Ask Test Flight

[Ceris Odrosess]

Throughout the past decade, the Galaxy has become ever more unpredictable, yet the New Republic Navy has barely changed. Ceris caught wind of a brand new Starfighter from the popular Subpro Corporation, and decided it was a good chance to upgrade her firepower. After a few weeks of coordination and scheduling, a test flight was set up on Anaxes. Ceris wanted to personally fly the fighter so she herself could get an idea of the product. In order to approve a purchase for militaristic reasons, a Senator, or someone with higher authority, would have to sign off on it.

Grand Admiral Brum had such authority, but his age has finally started to slow him down. However, he informed Ceris she had nothing to worry about, as he knew of a Senator that may show some interest. She wasn't very fond of appealing to a Senator, even if it was her friend Jin, but she'll have to just put up with it.

Ceris sat in a waiting room with her flight suit and other gear on, waiting patiently for the Senator to arrive. In the mean time, she read up on the public file. The young Arkanian was pretty impressive, gorgeous too. Ceris skimmed through some portions until a section caught her eyes."Enjoys piloting in her free time, huh.." Ceris tapped her fingers for a moment before calling one of the other office rooms "Get another flight suit prepared. Female, small."

@Malon

 

[Alyrra Adasca]

When Alyrra checked her schedule for the day, she had not expected a meeting with a fleet admiral to be among the items awaiting her. She double-checked with her secretary before setting out, but no, the item was not a mistake. Fleet Admiral Ceris Odrosess of Coruscant was to meet with her by mid-afternoon, and she spent the entire taxi ride wondering what the Republic Navy could want with a junior senator like her. She found out (partly) when she arrived and was handed a flight suit to change into.

"Admiral Odrosess," Lyra said with a practiced smile, and she extended the hand not occupied with holding her flight suit for a shake. "It is good to meet you. I am Senator Alyrra Adasca of Arkania." Once the words were out, she allowed herself to wonder at the flight suit in her hand. It was an unusual thing to be handed under most circumstances, but this was the navy she was talking about.

"I take it we're going up today?" she asked, holding up the suit for emphasis. It would fit, but she was more concerned with what exactly she would be flying in it. "I must confess, flying is a favorite past time of mine. Though I can't say I've ever flown any navy vessels before." @Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Ceris immediately stood up once the Senator stepped in, reaching her own hand out to meet. "It is my pleasure to meet you, thank you for taking time out of your day I'm sure you're a busy body." Ceris returned to her seat and prepared a holoprojector to play a few images. "You are exactly right Senator, but do not worry we won't be going too high." After fiddling with the projector for awhile, it finally activated displaying both a map and an image of the starfighter.

"So, we're here to test fly a new starfighter that I-" Ceris paused to cough in her arm "excuse me, I meant we, the Navy, are interested in purchasing. Since I lack the authority to make that decision, well, I'm sure you understand where I'm going with this." Ceris looked into the eyes of the Senator; it was one of the few times she felt like someone was as intelligent as her. "I decided the best way to make a decision is to try it out for ourselves, I think you would agree. The map here displays our flight plan." Ceris pointed up and traced her fingers through indicating the path they would take. "We'll stay within the atmosphere for the entire test, sitting at around fifteen thousand feet. I'll fly us through the nearby mountain range, make our way right over the dense red-forest, and turn back around to finish the test. Depending on how you feel, I may give you control of the sticks at some point." Ceris turned off the projector and motioned a soldier to hand a datapad over.

Taking the datapad, and then handing it off to the Senator, Ceris clasped her hands together and continued "If you have no questions or concerns, I ask you sign that medical questionnaire, afterwards, we will head out to the hangar bay which sits right outside and begin the test flight." Ceris motioned the soldier to leave the room so they could have some privacy. "You can change in this room. I can keep my eyes open or shut, whichever you prefer." Ceris chuckled before standing up to help the Senator put on the suit if she needed it.

@Malon

 

[Alyrra Adasca]

Lyra made two determinations from her brief exchange with the admiral. She liked her and was now intensely more interested to see where this increasingly strange day would lead. Lyra herself was not completely oblivious. She caught the admiral's faux pax, her obvious self-interest, and let it slide. In politics, it was always good to know what a potential ally wanted, frivolous or otherwise.

She also could not resist the smirk that tugged up the corner of her mouth when the admiral suggested that she could fly if she was comfortable, as if a girl who did most of her own flying would by anything otherwise. And then there was the other comment, which was more intriguing somehow.

