Episode III- The Fast and the Nervous

TELOS

"Looks like the payment from our last job came in." Voyla declares, handing Kirkran a datapad and sitting back in her seat. The smuggler captain and his crew are lounging in a booth in a dingy but modest cantina, near the outskirts of the Telosian capital of Thani. It's been about a month since their run-in with Car'das on Manaan, and though their fortunes are looking up, things could always be better.
"Great, maybe now we'll be able to afford some good alcohol." Vox murmurs jovially, taking a sip from the pint in front of him. The cantina is full of spacers and pilots of all stripes, waiting for a crack at their next job. The band is playing a moody blues tune, accenting the foggy, slightly downtrodden atmosphere of the bar. Kirkran sat back as he looked over the datapad, his feeling of edginess strong as ever since the fiasco with Car'das. He expected him to call on them at any moment.
As he sat deep in thought he noticed a hooded figure stealing glances when he, she or it was able to. "See the person over by the bar? He's been watching us for a little while." The man eyeing up Kirkran and his crew is an older-looking Toong, rubbing his glass nervously and trying not to seem too inconspicuous. His face is lined with wrinkles, showing years of worry and dismay, and his paled flesh sports gaunt lines and bags under his eyes. Whoever he is, he's seen better days.
Clearly too nervous to make a move, the Toong keeps his distance, looking to the Renegades thoughtfully and trying to think of how to approach them. Before anyone could react, Nakei quickly got up and hobbled over. "Hey! Do eyes got do problem looking tchuta else? Most people would shoot u che it." The sight of Nakei hobbling over and barking expletives makes the skittish Toong yelp, and he quickly slides back in his seat, waving his lanky arms in protest.
"N-no, you, you've got the wrong idea!" He stammers. His voice is gruff and of moderate tone, but he speaks with a prominent stutter, which accents his otherwise unassuming appearance.
"Y-you guys are spacers, right? O-or smugglers, or whatever?" Because of how loudly he speaks, the Toong ends up attracting the attention of some nearby patrons, whom all look over to Kirkran and the gang at the mention of "Smuggler".
Nakei slaps his hand over the Toong's mouth. "Jee-jee are CARGO HAULERS. U are just itching tah be shot using words like ulwan um staring at others." Kirkran walks over and shoos Nakei away.
"You really should be careful." The poor old Toong lets out a yelp when Nakei slaps him, moving his hand over his mouth and breathing through his nose, looking visibly flustered at how quickly the exchange had escalated. He calms down a bit when Kirkran steps into the scene, but his body is still tense and agitated.
"I'm sorry, I... I'm really bad at this." He admits, letting go of his mouth and resting his hands on his spindly-legged lap. "My name is Ben Quadrinaros. I was staring because I, well, I need transport. Myself along with some cargo to Aleen. I can pay, upfront if you want. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Wait. Quadrinaros? The guy who didn't get off the line at the Boonta Classic?" Asks Kirkran.
Ben becomes visibly offended at this. "Hey!" He sits up, some of the stammer disappearing from his voice. "I was sabotaged at the Boonta Classic, you know! Check out my times on the Inferno Circuit, you'll see I'm not as bad as everyone makes me out to be." Judging by the look he gives Kirkran, it's clear the poor Toong gets a lot of flak for his spectacular blunder.
Quickly losing his nerve, he slumps back down into his seat. "That race was a bust, anyway. Can you believe some human kid won that thing? O'course, that kid ended up being Anakin Skywalker, so I don't feel too bad about it. That guy was one of the best podracers in the Galaxy, ask anyone."
"May he rest in peace." Kirkran replies.
"What DID happen at Boonta?"
"Da cheating sleemo Sebulba, noah doubt. He always cheats." Barks Nakei as he hobbled back over. "Mee met him once whao mee was younger. Makes all Dugs look goola."
"Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Sebulba." Ben corrects, shaking his head. "But that's not really relevant right now. All I need is for someone to transport me and my podracer to Aleen in one piece. I can pay you two thousand upfront, plus four thousand when we reach Aleen. Does that sound fair to you, captain?"
"Sounds easy enough. We charge per parsec traveled. Where do we pick up the pod?" Asks Kirkran.
"The pod's in storage at a nearby spaceport." Ben replies, sitting up and finishing his drink, making a face as he does. "It's disassembled for compact transport; you shouldn't have any trouble fitting it in your cargo hold, even if your ship is on the smaller side."
"Alright. I'll send Jak and Vox with you." He whistles, summoning the Clones over. "Tell me what hangar and I'll have my ship there in half an hour."
Before long, the Moomrunner is loaded up with Quadinaros' podracer, and Kirkran finds himself going through his regular checklist for takeoff. As the Toong had said, the racer was easily packed up into the cargo hold, with plenty of room to spare. The racer himself was shaping up to be a reclusive but polite and quiet passenger, so this was having the trimmings of a simple, quick job. One can only imagine how things will go wrong this time.
"I didn't take you for a podracing fan, Captain." Voyla teases, with a hint of sincerity in her voice. The two find themselves in the Moonrunner's cockpit, checking the sub-systems and continuing pre-launch preparations. She flicks a couple switches on the dashboard as she talks. "It doesn't quite seem your style."
"A job's a job. And Mr. Quadinaros paid up front."
Being the nosy Dug he is, Nakei couldn't resist taking a look at Quardinaro's Pod engines. As far as Nakei can tell, the engines are in good condition. A little bit of rust is freckled along the outer plating, but that's to be expected of older machines. What is concerning, however, is that the casing for the power cells is missing, and there appear to be no power cells in the machine at all.
"She's an old racer, but she'll get the job done." Ben declares, stepping into the cargo hold and setting his luggage down on the floor. "I've ridden worse, that's for sure."
"Da so?" Says Nakei shortly as he hobbles over to the Toong. "Ya are noahpawa casings MO pawa cells, Benny. Choy are u hoping tah chawa gee, hopes um dreams?"
Ben laughs and waves a hand dismissively. "No power cells? What are you talking about? They're right here, behind the casing." He steps forward and leans forward to look over the engine, and as he does, his jovial expression quickly fades, being replaced with one of confusion and horror."Oh.... oh no, that's... that's not possible." He leans further inward, rummaging around with his long, spindly arms, looking desperately for the power cells. "They're in here, they just have to be!"
"We're about to take off." Says Kirkran as he enters the hold before seeing the panicked look on Ben's face. "What's the matter, Mr. Quadinaros? You're not bothering him are you, Nakei?"
"These pod bota hagwa have kickeepawa casings mo cells."
"Where else could they be Ben?" Asked Kirkran as he looked for himself.
"Oh dear....It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay...." Ben takes a step back, shaking his hands and making a flustered face. "I-i'll just buy some new power cells when we get to Aleen, that's what I'll do. Y-you guys don't gotta worry about it, we can still do this. I'll still pay you, you can still go through with the job."

The sheepish Toong hardly seems like the type to lie under pressure, so Kirkran can at least take his promise of payment to heart. That being said, power cells certainly aren't cheap, and the poor podracer will likely find himself in quite a bit of financial trouble if he buys brand new cells, especially if he doesn't win the race."Try contacting a seller on Aleen before we make planetfall. That way you classed pick them up immediately." Said Kirkran when a thought struck him. "..... Do you have a pit crew?"
"Yes, but..." Ben reaches up and runs a hand along his bald head, letting out a shaky sigh. "When they find out I lost the power cells, they'll be positively furious. They'll probably quit right on the spot." He looks up to Kirkran, taking a deep breath and allowing himself to calm down. As sad as it is to say, Quadinaros seems to be quite good at calming down in stressful situations. He must have terrible luck to be that well practiced."I need some time to think about this, captain. Do you mind if I cloister in the guest cabin for a little while, mull this over in my head?"
