Okay. Focus. Speed. I am speed.
Racing day. Speed, agility, skill, reflex, and strategy were everything, especially in this race.
One winner, twelve losers. I eat losers for breakfast.
You had to be tough to even make it out alive in this race. As well as fed.
Breakfast. Man, I wish I'd gotten to have breakfast. A little could be good for me. Ugh! No, focus. Speed. I'm speed.
Someone knocked from outside the room where the racer was preparing.
"Yo, Ani! Time is money! Are you ready?" shouted a loud, bossy sounding male voice.
"Oh, yeah."
And here's where the rock music starts...
I'm American made, Bud Light, Chevrolet
My mama taught me wrong from right
I was born in the south
Sometimes I have a big mouth
When I see something that I don't like
Out from the trailer came a fancy-looking racing pod, and in that pod was a human driver. He was a very handsome young man with curly locks of sandy brown, gorgeous blue eyes and perfect teeth. His name was Anakin Skywalker, the Boonta Eve Cup's rookie sensation.
I gotta say it
We been driving this road
For a mightily long time
Payin' no mind to the signs
Well, this neighborhood's changed
It's all been rearranged
We left that change somewhere behind
Slow down, you're gonna crash
Baby you were screamin'
It's a blast, blast, blast
There were so many amazing looking pods, all of them ready to win and do whatever it took to do so, as in this particular race, anything goes. Anakin was no exception; he was ready to win, and he was a very skilled racer too. In fact, what made him so famous was that he was the only human who could race pods with such amazing reflexes, as well as get through unscathed.
Look out babe you got your blinders on
Everybody's lookin' for a way
To get real gone, real gone
Real gone
There's a new cat in town
He's got high paid friends
Thinks he's gonna change history
You think you know him so well
Yeah you think he's so swell
But he's just perpetuatin' prophecy
Come on now
Slow down, you're gonna crash
Baby you were screamin'
It's a blast, blast, blast
Look out, you got your blinders on
Everybody's lookin' for a way
To get real gone
Real gone
Real gone
Real gone
Like any great race, the Boonta Eve Cup had its announcers, and this one was a Troig by the name Fodesinbeed Annodue, better known as Fode and Beed, who though they were two heads on one body, each acted as individual beings.
"Welcome Boonta Eve race fans," said Fode. "I'm Fode and he's my brother Beed."
"Announcing the racing deets for the knows you need." said Beed.
Among these racers were some famous faces, three of which were in the lead to winning the championship race.
The first a Twilek named Gobi Glie, a champion racer known as "The King," who was one race away from retiring.
"The King, Gobi Glie, has been winning so many races for years, amazing survival skills," said Beed. "and has only one race left before retirement. Can he win his masters one last Boonta Cup?"
The second was a rather rambunctious Doug named Sebulba, who was notoriously known for being the roughest racer and causing many crashes on the track.
"Must be infuriating for Sebulba," said Beed. "Always coming in second to the King."
"He's been chasing that tail end for years," said Fode. "He thought this was his year, but the last thing he expected was... Anakin Skywalker."
"And boy does he live up to his name. The rookie sensation came into the racing world unknown. But everyone knows him now. The only human known to survive this race starting out as a junior racer when he was just a child, and now racing with the big boys."
Well, you can say what you want
But you can't say it 'round here
'Cause they'll catch you and give you a whippin'
Well, I believe I was right
When I said you were wrong
You didn't like the sound of that
Now did ya?
Slow down, you're gonna crash
Baby you were screamin'
It's a blast, blast, blast
Look out, you got your blinders on
Everybody's lookin' for a way
To get real gone
Well, here I come, and I'm so not scared
Got my pedal to the metal
Got my hands in the air
Well, look out, you take your blinders off
Everybody's lookin' for a way
To get real gone, real gone
Real gone
Real gone
Real gone
The race went on with all the racers racing at practically the speed of light. Anakin loved to feel the wind on his face as he steered his pod through the track. Though he wore a helmet, he could feel the wind through bits of his hair making him feel free as he flew through the air. Going so fast, passing the other racers, though he'd done so a million times, he'd never felt so alive!
However, Sebulba was stirring up a lot of trouble for all the other racers by bumping them in the sides and making them swerve, crashing their vehicles and getting into explosions, if not just damaging their pods and then getting disqualified. If there was anyone else Sebulba hated losing to than Glie, it was Anakin.
From childhood, Anakin had always been good at mechanical stuff. He was basically a child genius. So, when he and his mother got taken by Watto, their boss, he worked really hard to be a great racer.
Sebulba tried everything he could to block Anakin's path, but Anakin dodged every obstacle and managed to catch up to the two leaders as they were approaching the finish line. He had to swerve and dodge, and even spun around as be barely avoided a deadly collision.
"It's gonna be close!" said Beed.
And the three leaders crossed the finish line!
