Fly Little Birdie, Fly (DT-1, Morning, Simulators)

[James Hall]

James chuckles. "I have the cleaning supplies hidden behind that simulator. She has... a lot of her mother's good in her."

Mata began firing the weapons, seemingly for no reason. She was, after all, an 8-year old piloting a highly advanced machine of death after all. She still focused on go steady though. No turns.

James turns to Andera. "If I may ask, what was your training like?"

[Comstar]

The simulator beeped as simulated turbulance tipped the brick up, and then down into another dive.

The Hydraulic cooldown alert had lit up - meaning there would need to be a fifteen minute break for the pod to cool before it could be used again.

[Andrea DeTroyes]

"Seems Mata is sterner stuff then the sim pod," Andrea muses, "As for my own training. Well it was rigorous. NAIS...err the New Avalon Institute of Science's College of Military Science is the finest academy in the Inner Sphere. Father would probably claim Albion was, but the year I was there we won the wargame." She grinned at that, "Anyway it was very structured when I rotated into the Training Cadre we spent a lot of time on maneuvers off New Avalon. There was a rumor when the Fourth Succession War kicked off that we would provide assistance to one of the Front Line RCTs in the second wave, but it never materialized."

She bobs her head in thought, "...of course by the time I entered NAIS I had already been learning to operate a mech. Father's Master of Arms taught me and my siblings the basics. I think the first time I actually was in a cockpit piloting was...twelve? And had been in sims many times before that. But I had an easier time of it then Miss Mata here...having an experienced instructor giving you personal attention helps a lot in that regard."

[James Hall]

Mata comes out smiling with some fresh scrapes and bruises. . "Ha. I beat the simulator into submission." She then slowly moves away and sits down as if she's trying to keep her lunch down.

"I fear Mata's training will not be so formal. I am curious how does your school work. I mean, how many who start pass to become mechwarriors and what happened to those who failed?"

[Alexei Herald]

After a few minutes, footsteps could be heard, and a lanky man, dressed in his typical greatcoat, strolled into the room, with a technician following behind. Seeing the assembled party, Alexei waved the technician off, saying, casually, "You can make sure things are ready, Johnson. Inform me if there are any issues. Dismissed."

The man saluted, and then went to his work at the far end of the room, opening up panels on a set of five pods in a semi-circle with a control center perched between them. The space was laid out with thirteen simulators total, crammed into two complexes... one set of five, and then paired sets of four.

Mata was using the latter.

With a friendly wave/faux salute, the captain sauntered over to the pair.

"How goes it this morning, Mr. Hall? Was the helmet sufficient for your to re-size?" Glancing at Andrea, he offered shallow bow and flourish, half-serious, half-joking. "And a fine morning to you as well, miss. Andrea Oceane Laurette Detroyes, I presume?"

[James Hall]

James salutes the captain. "It worked perfectly, Captain Herald. Though Mata may have been a little rough on it."

With that, Mata saluted the captain smiling with the worst of the nausea gone. "I got on the air and even shot my new hated enemy." She then made her way over to her things and put back on her regular clothes.

James was confused for a second. The simulation was simple flying. No enemies. Then he remembered her firing upon the ground and gave a laugh. "I can have the simulator reset for afternoon."

[Andrea DeTroyes]

“NAIS is a mixture of classes and practical exercises. Most are put through sims, but a few of us that do well enough join one of the NAIS Cadet Cadres.” Andrea grinned at that, “It is something of an honor. Anyway in the Cadres you supplement the sims with actual maneuvers in the field...and sometimes even lighter combat duties. Winston...err my brother...actually tangled with some Kuritan raiders back in his cadet days.” She frowns at that and mutters, “But he always was an overachiever.” The noble sighs, “Anyway...those who fail in NAIS are often sent to lesser warrior colleges, from there...well I suppose at some point one just isn’t cut out to be a mechwarrior.”

“But lesser schools means fewer chances to get into the more notable units...or even the regular frontline RCTs.”

When Alexei arrived, Andrea straightened to attention, “That is correct, sir.” She made an overly showy flourish in return, “Formerly of the 17th New Avalon Hussars, youngest daughter of the Baron DeTroyes of Kestrel. At your service.”

[Alexei Herald]

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Alexei straightened and offered a return salute, and then added, "You're a long way from Kestrel. What brings you to this merry band?"

Glancing at Hall, he added, "And you needn't reset the simulator, today only those five will be in use."

[Andrea DeTroyes]

Andrea shrugged, "I was just sitting on my behind in the Hussars while the rest of the family were crushing the Capellans in 2nd Crucis Lancers and Davion Heavy Guards. I thought I might give the mercenary life a try for a few years, get out from under the family shadow for a bit."

[James Hall]

"Alright. Thank you captain."

James gives a respectful nod to Andrea. "It is good to earn your place rather than having it handed to you."

After a second, he turns back to Alexi. "I apologize for being so forward, but would one of your pilots be able to teach her a little. I know it is not the same kind of flying, but maybe keep her in the air. I have little money, but I could try to work something out with them."