AWD #619: Super Vipers
Super Vipers
Summary: If the raptor squadrons get a new ship, why can't the vipers? Or so the conversation goes on deck.
Date: 02/03/2017
Related Logs: None
Toby Niko 
Hangar Bay - Deck 3 - Battlestar Orion
Each hangar deck is divided into five one-hundred yard sections, each divided from the others by massive blast doors that close vertically from the floor and overhead. Each hangar section houses all of the Vipers, Raptors, and Predators that the wing operates as well as the vital work areas to support and maintain these fighting platforms. Each bay is large enough to accommodate one of these frames and still get heavy work done, though the fore- and aft-most sections are dedicated to overhauls and major work to be done. The bays along the center section are located across from launch tubes and elevators in order to provide scramble and Alert-Five capabilities. The second-to-aft bay provides major elevator and transport access to the starboard bay as well as the major manufacturing facility. Due to the nature of the work, the hangar decks are major hubs of activity at all hours of the day and all but four hours overnight.
#619

It's one of those days in the hanger bays, where some teams are busy, and some just aren't. The raptor airframe guys are still trying to hammer out the dents the marines made on Aerlion, but the viper teams are actually free enough to be doing rounds of planned maintance, rather than corrective. Part of which means that they're letting their charges be manhandled by the survival techs to the ejectorseats can be serviced. Or a portion of them atleast, no one is advocating taking all the vipers off the line in one go. Currently headfirst in a cockpit so he can disengage the explosive charges that would propel the seat upwards, Toby looks to have been handed the dangerous job, but then thats what you get for winning all the popularity contests (and being the lowest rank). Once he's happy it's safe to proceed he hops down and lets the lads on the winches get themselves sorted, giving him a few minutes free to, well, free to do sod all really.

Niko comes down to the hangar bay in his flight suit, helmet under one arm. With so few active pilots and an eagerness to fly at ever opportunity, the kid is a common site in the hangar. He's also known for bringing his viper back in decent shape — sure he comes back with a few KEW holes and some paint scorched off, but so far no major hits. He checks the flight board to see what ship he's assigned to for the upcoming CAP, then sighs to himself and looks around the bay. His gaze settles on the viper where Toby is at work, and Niko comes wandering over. "Hey, something wrong with Six four five?" Probably his favorite. Pilots aren't supposed to have them — fly what you're assigned, and all that. But pretty much all of them do.

Toby doesn't spot the approach of the pilot until it's too late to look busy, so takes one for the team and engages in the officer's conversation. "Nah, routine work. We're rotating them through while it's quiet." There's a thud and a small string of curses from the cockpit, which likely indicated the tech up there is having difficulty attaching the lifting strops, but he just shrugs it off, "you on Alert 5, or CAP?"

Niko's concern isn't entirely allayed by the 'routine work' but at least there's nothing busted. "Ah, yeah. Gotcha." Then there's a grin for the Deckie cursing up in the cockpit, and the young pilot takes a step aside. Maybe he thinks he's getting out of Toby's way, or maybe he's taking a closer look at some of the repaired battle damage on the near wing. But the question brings him back around, and the kid grins again. "CAP." Which isn't scheduled for another hour and some change. So he's way early. Then he tips his head towards the Viper. "You think this one will be ready to fly?" Even so, there would have to be a reason to swap out the assignments, above and beyond pilot preference.

Toby looks faintly surprised at the CAP answer, he's not entirely sure of the timings, but he certainly hadn't expected it to be change over time just yet. The question aimed at him stops thought of that though, and he laughs, apparently highly amused. "not a chance kid." Nice and respectful there, "taking apart a seat and putting it back together takes hours, let alone getting the damn things out and back in again. She'll be back on the line tomorrow, or we could push her out quicker in an emergency, but if we need it, make sure you're not in her. Or if you are, don't eject."

