I know, I know ... I'm a little early with this, but the anticipation was killing me! So ... now to get down to business ... power tools power train power walk power boat power play power house power steering Feel the POWER and show us what you got!

Not too early at all, RIgirl, in fact it's perfect timing for me, here in the UK My piece is here btw

[unrecoverable text]

RIgirl: Hopefully this won't go too wrong.

Leken sat on the sofa in the briefing room, straining to keep from letting out a schoolgirl's giggle as she looked at the image on the viewscreen. Flanking the screen on both sides were Mark and Jason in their BirdStyles. "First off," Mark said as he peered through his visor at her, "you must realize that everything stays in this room." "Of course." Leken replied, "Anything you say." "You've probably guessed that we captured Mala Latroz a short while ago." Mark said as he indicated the monitor. On the screen was the paused image of Mala strapped to a chair, wearing a gray jumpsuit, and with a shining smooth (except for a couple of small bandages to cover nicks) scalp. "Why did she --" Leken started. "Just wait." Jason interrupted. The video began playing. "So, what's with the new look?" Jason's voice said from off camera. Mala glared at him and spat. "How dare you mock me?" she bellowed, "Wasn't it enough of an insult when you sent that lookalike ahead of you? Did you think I'm feebleminded?" "What do you mean?" It was Mark's voice this time -- calm, measured, but a bit of curiosity and confusion still broke through. Mala scoffed. "Your act is very unconvincing. Why did you think I'd believe that woman was the ghost of a Sayarian spy I interrogated many months ago?" "Ghost?" Jason asked, "You killed her?" Mala paused a moment. "She died in an escape attempt..." The screen went dark. Leken's eyes moved from Mark to Jason and back again as she gave them both a puzzled look. "So...." she finally said, "are you asking if I did that?" "Actually," Jason replied as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, "we were just wondering what you thought about it." "I don't understand what happened." "We found Mala in her quarters -- " Mark started. "Totally naked." Jason added. Mark ignored Jason's interruption. "She's been tied to a chair --" "-- Spread beaver!" "-- in an undignified position." Mark snarled this last bit as he shot a withering look at his second. Leken turned to Jason. "Spread beaver?" she mouthed. "Later." he whispered. Mark's voice returned to a more normal tone. "She claims that someone had slipped into her quarters and knocked her out. When she woke up, she found herself in that chair, and an agent we'd surgically altered to look like you took some sort of knife and shaved her head." "And that 'agent' was gone by the time we got there." Jason added. There was a pause as Leken seemed to mull over what was said. "So...?" "We didn't have an agent -- surgically modified or otherwise -- there to target Mala," Mark replied, "and there's no way it could've been you." "You couldn't have gotten there ahead of us, even if you knew where she was." Jason added, "I don't know what game she's playing..." "Maybe the pressure of being Spectra's second most-powerful person has gotten to her." Leken said. * * * * * Even though Leken spent the time watching Mark and Jason puzzle over what happened to Mala, she couldn't dismiss a kernel of fear at the base of her skull -- a kernel that told her she was enjoying Mala's predicament a little too much, that Mark and Jason might grow suspicious if they notice the extra glimmer in her amber eyes. So, when she was allowed to go back to her quarters, she made no detours nor pauses. On the way, she couldn't stop imagining what G-Force must have seen ....Mala, naked and strapped to a lounge chair common in Spectran bedrooms, her legs wide apart, her mouth taped shut, and her head freshly shaved... Did Keyop charge in with the older teammates? Leken hoped not -- that wouldn't have been the best way for someone his age to get a real-life lesson about female anatomy. It might even scar him for life, poor boy. She went into her bedroom and pulled a small, red knapsack out of the closet. She frowned as she held it by the straps -- it seemed lighter than it should have been. She sat down on the bed, opened the bag, and started pulling things out. There was the palm-sized stone she found by the lake -- smooth, polished, and swirled with every shade of chocolate. Next was a small scrapbook with dandelions, clover, buttercups, and other small, exotic leaves and flowers pressed in its pages. "Looking for this?" Leken let out a startled gasp. Her eyes shot up and she saw Jason standing in the doorway, wearing his numbered t-shirt and jeans, and holding a long, blond braid. She stared at him, wide-eyed, mouth ajar, frozen in place. The pulse in her throat was so intense she was sure her windpipe would collapse from the pounding. She couldn't read his expression; his eyes bored into hers. "How did you -- ?" a hoarse whisper was all she could get out. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve." he answered as he stepped forward, handing her the braid. She took it from him and carefully put it in the knapsack. "Now," he said, "how did you -- ?" "I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Then she added with a smirk, "And it helps that the Phoenix takes a little longer to power up for launch here than it does at Center Neptune." "And it looks like you had a well-timed power surge..." Whatever else Jason was going to say was quickly forgotten -- Leken had begun to lean forward and was about to fall over. Jason lunged forward and caught her. Leken's eyes fluttered open as soon as Jason had carefully placed her in bed and slid his arms out from under her. "Wha --?" "You just had a not-so-well-timed power shortage." he replied. "So sleepy." she murmured. "Just go to sleep. You'll feel better." A hand clamped onto his wrist. "Don't go."

Sneaky sneaky

Oooo ... the plot thickens! And Mala .. bald ... wow ... there's a disturbing mental picture!