"That's quite alright, Admiral," she said, already beginning to shrug out of her clothes and pull on the flight suit she had been provided. "I believe I can trust in the discretion of an officer of the Republic Navy." Nevertheless, she was quick about it, zipping the suit up and neatly folding her work clothes before handing them over to be stored for later. "Since this a test flight for such an important purpose," she continued, glancing over the flight route the admiral had proposed. "I want to see as many of the ship's capabilities as you're comfortable demonstrating."

Lyra tapped her screen, zooming in on the mountain range the admiral had earlier indicated. "There are some deep gorges in this mountain range that would make for a perfect demonstration of the ship's maneuverability," she wagered. "And over here," she tapped again, and the map zoomed out briefly before refocusing on the dense red forest that the admiral had also singled out, "Just beyond these woods is an old abandoned bunker from the Imperial days. I believe it used to be a dam before the water source dried up. Would make a good place for a weapon's test, wouldn't you say?"

She looked up to see whether or not Ceris agreed or vehemently disagreed with her proposed additions. "It's right along our flight path, so it shouldn't constrain our time too much," she added for good measure. "Are we agreed?"

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Ceris was rather impressed with the Senator's proposition. Truthfully she wanted to avoid any stunts in case the fighter was a piece of junk, leading the both of them to their deaths, but how could she say no? She couldn't help but smile towards the end "It seems like we're on the right track Senator." Ceris stood from her seat and made her way out of the room once Alyrra was ready.

While the hangar was normally a loud and obnoxious space, it was more or less completely silent due to the pause on all other operations. The ARC-180 stood in front of them freshly painted, shined, and equipped. A representative from Subpro stood by to greet them. "Admiral," he extended his hand out which Ceris met half way "Good to meet you in person Mr. Toro. This is Senator Alyrra Adasca of Arkania" Ceris turned and stepped out of the way and gestured towards Alyrra. Toro stepped forward and extended his hand once again "I'm honored to meet you Senator. I hope you will be pleased with this test flight."

Once the introductions, and any questions, were out of the way it was time to finally fly the fighter. Ceris stepped in the front seat of the cockpit, the back seat was for the Senator. "Don't worry about some of these buttons, I can explain a few of them while in the air if you don't know what they are." Ceris first turned on the Navicomputer which fed a holographic HUD into the helmets. Afterwards she kicked on the engine which slowly made on with a low whir; it was quieter than that of a traditional TIE or even an X-Wing, yet still had just as much power behind it. With the engines now on, Ceris pressed a button on the lower side panel towards her left to activate the communications link between her and Alyrra. "Testing, testing. Hear me all fine? This baby has a nice rattle to it."

The eager Admiral finally took control of the stick and raised the fighter a few feet off the ground, slowly making her way out of the hangar. "A few quick things before we begin. If at any point we have to eject, I will yell eject 3 times as in: eject, eject, eject. Right below your seat is this metal bar, you'll yank on it as hard as you can and hold onto it throughout the whole ejection process; your chute will open automatically." The fighter exited the hanger, Ceris began to turn it slowly towards the open field. "Now, unless you are feeling dizziness, or need to barf, it's too late to back out now." After those words she shot out as fast as she could upwards, immediately pulling a couple g's for a few seconds before leveling back out. "How did that feel for ya?!" Ceris asked excitingly. She hadn't piloted a plane since she was in the Academy, but the thrill had immediately returned. Ceris slowly increased the speed to 70 MGLT while elevating just slightly reaching about 8000 feet, "Look at your window, enjoy the view? Let me know when you wanna see what this puppy can do."

@Malon

 

[Alyrra Adasca]

There was a certain thrill to flying Lyra never got over. Her grandmother attributed it to her Arkanian blood. In the ancient past, dragons had flown across the frozen wastes of Arkania, and her ancestors had ridden them as steeds. The last Arkanian dragon had died over four thousand years ago, but flying was still in her family's blood. It was where she felt the most free.

Lyra yearned for the yolk of the craft the moment she lowered herself into the back passenger seat. It was a tight fit, but nothing she wasn't used to. The craft itself reminded her of the antique models that had been used by the Old Republic during the Clone Wars, though obviously modernized and much faster. She could certainly see its appeal to one such as the admiral.

"She flies brilliantly!" Lyra called out over her headset comlink. "It's a wonder the Republic fleet does not supply itself en masse with these!"

Already she could see the peaks of the mountains rising up like the spine of a fallen behemoth on the horizon. Again, she felt the call to take action, though she knew she couldn't. This craft was too expensive and important if she made a mistake. Yet it did not keep her from asking Ceris to see what the ship was capable of.

