Just Pilot Things, Part 2

Posted on Thu May 22nd, 2025 @ 1:26pm by Captain Addison 'Rico' Leyton & Teevs Dosivi

Mission: Season 6 - 5.5 - Day to Day
Location: Space
2582 words - 5.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Turning the ship away from the Elysium, he picked up speed before banking starboard, making sure the port wing could handle the sudden acceleration. His left hand, which was resting on the black dome, moved slightly towards him, and the ship pitched upwards while still banking in response, following a corkscrew-type path. They stayed in that maneuver for a few seconds before Teevs pulled them out of it, going level for a few seconds before he turned to port. While turning, he increased the speed to put pressure on the ship, and by the time they leveled out again they were headed for the planet.

"Nice move. Surprising for a ship of this size," she commented with a grin. Teevs' ship was truly impressive. Atmospheric turbulence was always tricky with most space craft. Especially with lighter craft such as starfighters. "So, what are your plans for the future?" she asked as the planet grew in size in the forward viewports.

Teevs chuckled in response before his expression turned thoughtful. "I'm not sure, to be honest," he answered, eyes focused on the console as he prepped to skirt the upper atmosphere. "As a tradesman, it's... difficult to plan too far ahead, because work can always take us a different direction. Kerilia's birthday is soon, and she is of age to reach maturity at any time, so the near-future plan is to get back home to family, per her wishes." That was where he understood Elysium's long journey, that homesickness that only came from a desire to see loved ones again, though he certainly had a shorter trip than they did.

A gentle rumble vibrated the ship as they got closer to the planet. "That's just the atmosphere. I'm not going too far into it, just enough to add some drag to stress-test the repairs made to the wing." There was a few second's pause before he continued the conversation. "I do enjoy interactions with the people on your vessel, and I think Kerilia does too. I have no doubt that your people would accept us if we asked to stay, but the closer Elysium gets to your home, the father we would get from ours. It's not an easy decision." Glancing in her direction briefly, he gave a slight smile. "Kerilia and I are overdue for such a discussion, but she shouldn't be worrying about such things. She's still just a child."

"A very bright child from what I understand," Addison stated. "I can I understand your going home." She paused briefly on how to proceed. "You'll certainly be missed. You've been a tremendous help to the crew and well, you're considered a part of the crew. "

"She loves learning about your history." There as a hint of pride in Teevs' voice as he answered, accompanied by the faint smile on his lips. "I wouldn't be surprised if she considered staying. She's always been curious, and I think she feels very welcomed here." He didn't want to speak for his daughter, however, so he left it at that. "I admit, the feeling of missing home is something I start to feel when I imagine the day we reach my planet and Elysium continues on. Regardless of the decision, which certainly doesn't have to be made now, I'll make sure that your vessel gets as much information as possible to keep you on the right path home."

Pulling away from the planet, Teevs prepped them for the next part of the flight, which included declaring to Elysium that they were ready to jump to warp. "Beacon is active, and everything looks good to me. Going to warp in three, two..." As he said 'one,' his fingers were active on the console, and shortly after the stars turned into lines as the Spheia jumped to warp. "I believe the speed in your vessel's units is warp five," he mentioned. "The navigation controls dampen slightly at warp so the pilot doesn't accidentally tear the ship apart. It's a good time to feel the controls if you like."

"I thought you'd never ask," she smiled as she took her position and gently placed her hand on the black sphere. She could sense the ship through her hand from the minute vibrations.

Teevs smiled back and made way for her to take the controls, staying within arm's reach in case she over-compensated, something Kerilia did the first couple times she tried to fly. "Yeah, nice and easy. You don't have to move the hand much. Think of applying tension to parts of your hand, like you're using different parts of the hand to grab the sphere. I hope the control directions are ones you're familiar with: left and right for port and starboard, forward for down, and back for up. Your other hand controls speed and provides thruster assist during turns." As he spoke, he guided her free hand to the slide controls on the console.

