== Chapter Four ==
A few weeks passed and the final swoop race of the season on Yuulin was about to begin. Of all the races each season this one drew the most racers and spectators. It was a bittersweet event for Kath since while the last race brought him the most profit the next season wouldn't start for another several local months. He had to find something to do with that time, and stretch his finances until the next season.
The winner's take for this final race was ten-thousand credits, five times the normal purse. Ja'Ina was already thinking of the one thing she'd like to do with the money, which was to travel to one of the more significant systems in the Corporate Sector and participate in larger, more profitable races. Bonadan and Etti were two such systems Kath had mentioned to her before. Since it looked like the Queen Valkyrie wasn't going anywhere in the foreseeable future, the only way Ja'Ina would be able to race somewhere else to race was to get herself there by her own means.
Racers came from all across Yuulin and even from a few neighboring systems. It was the one race of the season that Kath really felt like he had a substantial position in the world of swoop racing. As with each season's last run, there were many more racers than there were places in the race, which was never a problem during the regular season. So Kath held qualifying runs in the days leading up to the race to determine which twenty racers would get to compete on his track.
Between her familiarity with the course and her Force-enhanced abilities, Ja'Ina easily managed to qualify for the first starting position. As far as Kath could remember, she was the first rookie racer to start in first place for the final race on his track, which impressed him greatly. Were it ethical for him to wager on the race, he would've put all his credits on her.
While some of Ja'Ina's crew mates would occasionally attend her races, this time nearly everyone was there to root for her. The only ones who stayed behind were Berini, Myrrna, Gartia and Mylyn. The captain and first mate were fine with not leaving the ship, but the com officer and pilot were ordered, under protest, to stay on board. The minimum crew of four was barely adequate in the event they needed to get the Queen Valkyrie into the air.
Every one of the track's pit stalls were occupied by a racer and their team. The air was filled with the aromas of fuel and lubricants and the steady sound of idling swoop engines. Dressed in their matching black racing suits, Ja'Ina and Kurloh stood by in their stall as Fitty ran through his final verification routines on the swoop.
The astromech turned his photoreceptor to his team mates. "All systems are well within established tolerances," his comm display read as he beeped and squawked. "You are clear to race, Ja'Ina."
"Thanks, Fitty," Ja'Ina replied as she donned her helmet with the face shield open, which left only her nose and eyes exposed.
"Please be careful."
"Hey Fitty, it's me you're talking about!"
Rocking slightly side-to-side, the droid added, "That is what I am afraid of."
Kurloh hugged her friend. "Good luck, Ina."
"Don't worry, Ku. We'll celebrate my win after the race, my treat!"
"Oh, so when did you learn the farsight skill?" the Togruta asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't need farsight in this case," the young woman replied with a chuckle and a wink.
Kurloh donned her comlink headset, tuned to the same private channel as Ja'Ina's helmet com. "We'll be in the stands with the others. May the Force be with you."
"Thanks," Ja'Ina said with a slight nod. She straddled the swoop and ignited the engine, which came to life with a smooth purr and light whine. She slowly pulled out of the pit and cruised to her place at the starting line under an overcast sky.
Most of the competitors were already at their starting positions when Ja'Ina took her place in the pole position. Ja'Ina's nerves elevated a little at the sight of the large number of opponents on the track – by far the most she'd ever raced against, and only a few of them she'd gone up against before. She took a couple of deep breaths and re-focused herself. Through the Force, she could sense excited anticipation from most of them, but a few exuded aggression, even malice, as if they would do anything it'd take to win. She felt it the strongest as she pulled into her position. Reaching out to find the source, she noticed a reptilian Nikto sitting next to her in the number two position. His swoop was a Mobquet model, with a short body painted bright red and a long spar that positioned the steering vanes far out in front of the seat.
He glared at her and snarled, "Hey, girly! You better go home before the race starts! I'd hate to see you get hurt!" He punctuated his taunt with a cruel-sounding guffaw.
Ja'Ina locked eyes with him. "Funny, I was about to tell you the very same thing!" She punctuated her words with a wink.
"I've taken first place in races across seven systems throughout the CorpSec! This measly backwater run will be no different!" He spat at the ground.
Ja'Ina simply smiled. "Well, I'll have to remember that!" She found the Nikto's aggression more entertaining than intimidating. She had no doubt that he was an excellent racer, but he could easily lose control if his anger dominated his performance, which she could take advantage of. But it could also make him more dangerous.
The Nikto let out a gravelly laugh as he turned his attention back to his swoop. The young woman sensed something that was blended with his aggression, but she couldn't quite distinguish it.
I better keep an eye on that one, Ja'Ina thought to herself.
From the front row of the stands, Yurlya watched as Ja'Ina pulled up to her starting position. "There she is," she called out to her companions around her as she pointed at the racers.
Aurelia jumped up out of her seat, waving her arms wildly in the air. "Inaaaaa! Hey Inaaaa!"
Juun grabbed one of the teen's arms and pulled it down. "Take it easy, Arry! Between the engine noise and her helmet, she can't hear you."
"But she can still see me!" Aurelia pointed toward Ja'Ina. "See?"
Juun looked over just in time to see Ja'Ina shoot a jaunty two-fingered salute to her friends before flipping the darkly-tinted face shield down on her sleek black helmet.
Rann and Taam turned to leave the crowded wagering counter, having just placed the crew's collective bet on Ja'Ina. With her excellent odds they were certain to make a nice profit.
