#174 Another Flight w/Co-pilot

Posted on Sun Jan 29th, 2023 @ 4:27pm by Warrant Officer Shannon Money {Meji} & Cosmo {Meji}

Mission: BUGS OH NO!!
Location: various
Timeline: current

ON:

After returning from her first flight in her Viper, Warrant Money had cleaned up and then slept like a baby. Her niche had been found. So, as another day dawned Shannon got up and went to the EVA storage room and saw to her flight suit, which had been in the refresher all night to cleanse it of her bodily excretions. Now, with herself and the suit clean and ready she donned the suit once more. Going out and climbing into her Viper, Money was about to close the transparisteel shield/facemask on her suit when she heard an odd chirping and whistling noise. Looking out to her right, down at the deck, she saw the little bowling ball droid that someone had told her belonged to Commander Green. "Hey, little guy. Cosmo, right?"

A squeak noise came out of him which sounded just like a 'yep'. Money laughed at that.

"What can I do for you, Cosmo? I'm getting ready for another flight. Can it wait?"

His little dome head sank in a pose much like someone dropping their chin in disappointment, which got her giggling again. So, seeing he was sad, like a little kid, she scrambled from her cockpit and went down to him, squatting in front of him. Reaching out she touched his dome head in the same way she would a head to get it to come back up. "Hey, I didn't say no. It must be important for you to pout. So, please, what is it?" She tapped the embossed combadge on her suit, to access the UT (Universal Translator).

"Can I come with you?"

Looking at his complete form, and judging his size, Money smiled. "It's a cargo hold behind my seat but, you look like you might fit. Can I ask why you want to come along?"

"Where I come from I am designed to aid starfighters and ride along with them as an inflight mechanic and SIO (Sensor Intercept Officer). Master Ro relied on me quite heavily in her Z-95 Headhunter."

"Z-95 Headhunter?" Asked Money, not familiar with that ship or its designation.

"She now flies the prototype T-65, which is very similar in design."

Again, Money did not know that ship or designation. But, in a galaxy this big that was not unheard of. Maybe they were ships in the Nyberrite Alliance. "Okay, so you can be useful in flight. I'd be glad to have you but, how will that work? You can't just plug into the systems, there are panels and such covering the machinery."

"We can redesign the interior," stated Cosmo. "I am a Class-1 engineer and mechanic. We can reconfigure your hold for a BB compartment, then create a new hold elsewhere by condensing and rearranging internal components. With the size of the craft and its dimensions, should only take approximately 12 hours, if we work together."

While Cosmo was speaking Money was rubbing her mouth and chin in thought. She had noted that there were space deficiencies in the Viper design. No ship was perfectly designed, and all had room for improvement. A grin formed on her face as she gave the droid a knowing look. "Let's get to work. I'll go get changed and we'll set up a makeshift transporter pad for you, to get in and out of the ship without trying to roll up a ladder."

"That would be most helpful," said Cosmo, which caused Shannon to giggle.

***

Twelve hours later Cosmo was inside the Viper, behind the pilot's seat, in his new little compartment. He had done a majority of the engineering work, and as he went, had explained it all to Money as she was the hands he needed to manipulate what he asked for. It was a learning experience for her, to know everything about her fighter and to be able to repair and maintain it herself, if need be.

Internally, in the droid compartment, they had replaced panels with solid computer walls with readouts and access ports for his unique appendages to plug into. Everything had been rewired according to his directives, which had taken very little time with the ease of the engineering provided by the Amzock designers who had created the craft. Money was leaning into the cockpit from the ladder next to it, with Cosmo's personal transporter pad now placed to the port side of the Viper. He had told her that fighters from where he came from had a lift mechanism for such, but that they could add that later. For now, they were putting the finishing touches on all they had done.

"We are ready," announced Cosmo as he attached the final power conduit and it began to glow.

"Seriously? Like done, done?"

"Done-done, yes." He answered.

"Hot damn, let me get changed. We gotta have a test flight. There's a gas giant out there, looks like Saturn. Great place to test our new maneuvering thrusters and speed."

"I concur. Though, we should be cautious until the diagnostics are complete while in flight."

Money descended the ladder and took off at a run. While she was gone Cosmo continued to fine tune the flight computer and systems, dialing them in to absolute perfection. He estimated that her fighter would perform 12.3% better than the other Vipers, all of them, and there was still room for improvement after upgrade maintenance was applied. The CAG had her specialty in the cloak, whereas his pilot-officer would have the Hutt's share of speed and maneuverability. And, in time, the best in all systems.

Money returned, ascending the ladder and climbing in as she moved the seat back to flight position. Sat down and strapped in she had her helmet mask open and closed the cockpit, getting permission from the Bridge to launch for flight. "Here we go, Cozzy. You ready?"

"Ready, Cash. All systems a go."

Starting the power converters she then activated her engines and repulsor lifts, the Viper gracefully lifting from the deck and spinning in place, the nose now angled for the open bay door. She liked how Cosmo, her little Cozzy now, used her callsign to address her while in flight. Accelerating with full thrusters Cash and Cozzy zoomed out of the bay and into open space. Tapping her console, a small monitor down low by itself, Cash/Money accessed her music playlist for use while in flight. After all, rhythm was everything as a pilot. "Maneuvers first, little buddy. Going to take her through some twists and turns while heading for my destination.

