Difference between revisions of "Spensa Nightshade"

 

== Appearance and Personality ==

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The next day Spensa hooked up the power matrix to the ship, and it powered up. She discovered that the ship could talk, as it harbored a very advanced AI. It introduced itself as M-Bot, a long-distance stealth ship. M-Bot’s data banks had been mostly corrupted, but he knew his last orders, which were to lie low and not get into any fights. Most of his systems were offline, with only a few like communications still working. Since Spensa couldn’t fix M-Bot on her own, she recruited Rig to help her, who was still deciding on what he wanted to do, now that he wouldn’t be a pilot.{{book ref|skyward|17}} He was amazed and energized by the sight of the ship, and decided to get a job at the Engineering Corps so he could help fix it.{{book ref|skyward|18}}

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|Sometimes I don’t feel like a teacher. I feel like a munitions man, reloading artillery. I stuff you into a chamber, fire you into the sky, then grab another shell…

|Cobb after Morningtide’s and Bim’s deaths.{{book ref|sky1|3}}

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When Spensa was in her cave, M-Bot’s sensors picked up a large force of Krell inbound, and Spensa hurried back to Alta Base. She arrived late to the battle, and joined the dogfight with the Krell. Morningtide died in battle, and soon after Bim got shot down as well.{{book ref|skyward|19}} Spensa and the others in Skyward Flight were still in shock the next day, and Cobb pushed them hard in training to keep them busy. Spensa later found Cobb watching a replay of the battle, and learned that Cobb had been the one to shoot down her father. He retold the story of her father’s cowardice, but his attitude hinted that the official story is false.{{book ref|skyward|21}}

 

Spensa participated in a large skirmish over a large falling shipyard, which was home to many large sources of acclivity stone. In the course of the battle, two of Nedd’s brothers from [[Nightmare Flight]] died.{{book ref|skyward|26}} The next day after flight training, Kimmalyn pulled Spensa into a hallway, then took her to the girls dorm, where the rest of the girls waited with stolen food for Spensa. They hung out all night, talking and eating. They had a great time, and Spensa enjoyed the acceptance as they bonded.{{book ref|skyward|28}}

 

With Spensa’s help, Rig managed to get some of M-Bot’s basic functions to work, and Spensa used her light lance to open up the cavern ceiling. She flew M-Bot out into the open, and was amazed at how incredibly sensitive and incredible the flight was, even though M-Bot didn’t have a booster.{{book ref|sf1|30}} At training, they practiced defending against lifebusters, using a modified recording of a previous battle. Spensa realized that the DDF must have the recording of the true Battle of Alta hidden away somewhere.{{book ref|skyward|31}} A large force of Krell came down through the platforms, and Skyward Flight was called into battle again. During the course of the battle Hurl’s shield was overwhelmed and her ship was severely damaged. She went into an out of control descent, and was supposed to eject per Cobb’s instructions. She refused to be a “coward” however, refusing to eject and crashing. After the battle, Skyward Flight was given mandatory leave, and Kimmalyn quit Flight School. Spensa found out where Hurl crashed, and decided to go give Hurl a proper pilot’s funeral.{{book ref|skyward|33}} Jorgen joined her, recovering Hurl’s pilot pin and giving her a short funeral.{{book ref|skyward|34}} Spensa took the booster from Hurl’s ship, and Jorgen figured out that she is building a starship.{{book ref|skyward|35}}

 

Spensa asked Cobb about the old battle recordings the next day, and he gave her his authorization code to access them. On her way back to M-Bot after getting the recording, FM brought Spensa to a restaurant with some members and former members of the flight. Spensa found the food to be amazing, since she had been eating rat meat and mushrooms her whole life.{{book ref|skyward|38}}{{book ref|skyward|1}} Afterward, Spensa went to M-Bot, who told her he could show her the battle using his holoprojectors. Spensa watched the battle, and saw her father break off from the flgiht and fly up through a hole in the debris belt, saying that he could hear the stars. When he came back, saying that he would kill everyone. Chaser fired on his own flight mates, and Cobb shot him down.{{book ref|skyward|30}} Shocked, Spensa spent an entire day in M-Bot’s cockpit, trying to process the information. Cobb told her the next day that if she ever saw “the eyes” or could hear the stars, she should tell him immediately. Spensa had seen the eyes before, but didn’t tell Cobb for fear she would no longer be allowed to fly. After the flight school doctor had been tipped off about Spensa’s living condition by Cobb, Spensa was given permission to stay and eat at the Flight School with the rest of Skyward Flight.{{book ref|skyward|40}}