"Of course. Unless you have further business to attend to here, I'll get is airborne." Nakei hobbles from the hold, not looking very impressed. But that's normal for the Dug's nature.
The next couple hours aboard the Moonrunner are quiet, but undoubtedly tense. As Kirkran and the crew are left to their own devices, Ben Quadinaros thinks and stresses within the guest cabin, trying to figure out the dire situation he finds himself in. Finally, after some deliberation, he calls for Kirkran to tell him his plan."I'm not going to be able to compete in the Aleen Circuit." He says with a defeated, despondent tone of voice. "Without those power cells, the engines are useless. The pod is a showpiece at best, a pile of scrap at worst. Feriae Junction is between here and Aleen, if you drop me off there I can arrange for transport back to Tund. I'll pay you for the distance traveled, I owe you that much."
"Didn't you try contacting any dealers?" Asks Kirkran, not really wanting to drop a job. "I'm sure someone must have one."
"Believe it or not, most dealers don't like dealing with a flunked-out podracer." He admits with a shrug of the shoulders, some of the self-respect he had shown before clearly missing now. "I'll try to look around Junction for something, but It'll probably be a bust." He sighs and plops down into a nearby chair, resting his head in his hand."What a bummer this turned out to be... the reward for the Aleen Annual is 125 000 credits." Immediately, slot machine sounds start going off in Kirkran's head. Quadinaros seems like the type of guy to be generous to those that help him, especially in dire situations. With a payout of 125 000 on the line, playing his cards right might earn the Renegades a far greater payout than the original 6000 that had been promised.
"Okay, we need to refuel anyway.” Says Kirkran, thinking. “Nakei can accompany you. Maybe the two of you can find some. Nakei might be a little gruff but it helps on these Outer Rim planets."
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As the Moonrunner entered orbit around Junction, Kirkran told Nakei what to do. "And please, I know this is difficult for you but don't rile the locals."
"Just choy mee wanted tahdo babysit." Grunted Nakei as he headed to meet the Toong at the boarding ramp. "Let's just hurry um locate some cells um get bata on schedule. "A hopeful expression washes over Ben's face, but it's noticeably subdued, held back by his doubts and dismay. He gives a polite, gracious bow of the head before turning around and heading back to his quarters to await the trip to Junction in solitude. He's clearly not letting his hopes get too high, lest he suffer familiar disappointment.

FERIAE JUNCTION

The Junction spaceport is as wretched a hive of scum and villainy as any other spaceport in the Galaxy. The broad docking complex is filled to the brim with unsavoury individuals and their unsavoury wares, from alcohol and spice, to illegal weaponry, and everything in between. The building is noticeably vacant of Stormtroopers, the Hutts probably having paid off the Empire so they'd leave the place be.
"I don't like this look of this place..." Ben admits with folded arms. "But if we're going to find replacements for my engines, it'll be here."
"Vox, you and I'll check the scrappers. Jak, you, Nakei and Ben check the Bazaar. Keep your pockets tight."
"Obviously." Grunted Nakei as he slowly began hobbling away with Quadinaros and Jak in tow.
"Contact us once the refueling is finished, V."
"Will do. Shouldn't take more than a couple hours." Replies Voyla as she stands at the base of the boarding ramp.
The scrapyards of Junction are miniscule compared to others found throughout the galaxy, but for Kirkran and Vox, they're still a substantial sight to behold. The Junction Junkyard is situated a few kilometers outside of the spaceport, accessible via public transport, and is about as large across as a large city or small metropolis. An enthusiastic scrap collector could easily get lost in the metal hills."Oi! You there!" A gravelly voice and the flapping of wings alerts Kirkran and his Clone companion to an approaching Toydarian, younger and more slender than one might expect of a scrapper. "Always a treat to see newcomers to the junkyard. What can I do for you, boys?"
"Oh boy...." Groaned Vox quietly.