"And it's a photo finish!" Beed and Fode said in unison.
The three leaders crossed so fast it was hard to tell who won. So, the camera crew played back the footage in slow motion over and over again to figure out who the winner was.
With the race finished, all the surviving injured racers were taken to get medical attentions and vehicles to get checked for possible repairs. Those who were lucky enough to get out unscathed were meeting with their agents or friends.
Glie was happily greeted by a Twilek family of friends of his, the Syndulla family. After so long spending time racing, he was finally ready to retire to spend more time with his family.
Anakin, on the other hand, was hugged by his loving mother, Shmi Skywalker, who always worried every time he raced.
"Thank Heaven you're alright, Ani!" Shmi said, kissing her son's face a bunch of times, like she did every time he finished a race.
"Mom!" Anakin whined playfully.
Anakin and his mother were very close. Shmi loved her boy very much and called him her Ani.
"That may have been your most exciting race yet, Ani!" said Watto, Anakin and Shmi's very bossy agent, and their keeper.
A thing about the Boonta Eve Cup, not all racers were there by choice. Not many knew this, but in Tatooine City, slavery was still a thing, and so... some of these racers were forced to compete, because if they refused, they would be severely punished. And because everything goes in this race, they can't do anything about it... unless they can hire a great lawyer to get them out of the enslavement... which was how Glie was able to finally make this his last race.
Anakin knew by winning this race, he could buy his freedom. Like all the slaves in the Outer Rim district, he and his mother had special transmission bracelets that were impossible for them to take off themselves. They kept slaves from escaping by marking their every move and acted as shock bracelets if a slave should ever be disobedient or upset their master in any way.
Anakin was determined to free his family and start a new life for them away from Watto.
Famous reporter Shera Nova, of course was covering the story of what was perhaps the biggest race of the year.
"I'm Shera Nova with Galactic News, here live with renowned Boonta Eve Cup rookie Anakin Skywalker," said Shera Nova. "Tell me, Anakin, how does it feel being the first ever human to survive pod racing since childhood? You sure faced some difficult turns back there most humans would find as reason to avoid pod racing, and word on the hood is you've been doing this since you were nine."
Of course, Anakin was forbidden from asking for help from the audience or mentioning he was a slave on live television. So, he put on a smile and gave pre-approved answers.
"Well, Shera, I'll tell you this... racing is about more than just winning. It's about the adrenaline, the journey, the excitement of feeling the speed through your veins. And, you gotta know how to think on your feet in this game."
"What would you say is your greatest motivation for winning in this sport?"
Anakin didn't need pre-approval for his genuinely honest answer to that question.
"That's easy. My mother. She always supports me every step of the way, and whether I come in first or fifth, she's always there to congratulate me on a race well done. So, whatever the result after the finish line, knowing I got a mother who's proud of me is the real prize. So any race fans out there, if your mom supports you, let her know you love her, and moms don't forget to support your kids."
That beautiful answer touched many hearts.
"Ani, get over here! I'm not paying you to lounge about." Watto bellowed.
Anakin rolled his eyes. "You hardly pay me at all."
"Ani," said a familiar voice. That of Sebulba. "That was some great racing out there... by me!"
Sebulba and his entourage laughed at Anakin. This particular Doug always picked on the newbies, and he tormented Anakin more than any opponent he'd ever had. Anakin was not just the youngest racer he'd lived in the shadows of, but also the only human he'd faced in a race more than once. He didn't show it in his face, but he felt threatened by this young man.
"Just you wait, because that trophy is mine." Sebulba said.
"In your dreams, Sebulba." Anakin said. "You couldn't even get an R2 unit to work with you."
Sebulba growled at Anakin as he turned his back and tossed his shoulder length hair back.
Anakin groaned as he got covered in soot trying to fix his speeder after yet another race of getting banged up.
"If it's not parts falling off, it's oil leaking with this thing."
If there was one thing Anakin could definitely count on with Watto, it was that he was too cheap to buy new parts for Anakin's vehicle or to pay him enough so he could buy the parts himself. He had to scrounge as much as he could just to have money set aside for medical expenses; even a great racer like him was no exception to facing an injury or two from such a rough sport.
Anakin honestly wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Mechanics, racing, and engineering were all he knew. That and smiling on camera when he was racing or when shooting commercials for the sponsor Watto signed him up for: Borkus' Skinny Soda, a soda that allegedly helped people lose weight, but Anakin knew for a fact that it not only tasted terrible, but it had the opposite effect, and Anakin couldn't say anything because of his contract.
But Anakin was determined to find a way out.
"Where is my dang wrench?" Anakin wondered.
"Have you checked the back of your belt, Ani?" said Shmi, taking the wrench from the spot she pointed out to her son.
"Oh, there it is!" Anakin blushed in embarrassment. "Thanks, Mom."
