Convention III-Yamato's practice flights

[childofrebellion]

They're on the edge of the city after hauling the ship in transport behind them. Now they're at a little used landing pad which one of Cassian's other connections told him about.

He sets up some lights as its late afternoon but night will be coming soon. The weather's clear and the city is a rosy glow on the horizon.

Comments

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Doing okay for speed, at least," Yamato says, looking over the data. "Didn't have any unwanted bursts of acceleration, either, so thanks for fixing that."

[childofrebellion]

"Now to get the handling fixed to where you want need it to be."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Thanks, that'll be useful. That handling could mean the difference between winning and losing."

[childofrebellion]

Cassian nods and moves to get inside the ship and see what he can do. There's a lot of data for Yamato to look over.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato gives Cassian some space while he works, going over the data and memorising it all instead.

[childofrebellion]

He knows what he needs to do but the ship isn't behaving so some cursing emerges from the engine before Cassian finally comes out, "I think that should do it."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Everything go okay? You sounded pretty pissed off with the ship," Yamato asks, glancing up from the data for a moment.

[childofrebellion]

"There's one connection designed in the stupidest way possible but I made it work. Going by how you fly, this should be the right calibration for you."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"'How I fly?'" Yamato asks, a little amused. "C'mon, you can't say that without going into detail."

He's not too worried about the connection or calibration. If Cassian says it'll work, he has no reason to believe otherwise.

[childofrebellion]

"You've got a light touch when you're flying and quick reflexes,"

A good combination and one that would make Yamato a dangerous starfighter pilot.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Aw, shucks," Yamato laughs. "Flattery will get you everywhere, I suppose. Do we have a route planned out for a second practice run?"

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, this ones closer to the actual course, look it over and see if you want to add anything."

Cassian projects the route up from the datapad.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Plenty of obstacles to deal with, plenty of straight shots to build up speed, and we've got the ascent to the upper atmosphere and descent," he says. "No way to practice the cave section of the course, I guess, but that was always going to be impossible to train for."

[childofrebellion]

"I looked for something comparable and haven't found it. We could always try in the sim as an option," Not the best one but it might be what they have.

"I'm also inviting Cisco and Barry to spend a day and maybe attend the race. If there are any improvements you want to approach them about, let me know."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"That's probably the point. It's one of the most dangerous parts of the race, they want people to go into it unprepared," Yamato says wryly.

He cocks his head, thinking for a moment. "I'll think about it. Improvements, I mean," he says. A little more guardedly: "I'd like it if they attended, though. It's a big step, after all, having them in the audience would be -- nice."

He realises he sounds a little like a little kid about to take part in his first school play, and he supposes he sort of is. It's not like his old man was around enough to watch him play Christmas Tree #3 when he was actually a kid and actually in school plays, so this is the next best thing.

[childofrebellion]

"I know they'll enjoy it and you need to have a cheering section."

Cassian says with a small smile, he can hear that hope in Yamato's voice and wants to create more of it.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Ah, well, I won't be able to hear it anyway, so nobody has to cheer for me," Yamato says, laughing awkwardly. He is smiling, though, even if it's an awkward smile.

[childofrebellion]

"But they will and if Cisco could find a way for you to hear them, I know he would."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"If he could find a way for me to hear you guys, then every time I had to do something risky, he'd go ..." Yamato waggles his fingers. "Full mongoose."

[childofrebellion]

"That would be too distracting, but funny."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Funny for you," Yamato mutters. "You wouldn't be the one getting mongoosed. The kid is the scariest person on Team Flash."

He's even scarier than Caitlin, even though Yamato is sure that Caitlin can smell his fear.

[childofrebellion]

"I don't know. Dr. Wells seemed scary in a different way, but then I've only met them briefly."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Wells is ..." Yamato frowns for a moment, folding his arms. "I couldn't get a read on him. I've got my blind spots, and some people are tougher to read than others, but usually I can get some kind of measure of a person, y'know? But by the end of the trip, I didn't understand him any better than when I arrived."

He cocks his head, thinking for a moment. "And -- egh, don't mention this to Barry or Cisco, but something about Wells sets off alarm bells for me. I just can't put my finger on what it is."

[childofrebellion]

"I do, he seemed like someone who was hiding something. And I agree, he's not the kind of person I would have chosen to lead them."

There's a mismatch of personalities and Wells is unsettling.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato makes an agreeing noise, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's possible we're just paranoid. We both live the kind of lives where not being able to get a read on someone is dangerous, after all, we might just be having overactive fight-or-flight instincts," he admits. "And Barry and Cisco seem to both really admire him. So did Caitlin, from what I could see. All three of them are pretty good judges of character."

It's a plausible conclusion to come to, but Yamato's not quite sure he believes it. It really bothers him how he can't seem to get a fix on what Wells is like.