Difference between revisions of "Judy Ivans"

Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Read it through, should be complete.)
Tag: status-change
(Update for Starsight)
{{character
|image=Ironsides_Portrait.png
|titles=Admiral of the Fleet <small>(formerly)</small>,{{book ref|Starsight|4}} Callsign: Ironsides
|profession={{cat tag|DDF pilots}}
|groups=[[DDF]]
|books=[[Skyward]]
}}
{{spoilers|book=Starsight}}
{{quote
|I'm not sure I'd wish this command on [the pilots I used to fly with]. Not even the ones I hated.
|Admiral Judy "Ironsides" Ivans on her position as the head of the [[DDF]]{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}}
}}
Admiral '''Judy Ivans''' (Callsign: '''Ironsides''') iswas the leaderAdmiral of the Fleet of the [[DDFDefiant Defense Force]] until after the [[Battle of Alta Second]].{{book ref|Skyward|5}}{{book ref|Starsight|4}} She fought in the [[Battle of Alta]], making her a a [[First Citizen]]. After [[Zeen Nightshade|Chaser's]] actions during the Battle of Alta, she isbecame terrified of another person with the "defect" (the brain condition that grants access to [[Cytonics|Cytonic]] abilities) becoming a pilot and does everything in her power to prevent that from happening.{{book ref|Skyward|i|2}} To that end, she tries to keep [[Spensa]] out of [[Flight School]],{{book ref|Skyward|2}} but does not have the authority to stop [[Cobb]] from adding her to his class.{{book ref|Skyward|6}} However, in an effort to make life so difficult that Spensa gives up and quits, she issues an order barring Spensa from using any of the Flight School's facilities, including the mess hall and dormitories.{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}}
 
She is continually frustrated by the [[National Assembly Leader]]s denial of the existence of the defect,{{book ref|Skyward|i|2}} removal of their children--somechildren—some of the top pilots--frompilots—from the DDF,{{book ref|Skyward|i|3}} and refusal to send up their private ships to aid the DDF during [[Krell]] attacks.{{book ref|Skyward|49}} Over time, the number of [[acclivity ring]]s and pilots available to the DDF has dwindled, leaving her increasingly desperate to fend of the Krell. As a result, she approves a desperate mission to retrieve half of a [[C-137-KJM orbital shipyard]] with hundreds of acclivity rings.{{book ref|Skyward|i|3}} That plan nearly resulted in the Krell destroying [[Alta Base]] and [[Igneous Cavern]];{{book ref|Skyward|49}} that near-defeat may have been a factor in her "reluctant" retirement.{{book ref|Starsight|4}}
 
== Appearance and Personality ==
{{quote
|[Until] the '''very last Defiant''' heaves their '''very last breath,''', we hold this base.
|Admiral Ivans to Cobb on the losses she is willing to take to defend Alta Base{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}}
}}
=== Command of the DDF ===
{{quote
|She saw, in [the pilots'] deaths, her own faults. She hadn't been willing to truly '''commit.'''.
|Ivans' reflections on why she is loosing the war{{book ref|Skyward|i|2}}
}}
As her number of pilots and acclivity rings dwindles, she eventually decides to make a bold strike for a shipyard in a decaying orbit.{{book ref|Skyward|i|3}} When a lifeburster enters the battle, she orders her pilots to keep it away from the shipyard, even if that sends it towards [[Alta Base]]. When it does, in fact, make for Alta, she decides to order a flight of just scouts, including [[Cloak]] and [[FM]], to engage it. The scouts successfully shoot it down, but, when the bomb lands, it takes out some of the DDF's AA guns.{{book ref|Skyward|48}} At that juncture, a second Krell fleet, with another lifeburster, enters and slips through the hole in the defenses, leading her to realize that she has been outmaneuvered and possibly "doomed all of humankind."{{book ref|Skyward|49}} As the lifeburster nears the "death zone," past which its detonation will take out Alta Base, she accepts her death and, hoping to save [[Igneous Cavern|Igneous]], authorizes Spensa and the other pilots to shoot it down regardless.{{book ref|Skyward|50}}{{book ref|Skyward|52}}
 
