Saltation

the long version

Young Theo Waitley is a nexus of violence. At pilot school, she excels in hands-on flying, but is behind the curve in both social intricacies and math. After a series of confrontations, fights, and ultimately a riot after which she is thanked for not killing anyone, Theo is facing suspension and must quickly decide if she's ready to return to Delgado in disgrace, or launch herself into the universe as a freelance pilot with little more than a hastily procured guild card, a pistol taken from an attacker, and the contents of her pants pockets.