As Rann spun around, she accidentally lost her footing with her cybernetic leg. Ever since the extensive repairs after the run-in with the Empire, her leg's performance was somewhat different than what she was used to and as such had to change the way she walked with it. Unfortunately, the muscle memory she developed from using the leg over the years would occasionally revert back and cause her to lose stability.
"What the karking-" she yelped as she stumbled. The servos whined loudly as they worked hard to maintain her balance.
She then felt strong hands grab both her shoulders, which helped to keep her from falling. "Whoa there," a male voice called from behind her. "You gotta be careful with that." He pointed to her fully-covered right leg.
"What d'you mean?!" Rann barked as she forcefully shook her shoulders out of his grasp.
"Your mechanical leg."
Rann's eyes went wide, taken by surprise with his comment. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" She nervously scanned around them. Most of the people nearby paid them no attention, but a few looked at her with questionable expressions.
Taam wedged her way in between them with her blaster drawn. "Step back pal or ya'll getta new hole burned in ya!"
The man slightly raised his hands. "No need to be rude, my dear Twi'lek. I know how bothersome cybernetics can be sometimes and was just concerned. Honest!"
Rann sneered. "And how would you know that?"
The man answered by pulling back the sleeve of his jacket and exposing the inside of his left wrist to the pirates. He then opened a small panel revealing mechanisms that moved underneath the synthskin of his wrist as he flexed his fingers. He quickly closed his wrist and pulled his sleeve back down. Rann and Taam were definitely not expecting him to have a cybernetic hand.
Taam lowered her weapon and Rann's expression relaxed a bit.
"Thanks for your concern," Rann flatly replied. "But I'm fine."
"Of course you are; I never said you weren't." He looked her over, noting that the design of her pant left her other leg completely exposed with a bikini-type cut. "If you don't mind my saying it, I really like your choice of fashion. It suits you and both your legs well." He followed up with a playful wink.
Rann blushed. "Th-thank you," she stammered. "Now if you'll excuse us…"
The man slightly nodded his head. "Of course. See you around." He specifically directed his friendly smile to her.
Rann took hold of Taam's arm and pulled her along. "C'mon, let's get back before the race starts."
"What was that 'bout?" the Twi'lek asked after they walked for several paces.
"I don't know and I don't care!" Rann quickly glanced behind her and noticed that the man was watching them walk away. She knew all too well the prejudice that some people in the galaxy held toward those with cybernetics in their bodies, be it replacements, enhancements or some combination of the two. That was another reason why Rann kept her mechanical leg hidden. She only hoped that the incident at the wager counter didn't catch the attention of any such bigots. The personal issues she had with the leg were bad enough, but to be harassed by others about it could cause unnecessary conflict. She didn't want to have to blast any closed-minded idiots if it could be avoided.
Compact spherical holo-vid droids darted through the air to take their programmed positions along the race track; some stopped within sight of the main stands while most of them whizzed away to more distant places along the route. Through these droids, the fans could watch the race on holo-terminals installed in the stands. There were a various modes the spectators could set theirs to; such as following their favorite racer, following the lead racer or a specific stationary location on the route. The vid-droids were placed so that there were minimal 'dark' areas on the race course and none of the break-neck action would be missed.
Besides the main stands at the starting line, there were several smaller stands spread throughout the course with fans ready to cheer the racers on as they flew by. Every set of stands was filled to capacity, and there were server droids buzzing throughout selling fans all sorts of food and beverage.
Aurelia took a drink of her Sullustan goo-berry soda as she stared intently at the holo-terminal. Right now, it was focused on the racers in the front of the pack at the starting line, with Ja'Ina prominently visible in the pole position.
"Welcome, Gentle-beings of all species," a voice blared from the public-address system. "Welcome to the Yuulin Grand Prix, the final and largest race of the season!"
The crowd erupted into a loud roar of cheers in reply.
"Here are your top five qualifiers for today's event…" One-by-one, the names were called out, and the named racer would wave to the excited fans in the stands.
"…In the number two position, Ixhas Menter!"
The Nikto next to Ja'Ina pumped his fists high into the air and hollered back at the wildly-cheering crowd. Their reaction clearly indicated he was a favorite of the locals.
Ixhas turned to Ja'Ina and wagged his finger at her. "Not today!" The reptiloid laughed again as he secured his goggles over his eyes.
Inside her helmet, Ja'Ina rolled her eyes at the pompous Nikto.
"And in the pole position…The talented newcomer Ja'Ina Anour!"
The crowd erupted into even more cheering, perhaps even louder than for Ixhas. He recognized the fans' response and glared at the young woman as she emphatically waved to the stands. His horn-accented face was filled with a contemptuous snarl.
Ja'Ina's heart pounded in her chest as the countdown commenced. She lay down into position on her swoop and gripped the handlebars tightly. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she held onto the confidence that she would win this race. Still, the increased number of competitors and spectators made things a bit more daunting for her. The constant revving of swoop engines crescendoed as the traffic luma began the countdown to the start of the race. Ja'Ina tried not to focus solely on the luma as it progressed through the colored sequence and instead fixed her eyes forward on the track that lay ahead of her. She gripped the machine with her body more tightly and revved the engine once more. The swoop's reply of smooth vibrations gave her confidence that it would not fail her. She just had to make sure that she would not fail her.
…Red…Red…Red…Green.