct?" he asked, resting a stiff left arm on his desk.

Sharp as a tack, the young woman stepped forward into his office and came to rest at attention. "Yes, sir," she answered crisply. "Lieutenant Rinani reporting for duty." She presented a set of two datapads, which he took, and returned to attention.

Ski unceremoniously dropped the devices onto his desk and gestured to the seat beside her. "Please, Lieutenant, have a seat. I am Captain Kevin Ski. Welcome to Talon Intelligence Squadron."

"Thank you, sir," she answered, taking a seat just as Ski settled into his own chair. "I am very excited about the assignment here. I'm not sure what all the position entails, but knowing I'll be serving under you is a great honor."

He had brought his chin to rest in the palm of his hand, his elbow casually taking up residence at the edge of the desk. He might have been honored by such a remark, but in all honesty, he couldn't bring himself to even smile genuinely at the statement. "You're excited? That's good," he mused absently, taking another look at her and then at the datapad. He snapped back into a mood more fitting of a commanding officer. "I, uh… I noticed you have extensive teaching experience. You moved into a number of leadership positions early on when you first enlisted."

The unique pull of her wavy brown hair, done up in a bun, made her face appear lean and serious. Her eyes, dark green orbs, calculated his every word. "The Flight Academy at Aaeton took me on as an instructor after I graduated," she clarified, lowering her gaze at him. "Mostly mechanical knowledge. To be honest, I thought they could have found anybody for the position. It was my first command, and I moved up in rank rather quickly."

Ski could very well identify with that. He could very well identify with having leadership thrown upon one's shoulders. In the midst of a galactic war, he had similarly had to adapt quickly to leading others. "Your record states that you qualified to be an officer two years later. By my reckoning," he said, noticing the slight shift in her posture, "you should have made it to a captain's ranking before being sent here."

Well, he had said it. Kevin hadn't really wanted put her in a tough position, but he had said it. Lieutenant Rinani nodded slightly, taking a moment to gather her words. "The other instructors at the Academy were not very fond of my teaching methods. I had actually developed a new studying tool for my students that increased their test scores by almost seventy percent. Students were learning material in almost half the time." A solemn frown made its way to her face, and her eyes looked away distantly. With the same strength in her voice, she continued on. "I guess I made some of the other instructors jealous. I was recommended for a transfer in my last year there, and once my orders had gone through, I found myself in a desk position pushing flimsies for the Supply Corps Detachment out of Corellia. You'll find the details in that datapad. It wasn't a skill I was authorized to perform, and I lost all of the time I had in the mechanic's rate. I had to start over again pushing flimsies. I was recently promoted right before I received my orders to the Talons. It's my old job, but they've kept my ranking where it is for the time being."

Captain Ski found a whole new appreciation for the woman in still having the heart for the job. Losing rank was never an easy blow to bear, especially having never been at fault. He could definitely identify with that. He smiled, wishing for her sake that the secretary handling her files would neglect the change in rate again. "That's quite an interesting story," he commented, mulling over the injustice of it all. "Quite an interesting story. I'm sorry to hear that it's happened to you, though. I don't suppose you understand just how much I know how you feel."

She stiffened, contemplating whether she should ask for further clarification. "I only know of you by reputation, sir. Your record with the Rebellion is stunning to read."

Ski might have blushed if he had forgotten that he was sitting on the bottom floor of a dilapidated and horribly unattractive building. Somehow, the southern sector's structure authority had not condemned his new headquarters. "We all do what we have to, Lieutenant. My past is, fortunately, in the past. We do what we have to and move on." He met her gaze once again. He had her full attention. What he was about to say, ironically, was more difficult for him to say than he would have thought. "There are going to be many more interesting events in the future, and we have to be ready for them." Ski stood from his chair and offered his hand. "Do you have your introduction package?"

The young woman nodded, taking his hand and shaking it. "Yes, sir. My room and assignment are good, but I did not receive any details about the personnel I'm to be working with."

There's a good reason for that, Ski thought wryly. He merely smiled in response. "These are just formal introductions. There's a briefing schedule included in your packet. You'll get to meet the rest of the squadron tonight when I address the crew. Any other questions can be answered at that time."

"Thank you, sir," Lieutenant Rinani responded. "I'll go ahead and get settled in." With that, she turned on her heel and headed out the door.

"That wasn't so bad," he lightly chided himself, sorting through a random stack of datapads and stopping on his next recruit's information. Rinani had been just as sharp as Kai. The two officers were going to make fine additions to his squadron. Ski had already set his sights on naming one of them his executive officer, and with each of their qualifications to consider, he knew that the choice would be tough. The decision would ultimately come down to their individual training. Whoever came out of basic training unscathed from his other personnel was going to be the lucky winner. He hoped that one of his crispy officers would actually make it through unscathed, anyway. "Can't say much about this next one, though," he added, sighing while eyeing a few key red marks.

