Difference between revisions of "Judy Ivans"

Admiral '''Judy Ivans''' (Callsign: '''Ironsides''') is the leader of the [[DDF]].{{book ref|Skyward|5}} She is a [[First Citizen]], and fought in the [[Battle of Alta]]. After [[Zeen Nightshade|Chaser's]] actions during the Battle of Alta, she is 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|sky1|i|2}} To that end, she tries to keep [[Spensa]] out of [[Flight School]],{{book ref|sky1|2}} but does not have the authority to stop [[Cobb]] from adding her to his class.{{book ref|sky1|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|sky1|i|1}}

Once it becomes necessary, Ivans isn't one to back down from a fight,{{book ref|sky1|prologue}} but she is often cautious about committing her pilots to battle for fear of sending them into a trap.{{book ref|sky1|i|2}} She is self-aware and able to recognize her wonown shortcomings, such as her trouble committing to an engagement and decreased reaction time.{{book ref|sky1|i|2}} According to Cobb, she is surprised whenever someone defies her,{{book ref|sky1|6}} though she says most of the people who once did are now dead and is actually pleased that Cobb is still around to defy her.{{book ref|sky1|i|1}} She regrets all of the pilots who have been killed while following her battle orders, but knows that there is only so much she can do and that letting her guilt weigh her down is not productive. Nevertheless, she makes sure to read the casualty reports from, and watch the holos of, every battle, listen to any audio from a pilot's last moments, and hand-write a letter to the family of any pilots who were killed.{{book ref|sky1|i|1}}{{book ref|sky1|i|2}} Since Chaser attacked her flight in the Battle of Alta, she has been terrified of the "defect."{{book ref|sky1|i|2}}

Some time after the Battle of Alta, she realized that she was getting too old to fly and became Admiral of the DDF,{{book ref|sky1|i|2}} though she seems to believe she only has her command because anyone else who could have taken it is now dead.{{book ref|sky1|i|1}} As a result of dual status as both asa First Citizen and commander of the DDF, there are "hundreds of paintings and statues" of her and Spensa considers her "basically the most important person in the world."{{book ref|sky1|5}}

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|sky1|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. When it does, in fact, make for Alta Base, 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|sky1|48}} At that juncture, a second Krell fleet, with another lifeburster, enters and slips through the hole in the defenses, leading her to relaizerealize that she has been outmanuveredoutmaneuvered and possibly "doomed all of humankind."{{book ref|sky1|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, authorizes Spensa and the other pilots to shoot it down regardless.{{book ref|sky1|50}}{{book ref|sky1|52}}

Ivans was a fierce defender of Chaser and always argued that he should be allowed to fly, despite the "defect."{{book ref|sky1|48}} Even after the Battle of Alta, she insured that official record of the battle said that he turned coward and triestried to flee, rather than that he started attacking his flightmates.{{book ref|sky1|40}} Prior to the Battle of Alta, as his flightleader, Ivans sometimes had to remind him to stick to his wingmate rather than break off to engage the Krell; their relationship reminds Spensa of that between herself and Jorgen.{{book ref|sky1|43}}{{book ref|sky1|44}}

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