DISLAIMER: I own nothing! Well Aisling is me, so she's mine and Beth is
Jacintha, so she's hers. But beyond that, I own nothing!! You sue and your
life will be more miserable than you can possibly imagine.
AUTHOR: Well if you haven't spotted it by now you're no use to anyone are you?
A recover form the trick, and a chance encounter.
Btw, I know that an airspeeder isn't controlled like a car, more like a jet ski or a boat, but for the sake of the writers nerves, the one that Aisling drives is controlled like a car, pedals wheels and all!! K?!
Oh yes and to all you bright sparks out there who figured out what the trick was, well done! You have brains! What are you reading my stuff for? *smirk*
Now to the dedications!
Celestia Vitaria: She deserved it!
Jaina Skywalker: One dedication per! I'm so glad you think that it keeps getting better, if you said that they got worse id be very worried indeed! Thank you!
Sage of Dreams the Insane: Yes, evil has its own kind of fun!
Amaris Sandstone: Really?! I will hold you to that you know! Yes, I think it's slightly amusing as well. *snigger* *bows* Thank you!
Biblehermione: Yay! *hugs back* Yes, I believe you do!
Jacintha: You well that if Emmot comes near me with any kind of instrument at all, he'll be going away with his balls rammed down his throat! Yeah, I know. But hey at least I wrote the scene!
Pitbull girl and panther cub: Woohoo! Even more fresh blood!
Andy: well if you lost track of time that can only be a good thing, right? I've been thinking along those lines as well, but if I do it wont be for a while. The Rebels are first!
Dragonlet: Why would I cut her a break? Jacinthas already got revenge on Aisling planned to a T so I may as well enjoy my power over Beth while I can! Also it wonldnt be nearly so much fun!
Sticks: Got it one! *waves hand* You don't want to sell me Death Sticks. I LOVE that line!
Drama-Princess87: Hehehe! I'm so glad! Do that! Good luck on your exams.
Dark Side Luke: Yes it is isn't it? *evil chuckle* But *sigh wail* that means Beth will have even worse revenge planned for Aisling, and worse luck, I know exactly what that is!!!!!
Storm13: Yes, I love hearing about how I give people near death experiences! *chuckle* I do actually, it shows that my work has an impact, not necessarily a GOOD impact, but an impact nonetheless! I myself have no problem with reptiles at all, I happen to love snakes *smirk* of all kinds. Jacintha however has a phobia of them. So naturally enough, Beth does too. You saw the result of that! *snigger*
DragonElf-86: Yes, sadly sometimes the obvious is true in my stuff, but on rare occasions. This happens to be one of them.
Cali Vianya: Hey, never believe that you cant have everything you own way!! *snigger* I know, Snapes my fave too but sure *shrug* Dracos enough for me. And anyway, Snapes personality more than makes up, don't you think? *snigger*
If the dedications seem a bit rushed, its cos I'm knackered and its past midnight. Sorry
Ready? Lets go!
The next day, Aisling was walking back to her flat from Maras when she passed Xizor in the corridor. The Faleen Prince looked extremely knackered and more than a little smug. He nodded at her as they passed each other by. Aisling fought down the wave of hysteria and nodded back.
'Aisling,' she heard someone say. She turned, to see Vader. 'You owe me. Big time,' the Sith yawned. 'Had to stay up all night keeping that dammed illusion going.' He paused and Aisling got the distinct impression that he was fighting back a cringe fit. 'Have you any idea as to how difficult it is keep a full body illusion going all night? When the person keeps moving? And you're trying not to be sick?' Aisling raised an eyebrow.
'You didn't have to see it, did you?' A stormtrooper passing by clutched at his throat suddenly and fell to the ground, clearly dead. 'I guess that answers my question.' There was a sound from Vaders mask that could only be described as a cross between ack, ugh and the sound of someone suppressing a retch. 'Oh, you poor thing. Ill try and make it up to you.'
'Sorry,' he replied. 'I'm already taken.'
'Not like that! Why does everyone automatically assume that!'
'Er, because its you?' Aisling flashed him a wry smile.
'Cheers.'
Aisling stopped outside the door to her flat.
'I'll be seeing you,' she said, heading in. Vaders yawned reply was lost as the door hissed closed. She stood there for a moment, trying to figure out if Beth would be up yet. From the state of Xizor, she doubted it, but then again, this WAS Beth.
'Hello?' she called, going into the kitchen, to see Beth sitting at the kitchen table, cup in her hands. 'You're up early.' Beth laughed.
'To get up,' she said. 'Would involve going to sleep.'
'So,' Aisling said, after getting herself a cup of tea. Since complaining about it, the new stuff they had was just about drinkable. 'Where's himself?' she asked, knowing full well the answer.
'Left,' Beth yawned. 'About ten minutes ago.' She grinned shyly and stared into her cup.
'And? Is this gonna be an ongoing thing?' Beth snorted.
'Not bloody likely.'
'Why not? I thought you'd be inseparable.'
