Chapter 20

'Fired Up'

'Amazing Race'

'By Any Means Necessary'

The first day on the slopes is like a rebirth for Dantius. He is actually enjoying himself and laughing. The playful 'trash-talk' between him and his holiday roommate makes for great amusement. He realizes that he is no match for the clever former Jedi hopeful.

The group returns to the cabin after skiing into the early evening and a hearty dinner at a popular bistro and ale hall. The waiters relay throughout the evening to every table with platters of shaak meatballs with Red berry sauce and warm rolls, roasted meats, meat pies, stews with chili dumplings, Okikuti fish chowder, pressed scalloped potatoes au gratin, steamed vegetables, assorted cheeses, fruits, and sweet tarts. All is washed down with local and imported ales, wine, and spiced teas and cocoa.

They are all tired but well-fed, filled with drink and happy. Boone appears to be the happiest of all this evening as he collects winnings from the group for a trial-run race. He is especially thrilled with the cash he receives from Dantius. Magnus walks over, in mock disgust and throws down several 5-credit notes.

"Here's your cash, cheater."

"Don't hate, Mags. It's unbecoming. I'm just exceptionally talented."

"Talented with your little Jedi box of tricks? We are not amused."

Roman passes by and dumps his cash in the pile.

"You the man, Boo. That's all I've got to say."

Sigrid, Son'ya, and Dantius file pass the 'Boone Antilles' receiving line to surrender their money. Fern stands close by and laughs.

"I warned you, Dani. I told you not to compete in any activity that involves a bet."

Sigrid responds.

"I only bet two credits."

Dantius presents a wad of cash to Boone. Boone greets his new friend with an ear-to-ear smile and pats him on the shoulder.

"My best roomie! How the 'eff' are you?"

"A hundred credits lighter." He says with a faint smile. Dantius had just given Magnus his share of the restaurant tab.

"Well, you took one for the team. I commend you, my dear friend." Boone places his hand on Dantius' shoulder as if he is a soldier going off to battle. He looks at the growing mound of cash. "Lay them all here…what a beautiful sight….I almost feel ashamed to take this."

Magnus yells from the kitchen.

"Oh, shut up!"

Boone chides him in a sweet sing-song voice.

"Mags, too young to be bitter."

Roman laughs and leaps across the sofa in front of the fireplace.

"So, Boone, what are you going to do now that you've won all these credits?"

"Cha! I'm going to Ewok World!"

"Hah! No, seriously."

Boone looks back towards the sofa, and with staunch sincerity he responds.

"I'm going to Ewok World. The newest, coolest theme park in the Outer Rim."

Everyone is stunned and quietly walk away to hand up their outerwear and gather around the fire to warm up. Boone looks up from counting his money.

"Psych! God, you guys are gullible!" He shakes his head in amused dismay.

Most of the group giggles in response, which is everyone but Magnus. Magnus is annoyed and everyone senses it. Losing a few credits to Boone had nothing to do with his lack of humor but it had everything to do with the impending ski race. He did not think it was funny that Boone and Roman were laughing because things got a bit dicey at the ale hall. There were people in attendance that they had not expected to be there.

The gravball team was present, every single one of them, including injured players Chip Neider and Doug 'the Boar' Cooha'ki. Doug is in a wheelchair and wears a neck brace. Apparently an additional Hoth Shuttle was provided to handle the invasion of university students. Special accommodation was reserved for the injured requiring assistance boarding the transport.

When the two sports heroes arrive at the ale hall and see Dantius and Boone, it sparks a fuzzy memory. Doug seems particularly angry. To complicate matters, Roman lets loose his most feral attack weapon of the evening: Son'ya.

Son'ya taunts the neighboring table of jocks. She gets into an argument with one of the players.

"Just so you know; we have skiers who will clean the trails with you jerks."

It starts out harmless enough, Son'ya is cute and petite so the jocks do not expect here full on attack. She is like a miniature nexu. Boone, Roman and Dantius laugh as Son'ya continues her tirade. Roman finally reins her in but the damage is done.

"Okay, Son'ya the angry vegan has spoken. Settle down now, you little spitfire."

Boone giggles.

"Someone order her a burger to calm her down."

One of the jocks rises from his seat, towering over Son'ya's small frame. He is a tall with rippling biceps bulging through his white ski turtleneck pullover. His name is Stig Childsen and he is blond, big and intimidating with piercing gray eyes. He is worse than Chip and Doug who, along with their teammates, is not liked him much at all. They stick by him more out of fear than respect. Stig sneers as he starts to approach Son'ya. She is almost fearless and barely backs away. He leans in close to her. She can feel his breath; moreover she can smell the mixture of ale

"You know, you're lucky I respect women or I would deck you right now. You were almost cute, and I was thinking I'd do you until you opened your mouth. So why don't you trot back to your seat you annoying little rancor."

Boone stands, waving his hands to get their attention as he responds.

"Hey, hey! That's not necessary. Only her friends are allowed to berate her, not some overgrown prehistoric sports slave. Don't make me go crazy on your ass. I can take you, too…looks like you have a few men down." He looks at Doug and Chip who are too injured to get into an altercation.

Son'ya jumps in again. This time people at the other tables are watching and laughing as Son'ya insults Stig.

"Yeah…you're not so big and bad right now are you? Cretins aren't my type. You big bully." She urges Boone on. "Right, Boone?"

Boone flexes his arms then strikes a strange fighting pose. Stig stares then laughs. His teammates follow his lead and laugh. He turns to Boone.

"What the hell do you call that?"

"It's called 'Rising Acklay.' It's a martial arts pose."

"Oh yeah? Ha! You want to mix it up with me, cafeteria-boy?"

"I can mix it up alright. The question is, are your ready?"

