Talon Academy (episode)

"Talon Academy" is the twenty-second episode of Storm Hawks.
==Description==
Being a Cyclonian isn't as cool as they make it sound – and Aerrow, Radarr and Piper are determined to prove that to the kids at a Talon training academy. Sneaking inside as students, the Hawks quickly turn the training ground into a battle ground and overthrow the staff. Now they've got to teach headmaster Snipe a lesson!
==Plot==
The Storm Hawks were under attack by a small group of Cyclonian Talons. One of the Talons tried to fly her way towards Aerrow in an aerial joust, but backed out at the last second, colliding onto another Talon. Piper sees that the Talon's parachute had failed and went down to rescue her. Just as the Storm Hawks discover the identity of the Talon, they were ambushed by other surviving Talons who picked her up and went their way.
Back in the Condor, Piper briefs the Storm Hawks that the Cyclonians had created a training camp, known as the Talon Academy, showing them a piece of Cyclonian propaganda from a poster, labeling the life of Talons as "cool" and enticing kids to join the camp.
Aerrow, Piper and Radarr decided to join the academy to take it down, using a Chroma Crystal to change their appearance. They discover that the academy is led by "Sergeant" Snipe, who takes them on their first skimmer lesson. In this lesson, Snipe takes control of four remotely controlled skimmers piloted by Storm Hawks dummies, setting the objective to take the drones down. Aerrow was specifically chosen by Snipe to operate a rickety skimmer with a broken weapon system. Despite these conditions, Aerrow went against all odds, hopping onto one of the drones and breaking its sensor, which shorted the remote control, crashing all drones at once and electrocuting Snipe in the process. Having crashed his own heliblade, Snipe takes revenge on Aerrow by tasking him, along with Radarr to clean the toilets.
Later, Piper overhears a conversation from Snipe with Terra Cyclonia that they are planning to use these new recruits to wipe out Terra Tranqua. Snipe sees Piper outside the communications room and puts here on kitchen duty. While in the kitchen, Piper finds the very same Talon whom she saved. Introducing herself as Lynn, she explains to Piper that her failure in the mission brought her back into the academy for re-training, and seeks revenge against the Storm Hawks.
Meanwhile in the toilet, Aerrow and Radarr were approached by three senior cadets, one of them being Top Dog, who asserts his position as one of the top students in the academy, and warns Aerrow not to get in his way. Later in the boys' dormitory, a freshman (Pork Chop) admits to Aerrow that he does not enjoy the life of the academy (let alone a Talon) despite the promises that were offered. Just then the three senior cadets approaches Aerrow again, taunting him by dumping stale dinner leftovers onto his bed. Both Top Dog and Aerrow gets into a fight, with the latter outclassing the other easily. Snipe witnesses the incident and put Aerrow onto toilet duty again.
Aerrow and Radarr continues to prank Snipe by dismantling part of his heliblade during a skimmer lesson, receiving a greater punishment by cleaning the dormitory with only toothbrushes. Later in a pugil stick duel, Snipe could not get the better of Aerrow, and receives a wedgie at the end. For this Aerrow and Radarr had to clean Snipe's heliblade with toothbrushes.
After a run, Piper asked Lynn if it was worth harming innocent people as a Talon, and offers her a way out of this path. Piper reveals her true identity to Lynn, but was heard by Top Dog, who reports it to Snipe. Aerrow drops the Chroma crystal to reveal their true selves, and goes onto a hand-to-hand combat with Top Dog and Snipe, explaining to the other cadets about their deployment to Terra Tranqua. Upon hearing this, the cadets rallied against the Cyclonian Empire and takes down Snipe. As for Top Dog, he hurried his way to call out for a team of elite Talons, before being apprehended by Piper and thrown into a small cell along with Snipe.
Piper informs Aerrow and the cadets of the incoming Talon squad, and the Storm Hawks prepare the cadets for a massive aerial battle, using only what they have on the academy: cooking crystals converted into explosives by Piper, spiny spuds, and skimmers with only stun blasters. As the Talons arrive, the cadets set off and managed to ward off some Talons with these simple weapons. Meanwhile Lynn tries on the same jousting trick which Aerrow had earlier used on two other Talons, with success this time. Having exhausted all of their weapons, Aerrow and Piper sits back and stalls against an incoming wave of Talons, with a worried Lynn looking on. Fortunately for her, the Condor arrives in time to eliminate the Talons with ease, forcing them to retreat. As for Snipe and Top Dog, they escaped their cell which was destroyed by a fallen Cyclonian skimmer and made their escapes as well.
The cadets emerge victorious in the end. Seeing the bravery of their liberators, Lynn, along with the students, now want to become Storm Hawks instead, before proceeding to tear off Cyclonian propaganda pasted on the academy. Back in the Condor, Aerrow and Piper shares their experience with Finn, with Aerrow proclaiming mission success. With Aerrow ending up sitting on a leftover spiny spud, both Piper and himself enjoy a good laugh.
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Aerrow
*Snipe
*Piper
*Finn
*Junko
*Stork (no lines)
*Radarr
*Lynn (debut)
*Talon Academy students (debut)
**Top Dog (debut)
**Flop Top (debut)
**Pork Chop (debut)
===Crystals===
*Chroma Crystal
*Firebolt Crystal
*Cooking Crystal
===Squadrons===
*Storm Hawks
*Talons
==Trivia==
*In this episode, Aerrow had his haircut in the academy.
*In the episode credits, the voice roles for Matt Hill were duplicated.
==Gallery==
Disquises.jpg|Piper, Aerrow, and Radarr in Disguise
Disguises 2.jpg
Pink Haired Piper.jpg
Pink Haired Piper 2.jpg
Top Dog.jpg
Piper meets Lynn.jpg|Piper meets Lynn
==References==
Category:Episodes
Category:Season 1