The following morning, Krystal had Fox do some Cerinian training. Krystal taught her a new staff training routine, which was difficult in the heels they had to wear. Eventually, Fox got the movements down shortly before lunch.
Krystal watched Fox as they walked toward the kitchen and wondered when the next mission was. Would the "punishment" be postponed or called off or would they all fight in skirts and heels? Maybe the mission would be strictly Arwing. Maybe she'd get to try out this "Landmaster" mentioned in the simulator.
"Hey Fox?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah?"
"Would it be possible to try out the Landmaster in the simulation?" Krystal inquired, "I've been wondering about it since I noticed the option in the simulator."
"After lunch." Fox answered, happy she was eager to try something new. It took a lot of convincing to get Falco to try out the tank. If Krystal liked it, perhaps Fox could get a 2-seater model.
The pair grabbed and silently ate their lunch. Krystal spent that time trying to visualize what a Landmaster was while Fox contemplated her first Landmaster lesson. A few minutes later, they finished their meals and walked to the simulator.
Krystal climbed into the simulator while Fox logged onto the computer and selected the Landmaster option. A few minutes later, the first lesson was created and sent to the simulator. The usual flight wheel retracted into the console and was replaced by a pair of control sticks.
"The Landmaster is a little different from an Arwing." Fox told Krystal as the simulator sprang to life, "For one thing, it's almost entirely limited to the ground. It's also significantly slower."
Buttons lit up on the console and crosshairs appeared on the simulator screen.
"The left stick moves the tank and the right stick aims the cannon." Fox explained, "For now, use the left stick to make the tank follow the marked path."
Krystal grabbed the stick and pushed it forward, making the virtual tank move forward. She then moved it to the left and right, causing the tank to move in the appropriate directions. She carefully drove the tank down the glowing virtual path, driving around the occasional obstacle. Eventually, she reached the end of the glowing path and let the stick move back to its neutral position, causing the tank to stop. As soon as the tank stopped, targets appeared in the air and on the ground.
"Now it's time to try out the cannon." Fox explained, "Move the right stick to aim the cannon. To fire, hold down the button on top of the stick and then pull the trigger. The button's there to help prevent you from accidentally firing the cannon. Hold down the trigger to charge your shot. You may begin when ready."
Krystal lined up the crosshairs with a target and fired, destroying the target. She then fired on the other targets, one after another. The final target in the air began moving quickly, causing Krystal to miss her shots.
"While the cannon can do considerable damage to ground targets, it was primarily designed as an anti-aircraft cannon." Fox explained further, "Simply charge your cannon and line it up with the target to get a lock-on. Release your charge shot and it will home in on the target."
Krystal charged her shot and aimed at the moving target. After about a minute, she got a successful lock. Releasing the trigger, she watched as the shot homed in on the target and destroyed it.
"One final lesson." Fox told her as she prepared to end the simulation, "If you've locked onto the wrong target, release the button to break the lock. As long as the trigger is held, the cannon will remain charge. If you release the trigger without putting your thumb back on the button, the cannon will lose its charge without firing."
Fox turned off the simulator and Krystal climbed out.
"You did great for a first lesson." Fox told Krystal, "If you want to continue your Landmaster training, I can increase the difficulty."
"I'd like that." Krystal told her, "It could prove quite beneficial to have that firepower on the ground."
"We can start your next lesson next week. Falco and Fara will have the simulator for the next few days. Falco does not want to risk anyone becoming better than him and will throw a fit if we 'hog' the simulator."
"You mentioned a 2-seater option?" Krystal asked Fox.
"They mostly make single-seaters." Fox explained, "Though they might have multi-seaters. We could also get one custom built, but that would cost significantly more."
"It would be nice not having to do all the work in the tank." Krystal told Fox, "It's not so bad in an Arwing. It's maneuverable enough that aiming the whole craft isn't a problem. The Landmaster is a little trickier to move and aim at the same time."
"I'll look into it." Fox promised, "Lylatian military tech in general is designed with expendability, both in equipment and manpower, in mind. We were lucky enough to have enough talent to justify pricier ships."
"Shame."
The pair left and went about their day. Krystal went to the recreation room and began reading what she could on Lylatian culture. Fox spent the next few hours thinking about potential new Landmaster designs. After the pair ate their dinners, Fox went to her computer and took out a pencil and piece of paper.
Fox thought for a moment before beginning a rough sketch of the new tank and writing notes. The turret on top would rotate a full 360 degrees and seat one crew member. The onboard computer could scan the area for potential targets while the turret crew member focused on aiming and firing.
Fox put her pencil down and thought for a moment. They'd want to know what cannon she'd want, the armor, engines, etc. She wished Corneria still had multi-seater tanks instead of relying on cheaper expendable single-seaters. Expendability seemed to be a trait the Cornerian military loved most. It's why the best left.
Fox looked through a list of available weapons on her computer. Eventually, she settled on an anti-aircraft/ anti-tank main cannon and a powerful machine gun to take out infantry. As for the engine, Fox looked through a list and found one that seemed to have a good balance of speed, power, and efficiency. For armor, Fox decided on semi-medium armor. It provided some protection from smaller anti-tank rounds, but would still be light enough for hovering.
Fox crunched the numbers and found the tank was already pricey. She still hadn't added the computer or boosters. Fox was going to need a decent job or two if she was going to get this tank. With the recent Andronian activity, that shouldn't take too long. Fox finished designing the tank and sent the design and details to Arspace Dynamics. Moments later, she received an estimated cost.
It was pricier than expected. Fox wondered if they could save cost by modifying their existing Landmasters. It would take some time, if it were possible, but she and Krystal had already proven fairly competent at modifying vehicles. The question remained if there was even enough room. Too many modifications could potentially ruin the vehicle.
Fox would worry about that later. For now, new Landmasters would have to wait. If Krystal advances enough with the Landmaster simulator, Fox would add a Landmaster portion to her test.
Fox looked at the time and turned off the computer. It was getting late and Fox didn't want to wake up exhausted. Tomorrow, maybe she'd try something with the others. Maybe a one-day vacation. Maybe training as a group. She'd get their input tomorrow. In the meantime, Fox began getting ready for bed.