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Post by Evangeline on Jun 4, 2011 13:27:30 GMT -5
"After those attempted raids last month, I doubt that further cuts to defense would be a political winner." Amara smiled sardonically. There had been attacks on several islands in Australian territory as well. It had been, in effect, Jewel's coming-of-age party as she found herself carrying her crew through the thick of the action, and had to blow out some chaff as a couple of missiles came her way as well. Pepper added another hash mark to her cheek, as did Johansen, and Paul saw off another two interlopers. "At least Jewel didn't succumb to the temptation of hosing on her father for being in treatment and leaving her to deal with the whole mess on her own."
Felix responded with a pained laugh. "If she's still around tonight, I might look her up. There'll always be some people who thrive on salacious rumors." What he didn't say was that he had no intention of feeding them.
Once at altitude, Adriana settled and shifted concentration to her tactile senses to correctly read Edward's cues. "In your hands."
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Post by elizar on Jun 4, 2011 15:23:09 GMT -5
"And John finally did see some action that time." Daryush said. It had been a dicey situation where he had actually accidentally discovered and flushed out the attackers with Jodi. Though he had never done a real practice with a military application of his powers as Jodi had done, he had still done few impressive things, such as making several hot pockets of air when his own chaff had run out, and apparently made a hard thick wall where the missiles bounced off and spun harmlessly out of control into the ocean. John had though been very exhausted after that attack.
Daryush had been part of a response team, but no hash marks on him as he hadn't scored a kill. But he had been an excellent diversion.
"So beat them before she hears them." John chuckled, arriving at the more business part of the town which was still open to mechanians. The office was more of an old renovated playground since they had found themselves to cater to the many mechanians living in Darwin. At least when they needed their services. At least the humans got a small office space to stay in when not talking to clients.
Edward didn't take over right away, but allowed himself to ease into the controls, also to allow Adriana to adjust to him. Even though they were certified team, there was no reason to start right off the bat.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 4, 2011 21:52:50 GMT -5
"Oh, I remember that." Amara winced at the memory. "Poor John, he was almost collapsing on the tarmac afterwards." It was one of the few times that a mechanian aircraft, other than an airliner with a full load of passengers, baggage and fuel, actually required towing assistance and fighters generally found it embarrassing. Jodi and Felix then saw to it that he received plenty of liquid supplements and fresh food to restore his energy.
"OK, I shouldn't be hanging around while you're talking with your lawyer anyway." Felix cracked a grin and turned about. The business center was a huge, atrium-like space with skylights, acoustic panels and tiles, and showed at least an effort to make it a clean, professional space, with partitions between conference areas and a cluster of cubicles for the human occupants. A receptionist in a semi-enclosed booth smiled to John. "Good morning. How can I help you?"
Adriana sensed Edward's touch and met it halfway, feeling it more like an inner presence than something acting on her from outside. The assessment of state of mind and mood went both ways as she perceived no great hurry on his part, not that there was any need to be at present. Humans, she felt, perceived it as something like high school dressage, and the irony was that dressage had originated as a military skill, practiced by cavalry officers who were the "top guns" of their time. As she gave herself over, she stepped over, albeit temporarily, into Edward's world, with the aim of creating something stronger than either one of them could be alone. It no longer felt merely like padded pressure plates against nerve-rich meridians, but warm hands on the upper surfaces of her wings. "Your move."
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Post by elizar on Jun 5, 2011 3:13:57 GMT -5
"I was afraid he would crash." Daryush said. "Jodi managed to magic up fences and even something resembling horses and barely broke a sweat. But then again, she has had training in this stuff."
"Hey Cissy." John smiled, having been there often enough that he was on first name basis with her. "I got an appointment with Robinson."
Edward acknowledged Adriana's readyness and guided her to their patrol area. He had no need to make her perform any stunts. Nicky had left just couple of days ago, but with contact info in case Adriana felt that Edward was being a prick and wouldn't respect her.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 5, 2011 11:24:08 GMT -5
"Give him a few years, and he'll be a flight's worth of fighters all by himself." Amara turned to grooming Daryush again. "But in the meantime, it'll be a lot of work."