'Yeah, well, things don't always work out.' She looked so downcast that Aisling started to regret the trick and wondered whether to spill all. The regret was however swiftly washed away by the memories of all the things Beth put her through. 'Guys got a fiancé, you know,' Beth explained.
'Really? When did he tell you this?'
'This morning.'
'Ah.'
'Yep.' There was silence for a moment.
'I'm sorry,' Aisling said. 'I'm really sorry.' Beth didn't know that she was apologizing for the trickery and so just waved a hand.
'No harm,' she yawned and stretched. 'At least I got to screw George Weasley.' Aisling chuckled.
'What's his real name?' Beth shrugged, on her way to the 'fresher.
'Dammed if I know.'
Aisling stared into her cup, a frown knitting her brow. Then she shook her head and stood.
She had better things to do.
*~*
'Are you sure about this?'
'When am I ever not?'
They were standing in one of the Palaces garages, bickering. They both wanted to go out in a craft, but Beth wanted an airspeeder, while Aisling wanted a speeder bike.
'But what if we get separated?' Beth asked. Aisling shrugged
'All the better.' She caught the look on Beths face and sighed. 'Alright, alright. We'll go in a damn airspeeder. But I'm driving.'
'Oh dear Gods.'
*~* 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!'
Two hands reached back and knocked the offending heads together, hard.
'Gods,' Aisling said. 'You'd think stormtroopers would be a bit braver than that.' Beth turned back to the front. Her friend was driving with one hand on the wheel and one elbow leaning on the window, tapping along to the tune that was blaring out of the stereo. While the craft dived, dodged, banked, spiralled and loop-de-looped above around and sometimes under the buildings of Imperial City at suicidal speed.
'Ready?' Aisling asked, as she sent the speeder swooping to the top of a particularly tall skyscraper.
'Go for it!'
'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Both girls cried as the speeder dived down the other side.
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' both troopers screamed as the other crafts, walkways and above all the ground rushed up to meet them. Aisling smirked, tightened her restraint, waited until Beth did the same, and slammed the brake. The craft stopped dead. The troopers catapulted straight out of the back. The pair watched them freefall.
'That's one problem solved.'
'Yeah,' Aisling said. She motioned to a certain button. 'Remember when I told you not to touch that?' Beth nodded sourly; her hand was still bright red from the lesson. 'When I tell you to, only when I tell you to,' Aisling continued, gunning the engine. 'Push it.'
'What, w-aaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!' The question turned into a scream as Aisling took her foot off the repulser control and slammed it on the acceleration. The craft went from stationary to near lightspeed in approximately three milliseconds. Straight down. (A/N Yes I KNOW that you cant switch the repulser control on and off like that! This is my story! Move on!)
Beth clutched her restraint and tried not to think of pancakes as the levels flashed by. Aislings face was a mix of exhilaration and concentration as she guided the speeder to the falling troopers. Luckily, there was a helluva long way for them to drop and the speeder was a lot faster than them.
'There they are!' Beth said. Aisling risked a glance and saw them. One had obviously kept a level head and was spread-eagled, slowing himself down as much as possible. The other had panicked and was much further down than his companion.
Aisling drew level with the first one, matched speeds, and managed to get under him. He climbed into the back seat and restrained himself properly. THEN pulled off his helmet and got sick into it.
'Oh very nice,' Beth muttered, as she heard him. The craft was still zooming downwards, in an attempt to catch the other one. Even from here, Beth could see that they weren't gonna get him. Aisling hissed in frustration.
'Beth!' she snapped. 'When I tell you.' Beth looked sideways at her friend; she hadn't gone near the button. Aisling was leaning over the steering wheel as if her weight would speed up the craft further. It wasn't the troopers life that had her so determined, Beth knew. It was the risk of loosing. This was a competition against gravity 'Ready?' Then half-a-second later. 'Now!'
Beth slammed her hand onto the button, then was slammed backwards in her seat as the booster engines flared. Aisling whooped as the speeder bucked like a pissed off horse and kicked it up to top gear. Except for the roar of the stressed secondary engines, there was silence, but only because the acceleration kept their voices in their throats. If they could have, the trooper and Beth would have screamed their lungs out. Aisling grinned madly as she caught up with the falling trooper.
*~*
Han Solo choked on his vine-coffee as a trooper fell from the sky and passed him, barely six inches from the walkway.
'What the hell?!' he said, staring down after the trooper. He was roughly pulled back and a speeder flashed past, so close that the wind from it knocked him and his companions flat. 'Sweet stars, what the hell was that?!!!' Wedge Antilles looked down after the craft.
'Wanna find out?' he asked, grinning.
*~*
Beth measured the distance between them and the trooper and them and the ground anxiously. *Pull up* she mentally urged Aisling. *Pull up!*
Aisling growled in her throat. She closed the gap between her and the trooper further, keeping an eye on the level counter that was on the wheel. 'Come on,' she hissed between her teeth. 'Come on.' Then with a yell that was almost audible over the engines, she fought the nose of the craft up. Less than ten feet below them, the trooper smashed into the surface. She flew the craft through the convoluted spaces between the buildings, coaxing it to slow down. At last, she risked pushing the booster button again, and the secondary engines died. She slowed the craft to a sailing pace, coasting through the murk of the lowest level of Imperial City.