Ski grimaced when he heard the throat clear. Looking up, he saw Lieutenant Jane Muir standing at attention. Cursing his habit for speaking his own thoughts, Ski offered the woman a seat. "Lieutenant Jane Muir, I presume?"

"Yes, sir," she said, taking the seat and offering a rather large set of folders.

Ski took the folders, scrunched his nose at them, and tossed the set on top of some particularly uninteresting books in the corner of his desk. "I am Captain Kevin Ski. Welcome to the Talons." He took another moment to glance at the stack of folders. "They still in the habit of wasting flimsies in the Agency?" he asked with a chuckle.

Muir seemed stunned by the question. "They seem to have a good amount to hand out freely." She relaxed a little under Ski's easy gaze. "Those are the details of my last assignment. They don't believe in datapads."

"I'll take a look at it later," he assured her, assuring himself in the process that he would bury the folders in his bottommost desk drawer. "Did you receive your scan cards and information set on your way over?"

Lieutenant Muir raised the package from her side. Kevin nodded, noticing her uniform was also in neat order. She seemed professional enough.

"I suppose we'll find out what kind of personnel you'll have under you later on today," he informed her, taking care to notice how the woman did not seem to be volunteering information very freely. She wasn't a loudmouth. That was for certain. That concept reminded Kevin that these officers were mature because they were to be his leaders. There would be a lot of questions throughout the day as to the rest of his squadron, but that could at least wait until after he dismissed his intrusions team leader.

Muir cocked her head to the side, almost in a spasm of sorts, letting out a brief sigh. "This all seems somewhat strange, sir. I'm a little uncertain as to the nature of -"

Ski held up a hand for her to stop. "We all are, but that's why we're getting these introductions out of the way. Help yourself to the facilities. During the briefing tonight, we'll go over more of the details." He again stood in order to signal the end of the conversation.

Muir stood, but she hesitated a bit longer. "How is it that the great Kevin Ski gets stuck with an assignment like this, if you don't mind my asking, sir?"

That was a question that knocked him back on his heels. "Don't you think that's a little bit inappropriate for our first meeting, Lieutenant?" he prodded, curious to see her response and eager to change the subject. He had been dealing with stupidly bold officers his entire career, and this one suddenly didn't look to be too different.

"I'd like everything laid flat across the table," she ventured, steadily gaining confidence. "I'm good at hiding information and finding it out, but I'm not able to read minds, sir."

Kevin could only guess at what everyone truly thought of his leading the new Talon Intelligence Squadron. Many of his old piloting buddies probably assumed he had hit rock bottom, betting on how many demerits it had taken to land him in this position. The honest truth, though? "Let's just say that I've made a lot of enemies in the galaxy. Make sense?"

"More than you know," Muir said, saluting and turning to walk out the door. As she disappeared around the corner, Ski knew that even though his officers were going to be crispy and somewhat clean, the day was quite young.

With a brief glance at the remaining datapads tainted in red, Ski bit his bottom lip. It was going to be a long day.

*****

The room was silent. Its only inhabitants might have been the dead. Captain Ski, datapads in hand, strolled casually to the front of the briefing room, where he attempted to avoid eye contact with his squadron. He feared looking any one of them in the eye without having his face sour in front of them. Composure, Ski, he told himself. This is leadership.

He stepped in front of the podium and laid down his items. Or maybe this is just crazy, he corrected himself. There were no formalities or ceremony here, and given the way some of his recruits looked, he wasn't quite sure if some of them even knew how to give a proper salute, let alone have the respect to stand and sit and brown-nose when required. He had even requested that Lieutenants Kai, Muir, and Rinani refrain from calling "attention on deck" when he had entered because he was pretty sure the group would have botched the display, anyway.

At that moment, perhaps he looked older than his thirty standard years, but as he raised his sight to meet his squad, he knew he had to be in the right place. He had to be here, in this moment, ready for action, or else risk a quick death to some nameless enemy in the galaxy.

With a sad twist of humor, Ski swallowed hard. He might already be risking a quick death to one of his own recruits.

Gathering his own fortitude and authority, Captain Kevin Ski eyed the group before beginning. "Why are we here?" he asked, drawing the attention of every member of the squad. A few heads turned to the side, others looked confused, and a select couple laughed in response. Altogether, however, he got what he wanted and knew he could keep their attention until he was finished.