"Those ravines I told you about are up ahead," she noted. "Give me a real taste of what she can do!" Then she looked down at the controls and switches laid out before her and added, "And give me something to do. I want to learn how she works."

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

It indeed was a wonder why the Republic doesn't supply itself, at least to those who weren't apart of the military. Ceris knew why, and it was simply because they were losing money. Just a decade ago the New Republic boasted the most powerful Navy in the galaxy, and now they were simply fighting for scraps that the Empire and ISC leave behind.

Ceris looked towards the ravines which were pointed out by the senator. "Looks like something I can handle, but something for you to do..." While the Senator did have a record of piloting, Ceris was still weary on letting her fly through a ravine. "Look towards the panel on your right, there should be a switch labeled 'wpx1' with a green button below it. Flick the switch and press the button, then you can use the centre stick to aim and the button on it to fire the laser turret; shoot some rocks maybe?"

As the mountains came up, Ceris would start to push the nose of the fighter down, quickly descending into the ravine.

She would get the fighter as close as she could to the ground, whipping it around to avoid running straight into the cliffsides. A few rocky pillars stood in the way as obstacles, making for good targets for the Alyrra. Ceris would perform a multitude of rolls to avoid them while attempting to give the Senator a good shot as they flew by. After having some fun, Ceris would yank the fighter upwards over the mountains, before immediately pushing it back down the mountainside towards the forest. The fighter was on the larger side compared to others, but if Alyrra wanted a show then she would get one. Ceris entered the dense forest with the fighter, maneuvering in and out, attempting to avoid hitting a tree and dying.

"Now back to the panel on your right.." The Admiral's voice was rather shaky due to her focus "there is another switch, labeled 'T.R.P.' If you flick that one." Ceris stopped for a moment to swing a hard right, she entered a forest pathway that would lead them towards the bunker. "That one will activate the torpedo launcher. Feel free to fire on the bunker, it's coming up here soon." Ceris would make a straight-line towards the bunker, going as fast as the fighter could. Upon seeing the old abandoned bunker, Ceris would ascend very slightly as to avoid crashing, in case the Senator missed her shot.

Tags: @Malon

 

[Alyrra Adasca]

Lyra had not expected to be granted control of the weapons, but she was no less pleased by the offer. She seized the indicated stick and switched the weapon systems on, waiting for a proper opportunity, which came in the form of a series of pillars jutting up out of the ravine the admiral had flown them into. She lined up her shots and fired expertly. A series of ionized green shots ejected from the craft's laser canons and blew the pillars away on impact, vaporizing the rock at the atomic level.

"Impressive," she confessed. "Have these models been combat tested?" Against, say, the Killiks? She doubted it, pirates were more likely—but she liked the thought of blowing those insectoid monstrosities apart.

Ceris pulled the fighter into a series of maneuvers that even Lyra would not have dared. She would have certainly crashed the fighter into the canopy of the trees had she attempted something similar.

Then, as the admiral gave her new instructions, she simultaneously pulled away from the woods into a wide valley. The abandoned bunker lay just ahead. Lyra did as she was bade, switching over the weapon systems from laser cannons to torpedos, sighting her shot, and fired. There was a delay before the explosion, but when the torpedo struck its mark, the resulting explosion was far grander than the vaporization of mere rocks. Nothing of the target remained once the smoke and dust had cleared.

"See?" Lyra remarked smirking, even though she knew the admiral could not in fact see her. "I'm not altogether useless in a cockpit. Thank you for that demonstration, Admiral." She switched off the weapon systems to prevent an accidental misfire. "I believe now is the time to tell me why you're showing me all of this."

Though I have my suspicions.

The negotiations should prove quite interesting. @Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

"Not combat tested, but that's why we're hoping to get our hands on some of these. While Killiks were the biggest threat in the galaxy at the moment, Ceris was pre-occupied with something else.

Ceris was impressed with the Senator's shot. Now she questioned if she should request the Senator to join the Navy. The celebration came short with Alyrra's sudden request for an answer. Ceris technically answered the question before, but Alyrra didn't seem swayed by the answer; she sought a further truth. "Let's get back, and I'll give you your answer."

The short flight back was kept simple, and eventually they would end back up in the hangar. A large audience of soldiers clapped upon their return, but Ceris wouldn't have any of it. "Clear it all out!" she barked upon exiting the cockpit. The large space would be emptied out in record timing. The sound of thunderous applause turned into a quiet echo chamber. "So," Ceris looked towards Alyrra "to answer your question."