'Dammit!' Aisling growled, hitting the steering wheel. 'So close.' Beth unglued her hands from her restraining belt.
'Yeah,' she croaked. 'Yeah, um, yeah.' The trooper was suffering from adrenaline overdose, and only made intermittent wailing noises. 'So. Um. So.' Aisling looked at her less-than-coherent friend.
'What's up with you?' she asked, surprised, as if they hadn't just rocketed straight from a planets atmosphere to surface. 'What, got scared?' she teased.
'Aisling,' Beth asked distantly. 'Don't ever do anything like that. Ever again. Ever.' Aisling laughed.
'I did!' she squealed. 'I scared you!!!' She laughed insanely. 'I scared you I scared you!!' she sang.
'Alright!!!' Beth yelled. 'You scared me!!!!! Happy?!!!!!' She looked down. 'Oh dear Gods my hands are shaking.' Aisling laughed harder.
This was the scene that greeted the Rebels when they got down to them. One teenage human girl shaking from adrenaline and anger, yelling at the other teenage human girl who was laughing her ass off. And of course a stormtrooper who was whiter than his uniform.
Aisling saw them first and stomped on the brakes.
'What in the name of?' she wondered, seeing Solo and Wedge along with three others she didn't know in the other speeder, blasters trained on them. Beth looked.
'And?' she asked, clearly not recognizing them. 'Run 'em down.'
'Force but you're an idiot,' Aisling retorted, though lightly, watching the Rebels. The trooper saw them and tried to bring his rifle to bear, then realized that he'd lost it somewhere over the city. He reached behind him for the thermal detonator… and blacked out as Aisling whipped around and smashed his head into the side of the craft.
'Okay,' Beth said. 'What was that for?'
'I really don't feel like getting shot or blown up,' Aisling replied flippantly, turning back. 'That would just completely wreak my schedule.'
'Oh, of course.'
The Rebels had of course seen this action, but it seemed to confuse them more than anything. When Aisling somehow made the craft go from full stop to rocketing upwards, they were even more surprised. The trooper crashing into the ground an inch from them was more of an anti-climax.
'Right,' Wedge grinned. 'Lets play.' He revved the engines and shot after them, as the passengers scrambled to tie themselves in.
*~*
Aisling banked the speeder up until they hit the hundredth level, pulled a hard right through a flight lane, then swooped down, spiralled up around a complex and dived straight down. Beth looked behind them.
'Dammit,' she said, seeing the speeder behind them. 'Six o clock.'
'I really don't like that time, never anything on but the news,' Aisling replied. She pulled out of the dive and zipped under a series of walkways, then curved up hard until the nose of the craft pointed back the way they came and shot off.
*~*
Wedge saw them coming and turning the controls hard, slewed the craft around in anticipation.
*~*
Aisling chuckled; she had hoped he'd do that. She dived again and corkscrewed, rocketing off in the original direction.
*~*
Wedge, instead of diving like she expected him too, banked up, turning as he went, going for height.
*~*
'Yeah,' Beth muttered. 'But lets try and keep ourselves off the news, k?' She looked behind them. 'Hey he's gone.'
'Huh?' Aisling slowed the speeder and looked behind as well. 'But,' then she turned back and fed the craft more speed. 'Something's up,' she muttered. 'There's no way he gave up that easy.' Beth looked up, and cursed.
'There they are,' she said pointing. The speeder was keeping pace with them, about ten levels up. Aisling hissed a string of curses and dived, Wedge right on her tail.
Ten minutes later, after diving, twisting, spiralling and banking for all she was worth and with the X-wing pilot still right behind her, Aisling decided to go for something drastic. As she flew, she kept an eye out for a likely building.
'Here we go,' she muttered. Beth looked at her, startled.
'Oh no, not here we go,' she moaned. 'You didn't just say here we go. I hate it when you say here we go. It always means trouble.'
'You worry too much,' Aisling said absently.
*~*
'What are they doing?' Solo asked. The speeder in front of them hadn't dropped speed but it seemed like the pilot was distracted.
'It looks like they're fighting,' one of the Rebels in the back said, holding macrobinoculars to his eyes.
*~*
'I don't care Aisling,' Beth snapped. 'If you're gonna try something, then I want out! I'm not sitting here while you try and play chicken!'
'How did you know?' Aisling said, smirking. Beth stared at her.
'Oh Gods!' she wailed. 'I'm gonna die!'
'Knew I saw one around here somewhere,' Aisling said, ignoring her best friend. 'Alright,' she said, banking up. 'Hold on.'
'Noooooo!!!!'
*~*
'What the hell is she doing?' a Rebel asked as the other speeder suddenly shot upwards.
Wedge didn't answer, only sent the craft after them.
*~*
Aisling watched the levels carefully as the craft climbed. She risked a look back, the Rebels were gaining. She smiled slyly, then tapped the brakes hard, making it look like the speeder was having engine trouble. She cut the speed.
