It is called the Diamond, a massive crystal orbiting a burned-out star. Lying on the edge of Hutt Space, it is a regular point of contact between the Cartels and wider Galaxy. With its casinos, hotels, theatres and other sources of entertainment, the Diamond is a popular tourist destination. Among its many draws is the Kallballa, a free form race for hyper-capable ships. The Kallballa is famed for its dangers, distinct lack of rules beyond 'tag all the beacons' and large prize. Despite its dubious legality or perhaps because of it, the race draws contenders from across the Galaxy...

Panolpei looked up from her ship, the Petite Mort as a human followed by squat astromech approached the bay. She adjusted her flight suit and smiled

"Why, Anakin Skywalker, as I live and breathe, fancy meeting you here," she said.

"Hi Panolpei, this your ship?" said Anakin.

"Yes, a Siener X50. New astromech?" she said indicating the droid.

"Yeah, sorta. It's a present," he said.

Panolpei walked round to examine the droid and patted it. The droid made a loud 'blatt' noise in reply.

"R series, impressive," said Panolpei.

"Um, yeah. It's useful and all, but," Anakin began before trailing off.

Panolpei turned to face Anakin directly before sitting on the droid. The droid protested and shook a bit before Panolpei gently slapped it. "None of that you," she added and the droid subsided.
"Now, what brings you to the Diamond?"

"Oh, mostly the Kallballa, you know," he said.

"I'll beat you again, sorry hon, but this year I am going to win," said Panolpei.

"Oh, I'm not racing this one. Owen is. So I'll be at a comfy Casino watching everyone else risk their lives for a change."

"Anakin Skywalker not racing?"

"Well, we only had one ship. Owen's the better pilot and navigator of us so he's going."

"I see. Well, since you're not an opponent, how about a tour?" Palopei rose where she had been and walked over to the X-50."Tell you what. How about a test flight?"

"Sure! C'mon R2," said Anakin.

"Sorry, no droid. It's a bit cramped."

"Okay. Stay here then." Anakin told the droid before following Panolpei into the ship.

The interior of the XC-50 was indeed cramped. Anakin followed Panolpei down a gap in the machinery.

"Here, you want to see this," Panolpei said as they reached the converters.

"Cool. Hey, where's the engine link?" he said looking for the almost ubiquitous component.

Panolpei giggled, "There isn't one. This is the latest thing. Phased ion converters."

"How's that work?"

"Let me show you," said Panolpei. She moved to slip past Anakin and paused halfway, their bodies pressed together in the tight confines. "Or, could I interest you in something else?"

Anakin paused. He looked into the Draxian's eyes. He could feel her pressed against him. He opened his mouth as Panolpei moved her head forward.

"Wait," he said.

"What?"

"There's someone else,"

"Oh yes, the little queen. She's tied to her planet and her people. Is that what you want? Trapped in the same gravity well? Forever?"

"No, Padme's different,"

"No, she isn't. Think. She has duties and eventually, she will obey them. What then, Anakin?"

Anakin had thought about it. He wasn't stupid. He knew his relationship was on borrowed time. A planetary monarch had duties and responsibilities to their nation. Which included marriage to a suitable spouse to strengthen alliances and enable trade. A racer from a rimworld like Tatooine just didn't enter into it.

"I, I don't know," he said looking down and away.

Panolpei moved so she was no longer pressed against him. "Oh, you have it bad."

Anakin shuffled, "Yeah, I guess. Hardly the image of a dashing Galactic. Just a fool,"

He felt a finger brush against his cheek, removing a tear he hadn't realised was there. He looked up at Panolpei.

"I think it's sweet. Let me tell you something Anakin Skywalker. I have been from one end of this Galaxy to the other. I have lost track of who I've been with. It's the Galactic style. I enjoy it. However, I have not been in love, not really." she said.

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is that what you have is rare. So, is it rare enough to be worth going after? Do you want to see your queen chained to some stodgy aristo? Or," said Panolpei with a smile.

"Or what?"

"I don't know. We'll need a plan. Which reminds me, If you're not here to race, exactly which 'comfy casino' will you be at?"


The Spiral features restaurants, bars and gambling halls all suspended within a holographic representation of the Galaxy. Patrons move from platform to platform via suspensor harness seemingly moving about an accurate representation of the Galaxy. Anakin and Panolepi were at a booth appearing to orbit a star.

"This is nice Anakin, but it's also just a tourist trap," said Panolpei.

"Oh, there's something here," assured Anakin.

