fandomhigh | Flight and Flying [Thursday, August 2, 3rd 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.

"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."

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Irulan dogged River's tail suddenly a fighter sped out of nowhere, straight to River's left flank, "River!" She called out, "Your left!"

Just a second before her wing was hit River dived, avoiding the attack. "Take it out, Irulan," she called back.

Irulan fired on the fighter until it exploded into a fiery shell. Her heart was hammering and her adrenaline was high and she was surprised to find herself grinning.

"We can do this!" She cried.

River sensed Irulan's feelings and they mingled with her own. "Yes!" she replied, then added: "Two behind us. Run?"

"Run, yes," Irulan agreed and hit the accelerator, "I think we're near our target!"

And just as Irulan said that the control ship came into view. "Yes. Need to get past the shields."

"How do we do that?" She wondered and fired at a fighter that flew to block their way.

"Get closer and we'll see," River suggested, knowing it wasn't much of a plan.

[I haven't seen this movie! Have no idea what this ship is like.]

Irulan hesitated then shook of her hesitation. "Cover me," she said, and pushed the controls forward. How she managed with all the flurry of laser fire and fighters shuttling back and forth she'd never know but then suddenly there it was... "I see an opening!"

River was behind Irulan, firing at the approaching fighters. "Go for it!" she called out.

The docking bay it was then, trusting River to cover her she flew in directly and contrary to her strategy outside Irulan began to randomly fire at everything. Professor Skywalker did say detonation should happen inside did he not?

Plus, they were running out of time!

"For the Empire!" She hollered as battle cry, "For House Corrino!"

She might have become a tad too involved.

While she wasn't the battle cry type, River was also becoming increasingly involved, whether by herself or because of Irulan's feelings was hard to tell. Still, it was increasingly hard for River to keep the fighters off.

Then one of her wings took a direct hit, making the spacecraft spin out of control.

"River!" Irulan cried out and watched, helpless as River spun about, she cut the engines promptly, hoping River would be safe.

And then another enemy fighter hit River's starfighter and it exploded, ending the simluation. "Go on," River told Irulan. "Finish the mission."

Irulan stared in shock at River's burnt starfighter, almost forgetting the fact it was simulated then started when she heard River's voice.

Irulan's face locked into determination and proceeded strafing the docking bay. Droids fell over and she went on shooting until the whole interior was ablaze. No, it wasn't only able that was a giant fireball rushing through a hallway! Irulan yelped as she tried to turn her fighter around.

"Oh, damn--!"

"Try to get out, Irulan!" River called out. "Now!"

Irulan pulled on the controls and put the engines on maximum, the force pushed her deeper into her seat as she jettisoned away from the fire but one glance behind and she could see the fireball catching-up.

"Faster! Faster, you infernal machine!"

iver had taken off her helmet. "You can do it, Irulan."

Urged by River's cheering Irulan put the ship's engine into gear. "All right you metal machine, show me you're better than what I've been taught!"

There was a wide grin on River's face as she watched Irulan's struggle and her enthusiasm.

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

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