Back in Business [Open]

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka wasn't sure how long she'd been running that maze. It had seemed like forever to her. Just endless circles, following the commands of an AI, trying to get out. She could handle the puzzles and traps. She'd hated the isolation. Finally, she'd been spat back out into the welcome (the fact that she'd been relieved to see them disturbed her) corridors of Stacy again. She ran a hand through her hair with an irritated huff. How long had that taken, anyway? She needed to check up on her training and she needed to get back in the saddle. Quickly.

She headed off on the run - the sensoriums were calling her name. Grounded or not, she intended to take a virtual X-Wing out for a spin. It was the work of a few moments to call it up. She spent a few minutes circling the virtual craft, the virtual hangar deck stretching out white and empty around her. Yeah, she'd get in trouble if she got caught, but she wasn't going to get caught (although part of her was afraid of that and part of her wanted to go and see Arha). She shoved those feelings away. She wanted to have some fun first.

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[eswat-109.livejournal.com]

Deunan had planned to go do some virtual target practice (like real target practice, only no one made you account for your ammo!) but noticed one of the sensoriums was in use already. Curious as to what other people were simulating, she poked her head in.

...That was a lot of white. And a single piece of machinery that looked like it was supposed to fly, maybe? with a red-headed girl pacing around it.

"Hey, what's that?" Deunan asked.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka stopped with a surprised jerk and rounded on Deunan curiously. She hadn't seen this woman around before. Maybe she was new or maybe Asuka just hadn't noticed her. She rolled her shoulders and settled her hands on her hips with an arrogant grin. "This is an X-Wing. I'm its pilot!"

[eswat-109.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah?" Deunan said amiably. She invited herself in and walked up to the girl and the X-wing. "What's it for?"

The craft would be an absolute nightmare in atmosphere. It must be intended to fly in vacuum--but why give it wings if it didn't need to generate lift?

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka trailed her hand over the nosecone. It wasn't her real craft of choice, but she needed something to fill that void while she was here. If she couldn't pilot Eva, what was she worth? She kept her grin on her face, hid her insecurities.

"It's a space superiority fighter! And I'm one of the best pilots in the squadron!"

Well, she liked to think so.

[eswat-109.livejournal.com]

"There's a squadron?" Deunan paid an enormous amount of attention to the Omnicomms, clearly.

"Must be nice to have a bunch of people all from the same place." She had Briareos, which was all she really needed, but having an eight-man squad would have been nice.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Although half of us are just volunteers from the ship... None of them are from my world." She huffed and tossed her hair over one shoulder. Not like anyone from her world be better than her, but hey.

[eswat-109.livejournal.com]

"So you all cross-train? Why'd you pick this one?" Deunan thumped the part of the X-wing she could reach. It looked...primitive, but appearances could deceive.

[capture-worlds.livejournal.com]

What the hell do I have to do to get an empty Sensorium, cross over into another world?! Tsukasa mentally yelled, introducing his hand to his face. Still, it was an interesting place; a futuristic ship. Basing his position on the fact that every other time he's gone into an occupied Sensorium, he decided to explore a little.

He eventually came to a hanger bay, the vacuum of space being held back with a forcefield. A spaceship, huh? Tsukasa thought, slightly impressed. He really hadn't thought of the meatship as being in space per se, so this was the first time he saw the stars from the perspective of a spaceship.

What is that, some form of fighter craft He thought, noticing the snub fighter. He headed over, and he saw...

"Ah! The little lost elementary school student!" His retention is admirable, but not his choice of words.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka's eye twitches. She did not want to deal with this. She glared at Tsukasa, arms akimbo. "I'm a teenager, you moron! What are you, blind? Would an elementary school student have this kind of body?"

[capture-worlds.livejournal.com]

Tsukasa chuckled. "It's quite possible; young children do grow up quickly. Besides, why would I look at your body, anyway? I have at least ten years on you."