Panolpei looked around. For all its gaudiness, there was nothing spectacular about The Spiral. No great works of art, no famous slaves, the patrons were strictly middle-tier since for all its apparent splendour it was nothing new. The galactic suspension was a novelty attraction in many systems.

"Give a girl a hint, please Anakin," she said.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said with a smile.

Panolpei looked around again, a particular client perhaps? What was she missing?

"No, sorry. What is it?" she said eventually.

"The suspension map itself. Most of these things are modern, but they say this one's old. Like really old." he said with a smile.

"That's it, an old map?" she said.

"That's right. Think of it Panolpei. What does that old map reference? What forgotten places spoken of only in legends? And, what treasures do they hold?"

Panolpei leaned closer.

"Now you're talking," she said.


Owen's hands flew as he programmed the nav computer. Adara's intel on the route would give him the jump on his rivals. Literally. Instead of having to plan a flight path after the start when everyone normally got beamed the route, he could plan it all now. He wondered how Adara had gotten the information and figured the reply would be a smile, kiss and 'A girl's got to have her secrets.'

"Yeah doll, but how come you have so damn many?" Owen muttered as he planned his route. Idly he also reviewed what he did know about his girlfriend.

Adara Palpatine, twenty-two standard human from Naboo. Member of the planetary nobility. Technically a Baroness, she owned an archipelago somewhere on that world. She had shown him a holo of it once, the main island was larger than Mos Espa. It was hers, she owned it all. Parents, Moire and Sheev. Moire owned the small continent Adara's islands came off, two moons and a swath of Livia, one of the system's gas giants. Sheev, well her old man ran the entire godsdamned Republic. That Sheev Palpatine.

Owen shivered as he remembered his encounter with the titular ruler of the rancor's share of the Galaxy. Sheev had shaken his hand and given him that 'hurt my daughter and I'll hunt you down and kill you personally'. It was a look Owen figured you learned when your daughter decided boys were interesting instead of icky. However, there was something about Sheev that said he could make that promise good.

Then there was Adara herself. She didn't so much have women's intuition as full-blown prescience. Was that why Kenobi was after them? Was she some kind of latent Jedi? It would certainly explain a great many things. Thing was, the Jedi were solemn, reserved, stoic mystics. Adara was passionate, wilful and with a temper to rival a supernova. At times like this, his mind drifted towards the old tales.

"Nah, mate, there's just no way," Owen muttered as he punched in the coordinates.

Panolpei surveyed the competition. There was Lakos in a custom Corellian, Delta Joan in her Sullustan Starrunner, Vlade and Tepid in the Nightfighter, Guido the Hutt in the Supercharger, Stavzod in the XL5, Dirk in the Mean Machine, all the usual suspects. The start would be a typical free for all frenzy as mines, EMP and a few missiles got fired.

"So what's your plan Owen Skywalker?" she mused as she regarded the gleaming silver ship. She checked her sensors to get a read on what those crazy Rimworlders had come up with. She then checked again and swore. The ship wasn't there! She looked out the cockpit. Motionless a few hundred metres away was the ship. She fiddled with the sensors. Again, nothing. It simply wasn't there!

"Hmm," she said as she rummaged about for a personal scanner. Quickly she raised it and pointed it at the ship. The scanner beeped and sent her the results. "Oh you crazy, crazy bastards," she said as she readied a small tracker. She activated her suit, stepped into the airlock, opened it to space and threw.

The tracker encased in a glob of adhesive flew across the gap and affixed itself to the silver racer.


Kenobi wasn't interested in the race but whatever it was Anakin was up to. The Diamond had a number of high profile targets that should have been irresistible to the thief. However, he had shown no interest in any of them! What was wrong with the man? Had he lost his touch? His quarry seemed to content to lounge in a second rate casino, playing the occasional hand of Vecktaha. Kenobi sighed as Anakin took a drink, gave the waitress an outrageous tip and then took a sip. He also winked. Right at him!

Anakin smiled as he regarded Kenobi. He wondered if he should go over and complement the Jedi on his disguise. Kenobi was good, but for all that he was what he was. His disguise as a down on his luck patron mindlessly playing the same slot machine was spot on. Except, except no credits went into the machine. He made the motions, pulled the lever and the machine did it's thing, but there was no telltale double clunk as the credits went in.

Anakin motioned to the waitress, "Drink for our pal on aisle three," he said nodding towards the Jedi. Almost time.


Adara sat in a bar watching a large holo-projector along with the rest of the clientele. What was she doing? The Skywalkers were a fun duo, Owen more so than his brother but handsome, sexy and good fun were hardly their exclusive preserve. Why was she still with him?

