just a couple of fighter jocks | location: hangar [OPEN]

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

It's been an intense half a day for Tycho, what with arriving here, learning about the destruction of his universe, learning about the existence of other universes, and the fact that he's been dumped in the middle of a whole new war to fight. After talking to Captain Kirk, he'd spent a while reading as much as he could find on the omnicoms about the Ohm and the ship and the entire situation. He'd also messaged his new squadron, the thing he suspects will take up most of his time on this ship. What he's learned so far tells him ... it's going to be a challenge.

Now though... he could really use something familiar, something from home before his head starts to spin like an x-wing with the stabilizers blown. Stacy's hanger is certainly like no hangar he's ever been in before. The air is humid, and his boots echo strangely on the organic floor. It's also large, maybe almost as large as the main hanger on the Lusankya, filled with all kinds of craft he's never seen before, which compounds the feeling of strangeness. Tycho isn't some outer rim dweller- he's been around the galaxy a few times, seen plenty of things, and the unfamiliarity of almost everything here compounds the feeling of how far he is from home. Still though, his heart can't help but begin to soar as he takes in the sight of near two dozen x-wings parked together near one of the edges.

Tycho strides quickly up to them, noting the familiar shape of Wedge's X-Wing, kill decals bracketed by the two Death Stars, before his eyes alight on his own. He traces his fingers up the side, instantly feeling more centered, more at peace for the feel of the durasteel under his fingertips. He's going to be okay. As long as he has his X-wing and his squadron, everything will be fine.

His R5 chirps in greeting, and Tycho pulls a datapad out of one of his flightsuit's pockets. He might as well use his time well and start running some preliminary diagnostics while he waits for Wedge to arrive.

"Yep," he responds in answer to the astromech's query as the translation scrolls across the screen. "We're far from home buddy." He comfortingly pats the X-Wings side. "We still got our jobs to do though, so let's get started."

Comments

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

"I see you found your way alright." Wedge's voice comes from behind Tycho as the other pilot wriggles out of the engine compartment of his snubfighter. He's been taking a break from cleaning up the city, so how better to spend it then tinkering with his x-wing? He dropped to the neck and wiped his greasy hands on a rag before grinning at Tycho.

"Good to see you. Sorry I was so out of it before. I hadn't slept in a while."

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

"I've been studying the maps of the ship that are available." Tycho holds up an omnicom. "Here, Captain Kirk gave me one of my own, so you can have yours back." He passes the borrowed device back to Wedge.

"It's good to be as prepared as possible," he says as his eyes roam over the enormous hangar, "but still I get the feeling that there's a lot we don't know. Having to fly in against an enemy half blind, nothing we haven't done before, right? Still thought-" Tycho rubs a hand over his eyes, "I don't like it."

"Don't worry about it," he says in response to Wedge's apology, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "From what I've been able to gather, you had a hell of a fight against this 'Nightmare King' character. That certainly doesn't make things any easier though, having to face internal threats as well as external ones ..."

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't help that half the crew is complaining about the way the ship is run at any given time. I mean, most of them are civilians. They're not used to things being run in a military manner. I can see why they'd be reluctant to let the captain run things his way. But at the same time, part of me can't help but wonder how long they'll last like this." Wedge sighs and runs his fingers through his hair before accepting the omnicomm back.

"Thanks." The general was looking much better after twelve hours of sleep, a shower, shave and some caf. "It was a hell of a fight, yeah. But we came through alright. Now we just have to get things running smoothly again."

He slips his omnicomm back into one of hsi flight suits many pockets.

"Your fighter alright? I haven't assigned ships yet, since we've been sticking mostly to the sims..."

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho looks at Wedge blankly. "But we're fighting a war," he points out. "A war, if I understand right, for the very survival of our species, and all other species besides. I can understand that they weren't trained in a military setting, but," Tycho shrugs. "Conflict is training. You learn, or you die." Harsh, but in Tycho's experience, true.