Addison nodded, holding back a smile as Teevs guided her hand to the speed and thruster controls, enjoying his touch. 'Focus, Addison,' she thought as her hand came to rest on the speed controls. "Alright, let's give this a try, " she commented as she moved her backwards a little too hard, causing the ship to lurch upward. "Woah! Sorry!"

Quickly, Teevs gripped the chair to keep himself from jolting around, then chuckled. It was a friendly laugh meant to recognise her unfamiliarity with his ship. "That's alright," he assured. The dampened controls really came in handy. "It's very common to over-steer when learning to fly these. When Kerilia was learning, I had her pretend that her hand was a miniature ship, and that the Spheia would mimic her." He glanced at the console to check their heading. "We'll need to go back down to stay on course. Try applying just a little pressure with your fingertips to the front of the sphere."

Addison did as Teevs instructed her as she let out a breath. The Spheia pitched back down as she gently increased the throttle to get a feel for it as she brought the Spheia back on course. "Thank you for the tip," she smiled at him.

It was still a little shaky, but significantly better than the first attempt, and Teevs gave a nod of approval. "I'm glad it helped. You're doing great, Addison," he praised. He was glad she had agreed to come along. Their conversation while they were docked with The Wandering Child, that brief insight into her history as a pilot, made it easier for him to trust her with his ship. "What about you?" he asked. "Any plans for your future?"

She took a moment to reply as she concentrated on making sure the Spheia was steady. "Nothing too far into the future. For right now, keep flying for the Elysium, work on a way home....and enjoy good company, " she finished, looking towards him with a smile before turning back to the viewport and focusing on flying as she pulled the Spheia into a shaky turn.

There it was again. That little flutter in his chest. "Hopefully I can help with at least some of those plans," Teevs said, returning the smile. Looking at the console again, he then added, "we can take it out of warp soon, then you can see what the ship is like without dampening. You want to try taking us into sub-light speeds?"

"Sure," she replied as her hand on the throttle slid down to disengage the warp drive while initiating the braking thrusters. The Spheia shook slightly from slight movements in Addison's flight control hand. "And yes...you can help with those plans. You already have...and to be honest, I enjoy spending time with you. "

Teevs' attention was focused on making sure the ship didn't rip itself apart as they came out of warp, but he still smiled at the compliment. "Likewise." Looking at the console in front of him, he could see that the Elysium was still tracking them, thanks to the beacon, and they were still a few minutes from joining them. He typed on the console, and in a little viewscreen above the console that showed an outline of the front of the ship, a blue line appeared that curved off to the right. It was a path to follow, likely computed from the earlier flight plan. "Now you can see just how sensitive the controls are at sublight speeds," he said with a grin.

Addison nodded as she shifted her hand, as it slipped, causing the ship to bank hard to the right, causing her to brace herself using her feet and legs as she corrected. "Sorry, are you alright?" she asked, glancing at Teevs while focusing on keeping her hand steady.

The jolt also made Teevs brace, one hand on the console while the other gripped the side of his seat. "Oh yeah, that wasn't that bad," he answered with a laugh. He remembered when Kerilia was learning to fly and how he nearly got whiplash from her abrupt turns. "You're still doing great, as this isn't an easy ship to control. You want to try again, or would you like some assistance?"

"Some help would be nice, " she said as focused on maintaining a smooth flight...or as smooth as she could manage. She had thought that the controls of the Gryphon Class were sensitive but the Spheia was on another level.

With a smile, Teevs unbuckled and stood, positioning himself beside her, specifically on the side with the black orb. With an arm braced across the back of the seat to steady himself, he gently placed his hand on hers, spreading his fingers so each one of his rested on top of one of hers. "This is what I did for Kerilia. When you feel my hand create pressure on yours, try to imitate it," he offered, his tone faintly hushed due to their proximity.

Teevs' touch was warm and comforting as she was unable to hold back a smile as she did what he instructed. The Spheia flight became alot smoother as she made another turn. "You're a natural teacher."