*~*
Wedge watched the speeder warily. It looked like it was dead in the air, complete with extremely pissed off pilot and passenger.
'Hey what happened?' Solo asked.
'I have no idea,' Wedge muttered. From the look of it, the engines had cut, leaving the craft to coast out the momentum. The repulser-fields were still working, which was something. He watched as, toggling the repulser controls, the pilot made the craft sit level.
'Are we gonna sit here or what?' a Rebel asked, impatiently. Wedge and Solo exchanged a look.
'I don't know,' Solo murmured. 'This doesn't feel right.'
'Yeah, 'Wedge admitted. 'But hey.' He brought the speeder alongside the other one, ready to dive at a milli-seconds notice. The two females glowered at them.
'Need a lift?' Solo asked. One, the passenger, hissed a curse at him.
'No,' the pilot said, in a frosty tone. 'We're fine, thank you.'
'Really? Cos it looks like you could use a hand. Being dead in the air and all.'
'No. We're fine. Thank you,' the pilot repeated, biting off the words.
'Since when does,' Solo didn't get to finish the question. In half-a- second, Aisling had revved the engines and taken the craft up. Unfortunately, Wedge had instinctively taken their speeder down. By the time he had corrected the mistake and raced upwards after them, they were out of sight.
*~*
Aisling laughed as she brought the speeder up and suddenly slewed the craft around, pulling a tight left into a ventilation duct of the building beside them. She stopped the engines and sat back. About five seconds later, the speeder containing the Rebels shot past, clearly thinking that they were still climbing.
Beth turned to her friend, paler than Aisling had ever seen her.
'Are you TRYING to kill me?!!!!!' she shrieked. She had been taken completely by surprise at Aislings little manoeuvres, thinking that the engines really had cut. And as such, the sudden move had thrown her heart into spasms. Aisling yawned hugely.
'If I was doing that my dear,' she smirked. 'You'd be cold by now.'
'Not if we had crashed into a godsdammed building I wouldn't!!!! Can we go back now?!!' Aisling shook her head.
'They'll look around for us, we gotta sit tight until they leave.'
'And when will that be?' Beth demanded. Aisling shrugged, checking their fuel.
Beth sat back, mind replaying details of the mad flight that she hadn't time or ability to notice at the time. How the tail of the speeder had kissed off a walkway in a particularly tight spiral. The look on a mans' face as the speeder shot straight for him, then dived sharply, the top-and their heads-barely an inch from the windows of the skyscraper.
'Sweet sainted Lucifer,' she whispered, starting to shake from the adrenaline. Aisling stared at her in complete surprise.
'I haven't heard you say that in years,' she murmured. 'Not since.' She frowned. 'You're favourite movie is "The Fast and The Furious," how the hell could that have affected you so much?'
'In case you haven't noticed Aisling O' Connell,' Beth nearly yelled. 'This isn't the shagging movies!!! I just want to go back to the Palace and get drunk.' Aisling chuckled.
'You know,' she said. 'Drink doesn't solve anything.'
'I didn't want to hear that Aisling,' Beth growled. 'I wanted to hear, "certainly Beth, I'll drive slowly and carefully and get you back in one piece, then I'll buy you whatever you want." That's what I wanted to hear.'
'Certainly Beth, I'll drive slowly and carefully and get you back in one piece.'
'You forgot about the drink.'
'No thanks I'm driving.' Aisling looked at her friend and smiled. 'Look, do you want to drive?'
'No, Id likely fly us into a building just to get it over with. Can we go now?' Aisling sighed, she knew that they should wait for longer, a lot longer, but Beth looked like she was on the verge of the nervous breakdown. She started the engine again and eased the speeder out of its hiding place.
'You will be careful, wont you?' Beth asked, a girl who not half-an-hour earlier had slammed two troopers heads together for screaming. Aisling gave her a wry look.
'Yes, I will, I'll drive like I'm fifty.'
'Oh dear gods no! My uncles fifty and he drives worse than you do!'
'Will you relax? I promise Ill be careful,' Aisling snapped. 'Now calm down, there's no problem at all.'
Famous last words huh?
Jacintha is actually scared of heights, apparently the flying that I described, as bad as I am at writing those kind of scenes, had her shaking in her chair. As for me, I don't think they're that good, but they're the best I can write. Use your own imaginations for them if you wish.
Before any of you Wedge-fanatics start, I KNOW that Wedge could easily catch Aisling and Beth, were it not me who wrote the scenes. You'll just have to cope with the fact that they got away and move on.
I don't know how much Ill be able to upload over the next two weeks, till Thursday week anyway. My leaving cert starts (tomorrow argh!) Wednesday the fifth and I'm gonna be really busy with that. So if you don't see anything new for about a week maybe two, you know why and you can blame the State for the exam! Not me!
I hope you can come back for when I have the next one up.
ihadanepiphany
BTW For those of you who are despairing, scratching your heads or just plain wondering when I'm gonna let Beth know that she slept with Xizor again. Hehehe! Me and Jacintha got plans! That part is, alas, not destined for this story, but we're planning a kind of a sequel and the revelation will be in that. So you'll just have to be patient! I don't care! Its not going in this one! And that's that!!!!! *stalks off*
See ya next week!