The Deckie has found an officer who doesn't object to being called 'kid.' It doesn't even seem to register on Niko. At his age he's got to be one of the new pilots with no 'proper' officer training. "Aww," he makes a disappointed noise, running a hand along the viper's fuselage. "She's gotten me back from a couple of bad scrapes." He pats the fighter and steps back, flashing Toby another grin. "Lucky ship, but … not sure I want to push my luck that much, you know?" Then something else seems to occur to him and he looks around before stepping back nearer to Toby. "You guys ever get a good look at those Arpay fighters? The Hurricanes?"

"The faintly sceptical look Toby casts Niko probably says all it needs to about Toby's opinion on luck. He catches closely as the lad touches the viper, but since he doesn't seem to be going anywhere near where they're working he lets that be too. "Hurricane? Nope. Or at least, not that they're letting me in on. Seen one through the obs deck window, but that’s the closest I've made it. Doubt they want us just copying their tech though, not straight off at least, or we'd have one apparent in here by now." Not that it sounds like he blames though mind, but does ask, "heard one of your lot got that surgery they were offering, they sprouted massive ears like the marines?"

"Yeah," Niko is again disappointed when the Deckie hasn't gotten a good luck at a Hurricane either. "They're out there, flying their own CAP, you know? Lot of the time they don't even ping on DRADIS. I've only seen one from a distance." Then he laughs for the mention of copying their tech. "I dunno. I mean, we got a whole new Raptor from them, the way I hear it. Not that they let me see the thing yet." He shrugs that off. "But I guess a better bus is still just a bus, you know?" He grins at that, but the expression grows more thoughtful when the surgeries are mentioned. "Nyx? I hear she got it done. Seems kind of … I dunno … not something you really need to do to yourself, you know?"

"Haven't let me near it either," Toby confides, but then it's mostly been the avionics guys glued to it so far, "Chief has had a few looks mind, but she's keeping tight lipped. Might call in the favour Clarke owes me and take a peek at some point, might save it for when she finally manages to distil something drinkable though." Decisions decisions. It's hard being a knuckledragger. "nyx," he repeats, looking thoughtful for a moment, "that's Butch as was right?" New callsigns, just confusing. Bloody pilots. "Not something I'm planning on partaking in I must admit, I take it your not keen either?"

"Yeah?" Niko is keen to hear whatever Toby can say about the new Raptor, even if it's essentially nothing. He laughs for the moonshine mention, momentarily sidetracked. "I heard Deck always has a still running. This Clarke guy up for trading?" No, the kid does not exactly fit your typical officer or pilot. Then he nods to confirm Butch's new callsign. "Yeah. CAG decided we needed new ones. Those of us that didn't get killed." He seems largely indifferent to that, and shrugs it off. "Feels weird for a while. Like changing your name, I guess?" And then a chuckle and a swift shake of his head for the surgeries. "Naw. Not sure why I would want to, you know? Not 'just for the frak of it.' If they were gonna give us some hot new fighter, and you had to have those crazy network ears to fly it? Then sure."

"Eyes to see targets better," Toby speculates, "heard they were doing those too, not just ears," but thats about the extent of his knowledge so he can only shrug after that. As for still he smiles faintly, "you might very well think that kid, I couldn't possibly comment. But yeah, if you want something that'll rot your insides before it's even down your throat, then I'm sure she could, ah, point you in the right direction." As it were. Then, back to the Arpay again, "maybe if you ask the CAG nicely they'll let you go out to frak knows where and come back with a modded viper?"

"My eyes are good enough, I guess?" Niko doesn't seem terribly interested in having them modified, or replaced, or whatever it is they do to you. Then he gives a knowing chuckle and nods for the note about Clarke and Toby's lack of comment. "Gotcha." The idea that they might get a new viper, let alone that he might be involved, causes booze to be instantly forgotten. "Seriously? I mean, you heard something about them doing a Viper upgrade too? Because that would be awesome. Boy … would I love to get to fly that baby first." This thought ends with a whistful sigh. "Not like they're going to send me though, you know? I can fly better than half those guys and they still think I'm just a kid."

