Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1850585" data-attributes="member: 10079">Part II, Chapter 42: Yelling at the Ship[Did you not say that you were a pilot?] Loki’s voice inquired for the sixth time. Akan was sitting in the cockpit, frantically trying to figure out how things worked. He’d managed the weapons, and that had been the first time Loki had asked about his piloting skills. Mainly because the shots were so wide that it was like a small child was pressing button randomly. Which...technically, was what Akan was doing. But at least he was figuring things out as he was going along. Proof in that lay in the Z-95 he’d managed to shoot down. Well...no, the Z-95 that somehow managed to fly into the shot from the random button and switch pulling. But Akan was going to take credit for it as skill either way...especially with the ship actually questioning his ability. This was why no one ever wanted a ship that could talk.    “Yes, I’m a pilot!” Akan growled under his breath as he looked out the viewport, seeing the soft blue of the sky fading into the black of space, “Just not a you pilot...a normal pilot!”    [I am not normal?] hearing that, Akan sighed. Over their short conversations, Akan had figured out that Loki saw nothing wrong about being alive and being a ship. He did, however, not understand that other ships weren’t like him. It was the metal thing that got to him the most, but despite that he still believed them to be alive. Obviously, no one had ever told him otherwise, and he still wasn’t in much of a mood to believe Akan.    Not answering the question, Akan simply started reaching out for Voort and Jen again. It took a moment, but he found them, sending them a silent message. When you make it out, meet us at...oh, I don’t know. Endor. That’s out of the way enough.    Even in his mind he was rambling at this point. Looking over the maze of switches, buttons, and dials, Akan threw up his hands, “How the hells do I plot a hyperspace course?!”    [Um...you could ask nicely?] Loki said, almost sounding a bit timid and as if he was talking from behind a very large shield to deflect any further yelling at him.    For a long while as Loki wove through the mess orbiting Coruscant, Akan glared at the interior of the ship. Shadow had explained that, like she and Akan, Loki was still a child. The ship sure acted like one a good amount of the time. So did Shadow...well, only when she thought no one was looking. Akan did his best to calm himself down, and spoke a bit more quietly, “Do you know where Endor is?”    The ship suddenly shook violently, and Akan knew the source of that. Looking over what to what Akan had figured to be the equivalent of the scanner, he identified a small picket ship after them. Not too far ahead, moving in to cut them off, was a larger Strike Cruiser. That was not good.    Loki quickly interrupted Akan’s worrying. [Big green moon with lots of trees far away from here?]    “That’s one way to describe it,” Akan commented after rolling his eyes. His worrying soon came back as the Strike Cruiser began to open fire on them, “Um...Loki. I don’t know how strong your shields and hull are, but don’t you think that maneuvering while you plot that course is a very good idea?”    [Oh! Of course! Sorry, I’m just not used to doing everything myself] and then they took a sudden dive to avoid the barrage coming at them from both directions. Akan was doing his best to ignore the insult the ship had probably not even intended, trying to just hold on and pray that Loki could multitask well enough. As they fell away an out of Coruscant’s gravity well, other ships began to bear in on them. Starfighters mostly, and Akan soon was back to pressing the buttons that activated the weapons. He didn’t hit anything, but was pretty sure it scared the other pilots enough to keep them off of Loki. Then the ship shook again, more violently. Loki’s voice returned to Akan’s mind [You know how strong the shields are now...they’re gone.]    “Two shots?!” Akan yelped in panic, wondering if there was any chance of actually getting off of this dream and appearing back in reality with his nice X-Wing...the squardon...Mare...wait, where had that come from? He’d never before even though of returning to that. Strange...but, not the time. Loki was screaming, too.    [They hurt! I’m trying to avoid them but those little ships are making it even more distracting! You could at least shoot better!]    “I’m trying, dammit!”    [So am I!]    [Will you two just shut up and get us out of here in one piece?!] at that voice, both Loki and Akan froze. Well, Akan did, Loki mentally froze, while he continued his maneuvering to avoid being hit more. If they could have, the two of them would have exchanged panicked expressions, and run off to hide, teaming up to find the best spot.    Loki’s ‘voice’ was a near whisper in Akan’s mind. [She’s really cranky when she wakes up...]    [Damn right, I am!] Shadow’s mental voice growled again, and Akan could feel she was getting up and coming towards the cockpit.    Quietly, Akan whispered, “Loki...I think she heard you. Please...please just get us into hyperspace so there’s only one thing trying us at a time.”    At that, the stars extended, and they shot out into hyperspace. Good timing, really. Akan sighed with relief, but Loki’s voice sounded just as worried. [You should hide.]    [I’ll find him.] Shadow’s cut in.    “She will,” Akan admitted, standing up and starting out of the cockpit, only to run right into Shadow. Because he was bigger than her, and she was still a little weak and tired, it sent her to the floor. Shadow made a whimpering noise and Akan felt a quick pain in his tail. She’d landed on her’s....not a pleasant feeling. With a pathetic apology, he reached a hand down to help her up.    Shadow batted his hand out of the way and stood up by herself. When she looked beyond Akan, Shadow noted they were already into hyperspace. Slowly, she seemed to calm down, and Akan could feel the annoyance she felt from being woken up to yelling fade. Her expression softened, and she simply nodded to him, speaking in a much more quiet, almost timid voice, “Th...thank you.”    Akan shuffled his feet slightly, looking to the floor, “You’re...you’re alright?”    “I’m...alright now,” Shadow said carefully, looking off to the side before surprising the both of them and stepping forward to hug Akan. When her mind caught up with her actions, she pulled back quickly, entire body becoming a slight red colour, even her hair. Another interesting aspect of Alraxians. Strong emotions had a habit of affecting skin coloration. She stared at the floor intently, “Thank you.”    Akan just nodded, not completely sure what to do. Finally, he managed to turn back to Loki’s cockpit and speak, “We’re uh...on our way to Endor. I thought it’d be a good place to just...rest for a while. There’s enough uncharted land down there.”    Stepping over to the pilot’s chair, Shadow checked over all the systems and nodded, “It’s a good idea...” she then turned to look up, a smile slowly growing on her face, “Good to know you and Loki get along well.”</blockquote>

Verification