Private Drive Casual

[Mi'la Undari]

Location: Arami, Boonta Eve Celebration; Swoop Garage.

It was a thrilling time to be a racer, or at least the Twi'lek in question thought. Mi'la had always dreamed of being allowed to race in a Boonta Eve event, and as luck would have it, she managed to get her placement from the Arami Racing Raffle. Of course, she had strategically located every single world that offered the event and submitted more than one application, but that was beyond the point. What mattered, was she had a place in this race event, and nothing was going to ruin it. Unfortunately, she had to modify the controls for her speeder due to her only having one arm, but that much wasn't too difficult to do; just a bit of rewiring of the accelerator and brake to pedals at the floorboard and that was that. To a onlooker, she would seem a bit out of sorts, a one armed Twi'lek mechanic sitting in a packed garage working away on her swoop. Meanwhile, rough and tumble types milled about, gathered in corners, and sized up the competition; none of which Mi'la wanted to have any business with. She knew well enough that this whole race could be dangerous, given it was sponsored by the Hutts of all species, but at the same time she was looking forward to feeling a sense of accomplishment; it was something she had long sense been missing in her life.

One thing gave the Twi'lek pause however. As she paused from her tinkering, her eyes wandered upon the rest of her fellow drivers, and couldn't help but notice that the barrel of a blaster pistol was visible from under the drivers seat. Her brow farrowed, her eyes nearly looking to the driver in question, before thinking better of it and averting her gaze. Last thing she needed to do was catch the attention of an armed driver. Still, the idea made her uneasy. Her eyes went to a silver cylinder poking out of her tool box; her lightsaber. Might not hurt to bring it along, just in case something went really wrong; in fact, something in her gut was telling her that was exactly what she should do. Sighing, Mi'la set about soldering the wiring for her controls, mind trying to find a rational reason for why someone would be armed at a race; unless the driver was on thin ice with a Hutt.

Yea, maybe that was it.

Little did Mi'la know, that wasn't even the half of it. The Hutts had a hand in this race alright, which was exactly why it was rigged.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea had been worried when Talohn had told her he had signed her up in the Boonta Eve celebration. The Mirialan had never been a huge fan of pod racing, though admittedly she had watched a fair amount with her brothers-in-arms back in the day. She assumed the Cathar had accidentally mixed up pod and swoop racing, the latter of which Leea had spent a bit more of her time in. In the days preceding the event, Leea filled her hours with studying pod racing mechanics and simple strategies. She had come to realize that this particular sport was decidedly risky, and the pilot in her did not appreciate the idea of flying something with engines that stuck out the front without any realistic protection.

Imagine her surprise then when Leea arrived early and discovered that this particular event was a swoop race, rather than a pod race. Suddenly, the last few days were a moot point and she felt comfortable enough to enable her to enjoy the coming race. Now she had a new focus though, tinkering with the swoop she had purchased quite some time ago, it had been a moment of nostalgia and the soldier had not been able to spend as much time on it as she would have wanted, but now was about as good a time as any.

Whoever had owned this vehicle last had clearly wanted to win. Leea was spending quite a bit of time removing 'extra' systems or rewiring parts to make the swoop firstly: safer, and secondly: fair. The former was her priority, given she did not want to end up as a smear on the track. The latter though was rather more engaging. It was akin to a game of hide and seek, except where the hiders were experts in camouflage and didn't move. She had already removed a smoke canister, an electric dart launcher, and a somewhat volatile looking turbothruster. She could only imagine the picture she would be painting, a mechanic of sorts busily tearing parts off of her swoop right before the race.

Although that initial concern had dissipated, a new source of worry soon emerged. While busying herself with cleaning out the various flaps and brakes, the Mirialan took some time to study her competition. Most were, much like her, prepping for the race, although few were quite as grimy as she had become. She was surprised to see a Twi-lek in the race, not because of the race so much as because she lacked an arm. That struck Leea as a particularly debilitating reality, but she seemed to be quite confident as she worked on her own speeder. Leea had also once met a one-armed sniper who had seemed unperturbed by his disfigurement, so perhaps it was easier to adjust to than the Mirialan had believed. As Leea continued to look around, she tried to pry her attention away from a dawning realization. A few of the contestants were armed. If it had been just one or two, Leea might have been able to overlook it, but her soldier's training told her that when a lot of people had weapons on or near them, there was usually something up. Perhaps it was a bit unfair to judge others, as she herself had a holdout pistol snuggly tucked into her boot, a pistol that had been there since the morning when she had left Talohn's ship. But that's probably different, I don't go anywhere without some sort of protection. It's my training. She rationalized to herself.

She desperately hoped that it was just a natural desire by more people to protect themselves, perhaps dealing with the seedier side of the galaxy. Leea began to wonder though, perhaps it would be a good idea to find a place to wedge her rifle, which currently resided in her pack of personal belongings in a locked closet in the garage. There were a few new spaces that could probably accommodate a larger weapon, but that just seemed a little bit much. Then again, maybe it wasn't enough... Leea ultimately decided against it, focusing on what repairs and final preparations she needed to be ready for the race. She reminded herself that playing the other people was only a part of this competition, the first and most important aspect was simply to overcome the environment and do the best she could. The racer pooled her attention on that, let the others do what they wanted.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

After a bit of fiddling, Mi'la was somewhat happy with the final touches on her swoop, sitting back into the driver chair as she let herself relax for a moment, Her eyes drifted, spotting several other drivers begin to get into their swoops, and couldn't help but feel that something was going on. Her hand brushed against the steering mechanism, her finger tracing the center of the wheel, as she reached out with the force to get a read on the room; what she found was unexpected. Initially, tension, anxieties, and eagerness filled the room, but one thing shined out to the padawan more than anything. As she reached through the force to inquire on mindset of the room, she found another force presence. This one was untrained, raw, lacking the fine tuned edges of a trained jedi or sith, but clearly something had been tapped into. Her eyes widened, the two strangers briefly connecting for a moment, as if spiritually touching hands before being snapped back into the real world. It was always an experience to stumble upon new force users like this, especially here of all places.

