"Preparation. It's always about the preparation isn't it?" replies Isabelle, farewelling Mr Minty with a decisive crunch. "Marna made a good point though - which is you can't really [i]prepare [/i]for Solarel. All you can do is make sure all your tools are up to scratch and hope that, when push comes to shove, I can [i]understand [/i]her well enough to pull a win against her."

Isabelle sighs.

"Understanding people is ... hard. I mean, I'm pretty good at it some parts of it - I [i]was [/i]trained in how to get people to be on side, to understand what they want, all in the name of getting them to be able to do what [i]I[/i] want. Mother made sure I could hold my own in any boardroom or corporate setting I got thrown into."

"But that's the problem, it makes people always seem like tools. A means to an outcome. Ironically, it makes [i]actually [/i]understanding them: how they think, what they want, who they - who they [i]really [/i]are ... all so much harder."

She thinks for a minute, before making her decision.

"I'll need to spend some time with Quar. She's been teaching me some of the Zaldarian sign language, I think they call it foesign? I'll need to get properly fluent in it by the time of the fight. But before then, there are some tests I need to run on some of the more ... prototype equipment."

"What kind of tests?"

"You haven't flown a mech before, have you?"

"Huh? No. I'd never be able to afford one, let alone fly it. Why?"

Isabelle just stares at her, smiling.

-===-

"Are you sure this thing is really meant to be this ... ugh ... skintight?" Asil asks, nervousness lacing her voice, as she tugs at the collar of her memory-weave flightsuit.

"Oh yes." comes Isabelle's voice from over the comms. "They need to be in full contact with as much of you as they can be to ensure the connection is as strong as possible."

Asil looks across the console, watching a dozen displays that show more information that she could ever hope to get across. Isabelle had towed the two of them out into deep space before turning over control of the mech to her and, she had to admit, the whole situation was more than a little overwhelming. Despite the assurance that it would 'come naturally' she couldn't help but feel like a child taking her first swimming lesson.

[i]And the pool is the infinite black ...[/i]

"And the ... fitting process ... is part of it too?" she says, compensating for some of her worries by dialling up the snark at the speakers in front of her. It doesn't matter that they aren't sharing a video link right now, Isabelle knows exactly what she's feeling and has the good grace to sound a little abashed when she replies.

"Well ... no. Not really, that part was for my benefit. And uh ... hey! You enjoyed it as much as I did!"

"Oh, I don't know about that, Lozano, but when we land, I'm going to enjoy every peeling you back out of your setup just as much as you did zipping me up in mine."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you? My tow cable is malfunctioning ... I'll have to come back for you tomorrow."

Asil can't keep the snort from echoing across the comms, instead opting to flex one of the arms and marvelling as the mech's motions mirror her own.

"Feels like I'm moving through molasses. Are you sure this is going to be good enough?"

"It'll be fine, your compatibility with the rig isn't the best but it's good enough for our purposes. I don't need you to be fast, I just need you to shoot accurately." comes Isabelles voice, as the Emberlight and Novasurge turn to face each other. "It's not about the mechs in this case as much as making sure the drones' functionality is operating effectively. This far out from the Arena and its nanobots, their abilities will be more limited - so we'll only be using training rounds and dumbfire projectiles."

"Okay, well, loading up the autocannon now then - I think?"

"Should be the orange button to your right upper quadrant."

"Ok thanks." Asil replies, hitting the button (and barely remembering to disengage the haptic sensors beforehand). "I do have to ask though ... if the mechs don't matter, why am [i]I[/i] in the Emberlight? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to train in the mech you'll be piloting?"

The silence stretches long enough that Asil is just about to ask again before Isabelle finally replies.

"I ... it's just." she says, voice hesitant. Asil can almost hear the dozens of sentences that are going unsaid before she finally continues. "... It's your first flight. I wanted you to have the best experience possible. And the Emberlight is the best we have. 

Asil smiles, softly, at the speakers as she levels the autocannon at the mech in the distance.

"Anyway, let's get practicing then." Isabelle says, voice all back to business. "Drone quick-fab test 1: Combat conditions. Ready on your signal."

Asil squints down the sights, sending a single thought towards the mech in their centre, before squeezing the trigger with as much care as she can.

[i]I love you too[/i]