Tycho checks his datapad. "R5 says the initial scans have come out fine, but I'd want to do complete nose to tail sweep before I'd be willing to certify her fit to fly. Who knows what might have happened to them when they were brought on board here." He sighs and runs a fond hand over his craft.

"Did I understand you correctly that some of the new squadron members have never flown before? Is there something easier we can start them out on for their initial flights than X-Wings? Seems like putting novice pilots, even ones who have logged sim hours, out in Incom's finest is like giving nerflings to a kryat dragon ..."

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

"I know we are. But we're also refugees. And some of these people don't even want to fight, I think. They're not really cut out for it, which is fine. Not everybody spends their entire adult life getting very, very good at vaping people like we have, Tycho." He begins walking around to the back of Tycho's x-wing to open the engine compartment, speaking as he goes.

"And there was nothing wrong with mine when I opened her up. Still. Best to check." He flipped it open and ducked inside, retrieving a flashlight from a pocket and looking around the interior of the compartment. "And we don't really have the luxury of giving them baby steps. Besides, I haven't found anything like a T-16 or a Z-95 here. Give me a boost up?"

[browncoatdevil.livejournal.com]

"She stepped away from me and she moved thru' the fair.." With a hobble of a step, the red headed Browncoat took her time walking the row of ships and craft that were there. She hadn't really taken the time before and with doctors orders.. well she wasn't going to be working on the skiffs any time soon. Gwen also didn't expect to find anyone else there after the whole ordeal with the Nightmare King. So she sang to herself hoping to fill the gap where chatter or conversation should have been. Mal was missing, Dex was elsewhere... being in the cargo hold amongst the machinery was the only company she felt she could keep. "And fondly I watched her move here and move there."

Stepping around one of the strange single person craft the woman raised her right hand carefully balancing on her good leg to run fingers along the metal surface. It reminded her a little of the Alliance birds though these by far were more crude and not as slick in design as they had been. Still there was a bit of beauty to them. "And she made her way homeward with one star awak-" Whatever part of the song was coming next ended as she rounded the nose of the craft, the man's voice and the twitter of the thing in the back of the ship instantly cutting her off. "Oh.. ah.. sorry. Weren't expectin' no one else down here.."

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho looked up at the sound of the approaching woman, standing from the crouch he had been in to open an access panel on the underside of his x-wing. He'd stuck around after Wedge and Jaina had left to continue doing a more extensive check over of his fighter. "No, no, it's all right," Tycho quickly said. "I was just doing some maintenance on my fighter here-" He quickly wiped his hands off on the rag that was slung over his shoulder. "Colonel Tycho Celchu," he said, extending his hand for the woman to shake. "I'm a new arrival on the ship." His smile was warm and friendly.

[browncoatdevil.livejournal.com]

Why was it, Gwen thought, that every time she met someone on the ship she tried to classify them on what region of the 'verse they came from? Perhaps it was just a left over tidbit from her own military days or simply seeking that connection to her own world again that made her do it. This man reminded her of someone from the Core yet.. well not. Not like the Boarderworlds but a little more high class. Regardless it was a fun game she could mentally play to keep herself on her toes. "Oh a Colonel. Seems this place likes t' pull the brass outta the woodwork." Accepting his hand in greeting with her right hand she gave the blond a wry little smile ignoring the fading bruises about her face. "Lieutenant Gwen MacKenzie. Gāoxìng jìandào nĭ, Sir."

Bright green eyes flickered back up to the fighter he had been about to work on. "Ain't never seen no bird like this before. Gorram Alliance was all 'bout the shiny bits though their boats carried a heavy punch." Gwen's face split in to a smile as she glanced back to the slightly older man. "What make is she?"

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho gave a shrug and a self deprecating smile at her words, but his eyes lit up as she gave her own rank. "It's a pleasure, Lieutenant MacKenzie. What branch are you with? I'm with Starfighter Command," he informed her. His handshake was firm yet gentle, but his eyes narrowed in confusion at her next words. "I'm afraid this is another language I'm not familiar with," he told her with a resigned smile. This was evidently a feeling he was going to have to get used to.