AUTHOR: Well if you haven't spotted it by now you're no use to anyone are you?
A recover form the trick, and a chance encounter.
Btw, I know that an airspeeder isn't controlled like a car, more like a jet ski or a boat, but for the sake of the writers nerves, the one that Aisling drives is controlled like a car, pedals wheels and all!! K?!
Oh yes and to all you bright sparks out there who figured out what the trick was, well done! You have brains! What are you reading my stuff for? *smirk*
Now to the dedications!
Celestia Vitaria: She deserved it!
Jaina Skywalker: One dedication per! I'm so glad you think that it keeps getting better, if you said that they got worse id be very worried indeed! Thank you!
Sage of Dreams the Insane: Yes, evil has its own kind of fun!
Amaris Sandstone: Really?! I will hold you to that you know! Yes, I think it's slightly amusing as well. *snigger* *bows* Thank you!
Biblehermione: Yay! *hugs back* Yes, I believe you do!
Jacintha: You well that if Emmot comes near me with any kind of instrument at all, he'll be going away with his balls rammed down his throat! Yeah, I know. But hey at least I wrote the scene!
Pitbull girl and panther cub: Woohoo! Even more fresh blood!
Andy: well if you lost track of time that can only be a good thing, right? I've been thinking along those lines as well, but if I do it wont be for a while. The Rebels are first!
Dragonlet: Why would I cut her a break? Jacinthas already got revenge on Aisling planned to a T so I may as well enjoy my power over Beth while I can! Also it wonldnt be nearly so much fun!
Sticks: Got it one! *waves hand* You don't want to sell me Death Sticks. I LOVE that line!
Drama-Princess87: Hehehe! I'm so glad! Do that! Good luck on your exams.
Dark Side Luke: Yes it is isn't it? *evil chuckle* But *sigh wail* that means Beth will have even worse revenge planned for Aisling, and worse luck, I know exactly what that is!!!!!
Storm13: Yes, I love hearing about how I give people near death experiences! *chuckle* I do actually, it shows that my work has an impact, not necessarily a GOOD impact, but an impact nonetheless! I myself have no problem with reptiles at all, I happen to love snakes *smirk* of all kinds. Jacintha however has a phobia of them. So naturally enough, Beth does too. You saw the result of that! *snigger*
DragonElf-86: Yes, sadly sometimes the obvious is true in my stuff, but on rare occasions. This happens to be one of them.
Cali Vianya: Hey, never believe that you cant have everything you own way!! *snigger* I know, Snapes my fave too but sure *shrug* Dracos enough for me. And anyway, Snapes personality more than makes up, don't you think? *snigger*
If the dedications seem a bit rushed, its cos I'm knackered and its past midnight. Sorry
Ready? Lets go!
The next day, Aisling was walking back to her flat from Maras when she passed Xizor in the corridor. The Faleen Prince looked extremely knackered and more than a little smug. He nodded at her as they passed each other by. Aisling fought down the wave of hysteria and nodded back.
'Aisling,' she heard someone say. She turned, to see Vader. 'You owe me. Big time,' the Sith yawned. 'Had to stay up all night keeping that dammed illusion going.' He paused and Aisling got the distinct impression that he was fighting back a cringe fit. 'Have you any idea as to how difficult it is keep a full body illusion going all night? When the person keeps moving? And you're trying not to be sick?' Aisling raised an eyebrow.
'You didn't have to see it, did you?' A stormtrooper passing by clutched at his throat suddenly and fell to the ground, clearly dead. 'I guess that answers my question.' There was a sound from Vaders mask that could only be described as a cross between ack, ugh and the sound of someone suppressing a retch. 'Oh, you poor thing. Ill try and make it up to you.'
'Sorry,' he replied. 'I'm already taken.'
'Not like that! Why does everyone automatically assume that!'
'Er, because its you?' Aisling flashed him a wry smile.
'Cheers.'
Aisling stopped outside the door to her flat.
'I'll be seeing you,' she said, heading in. Vaders yawned reply was lost as the door hissed closed. She stood there for a moment, trying to figure out if Beth would be up yet. From the state of Xizor, she doubted it, but then again, this WAS Beth.
'Hello?' she called, going into the kitchen, to see Beth sitting at the kitchen table, cup in her hands. 'You're up early.' Beth laughed.
'To get up,' she said. 'Would involve going to sleep.'
'So,' Aisling said, after getting herself a cup of tea. Since complaining about it, the new stuff they had was just about drinkable. 'Where's himself?' she asked, knowing full well the answer.
'Left,' Beth yawned. 'About ten minutes ago.' She grinned shyly and stared into her cup.
'And? Is this gonna be an ongoing thing?' Beth snorted.
'Not bloody likely.'
'Why not? I thought you'd be inseparable.'
'Yeah, well, things don't always work out.' She looked so downcast that Aisling started to regret the trick and wondered whether to spill all. The regret was however swiftly washed away by the memories of all the things Beth put her through. 'Guys got a fiancé, you know,' Beth explained.
