fandomhigh | Flight and Flying [Thursday, July 19, 3rd period]

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flight and flying

Flight and Flying [Thursday, July 19, 3rd period]

When the students arrived at the flight shed, they'd immediately notice that the sim had been completely reconfigured.

"This is an X-Wing starfighter," Anakin said with a smile. "Today we're going to practice flying in a zero-g environment."

He waved at the door and Artoo rolled into the shed and tweetled politely, then came over to the sim and plugged himself into the droid-shaped hole on the back of the sim. "This is Artoo," Anakin, smiling. "He's your copilot of sorts who can get to mechanical problems while you're flying. For example, fixing shields that have been damaged by laser fire. He'll also scream at you if he thinks you're going too fast."

Anakin had learned to ignore that sound early.

He pointed into the inside of the cockpit. "There are a lot more controls in the X-Wing than the podracer, obviously. Here you need to regulate atmosphere, gauge fuel and weapons' levels, as well as communications, landing gear and assorted other bells and whistles."

He smiled at them. "But don't worry too much--you're not going to be tested on this." He sat in the cockpit and ~~handwavily~~ showed them how to make the ship speed up, slow down, turn and spin. "Obviously, this moves much faster than the podracer," he said, "and the sim has been programmed with the grav you'd have in your cockpit, so if you spin yourself too fast, you will make yourself sick. And then you will be cleaning out the sim."

Anakin clasped his hands together. "Okay. You'll each get a chance to try the sim out to learn how it works. You'll be in a program set way out in space so there's nothing for you to hit if you can't figure out how to steer right away. Once you feel more comfortable, there'll be a choice of two courses to run through--one that's strictly testing you on mobility, the other than also allows you to use the laser cannons."

He gave the class a cocky smile. "Before you came in, I set a new record on the sim for time and accuracy. See if you can come close."

Taking Over Me - Evanescence

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You're flying through a asteroid field. Duck, dodge, and spin to avoid being squished like a bug.

Don't cut it too close or the R2 unit will scream his head off.

The average pilot can get through the course in 12 minutes. The average Jedi can do it in about 9.

Anakin's new record is 7:20. Artoo was not happy.

Johnny was glad he'd taken the gravol earlier, because he was pretty sure he would have puked in the cockpit without it. As it was, he flew through the course in a half-panicked mode, spinning to get past obstacles only to discover more asteroids behind him, gripping the controls so hard he thought they would break, and nearly slicing the cockpit and navigation droid clean off the ship at one memorable point.

Needless to say, Artoo screamed for most of the run through the obstacle course.

He manged to make it through the course in a little under 15 minutes, almost twice Anakin's time.

The asteroid field is somewhat easier to navigate than the canyon-like one last week. Things are mostly spaced further apart, more open space to maneouvre in, and this is so much better.

The spinning really makes Roxas feel queasy (he throws up in his mouth at one point, thinking that he should not have eaten breakfast) but he manages not to break anything.

And R2 doesn't scream too loudly. Much. The ringing in Roxas' ears would probably clear up in an hour or two.

Familiar, so very familiar. Like dodging Coralians, or playing tag with the typeZERO.

There was a bright anticipation in her eyes, and a slightly manic (and mildly disturbing) smile on her face as she began the run.

She finished in about 9:36. "Hmpf. Too slow. Again." She glared at Artoo's protests. "What? There's no reason this should take me more than eight. I'm not going anywhere near too fast. Wimp."

Qui-Gon may not have been the natural pilot that some Jedi we can name were, but he was still a Jedi. There was a pattern to asteroid fields that was relatively easy to grasp when you reached out with the Force and Qui-Gon flew and spun his X-Wing through the smallest crack in that pattern.

He had Artoo screaming from about a third of his way through the course and finished it with a grin on his face in 8:58.

The disadvantage with simulations, River discovered, was lack of reality. She found herself wanting to try the limits of everything, frequently getting too close to the asteriods before learning. Artoo was in shock.

Anakin chuckled as he watched her. "I've never seen Artoo speechless before," he said, "and I've known him for a long, long time."

River smiled shyly, unsure exactly how truthful that was. She'd instinctively reached out to find out, but there was no way she could get through to her teacher's mind. "Makes life easier with someone like him to watch out for you."

Anakin projected feelings of amusement towards her but kept his thoughts carefully to himself. "He certainly thinks so," he said. "He watches my son now, though. I just borrowed him for today."

Suddenly picking up some of his feelings, and amused ones at that, made River laugh, a little more relaxed. "Same one? I've seen him around the dorms." She tilted her head and looked at Artoo. "Reminds me of my brother sometimes."

"Your brother's a bit of a worrier?" Anakin guessed with a smile, "or your brother's made of metal and wheels?"

With a chuckle, River replied: "Worrier of the flesh and blood kind. When it comes to me."

"That's what family does," Anakin said with a nod. "He's being a good brother."

With a hint of sadness in her smile, River said: "Only family I have. Can't help him much."

A wave a sympathy rolled from Anakin. "And you're all he has," he said quietly. "So overprotective is very understandable."

Sensing th sympathy was unexpected but comforting. "Have each other," River said quietly. "Think he sometimes uses worrying to stop himself from making choices for himself."

This was an odd conversation to have in class, but feeling emotions from her teacher's otherwise closed mind made her strangely trusting.

Anakin nodded. "He's so busy making sure you have a life he's not giving himself one?"

A corner of her mouth turned upwards. "And I'm not even there."

Anakin smiled at her. "That is a little silly of him," he admitted. "What would you have him do instead of worry?"

"I'd be happy to see him fall in love with someone." Kaylee would be the best option, she thought. "Perhaps jealous, but still happy. He still has his work. I don't have that." She stopped, suddenly feeling awkward.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked quietly, instantly concerned.

She tilted her head and looked up at him. "Why are you interested?" There was no aggression in her voice, just sincere curiosity.

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Re: Obstacle course #1

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Sam probably went slower than most of the rest of the class, and Artoo spent quite a bit of time beeping at him for his crazy frantic dodging techniques, and it took him almost 18 minutes to finish, but he made it through the course without crashing or getting sick.

Rikku felt like she had the hang of the controls, kinda-sorta, and it was time to tear things up. She strapped in and pushed for speed, letting instinct take over for those near-misses. It was like sparring, you had to react instead of flailing around or stopping to think.

She was going too fast, and getting too close to the asteroids, and had a few lucky misses with some big rocks. Okay, maybe more than a few.

She finished the course in 14:37, wishing Artoo had a mute switch. What Artoo wished would probably involve more expletives.

R2 may have screamed a little at some close calls with asteroids, but he certainly didn't have any speed issues to worry about with Rogue. It took her close to twenty minutes to get through it.

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