Anakin got back under the pod and started to fix a muffler that was falling apart.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take," said Shmi. "You know it kills me every time Watto makes you race like this."
"Believe me, Mother, this irks me more than it irks you. If I could, I'd gladly race somewhere else. But luckily, we don't need too many more races to have the money to get out of here. And then we can start a new life somewhere else, you and me."
"Do you even have a plan of what you'll do?"
"I've been taking online college courses on scholarship, remember? At least that's one benefit of being a famous racer. Easy money for school. Once this is over, I can get a job as a mechanic or something. Auto-shop, engineering, robotics, something. Anything is better than here. I'll even wait tables if I have to so we can start new lives."
Shmi sighed. Life as a racer's mother and a slave was no picnic for her either. Not only was she forced to watch as her son was forced to put his life in danger countless times, but she couldn't give her son the life she believed he deserved. She was forced into this life when she was much younger, and the one valuable thing she had that Watto didn't know about was a diamond ring she'd told Anakin was given to her by his father.
Shmi kept that ring in the hopes that it would help her find her love again. Anakin had no idea who is father was, but he knew that he and his mother never married, and sometimes he wondered if his mother never talked about him because he was the one who sold her into slavery. But Shmi told him his father loved him more than anything, and that was where his lucky bracelet had come from.
According to Shmi, both she and Anakin's father were poor and couldn't afford much. But when he was a baby, they used what they could find to make him that bracelet for his first birthday. It was a little rope with a wooden charm that looked like half a heart. Anakin always thought that was just how the charm came out. But, something in his gut told him that there was more to his story. But, he didn't have time to think about that now, as he heard his name being called to come to the stage where the trophy was usually presented.
So, Anakin went to that space, where he passed by a lot of screaming fans, including a lot of young women. It didn't surprise Shmi, Watto, or anyone in his sponsors that practically all the women in the area were attracted to Anakin. He was strong, handsome, and girls screamed especially when they saw him without a shirt on, as Watto had made him do modeling as well. As much as Anakin liked to show off, he didn't appreciate being put on display like some kind of golden statue without emotions.
Anakin took a breather as he awaited the time to step out. The King and Sebulba were both called as well, and Anakin was unsure why.
"Hey, Skywalker." Glie called. "That was some great racing out there.
"Oh, thank you Mr. Glie." Anakin said. "You did pretty great out there too, as always. And can I just say it's a great honor being in the same race as you? It's great racers like you that make rookies strive to do better."
"You got potential, kid. You're fast, strong, and got strategy."
Anakin liked how nice the guy seemed. Most other racers he'd met were totally cocky jerks.
"But you're also weak."
"What? You just said I was strong."
"Physically, yes, but do you really don't think no one can see you're living in fear? Your so-called master is a jerk."
"I admit, Watto is pretty bossy, but it's not like I really have a choice. Everything I do, I do it for my mother."
"If there's one thing I know about winning, it's that you can have a hundred first place trophies and still be a loser. Winning isn't about trophies, it's about what makes you feel like you have purpose. For me, it's my goddaughter Hera. She's the real prize of my eyes. When I see the awe in her eyes when she hears one of my racing stories, the way she feels inspired inspires me to strive for the best. If you're lucky, you'll meet that special someone who makes you feel like a winner even in your darkest moments."
"I already have someone like that. My mother."
"And I'm sure she's very proud of you. But she might be even happier if you found a special girl of your own... one who loves you for you, rather than for racing."
Anakin thought about what Glie told him, and it did sound nice to dream of finding love, meeting a special girl and marrying her someday. All these girls screaming his name more than likely only wanted to marry him because he was famous or handsome, or both, and thought he was rich or something. But if they learned he was totally broke and a slave, they would want nothing to do with him.
"Maybe someday," said Anakin. "For now, I gotta grin and bear with this until I can win my freedom. Besides, how would I even know if she's real?"
"Well, I guess you'll have to find a girl who's not into racing or at least doesn't know who you are."
"Where am I gonna find a woman like that?"
An announcement was soon made as Anakin, Glie, and Sebulba stood on stage together and waited.
Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in Boonta Eve Cup history... we have a three-way tie!
Anakin was greatly surprised to hear this, but he walked up onto the stage with the other two leaders of the race and smiled as reporters and photographers got out their cameras and snapped pictures.
Fode and Beed made the announcement that Boonta Eve officials determined that a tie-breaker race between the three leaders would be held at the Platinum Pegasus Stadium in Alderaan City in one week. Alderaan City was said to be a very beautiful city, and far from the Outer Rim district.
Anakin thought about that, and he realized that would out of jurisdiction for the Outer Rim authorities to keep him under his slave contract. He smiled very genuinely now because going to that race meant he and his mother could potentially find a lawyer to help them get out of this contract and help them start a new life. It was a long-shot, but this tie-breaker race was probably the best thing to ever happen to him.