I ended up getting the fingerprints done privately, which was hassle free. The only thing that annoyed me about it was that the TSA let the fingerprints sit on their desk for a week before officially acknowledging receipt.
I talked to CHQ HR and explained that there's little chance I'll have the whole thing done with before the 29th. They were great about it- said I could start class anyway, just not sim. Seeing as the sim training isn't until sometime late December, I'll have the TSA repsonse by then.
It's great when everything just works out. Good luck at ASA!