Flight & Flying [Friday, June 22, 2nd period]

[sith_happened]

Anakin was waiting for the students on the top of the apartment building in town, leaning up against a Lambda-class Imperial shuttle.

"Welcome to the Virgo," he said with a small smile before giving them a quick rundown of the general specifications of the ship. "It's twenty meters long and is generally used to ferry soldiers or cargo back home," he said. "It's also equipped with a hyperdrive--which we will not be using--as well as two forward-facing double laser cannons, two wing-mounted double cannons, and a rear-facing double laser cannon." He met each student's eyes. "Which we will definitely not be using. We're going to do a quick swing around the system here--we won't go out as far as Pluto, but since it's not a planet any longer, I doubt it will be that offended."

He waved a hand towards the ramp. "Come aboard."

Comments

Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

If Anakin doesn't think you're ready, he'll sit you back down, but if you have experience flying in space already, he'll let you have a go through here.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

Jaina was more than ready to take turn at this. The ship was bigger than the TIE she flew through one of these last time, but she was pretty sure she could manage it.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin pulled his hands away from the controls on his side of the cockpit. "She's all yours," he said with a small smile. "Remember that she's 20 meters long--she doesn't exactly turn on a credit."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"I know," she said, moving to take over. "I've flown bigger. We'll just see how she handles."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin patted the console fondly. "She handles really well. I've modified her a bit--she's much zippier than the average shuttle."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

There were little things sometimes that just hit Jaina, like the thought Darth Vader just said 'zippier'. "All right," she said slowly, starting the shuttle forward into the belt, completely focused.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled softly to himself, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to break her concentration.

And he was a little curious to see how she did in a non-simulated experience.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

She was oddly more relaxed than she was in the simulator, dodging the pieces of rock coming at them easily. Normally she would have sped things up, maybe flown a little more dangerously, but she wasn't the only person aboard, and she knew she was being watched.

Okay, that hard break right to miss that really big asteroid might have been on purpose. She couldn't keep the ride boring.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin beamed proudly. "Nice," he said, biting his lower lip for a second before asking, "Have you been taught how to incorporate your Jedi teachings into your flying?"

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"I figured it out," she said, still completely calm as she slipped under a larger piece of rock. "It helps a lot."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "Obi-Wan always thought flying was for droids. I thought that flying was for Jedi."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

She risked a glance at him. "We've gotten away from using droids as pilots. It's a good thing," she said. Mostly because droid pilots would be eaten away by the Vong's weapons. At least people stood a chance going EV.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"Droids fly like machines," Anakin said, "and as smart as we can make them, they don't understand instinct. The Separatists went through trillions of credits relearning that."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

Gavin wasn't passing this one up. Sim flying was fun but the real thing with real obstacles was what he missed.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin arched up an eyebrow. "Ready to show me what kind of standards Rogue Squadron is held to in your time?" he asked.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Yes, sir," he said, nodding. "If you'd let me."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"Don't try to scratch the paint on my ship and we won't have a problem," Anakin said, but his eyes were twinkling. "She's all yours."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Yes, sir," Gavin said, grasping the controls and accelerating quickly but juking the ship lightly around a few asteroids. And smiling. Couldn't stop smiling.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"Good," Anakin praised. "It takes a lot to be called Rogue."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Gavin said, dipping the shuttle under an asteroid before swinging it between a tight spot between two asteroids.

The shuttle moved easily under his hands, slipping and sliding over and under asteroids. "I've missed flying."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"I know the feeling," Anakin said. "When I was a student, I went for months without actually getting into the air. It drove me crazy."

Pause.

"Not literally."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"With all this place can do," Gavin said, diving them beneath an asteroid before leveling out, "I'm surprised there aren't more ships here."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"Most people get dropped off," Anakin said. "It's a small island--hiding more than three or four space ships would take some doing."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"Stinks," Gavin said, almost pouting.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin lifted up an eyebrow. "It wasn't my rule."