"Cos you are just a kid, Kid," Toby replies off-handedly, "I mean you're what? Twelve?" It's not malicious in tone, but nor is it entirely cheerful teasing. "And I'm just speculating. They might, they might send the rhinos, they might send the preds. They sure as hell don]t fraking tell me. If you want to be taken more seriously in the wing though, try suggesting it to the CAG, promise I won't say it was my idea. If you want it, convince her."

"Ha. Ha." Niko eyerolls at the teasing. "Never heard that one before." Sarcasm really isn't his thing though. He seems more relentlessly optimisitc. "You think so? I mean, I could do that … bet they are already working on it, but … not like it would hurt, you know?" Then he laughs as another thought occurs. "I hear the Arpay are all like, super frakking old. I bet they'd freak the frak out if I showed up to be their test pilot."

"Only one I've met seemed female," Toby replies after a moments thought, then smirks faintly, "and it's rude to ask a lady her age." In short, he has no idea. "You're right though, it can't hurt to suggest it, I mean whats the worst that can happen, the CAG tells you its already being done but you get bonus points for being eager." The techs above still seem to be working away so he leaves them to it. "You get shot in the eye with their language thingy?"

"Seriously?" Niko seems impressed that Toby's actually spoke to one of them. What he really wants to know is, "Was she hot?" He gives the suggestion of taking an idea straight to the CAG a good think, making a reluctant shake of his head when the razer is brought up. "Nah. Guess I'd have to do that. I hear it doesn't hurt." Still, he doesn't seem too keen on anything 'shot' into his eye.

"Not my type," Toby answers, unsure if he could actually answer inn a yes or no fashion given the alieness of, well, the alien. "She didn't make me," he then continues, although then mimes shooting himself in the eye to make sure the pilot is following. "Looked disapointed, but didn't push the point. Reckon if you want to go get that super viper though then yeah, you'd have to."

Once again, there's a look of vague disappointment for one of the Deckie's answers, but Niko is quick to get over it. He cocks his head, thinking again, then gives a shrug. "Hey, if that's all it takes to get a hot new Viper to fly, I think I can live with it, you know? I mean, going from the Mark II to the VII was sweet. If they can make a new one that moves like those Hurricane?" He whistles appreciatively. He might be more aroused by the idea of the fighter than alien women, even.

"Heard she was hanging around in medical if you wanted to check for yourself," Toby notes offhandedly, "by my count you've a while yet til you fly. Might as well find something todo before you grip your stick tight and go full throttle." He says that with a straight face, how he manages it he's not certain, but he does. "You never know, she might take a fancy to you, let you into her hornet's nest."

"They don't call it the cockpit for nothing," Niko retorts with a chuckle. As for tracking down this Arpay woman, that seems to be less of a priority now. He grins. "Think I'll stick to regular humans, thanks. Still penty of those around. And it's 'box office' for the lady pilots, by the way." As opposed to 'hornet's nest' one might assume. Not that he doesn't seem to appreciate the joke. "But yeah … maybe I'll run up to the Ready Room and see if the CO is around. Give the Super Viper idea a test flight."

"Box office?" Toby replies, raising an eyebrow slightly, "really? I feel like there's some joke in there about tickets.." He doens't elaborate though, choosing instead to nod along as Niko sets out his plan of action. "Good plan," he notes dryly, then makes vague shooing gestures with his hands, "you go do that, we'll get this one back up and flying while you're gone." Plus a few hours.

"Yeah, well," Niko advises against the implied joke, though not without some good natured humor. "I wouldn't make that one unless you're looking for a punch in the mouth." Then the young pilot gives a grin and a nod. "Right. You've got a job to do." Other than standing there jawing with him. "See you around, knuckledragger."

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