Food, of course, was a issue. He'd brought supplies in his personal TIE, and shared them, as did Rick from his racer. Minmei turned out to be as good a cook as one might expect of a girl raised in and as a part of a family resturant. Still, even with the easy access to water (found even earlier thanks to Anakin's Force talents) they could all see starvation as a possibility before TOO much longer.
Anakin and Rick spoke of this as the Sith Jedi worked to train Rick, primarily in self-defense, Force perceptions, and minor controls of himself and his enviroment. Thankfully, without other distractions, Rick was as strong a prodigy as Anakin had hoped.
"Anakin-Sensei?" Rick adopted the respectful term of address for Anakin after the latter had shown a hesitation to be called Master. His own masters had after all been less than stellar. "Anakin, I have a question.."
While Anakin Skywalker isn't exactly going to be SEEN smiling, Rick's expanding senses allowed him to sense it anyway. "More than one, I suspect, Student. But ask, by all means. Maintain yourself, however, this is important."
Still holding the fingertip handstand, the student of Skywalker asked "Sensei, I have.. sensed something above us, many times in the past few days. Why are we not seeking it out?"
"Patience, young student, it will serve you well. I sense it, as well, and know it good, but the fact remains that none of us know what in inside these gigantic walls, and I wish to avoid damaging them when the circuits inside may be vital to the defense of your.. no, *our* fellow man. Those giants as you call them are likely still out there, from what i sense and what you have taught me of the local events."
"Thank you. By the way, I've noted your helmet is.. ever-so-slightly skewed at times. Are you alright, Sensei?"
"Not to worry, Rick. My TIE fighter is specially equipped to process the air in it, so I can breathe freely without my Helmet within its confines. This also allows me to eat Miss Lin's exquisite meals, rather than eat the nutrient tubes via suit systems."
"I'd wondered, thanks. I'm aware that this is prying in a major way, and that there's much you're..sparing me, I think. Will I ever be worthy of the full tale of your life?"
As they strode past the enormous airlock featured strongly in the chamber their ships were in, Anakin stopped. His synthesizer-enhanced voice still carried the change in tone as he said "You're worthy now, or I'd not have begun your training. Yet you still have a way to go before you can fully handle the implications. My upbringing and life have taken me through intense extremes of thinking and behavior, and I want you, Rick, to master yourself without suppression or loss of constraint, to find your own balance. Than and only then may I.."
Breaking into this deep discussion, Lin Minmei's voice called out from above "Hey, guys! Look, Look out here!" She sounded downright excited, but was clearly not scared.. a trifle wistful, but not scared. Anakin helped Rick climb the various objects to get near Lin, although far less than he'd have had to before beginning the young pilot's training.
And there it was, floating just outside the airlock door, and at relative velocity. Freezedried. Stone Dead, of course. Delicious looking. And lest we forget, Freakin' Huge!
"I have in my life seen bigger fish, but none so appetising. Something you know of?" This coming from Anakin, naturally.
"Oh, Yes, Mr. Skywalker! That's a full-grown Tuna! some of the very largest reach that size in Earth's oceans, it's a very healthy seafood for our kind." Minmei had accepted the authority of a adult as easily as Rick had accepted a teacher and guide, both due to their situation, but they'd grown into a cohesive near-family over time in their own right. Anakin knew that he'd been lonely ever since the death of his mother and his alienation from Padme, so he simply let it happen. Long past time to reconnect with humanity, if he was to renounce Light/Dark Side obsessions.
"If your ship's engines were not damaged beyond a sure start, you could use this Giant-sized airlock to nudge it in.."