"Cells and cell casings. For a couple of podracing engines." Replies Kirkran, hoping to be in and out quickly. "We're on our way to Aleen so we're in a bit of a hurry."
"Cells and cell casings?" The stout little winged man scratches his scruffy chin as he thinks. "Casings I got, but power cells aren't cheap you know. The early birds have probably came by and picked all the new stuff clean..." He takes a look around, murmuring and mumbling to himself before he turns his gaze back to Kirkran."You know what? You might have some luck over on the South end of the lot. I've got a bunch of old freighters and transports over there, I'm sure you can jury rig something from them onto your pod. Those Corellian freighters are notoriously compatible, hahaha!"
"I'm all too familiar, I own a 1250. Best damn vessel in the 'verse." Says Kirkran. "We'll go check 'em out. Thanks. C'mon Vox." As the two Renegades wind their way to the back of the yard Kirkran worries they won't find something in time. "I'm not one to drop a contract, Vox. It'd feel WRONG."
"I dunno, Captain." Vox replies, shrugging his shoulders. "He's already offered to pay us for the distance traveled. From what Nakei described, he's not much of a podracer to begin with, maybe we should just cut our losses and try to find a different... hey, wait!"
The Clone suddenly comes to a stop, placing a hand on Kirkran's shoulder and pointing. "Look over there! What's that? "Kirkran jerks to a halt and follows Vox's finger, his sight set upon a severely damaged YT-1930, the front mandibles crumpled and the glass of the cockpit shattered, several holes in the hull, both from parts stripped and decompression.
"Damn. What do you suppose happened?" Asked Kirkran, scanning the scrapped ship.
"Whatever happened, it wasn't pretty. This bird must have been in quite the firefight." Vox steps forward and examines the stern of the ship, narrowing his eyes as he looks over the broad engine insulators. "Hey Kirk, the hyperdrive is gone, but it looks like the sublights are still intact. You think we can make use of them?"
"For the 'Runner or Ben's pod?" He asks as he walks toward the boarding ramp with his blaster drawn. "Never know what might be hiding."
"If you're still set on helping that guy, these would be perfect." Vox admits, patting one of the engines. "The power cells aren't compatible, but we could rig up the entire engines to his pod. I've seen similar setups in the more obscure circuits." As Kirkran ascends the boarding ramp, he hears skittering from within the ship, followed by sharp, croaking screeches. A gaggle of small rodent-like creatures scurries down the ramp, zipping past Kirk and into the piles of refuse surrounding the ship, darting for safety away from the intruder.
"These engines look damn near new. Contact the others except Voyla and have them meet us here. I might have an idea." Kirkran heads for engineering, thinking.
"Renegade 5 to Renegade 4 come in, over." Says Vox as he pulls out his comm.
"Renegade 4 here, over. What is it brother?" Comes Jak's voice.
"Cap wants you, Nakei and Benny to meet us here. He may have something."
"Copy. On our way, out." Jak responds one last time.A short while later, Kirkran and Vox are joined by the others. The group stands in a semi-circle in front of the YT-1930, gazing upon it with mixed expressions. Ben seems the most confused about being brought here, but his confusion is accented by a noticeable hopefulness, almost an excitement.
"So, what's going on here Captain?" He asks, his hands resting on his narrow hips, his eyes widened in an intrigued stare.The junk dealer joins them. "You had a deal, Captain Stakes?"
"Yes. How much would you charge for the engines off this 1930?" Asks Kirkran, sounding more confident than he should.
"Just the engines?" The young Toydarian scratches his chin. "I dunno, they're decent units. Girodyne sublights, and I'm pretty sure they were modified too..." He rests his other hand on his hip, giving a dismissive shrug. "You know what? No one else has shown any interest, I'll cut you a deal. 300 credits for each unit, 500 for both. Sound fair?"
"They're nopa modified. Mee looked." Grunted Nakei.
"How 180 a piece? Depending on how this job we're doing goes, we should be back at the end of the week to collect."