After the Krell are defeated and Spensa manages to save Alta, she decides to pardon Chaser and tries to convince Spensa not fly to space, but to no avail.{{book ref|Skyward|54}} When Spensa returns, she sees little value in the information that M-Bot hacked from the Krell, as it does not change the fact the DDF is still facing down a superior force.{{book ref|Skyward|epilogue}} Sometime after the battle, she reluctantly retires as Admiral of the Fleet of the DDF and Cobb, equally as reluctant, steps up to fill the position.{{book ref|Starsight|4}}
 
== Attributes and Abilities ==
{{quote
|The defect.
|Admiral Ivans' whispered reaction when Spensa arrives in the Second [[Battle of Alta Second]]{{book ref|Skyward|49}}
}}
Ivans is impressed with Spensa's dedication and ability as a pilot, but is too scared of the defect to want her in the DDF.{{book ref|Skyward|i|3}} Spensa, in turn, is initially angry with Ivans for trying to keep her out of the DDF, but, after finding out the truth of the Battle of Alta, realizes how much Ivans has done for her{{book ref|Skyward|40}} and comes to respect Ivans as a "warrior"{{book ref|Skyward|30}}
|Ivans' reflections on her relationship with Cobb{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}}
}}
Prior to the Battle of Alta, Ivans was Cobb's flightleader, and the banter between the two of them reminded Spensa of her own relationship with Jorgen.{{book ref|Skyward|43}} The two worked together to bring down Chaser after he started attacking their flight and are likely the only two who know the truth of what he did in the Battle of Alta.{{book ref|Skyward|39}} Cobb is the only surviving pilot from Ivans' own time as a pilot, and they remain respectful towards each other, as evidenced by Cobb waiting for to finish a letter to the family of a dead pilot before starting an argument with her.{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}} However, they also disagree sharply about Ivans' policies for the DDF, which she believes are necessary to defend Alta Base and Igneous, but he feels get pilots and cadets killed needlessly and likens to "firing on full auto while simultaneously stealing ammunition from the stores." She is also shocked that he is willing to let Spensa fly after seeing what the defect did to Chaser.{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}} After Cobb takes over as Admiral of the Fleet, he begins to better understand her complaints about being in charge and how those in command rarely understand what is truly going on.{{book ref|Starsight|5}}
 
=== Rikolfr and DDF Staff===
[[Rikolfr]] is Ivans' aide-de-camp. He keeps track of everything she needs to do; brings reports to, and reviews their content with, her; helps her prepare to deal with various situations, such as a meeting with National Assembly Leaders; and carries orders from her to other DDF staff.{{book ref|Skyward|i|2}}{{book ref|Skyward|i|3}} Considering her messy office,{{book ref|Skyward|i|1}} Rikolfr's organizational skills are likely a great asset to Ivans, and she trusts him enough to include him in meetings with National Assembly Leaders.{{book ref|Skyward|i|3}} After Ivans' retirement, Rikolfr remains on the DDF's staff, now serving Cobb, the new Admiral of the Fleet.{{book ref|Starsight|3}}
 
Ivans seems to interact with the rest of the DDF's staff mostly through Rikolfr, so her relationship to the rest of the staff is somewhat unclear. Notably, however, she disagrees sharply with the head of Alta Base's medical division, Dr. Thior, as the doctor is adamant that the defect does not exist.{{book ref|Skyward|i|2}}
 
== Notes ==
{{holder
|title=Admiral of the Fleet of the<br>[[Defiant Defense Force]]
|prev=''unknown''
|this=''unknown'' to 83 <span title="Landfall Date"> LD</span>
|next=[[Matthew Cobb]]
}}
<!--
Search results:
Ivans: 5,33,40,49,52, I-1, I-2, I-3 (Skyward)
Ironsides: prologue, 2,4,5,6,9,11,17-19,21,22,24,27,29,30,35,39,40,43,44,47-52,54, epilogue (Skyward); 4,5,15 (Starsight)
-->
<references />
Retrieved from "https://coppermind.net/wiki/Judy_Ivans"