fandomhigh | Flight and Flying [Friday morning]

The flight simulator looked radically different than it had last week.

For one thing, there was only one. It was also longer, sleeker, and painted maroon and white.

Anakin leaned up against it with his eyes closed, holding a giant cup of coffee like it was the only thing keeping him upright--not entirely inaccurate--and waited for the class to arrive. When they came in, he put the box of cookies from J,GoB on a table and turned to face them.

"This is the training sim for the Delta-7 Aethersprite Interceptor," Anakin said, patting it. "It's better known as the Jedi starfighter. Today we're going to use it to practice flying in a zero-g environment."

He pushed a button and the door to the simulator swung open. "Because it's a trainer, it's designed for two people--a pilot and an instructor--to fit. The real things only have room for one being on the inside and an astromech droid." He looked at the class. "Um, think of it as a robotic co-pilot of sorts who can get to mechanical problems while you're flying. For example, fixing shields that have been damaged by laser fire." He pointed at the empty socket on the simulator. "Obviously, I don't have an astromech with me but the sim's been programmed to make up for that. And for very elementary maneuvers like we'll be working with today, you don't really need to learn how to work with the astromech."

He pointed into the inside of the cockpit. "There are a lot more controls on the starfighter 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 tried to smile at them. It sort of worked. "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 and stuff. 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. You can try either one, or both if you're feeling especially motivated." Anakin closed his eyes and drank from his cup of coffee again. "Get to work."

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"Sure," Anakin said. "We're only gone for the length of the workshop in Fandom time, and the Jedi aren't going to let anything happen to any of the students. Dean Tick and Obi-Wan are friends. Which is weird."

"Hm." Alanna said. "I'm hoping to be able to drag a few of my friends to my Knighting in December. If they let you, maybe there is hope for me." She bounced a little. "Going to the career fair?"

"You're being Knighted?" Anakin smiled. "Congratulation. I still have years to go." He shrugged. "Which is why I'm probably giving the career fair a pass. I know what I'm going to be."

"There's a ... thing. On Midwinter after our 18th birthday." Alanna paled a little. "If we pass, we're Knighted. If not...well, people who passed have lost body parts. I'm going to go just in case."

"Losing body parts?" Anakin winced. "Sounds difficult. We have to pass the Trials--" the capital was evident in his tone, "--but the Council is the final arbiter of who's ready to become a Jedi Knight."

"Sir Gareth lost a finger, another Knight lost half his arm. It's considered passing if you can still fight, are alive, didn't utter a single word, and are still sane. Most people pass." Alanna paused. "For us, it's called the Ordeal. I'm ... more than a little nervous." She laughed dryly.

"I don't blame you," Anakin said, sounding concerned. "Wow. Like the all four Jedi trials at once. But we're allowed to cry out. We just can't let that stop us."

"Do you know what the Trials are ahead of time at least?"

Anakin shook his head. "They fall into four categories, but their manifestations are different for every Jedi." He held out his fingers and ticked them off as he talked. "The Trial of Skill, the Trial of the Flesh, the Trial of Courage and the Trial of the Spirit."

He shrugged. "They can be terrible. Obi-wan's Trials were pretty much taken care of in one battle, which covered his skill with a lightsaber, his ability to overcome the death of his own Master, and his courage against a superior foe." He paused, swallowing hard. "Who had killed Obi-Wan's Master. It's not a pleasant thing, but being a Knight isn't for everyone, right?"

Alanna nodded. "Yup. That's why people back home say girls can't be Knights. That we can't handle the physical and emotional pressures. We...we don't know what the Ordeal is until we take it. No Knight is allowed to speak of it. J-Jon used to wake up with nightmares from his Ordeal."

"That sort of thing isn't determined by gender," Anakin said, frowning. "Either you're strong enough in yourself or you're not. And there's really no way of knowing until you're there."

He gave Alanna a small smile. "I think you'll be fine."

"I have to be." Alanna said quietly. "I have to be the best. To proove that girls can fight and be Knights and do anything that boys can."

And boy did Anakin know that feeling. "Then you'll do it," he said firmly. "That kind of focus and drive will see you through it," he said with a wry smile. "At least that's what I'm counting on."

Alanna grinned up at Anakin. "Hell. Yeah."

Anakin grinned back. "I'm sorry I won't be here to hear of your triumph," he said.

Alanna's smile flickered. "You won't be back at all?"

Anakin shook his head, suddenly sad. "You'll see when we go to Coruscant. We need all the Jedi we can get to stop the corruption of the Senate from tearing the Republic apart. It was incredibly generous for the Council to let me stay for the summer at all."

"Oh. I"m sorry to hear that."

Anakin stared down at his hands. "It is what it is," he said. "No use dwelling, right?"

Alanna nodded. "Exactly. Um...if you don't mind. What happened to your parents?" She shrugged. "Both of mine are dead."

"I went to the Temple when I was nine," Anakin replied, avoiding the question. "So Obi-Wan is pretty much as close as I come to having a family." He yanked at his braid. "Jedi are taken from their parents young so that we don't have attachments to planets or people that might affect our ability to behave impartially."

Alanna nodded. "Maybe...maybe we need that. To be able to achieve ... everything."

"We'll find out one way or another, won't we?" Anakin asked, giving her a small smile.

Flight and Flying [Friday morning]

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