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[aimedforthemoon]

Fighter pilots, on the whole, tend to be short. Esfir, at not quite 4'10, is still shorter than most, so when the Bar provided a flight suit for her, the Russian astronaut had beamed in relief.

She'd also, lack of comfort and style non-withstanding (although she rarely pays attention to the latter), felt something like relief just getting into a fight suit again. It's not flying, yet, but it's getting there and-

Well, she's never been one to get carried away by her emotions, but she really can't help that faint smile as she walks into the Millennium Falcon.

Comments

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

The fact that Bar provided a flight suit makes this whole training session a hell of a lot easier. Han's been planning (and back to the ship a few times to make arrangements) how to do this without attracting two much attention.

Of course, wearing a bright orange flight suit defeats the purpose of not attracting attention almost entirely, even if they do blend in.

"Managed to round up one that'll hold both of us -- training model, but it's got all the same controls," he promises, as they step onto the deck of the Falcon which is still parked neatly in the belly of the command ship.

[aimedforthemoon]

"Big enough for you?" She asks, raising an eyebrow and looking up at him.

Pointedly.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"I'll fit."

It may not be comfortable, but he'll make it work. He hits a few buttons on the access patch to the ship's docking ramp and then lowers it, and then glances at her.

"You ready?"

[aimedforthemoon]

It has been said that a perfect simulated training session is somewhat like performing successful surgery on a corpse.

She just nods.

"Yes."

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"This way, then."

It's not hard to wander the corridor towards where the hangar doors all line the hall, and he remembers where the training craft is easy enough. The bay is quiet, empty, save for them both, a few random ships and pieces of others, that sort of thing.

[aimedforthemoon]

And the orange might be bright, but...she looks like a pilot. She walks like one, and so, in a way, she isn't noticable at all. Which suits her just fine.

"That's the training one?" She murmurs, gesturing.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. I checked it out earlier this morning," he says. "Made sure it had fuel, that sort of thing. Preflight."

Of course if she wants to do her own, he won't stop her. He'll even offer advice.

[aimedforthemoon]

Her helmet is put on the ground.

"No objections if I go over it anyway?"

She's...a pilot. You only jump in and go when you are being attacked.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"None at all."

She's smart. Methodical. That's important -- that's what's going to save her from ending up vaped.

[aimedforthemoon]

A quick nod and she gets to work. She's quick, but thorough - she's only seen these in diagrams, as the sim wasn't that advanced, but you need to know what things look like on the actual craft.

She asks questions, occasionally, and listens.

You don't get to be one of the best pilots in your country's airforce without being able to listen, without being thorough and methodical.

Of course, there is the sheer pleasure of being around aircraft again, but that's shoved to the side for now.

"Oke."

And then she grins at him. Even professionals have their lapses, now and then.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

And they are both professionals. Completely.

Once she's finished, Han pops the cockpit (it's a hiss and a smooth motion) and nods.

"Go ahead and climb on up while I get the door open but don't you go anywhere," he teases.

[aimedforthemoon]

She clicks her heels and tosses off a perfect salute.

"No, Comrade Solo."

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

Han tosses one back in her direction as he turns to go fiddle with the hangar bay doors. The gravity and energy fields will keep everything the bay from getting sucked out into space, and the landing magnets hold the craft in place, so they're good.

[aimedforthemoon]

So. Bizarre.

Still, she climbs in and gets settled, checking the controls and other things so she doesn't blow up or pass out in space.

(And, oh is it a relief to be back in a cockpit)

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

Once he's done, he climbs up onto the craft and then slides into the seat behind her, pulling his helmet on as he wriggles himself down into a somewhat comfortable position.

He can reach the controls and he's not too cramped, and he watches as she lights up switches and goes over things on his own screen, which powers up so he can 'follow' what she's doing.

He trusts her.

[aimedforthemoon]

She switches everything on, textbook perfect, and glides the A-wing out the hangar. Once out, she steers it away from the main fleet - empty space, can't hit anyone. Her movements are smooth, heartbeat steady (she had a steady heartbeat while her rocket was taking off; it'd take more than a calm flight to change that), and it's just like the sim.

In a way.

Like performing heart surgery on a corpse.

"Oke, I'll run through some moves."

Just, you know, as a friendly head's up.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"She's all yours," he says.

There's pride in his voice, too.

Han takes his hands back, away from the stick, and settles in for what he's pretty sure is going to be one hell of a ride.

[aimedforthemoon]

Esfir's a fighter pilot, but a fighter pilot who has flown jets. A-wings aren't jets, but she's practiced enough to know what will carry over, and what doesn't.

This is why the A-wing suddenly banks right.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

He's not sure what he's supposed to do.