His eyebrows rose slightly in confusion at her next words. "She's an Incom T-65 X-Wing," Tycho said carefully "and it was a popular craft for the Alliance to use, when we could get a hold of them ... unfortunately we didn't have an unlimited supply during the Rebellion. Now that we're the New Republic though, the military is slightly better supplied. Of course, now neither the Alliance or the New Republic exist, so I suppose these are the last 20 X-Wings in the galaxy ...." Tycho trailed off. He was giving the shorter woman an appraising look. Her words implied she wasn't a fan of the Alliance. She didn't sound like any Imperial he'd ever met, but that didn't mean anything. There were plenty of other anti-Alliance groups as well. He held himself more carefully, with a hand free and ready to go for his blaster in case she decided that ridding the galaxy of a New Republic Colonel was worthwhile.

[browncoatdevil.livejournal.com]

"Starfighter.. what?" One slender red brow shot upward slightly though with the amounts of people coming and going off the ship it wasn't going to be the first time the confusion set in. "501st Cavalry Regiment. Armored ground unit mostly when we get th' chance to steal us a few Alliance craft." However at her use of Mandarin a slight little giggle bubbled up causing her to drop her head slightly. "Sorry 'bout that. Keep forgettin' most folk 'round these parts don't speak it."

When the Colonel started to describe the ship her green eyes flickered back up to the craft at hand. Incom T-65 X-wing. Where was the X part coming from? Turning a confused face back toward him she half opened her mouth to question him before a little light was shone upon the situation. He was a member of that other Alliance. Instantly Gwen's face lit up with a highly mischievous light shining in her eyes. "Oh you're one 'f them then! Part of that other Alliance Wedge told me 'bout. Good because I can't see you wearin' no Purplebelly uniform. Ain't no one looks good in gray in my book."

Quickly Gwen followed up with a wink. "No need to get all trigger happy there, sport. Already been beat up 'nough the last month that I don't need no more holes in me." The woman didn't even pause as she limped a bit to get a better look at the fighter. "So where you get the X part from? What kinda payload she carry?"

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka clattered across the hangar floor to inspect one of the unused X-Wings. Clean paint, smooth metal. It was a beautiful machine (and she'd had the chance to see modern fighter jets up close). It wasn't as good as her Eva, of course, but what was? Besides, this gave her a chance to fly. She wanted to get her mind off of the nightmares (she was still suffering from them - just not the Nightmare King enhanced ones). She brushed her hand over the surface, circling the craft. She paused as she rounded the nose-cone and spotted Tycho next to one of the others. The General's craft, if she remembered correctly. She walked over curiously, long red hair flowing behind her.

"Hey, what are you doing over there?"

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho looked up to see a girl approaching him. He paused, setting aside the datapad he had connected to some wires he had pulled out of one of the open access hatches. "I'm conducting diagnostics on my fighter," he told her. He smiled gently at her, making the mistaken assumption from her appearance that she was just an ordinary child. "I'm Tycho Celchu. I'm new here. And you are ...?"

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka came to a stop, arms akimbo as she stared at Tycho. Oh, man. Figured, didn't it? "You're Tycho Celchu? _{Well, that's just great...!}"

She sighed, rolled her eyes and straightened slightly, letting one hand dangle while the other rested on her hip. "I'm Flight Officer Asuka Langley Soryu."

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho's eyebrows shot upwards at the girl's introduction. "You're Ms. Soryu?" he asked in an echo of her own disbelief. He stared at her for a long moment, as certain things started to make more sense.


