2228-05-20 - The New Girl

Eva arrives for her tour as a flight instructor at the Royal Naval Academy Flight School. Emrys brings the unexpected welcoming party.

Date: 2228-05-20

Location: Flight Simulation, Royal Virgon Academy

Related Scenes: None

Plot: None

Scene Number: 293

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Late afternoon, at the end of the spring semester. The last day before flight trials. The trainee pilots are all in the air, the instructors flying with them. It's rotation based, so a quarter of the flights up at a time, leaving the rest of the instructors to tend to their duties, to file reports, to prep for their rotations, or just to wander the halls in clusters, not that different from their students, save for the fact that they actually do have the run of the place.

That being said, the sims, having long since been abandoned for real planes, have lain dormant for the better part of four or five months, so it might, perhaps, be a bit odd, to see someone in the wide auditorium where the simulators are set out, wandering around each with a clipboard, making notes on this or that.

Emrys is among those wandering the halls with other instructors. Flanked by two of his buddies, they look like nothing so much as a pack of students. Except for the fact they're pretty clearly instructors based on their uniform. Pushing open the door to the sim room, it's pretty clear they expected to be the only ones in here. So they stop short, and just eye the woman with the clipboard warily.

Eva, hearing the sound of the doors opening, lifts her head from the clipboard, and comes around the side of the raptor frame she's been pouring over. No words, though she does move to approach the trio of men. She's in her dress uniform, and given that this isn't a formal occasion, it's likely she came right from whatever occasion she was at, to get right to work, without a chance to change in between. At least she's not wearing the hat. Instead, her bright copper red hair is neatly braided, the rank pins that of a Lieutenant. A quick glance, to take in the three men, before she picks out the one with the highest rank, "May I help you, Captain?" No cultured Virgon drawl here. No, straight out of Hibernia, this one.

There's meaningful glances exchanged between the two men off Emrys' shoulders as those dulcet Hibernian tones, of all the things, come out of the woman's mouth. Emrys, meanwhile, gives the woman a thoughtful, measuring look. "We were just finding some peace and quiet." He begins, his own highly cultured Virgon accent in strict contrast to hers. "I was about to tell you we weren't doing sims till next semester, but you don't look like a student." Not with that clipboard, and her self-assurance. "New girl?" It's not asked unkindly, but there's definitely an edge of arrogance to the man. This is his neighborhood, and he knows it.

Eva's expression is a study in calm, eyes moving from one face to the next, noting the looks passed between then, without giving any outward response. That's either a sign of quality...or of long years of practice. But when she speaks, her attention has returned to the Captain, "Well, don't allow me to stop you. You're quite welcome to make yourself comfortable here. I'm very quiet, when I need to be." So no, she's not leaving the room. And there's only the slightest press of her lips together, at the term 'new girl', but her response is a polite nod, and an equally polite, "Yes. I'm Lieutenant Thorne. I've just been assigned as a flight instructor."

"Pleasure. I'm Captain Montjoy. Hawk." Emrys introduces himself, offering out a hand. He doesn't introduce his buddies for the moment, and they make no move to introduce themselves to the Hibernian Lt. "Thorne, huh. So what's your real name, Lieutenant Thorne?" is his next question. If he notices that press of lips, there's no sign of it. Indeed, he seems in his element. "And what, if you don't mind me asking, are you doing with our flight sims?"

Eva takes the hand, her grip firm, businesslike. Not that sort of weird, limp-wristed thing many women seem to think serves as a handshake. And the hands fit the accent. Calloused, from hard work, and the sort of rough upbringing that is likely standard from those that come from the mines. Hibernia is not all country...but she's from the country. "Good to meet you, Captain." She does not fall back into a more familiar address. Though her lips do quirk, at the question of her real name, as if the assumption of it being her callsign is common enough. "My callsign is Cherry. My given first name is Evangeline." And in answer to the question, "I don't mind you asking. I have not flown in these sims since I was a trainee myself. And each of them has their quirks, which should be noted, if only because they allow for for...interesting flight tests."

"Cherry. Now we're getting somewhere." Emrys nods approvingly, and the room seems a little warmer. A firm handshake and her real name seem to have gone a long way with the Captain, though his buddies stil look unconvinced. There's a girl in the clubhouse, and she's a Hibernian girl at that. "Huh. How...thorough of you." It's a compliment, right? Maybe. "Well, I'll give you a headstart. I've got one of the stabilizer modules for that one in the front row, all the way on the right, sitting on my desk."

Eva withdraws her hand, not offering it to the other two, as they've made no attempt to engage with her, though she does not go out of her way to be rude, either, "I do not intend to fail in my post, Captain. And I've never been one to invite surprises, especially in situations where I am supposed to be the authority." A moment, a thoughtful look, and then she nods, "A repair, or a new install?"

"Neither, actually. We took it out to welcome the last new instructor." Well, at least Emrys is honest. There's a snicker from one of the other two, presumably for the memory. "And then I decided not to put it back. It's good for the students, I think. When the Leonese attack..." Because that and things involving Hibernians is the Navy's main concern, but he's not going to be that tactless "We may end up scrambling whatever we've got in the barn, if the situation is bad enough. Which might well include a bird with a busted stabilizer or any other of numerous issues."

"Then, might I say, that you missed a golden oppurtunity, Captain, to see if this new instructor was paying attention." But there's more of a serious tone to her words than amused, "A solid reason. It might also be interesting to see about installing or programming other faults in, that can pop up randomly as the students are piloting. Sabotage is a favoured tool of enemy forces."

"Oh, don't worry, we'll think of something new for you." Emrys assures her with a smile. Tradition, and all that. But then his smile fades as she continues, into a more thoughtful expression. "That's....not a bad idea at all, actually. We'll have to speak to the techs, unless you're a programmer? I'm handy with math, but I never took it as far as code."

"I will look forward to it then, Captain." If nothing else, the new Lieutenant doesn't seem easily intimidated. "I am. I graduated with a dual major in Systems Engineering and Cyber Operations. And I've been studying these space frames, real and simulated in the run-up to being reassigned here." So they didn't spring it on her. "If you'd like, I'd be happy to take you through some ideas I've had, if you don't still want some peace and quiet?"

"Systems Engineering and Cyber. I was a dual major myself...History and Math." Hawk seems to actually be taking her seriously, now. "No, no...actually I'd love to hear your ideas." There's a roll of the eyes from one of his buddies, and they excuse themselves to go find something more interesting to do. They can be heard muttering as they leave, something about how long they give it, but Emrys is already deep into one of his favorite subjects. Flying.


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