"He's waiting in section 3." Cissy pointed to one of the larger partitioned areas. A man of middling years stepped out and waved.
Adriana maintained a steady speed, relaxed but alert. It was obvious that Nicky had done a good job with Edward. She maintained a balance between heeding Edward's hands and seat and keeping her vigilance, particularly with her long-distance senses. There was only routine traffic at present. "Let's hope for a boring day."
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Post by elizar on Jun 5, 2011 12:07:47 GMT -5
"I get sick wondering what would have happened if he had come to powers at the usual age. That damned cult would have probably imprisoned him one way or another to make him fulfill some fantasies or something for that leader." He leaned in, accepting Amara's grooming. "And it was damned easy for him to be discarded when he easily could have discredited their leader."
"Thank you." He bowed to Cissy before heading over to Robinson. "So, did you find any new wrinkles in this or is this matter actually coming to a close?" He asked him.
"Likewise." Edward chuckled, looking around in his cockpit, though Adriana would be faster at spotting something visually than him. But Charger pilots did often mitigate radar and radio duty for their charges so they could more easily focus on flying.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 5, 2011 20:03:39 GMT -5
"Zoe Crawford told me that sometimes user talents can be repressed on deeper levels until the time is "right." Amara flexed her neck as the Sukhoi reciprocated. "So while it might have been stressful for John in the short term, he'll be better off in the long run."
"The business with Consolidated should be just about wrapped up. They won't want this to drag on, they'll be happy to settle and be done with it." Robinson answered. He sat at a table which had some papers spread out from his briefcase, and tapped a few keys on his laptop. "I've also got some files for you to look over, and I'll tooth them in now." He looked up at the Eagle over his thin-rimmed glasses. "As for the other offending party, all he wants is to put this behind him and get on with his life. Now that the syndicate has been established, with everything divided equally between the shareholders, he'll have nothing more to do with it. Now, anything else on the matter of your former co-religionists?"
A voice came through on the radio. "Looker! Pepper here. Is FNG with you?"
"We'll have to find a new handle for him." Adriana answered. "But we're finally working together for real."
Pepper was finally visible, if only as a speck in the west for now. "Did you all say your goodbyes to Amara yet? You know she's heading out at noon and it's 1100 already."
"We did at the club, Pepper." Adriana replied. "I admit it, I'm going to miss the kids." She paused so that Edward could get a word in edgewise, if he wished.
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Post by elizar on Jun 5, 2011 20:19:11 GMT -5
Daryush chuckled. "So it is possible they won't have any possible users awakening with them." He said. "Because it isn't in the best interests for them to do so." He nipped a bit more. "And I guess you got to chat to that Arrow about mediums. I think you should get some help, or at least some information about this."
John looked over the files, and resisted the urge to spend a nice evening with them reading them over. After the trouble with the bank, he now always wanted to read everything that he had to sign or in some way had to do with the law.
"I've not heard anything since they left under the threat of the eviction notice and airport ban." He said. "And I doubt that the Church of the Speaker would want to bring this to light by pursuing the legal means. I told them clearly I would make their actions public and it was clear that everyone on the base supports me."
He closed the file window and looked to Robinson. "But if they decide to do something, I won't hesitate to seek your council. You've proven to be more than double your worth."
"I said my goodbyes yesterday during dinner." Edward said. "I knew I wouldn't have chance to today. I'll hope that I can see them next year."
"And if I can chip in on suggestions on my handle, I would like for it to be Fangs or Claws or even Sparkles." He smirked as saying that, and made it sound clear through the radio.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 5, 2011 22:25:35 GMT -5
"I will." Amara promised. "I don't like to ask too many favors of Zoe, but she's a good friend, and very down-to-earth. You'd never know she was a superuser just by talking to her."
Robinson laughed. "Thanks for the compliment. I hope the senior partners at our firm think so." He leaned in closer. "So, how has that filly been doing since you all switched her over to another trainer?" The lawyer was a bit of a race punter himself.
"How about Fluffles?" Thomas broke in waggishly. "Or Binky?"