'Really? When did he tell you this?'
'This morning.'
'Ah.'
'Yep.' There was silence for a moment.
'I'm sorry,' Aisling said. 'I'm really sorry.' Beth didn't know that she was apologizing for the trickery and so just waved a hand.
'No harm,' she yawned and stretched. 'At least I got to screw George Weasley.' Aisling chuckled.
'What's his real name?' Beth shrugged, on her way to the 'fresher.
'Dammed if I know.'
Aisling stared into her cup, a frown knitting her brow. Then she shook her head and stood.
She had better things to do.
*~*
'Are you sure about this?'
'When am I ever not?'
They were standing in one of the Palaces garages, bickering. They both wanted to go out in a craft, but Beth wanted an airspeeder, while Aisling wanted a speeder bike.
'But what if we get separated?' Beth asked. Aisling shrugged
'All the better.' She caught the look on Beths face and sighed. 'Alright, alright. We'll go in a damn airspeeder. But I'm driving.'
'Oh dear Gods.'
*~* 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!'
Two hands reached back and knocked the offending heads together, hard.
'Gods,' Aisling said. 'You'd think stormtroopers would be a bit braver than that.' Beth turned back to the front. Her friend was driving with one hand on the wheel and one elbow leaning on the window, tapping along to the tune that was blaring out of the stereo. While the craft dived, dodged, banked, spiralled and loop-de-looped above around and sometimes under the buildings of Imperial City at suicidal speed.
'Ready?' Aisling asked, as she sent the speeder swooping to the top of a particularly tall skyscraper.
'Go for it!'
'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Both girls cried as the speeder dived down the other side.
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' both troopers screamed as the other crafts, walkways and above all the ground rushed up to meet them. Aisling smirked, tightened her restraint, waited until Beth did the same, and slammed the brake. The craft stopped dead. The troopers catapulted straight out of the back. The pair watched them freefall.
'That's one problem solved.'
'Yeah,' Aisling said. She motioned to a certain button. 'Remember when I told you not to touch that?' Beth nodded sourly; her hand was still bright red from the lesson. 'When I tell you to, only when I tell you to,' Aisling continued, gunning the engine. 'Push it.'
'What, w-aaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!' The question turned into a scream as Aisling took her foot off the repulser control and slammed it on the acceleration. The craft went from stationary to near lightspeed in approximately three milliseconds. Straight down. (A/N Yes I KNOW that you cant switch the repulser control on and off like that! This is my story! Move on!)
Beth clutched her restraint and tried not to think of pancakes as the levels flashed by. Aislings face was a mix of exhilaration and concentration as she guided the speeder to the falling troopers. Luckily, there was a helluva long way for them to drop and the speeder was a lot faster than them.
'There they are!' Beth said. Aisling risked a glance and saw them. One had obviously kept a level head and was spread-eagled, slowing himself down as much as possible. The other had panicked and was much further down than his companion.
Aisling drew level with the first one, matched speeds, and managed to get under him. He climbed into the back seat and restrained himself properly. THEN pulled off his helmet and got sick into it.
'Oh very nice,' Beth muttered, as she heard him. The craft was still zooming downwards, in an attempt to catch the other one. Even from here, Beth could see that they weren't gonna get him. Aisling hissed in frustration.
'Beth!' she snapped. 'When I tell you.' Beth looked sideways at her friend; she hadn't gone near the button. Aisling was leaning over the steering wheel as if her weight would speed up the craft further. It wasn't the troopers life that had her so determined, Beth knew. It was the risk of loosing. This was a competition against gravity 'Ready?' Then half-a-second later. 'Now!'
Beth slammed her hand onto the button, then was slammed backwards in her seat as the booster engines flared. Aisling whooped as the speeder bucked like a pissed off horse and kicked it up to top gear. Except for the roar of the stressed secondary engines, there was silence, but only because the acceleration kept their voices in their throats. If they could have, the trooper and Beth would have screamed their lungs out. Aisling grinned madly as she caught up with the falling trooper.
*~*
Han Solo choked on his vine-coffee as a trooper fell from the sky and passed him, barely six inches from the walkway.
'What the hell?!' he said, staring down after the trooper. He was roughly pulled back and a speeder flashed past, so close that the wind from it knocked him and his companions flat. 'Sweet stars, what the hell was that?!!!' Wedge Antilles looked down after the craft.
'Wanna find out?' he asked, grinning.
*~*
Beth measured the distance between them and the trooper and them and the ground anxiously. *Pull up* she mentally urged Aisling. *Pull up!*
Aisling growled in her throat. She closed the gap between her and the trooper further, keeping an eye on the level counter that was on the wheel. 'Come on,' she hissed between her teeth. 'Come on.' Then with a yell that was almost audible over the engines, she fought the nose of the craft up. Less than ten feet below them, the trooper smashed into the surface. She flew the craft through the convoluted spaces between the buildings, coaxing it to slow down. At last, she risked pushing the booster button again, and the secondary engines died. She slowed the craft to a sailing pace, coasting through the murk of the lowest level of Imperial City.