Eyes wide, Mi'la rose out of her chair, her jedi senses now curious as to who she had just contacted, looking for someone with a startled expression. The words of the Twi'lek would follow, the padawan perhaps a bit enthused about this chance encounter, paired with the race that was about to begin. 'Hello, can you hear me? I'm sorry, this is so sudden, but it's very nice to meet you!' Her bubbly voice would trickle into the woman's mind, the Twi'lek's presence lingering at the edge of this strangers mind. Realizing what she was doing, the Twi'lek quickly sank back into her seat, head dropping down as a sense of shame overcame her. How very rude of her, barging into someone's headspace like this. 'Sorry, this is so rude of me. I'm Mi'la though, erm, nice to meet you! Hopefully you're one of the racers like me!'

The padawan at least had something more positive to focus on now. She possibly found a fellow force using gear head to talk shop with.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

"Let's see, check... steering, flaps, engine... brakes? Well, that might be interesting. Probably need to replace those. Thrusters... ooh that needs some cleaning." Pulling a friction-rag from the box, Leea touched the contact to power down the vehicle and started cleaning out the thick layer of carbon-scoring inside the exhaust ports. "Who didn't care for you huh? Been used and just left to rust I guess. You'll need a paint job at some point, after we've gone and removed that blasted ugly filigree."

The Mirialan was about finished with the final scrubbing when she felt something, like someone brushing past her mind. Instinctively, she pulled her hand out, smashing her head on an extended mechanic panel. "Blast!" It took a moment for her to realize the thruster was not about to activate as she had assumed. While not trained, she had learned to trust the momentary warnings that the Force seemed to give her, though it seemed to have been a false message. "Well what was tha-" She almost jumped out of her skin when the voice suddenly sounded through her head. Leea took a deep breath as she calmed herself down and allowed her curiosity to take over.

The voice seemed friendly enough, indeed it almost struck her the voice of someone who could be trusted. "Mi'la..." She tried to imagine the face the name might be attached to. Communicating via the Force was not something Leea had trained for, indeed the extent of her experience with the Force largely ended with meditation. "Maybe it's similar." She packed up the rest of her equipment and jumped into the swoop seat and made some final adjustments before closing her eyes and allowing herself to submerge herself in the Force surrounding her. It took a moment, but she soon found that inner calm that came from falling back into this simpler mindset and as she did so, the Mirialan began to notice the lights of others in the Force, just sensations and nodules of light in a greater sea of experience. Yet one stood out marginally brighter than the others, Leea tried to direct a thought to that point, hoping perhaps that it might come across as a message, rather than some simple feeling. The message consisted of short sentences, easily constructed and she hoped more readily understood, "Hi Mi'la. I'm Leea. Good to meet you too! Looking forward to the race? Been a while since I was in a swoop like this."

At this, she felt somewhat tired and, not wanting to fully exhaust herself in the opening conversation or before the race began, she allowed herself to gently slip out of the meditative trance. Pushing herself as high in the seat as possible, Leea glanced around the hangar, looking to see if anyone seemed to be acting a little differently, maybe pointing out her potential contact.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

To the Twi'lek's delight, there was a response; though she felt a tinge of hesitation on the other side. Regardless, she got a response, and with it the woman had her answer. Her eyes shot up, glancing about for the hanger once more for her new friend. 'Oh, you have no idea! It's been my dream to do this!' She gleamed, the padawan quickly reaching for her saber and tucking it into the cockpit, then turning to look for her potential new friend. Stowing her gear, and finally done with her repairs, the Twi'lek found the individual in question; a Mirialan that was radiating with the same presence she had just felt. That had to be the one. Glancing around, the rest of the drivers seemed to be checking their swoops, which meant for Mi'la that there was only a little bit of time to make pleasant conversation.

Clad in her casual attire, the cut sleeve of the Twi'lek gently flopped as she strode towards the woman, a smile still worn on her face. It was so hard to find fellow gear heads back in the order, especially someone who wasn't bogged down in mantra and dogma to the point of insanity. Besides, it would do her nerves some good to talk to someone before throwing herself into this madness; the Boonta Eve wasn't just a floozy race after all. Reaching Leea's swoop, Mi'la rose her hand, giving a wave as she kept an arms length from her fellow racer. Her one arm tugging at her head band, the Twi'lek flashed a smile towards the woman. "Hey, sorry if I freaked you out. Just got excited finding another person like myself here. I've been waiting to do this race for years, and to be here now is...well overwhelming." She chuckled, the Twi'lek rubbing her organic Twi'lek, the mechanical twitching to indicate that Mi'la was indeed nervous. Focusing on something that would probably make them both more comfortable, the Twi'lek looked to the swoop in question and chuckled. "Only thing I wish I could have done different is having a swoop of my own, but hey, I can't complain. Just some of the paint jobs I see are an eye sore." As the two women began their conversation, the rest of the garage seemed to remember they had a race coming up, as the sounds of modifications and repair work slowly filled the air.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

At first, it seemed nobody would appear to stand out, yet a return message came and Leea glanced hopefully around. Going through a quick checklist, her mind still running through the preparations for the race, she touched a contact to start the engine and listened to it as rumbled to life. "No gargling. Grinding? Eh, maybe a little. Not much I can do about that without taking you all apart, promise not to blow up on me?" She pushed down on a pedal to push the engine. It whined a bit as it built up before Leea released it and listened to it as it wound down. "No screeching or splintering. At least not yet. Seems like you're good to go for now little guy." With that, she hopped out of the seat and returned the wave as she flicked the switch to keep the mag-locks in place. She wasn't entirely comfortable leaving the swoop idling, but it was necessary to catch any minor problems that might suddenly develop under high stress.

