Bessie Coleman

393 AC - Loop-the-loop, barrel roll, split S, stall turn, chandelle, Immelmann… The pilot executes a series of aerobatic maneuvers in front of the cadets assembled on the bridge. In other circumstances, it would have been an enjoyable spectacle, but Bessie's maneuvers today aren't just for show. She's teaching them what to do in case a Leviathan attacks – Lucan, or especially Halua. Their shadows loom over each of her stunts, because the cadets know that acrobatics like this will sometimes be the difference between life and death. So they watch, some of them imitating the control movements as they follow her flight path with their eyes. They need to know when to deploy the countermeasures, when to go into a nosedive… Bessie does a wide switchback between the floating islands, protecting her from any would-be pursuer, then dives like a bird of prey.

The missile roars out of the airship and hits a floating fragment. The stone block explodes as soon as the missile hits, sending slag flying in all directions. A few of the cadets whistle, clearly impressed. Others feel new hope after this skilled demonstration. I hear them shouting excitedly, saying that with those kinds of weapons, the Leviathans had better look out… and that together as a squad, they'll be unstoppable. My heart sinks. Because I know that despite our airships' firepower, facing a Leviathan as calculating as Halua will be no walk in the park. Meanwhile, Bessie comes in at full speed for a perfect landing. I look over the cadets' faces, and I clench my fists. They all remind me of Paju.

Born in Atlanta, Texas, on January 26, 1892, Bessie Coleman was the first Black woman in the world to fly a plane. She was also the first African-American woman and the first Native American to hold a pilot's license. She was a high-profile figure in the media of the time and performed stunt maneuvers in numerous airshows.

TREYST