"Our Navy has become a laughingstock. All of our ships and equipment are outdated, the ISC and the Empire dwarf us in comparison. This has all happened within a span of 10 years. Just 10 years ago, we were the mightiest force in the Galaxy. I'm trying to change that." Ceris took a moment to adjust herself before continuing "I'm also not willing to sit around and let the Empire crush us. I know we are at peace, and I know many people don't care about the Sith and Jedi, but I do. I can not stand around and watch the Chancellor, and the rest of our political body, leave us out to rot." Ceris wasn't intending the comment to be a shot, but she couldn't forget Alyrra's stance in the most recent Galactic Senate meeting. Ceris' demeanor shifted towards anger "those bastards took over New Alderran, my home planet. I haven't heard from my grandparents ever since. They've probably been killed, they come from nobility and own a large amount of land. All I can do is attempt to build our force back up to standard in preparation to kick some Sith ass."

It was the cold and honest truth from Ceris; it was rare she said anything sentimental like this. She truly was passionate about taking her home world back. She despised the Empire, and she despised the Galaxy even more for letting them exist. Ceris wanted revenge on every government body, but that time would have to wait.

Tags: @Malon

 

[Alyrra Adasca]

As expected, the situation was more complicated than she would have liked. Were this simply scratching the back of the navy for a potential favor down the line, Lyra might have done it without hesitation. Politics was a game, after all, and she intended to play it smartly. But now feelings were involved, and there were two ways she could react: the human way, giving her sympathy, vowing support. Or the political way, and she could not rule that way out. Her job depended on it.

"It is true. The Republic is not what it used to be," Lyra said, considering her words carefully. "As a result, many worlds have left us to join other bodies. Reequipping the navy would go a long way to reassuring our remaining member worlds that their government is doing everything it can to protect them." But protecting them was where things got even more complicated. "But the Jedi and the Sith cannot be part of the argument. I share your frustrations with both of them — I do. However, the Chancellor will never sign his name to a bill that would be perceived by the Sith as an act of aggression."

As she talked, she clasped her hands together and began to pace. The solution was obvious. The admiral herself must have already thought of it. "Fortunately for us, a new enemy has arisen that gives us just as much cause to re-arm. I could introduce a bill before the Senate that would do just that, and I believe it would have a great deal of support, even from the Chancellor." Lyra steepled her fingers and drummed them together as she thought up the next move. "The corporation that designs these crafts," she gestured to the ship they had just climbed out of, "resides within our territory, and so easily requisitioned for purchases."

At last, Lyra stopped fidgeting and faced the admiral. "These things are simple enough to do, Admiral, but if I am to be your voice in these matters, I need to know I can count on your support. Once I convince the Chancellor to convene the New Republic Senate, your voice may be essential to swaying our legislators to support the measure." She raised a golden brow. "Would you be willing to appear and speak as my guest?"

@Altaria

 

[Ceris Odrosess]

Ceris stood cross-armed while listening to the Senator's proposition. In the end, she still gets what she wants: a better equipped Navy. She didn't need Alyrra to convince the Chancellor to go against the Sith, and Alyrra was correct that he would never sign it. Ceris didn't need him to sign it though. It was only a matter of time before the Sith attempted to make a move on the much weaker Republic. The Killiks were indeed the current target, but the Empire was the final boss in the distance.

"Providing my support is easy enough. I have a good friend in a high place that could help. Speaking to the Senate would be easy enough, especially with how close the Killik invasions were to New Republic Space." Ceris extended her hand out for a shake "However I only scratch a back for as long as I receive the same. Getting our Navy better equipped could help my case for Grand Admiral in the future, and I can do more for you then."

While she most likely wouldn't receive any aid in handling the Empire, Ceris was still happy with the outcome. She gets what she wants, and she could return the favor to the Senator any time in the future.

Tag: @Malon

 

[Alyrra Adasca]

Lyra smiled. She loved a woman who knew what she wanted, ambitious women even more so. It was good they understood each other; and Lyra had no problem scratching backs who scratched hers. "I do believe we are on the same page, Admiral," she said, clasping her hands again before her. "This was a lovely flight." She walked and ran a gloved hand along the belly of the ship they had just flown. "If you find any more beauties like these, you know how to reach me. Perhaps next time, we can race."

Lyra pulled her hand away and returned to the clothing she now needed to re-adorn. As much as she enjoyed the snugness of her flight suit, it was time to return to work. Time was of the essence if she wanted to maintain this alliance. "Until then," she continued, "I will see you on the floor of the Senate. Hopefully with promising results."

/End @Altaria