fandomhigh | Flight & Flying [Friday, June 8, 2nd period]

Anakin was leaning against the reconfigured flight simulator when the flight students arrived, absolutely no trace of an smile--or any emotion at all, really--on his face.

"The first battle in my home galaxy in a conflict that eventually became known as the Clone Wars," he said, walking over to the television from his room and pushing a few buttons. A three-dimension projection of a world rotated in front of them, "took place on a world called Naboo." He was very proud of the way his voice didn't shake. "Today we're going to complete an entire military mission. Naboo was being slowly starved to death by a blockade set up by the Trade Federation's control ships and its army of droids." His expression hardened. "Though we didn't know it at the time, the Senator of this planet was using his home as bait to set himself up as Chancellor and gain power over the Republic. We won the battle, but lost the war."

Anakin gestured to the projection. "Working in pairs, your job will be to take off from the planet's surface, fight past the enemy's droid fighters and destroy the control ship." On the projection, the target glowed red. "The only way to destroy the ship is to blow it from the inside--its shields are too powerful for the starfighter's torpedoes to take out from space." He put his hands behind his back and paced. "You're up against a deadline as well. On the surface there's a battle taking place: your people--including the fourteen-year-old queen of the planet--against a droid army that doesn't get tired." He turned away before a profile shot of the leader in question came up on the projector. "Taking out the control ship also powers down those droids. Take too long to blow it up and you won't have a reason to go back to the planet: the enemy will have won through battle what they had been trying to achieve through blockade."

He pointed at the simulator. "You'll be flying the Naboo N-1 Starfighter," he said. "They're a little more sensitive than the F-16 from last week, and more elegant than the X-Wing, but without the engine power. And remember that once you break atmosphere, you won't be fighting gravity any longer so you don't have to yank on the controls quite as hard. The droid starfighters are faster than you are--and there are a lot of them--but they're also fairly stupid. Watch for them and the laser cannons on the control ship--and watch for each other--and you'll do fine.

"This battle was real. This exercise can be accomplished. I will not accept failure from any of you on this." He tossed two deeply silly-looking helmets into the flight simulator. "These helmets are equipped with comm units that will allow you to talk to each other."

He waved them towards the simulator. "Begin."

All That I Am - Rob Thomas

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Johnny waited for a partner, excited if not slightly nervous. He really didn't want to die.

Anakin was making John a little nervous, but he got in line after Johnny anyway.

Anakin made Johnny a lot nervous, especially after his practice run where he crashed.

Putting his helmet on, he spoke to John, "Sheppard? You ready for this?"

John replied into the helmet comm, "Ready when you are, Storm." He started up his simulator.

"Right. Let's do this thing and show 'em what we've got," Johnny fired up his aircraft, "By the way, how's the head?"

John grinned into the comm, "The head's better than ever actually. It's nice having a magical roommate."

Johnny was flying fast, grinning into his headset, "Lucky you. Who's the roommate?"

John was keeping up with Storm in the sim, "Oh, I think you know him - Ronan Nolan," John replied with a smirk.

" ... "

Johnny might have cut his sim a little, and over-corrected with a low curse.

"You okay, Storm?" John asked, trying not to laugh, and focusing on manuevering his own aircraft.

Johnny was quiet for a moment. After breaking atmosphere he was totally geared and ready to blast droid starfighters to smithereens and accomplish this mission without dying. Dammit.

"Yeah," he answered evenly. "Just focusing here. How's things looking?" He was totally not going to discuss Ronan. It was one night, it happened, and that was the end. Period.

"Looking good so far," John said, taking out a droid starfighter and returning to Storm's wing.

And they started coming fast and furious and Johnny started blasting them as fast as he could, his eye and aim on the spot. There seemed to be more coming up from behind, "Sheppard!"

"I'm on it!" John turned and took out the droids that had been on their tails. As he returned to formation, more droids appeared around their target. "We gotta get through these guys, Storm."

"Let's do it, Sheppard!" Johnny used every ounce of flying experience he had and maneuvered his aircraft fast and with considerable ease while he took out droid fighters left and right, and he knew John was at his side, doing the same. There was total trust in his wing man.

Three minutes later of head to head combat and they were through enough of them that they could focus on the control ship.

John was totally trustworthy and competent as a pilot.

As they approached the control ship, taking out droid stragglers, John shouted over comm, "You fly in and take out the ship. I've got your back!"

"Right," And Johnny knew this was going to take his full concentration. He had to get up close while still trying to avoid laser canons coming droid ships.

And he had to do it fast, which is something he was recklessly good at.

Flying in fast and sharp, he cut his starfighter hard, firing successively at the control ship.

John waited for Johnny outside the ship, firing on any droids that went near the control ship hanger bay.

"Come on, Storm, what's taking so long?" John shot down more droid fighters, and only narrowly missed being hit by the laser cannon.

"I'm there!" Johnny shouted, sweat trickling down his temples as he fired the last set, exploding the control ship as he flew up fast and right.

John navigated away from the exploding control ship quickly, "I'd say that was some fine flying we just did, Storm!"

"Damn straight, Sheppard!" Johnny said, maneuvering around and coming up abreast of Sheppard once more. He looked over, grinning and giving him a thumbs up. "Think we impressed Skywalker?"

John returned the thumbs up, and grinned. "Oh yeah, we rocked this mission!"

"Totally!" Johnny said, grinning wide.

Game. Over.

Flight & Flying [Friday, June 8, 2nd period]

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