"I thought I was going crazy for a moment myself, figured the stress was getting to me." She laughed a little as she continued, "I'm glad to see that isn't the case! It's no problem, startled me is all. I'm glad there's someone else in this race with a bit of spark to them, gives something more in common than just being a couple of jockeys at race day."

She followed the Twi'lek's gaze back to the swoop and nodded. "Looks like it is in fine condition, I am sure you will do well with it... You're not wrong about the jobs around here though, really could use an eye for aesthetic in the swoop industry huh? I don't know what I am going to do with the colours on the little coloured wreck, but I definitely would prefer something with a little less... pop." Her swoop had a brightly coloured hull, likely to grab attention from the audience, but at least it did not use contrasting colours in its scheme, relying instead on some rather dizzying and somewhat scuffed up designs.

A questioning look came into her eyes as she glanced back at the fellow racer's vehicle, "So were you sponsored into the race then? If it isn't your swoop and all; I'd imagine it might be difficult to get a loan with this specific event going on and all." Leea didn't know the specifics about how Talohn got her into the race, but the Cathar had said something about pulling strings and talking to the right people. She had decided it was best not to know. Then again, after what I've seen around here... maybe I should have asked what exactly I was getting in to.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

A smile stretched across Mi'la's face, happy to have found someone that was interested in talking. The talk turned to that of color and design for their swoops, something Mi'la herself had an opinion on. "I personally go for something less flashy, though I'd be lying if I said that I would pass up an opportunity to paint flame decals on the sides of my swoop. At least swoops are easy to maintain a paint job on, starships are where you start running into problems. Too much surface area to douse with paint." Finding a nice and sturdy workbench to lean on, the Twi'lek leaned onto it.

The questions turned to that of sponsorships, something that the Twi'lek herself wasn't exactly keen on. Her bottom lip popped out, biting it with a look of contemplation. "Hm, I suppose so. I signed up to be selected in a raffle, but I suppose the swoop shop that I registered with is probably the one that is sponsoring me. This event wasn't easy to get into though, one of the more competitive markets from what I got told. Counting my stars that I got in when I did. This has been a dream of mine for a while." Mi'la added, crossing her arm across her chest. "I mean, yea, I only got the one arm to work with, but I'm pretty good at adapting. Already set my swoop up with the controls to make up for it. Besides, might give me an edge if the rest of the drivers don't take me seriously."

Looking about the garage once more, a timer was now running on the far side of the wall, apparently the race was to start in the next five minutes. Thankfully she already had everything set up on her end, but her new friend might need some help. "Looks like the race is about to start, you need help with anything right quick before we get moving?" She inquired, looking back to Leea, ready to lend a hand if it was needed.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

"Tell me about it. My boss gave me the go-ahead on sprucing up our ship some and I looked into getting the exterior painted to give us something a little more personalized than the bland factory job. It's so expensive! Not to mention it will probably need constant touch-ups thanks to the various debris we tend to run into. Maybe I'll go back to that idea when I'm rich, but I might as well spend the money decorating the interior so we call all enjoy it somewhere we are likely to see it." Leea spoke animatedly, though Talohn's ship was most definitely his the Mirialan loved to work on it in her spare time.

As the Twi'lek mentioned her lack of an arm, Leea looked impressed. "I was wondering how you planned to participate with only one arm, I assumed you had a cybernetic one sitting around somewhere. I imagine preparing for this takes quite a bit of time, rewiring the various controls and double-checking your changes work seems like quite a bit of additional work involved. But hey, I guess it is worth it since you're here!" Thoughtfulness crossed her face as she tried to gauge her own feelings about this race, beyond the most obvious one. "I'm quite excited, I've ridden in a couple of small races on... well a lot of places. Never even imagined I would be in the Boonta. I just hope I don't me-"

As she spoke, the speakers blared out an announcement of the countdown. Five mikes. "Unless you can take apart this little heap of scrap, get me a knew engine, and piece it all together in five minutes, I think I'm about as good as I can be," a wide grin broke as she answered. Taking a little more serious facade, Leea continued, "I think I've just got some fine-tuning to finish up. Then fill up the tank and maybe replace the energy cells just to make sure. Of course I got the blasted hybrid that takes two energy sources...Do you know if they've got any open charging ports for these? Last I saw they had all been taken, don't want it to run out of juice midway through the race, you know."

She gazed around a moment, hoping to see a charging port somewhere in the pit that might be borrowed for a little while. She finally asked, "Do you need any help finishing up? I've got two hands pretty free at the moment."

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

It seemed the two were an odd pair of sorts. Two strangers that had both found themselves in a sport that they had longed to be a part of. The force did have a strange way of bringing people together after all. "Your boss must be quite the high roller. I used to think it'd be nice to style my ship with a flashy paint job, but I end up entering the atmosphere so much now a days that the paint hardly lasts longer than a few weeks. It's real unfortunate, but is what it is. Sadly, my little ship isn't exactly cozy, it's a two seater star fighter after all. Still, it's home. Sorta." Smiling like an idiot, Mi'la was a bit caught off guard as Leea mentioned her missing arm, putting color to the Twi'lek's face as she was unintentionally put on the spot. A frown took the place of her smile, distant memories of how she lost the damn limb came crawling back to her. "Yea, it's a bit tedious, but hey, keeps it interesting you know. Otherwise I'd win this race hands down." A faint smile returned, though it lacked the genuine energy of it.