"It annoys daddy," she said to herself. Hardly the whole of it all. All her dalliances annoyed daddy. It did not do for a, for a...

"Hey darling, this seat taken?" said a large Parmellian.

"Don't call me darling and go away," said Adara putting some emphasis on the last part, making it a command, not a request.

"No, think I'll stay awhile with you, mighty pretty thing that you are." said the Parmellian. As the being took a swig from his glass Adara's hand twitched. The Parmellian coughed and began choking.

"Oh dear, something has gone the wrong way?" said Adara as the Parmellian clawed at his throat. "Seems a very wrong way indeed," she continued as the being weakened.

The Parmenian stared at her, eyes pleading as realisation struck.

"That's so right. I am not your type," she said and relaxed the grip ever so slightly. The Parmenian sucked in air, took one last look and ran for his life. Adara returned her attention to the holo. "And I'm not a Sith either, or you would be dead now," she added to herself quietly.


The counter ran down, millions of sentients held their breath as they waited for the race to begin.

Owen's hand caressed the hyperdrive lever, any moment now...

Panolpei activated the as-yet dormant tracker.

The count reached zero.

To say everything happened at once is redundant. Everything always happens at once, all the time. That's the point. However, at this particular moment, several things happened. As the count reached zero Owen activated his hyperdrive and the ship jumped. Where he had been twenty sets of thrusters ignited as the other ships manoeuvred to avoid each other as the race parameters were downloaded to the flight computers. As Panolpei had predicted weapons fired, shields flared mines were dropped and sensors overloaded as fifteen of the most obnoxious and illegal ECM noisemakers went off.

Panolpei deftly guided the Petit Mort through the chaos until her computer indicated a lock. She activated her hyperdrive just before the Simonelli brothers got a lock with their turret. Iridescent bolts tore apart the space her racer had been as she jumped.

Moments later the Petit Mort appeared in orbit around Elchonar, a ringed giant in the same system. Two of the beacons lay within the rings with the next at Lorimar428J a rogue planetoid on the edge of the system and currently 'behind' Elchonar. Ahead of her, she could see the twin thrusters of Torion's Arrow, Skywalker's ship. The Petit Mort accelerated after its quarry.

Owen rechecked the scanners as the Arrow dove towards the ringfield. No-one could have made the jump that fast. He looked at the identifying marker. Heh, figures.

"You cheated," he said over comm.

"Oh, and you making an instant jump was with a legally obtained flight plan?"

"Heh, thing is, you are behind me and that's where you're staying sister," Owen cut the comm as he turned his attention to the onrushing chunks of ice.

"We'll see about that," said Panolpei as the ion converters fired and the Petit Mort leapt ahead as if punched by an angry god.

Meanwhile, Anakin waited until almost every beings attention was on the beginning of the race. A cheer went up and the holo screens dissolved into static. At that moment he pushed a button and the casino's lights all went out. As the cheers turned to screams and cries of alarm he ran, jumped, dashed turned left, then right, opened a door and activated the luminator. There it was! In the centre of the holoprojector was the map crystal. Anakin plucked it from the projector and fitted in the replacement. he smiled. There, with any luck, no one would know a crime had been committed. It was then he heard the footsteps.

"Hello there," said Obi-Wan Kenobi in the doorway, "You're under arrest," he added.

The sensible thing, the sane thing would be to follow the ice field until over the beacon, dive in to tag it and then out the other end before proceeding to the next. It would take an hour. The crazy thing would be to enter the field as soon as possible to fly down the ever-changing grav streams to use the planet's gravity as a massive accelerant. Do it right and you could slingshot past both beacons and be clear for the jump in a mere twenty minutes. Do it wrong and your story ended here.

Neither Owen nor Panolpei were sensible or sane, focused as they were on winning the Kallballa. Both ships weaved through the chunks of ice.

"Nope, it's a secret," said Owen.

"Oh come now. In a few hours, everyone will know. Who am I going to tell out here?" said Panolpei.

As if on a cue there were flashes of light as the other ships appeared.

"Them," answered Owen as he found a good current and sped even faster.

Their opponents began to accelerate towards them.


Anakin looked across at the Jedi, "Kenobi! Fancy meeting you here!"

"It's over Anakin, there's no way out of here," he said indicating the tight confines of the projector room. "So how about you just come quietly?"

Anakin could hear more approaching footsteps, heh, "I would love to, you know, but there's this thing."

Kenobi's brows creased "What thing Skywalker, you're cornered, there's no way out."

The footsteps resolved themselves into a quartet of casino guards, blasters ready.