"Don't take it personally, spacer, but I've got a business to run here." The Toydarian replies, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know you, I can't take your word for it alone, you know? I can go as low as 400 for both, anything less and I'm losing money."
"Deal." Says Kirkran, hiding his contempt. "Mr. Quadinaros and I'll meet you up front. Voyla, you and the others return to the ship and get ready for takeoff."
A satisfied smirk crawls across the Toydarian's face as he claps his hands together. "Great! I'll arrange for some of my droids to help you remove the engines, I'm sure you boys are eager to get up and out of here." With that, he turns around and flies away, leaving the Renegades to their business.
With the help of the scrapper's droids, the YT-1930's engines are quickly removed, and a short while later, they're loaded up into the Moonrunner. They're a fair bit larger than the pod's original engines, but jury rigging parts that don't quite belong together is the entire spirit of podracing."Okay here's the plan." Says Kirkran. "We replace the 'Runner's port and starboard engines with the Girodyne sublights and give the old ones to Ben to replace his none operational ones." He pauses to see if anyone, especially Nakei, objects. Nakei doesn't, to his surprise.
Voyla pipes up instead, "So Ben gets new pod engines and the 'Runner gets an upgrade. Seems fair."
"And if your ship's engines carry me to victory in the Aleen Annual, you guys will get a hearty share of the prize money." Ben confirms, imagining everyone was already aware of such a deal, but putting it out there just to make things nice and official. He seems in better spirits, sporting a hopeful smile.
"And if you flunk out, we'll throw you in the water purifier and run the refresh cycle." Jak muses, folding his arms over his chest. It seems to be a comment made in jest, but neither him nor Vox are laughing.
"Ehehe.... Couple of jokers, eh Captain?" Laughs Ben nervously. "W-when can we get underway?"
"Immediately. Voyla?" Says Kirkran, facing the Twi'lek.
"Mhm." She nods and quickly heads to the cockpit.
Without further fuss or interruption, the group gets to work. With the help of Jak and Vox, Kirkran and Nakei begin the long and physically demanding process of removing the YT-1250's engines. As one of the only native YT-1250 parts left on the Moonrunner, they prove difficult to remove, fixed in place firmly and securely. Surprisingly, Quadinaros offers proves quite helpful during the process. Despite his skittishness and submissive personality, he seems knowledgeable and clever with regards to starship hardware, and his knowledge and general helpfulness helps the process go by much quicker.
"We'll be able to complete jobs quicker now and have a better cash flow." Says Kirkran as he crawls from an access hatch beneath the port engine, wearing work clothes, covered in grime and dirt.
"Let's hope. These Girodyne engines aren't cheap." Replies Vox.
"I suppose all that's left to do is put the 1250 engines on my pod and see if we can get it to work without the damn thing falling apart." Ben says, his tone sounding like one of doubt and lamentation. He shakes his head to get rid of his doubts, then clasps his hands together. "Well, we won't know until we try, right?"
"U doubt myo engineering skills Toong? This ship took on do whole squadron of TIEs while protecting two other doma toma ships. If these bota fail mee'll eat Bantha poodoo."Kirkran remained silent at Nakei's ludicrous and GROSS claim. Ben falls hook line and sinker for Nakei's boast; his eyes widening as he raises his hands and waves them in a submissive gesture.
"N-no! No, I... I uh, I was just thinking maybe m-my pod wouldn't be able to handle them, you know? It's such a small little thing..."Before the situation can devolve further, the Renegades and their podracer companion set about rigging the Moonrunner's old engines onto the pod. It's hefty work, but with everyone working together, they manage to finish before the day is done... however, Ben is noticeably nervous, probably weary given his track record.
"Okay Quadinaros, here's the deal. These are still my engines. For the Aleen race, Nakei and I'll be your pit crew." Says Kirkran firmly. "You lose and I take both sets of engines and leave. Got it?"