As the speakers blared out the time before the race, a new energy took over the room. Mi'la wasn't too concerned though, her swoop was already set to run. All she needed to do was flip the engine on and they'd be in business. Though, sadly she'd have to cut things off with her newest friend in a moment; but they'd certainly have time to catch up later. Though, there was still time to see if her new friend needed help; which her request just happened to be something that the Twi'lek could fulfill. "I mean, I'm good, but I'm not that good. Sorry. But, if you need a spare energy cell I got one on hand. Let me grab them." She started, taking a step back as she pondered if what she was about to do was a good idea or not. Mi'la did certainly have a spare energy cell, in her lightsaber. The cell itself wasn't the problem, but to remove it meant her saber would have no way of powering up. Yet, at the same time, was there really anything to be concerned about? Yea, a couple of ruffians with blasters wasn't really a problem right? Even without a lightsaber, she had handled far worse things.

Reaching her swoop, Mi'la paused for a moment as her hands clasped the silver cylinder. A moments hesitation before she disconnected the energy cell, putting the metal device back into it's hiding spot, and moving back to the green skinned woman. "Here you go, one suped up and ready to go energy cell. Just as you requested." She grinned, handing the power supply over to the woman, though a pit formed in her stomach as the device left her hands; but she couldn't pin down why exactly. As Leea directed the question at her, Mi'la gave a shrug, snickering to herself for no apparent reason. "Nope, I got everything squared away. Just looking forward to getting onto the track and -"

As if on cue, a loud horn bellowed through the hanger, signalling all drivers to their swoops. "Hey, listen, find me after the race. We gotta chat more!" Mi'la started, back pedaling towards her swoop before taking off into a full sprint. With a bit of the force in her step, she leapt up and over her cockpit, before skillfully landing into the seat. Pulling the glass dome over her head, she fired up the engines, as the garage soon was a deafening chorus of engines and machines.

Soon it would be off to the starting line, then the real spectacle could begin.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea almost laughed at the thought of Talohn as a high roller. As it was her eyes sparkled with mirth as she tried to stop herself from bursting as Mi'la continued on. A fighter? Yeah, Leea had roughed it out on something similar more than once. Dozing at the stick of one of those things was always interesting, she had never really grown comfortable to the seating position. Then again, most of her life had been spent as a ground stomper footsoldier, rather than a pilot, so maybe that would change. Leea would prefer to remain in her current arrangement however, Talohn's ship was spacious enough to afford her a room alone which was certainly more comfortable than even a two-seater.

Though her senses were relatively undeveloped, the Mirialan could feel that she had stepped over a boundary. She was about to apologize and retract her statement, not for the first time wishing that words could be plucked out of the air and left unsaid, but the Twi'lek spoke and perhaps it was best to let the matter lie there.

As this new acquaintance ran off to grab a energy cell, Leea took a moment to continue some of the finishing touches to her swoop. Glancing periodically to check when Mi'la started returning, Leea turned off the motor, listening to it as it wound down. "Rough, but nothing some routine cleaning won't get out of you once this is all over. Bet those conduits are a little grimy, maybe some rust as well. We'll see about that later eh." She then set the fuel pump to start filling the tank while a gonk droid hooked up to check the computer systems.

Mi'la started returning and Leea gave the swoop a light pat before walking to meet her. With a new energy cell in hand, she gave an appreciative smile, saying, "Thank you very much! I'll make sure to return it afterwards. Let me know if you need anything..." As she continued, she gave a playful wink, "But don't think I'll take it easy on you! This is a race after all."

As the horn blared, Leea returned and uncoupled the fuel and gonk. She gave an affirmative wave to Mi'la as she pulled out the datapad to translate the results of the gonk's search. "Looks good, maybe Talohn could clean up some of these, but all in all probably the best part of this thing." She muttered to herself as she guided the droid away from the swoop and stepped on. Less acrobatic than the Twi'lek, Leea took the small steps onto it and fell into the cockpit. Pushing the contact for the engine, she pulled a pair of goggles from the seat pocket and dragged them down over her eyes before grabbing a pair of small buds that she gently pushed into her ears. The deafening cacophony of engines softened as the protection began to activate. As the various swoops began to, each in their turn, float out of their bays and towards the start line, Leea began to prepare herself for the task ahead. "This is the big one, just don't blow up in the first minute and we should be good... hopefully." Finding her spot marked in the sand, the swoop gently hovered until it came to rest over that spot. Leea, like a soldier waiting for the claxon to charge the enemy position, watched the countdown lights intently, not wanting to waste a moment, even if there might still be some pre-race ceremonies to be conducted.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Sliding her set of flight goggles on over her eyes, Mi'la guided her swoop onto the start up line, feeling the vibrations of the engine within the confines of her cockpit, she had trouble telling the difference if her hands were shaking from excitement or the lack of kinetic dampeners on this thing. It was a slow procession for sure, but despite the seemingly tedious process, hoards of adoring fans cheered as if their lives depended on it, as packed booths dozens of feet above the track was nearly audible above that of the swoops.

Regardless, the swoops would be lined up in a normal fashion, four sections of four swoops, a grand total of sixteen racers would be competing, with the Twi'lek pilot taking up the third spot of the second section. As the rest of the swoop racers were set in place, Mi'la was given a few moments to inspect the track. It was wide open to the air, a vibrant blue sky over head, with a long winding track open before them, with an aqua colored ocean underneath. Tall ray shield barricades lined both sides of the track, seemingly to keep the drivers from being knocked off into the waters below. While Mi'la was inspecting her racing craft however, the Hutt host made himself known to the audience that had gathered in the stands. The Hutt began with a long winding speech, something the Twi'lek didn't pay half a mind to, as she triple checked her settings and features of her swoop; after all, she wanted to win this thing. What the Twi'lek failed to realize however, was that rather than make final checks on their swoops, several of the racers were charging up their weapons, waiting for the event to start.

As the Hutt finally stopped talking, a countdown began to tick off. The crowd roared, now being heard over the thunderous chorus of engines, as the clock drew nearer to the start.

