Anakin Skywalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2009-05-12 12:02 am
sith_happened) wrote in fandomhigh2009-05-12 12:02 am
Entry tags:
Flight and Flying [Tuesday, May 12, 4th period]
Anakin stood in front of the door of the flight shed and waited for the workshop students to arrive, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his dark robes.
"Welcome," he said, giving them a nod. "I'm Master Skywalker, and I'll be your instructor for flight this session. I'm from a space-based culture, so my expertise is primarily in those sorts of aircraft, but we'll also be working with the way people fly on this planet. We'll begin with simulators and if you convince me of your attention to detail and your ability not to die in stupid ways, you'll eventually be allowed to fly the real things. Before we begin in the simulator, though, you need to recite the following pledge: I solemnly swear, upon threat of detention and possible bodily harm, to listen and follow Master Skywalker's instructions, not to bring food or drink within ten feet of the simulators, and to absolutely never start a fight anywhere inside the flight shed, as Master Skywalker will let my head get cracked open on something metallic, like I deserve, and then throw me into detention for the entirety of my time at Fandom High."
He was dead serious, too.
After the pledges had been recited to his satisfaction, Anakin waved a hand lazily at the doors and they slid open to reveal two podracing simulators sitting side-by-side.
"All right," he said, pointing at the controls, "everything you need to fly a podracer is located on the handlebars. You push them forward to go faster, pull back to slow down, and pull one or the other towards you to turn." He pointed at the buttons in the center of the console. "That controls the engines," he said. "You push the big button to light them up, and on these two models, you can push it again for an extra burst of speed." He looked at the class. "Which burns your fuel very, very quickly, so save that until you need it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Normally, these are attached to enormous engines--6 or 7 meter long engines--but these aren't real, and the simulator won't really give you the noise that's normally associated with the podracer. But the simulator has been programmed to go very, very quickly." He pointed to the simulator on the left-hand side. "This one, properly piloted, can get up to 950 kilometers an hour. The other can get up to 900. To fly a podracer at those kinds of speed requires iron nerves and split-second reflexes."
He clasped his hands in front of him. "Today you can take a turn learning how the simulators work, then pair up to fly against each other." He gave them a slightly predatory smile. "If you choose, you can fly against me. I built the real version of this podracer," he patted the left-hand simulator, "and used it to win a race when I was nine years old. And I won't give you a head start."
"Welcome," he said, giving them a nod. "I'm Master Skywalker, and I'll be your instructor for flight this session. I'm from a space-based culture, so my expertise is primarily in those sorts of aircraft, but we'll also be working with the way people fly on this planet. We'll begin with simulators and if you convince me of your attention to detail and your ability not to die in stupid ways, you'll eventually be allowed to fly the real things. Before we begin in the simulator, though, you need to recite the following pledge: I solemnly swear, upon threat of detention and possible bodily harm, to listen and follow Master Skywalker's instructions, not to bring food or drink within ten feet of the simulators, and to absolutely never start a fight anywhere inside the flight shed, as Master Skywalker will let my head get cracked open on something metallic, like I deserve, and then throw me into detention for the entirety of my time at Fandom High."
He was dead serious, too.
After the pledges had been recited to his satisfaction, Anakin waved a hand lazily at the doors and they slid open to reveal two podracing simulators sitting side-by-side.
"All right," he said, pointing at the controls, "everything you need to fly a podracer is located on the handlebars. You push them forward to go faster, pull back to slow down, and pull one or the other towards you to turn." He pointed at the buttons in the center of the console. "That controls the engines," he said. "You push the big button to light them up, and on these two models, you can push it again for an extra burst of speed." He looked at the class. "Which burns your fuel very, very quickly, so save that until you need it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Normally, these are attached to enormous engines--6 or 7 meter long engines--but these aren't real, and the simulator won't really give you the noise that's normally associated with the podracer. But the simulator has been programmed to go very, very quickly." He pointed to the simulator on the left-hand side. "This one, properly piloted, can get up to 950 kilometers an hour. The other can get up to 900. To fly a podracer at those kinds of speed requires iron nerves and split-second reflexes."
He clasped his hands in front of him. "Today you can take a turn learning how the simulators work, then pair up to fly against each other." He gave them a slightly predatory smile. "If you choose, you can fly against me. I built the real version of this podracer," he patted the left-hand simulator, "and used it to win a race when I was nine years old. And I won't give you a head start."
Re: Fly against each other
Re: Fly against each other
Re: Fly against each other
They'd hit a straightaway stretch, though she knew from her second run it wouldn't last long, and while it lasted she maneuvered directly behind Ben and kicked in an extra burst of speed, hoping to gain another fraction of a second or so.
Re: Fly against each other
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"Ben Skywalker, are you trying to impress me or something?"
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"Always."
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"That's dumb, Ben. You don't have to try," she yelled.
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There was a good, oh, foot to spare. Sane people wouldn't try this.
"Of course I do," he yelled back.
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His heart was pounding. He could definitely see the appeal of this kind of racing.
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. . . but this was fun, she realized. She fought the podracer back into control, feeling more confident about it now, enough so to push the speed up to just under 900 kilometers an hour and go after Ben once she was clear of the turn.
"You always do, Skywalker!"
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"Catch up!"
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Fun. Way too much fun.
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And, Tahiri realized somewhat belatedly when she reached for the ignition button again, she was smaller and lighter than he was. She might have enough fuel to make it the rest of the way, punched the button, and let out a howl of pure glee.
She probably wouldn't catch up to him, and she definitely wouldn't beat him, but unless she spun out on one of these last turns it just might be close.
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The engines wobbled dangerously and almost collided, but he recovered, letting out a little whoop as he tore the final stretch.
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Barring any last-moment complications, of course.
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"Wow!"
It encompassed a lot of things, not the least of which was that she hadn't crashed.
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Pot, meet kettle.
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She wasn't staring, exactly.
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It didn't help.
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"Maybe we should let someone else have a turn," she said distractedly.
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