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

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

Another nod. "And he's apparently incapable of actually learning from his mistakes," she says. "He would actually probably be a good leader if he had a clue."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"Or he's trying to prove that he's better than he was in the splashiest way possible," Anakin guessed.

Not that he'd ever been tempted in that particular area. Really.

"And that's even more dangerous," he continued, "because if he's focusing on how he can look better, he's lost sight of the reason Jedi have an Order--we need that reminder we, individually, aren't responsible for the fate of anything."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"At the same time, though, we're all fighting, some of us more individually than others. It's weird, because fighting as a group is no more effective than anyone else doing it, but when people split up- and we have to, because this is widespread and there aren't enough of us- you do start thinking on a more individual level. I've even done it just being here. But I realize it and try to fix it. That's harder to do when you're in the middle of it."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "During the Clone Wars, we were sent out in pairs and individually--often for months at a time--and there is a definite temptation to start believing that you really do know all there is to know because you're on the ground, talking with those who are suffering, getting shot at, watching beings you know die."

He sighed. "But there is a larger picture, too, and sacrifices that must be made--often on a planetary scale, sometimes system wide--and you have to trust that those with all of the pieces know what they're doing. It was a lesson I was constantly relearning."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"I think some of them are starting to learn it," said Jaina. "I don't get many reports from home, but it seems like people are starting to actually see that their actions have ramifications and can say a lot for Jedi as a whole, not just them. If we lose a planet due to one person's mistake, that stays with them. Sometimes it shouldn't, but they're still stuck with it."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "And people remember mistakes more than all of the good done behind the scenes for no acclaim," he said quietly.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

She knew there had to be more to that. "Not always," she said. "I think maybe you need to do more good than bad. People will still use it against you, but there's more room to argue."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"When beings are frightened of something they can't control, they always turn on the Jedi," Anakin said. "I think it's because we were used when they were younglings to keep the monsters under the bed. They don't like to remember that we can make mistakes, too, and that our mistakes tend to be on the memorable side. So when we fall, we're not betraying just them. We're betraying a childhood ideal."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"We didn't even get that this time around," she said. "We just got everything set up again. People were just getting used to having Jedi around as a presence again. A lot of pressure was put on us as a whole before we were ready for it, and the first thing that happens where we can't do something as people would like, through no fault of our own, they turn on us. I'm not complaining, it's just what happened, and it's having adverse effects on everyone else."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

For a split second, Anakin's face crumpled under the guilt, but it was quickly controlled.

"Let me guess," he said wryly, "politicians trying to carve out little bits of power from this, refugee panic, not enough supplies or ships to come close to helping, and the Hutts doing absolutely nothing useful?"

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"Sounds about right. I've only been able to work up one comlink on a secure frequency so far, so I don't get many details. But from what I have heard, that's pretty close."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"I'm so sorry," Anakin said quietly. He wasn't going to say it would get worse before it would get better. She'd learn that soon enough on her own.

"So this is why you're a Rogue rather than completing your training?"

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"I'm not even that," Jaina admitted. "I would have tested for admittance but Fandom came up. But when I go back, I'm going to try to get into the military. More good can be done there, and people don't really care who the figure in the helmet in the ship shooting at you is."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"Except if they shoot down one of the few Jedi the galaxy still has left," Anakin said, not liking this plan at all.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"They could just as easily kill me in weapons combat, or set off another batch of coomb spores where no one can detect it," she countered. "Flying's where I can do the most, and if I get shot down, I'll have taken as many of the enemy down as I could."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"...coomb spores?" Anakin asked.

Changing the subject? Hell yeah.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"The Vong infected more than a few dignitaries with them before they made their presence known. All but one of the infected is dead now," she replied.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave her a wide-eyed look. "Biological warfare?" he breathed.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

Jaina nodded. "We've only known about them for a very short time, and we have no idea what the limits of their technology is. They change planets to be what's liveable for them. Many of their weapons are biological. They have weapons that feed on the metal of ships. They're difficult."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin had a sudden horrifying thought.

"...they're not from this galaxy, are they?"

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"When I left, we didn't have confirmation of that, but we're pretty sure they're not. Whether they're looking for a new home of just trying to expand their territory, they're stubbornly set on moving in," she said.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked decidedly unhappy. "They're not allowed."

Because that strategy hadn't been tried.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"They ignored that memo," Jaina said wryly. "Next time they strike, they get a stern talking-to."

She shrugged. "We're working on figuring out their technology, their cultures, their weak spots. It's only just begun, which gives us some time."

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[sith_happened]

"And the Outer Rim is mostly expendable to the beings in Coruscant," Anakin remarked bitterly.

Re: Fly the shuttle: Asteroid belt

[solo_sword]

"Of course. Nothing noteable ever comes from any of those planets," said Jaina with that sarcastic tone again, sounding like someone who had heard this before. Or at least, she'd heard her mother rant on it before. "And once that's actually brought up it's a matter of 'Yes, Councilor, we've heard this a thousand times and we're going to shoot you down anyway, next order of business?'"