'Dammit!' Aisling growled, hitting the steering wheel. 'So close.' Beth unglued her hands from her restraining belt.
'Yeah,' she croaked. 'Yeah, um, yeah.' The trooper was suffering from adrenaline overdose, and only made intermittent wailing noises. 'So. Um. So.' Aisling looked at her less-than-coherent friend.
'What's up with you?' she asked, surprised, as if they hadn't just rocketed straight from a planets atmosphere to surface. 'What, got scared?' she teased.
'Aisling,' Beth asked distantly. 'Don't ever do anything like that. Ever again. Ever.' Aisling laughed.
'I did!' she squealed. 'I scared you!!!' She laughed insanely. 'I scared you I scared you!!' she sang.
'Alright!!!' Beth yelled. 'You scared me!!!!! Happy?!!!!!' She looked down. 'Oh dear Gods my hands are shaking.' Aisling laughed harder.
This was the scene that greeted the Rebels when they got down to them. One teenage human girl shaking from adrenaline and anger, yelling at the other teenage human girl who was laughing her ass off. And of course a stormtrooper who was whiter than his uniform.
Aisling saw them first and stomped on the brakes.
'What in the name of?' she wondered, seeing Solo and Wedge along with three others she didn't know in the other speeder, blasters trained on them. Beth looked.
'And?' she asked, clearly not recognizing them. 'Run 'em down.'
'Force but you're an idiot,' Aisling retorted, though lightly, watching the Rebels. The trooper saw them and tried to bring his rifle to bear, then realized that he'd lost it somewhere over the city. He reached behind him for the thermal detonator… and blacked out as Aisling whipped around and smashed his head into the side of the craft.
'Okay,' Beth said. 'What was that for?'
'I really don't feel like getting shot or blown up,' Aisling replied flippantly, turning back. 'That would just completely wreak my schedule.'
'Oh, of course.'
The Rebels had of course seen this action, but it seemed to confuse them more than anything. When Aisling somehow made the craft go from full stop to rocketing upwards, they were even more surprised. The trooper crashing into the ground an inch from them was more of an anti-climax.
'Right,' Wedge grinned. 'Lets play.' He revved the engines and shot after them, as the passengers scrambled to tie themselves in.
*~*
Aisling banked the speeder up until they hit the hundredth level, pulled a hard right through a flight lane, then swooped down, spiralled up around a complex and dived straight down. Beth looked behind them.
'Dammit,' she said, seeing the speeder behind them. 'Six o clock.'
'I really don't like that time, never anything on but the news,' Aisling replied. She pulled out of the dive and zipped under a series of walkways, then curved up hard until the nose of the craft pointed back the way they came and shot off.
*~*
Wedge saw them coming and turning the controls hard, slewed the craft around in anticipation.
*~*
Aisling chuckled; she had hoped he'd do that. She dived again and corkscrewed, rocketing off in the original direction.
*~*
Wedge, instead of diving like she expected him too, banked up, turning as he went, going for height.
*~*
'Yeah,' Beth muttered. 'But lets try and keep ourselves off the news, k?' She looked behind them. 'Hey he's gone.'
'Huh?' Aisling slowed the speeder and looked behind as well. 'But,' then she turned back and fed the craft more speed. 'Something's up,' she muttered. 'There's no way he gave up that easy.' Beth looked up, and cursed.
'There they are,' she said pointing. The speeder was keeping pace with them, about ten levels up. Aisling hissed a string of curses and dived, Wedge right on her tail.
Ten minutes later, after diving, twisting, spiralling and banking for all she was worth and with the X-wing pilot still right behind her, Aisling decided to go for something drastic. As she flew, she kept an eye out for a likely building.
'Here we go,' she muttered. Beth looked at her, startled.
'Oh no, not here we go,' she moaned. 'You didn't just say here we go. I hate it when you say here we go. It always means trouble.'
'You worry too much,' Aisling said absently.
*~*
'What are they doing?' Solo asked. The speeder in front of them hadn't dropped speed but it seemed like the pilot was distracted.
'It looks like they're fighting,' one of the Rebels in the back said, holding macrobinoculars to his eyes.
*~*
'I don't care Aisling,' Beth snapped. 'If you're gonna try something, then I want out! I'm not sitting here while you try and play chicken!'
'How did you know?' Aisling said, smirking. Beth stared at her.
'Oh Gods!' she wailed. 'I'm gonna die!'
'Knew I saw one around here somewhere,' Aisling said, ignoring her best friend. 'Alright,' she said, banking up. 'Hold on.'
'Noooooo!!!!'
*~*
'What the hell is she doing?' a Rebel asked as the other speeder suddenly shot upwards.
Wedge didn't answer, only sent the craft after them.
*~*
Aisling watched the levels carefully as the craft climbed. She risked a look back, the Rebels were gaining. She smiled slyly, then tapped the brakes hard, making it look like the speeder was having engine trouble. She cut the speed.
*~*
Wedge watched the speeder warily. It looked like it was dead in the air, complete with extremely pissed off pilot and passenger.
'Hey what happened?' Solo asked.