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

Mi'la stomped on the accelerator, her right hand releasing the clutch, as her engine exploded, propelling her forward; only to be joined by the rest of the racers.

It would indeed be a memorial race. But for all the wrong reasons.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

The crowds roared, the engines growled, and the various speakers boomed, but Leea did not hear any of it. Her body tense like a coiled Vine snake ready to strike, the Mirialan's eyes were locked unwavering on the relatively small starting lights. In her position, the fourth on the fourth section, she sat comfortably with the barriers to her right and the rest of the racers to her left and in front. She had quite a bit of work ahead of her to overtake the competition. As the count started, Leea became painfully aware of every muscle in her body waiting for that final moment. Time seemed to slow as it grew closer, whether by adrenaline or some strange power she neither knew nor cared.

Five. Four.. Three... Two.... One.....

Leea sprung into action a fraction of a second before the great alarm sounded, flicking a switch for the engine, the swoop began to whine as it began spinning up. As the craft around her erupted into a racket and shot forward, the Mirialan punched the contact as she floored the accelerator. The whine, drowned out by the noises of louder and perhaps stronger engines, evolved into a wail as the engine blasted the swoop forward.

This was perhaps the most dangerous stage of the race, riders jostling for position and everyone still in tight enough groups that one mistake could see the clump turn into a burning heap of scrap in a single moment. Leea felt the pressure to join the scuffle for position, knowing it might be that ever so slight difference between victory and later placement. For a brief moment, she hung back, assessing the tumult, searching for that opening that might present the choicest opportunity. After a tick, she noted one fairly consistent point between two swoops that opened enough for her to squeeze in and push onwards. If nothing else, it put her in a better position than lagging behind. Lunging forward, Leea's swoop fit snugly in between the two other swoops. Leea was too busy planning the next move to notice the two riders she had interposed herself between giving her a matching pair of death glares.

The young woman waited for the next step, hoping when the speeders began to separate a little more she would have greater opportunities to advance. In the back of her mind, that little portion not solely focused on the race, she wondered how her friend was doing. The swoops she could see from the corner of her eyes were all strange, none like that of the Twi-lek she had been talking to. She must be doing really well!... Or quite poorly. Not that Leea was an expert in the field, she could easily be doing just fine and be out of the very limited view.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Mi'la's eyes closed, as she let the force take over. She pulled a breath into her lungs, hand gripping the controls as her senses slowly crept outside the cockpit of her vessel. As the race opened up, Mi'a shifted her craft hard to the right, nearly clipping the barrier as several swoops rocketed past her, their drivers jockeying for an adventurous position, something the Twi'lek wanted nothing to do with. Around her, she could feel an opening coming into fruition, several drivers up ahead were beginning to separate, a driver behind her had just closed in the gap and would be looking to lock in their new position. That familiar presence was close, and closing in. A small smile crossed the Twi'lek's features, hoping her new acquaintance was doing well. Unfortunately, the Twi'lek had a race to win, so there was little time for pleasantries. Feeling her moment approach, Mi'la leaned forward, anticipating eating at her, before she let her mind go blank. The force was taking the helm now, Mi'la merely an observer.

She pressed down on the accelerator, the speedometer on her swoop surging upwards, as her swoop accelerated. The pair of swoop riders up ahead came closer into view, the wind screaming past the cockpit, as the padawan's swoop continued to accelerate, her foot switching to release a gear, the rear flaps on the engine expanded, as a new cone of flame belched from it; Mi'la was speed incarnate for several seconds. The opening she had sought was up ahead, her rival drivers in the midst of parting to try another tactic to bypass each other, leaving it all the the Twi'lek to take from them. Her swoop neared, the air shifting as she began to pass the two swoops to her flanks, nearing in on the swoop up ahead. Mi'la prepared to pass him, her foot slowly pressing on the pedal as she prepared to glade past the swoop to the front and to her-something was wrong. Re-actively pulling back, Mi'la was snapped out of her trace, her eyes widening in shock as she disengaged her maneuver, her speed plummeting as she let off the accelerator. Her head nearly smacked into the steering mount for her swoop, her hand bracing hard on the controls as the swoop nearly spun out of control. The two flanking swoops passed her, nearly colliding with her as she lost control for a moment, the Twi'lek's head still spinning as she tried to fathom what she had felt, just having regained control of her craft a split second before disaster struck.


The swoop she had been looking to pass just a moment prior exploded into flames, the metal shell of the craft came tumbling back towards the Twi'lek, giving her hardly a moment to jerk her swoop out of the way. The flaming debris rained down over her craft, pelting it with burning metal and flaming fuel, though Mi'la herself was unharmed. Her mind full of alarm and confusion, she looked back ahead, trying to find the danger, and found the source. Around the track, several drivers now let their weapons be known. Some merely took pot shots at fellow drivers from their cockpit, while others deployed explosives at whoever they could cut in front of. Mi'la found herself on the receiving end of blaster fire now, as her swoop was being peppered by the pair of drivers up ahead; seemingly automated turrets kept up with her step for step it felt. Though she was a skilled pilot, there was only so much she could do. She cursed her luck as she dodged what shots she could. It would be freaking fantastic to have a lightsaber handy at the moment.


Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

There! An-nd... got it. Too slow! Come on, this should be a challen... Well, that was a good move... Not good enough though. Aha!...

Woah

Leea was snapped from her concentration by the sudden and spectacular appearance of Mi'la, moving with inhuman precision. It was like the Twi'lek knew where the openings would be... before they had even began to appear. Leea fell back in quickly, drivers pushing past swiftly taking advantage of her distraction, inspired by the awesome driving. Well, so much for being a real competitor here, Leea contemplated for a moment. She would clearly be vying for second place if that was what Mi'la could do regularly.