"Oh, I'm ready…I'll take you on…by any means necessary." Stig laughs expecting Boone to turn tail and run. He looks back at his teammates. They are still laughing. Stig snorts and makes a snarling grin. Boone keeps talking.

"I see you're as ugly as you are stupid. Duh!"

Dantius calmly taps Boone on the shoulder and whispers to him. He smiles as he tries to talk his roommate out of an altercation that could turn very bad.

"Boone, come on…Let's go…that's the ale talking."

Boone maintains his ninja-like fighting stance, ignoring Dantius.

"Nope, it's all me." He provokes Stig. Come on, you 'jock ass!' Get it? 'Jock - a---."

The smirk on Stig's face disappears. His teammates stop laughing. He clenches his fists, and with lightening speed swings around and thrusts his right fist forward. The motion makes a 'swooshing' sound before impact. Suddenly there is the sound of plates breaking and Boone falls to the floor. Sigrid screams.

"No!"

The manager, Pierre Labisse, in a fit of rage, throws everyone out. There is a mad race to the door. Magnus and Sigrid settle the tab for their group. Other students find this a perfect opportunity to leave without paying.

"Out…out! All of you! C'est la fin des haricots! God damned college kids! Câlice! Every year you wreck my place! Sacre bleu! Qu'un désordre! If you ever come back, I will have you thrown out!"

Roman rolls his eyes and shouts back at Labisse, mocking his accent as he files out of the bistro. He is almost laughing.

"Don't make it sound like such a threat. Being thrown out of a place like this is significantly better than being thrown out of the Jundland Wastes."

Labisse is grabbing at the thinning hair on his head as he continues yelling at no one in particular.

"Crazy kids!"

Roman waves as he backs up towards the restaurant door.

"Blah, blah, blah! Se calmer avant que vous vous donnez un assaut de Cœur! Relax old man! You know, you should try a different hairstyle; that comb-over just isn't working for you, pops! I think you like us. We come every year! Bye-bye!"

Roman and his 'gang of six' make their way back to the cabin as new snow falls gently from the night sky.

Now that everyone is back at the cabin, things have quieted down. Fern and Sigrid lead Dantius into the kitchen.

"Dani, let's get you something for that eye."

"I'll be alright."

Fern confides in him.

"Sure you will, but right now, you look like hell. Let's go."

Boone stops counting his money for a moment.

"Sorry about that, Dano. I didn't know you were directly behind me, man. You caught a fist sandwich as I fell."

"Yeah, lucky you."

"I've got good reflexes. But it doesn't look as bad as Fern makes it out to be. You're still good for tomorrow, right?"

"I'm fine. I just need to stay out of the line of fire in the future."

"Yeah…you got one mean sucker punch. But I'm proud of you, bro. You took one for the team."

"I did?" Dantius did not intend to do anything of the sort. Boone is a bit more enthusiastic about it. He gives Dantius a friendly slap on the back.

"Yeah! Good on ya! Well…I'll see you later." He sniffs the sleeve of his ski parka. "I think that waiter spilled ale on my parka when he bumped into me. Anyway, I'm going upstairs to rest up for tomorrow."

Boone grabs his money and sprints up the stairs. Sigrid and Fern tend to Dantius and his bruised left eye. Fern grabs a shaak steak from the freezer. Magnus walks in.

"Whoa! You're not putting that on his eye are you?"

"Of course I was."

"Use an ice pack. That steak cost 7 credits a kilo."

Fern looks at the packaged meat.

"Hmmm…What a rip-off." She grabs a cold pack from the first-aid drawer nearby.

Dantius sits in a bar stool near the sink

"It's okay…I don't exactly want shaak blood seeping into my eye."

Son'ya walks in the kitchen with an innocent look on her face as if she had nothing to do with what happened in the past hour.

"Geez, Dani, when are you going to learn how to duck?"

"Soon, I guess."

"You looked so funny when that guy hit you. You spun around like an out of control starship. You should have seen your face. It was hilarious."

Fern glares at her. She is not amused.

"Just remember, it was your big mouth that got him this black eye."

Son'ya rolls her eyes.

"A little black eye…Oh, how tragic!"

"I'm glad you think this is funny. He could have been killed." She takes the compress, slams it against the edge of the counter. It immediately becomes cold to touch and ice crystals form on the surface. She slips on a thermal glove to protect her hand as she presses the pack against Dantius' eye. Sigrid takes a second ice pack to have ready.

"Dani, I have another compress for you when you go to bed."

Son'ya rolls her eyes again.

"He's only got one black eye…what are you going to do, take turns?" She looks at Dantius. "Getting enough attention, 'faker'?"

"Fern gives Son'ya a dirty look.

"Ignore her, Dani."

"Okay." Dantius is just happy to get all of this gentle female attention. Getting the black eye was almost a godsend.

Son'ya hangs around the kitchen as the girls chat with Dantius and ignore her. She releases a heavy sigh.

"Well, I'm going to bed."

Sigrid responds absently.

"Good night." All of her attention is on Dantius. She places her soft beautiful hands around his face. "You're such a good guy, Dani. I'm glad Boone has such a loyal friend."

A faint smile forms across his face. He is blushing and is at a lost for words.

"Heh…"

Dantius finally makes his way upstairs to the bedroom. His roommate is fast asleep. He changes into his night clothes then settles into his bed near the window. The stars shine brightly across the galaxy as the snow continues to fall. Tomorrow is the great race. Boone, half asleep, murmurs something to Dantius from across the room.

"We're going to beat those 'roid-jocks tomorrow, aren't we?"

"We will, Boone…by any means necessary."

"Sounds like a plan…g'night, Dano."

"Goodnight, Boone."