(Train. Observe. Correct. Take over if it all goes to hell. Enjoy it.)

Han's never had to be the passenger, so he scrambles to find a place to put his hands as they turn and the craft cuts through the black with ease, and they end up on his knees, fingers curling ever so slightly against the orange fabric.

[aimedforthemoon]

Bank right, even out...

"It's odd, without an horizon," she comments thoughtfully. "Or a target."

Hm.

A mental shrug, a slight acceleration, and she sends them into a barrel roll

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

His fingers curl around the fabric a bit more as they launch into it.

She's a natural, even if it's space rather than sky.

"Next time we'll dogfight," he offers.

[aimedforthemoon]

Esfir grins.

"Han, Han, baby, you're too good to me."

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"Can't let you go out there vapin' Imps without practice," he says.

Because that would be unprofessional!

[aimedforthemoon]

And they are, as the narration has mentioned, a completely professional pair. So, she just laughs, low and somehow wicked, before pulling them up in a vertical spiral.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

It's interesting the things you notice when you're not actually at the controls.

Like the way the stars blur through the eyeshield and the window of the cockpit as they arc upwards.

Han? Totally laughing too.

[aimedforthemoon]

Spiral evens out, and she break turns to the left before continuing the movement so thet are upside down.

As much as one can be inverted in space, anyway.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

It only takes Han a split second to reach forward, flip a few switches and then yank hard on the stick in the opposite direction to send them awkwardly into a roll before he releases it.

And waits to see what happens.

[aimedforthemoon]

A-wings are notorious for spinning out of control, but it's only going to do that if they keep rolling. Which...potentially could happen, with the lack of drag or ground to crash into.

But it doesn't.

Without pausing, Esfir reacts - another switch is flipped even as she moves the stick to regain the brief loss of control.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"Nicely done," he comments, voice carrying over her shoulder.

"A lot of times what will happen is you'll lose a stabilizer and she'll get hard to control until things come back online," he explains, as he leans on the stick and holds it. Not enough to keep her from moving it, but just enough so she'll have to fight him for it.

[aimedforthemoon]

"Average time?" She asks as if she were in a classroom instead of a fighter.

Not that this means that she isn't fighting him for control, because she is.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"Depends on the hit and how much shield you had up. These don't have much to start with, but it's about 30 seconds at the most. Anything more than that you've got bigger problems on your hands."

Han lets go of the yoke and then settles back.

[aimedforthemoon]

Ah-huh, there we go.

"Ah, yes. Shield."

As she makes a swooping spiral down, she makes a note to remember about the shield.

"Oh, Han?"

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?"

He's glancing over the controls he's got, wondering just what to throw at her next.

[aimedforthemoon]

"I...need to do something, and I'd like it if you didn't fuck with the controls for a minute."

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"Hands are off," he says, before he reaches up and lightly pats her on one shoulder. "Go for it."

[aimedforthemoon]

A couple of switches are flipped and the gearstick is smoothly shoved forward as Esfir accelerates.

A MiG-21PF is capable of going 1,238 km/h - the speed of sound. A RZ-1 A-wing is also capable of going over the speed of sound: 1,300 km/h, in fact.

It's not the speed that's important, exactly.

It's the fact that she's in an aircraft, a fighter, and she's hurtling forwards as fast as it can go and she can feel the vibrations of the engines and there is nothing else in the universe but this.

(damn straight this is better than sex)

And her comment before is the only warning Han gets as she opens her mouth

(she trusts him this much)

and screams for the joy of it.

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

There's something about flight that only a pilot can understand.

Even without gravity to hold you towards the earth, the thrust of the engines pins you back in your seat and makes your heart press against your chest.

(he'd be lying if he said the way she screams doesn't turn him on)



Han doesn't say a word, because he just knows what this means.

[aimedforthemoon]

She has to draw breath eventually, and it all comes out in laughter. Rich, delighted, holding-nothing-back laughter that doesn't miss a beat as the A-wing goes into another long barrel roll which leave them upside-down.

But they are in space.

In space there are stars and planets and galaxies that look no bigger than the tiniest pin-pricks against the vastness and space isn't empty. It's black and deep and filled with things that are impossible to imagine.

And Esfir Shostakovna Yazycova is flying in it once more.



"Oke," she says softly. "You can fuck with controls now."

[rebel-falcon.livejournal.com]

"After that?"

Han laughs a little.

"Sister, I know a good thing when I see it and I know not to stop a good thing in progress."

Which means she's to have as much fun as she wants.

That's an order.

[aimedforthemoon]

"Next time, then."

She stops.

Next time...

Another laugh and she slides them into a loop. If he wants her to have fun, well.

Far be it for her to disobey an order.