Teenager...yeah, right. A teenager would at least have some maturity, Tsukasa thought, glancing toward the X-Wing.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"I'm not a child. I'm a pilot. What do you want, anyway? I'm using this Sensorium!"

Asuka folded her arms with a harumph. She didn't want to deal with him. She just wanted to unwind and this moron wasn't helping. "Are you just here to annoy me or something?"

[capture-worlds.livejournal.com]

Ha! Pilot. That's rich, Tsukasa thought to himself, chuckling.

"Let's see...I came here on purpose, just to annoy you. Yes, that's right; I came to a Sensorium that I did not know was occupied, to annoy a young girl that I have met all of one time before now." Tsukasa replied, letting a good amount of sarcasm fill his tone.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Well, get out. I don't want to be bothered by annoying losers." Asuka waved a hand dismissively. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out, idiot."

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

"Good. You remembered to do your pre-flight walk around." Wedge's voice came from the doorway. He was watching calmly, arms folded. She had disobeyed him, he knew. And he'd have to talk to her later. But maybe this was a chance to get things opened up, so to speak.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka froze for a moment before she forced herself to keep moving and act like she belonged here. She turned toward Wedge with a cocky grin. "Of course I did! I'm not stupid or something!"

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

"Of course not." Wedge smiled as another X-wing with his own distinctive markings popped into existence. He began to circle it, his attention only partially on Asuka now.

"I haven't seen you in a little while. I hope you're doing well."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine." She rolled her eyes. Well. The maze hadn't been fun, but he didn't need to know about that. "I've just been busy."

Busy listening to a crazy AI chatter on about cake and other nonsense. She eyed him uneasily as he brought his own fighter in. Was he going to fly with her or something?

[yubyubcommander.livejournal.com]

"Good to hear. Show me what you can do?" He gestured to the craft. He hadn't seen her pilot recently and wanted to see if she'd learned anything about unbridled aggression yet.

"I'll watch." For now, he added silently. "Put it through its paces, some sim-fights if you want."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Uh, sure!" She grinned and clambered up the ladder to the cockpit. She slipped in, adjusting the seat and controls for a moment as she began to run through the preflight checklist.

"Comm check!~" she added almost as an afterthought. Well, she had to make sure her communications worked after all. "Rogue Four, lit and in the green!"

[jesushasagundam]

Kira had intended on going to the simulations to test out the modifications he was making to the Freedom's OS, but paused the moment he stepped inside and found it active. Was he intruding on somebody's session?

And then he caught a glimpse of red hair. "Ah... Asuka, right? I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka blinked in surprise. She remembered the boy. Kira, right? The one who'd almost beaned her with a wrench. He hadn't been too bad. She gave a casual wave and went back to examining her X-Wing. As long as he wasn't too annoying.

"Oh, hey Kira..." She rolled her shoulders. "I'm just thinking of going out."

[jesushasagundam]

She'd seemed all right in the brief conversation she'd had, if a bit abrasive in her confidence. "That's one of the X-Wings down in the hangar, right? I didn't know you flew one of those, too." From what she'd told him, she piloted something like his Gundam, didn't she?

"...if you don't mind company, I've been meaning to test some upgrades I made to the Freedom's OS."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"I don't care. I'm just trying to unwind and get my feel for this stupid clunker back." She aimed a half-hearted kick at one of the landing struts. She liked the X-Wing, really. It just wasn't her Eva. "And yeah. It is."

A note of arrogance crept back into her voice. "I'm in Rogue Squadron."

[jesushasagundam]

"I am too," Kira replied, though there wasn't any edge to his voice. "I haven't been given an assignment yet, but I spoke with General Antilles about it."

He looked out at the starfield beyond the hangar for a moment before returning his gaze to her. "All right," he nodded. "I'll follow your lead."

A moment's thought to Stacy, and the hangar suddenly had one more occupant - the Freedom.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Hey, welcome to the squadron!" Asuka was easy, self-assured. Someone else she could be better than. "I hope you can keep up!"

She glances out into the starfield. "You're taking out your Gundam... thing?"