The prospect makes Ben gulp and adopt a worrisome expression, but he steels himself and nods in response. "Right, that seems fair to me... We should, uh, make sure this thing works with the engines before we take it over to Aleen."He moves to hop into the podracer's seat, but stops himself, pursing his lips thoughtfully. He turns to Kirkran and gestures to the pod. "Would you like the honours, Captain? There's nothing quite like feeling a pod come to life."
"I'd be honored." Kirkran nods and climbs into the pod. "Not a whole lot different from a ship." He begins priming the engines as the turbines spin up. A familiar rumbling surrounds Kirkran as the jury-rigged 1250 engines whirl to life, lifting off of the ground and hovering in front of the stationary pod. The sensation is akin to that of sitting in a snub fighter, but much more visceral, guttural even. Without the size of a starship to weigh them down, the sheer power of the engines allows it to truly come to life. Unrestrained and uninhibited speed at Kirkran's fingertips.
"Look at those puppies growl!!" Vox exclaims, giving Ben a slap on the back.
"That prize money is as good as ours!" Kirkran throttles up, revving the engines slightly.
"I'm inclined to agree!" He yells.
With spirits lifted and a newfound sense of hope in their hearts, the Renegades take apart the pod and pack it into the Moonrunner, done and ready to go in just under an hour and a half. With their work on Junction done, they peel out of the spaceport and take to the stars, making the jump to hyperspace without further delay.

ALEEN

After a quick trip, the Renegades pop out of lightspeed above Aleen, the cherry-colored dust ball looming before them. A few freighters and corvettes are sprinkled in orbit, other racers and their sponsors making their way to the planet below.
"He mogootu nopa be. Mee've got do personal buttmalia riding on his winning." Says Nakei ominously.
"What? Why?" Says Voyla, shocked.
"Why nopa? He's using bota MEE modified um maintained." Replied Nakei as he hobbled to the engine room.
The token Imperial force in orbit makes no attempt to stop the Moonrunner as it enters the atmosphere, and this trend continues as the Renegades arrive at the spaceport and unload Ben's podracer. The few Imperial troopers they do run into are barely armed, and seem more interested in killing time than doing their job.This makes the process of registering for the race and getting their pod into the garage quick and painless. It's just after noon hour, Kirkran and Nakei are helping Ben perform last minute diagnostics on the podracer. The garage is abuzz with activity, racers and pit mechanics scuttling about, carrying tools and parts, chattering hurriedly.
"You got this, Ben. After this, that Boonta accident will be forgotten because everyone will be talking about this win." Says Kirkran.
"U did tell do pit crew they weren't needed che this chawa, right?" Asks Nakei.
"Yeah, I did." Ben nods, hopping up into the cockpit and putting on his goggles. His pallid skin looks a little more pale than usual, but he otherwise seems in high spirits. "They weren't very happy about it, but they didn't make a fuss. I can't imagine they have very much confidence about this race, to be honest..."
"They know do lost cause whao they stukawompa." A gravelly voice draws Kirkran and the others' attention away from Ben, where they see an old, wrinkled Dug approaching them, his arms sauntering brazenly, and his snout pulled up in a haughty scowl. Sebulba comes to stand in front of Ben's pod, his lips curling into a smirk. "Ben Quadinaros. Choy are u doing unko, u old stupa?"
"He's here to leave you choking on fumes. Much like you were on the Boonta Classic." Replies Kirkran flatly. "If I recall, YOU bought Skywalker's pod after totaling yours."
"Ateema if u'd leave us solo, jee-jee have some fa preparations tah make." Replies Nakei, snubbing Sebulba as he pushes past.
The snide remarks only make Sebulba laugh, grinning ear-to-ear. "Mee haven't raced noleeya years. Mee'm do commentator ateema."He hobbles up to Ben's pod and raises a hand, giving the engine a light tap with his knuckle. "This sa quite doe machine, Quadinaros. U sure u're good enough tah ride it?"
"They're my engines, Sebulba." Replies Kirkran. "With these Corellian dogs pulling his pod, he'll outrun anyone."
