Curiosity had beckoned, summoning Jerek to the cockpit of the aging transport, finding it strangely crowded as the ship careened its way through the asteroid belt. He strapped himself into a seat in the rear of the compartment, leaning into the turns as the ship rolled and pitched to avoid collisions in the dense celestial neighborhood. The boy rolled his eyes in teenaged annoyance as another unseen rock hit the ship's hull, violently shaking the vessel. A more skilled pilot might have avoided the impact, or at least turned it into a glancing blow. The pilot at the controls would probably get the ship to its destination, of that he was not afraid, but the maintenance crew at the end of the journey was going to be very upset by the state of the ship.
Jerek was simply glad he wasn't the one who would have to explain it to them.
In an instant that would teach him not to count his blessings before the hatched, the blond-haired boy heard the youngest speak up, belonging to the blue kid seated across from him. Jerek's first thought was to wonder how the Pantoran knew his name, he was a stranger to the other occupants to the extent of his knowledge. Only after a moment did it dawn on him that he was being volunteered for his piloting skills.
"Well, I don't know if I..." he started, cut off by another violent rock of the ship. As much as Jerek loved the thrill of flying, the freedom granted by the vacuum of space, the ability to go for as far as his fuel tank would take him, he paled at the task before him. Piloting a lumbering tub of a starship. Through an asteroid belt. And do it better than the Silver Knight currently flying. He gulped involuntarily at the sight of the pilot's seat.
Which was now his, Jerek realized as the pilot stood and offered the controls to him. The youth quickly unbelted and switched seats, hoping to lose as little time as possible in the transition. A cursory glance of the controls was all he could afford as the screens warning him of a particularly large asteroid specimen heading directly towards the ancient vessel.
Jerek spun the controls, intending to bank well in advance of the rock. The transport groaned and, after pausing for what seemed like a thoughtful consideration and an afternoon nap, began to roll out of the way. The padawan might have breathed a sigh of relief then and there, but for the second rock now in their path as a result of the ship's movement, hell bent on trying
its mettle against the ship's metal hull. To turn now was to risk sending the ship back on its original course, pitting it directly between a rock and another rock. Still, the boy had little choice, and sent the ship banking back towards the first. With a sluggish response that would make a bantha seem speedy by comparison, the old Washburn rolled and managed to avoid both of the rocky objects.
Once Jerek's heart settled from its new home in his throat, the experience actually became rather thrilling. Driving the oversized bus was a challenge in and of itself, much less through an asteroid field, but an adolescent adrenaline fueled his nimble fingers on the controls. The familiar feeling of freedom beckoned, however, tempting the boy towards open space. He gripped the controls tighter, staying the course, but the familiar pull put him at ease. A calm spread over him, as Jerek settled into the state of mind he once knew flying with the Republic Jedi. The ship turned and dodged, and the youth in the pilot's seat let out a gleeful laugh.
"Hang on to your robes, people, 'cause I think we're going to make it!"
[member="Orihime Ike"] | [member="Boo Chiyo"] | [member="Judah Lesan Jr."] | [member="Théodred Heavenshield"]