"... Please tell me you're older than you look, Flight Officer Soryu," was all he could finally think to say.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"I happen to be fourteen and I was an ace pilot back home, so you can can anything about my age! General Antilles thinks I'm good enough to be in the squadron." Asuka grinned triumphantly (although it was turning into something of a smirk). "So, you're the General's old executive officer, huh? Nice to meet you~"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel had been giving her own Ponyu class interdiction craft a lookover with a pleased frown. Pleased because after the Nightmare King, looking over a ship was a comforting and familiar ritual. Frowning because the Ponyu was not in the least bit aerodynamic, shaped like a tadpole here with the ventral plate closed and like a sunfish when it opened to fire the engine. There was no way she could take it inside an atmosphere without large modifications.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement among the X-wings on the other side of the hangar and walked over to investigate.

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho looked up as a woman with blue hair and pointed ears approached. By the standards of his universe, she wasn't that unusual looking, but as this day had been making painfully clear, who knew if she was even from his universe.

"Hello," Tycho said carefully as he backed out of one of the engine compartments, wiping grease off his hands on a rag. "I'm Colonel Tycho Celchu, New Republic Starfighter Command, and this is my X-Wing." Best to get that out of the way and all cleared up first. "Is there something I can help you with?"

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel snapped the Abh salute to him, index and middle fingers touching the forehead with the palm facing the floor. "Welcome, sir. I am Deca Commander Abriel Ne Dobruscr Paryunu Lafiel. You're next to mine." Which had been painted with a strange crest (http://seikai.wikia.com/wiki/File:Abhcrest.PNG) next to Rogue Squadron's symbol.

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

"Ah, Deca Commander." Tycho smiled and held out his hand for the woman to shake. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

He glanced over at the X-Wing, taking in the decal which he hadn't noticed before. "A modification of yours?" he asked neutrally.

[not-prncss-tldr.livejournal.com]

Lafiel took the offered hand (weathered, strong, callussed) and gave it an awkward shake. Her father had always found it an 'inelegant lander custom'.

"The Gaftonesh is the symbol of the Abh Empire." She said with a smile, innocent of any consternation the word 'Empire' might cause him.

[deep_sky_diving]

With strenuous activity off-limits as her body heals, Tess has taken to wandering around the ship a bit, particularly in the hangar—in the zero-G sections she can finally have all the damn weight of the ship off her and just float for a while. It's coming back from one of those jaunts, actually, that she comes across Tycho, her attention drawn over to the strange and unfamiliar ships. To her, the sleek lines and obvious cockpits seem strange and baroque, and they draw her in like a moth to a flame.

The slight heels of her unusual suit click softly against the deck; half the faceplate is open and retracted, revealing the left half of a youthful and pleasant-looking face. The other half, though, is sealed shut—whether it's for some aesthetic reason or to hide something under there isn't clear. There's a weird plasticine quality to her exposed skin, though, as if there's an artificial layer sealed against it.

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Tycho looks up, and blinks in surprise as the shapely looking woman in the unfamiliar suit approaches him. Definitely not technology he's ever seen- he's going to make a wild guess and assume she's not from his universe. "Hello," he says carefully. "Can I help you?"

[deep_sky_diving]

"Oh, just lookin' round," Tess says, her Southern Appalachian accent very noticeably tinging her speech. "I'm one'o'them curious types, y'know?" She steps nearer to the X-Wings, getting a better look at them. (And coincidentally giving Tycho a better look at her...yowza. That suit really doesn't hide very much of her general outline.)

[sonofalderaan.livejournal.com]

Her accent isn't one that Tycho would recognize. As she comes towards him, his eyes do flicker over the view, but Tycho's a gentleman, and besides, he has a lady back home. ... Had. If she's even still alive. That's not something Tycho's going to think about right now. (He's got plenty of yowza himself incidentally, but it's not very visible under his rumpled orange flight suit.)

"Are you a pilot then?" Tycho asks politely.

[deep_sky_diving]

"Oh, naw," Tess says, shaking her head. "Last time they tried to put me in a rig back home, I almost ran it inta one've the moons." She's exaggerating... but only a little. It really was quite a close call. "I'm a grasshopper through'n'through. Uh... ship-suitin', yeah?" She taps at the compartments studding her suit.