After a time, Rick and Minmei were asked to pause by a rather lovely lady, same race, but somewhat different in skin tone and other fine details, no great differance in evolutionary terms. She did look (and feel, to both the Force users) as if she wanted to jump Roy then and there for a bare millisecond, but she didn't let it effect her deportment at all after that.
#Obviously the young pilot's significant other.# was the thought Anakin had as he watched silently. He wasn't surprised when the lady spoke up with "Lt. Fokker, our latest visitor is to be escorted to the Medbay adjoining the Engineering section, so Dr. Lang can ascertain our mutual safety and learn what he can from the gear he carries. Mr. Hunter, miss Lin, you are to come with me."
Rick wasn't about to blow up and say something too rash, but Anakin still knew a bit of anger when he saw it. To forestall any problems, and ease things along, he spoke before Rick had finished assembling his intended rebuke, saying "Understandable, Ma'am. I have spoken of why I wear my armor/support system, and I've no doubt that the conversation was recorded. Still, you do need to make sure I myself am not carrying dangerous pathogens, etc. Quite sensible, and it will let you all make sure I've done nothing sinister with Rick."
Minmei was not one erasily suppressed, of course, but she had picked up on protocol, just from being near Anakin and Rick's training and formal friendliness. She merely blurted out "oh, don't damage his ship! It's.. it's his only remaining link to his home!" She didn't mention it, but it was obvious she knew more important reasons. Still, she was telling the truth, as well.
As Claudia raised a eyebrow, Minmei flushed embarrassedly, and Rick followed habit and comforted her.. "It's okay, Minmei. We'll explain as they debrief us, okay?" That last was also with the slightest change of tone, one only Anakin caught. #There, now he'll know I'll vouch for him with the officers--like there was any doubt!#
The tiny nod Anakin gave was all the confirmation given--or needed--as Roy led him down a new hallway, and Caudia led the young man and lady further along their original direction.
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After a few changes of direction, and the occasional military vehicle taking them along the huge corridors, they approached Officer Country. Rick didn't need to have the Force with him to see THAT, what with all the gaurds, denser population of military, and occasional officers glimpsed. Still, it helped him stay in equilibrium.
They pretty well stayed silent, until they were escorted firmly into the Bridge area, on their way thru to the conference chamber, no doubt. That idea was delayed a bit as Lisa Hayes saw once more the man that seemed to get under her skin so easily! "I hope you know what kind of trouble you've caused, young man!" the words just seemed to come right out of her mouth, unbidden.
Rick could feel the enormous emotional mess that was weighing her down, this close, if not why, so he avoided totally ruining her day. The young heir to the Force simply smiled instead, asking "You mean risking my life to save miss Lin here, or when you sent me into aerial combat without checking my training status? Tell you what, you ignore my first disaster, and I'll do the same."
As Lisa turned bright red with shock at this, Claudia finally managed to get them into the conference room, saying to herself "thanks, Hunter, now I have to hear her angry for a good two hours!"
Rick shamelessly retorted "That was inevtable as we bith know.. and she'll be better balanced if she gets it out of her sysyem now. I can read faces pretty well, you know. While escorting the pair in, flanked by gaurds who were simply *not* looking at anyone in this, Claudia said "I'd not be too sure of that, if I were you, Hunter.. She's gonna be ticked at you for a day or two, easily!"
As he sat, once offering a seat to Minmei, Rick expanded on his earlier sentiment.. "I know, that's my intent, as you're all pretty worried about something, and she seems able to focus thru anger at me more easily than thru fear of the inexplicable."
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Dr. Emil Lang was into Science in a very big way. As chief scholar of Robotechnology and of the alien science that spawned it, he was often called in all manner of matters, from what to do with the two seagoing vessels dragged to the orbit of Pluto (along with the SDF-01, Macross Island, and a deal of the surrounding ocean..) all the way to resdesigning the antigrav units' securements to the ship, to say nothing of analysing the complete absence of the Fold system.
Safe to say he's a busy busy man.
So while he was eager to study a human-sized alien being and his tech, including a functioning ship, he was able to temper it with wis--with his irritation at yet another heap on his already overloaded plate. "yes, yes, Fokker, don't bother speaking to me, just go straight into the debrief while I square this out.
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Capt. Gloval had inserted himself neatly into the conversation after Rick had further detailed his intent, and asked how the young pilot knew Lisa's reactions so well. He himself was just learning them, after spending a long time in the military learning how to gauge people, after all. That led to explanations as to what kind of Martial Art Anakin taught, if still in general terms.
"...so, as I was taught spirtuality and meditation, I learned to take in things we all might be able to percieve, but that many, if not most, simply ignore. This includes deeper insight into the people around me, it seems."
Capt. Gloval segued into the next phase, asking more about Anakin himself. "I see, and why did he teach you his fighting style, Rick? I would have thought that didn't appeal, from your.. notable exploits at the Ceremonies."
"Ex--OH! You mean when I barged in like the fool I still am at times! Well, Capt., I wound up having to shoot one of those beings, and let me tell you, I may have troubles accepting the need to be in a armed service at first, but I can easily see that sometimes you just have to defend yourself and/or another. To do that, you need skills. I'm learning them. That's all, really." It went on like that.
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Meanwhile, Dr. Lang and our favorite ex-Sith_Lord were discussing Technical matters at a high level, since Anakin was downloading technical data directly into the computers for their leisurely analysis. This left Emil to discuss more esoteric matters with Anakin, including the Lightsaber, naturally.
"Yes, Doctor, the weapon isn't exactly long-range, but it is very efficient and elegant, in Jedi terminology. It's designed for attack or defense, as those that practice my Art are trained to rely more on ourselves than on technology save as is unavoidable.. That makes this suit I must wear all the more galling, to be perfectly frank."
"I see. On to your description of your arrival here.. Exactly why do you think our admittedly.. unsuccessful efforts dragged you here?"
"Easily enough explained, Dr. Lang. Your own ship's drive is of a more effective, but VERY power-consumptive variety, by caomparison with the Hyperdrive I am more familiar with. From the comparisons you've shown in the effects, and the very name, your Fold Drive, rather than induce a tachyonic state in the ship while retaining chosehion, allowing it to traverse hyperspace, actaully *folds* local space, taking that region surrounding your ship and thus the ship itself thru hypersapce along the crease of the fold. Theoretically, linking Folds, you could mave a armada, and have the fighters already waitning in the 'normality' emvelope, ready to attack/defend the instant you arrived wherever. Of course, there's a drawback to hyperdrives in general, and the Fold has it even worse.." Anakin left it hang, and Emil was openly a honest sort. so...
"Yes, and we really should, would have seen it had things not been so slapdash. Space in a major gravity well is already bent to adjust to the mass at the center, so a hyperdrive activating in it is likely to tear the ship and the local area of space apart. We're lucky we got off as lucky as we did!"
"Just so. And since my own ship was not at peak efficiency, and was in Transition just as you were in the midst of that incredibly risky Fold, I wound up pulled into a spacetime bridge/tunnel--what some call a wormhole, and others a 'natural' tesseract, this area being at the other end."
Lang nodded, then added "I have to agree pending any evidence to the contrary. My staff will be in at times to ask questions, no doubt. Just respect them and no-one will bothger you. We're studying your ship, but it will not be dismantled. We ARE also setting up a chamber like the cabin of your ship, so you can disrobe as possible inside. I'd stay longer, but duty calls."
Anakin simply accepted that, as he did the guards and other security measures. He laid back and relaxed in his suit until such time as he was allowed a bit more freedom.
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(Posted Tue, 17 Jun 2003 13:55)
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