Harold could not help but roll his eyes at the furious furball. He still wasn't sure why the garage put up with the surly foul mouthed creature. He ignored the creature as he tended to do as he had little need for the diminutive bear's ability to get jobs. His job more often started after the jobs were over. Instead he looked over to the young mechanic and raised his glass. "Just in time." he said to the Cerean. "You missed a bit of a row as the racers got lined up but other then that you are right on time."

Harold looked back to the screen as the racers streaked through the first leg.

Frekkit. Didn't mean anything by it.. just a play on words.

"Heya, Krydil, just in time!" She greets her friend with a quick embrace.

"Sorry, Vic. Choobies aren't really my thing. Check with Lei." Zara responds dismissively, turning her attention to the race as it starts.

The incensed dug would pause for a moment before clambering up onto a stool, accepting the drink with a slight grunt. The race was well and truly underway as the stragglers arrive, the tarmac of the city outskirts quickly giving way to the golden sands where the bulk of the course had been built. Brittle spray of the ground up rock was flung out in great arcs behind the swoops as they tore down the drag strip. Leaving the beach they moved into a more forested area, winding in and out of trees and boulders that had been carefully placed to form the structure of the course. The final third of the track looped back around to scream down the city streets where those lucky enough to camp out last night could see the racers up close and personal.

The favourites quickly moved to the front of the race, shelling out the over the hill or less experienced racers over the course of the race. Reshit nearly was brought down by a viscous barge from two racers who had taken a dislike to the imperial logo emblazoned on his jump suit and the front of his bike. Love or hate him though, his skill was unquestioned and he left the pair in the dust. The correlian favourites were placed between first and fifth place. Thanks to some questionable driving from Scorso he had taken the lead for the bulk of the first half of the race. Sufi Keetar and Rato were close on his tail though, perhaps their pride was what caused them to almost constantly switch positions. Trusk had been sitting in fourth place consistently, knowing that being here was a good position to react.

The race lasted for two hours, and each racer was allowed a single pit stop to check over the bikes, make sure they weren't overheating and such. During the race there were short interviews with other people working the race, ranging from chief engineers to influential individuals attending the race. Some of the obscenely wealthy had large floating boxes that slowly drifted over the top of the race course, giving them the best birds eye view of the race possible. Even a few senators were attending in this manner.

Eventually, the race begun to draw to a close, and it was still anyone game. There had been a spill a few laps back as the front of someones swoop had dug into the sand by mistake and flung them at least three hundred yards over the swoops bars. The crash took out no less than seven other racers out of contention, too injured to get back on to the twisted wrecks. Even the smallest mistake could end a race, if not a whole career.

Finally the final lap came through, and everyone all over the city was on their feet, roaring for their favourite to pull ahead. Finally, the winner was decided. Reech Scorso came over the line first about ten seconds in front of the next racer, but ten seconds in such an intense sport felt like an eternity away. Second place was Sufi with Trusk making a last minute dash to take third less than half a swoop length behind. Tauren came in fourth a second later, shaking his head as he crossed the line.

With the race over the bar erupted into cheers and cries of disappointment, coin exchanging hand and drinks being jostled and spilled as people leapt about in excitement. The pit crew helped to drag Reech off of his swoop as he staggered to his feet. Removing his helmet the haggard face was twisted in very genuine joy as his victory sinks in. It was well earned for the veteran, few raced to his age, and none with this kind of success.

The obligatory interviews were carried out, and it was all very civil and mildly interesting for the more dedicated fans, but many patrons begun to file out of the bar after a while to go home or maybe to another drinking establishment. The end of Reech's interview though was very interesting, and actually paused a lot of people in their tracks.

'Yes, well, you can only keep this kind of thing up for so long, and it's beginning to take its toll' he would say in a gravelly voice. 'So after a lot of thought, I am announcing my retirement. Yeah, I talked it through with Selanda and my manager, and I decided I wanted to end on a high, and this is about as good as it gets'.

There would be a low murmur amongst the drinkers as the news sinks in, it was a true loss to the race courses of the galaxy.