As if the thought had somehow eluded her, she almost gave her head a smack as she recalled. The Force! Of course, what else could it be? The grace and alacrity. Leea sat in awe of the ability, having never truly seen the Force's power in this light. The Mirialan wondered if she might one day be capable of such feats, and whether she truly wanted that kind of power. For a brief moment, the pilot became entrapped in her own thoughts, her body working on automatic and just barely keeping with the rear ranks of the formation. Then, as if some outside force snapped her out the reverie, Leea's attention focused back to the track and even as Mi'la began slowing down, the Mirialan pushed up. Solely focused on the swoops before her, it was a small bit of time before she realized that the one who had been showing such skill was no longer leading the pack.

Leea pushed onwards, elation coursing through her being as she began to see fewer swoops in front of her. In a moment, that feeling of joy was replaced with adrenaline pumping in her veins. A sound all too familiar returned her to the battle of the Coran straits. The sound of a metal ship being rent apart, power cells rupturing and stable fusion rendered inevitably unstable. A single blast and Leea disappeared. At least, her personality did. Her brain switched into survival mode and suddenly Leea became a passenger as she fell into that basic instinct that had served well so many times in the past. Run. Run fast, hard, until there is nowhere left to go. Driven by this instinct, and perhaps something more, Leea moved with rapid and imprecise motions. Flicking switches, smashing the accelerator to the floor as if it was the last thing she would do, pushing the swoop to its very limits.

Rocketing ahead, almost bashing a fellow racer on her way, Leea was in this mindset only a moment. Willing herself to break that concentration, Leea felt her arms began to obey and reluctantly the rest of her body followed suit. Mechanically her head turned one way and then the other, her mind only moments later realizing that there was blaster fire erupting on all sides and she was in the midst of some form of firefight. "What in the Force?" She barely managed to jerk the swoop sideways before a blaster bolt struck the hull, instead of her head. She began to slow, fearing that at those higher speeds she might easily overturn in an attempt to avoid being shot, but it seemed that everywhere there was someone taking a pot shot at her. She peeked out every now and again, scanning for the familiar swoop of her acquaintance, wondering if that explosion had been her going up in flames.

What kind of race was this? She would have to have a long conversation with Talohn about this.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

Mi'la's skill at weaving between blaster shots was a valiant effort, but it was only a defense. In time, her swoop could not weather the damage. Parts of the hull began to blow away, flames began to wrap around her racer, and smoke billowed from where the engine was still trying to keep itself going. Her ride was toast, and she would be too if she didn't get a move on. Like it or not, she would have to abandon the race if she sought to survive. Not to mention she needed to get a grip on this situation before more people ended up dead; not including herself.

Her situation worsened, a blast striking the front of her swoop and emitting a loud 'ca-chunk', as she could feel her swoop lurch upwards, electricity sparking out from the front panel, dancing across the the sides and singeing her one good hand. Wincing in pain, she recoiled, and it was then that she lost all control of her swoop, as it immediately veered towards the barrier.

The force called to Mi'la once more, as the Twi'lek felt her swoop stall, the engine and grav lift no longer holding the craft upwards; the sign that it would soon smash into the track with her atop it. She leapt back, her body moving of its own accord, flipping end over end through the screen of smoke, the force guiding her along the way, the Twi'lek's body shifting as she could feel what would be considered safe approaching. Perhaps in a twist of fate, Mi'la would feel her feet touch down, spinning around to see that the driver in question was none other than the Mirialan from earlier behind the controls; an awkward encounter as ever. Crouching down and gripping a rear dorsal fan to steady herself, Mi'la attempted to shout over the roar of her swoop exploding. "Boy am I glad to see you right now!" She hollered, though blaster fire was still erupting up ahead.

Another explosion blossomed up ahead, and with it, the shield barriers faltered. To make matters worse, several blaster shots from behind sailed over the pairs heads, indicating that this little 'shoot out' wasn't as isolated as they might have initially thought. "I got this!" The Twi'lek declared, reaching for her saber. Mi'la turned around, her first instinct being to draw her lightsaber, finger pressing the ignition switch, and found there to be no 'hiss' of her blade being deployed. It was then she was reminded of her folly, and muttered a silent curse to herself. One of the riders began to close in, hand extended as he set his blaster sights on the pair, leaving the Twi'lek with little time to pause. Re-actively, Mi'la flung the saber hilt towards the man, clocking him in the head, and sending him tumbling off his swoop in the process. Mi'la quickly pulled the weapon back, before it fell out of her reach, a flutter of excitement as her impromptu maneuver paid off.

Unfortunately, it didn't help that there were more where that came from. In fact, the pair would be wading into the thick of it soon enough.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

The initial shock was beginning to wear off and Leea found that familiar inner calm slowly enveloped her. In hindsight, she often wondered if that was some minor use of the Force, perhaps suppressing or otherwise mitigating the maddening emotions, affording her greater thought processes in the moment. As it was though, the Mirialan had neither time nor the thoughts to spare on such abstract considerations. Rather, the totality of her mind was focused on the prospects of survival. "No different than a speeder shoot-out... Yeah, right." While she might have told others that this was not a new experience, that she had at some point fought in a similar situation in the past, this was entirely novel to her and she was fighting tooth and nail to ensure she wouldn't end up a mere smear on the pavement.

The viridescent woman swung the swoop in a wide arc behind one of her enemies, the pilot of this swoop clearly forgetting one of the most important, not to mention simplest, measures when driving: Keep your eyes on the path. The pilot spun in his seat, awkwardly forcing himself into a kneeling position on the driving seat so his blaster could continue to fire at Leea. As if recompense could not wait a moment, the swoop began to swerve without a hand to keep it steady. In his hurry to correct the misadjustment, the enemy dropped his blaster, which clattered for a moment on the metal hull of the ship before falling to the pavement. As it struck, the little device shattered and disappeared as the racers continued in their rampage. The pilot swerved wildly as he overcompensated several times to bring the swoop under control, during which time Leea managed to push onwards and past.

