Flight and Flying [Thursday, August 2, 3rd period]

[sith_happened]

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.

"In every major event, there's always a beginning," 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. "The first battle in a conflict that eventually tore my galaxy apart took place on a world called Naboo." He glanced over at Qui-Gon assuming he was there and his voice got even harder. The Jedi should've seen this coming, dammit. "Millions of beings put at risk because of politics," he spat. "They were being used as pawns in a larger game we didn't know we were playing for more than a decade. Today we'll complete an entire military mission: the one that saved the planet from death by starvation by a blockade of petty criminals and their droids."

Anakin gestured to the projection. "Working in pairs, you'll 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." His expression turned haunted as a holograph 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 there's no point going back to the planet: the enemy will have won through battle what they'd 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: once you break atmosphere, you won't be fighting gravity any longer so don't yank on the controls. Spinning out and crashing back into the planet is a really stupid way to die. The droid starfighters are faster than you are--and there are a lot of them--but they're als 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 don't accept failure--or excuses--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, ignoring any looks they or the TA might be giving him. "Begin."

Comments

Go on a mission!

[sith_happened]

Find a wingman, go up against droid starfighters and the control ship, and die.

Fortunately it's only a sim.

Re: Go on a mission!

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River picked up one of the helmets and eyed it suspiciously, then looked around for someone to team up with.

Re: Go on a mission!

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan took the helmet and studied it, it was bulky but she'd worn bigger things on her head. She looked around and spotted River. "River, hello."

Re: Go on a mission!

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River smiled. "Hello, Irulan. I believe this will we difficult."

Re: Go on a mission!

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"I believe so as well," she agreed and smiled slightly, "shall we?"

Re: Go on a mission!

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River smiled and pulled her helmet on.

Re: Go on a mission!

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

Irulan tried to copy River's smile but she could feel the rattlers in her stomach again as she put the helmet on. It was like what the Wayku wore, full sensory deprivation.

Re: Go on a mission!

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Sensing Irulan's nervousness made River give her a worried look. "Your fear is unnecessary," she said quietly, her voice soft.

Re: Go on a mission!

[irulan-atreides.livejournal.com]

"It will pass," she said, assuring more herself than River, "it is just an inbred cultural prejudice."

Re: Go on a mission!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Anemone quickly started pulling back her hair and grabbed a helmet. She idly wished she had brought her own flight suit as she looked around for a partner.

Re: Go on a mission!

[sith_happened]

Anakin stalked up. "Let's see how good you actually are," he said, sliding into the second cockpit simulator.

Re: Go on a mission!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Anemone raised one eyebrow slightly, and fastened the helmet around her hair. Hopefully she hadn't offended him too badly, but she didn't wasn't going to insult him by lying or simpering at him. "As you wish, sir."

She stopped before climbing in the simulator, and gave him an honest smile. "Sometime you'll have to show me how to configure these. I'd like to see what you could do with TheEND. He loves sorties like this."

Settling in, her smile turned feral. "Confirming mission: elimination of the control ship via BOOM. Let's catch a wave."

Re: Go on a mission!

[sith_happened]

If Anakin was feeling any nerves reliving this particular sequence, it didn't show in his voice or actions. "I'm your wing," he said, lighting the engines up and screaming off into the atmosphere, pushing the systems to just this side of the angry red lines.

Re: Go on a mission!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"I've never had a wingman before." Anemone's own launch was clean as the starfighter shot into the sky. All systems were staying just under the unhappy red line so far, no need to push her luck yet. "So far I'm reading no enemy aircraft in pursuit from the planet. Let me guess, they're going to launch from the unassailable fortress out there?"

Re: Go on a mission!

[sith_happened]

"By the dozens," Anakin said.

True to his word, the bay doors dumped about a hundred droid starfighters into the systems. The rest of the computerized squadron peeled off to push some of the numbers down.

"Here they come," Anakin said. "Remember, they're fast but stupid."

Re: Go on a mission!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Tell me, are we talking 'fly between them and let them shoot each other' trick type of dumb, or is that my whimsy wishing?"

Anemone gave a very unfriendly smile as the droid starfighters got closer. "I've got four headed right at us. Time to make some new friends! I'll take the starboard two if you grab port."

Re: Go on a mission!

[sith_happened]

"Not quite that dumb," Anakin said, slewing the ship to port and pulling two of the droid ships with him.

He wasn't in the mood to play today. A few carefully precise manuevers and the ships were vaporized. He checked his readings to see how Anemone was doing.

Re: Go on a mission!

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

Marco grabbed a helmet and glanced around for a partner.

Re: Go on a mission!

[untouchableskin.livejournal.com]

Rogue put on her helmet and looked around. "Need a partner?"

Re: Go on a mission!

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

Marco tried to force a smile after his disastrous trial runs. "Sure."

Re: Go on a mission!

[untouchableskin.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Rogue said, a little unsure herself after Anakin's criticisms. "I'm Rogue, by the way. I don't think we've ever met."

Re: Go on a mission!

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

"Marco." Marco replied. "And I've heard all the Polo jokes." Mostly, he made them. "Read to do this?"

Re: Go on a mission!

[untouchableskin.livejournal.com]

"Ready as I'm going to be," Rogue said. "You?"

Re: Go on a mission!

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

"Nope!" Marco said cheerfully and climbed in. "You want to be wingman or me?"

Re: Go on a mission!

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Grabbing a helmet, Adam gave it a once over before looking around for a partner.