something about flying and the open sky goes here

[onlydoubts]

WHO: Poe Dameron, Finn and Bodhi Rook
WHERE: US Air Force Base
WHEN: 19th-ish
WHAT: take your bff to work day
WARNINGS: ehhh probably nothing major


[ It had been Poe's idea to bring Finn along with them - to better acclimate him with Earth, but also to show him how awesome his job was and all the crazy things he could do in a fighter jet. It also meant being at base at 5 am on a Friday as both Poe and Bodhi had to run through their drills - and Bodhi had a scheduled shift in maintenance later on in the day. 

So they took the porter straight onto the base and made their way in.

Bodhi pulled his jacket around his frame a little tighter and shoved his hands in his pockets because he'd forgotten gloves, as he walked a little ahead of the other two. Poe and Finn chatted as they walked, and they were greeted by other personal, a few squadmates to introduce Finn to as they walked the base.  ]

Barracks to your right, the mess is straight to the left. 

Comments

[hatejakku]

[ Finn's head might as well have been on a swivel. This was nothing like the First Order, obviously, but it wasn't much like the Resistance either. Never mind the technology, but the entire attitude was drastically different.

A military base during peace time. It was even more difficult to wrap his head around. Like, he could see Poe's point about it being familiar, but it was so far removed at the same time that it was kind of... weird. He was trying not to bring that up since both Poe and Bodhi seemed to enjoy this life enough to choose it again. If anything, Finn already knew (or hoped, rather) that it wasn't for him. Not right now.

Still interesting, though. ] I hadn't asked, but what ranks are you guys? I mean, Poe, you had to do bootcamp again, right? You both had to start at the bottom?

[flightforfreedom]

Captain. Got bumped up pretty fast, but pilots have to have rank to fly in the first place.

Bootcamp was more a technicality, since they don't have access to our previous military records. We had to do flight training, too, for our licenses - which was pretty hilarious. They had to put a power nullififier on me for my test so that they knew I wasn't cheating.

[ Poe, at least, seemed totally in his element, waving at literally every person they passed. ]

No point taking him to the mess hall if we want him to keep an appetite. [ To Bodhi. ] Straight to the air field? I think the training F-16 is already out for drills today.

[onlydoubts]

Same as Poe, actually. Though I joined a good five or so months after he did. Still had the bootcamp, got the training - having experience flying made that one take less time than it would have under regular circumstances.

[ Funny to think that Bodhi, who'd failed his entrance into becoming a fighter pilot, not through his lack of skills but nerves managed that, here. He feels at ease here in a way he'd never felt when he'd been training in the academy or flying cargo for those years. ]

Sounds good. [ he waves them off in a different direction. ] Just wait till you see them go.

[hatejakku]

[ If nothing else, Finn was definitely smiling despite feeling a little like the odd one out. Actually, he was used to that feeling. ] When do you guys do drills? I mean, this F-16 thing sounds cool and all, but I'd love to see you two flying.

[ At the same time, he was very interested in what sort of weapons Earth had. Nothing like what he knew, if everyone was to be believed. ]

[flightforfreedom]

[ Poe laughed. ]

Same thing, bud. We fly a bunch of different things, since technically we're test pilots, but the F-16 is one of them. And the trainer ones are two-seater, so you'll be able to fly with one of us if you want.

Bodhi's got maintenance detail today, I'm supposed to be flying - uh - one of the new Proto-shuttles I think. Havent had one yet that hasn't managed to crash, which is why they slot me to fly them. Even if it fails, I can bring it down safe. But we run the drills in the tried and true ones.

[onlydoubts]

Maintenance detail isn't so bad, especially when you can fix an engine with a touch. [ Though he does enjoy tinkering with them, the normal, non powered Import way. ]

But that's not for a little while, so we might as well show you first hand how these things fly.

[ He looks over at Poe, with a challenging gleam in his eye ]

And I think this one cheated the last time we raced and I need to prove that he didn't by outflying him.

[hatejakku]

[ Sorry, Finn's just now realizing that being a test pilot means they're the ones that crash the planes. Right, duh, he knew that, but- But their respective powers are great in preventing that outcome, so he tells himself to not worry about it too much.

So he just smiles and laughs. ] The last time I went flying with one of you in a two-seater fighter, the landing wasn't exactly stuck. Guess it can't hurt to try again, though, if no one minds. [ He's actually really excited about it. ]

[flightforfreedom]

Hey. Hey. We survived that landing. You find another pilot that could do that, and then you can give me grief about it.

[ But he's grinning the whole time, and turns to Bodhi. ]

What'd'ya say - heads or tails to see who gets to take the rookie up?

oops i forgot to track this sorry guys

[onlydoubts]

[ Bodhi watches the good natured ribbing between them as a comfortable outsider, and shakes his head. Even after having sort of witnessed the escape before through memories, he imagines it must've been a hell of a landing.

He nods, when Poe turns to him. ]

Sounds good. I'm calling tails.

you're good!

[hatejakku]

[ To be fair, they survived ejection, but- Finn rolls his eyes playfully and doesn't comment on it. ]

You make it sound like the loser's ending up with me.

[ Which... that's entirely wrong. Finn's experience in fighters is pretty limited to the one scenario he just described. ]

[flightforfreedom]

I'm calling heads.

[ He fishes a quarter out of his pocket and hands it to Finn. ]

Nah, man. Winner gets to take you, obviously. Loser has to try to show off from the next plane over.