"Mo he will crash into do wall!" The old Dug replies, letting out a mean-spirited cackle. Before anything more can be said on the matter, he turns around and hobbles away, continuing to giggle and laugh as he saunters out of the garage, ensuring that he gets the last word in before Kirkran or Ben can retort."Yeah, you better run, Sebulba!!" Ben yells, only after Sebulba is already long gone. He holds a confident expression for a moment, before sighing and slumping into his seat, placing his hands over his head. "Oh, he's right. I'm gonna blow it, I know I am!"
"No you won't, Ben.” Replies Kirkran, "Soon the only pine around here that'll be eating poodoo will be Sebulba."
"If doe captain trusts u." Says Nakei with a breath to steady himself. "So do mee." Kirkran's kind words bring relief to Ben, who manages a nervous but genuine smile, sitting up once more.
"Thanks, guys... don't you worry, that prize money is as good as ours. Just you wait!" Before more can be said, an alarm blares through the garage, followed by a voice through the intercom. "All podracers, go out to the track and prepare for the race to begin. Green light is in ten minutes, I repeat, green light in ten minutes."
"Good luck Ben. We'll be in the pits." Says Kirkran.
"Bolla show da sleemo Sebulba kava an Inferno racer does it." Says Nakei, clapping Ben firmly on the shoulder. With a deep breath, Ben turns on the podracer and sets it to slowly glide out of the garage and out to the track, with his pit crewmen Kirkran and Nakei in tow. The rumbling growl of the 1250's engines are muffled by the raucous cheering of the crowd, thousands of spectators lining the seats along the track, whooping and hollering for the racers as they move into position. Voyla and the others are out there somewhere, but it's impossible to see them from down on the track.
There are twelve podracers in total, all of varying make and model. Some, like Ben's, look ramshackle and jury-rigged, put together from whatever parts could be scrounged up. Others look sleek and professionally-made, almost fresh off the assembly line. All of them are dangerous, volatile machines, not to be taken lightly."Whoa...." Says Kirkran as he walks behind Ben's pod.
"Come on, let's get tah our stations before doe chawa starts." Replies Nakei. "Mee'm nopa looking forward tah Sebulba's commentary."
Most prominent among the audience are the Aleena, the stout reptilian natives of the planet. They cheer and chatter with high-pitched but loud voices, their wide mouths pulled into excited grins, enthralled by the podracers, bursting at the seams with excitement. Over the shouts of the crowd, Sebulba's voice rings through the stadium speakers. "Welcome to Aleen Annual!" He says in broken Basic. "Race three laps, first place is win. Engines start!" His voice is immediately cut off by mechanical roaring as the podracers' engines rumble to life, lifting the pods off of the ground.
"Ben looks paler than he normally does." Says Voyla as she and the brothers watch on a pad from high in the stands.Vox nods as Jak replies. "He'll be fine with the Captain and Nakei in his corner." Ben looks to his right, and then to his left, getting a good look at the other racers. He recognizes some of the older ones, but there's a lot of new blood on the track today. Fresh-faced rookies with a speed addiction and something to prove. He only hopes they don't have the skill to back it up. He places his hands on the throttle and looks forward, nibbling his lip as he tightens in his seat. The starting light flashes red. The racers rev their engines. The crowd cheers. Yellow. They rev louder. The crowd goes nuts. Ben swallows the last of his fears.

Green.

In the blink of an eye, all of the racers rocket forward, blasting forward and leaving the starting line covered in swirling dust.... all of the racers except Ben. Despair washes over the Toong's face, flashes of the Boonta Classic washing through his mind, but he quickly realizes his engine is set to neutral. After fixing that, he's sent blasting forward at tremendous speed, the 1250's engines carrying his podracer the mighty steeds of a god's war chariot.
"He's got this.... Right?" Asks Jak.
"C'mon you two." Says Voyla. "Have a lil faith."