'But I have a lot of people to thank for my success, especially Telar, he gave me my first contract to race as a pro, and he did this even though I was a rookie. I know how difficult it is to break into the professional circuit, and I want to do something about that, so I am also announcing that I will be opening an amateur race circuit, here on my home world of Corellia. It's aim is to give the younger racers who the pro agents would never give a look at a chance. Too much of this sport is politics, it's about who you know, your image and all that rubbish. I'm going to make my circuit about skill, pure and simple. So keep an eye out for news on how to get involved!'

With that the interview was ended with a few pleasantries, and the event slowly round to a close over the next few hours. The news of a new circuit though was shocking. It was nearly impossible to go pro, especially with the new regulations courtesy of the empire, but this, this was a golden ticket that was all too rare these days.

"Okay, so she let the old guy win.. but she still came in ahead of Trusk!" Barely...

Catching the buzz of excitement, Zara struggles to hear Reech's interview over the din. "Quiet, you uncultured karks!"

As the veteran racer lays out his plans for an amateur circuit, she can't help but share in the general exhilaration, but there is something more. Anticipation.. Zara knows she has the skill , but until just now, garnering the necessary attention to go pro seemed a distant fantasy... "Vic. Get us into the first race on Scorso's new circuit, or you're fired."

Cormil, shocked by Scorso's announcement responds, "Do you really think, Zara? I mean really think we have a chance?"

"Well frak you too! But yeah, its a good frakken point. I'll see what big Vic can do fo yous..."

"So you gotsa in with this Scorso fella or am I just cold calling this mark?"

He flips the chair around and leans in.

Harold looks at the growing conversation with a bit of trepidation. Looking over to Zo'un he smiles. "So Zo'un, this looks like an above board deal so I am thinking that your approach would be best in getting us into these new races."

“Oh, poo!” Lei Mie pouts with feigned sorrow . “Pretty boy lost. Oh well.”

“Now this new racing circuit sounds like fun,” she adds, with almost erotic desire. “Just the thought of it is turning me on.I can’t wait!”

Krydil was enthralled through the whole race paying not much mind to the noise around him, he didn’t much care who won, just that it was an exciting race.

Upon hearing the news turns to his friends “ A new racing Circuit!” Krydil jumps up excited, “ This is great guys! We will need a mechanic, I can do that!”

"Sheesh she's frakken worse than my ex frakken wife."

He says with a glance thrown towards Lei Mei.

"Wes gonna be professionals so yous all better not frak this chance up kiddos. Might not be a second.

So what we know about this Mark whose fronting this lil league? Wes got any kinda in?"

As people begin to empty out of the pub, a young rodian in a bright red leather jacket stumbles over the threshold of the cantina. This was Gitch, a local of the north-east an a good enough person. Sure he'd had his run ins with Corsec, but who hadn't? He had been a regular at the garage where the crew worked for a few years, and had been good friends with the likes of Zara, Corrmil and Krydil for a while now. 'Hey guys!' he'd shout cheerily as he makes his way to the bar. He'd slap a hand on Zara's shoulder as he reaches down for an abandoned drink on the bar. Scooping it up he would take a quick drink, following it with a sigh. 'Ah, free booze. Anyway you guys coming to the beach tonight? It's gonna be a big one I hear, especially after that win today'.

At this mention the memory of what he was talking about would quickly return to the younger members of the crew. 'The beach' was a party that was hosted every year shortly after the Three Crowns final to celebrate or commiserate the results. It had been going for years, and was a fantastic gathering point for hot rodders, gear heads and anyone with an interest in the sport of racing (or just wanting to drink the night away). The party was filled with drinking, music and even racing over the golden sands for meagre cash prizes. It was more of a social event than a real opportunity to race, but it was still popular non the less, and a great chance to test your skills against the local swoop riders and such. The biggest excitement however came at the end of the party when Corsec inevitably found the latest location of the celebration and came to break it up. It was something of a tradition now, and those that were caught would talk about the adventures with pride just as much as the many that escaped.

“Party?” Lei Mie beams. “I’m always up for a party!”

Vic groans.

1 hour ago, TheShard said:

Vic groans.

