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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"Apparently," Anakin said, still looking a little confused. "It was so much easier with Angel. I postured, he postured, we kicked the crap out of each other, everything was fine."

"You're the Angel of this scenario," Rory pointed out. "Aren't you?"

"Right," Anakin said, nodding. "So I should send Cam to the clinic."

"And he should, in turn, beat the living daylights out of you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think that would make me a little more cranky with Cam than I am already."

Anakin snorted. "Cam would never touch me."

For once, he wasn't boasting.

Rory frowned. "That's not fair and you know it."

"Who said I had to be fair?" Anakin asked.

"Me."

"Oh." Anakin looked very disappointed. "I gave him a five second head start?"

"It's still not fair to hurt him and allow him no way to fight back. No one likes feeling defenseless," she said quietly. "No matter how much he might deserve it, or how right it'd seem to you."

Anakin chewed on his lower lip. "I guess," he said, and that was as much of a capitulation as he was prepared to make.

"I hope he and Molly work it out," she said quietly. "I'm staying out of it. I'll be there to pick up the pieces if she ends up with her heart broken, but I'm not talking to Cam about it anymore."

"It's pretty bruised," Anakin replied, making a face. "I don't like it. But I'm really, really not good with this stuff."

"I'm better with listening than acting," she said, shrugging. "If Molly needs a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there. If Cam needs his ass kicked - figuratively - that's not my department. I've said what I can, there, and this whole mess is not something I want to try to sort out with a hangover."

Anakin nodded and finished off his coffee. "Thank you for the food, by the way." He smiled. "Again."

"You are welcome," she said, smiling at him. "I think I might make it a weekly thing. Or else we'll do something idiotic like get incredibly plastered each Thursday and you'll need comfort food after every class."

Anakin shuddered. "Maybe not that second idea. Though this class might drive me to drink."

"Are you not having fun with them?" she asked quietly.

Anakin pressed his lips together. "This group actually needs instruction," he said, sounding frustrated. "I just do it."

"I needed instruction," she reminded him. "And you were just fine with me."

"You're different," Anakin said. "I'm not the most patient person, normally."

Yeah, he wasn't afraid to state the blindingly obvious.

"So pretend they're all me," she said. "You've never snapped at me because I'm a bad pilot."

Anakin ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "But they're all bad pilots," he said. "Mostly. Sometimes. Okay, not all of them."

He stared at the ground. "I'm tired."

"Poor Anakin," she said softly. "You need a nap in the worst way."

She yawned. "I actually do, too. Why don't you take some more asprin and lie down for awhile this afternoon?"

He nodded tiredly. "That's a good idea. I'll head back to the cabins." He gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

Re: Talk to Anakin

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