"Just need to get... Come on!" Her foot wiggled as she desperately tried to dislodge the small hold-out blaster from her boot, but so snuggly was it secured that she came to the conclusion that the only way to displace the weapon was to physically grab it. Easier said than done, given the sudden evolution of the race grounds turned battlefield. A plasma bolt pinged off of the hull of her swoop, leaving black carbon scoring where it was bounced off. Reminding her of the all too real threat to her life, Leea's eyes snapped back to her surroundings as she felt a thump on her swoop. "Bloody- don't tell me there are starving mynocks on this course!"

The driver's gaze locked onto the Twi'lek and for a moment there was no recognition, only a chilling moment of silence as Leea's survival mind saw only a border attempting some sabotage, but it passed as the form became more clear and her sight adjusted. Not hearing Mi'la's words, Leea shouted as loud as she dared, "You scared the living daylights out of me again! Hold on!" She shifted out of the path of three swoops trying to box her in for an easy target. She felt a slight collision with one, and there was a moment where she felt and heard a crumpling noise as the two swoops bashed each other, before she pulled away. The other swoop appeared alright, but a moment later the illusion was revealed as the thrusters began to spark and the flaps froze in place. For a moment it seemed alright, but as the swoop sped up and away, it began to list towards the barrier.

An explosion, and perhaps the echo of some final scream, filled the air. The actual event itself whizzed past at dizzying speed, but the effect moved as fast energy, the barriers shutting down ahead of them. Leea shuddered ever so slightly in her seat, but forced herself to focus on driving. A few blaster bolts struck her rear and momentarily she feared for the engine, but it seemed a nonissue at this point. No changes in pitch or rumbling were made evident and so the Mirialan hoped, maybe even prayed to the Force, that they would hold out. This time, she definitely heard Mi'la cry out that she could handle the attackers, so Leea allowed herself to refocus on the track. Yet moments later, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration momentarily spiked such that even her untrained senses could detect it. She glanced at the twi'lek and noticed the lightsaber remaining off.

"Would you prefer a blaster?! Hold on tight!" Leea tried to shout at her passenger, taking her foot off of the accelerator just for a moment. Slamming it against the side of the hull, she felt the pistol slip out of her boot and slowly slide down towards the seat. Returning to her original position, continuing to push the little swoop as fast as it could go amidst the wild firing. Rounding a mild curve, although at this speed it might have been far more interesting for Mi'la to hold on, Leea could feel the weapon rattling lightly against the seat and she relaxed just ever so slightly. In a moment she had pulled the gun from the floor and in a continuous motion sat forward to wedge the weapon in one of the valves of the swoop. There it would remain until needed, Leea reasoned, though she hoped there wouldn't be a cause for a sudden stop which might send the little thing flying.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

If nothing else, this new outbreak of violence was keeping things interesting. Though it wasn't the race that Mi'la was hoping for, it would still prove to be a test of her abilities. Sakadi would have approved; if not for how many lives were being put at risk right now. Of course, the Twi'lek wasn't thinking of how spectacular this was of a impromptu training mission, rather she was more focused on not dying. As her saber returned to her hand, a sharp turn nearly sent the Twi'lek over the side. In a split second, she could feel her feet leaving the back of the swoop, her body being propelled forward, her hand released the saber, moving to grab onto the back fan of the swoop, as she flipped over herself, smacking her back against the swoop, her feet nearly touching the quickly moving track under her feet. Sudden realization taking over, Mi'la pulled her legs back up, kicking her feet back onto the swoop, and needing a moment to catch her breath. This was a bit more excitement than she was expecting.

It was then that Mi'la made a startling realization. Her saber was gone, no where to be seen. Probably having been thrown off onto the track by now. Scowling, Mi'la glanced back up to her driver, but found nothing to say; as the sight that loomed before her wasn't exactly inspiring. Turning the bend, the pair would see just what was in store. Several swoops had exploded, damage to the track had caused a gap in the road up ahead, more than likely sending the pair into the ocean if they didn't try to get creative. An emergency power generator seemingly kicked on, as the energy barriers flicked back, though the right barrier immediately failed. A broken section of the track was angled awkwardly, its metal frame angled upwards at an odd angle; but possible could work as an impromptu ramp if need be.

The track before the pair seemed more akin to a scene out of an action holo, as the pairs swoop was hurtling towards disaster. On the far side of the still stable part of the track, one such swoop rider seemed to be in the midst of recovering, though he seemed to take notice of the pair as they drew closer. Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps old habit, he began to fire upon them, seemingly uncaring of how inaccurate his firing might be, it was merely another annoyance for the pair to overcome. "Well what now?" Mi'la shouted, still holding onto the swoop, eyeing the blaster pistol that was visible and within reach. Taking the weapon in hand, Mi'la crouched down, as if trying to merge herself with the vehicle for stability. She awaited what her compatriot might do next, quietly reflecting on what in the force she was supposed to do here.


Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

The scene that developed before them had many descriptions. The one that came to Leea was pandemonium. Swoops everywhere were either maniacally careening over the course, disintegrating in blazing explosions, or firing wildly at each other. It took all of the Mirialan's concentration to fly her slight racer through the chaos. Burning wrecks littered the field, and those blessedly clear areas bristled with insensed swoop racers, each armed with some blaster variant and dread intent. Weaving with supranatural grace and coordination, Leea felt she could begin to understand what Mi'la had felt in her momentary drip into the Force enhanced driving. While not as quite as flawless as the Twi'lek's display, an event that seemed to have happened an eternity ago, she nonetheless managed to surpass her immediate competition, as evidenced by the sudden scramble that ensued.

