Okay, I think I've made you wait long enough. This part introduces a few new chars that I haven't put in the characters thread. BTW, Shabreen is a mute and Tiercel is a Defalcon-wannabe.

Defalcon glared at Alex indignantly. He could sense Stryker's quiet satisfaction, though the dark purple rabbit remained expressionless. With a sigh, he glanced down at the chessboard. Stryker was winning, like usual.
Alex's queen took Defalcon's last knight, leaving only a handful of pawns and a rook to guard the king. For the third time in a row, Defalcon was losing. Badly.
He shot Stryker an accusing look, and was rewarded with a slight smile. Defalcon shook his head.
"I don't know why I even bother," he commented, moving his rook into a position where it threatened the queen and was protected by a pawn. Stryker shrugged and moved out of check, taking a pawn while he was at it.
"Neither do I," Ducky said, leaning over the counter to survey the game. "This is the third time he's beaten you."
"Don't remind me," Defalcon growled, eyeing his four remaining pawns. Stryker's smile grew slightly.
"I'll accept a surrender, you know," he said, the first words he'd spoken during the entire game. Defalcon snorted.
"Yeah, right. You really think I'm gonna give in without a fight?"
"A fight? Are you kidding?" Sasha Araspir gave the game an incredulous look. "Man, that's pathetic." A blue feathered wing whanged Alex on the back of hte head. Sasha's accidental victim gave him a mildly reproachful look. Sasha ignored it. Defalcon sighed as he removed one of Alex's knights from the board with a pawn that was promptly 'killed'. He looked beseechingly at Ducky, who shook her head slowly.
"I don't see any way out of this one, Defal. Sorry."
Rook took bishop; knight took rook. Defalcon now had three pawns and a king left. Sasha smirked.
"Don't quit your day job, Phoenix," he cracked. Defalcon rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, right. What day job?"
"Really? What are you going to do, then, when Stryker takes all of your money?"
Defalcon ruefully noticed that Alex was one move away from putting him in checkmate as he absently answered Sasha.
"Beg, borrow and steal off of you, of course."
"That tactic doesn't usually work on me."
"Oh, I'm sure you'd get tired of my whining in time."
"If I don't kill you first."
"I run really, really fast."
"Not fast enough."
Stryker slid his last rook into position, effectively checkmating Defalcon.
"Rematch?"
Defalcon laughed as he looked at the pile of black chesspieces next to the board. Five white pieces kept them company.
"Haha, sure. Think you can handle another win?"
"Oh, I don't know." Alex gave him a slight grin. "Much as I'd like to beat you again, I think I'd better give you a chance to get over your previous three defeats."
"You're too kind," Defalcon said sarcastically. Alex nodded serenely.
A grey, blue-eyed rabbit kicked the door open and stormed in, face a picture of indignation. He was followed by a green-eyed blue-grey rabbit, who was grinning madly, and a pale silvery-white rabbit, who looked both amused and exasperated. Ducky sighed.
"What did they do now, Thunder?"
The grey rabbit pointed accusingly at the other two, spluttering. "These - these black-hearted outlaws - put this in my cockpit -" he held up a rubber spider of remarkable size - "on a spring - it jumped out when I picked up my gloves - and they're laughing!"
Indeed they were. The blue-green rabbit was laughing silently, while the silvery-white one stifled a grin. Ducky snickered.
"I don't know why you're surprised, Thunder," she said. "'Breen's the biggest prankster around, and Tiercel isn't about to refuse a chance to avoid being the butt of a joke, now is he?"
"But - but they -" Thunder waved the fake spider around again. The blue-grey rabbit's hands flickered as he cracked up once more.
"Dare told 'Breen that Thunder jumped so fast that he hit the cockpit canopy," Tiercel, the silvery rabbit, translated with a grin. "And his screech scared the controller so bad that she fell out of her chair!"
"It's not funny! I nearly had a heart attack!"
"We know," Tiercel said, still grinning, "and that's what makes it funny."
Thunder growled something unintelligible under his breath. Shabreen signed something, and Tiercel translated.
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Care to repeat it?"
Thunder made a face at the pair, then stomped dramatically out, leaving the fake spider in front of Ducky before she reminded him that if he left it there, she would personally stuff it in his ear. As he left, everyone could see the KICK ME PLZ sign on his back. Shabreen doubled up again with laughter.
"When did you stick that on him?" Defalcon asked.
"It was on the back of his seat in his cockpit," Shabreen said through Tiercel. "We figured he'd notice it, though!"
A muffled bellow was heard, and the Sharua brothers made a gleefully hasty exit.
Ducky shook her head. "That pair. One of these days they're going to play a joke on someone who won't take it, and then they'll be in really hot water."
"Oh, I don't know," Defalcon said. "They pick their targets carefully. And you have to admit, it was funny."
"Just because Thunder gets so indignant. But I can name some people who would not take it well at all."
"Thunder took it well?"
"Believe it or not, he did."
"... I'd hate to see him take it badly."
"He might just do so, especially when he finds the live grass snake 'Breen put in his flight jacket pocket."
Alex shook his head dryly. "Looks like there's going to be plenty of excitement while I'm gone."
Defalcon glanced up. "You're leaving?"
"Yeah."
"Where to?"
Stryker only smiled slightly, and stood. "See you around."
Shabreen and Tiercel went flying by, pursued closely by a furious Thunder, rubber spider in one hand, wriggling snake in the other, and KICK ME PLZ still on his back. Defalcon snickered.
"Maybe you should stay," he observed. "Looks like they might need some help."
"Then again, you might get trampled," Ducky retorted. Stryker nodded ruefully.
"Yeah ... I could use some action, but I've got places I need to go."
"Yeah, hey, when you get some free time, contact me," Defalcon said. Stryker nodded and headed for the door.
He never reached it.

XD Cliffhanger!