"Thing is, we're in Hutt Space and they really don't like Jedi," said Anakin as the guards brought their blasters up.

The other ships had entered the icefield now but the Arrow held the lead followed closely by the Mort. All ships but one.

"Hey who's that taking the safe path?" said Owen.

"That's the Mean Machine, oh Dirk, what dastardly plan is it this time," answered Panolpei.

As if in reply a hatch opened on the Mean Mchine and a sinister weapon emerged, then fired. A black-blue beam propagated from it and shot through the ice field.

"What was that?" said Panolpei.

"Graser. Gravitational effect weapon. Nasty." answered Owen.

"Well, typical Dirk, he missed," said Panolpei smugly.

"He didn't need to!" Owen shouted back as local spacetime was torn apart turning a somewhat orderly orbit of ice into a chaos of hurtling, crashing masses. Owen swerved around a block that had suddenly turned ninety degrees and then some others that seemed to be personally chasing him.


Kenobi smiled as the guards walked past him and trained their weapons on Anakin. "Thing is, Skywalker, I am here at the Hutt's request."

Anakin stared back, "Aww, that's not fair."

"Whoever said life was fair Skywalker? Now, if you would kindly come along."

Anakin backed up until he ran into the wall, he fumbled in his pockets.

"Come on Skywalker, it's over," repeated Kenobi.

"Yeah, guess you're right. Life isn't fair," said Anakin with a smirk as he dropped the flash grenade.


The race had turned into a desperate battle for survival as ships strove to avoid the wild, unpredictable paths of icy chunks. There was an explosion as a ship crashed, then another and another as the Kallballa again turned deadly. The Arrow and Mort dodged and weaved through it all.

"This is insane," said Owen as he manoeuvred through the chaos. At that moment the nav comp beeped. Tag! Well, that was one thing, he was still in the race. Quickly he plotted a course to the next beacon. There was a flash and the Mort briefly crossed his vision. "Watch it will ya!"

"Oh sush, we're competing for second, Dirk must be ahead by now," replied Panolpei.

"No he's not, that gun burned out his powerplant. Grasers use a lot of juice," said Owen.

Panolpei checked her scanner briefly. The Mean Machine was indeed dead in space. She wondered if Dirk was even now beating his fists against the control panel. She orientated her ship out of the chaos and towards the next beacon. "In that case Owen I have one thing to say," she said as fired the converters.

"What's that?" he said as the Arrow cleared the mess.

"Catch me if you can hon," she replied as the Mort raced ahead.

Anakin ran, retracing his steps then slipping through the panicking clientele of the Spiral.

"Skywalker!" yelled Kenobi behind him.

Close, but not close enough thought Anakin as he ran for a large window. As he neared it the window shattered as a gleaming red blade pierced it from the outside. Anakin dove through the flying glass and leapt into the speeder as the red blade flew back to Adara's hand as she fired the accelerator. The speeder flew quickly away. Anakin turned and blew a kiss to Kenobi.

"Later Kenobi!" he shouted.


The two ships raced almost side by side. They had cleared all the beacons, made the jumps and were now on the return to the Diamond.

"You have to tell me."

"Nope."

"Even now, when you're going to lose."

"Even now. Anyways, who says I'll lose?"

"I do, you're almost out of fuel. A wooden ship is cute, cuts down the mass but it can still only hold so much and you're out Owen. While I have all the fuel in the universe."

They were approaching the end. True to her prediction the Arrow began to fall behind.

"Heh, well there's this thing," said Owen as he flipped a switch.

"What thing?"

"Properly treated wood can be fuel all of its own," he said.

Canabalising the very hull the Arrow shot ahead on a plume of thruster fire leaving the Mort and a cursing Panolpei in its wake.


Anakin, Owen and Adara walked among the stars. In a large cave on Tarloth they had the purloined ancient map out and on.

"Where do we go?" mused Anakin.

"What about Elderida. Lots of nice, pricey, saleable artefacts." said Owen

"How about the fabled Human homeworld? Terra. Right here." said Adara.

"See you humans and raise you cocoa. Mayara. Some original viable beans, Worth a fortune." said Anakin.

The trio began arguing, each extolling the virtues of their choice.

A fourth light illuminated the Galactic Map.

"Caliburn. So, it's real." came a voice.

Everyone turned to see Panolpei by the map.

"Hey, private party." growled Owen.

"Now, now. Ever hear of the Lightsabre?"

"The Jedi weapons, sure." said Anakin.

"What if I told you it was a ship?" said Panolpei with a smile.