The engine whined, pushed to its limits, as she manoeuvred with precision through the ragged course. Then came a level of devastation she had never truly expected to see. At first it seemed fine the course mercifully untouched by the stricken remains of crashed vessels, but just a little further lay true ruin. Several meters of fairway had collapsed under the fierceness of a fiery conflagration.

"That must be a meter thick duracrete and steel! How did they manage that?" blurting dumbly, she began to lift her foot from the accelerator. The swoop slowed, listing faintly from the uneven weight.

For the shortest of moments, Leea despaired, imagining the only course was a final desperate attempt to break, ultimately doomed to fail as they were charged headlong into the ocean beneath. Yet this feeling passed as she noticed the awkward tendril of duracrete straining against gravity. Mi'la posed a question and the Mirialan considered for the barest of instants. A bolt of energy sizzled before her eyes, so close she could feel the skin on her nose burning as it passed with the speed of thought. Yanking hard on the controller, she felt the swoop jerk suddenly and the grind of metal as she struck an opposing swoop. The pilot's face, momentarily elated at his believed kill, turned swiftly to terror as his craft veered with the force of the impact. If the energy barrier had still existed, he might have faced only terrible injuries and months in a bacta tank. Now though, he plunged forward, skimming off the track and disappearing in a great plume of water, his craft collapsing from the impact.

"What now? Only one option!" her voice raising against the wind in her face, Leea cautioned, "Hold on tight!"

The smell of plasma and ozone filled her nostrils, the sounds of engines roared, and Leea locked her eyes on that little piece of hope. Her foot fell upon the accelerator until she only felt the floor beneath it. The ship rumbled violently as it kicked and bucked against the friction. The meters ticked away like nothing as the distance closed and Leea felt her heart racing faster still. "I guess this is it. Do or die time." She whispered to herself, the words disappearing unheard into the cacophony. Giddiness built like pressure within a dam as the last moments counted down.

In the final meter, time seemed to slow and Leea allowed herself one final look around. Blaster bolts passed all around, striking everywhere and yet never landing on anything vital. Indeed, the shots of the one across the bridge grew yet bolder as the space diminished, yet his aim faltered. A drawn-out scream from somewhere behind told Leea of yet another pilot's impending demise. Then came the moment of truth, Leea pulled finally at the stick, the swoop's nose lifting ever so slightly in response. The craft left behind the security of the hardened course as it travelled up the thin line of twisted and misshapen metal before freeing itself into the air.

Mi'la Undari

 

[Mi'la Undari]

It was times like this that she wished she had two arms. She felt a lurch in her gut as Leea slammed the accelerator down, and the Twi'lek could only hold on for dear life. She crouched down, calling upon the force to keep herself to the speeder, as the vehicle went flying. Below them, the lone swoop racer fired in vain, missing several shots, and not noticing the broken plate of durasteel coming flying in from behind the pair, smacking the man in the back of the head and taking him out of the race for good.

The pairs swoop hit the track hard, the engine giving a strained whirl, before getting back into gear. Mi'la let out a cheer, excitement taking the place of concern of having nearly died. "Nice driving girl!" Perhaps her new companion would see them through this in one piece after all. The pair could continue on the track, and it wasn't long before they found their foes for earlier, the pair of drivers with automated turrets mounted to the back of their swoops, which filled Mi'la with a sense of concern. The padawan stowed away the blaster pistol, as she raised her one hand upwards to conjure up a barrier. "Alright, I think I got this. Just trust me!" She stated, feeling the force come upon her, and warp around the vessel. She closed her eyes, her body becoming one with the swoop, and the barrier now centered around it. "Gun it!" She declared. As the two turrets began to fire upon the pair as they neared, they would strike the barrier and seemingly be batted away. Mi'la kept herself focused, feeling the blasters striking the barrier, and redirecting the blasts away from them. Ideally, Leea would be able to get close enough for the padawan to redirect the blaster fire onto the original swoops, and hopefully, that would take their foes out of commission.

The effort however, was taking it's toll on Mi'la, as for the padawan, this was the most straining use of her power that she had attempted thus far.

Leea Pandac

 

[Leea Pandac]

As the swoop slowed its minor ascent, Leea felt her stomach catch in her throat. This was where everything might go horribly wrong. Not as if it wouldn't have gone badly before. Now we might just hit the water, or smash into the permacrete and durasteel. In her mind's eye, the pilot envisioned the craft at the apex of its short-lived flight arc. Now, it would begin its fall, and fate would show its hand. The breath caught in her mouth, otherwise, she might have told her Twi'lek companion to jump and ensure her own safety.

Yet that measure proved unnecessary, as the ship scraped the track and continued on with barely a complaint. "Good job, hopefully, that's the worst past." She whispered, half to herself and half to the beaten swoop that would likely see a great deal of time in shop for repairs after this little adventure. Leea allowed one of her hands to release its death grip on the controls long enough to pump the air and give out a cry that carried an equal measure of surprise and pleasure. Then came the remaining swoops, armed with what must have been very difficult to conceal weaponry. The Mirialan gave a little nudge to the controls, sending the swoop into a short swerve. She watched as the turrets appeared to traverse in following her movement. Automatic, blast. Before she could formulate a plan of attack, however, Mi'la called out her intention. "Got it!" Leea yelled out as she pushed the little swoop forward.

The green-skinned soldier had to remind herself not to swerve or turn to avoid the shots of plasma flying in their direction. Such power. She recognized an ability of the Force, though it was not something she had learned or know existed. She could not contain a quiet gasp as she watched the enemy blaster fire, so lethal and devastating, bounce harmlessly off of an invisible shield. The fire became more concentrated as the swoop pulled in behind and slightly between the two somewhat larger vehicles. Leea hoped that Mi'la would hold on, this didn't look like it was going to be pretty by any stretch.

Mi'la Undari