CHAPTER 03: The Captain of My Soul [06: The Turn]
Chapter 03: The Captain of My Soul [06: The Turn]
[ USS Theurgy | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 | 1000 hrs. ] Attn: Lone Wolves Writers & Canadian Vet
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.
Five gloved fingers drummed against the glassy surface of the arm-rest inside the cockpit - beating out a simple rhythm. The canopy was open, and Soo Young Seung was waiting for the diagnostic to finish. She had her headphones on, the pop music kept the world at a convenient distance - not pressing in on her like it always did. As it were, her mind was already filled with the events of the morning, which even competed with the fact that they were preparing for battle.
Indeed, activity was high in the flight hangar, with both squadrons of Valkyries to prepare for the mission to Starbase 84. Soo looked up from the displays to monitor the entrance of the other squadron, led by Phantom, as they crossed the expanse of the flight hangar. They were about to leave, meaning to use the nebula to fly over to the Harbinger undetected. The grey Mk II Valkyries had been made flightworthy and restocked as far as the Theurgy could spare the hardpoints, and the final armament would be made on their base ship with the meagre reserves that were still available there. They walked like a wedge, with Phantom in the lead, and with Smoke and Titan on either side behind him. They looked like they had been in a fight, Soo thought, looking at them from a distance.
Soo watched them as they walked, a bit envious about how they were going to take off right into the nebula. She noticed how one of them seemed to be missing, but then she saw the eight pilot catching up with the rest, Riptor smiling with teeth showing through his beard as he nodded to Nightmare mid-step. Hannah smiled back to him, walking a bit stiffly as she checked the condition of her bird. She had not seemed herself since that morning, but Soo figured like with many others, she had yet to recover from last night.
The chirp sounded, signalling that the diagnostic was complete. Soo took a deep breath and looked it over, suppressing thoughts about Lin Kae in order to do her duties. Soon afterwards, she was done, and climbed down from her cockpit. At that point, the Harbinger pilots were seated and ready to leave, doing their pre-flight checks and donning their helmets. Odd, how seeing them leave made Soo feel better, not having liked some of the pilots. Even less that scarred Wing Commander.
"Chief," she called, looking for Covington in the busy area while the engineers cleared away around the Mk II:s in order to let them taxi out in a loose formation, engines powering up. "Chief! My diagnostics are ready! Nothing out of the ordinary! Is there something else I can help out with?"
Towards the back of the Flight Hangar was the SCO's office, and while Renard had yet to go in there.. the door was slightly ajar for some reason. Soo spotted this, frowning since it was an oddity, but thought no more of it as she looked towards the Chief of the Deck, well clear of the leaving Valkyries.
As the subject start to adjust to life after the incident, its life become a little calmer and more organised. The subject's physical and psychological symptoms lessen, and its depressed state is alleviated. It is of great import that this phase is monitored in order to glean evidence of successful imprint.
- Manipulation of Grief, by Host named cin Nicander