'I have no idea,' Wedge muttered. From the look of it, the engines had cut, leaving the craft to coast out the momentum. The repulser-fields were still working, which was something. He watched as, toggling the repulser controls, the pilot made the craft sit level.
'Are we gonna sit here or what?' a Rebel asked, impatiently. Wedge and Solo exchanged a look.
'I don't know,' Solo murmured. 'This doesn't feel right.'
'Yeah, 'Wedge admitted. 'But hey.' He brought the speeder alongside the other one, ready to dive at a milli-seconds notice. The two females glowered at them.
'Need a lift?' Solo asked. One, the passenger, hissed a curse at him.
'No,' the pilot said, in a frosty tone. 'We're fine, thank you.'
'Really? Cos it looks like you could use a hand. Being dead in the air and all.'
'No. We're fine. Thank you,' the pilot repeated, biting off the words.
'Since when does,' Solo didn't get to finish the question. In half-a- second, Aisling had revved the engines and taken the craft up. Unfortunately, Wedge had instinctively taken their speeder down. By the time he had corrected the mistake and raced upwards after them, they were out of sight.
*~*
Aisling laughed as she brought the speeder up and suddenly slewed the craft around, pulling a tight left into a ventilation duct of the building beside them. She stopped the engines and sat back. About five seconds later, the speeder containing the Rebels shot past, clearly thinking that they were still climbing.
Beth turned to her friend, paler than Aisling had ever seen her.
'Are you TRYING to kill me?!!!!!' she shrieked. She had been taken completely by surprise at Aislings little manoeuvres, thinking that the engines really had cut. And as such, the sudden move had thrown her heart into spasms. Aisling yawned hugely.
'If I was doing that my dear,' she smirked. 'You'd be cold by now.'
'Not if we had crashed into a godsdammed building I wouldn't!!!! Can we go back now?!!' Aisling shook her head.
'They'll look around for us, we gotta sit tight until they leave.'
'And when will that be?' Beth demanded. Aisling shrugged, checking their fuel.
Beth sat back, mind replaying details of the mad flight that she hadn't time or ability to notice at the time. How the tail of the speeder had kissed off a walkway in a particularly tight spiral. The look on a mans' face as the speeder shot straight for him, then dived sharply, the top-and their heads-barely an inch from the windows of the skyscraper.
'Sweet sainted Lucifer,' she whispered, starting to shake from the adrenaline. Aisling stared at her in complete surprise.
'I haven't heard you say that in years,' she murmured. 'Not since.' She frowned. 'You're favourite movie is "The Fast and The Furious," how the hell could that have affected you so much?'
'In case you haven't noticed Aisling O' Connell,' Beth nearly yelled. 'This isn't the shagging movies!!! I just want to go back to the Palace and get drunk.' Aisling chuckled.
'You know,' she said. 'Drink doesn't solve anything.'
'I didn't want to hear that Aisling,' Beth growled. 'I wanted to hear, "certainly Beth, I'll drive slowly and carefully and get you back in one piece, then I'll buy you whatever you want." That's what I wanted to hear.'
'Certainly Beth, I'll drive slowly and carefully and get you back in one piece.'
'You forgot about the drink.'
'No thanks I'm driving.' Aisling looked at her friend and smiled. 'Look, do you want to drive?'
'No, Id likely fly us into a building just to get it over with. Can we go now?' Aisling sighed, she knew that they should wait for longer, a lot longer, but Beth looked like she was on the verge of the nervous breakdown. She started the engine again and eased the speeder out of its hiding place.
'You will be careful, wont you?' Beth asked, a girl who not half-an-hour earlier had slammed two troopers heads together for screaming. Aisling gave her a wry look.
'Yes, I will, I'll drive like I'm fifty.'
'Oh dear gods no! My uncles fifty and he drives worse than you do!'
'Will you relax? I promise Ill be careful,' Aisling snapped. 'Now calm down, there's no problem at all.'
Famous last words huh?
Jacintha is actually scared of heights, apparently the flying that I described, as bad as I am at writing those kind of scenes, had her shaking in her chair. As for me, I don't think they're that good, but they're the best I can write. Use your own imaginations for them if you wish.
Before any of you Wedge-fanatics start, I KNOW that Wedge could easily catch Aisling and Beth, were it not me who wrote the scenes. You'll just have to cope with the fact that they got away and move on.
I don't know how much Ill be able to upload over the next two weeks, till Thursday week anyway. My leaving cert starts (tomorrow argh!) Wednesday the fifth and I'm gonna be really busy with that. So if you don't see anything new for about a week maybe two, you know why and you can blame the State for the exam! Not me!
I hope you can come back for when I have the next one up.
ihadanepiphany
BTW For those of you who are despairing, scratching your heads or just plain wondering when I'm gonna let Beth know that she slept with Xizor again. Hehehe! Me and Jacintha got plans! That part is, alas, not destined for this story, but we're planning a kind of a sequel and the revelation will be in that. So you'll just have to be patient! I don't care! Its not going in this one! And that's that!!!!! *stalks off*
See ya next week!