Note: This story takes place several months after Episode I. Qjinta Alamar, Ali Moonstrife, and Erin Moonstrife are copyright 2000 by Beanie Boy. All other characters copyright by Lucasfilm.
Erin Moonstrife revved his engines and looked at his static indicator. Everything was in the green, and the engines seemed to be working.
"Remember, Erin, we're betting almost everything on you." said a voice in Erin's headset. Erin nodded, knowing that Ali couldn't see. Erin's pod was cutting edge in technology, with 678 as maximum speed. Erin used to be a friend of Anakin's before he left Tatooine. Now Erin was a pod pilot, the second human one.
The two-headed announcer blared out instructions for the pilots in two languages.
"Beautiful day here at Beggar's Canyon, and today we are having our third annual Hutwiancha podrace. The racers will go two laps around Beggar's Canyon. Today we have with us Lugna the Hutt, so everybody say hi to Lugna on your way out." the announcer laughed nervously. Everybody hated the Hutts, but they couldn't go against their own slavedrivers. "All right racers. On your mark...get set...GO!!!"
The other pods shot ahead, leaving Erin hovering and swerving around, anable to control his pod. "Go, you stupid thing!"
"Get going Erin..." said Ali.
As if he had heard her, Erin shot to the head of the race in an explosion of flame. "I almost forgot about thrust start." said Erin as he rocketed to the middle of the line of pods.
A yellow pod, Qjinta Alamar's pod, swerved over and knocked Erin against a wall of rock.
"AAHH!!" sparks flew from Erin's left engine. "You won't get me that easily!!" Erin lowered a panel on his right engine, causing smoke and flames to shoot out and into Qjinta's cockpit.
Qjinta coughed and was blinded for a moment, he didn't realize that he was about to run into the wall of Beggar's Canyon.
Erin pushed his joystick forward to avoid the explosion of Qjinta Alamar's pod. A yellow light began blinking on the control panel, indicating that the boosters were ready for activation.
Erin activated the boosters and shot into darkness.
The tiny lights at the fronts of each engine only lit up the cave a little. Erin could hear another engine's whining closing in. He glanced back for half a second, afraid to run into the cavern's wall. Gasgango!
Back into daylight.
Nearing the starting point, Erin heard the announcer saying, "And here's Erin, first to beging round two, closely followed by Gasgango and Bozzie Baranta..."
"Halfway there." thought Erin.
Gasgango slowly caught up and flew next to Erin at about 660 miles per hour. Gasgango's steering flap began to move, indicating he was about to swerve over-
Erin pulled back the joystick and rocketed into the air, just avoiding Gasgango and a Tusken Raider's bullet! A sand person on the track shot two bullets at Gasgango. Gasgango's engine exploded.
Next in line was Bozzie Baranta.
Baranta's blue pod flew right over Erin! This looked bad. The cave was already in sight, and he was behind!
Erin tapped a few buttons and a map of the course showed up. A green blinking light was right ahead of him, indicating an organism.
It was probably a Sarlacc, a snake that lives underground. It siezes its prey with tentacles and drags it underground. It is highly sensitive and will try to eat the tiniest distubance.(see Return of the Jedi)
Erin could only hope it was a Sarlacc.
The green light was approaching fast. Bozzie was just barely ahead of Erin. Erin grabbed an extra energy binder generator he had stuck in his pocket and threw it as hard as he could at the spot where the Sarlacc should be. Just as predicted, the Sarlacc shot out its tentacles and pulled Bozzie Baranta's pod into the ground.
Erin dodged the Sarlacc and flew to the finish line. The crowd cheered.
THE END