Flying Free (MA, D8)

[Djanik]

Djanik had been running a few last drills for his squad - he wanted to polish their formation handling a little, and so he sent the double diamond of Z-95s howling through the debris fields, angular craft tightening up, nose to wingtip, and then splitting apart, the formation spreading outward like a flower beginning to bloom, pairs of fighters splitting apart and then arcing in to convene three kilometers away, all ripping through the air with meters of one another.

That was what he had been looking for - coordination and poise.

As he dismissed the squadron to return home, taking the same scenic route they normally did, in order to avoid detection by Imperial patrols, he turned his headhunter in for a last turn about the ruins of the settlement, soothing his own nerves before the action tomorrow.

[Elaranu]

As he did so, there was a sudden proximity alarm; Apparently, one of the Z-95's hadn't broken away after all; Blue 9, whichever that was, had decided to tail fairly closely behind him instead.

[Djanik]

Djanik smirked faintly.

Ela.

Without warning, he flipped the craft and dropped the nose, diving into a scrap canyon, before kicking in the engines and sending the ship running in the opposite direction. Looking for his pursuer as he went, he craned his neck, glancing to get a better bearing on her.

[Elaranu]

She stuck to him like glue, her white painted craft dipping in and out of view briefly. Staying a bit above and behind him, he could see her in the cockpit with her helmet on, glancing over in his Headhunter's direction every few seconds.

[Djanik]

Very good...

Now tapping the stick, he gave the craft a little congratulatory wiggle, before hauling it back, sending the craft into a tight barrel roll which slipped between the broken spires of some ancient building, now just a pair of ruined spikes, rising from the earth.

As he slipped between them, he cranked hard to the left, flipping his craft into a sharp displacement roll, bringing him around sharply to intersect her path with a clean target lock, had she been sticking to him too closely.

[Elaranu]

Instead she had gone up and over, and her path crossed his from left to right just as his fighter broke out of the roll, Ela giving a short wave from her cockpit as she passed over him very briefly upside down. She then broke up to right her Headhunter and follow the heading.

"They are nimble enough I suppose, and the thrust is good; Definitely feel more inspired by atmospheric dogfighting with how basic the space superiority systems are though," came in over his headset.

[Djanik]

Djanik grinned, dipping his craft into a downward swoop, looping the towers and then pulling up alongside her.

Giving her a wave of his own as he pulled even, he acknowledged her comment. "They do handle pretty well in the soup - but when you reach space you stop having that drag on the tail - so it's easier to pitch downward once you aren't in atmosphere."

Weaving the ship into a long serpentine, he tested the handling in lateral maneuvers.

"I know they're not top of the line, but I can't complain - given our resources these really aren't half bad."

[Elaranu]

"Complaining is how things get improved, but I acknowledge your point; All things considered, they are more than I would have expected. I suppose I cannot help but worry though, having flown TIE variants..."

[Elaranu]

Is there any possibility we can wrap up the Power Converter thread? I feel like it is kind of hanging out there.

[Djanik]

Djanik nodded, not that she could see.

As he performed a wide, lazy barrel roll, he replied, "I have as well - at least the Headhunter is at least a little more hardy."

The trigger under his left thumb reminded him, "And a firepower advantage."

[Elaranu]

"Mmmmm... the basic life support functions are my favorite touch. They are not being much, but climate control and air recyclers can mean a lot if one is injured, or crashes. Still, how do they say... A bit of prevention is worth a lot of cure?"

[Djanik]

"They also keep the cockpit from being miserably hot."

Sometimes it was just nice by virtue of being nice.

Tipping the craft up, balancing on one wing, he performed a wide, lazy loop, casting his gaze across the wasteland.

Down below, he saw movement... probably that giant serpent... and gave it a wide berth.

"You never really officially bought in to all this - but I'm glad you're here. It's good having people I can trust - both in character and in skill... but I want to be honest with you, Elaranu. We've got a mission coming up - this squadron will see combat."

A slow breath. "I just wanted to be sure you were on board with that."

[Elaranu]

There wasn't much of a pause before the response, "When fought, one fights back, no? I feel myself more suited to following than rebelling, but I will stand up for myself. I am Chiss, not some mewling Bith'narian. I did nothing wrong, after all."

Ela was actually in the process of setting her Headhunter down on the top floor of a ruin as she said this, coming in before slowing to thrusters only.

[Djanik]

Djanik saw her landing, and did a lazy perimeter loop to make sure there weren't any gigantic snakes nearby her landing point.

"That's true - but some prefer to run."

Tapping his sensors to maximum yield, he swept for life signs. He didn't want any surprises.

"Looking for something in particular?"

[Elaranu]

"I just wanted to give the components a check after a long run, but before we get back. Give me a better idea of what can be fine tuned and what are the weak and strong points system wise."

[Djanik]

Djanik nodded, and brought his own fighter in for a landing, settling it a dozen feet away.

"Sounds like a good idea - get a look at it before the maint teams give it a polish."

[Elaranu]

There was a chuckle over the headset, "I did not mean that you need land too, fly boy. If you are enjoying yourself up there. Me, this is just how I like to do things."

[Djanik]

Djanik laughed, hopping out of his cockpit.

"I also enjoy watching you work."

Feet back on the ground, he stretched, listening to the vertebrae crack, and then added, "Besides, I did have something I wanted to check."

Running his hand along the hull, he glanced at the concussion missile tubes, trying to gauge the lower clearance.

Niche concern, but some of the formations might need adjustment - he'd not really thought about the fact that he wasn't in V-19s anymore.

[Elaranu]

"You like watching me look over mechanical parts and making notes? That is an odd thing to enjoy, I think. But I suppose that would make it easy to enjoy yourself, since I am so often doing it."

[Djanik]

"I think most people like to see passion at work."

He shrugged. "Or maybe just me."

Crouching under the hull, he examined the bevel in the hull, mentally trying to map how the missiles would fly as they exited the tubes.

Yes, he'd need to alter the formations they were flying - a 20 degree shift would do it, but he'd need to get that out to his people before tomorrow.

[Elaranu]

"Hmmm... it is not the thing from before and you just like looking at my posterior as I bend over and move about? You are a male, after all."

She didn't even look back from her work as she said this.

[Djanik]

"Can I not appreciate your posterior and your passion both?"

He glanced her way, and noted her pose.

Well, she did seem to be very... unconcerned.

With a little shrug he stepped back out from under his fighter, glancing at the red flames painted along the nose. Heh. It was out of character for him, but it was fun, in its own way.

[Elaranu]

"As long as it does not effect your work, you may stare as much as you wish. I have my own boundaries with staring at a beautifully designed capital ship."

[Djanik]

A capital ship...

That made him snicker, as he was fairly certain most women would object to comparisons with gigantic warships.

Composing himself, he just said "I do try not to stare - after all, the game is traditionally played in sneaky glances, as foolish as that sounds."

Continuing his walk around his ship, he began to check the laser cannons, looking for debris picked up in flight or loose components. He wanted to get a grasp on what could go wrong, before a maintenance team solved the small issues.

[Elaranu]

"I am not shy about staring at a big set of efficient thrusters. It would be odd for me to hide it no? But I suppose if there is a game to play in it..."

Closing back up her engine compartment, she gave a nod of satisfaction, "It is as you say; These vessels are quite sturdy in their build, in an almost primitive sort of way."