"Thanks," he replied. Teevs continued to apply subtle pressure, his eyes focused on the little display showing their flight path. "The hardest thing to remember is to not be tense, especially in the hand. It does become easier once the controls are calibrated." A few seconds passed before he asked, "what do you do in your free time?" It wasn't easy to explain what exactly prompted the question, but 'to help her relax' seemed like a good enough excuse.

Addison had been so focused on flying that it took a moment for the question to register. "Hm? Oh, well I love playing a musical instrument called the guitar, though I also sing sometimes, riding an animal on Earth called a horse, and being out in nature in general. What about you?"

A couple of seconds followed as Teevs thought over his answer. "I've admittedly cast aside my own interests to ensure that Kerilia has the best childhood possible." After Saphse died, it was difficult for him to adapt, and there were still times where he questioned himself. By Thilia, that was a noble, yet depressing answer. "But I do enjoy discovery. I used to hike and fish. I have a collection of rocks, each with their own story. Since coming to your vessel, I have also taken an interest in the cultures on board."

"Well one thing we have is alot of cultures," she replied, smiling as she cast a side glance as the Spheia went into it's final turn. "And from what I've seen, you're a very good father. "

"Thank you, I try my best." By now, Teevs was simply letting his palm rest on the top of her hand. He occasionally offered a light prod of pressure, but she had adapted fast enough that he was now just ensuring that her hand remained relaxed. The touch was comfortable, too. "And I am also apparently a great teacher since you picked this up so quickly," he commented, with a cheesy smirk.

"That you are," she agreed with a grin before pausing and adding "of course it may be that I'm just that good of a pilot," she winked with a laugh, teasing him.

Some little spark ignited in Teevs' chest, encouraging the camaraderie. It had been a long time since he had bantered like this with someone, and as long as it didn't turn uncomfortable for either of them, what was the harm? His smirk grew as he removed his hand from hers, giving her full control of the Spheia. "It sounds like you want to demonstrate," he challenged. He then returned to his seat and strapped in.

A part of her was disappointed that he had removed his hand as she was enjoying his touch. She looked over at him as he buckled in. "Meanie," she teased with a grin as she tried to keep moving the sphere as she had with Teevs' hand on hers. She let out a breath as she returned her focus on the forward viewport as she came out of the turn a little slower than she would have liked.

Teevs could still feel the warmth of her hand in his palm. As much as he wanted to stay next to her, he wanted to be buckled in, especially for pilot maneuvers. "You have..." he glanced at the console, "... three minutes before the Elysium shows up. Just don't hit a star and you'll be fine." He hoped his comedic attempt landed, because there were no stars to hit for at least 15 light years, which were easily reachable at warp but took a long time at impulse.

"Glad to hear you have such confidence in my flying ability," she said with sarcasm and a smile. "I'll have you know that I've only crashed once,"

The response was an amused chuckle as Teevs watched her fly. Her ability to get a feel for flying the Spheia impressed him, and while there were still a couple of over-corrections, it was much better than he had anticipated. His eyes lingered on her hands, watching them handle the controls with a level of experience that only came with years of training. A beep drew his attention away, and he read the message that came in, his contentment replacing with a frown. "Looks like there's still work to be done," he sighed. "The sensors are detecting micro-fractures along the repaired sections of the wing. The Elysium should be here at any moment, but I think bringing the Spheia to a stop is the best actiorrn right now. I've tried flying with one wing," he gave her a slight grin, "it's rather difficult."

"That sucks," Leyton commented, slowing the Spheia as she decreased the throttle while keeping the ship stable as she did so. "At least the engones seem to hold up well."

The Elysium dropped out of warp 100 kilometers off the port bow. Leyton retook the Copilot seat as Teevs moved into the pilot seat and began to land the craft. She knew Teevs would be able to land the ship without risking anymore damage. She did know that she enjoyed Teevs' company.