"Get real, Kamen." Pepper snorted. "Kamen" was "mask" in Japanese, so Thomas, with his half-mask facial marking, got stuck with it. "This is serious business... to be undertaken with a lot of drinking, carousing and foul language. I'm sure the perfect handle will show itself in time. It ALWAYS does."
"Let's hope it does before we have to give the FNG name to some other poor devil." Suki cut in. "Now you lot, let's all spread out and go snark-hunting."
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Post by elizar on Jun 6, 2011 5:34:12 GMT -5
"And no one would know you're a super medium when they talk to you." Daryush chuckled. "Remember that you're doing this for Moria as well. I'm not so sure if she could handle having ghosts begging her to to talk to their lost ones, or describe their deaths to her."
"Placed fourth in her last race and was the fastest filly in the race." John smirked. "Seems that whatever plagued her is gone for good now."
Edward chuckled, steering Adriana to the right direction. "Let's hope we don't get any talent christening like John did. That was scary to hear on the radio." He said just to Adriana.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 6, 2011 13:33:56 GMT -5
"That's why we need to see some experienced mediums, so Moira will learn how to protect herself." Amara gave Daryush another nibble. "In the meantime, I'll have to run interference."
"Heh, you might have a contender on your hands yet." Robinson chuckled. "So, anything else to deal with?"
"I was fearing the worst." Adriana confided. "He'd barely figured out what his talent was. Now he has to learn to balance it with all the usual ways of getting things done and not depend on it too much. I hear Alicia's doing a white paper on a proposed protocol for military users. You know how the brass like to categorize and classify and sub-classify things. Talent isn't predictable and no two are exactly alike, but enough generalizations can be made to sort them out in neat little slots that even perfumed princes and beancounters can understand."
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Post by elizar on Jun 6, 2011 13:49:27 GMT -5
"Remember that you're also new to this scene." Daryush said. "Remember to learn to protect yourself as well. Because I want to be able to see you next year."
"Nothing new has come up." John smiled. "So it is possible this is our last meeting for a while. If you ever show up to Pangur Ban while I'm there, let me pick up the check."
"I'm going to say he wouldn't have survived it without his talent." Edward said. "What a damned ambush, they were going for the kill there. Probably one of those 'they bleed, they die' demonstration to empower the Caliphate forces and terrorists."
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 6, 2011 14:25:20 GMT -5
"I will." Amara gently broke away as she checked the time. "We have to head out to the apron now." The children were saying their last goodbyes. She'd already worked out the route plan, which would keep them overland and always within reasonable range of an airport. It would be longer than a direct flight, but Moira wasn't old enough to take chances over empty country or water.
"Someday I might take you up on that." Robinson chuckled. "Anyway, goodbye for now, and I'll talk to you later."
"What's maddening about it is that we know they use Indonesian fields as a staging area, but the government there always shrugs and says they can't control their remote areas or claims ignorance." Adriana fumed a bit. "Deny, deny, deny. I'm glad we gave them a bloody nose that time. But a bloody stump would be better."
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Post by elizar on Jun 6, 2011 14:40:42 GMT -5
Daryush went with her, as he hadn't been said not to, and he hadn't said his goodbyes. Ryan was actually waiting for Amara. She had been the best one in driving his stalker away, and he did feel the need to repay the favor. She had pretty good experience with getting all the crazies away, and his ex had just been one of those.
"I've been waiting for you." Ryan said. "I do have a goodbye gift for you." He said. He presented a charm to her, Silver image of a Grey Falcon. He knew that she had a pretty good interest in the birds native to humanverse, and Grey Falcon was a rare bird in Australia, which couldn't be reliably seen or predicted to be at.
"Welp, it seems that I've riled things up a bit too much." Edward said. "How about the relaxation exercise for you? We can do that one."
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 6, 2011 17:18:01 GMT -5
Amara blinked. "Oh my... Ryan, you didn't have to!"
"Sure." Adriana assented, and sought once again to enter "the zone" of receptivity. It was fairly easy for her, fortunately. She wondered how such a strong-willed person as Pepper would accommodate herself to that state. Well, anything was possible.
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