Rick interrupted "More like Giant's airlock. I've been thinking on that, but we have to get that fish! Frankly, we need the food. I'm thinking.. my flightsuit's pretty tough, it's designed to deal with major pressure changes. If I could get it adapted, get it and the flight helmet the RDF handed me airtight, some rope action *might* just see to our dinner for a good while to come!" Rick didn't say, but Anakin could plainly read, the internal follow-up ~If I can do it fast enough..~
He realised this was a major rite of passage for Rick Hunter, and decided not to derail it. Still.. "I can assist you in this, Rick, and provide you with a limited supply of air, the spare bottle for my own suit. Further, I'll assist, as my life-support rig is sealable for a brief period, although I'll admit it wasn't designed for longterm EVA." (Extra-Vehicular Activities)
Minmei was proud and extremely worried, as who wouldn't be? "Are you sure? This sounds awfully risky."
Rick however had found courage, that is, coping with fear by thinking and gutting it out. "Yes, Minmei, it's a bit chancy, but nothing we can't handle, long as we keep steady. Besides, I mentioned something about needing more food. I have no intention of letting you go hungry if it can at all be helped!"
Minmei melted at that, Rick's charisma being on a scale with one Han Solo when he was in protective mode, a fact Anakin was not unaware of. (he'd studied the Solo files after the Falcon's escape from Mos Eisley, as a matter of course.)
After a bit more discussion, mostly for Minmei's peace of mind, they got to work on the upgrades to Rick's flightsuit and enough rope for the lasso and hauling, the former aided considerably by tools normally used to help maintain Anakin's suit, thus packed away neatly in the TIE.
The action itself was not all according to plan, but it went well, they decided later, after all involved calmed down.
Rick and Anakin walked to the center of the airlock, after the inner door was opened, then awaited the full sealing, Rick not closing his helmet visor until the beginning hiss of the air withdrawing was heard. They could speak to Minmei through the comm-board in Anakin's TIE, but that wouldn't be too necesary, they hoped.
As Rick sealed his visor, he started the flow of air from Anakin's spare supplement bottle and said "testing.. 1. 2!"
Anakin replied, as the air was removed and their movements became freer, "I hear you. Prepare for Zero Gravity, Rick, I don't think they keep the gravity on when the airlock's open to space."
Rick swallowed, not fearfully, but from caution, as he indeed did float up along with Anakin. "Gotcha. Get ready! It's opening."
As the door opened, the Force user and his student pushed off very lightly, themselves secured to the interior of the airlock with their own lines. Rick was aware of how little air they had, but managed by dint of his training to keep it under control. Anakin was proud of him, yet remained silent to conserve air, as they lassoed the fish at each end, then strove to get inside to anchor themselves once more and tug their prize catch in.
This is usually the point in which a flaw is certain to emerge, and the Force, or Karma if you will, didn't disappoint. While they were doing this, all undetected by the SDF-01 personnel, the airlock sensors DID detect the recent damage to the wall leading into that chamber and the open airlock, leading a bridge bunny to make a snap and incorrect decision. She started the door closing, on a bridge override!
They both had a bare instant of dread and saw the door closing from the very beginning. Anakin stepped inside and pulled, his Force powers adding to the strength he could exert in defeating inertia.
Rick, however, seeing that this would get maybe half the fish, took a instinctive chance.. and then some. He faced the inner airlock door and cleanly detached his air bottle from the hose, sealing the hose but not the bottle, and hung on to his line for dear life as the air in the secured but opened airsource acted as a reaction thruster. He was intent, and willed himself with all his being to get that fish and himself IN.
He was a little blue-faced as the inner door unsealed and he could freely open his visor, but otherwise all his grief was a single popped ear, due to some pressure loss before he sealed the hose. He also got the rest of the fish in.
Anakin waited until the panting Hunter was finished getting air in, before mildly scolding "That was a grave risk you took, Rick. However, you succeeded even more than you imagine."
Rick (and Minmei, who was gonna scold a LOT harder than that) were a bit flummoxed, so his Force teacher explained. "Your idea obviously had merit, but your aim would normally have never been that precise nor your actions. You literallly willed it so, up to and including the airstream from the reserve bottle. Rick Hunter. You are strong in the Force, as I have told you. Welcome, my student, to a larger world."
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(Posted Fri, 06 Jun 2003 08:29)
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