This time Cosmo answered in his droid language, having shut off the UT. The odd thing was that when he did that Money actually started to understand some of his warbles, whistles and beeps, as if her brain was programmed for binary. She did have a monitor to translate as he spoke so it mattered little as she shrugged it off and got down to business. The first piece of music she flew to was LEAN ON [GMV], a remix for the song Lean On by Major Lazer. It was perfect for maneuvering tests. Twists, tactical turns, barrel rolls; she took the Viper through them all. As she did so Shannon noticed the improvement in her maneuverability, a noticeable difference indeed. "We're at half impulse, Cozzy. Ready for full impulse thrusters."

Cosmo responded that he was ready, monitoring all systems and doing on-the-spot adjustments and improvements. It made Money feel like she had a self-replicating fighter that would heal as it flew. Using her thumb she triggered the full impulse thrusters, feeling the G's even with inertial dampeners, pressing her back in her seat as the Viper shot forth like a subspace dart. "Woohoo!" She howled, followed by laughter as she let off the trigger and remained at full impulse. "I Will never get tired of that little ride. Hot damn, what a rush!"

Dead ahead was the gas giant and the rings she had spotted on her first scouting run through the system, and her course would take her directly to it. "Cozzy, make sure you keep a close receptor on those readings. I'm going to need spot-on maneuverability."

He acknowledged with a few bleeps, immediately plugging in and rechecking everything in the maneuvering systems. As of now all was nominal and above standard.

Arriving at the edge of the asteroid rings Money smiled to herself, dipping her chin slightly as she prepared for total focus and skill application, reducing speed to half impulse. "Ready for more music, Cozzy?"

The screen read his response, but she knew what he was saying without it. Again, that surprised her. "Of course. It helps me work."

"Haha," laughed out Money. "You are my kind of droid, buddy." She tapped the music key and this time is was TITANIUM by David Guetta, featuring SIA as the vocals. The beat was perfect for opening her run, and would be followed by CAN'T HOLD US by GMV, a remix on Can't Hold Us by Ryan Macklemore. So, she dove into flight mode, closed her face mask and began her run.

The music played and the pilot flew, with CASH maneuvering this way and that, with ascents and descents to avoid any and all chunks of ice and rock that came her way. She maintained half impulse as she was determined to fly through the entire width of the ring and come out between it and the gas giant. "How about some weapons tests, Cozzy? You done mucking with those yet?"

"Ready and waiting, Master Cash." Cosmo spoke this time.

Money was so ready to unleash a little hell with her weapons, having not had the opportunity to use them yet. As she maneuvered Cash began to open fire on smaller chunks that were flying around in the gravity vortexes caused by the proximity of so many of their neighbors. The phase cannons fired rapidly, the flash outside her cockpit a welcome sight as they found their targets and obliterated them, her small fighter rattling a bit as it flew through the smaller debris left behind. "Alright, guns are good. Missile time." While maneuvering around smaller asteroids Cash could see a larger one beyond them all. Tapping her console she targeted the large asteroid with her missiles, then photon magazine loading and ready to fire.

"Photon torpedoes. So sub-standard," said Cosmo.

"Not now, Cozzy," Money responded, focused on her instruments, still maneuvering to get a clear shot. Once a lane opened before her she pressed the thumb trigger twice in a row, with two photons streaking out towards her intended target. She followed along, avoiding incoming smaller flotsam, but her eyes were locked on what was happening. Both torpedoes smashed into the asteroid, two massive craters blasted out of its surface as the larger whole cracked and split apart. "Hell yes!"

"Well done," said Cosmo. "If master will allow, we can do better. With better ordinance."

Having cleared the asteroid field, now between the field and planet cruising along peacefully and smoothly, Cash could now give the droid her attention. "How so?"

"Concussion missiles, Master Cash."

"Concussion missiles? Never heard of 'em."

"They are quite common where I come from, Master. It would be a simple process to remove the photon system and replace it with a concussion/proton torpedo system. Less power output would be needed and that could be used for shields or other critical systems."

"Really? Why haven't you told Commander Green of this?" Asked Money. She would obviously be the first choice for his odd wisdom.

"She already knows, but chooses to remain loyal to her ideals in this galaxy. And, she does not fly a starfighter."

This Galaxy? That was an odd thing to say but Money just assumed he was using such language as a means of stating his true Master's beliefs. "When we get back to the mother ship you can show me, okay?"

"Of course, Master Cash. I will continue to upgrade and maintain."

Money turned her fighter back towards the Amandora, accelerating to full impulse without the thrusters, thinking on the many odd things that Cosmo had said. After a while they arrived home and landed aboard their mobile home. After a shower and a change of clothes Money was looking forward to brainstorming with Cosmo. Maybe Commander Green would allow him to become her permanent co-pilot. She would have to inquire about that.

OFF: