In which Aelliana gains her pilot’s license.

One thing this chapter underscores is that Aelliana is not merely good at mathematics; she’s phenomenal. Another, less cheering, thing is the way her interactions with the examination officer illuminate her experiences, in how she fears that any deviation from normal behavior will bring down punishment.

The backstory for how she’s ready to take her piloting examination, when she’d never expected to own a ship, is nicely balanced. Of course there would be a Scout in one of her classes who insisted on her getting hands-on experience. And of course she would draw the line at anything that required her family to find out what she was up to.

…I seem to keep circling around to the less happy sides of the situation, so let’s just focus on the most important thing about this chapter: Pilot’s license! Woo!