“Oh, come on, cutie,” Lei Mie croons, scratching his ears lightly. “You should see the parties on Zeltros. They can go on for weeks, non-stop. Don’t you like having a good time?”

"Yeah, Gitch, wouldn't miss it!" Zara replies, a half-smile quirking her expression as she thinks about racing later. She passes her own unfinished beer to the Rodian. "Where's this shindig getting started?"

“ Man do I need a party after today’s problems in the shop. I’m up for it.” Krydil says to gitch while looking at his friends. “ I mean we could even make a buck if some of us bring our bikes. I can tune em up so we win for sure.”

As the rest of his garage mates chat about the after the Three Crowns beach party Harold pushes his unfinished drink in the red jacketed rodians direction. He shifts a bit gaining a bit of space in the bar now that most of it has cleared out. Wringing his hands slightly he half smiles. "Yeah the beach sounds like the place to be." he says more to himself then anyone. The party was always a crazy one with alot of not so legal things changing hands. While he had no desire to race there was the likely option of other ways to get his blood pumping.

"What are we waiting for, lets go." he says and starts heading for the airspeeder parked outside."

"Wait for me!" Lei Mie calls, grabbing her helmet and heading for her bike. Straddling it, she slips on her helmet then her gloves, and guns the engines.

"Not so fast, Doc," Zara interjects, as their little gathering prepares to relocate. "You didn't forget about our little wager, did you? You're the one who wanted to make things more interesting." She keeps her tone playful, but firm, rubbing her thumb against her fingers in the universal gesture for credits.

Perhaps it isn't wise to bring up debts to the medic, before a race.. but he can afford to keep his word, and still do a little shopping at the party, I'm sure.

Gitch would be quick to scoop up the unfinished drinks, pouring them together to make some kind of weird hybrid (probably not a great flavour resulting from this). 'Hm? Oh it starts at sun down, still got a few hours to get your stuff together before heading out. I'm meeting the guys beforehand, head down when things pick up you know?'

Glancing at Krydil Gitch would nod encouragingly as he sips from his odd concoction. 'I think the buy in is 20 credits a head, but depending on who turns up there may be a couple of hundred on the line. It'll be mostly bikes, but landspeeders are going to rock up as well. Lots of variety to mess around with!'

As Harold and Lei make their way to their bikes, Gitch would sneak into Harold's seat to enjoy his drink. 'Fairly keen huh? Well I'm gonna hang around here, enjoy this and then go get ready. I'll see you guys there I guess!'

5 hours ago, Edgehawk said:

"Not so fast, Doc," Zara interjects, as their little gathering prepares to relocate. "You didn't forget about our little wager, did you? You're the one who wanted to make things more interesting." She keeps her tone playful, but firm, rubbing her thumb against her fingers in the universal gesture for credits.

Perhaps it isn't wise to bring up debts to the medic, before a race.. but he can afford to keep his word, and still do a little shopping at the party, I'm sure.

"Sorry, lost my head in the race." Harold reaches into the inner pocked of his coat and pulls out enough credits to cover the drinks and the hundred for his lost bet. "There ya go, well earned." he says with a smile.

"Shall we head back to the garage and gather up before heading out. As our rodian friend mentioned it might be good to be fashionably late."

5 hours ago, Rabobankrider said:

'I think the buy in is 20 credits a head,

Cormil smiles at Harry, "And this is why you don't bet against Zara." Cormil walks over and sits down next to Gitch. "No reason to rush, right?" he says. Twenty credits a head , thinks Cormil. I don't have a lot left on my credstick, but I've got the best speeder in the garage. Why not? He turns back to Gitch, "You racing too, or just there for the scene?"

Zara smiles back as Hal hands her the credits. "Buy-in tonight is on me.. well, on Doc here, really. Don't let the fact that you can't beat me deter you from trying." She looks around at her companions. "That goes for any of you. You don't have to be a racer on a swoop to have fun at the beach. C'mon, let's fly."

" You can say that again!≈" Krydil says in response to Zara. " We've got a few hours I am sure I can tune up each of your bikes before the party tonight Let's go get all of your bikes checked and make sure they are in tip top shape, while the party is fun, winning could make the night all the sweeter."