"Are we here because we are all so equally blessed with the highest rankings and greatest war records?" he asked a pair of operation team members, Kendrick Quinn and Quis Heartilly, who were sitting at the table farthest to the right. Given the two were about the quietest personnel Ski had ever seen, they seemed a wonderful match-up as Talons Three and Four, respectively, and they seemed to have met and formed a bit of a friendship throughout the day. However, their own records with the military were marred by disrespect and emotional instability. Kendrick's smug look and Quis's anxious fidgeting were proof enough that they would both need some work.

The answer to Ski's question was obvious.

"Are we here because we have the best civilian records? Or perhaps because our slate has never been touched?" Kevin looked at a few of his intrusion members and ironically, his own partner, Danya Faithwood. As a hacker, Talon Two boasted a unique number of accomplishments in information retrieval and the slicing of computer systems, both enemy and friendly. Not all of those jobs were technically legal, but she swore she had worked hard to cover them up and make things better with the offended parties. She was good; Kevin would give her that. Ironically, the illegal doings stood as the top reasons for keeping her as the ground base hacker on the operations team.

"I'll tell you why I'm here," a slightly accented voice spoke up. Many of the Talons turned slightly to view the woman, an odd-looking sight if there was any. Her face was barely visible through the tangle of micro-braided red hair that hung from around her head. "I was sent here because they think I'm going to bring everyone crashing down into a flaming pile of sithspawn. They can only hope I do it as quickly as possible."

Ski shook his head, trying to at least lie about that specific fact. "No one is here because they're going to bring this squadron down," he tried to say the words and mean them, too.

"I think she's here because she can't keep her kriffin' mouth shut," a Twi'lek behind her interjected. His light blue lekku were tensed in agitation. "It's not like she's going to be an asset in any way."

Much to Kevin's dismay, Danya Faithwood spoke up. The last thing he needed was another voice in that battle, especially not the woman with whom he would have to maintain a very close relationship. "Yes, let's start off by insulting each other. That really seems like the intelligent thing to do, don't you think?"

Kevin cleared his throat loud enough for all to hear, but a select few clearly did not hear it.

"I know we are not arguing about intelligence or competency," a woman from the middle of the room snorted. Rubi Jais rolled her eyes and attempted to focus on the datapad in her hand. "I see none in this room."

The Twi'lek Rinin Altura stood up suddenly, light blue face flushed. Drawing his side blaster and charging it with a quick snap, he aimed for Rubi's head. Before he could come out with his next words, however, the entire room had Rinin in their sights, or at least a good grasp on some form of throwing weapon. The air hummed with laser charges, ready to explode in a moment's notice.

Kevin slammed his fist onto the podium and angrily glared at his group. "Sit down! No one is here because they are going to bring this squadron down, and there's no way in this galaxy I'm going to allow this behavior to run rampant in my squadron! Adair, Altura, Faithwood, and Jais, kitchen duty tomorrow."

Some groaned disgustedly, but none of the four really argued the point. The rest of the squad had replaced their weapons and were sitting quietly, albeit with steam pouring from a few heads.

"We are not here necessarily because we are the best, although by my understanding, you all have proven yourselves worthy of the titles," Kevin continued, his voice growing more irritated and stronger. "You all have passed the knowledge and physical requirements for officer candidacy, but you can't get promoted because you can't behave longer than a few seconds. The only reason you aren't flying with the Rogues, spying directly for the Intelligence High Council, or cracking Imperial data from the Rebellion-era is because you can't obey orders, you can't show respect, you can't be a good enlistee or junior officer, and you can't stop getting demerits for acting like morons."

The room went silent with the truthful insults. Well, that went over smoothly, Kevin thought with a pang of regret. His group was finally paying its entire attention to him. Some were probably shocked at his boldness, but he could tell that others were waiting for the first wrong word to throttle him. He tried to hide his grimace at that notion and at the sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

"We're here to fix all of that," he simply said, gaining a sense of calm in knowing that he would soon be out of the briefing room and back to the loneliness of his office. "Welcome to the Talons. Study your packets that you received earlier today and be ready for training tomorrow. I'm going to leave this room and expect all of you children to play nicely. You're welcome to leave in an hour, but not until then. We rise tomorrow an hour before dawn. Meet me on the sixth floor training area, and I would be dressed for a serious workout."

Gathering his items to leave, he was stopped by a raised hand from the back. It was Lieutenant Rinani. The tired captain held up a single hand and shook his head slightly. "No questions," he said, stepping from the platform. "Obey these orders and we'll be off to a good start tomorrow. Be there on time and ready to go.

"Our time tomorrow will merely add to tonight's bonding time. Good night, Talons."