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Out on the track, it's an all out duel, the younger racers giving Ben no slack as they dodge and weave, cutting him off wherever possible. Ben lacks the viciousness of his younger competitors. Every time they cut him off or give him a nudge, he does nothing to retaliate. He shows his skill in other ways. As he rockets along the dusty track, he zigs and zags with great dexterity, showing great control despite the sheer power of the engines dragging him forward..... and those engines are really showing their power now. Whenever on a straightaway or a broad turn, Ben's pod is simply unbeatable. He pulls ahead of most of the competition, managing to push into third place with sheer speed and impressive control.
Kirkran and Nakei watch on the display, their hopes substantially higher.
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"Look at him go! C'mon Ben!" Exclaims Voyla, watching from the stands. As the race progresses, Ben continues to press the advantage, skirting into second place and zipping towards the leader. His quick charge into the top three has spared him from most of the carnage ensuing behind him, the podrace devolving into its usual demolition derby, the racers charging and pushing into each other violently. However, as Kirkran watches the race, he notices something; there’s been no commentary for quite a while. Sebulba has been noticeably absent since the first lap began, and knowing him, that can't be a good thing. No one else seems to notice or care, caught up in the excitement of the race.
"Renegades 3 and 4, this is Renegade leader." Came Kirkran's voice over their comms. "Have you noticed that Sebulba hasn't said a thing since the race started?"
"Renegade 4 here. Yeah you're right, he hasn't." Replied Vox as they both realize it.
"I want you and Renegade 3 to go up to the commentator box and see what's happened."
"Roger." Came Vox again. "Renegades 3 and 4, out."
-----------
"Knowing da sleemo, he's set do trap che Quadinaros. Mo has moolee-rah do racer tah make Ben's efforts tah win all che nothing." Said Nakei darkly.
It made sense. Knowing the sour old Dug, he had likely placed a bet against Quadinaros, and now that the race seemed to be going in his favor, Sebulba was probably feeling the need to intervene and secure his winnings. Simply commentating probably isn't earning him that much money on its own. Sure enough, when 3 and 4 report in, they come back with only grim tidings. "He's in the box, but he definitely ain't commentating." Vox explains. "He's talking with someone on a holocom. Can't tell who specifically, but they're armed. Could be a mercenary, we've seen plenty since we got here."
"Follow him. If it is apparent, he's got it in for Ben, take him down. Non-lethal if possible. Renegade Leader out."
"Copy Leader, Renegades 3 and 4 out." Replies Vox. Some time passes before Kirkran hears from his comrades again. The first lap passes by, and Ben is maintaining a steady third place, performing with more consistency and skill than those ahead of him, whom are relying on risky tricks to keep their second and first place leads. If the rest of the race proceeds like this, the prize money will be on the Moonrunner in no time.
However, it doesn't look like things will be so simple. Kirk's comlink goes off, and his Clone comrades come through. "Renegade 3 here. Sebulba's gathering a group of mercs just outside the seating area. A whole squad by the looks of it, mostly Weequay. Heavily armed, anxious-looking. What's our play, boss?"
"ScHutta...." Mutters Kirkran. "Nakei, what're the rules of someone else taking over?"
"If u're thinking of having u mo mee take over che Quadinaros, forget it, soong illegal." Replies Nakei almost immediately.
"SCHUTTA!" Yells Kirkran. "Standby Reg 3."
"Well we gotta do something." Jak murmurs. "Ben doesn't deserve this kinda foul play, and if he ends up biting the dust, we're out of a huge payday. We could always try and jump the mercs before they can get into position, run a counter-sabotage operation against them."
"If we do, we run the risk of attracting unwanted attention." Voyla adds. "We should play this smart and quiet. Nab Sebulba and make him call off his mercs. He strikes me as a coward, it probably won't take too much to get him to stand down."
"Copy that Renegade 2, good plan. See it done. Renegade 5 and I'll flag Ben down and warm him." A few minutes later Nakei has Ben pull in. "Goola news, Quadinaros." Says Nakei. "It seems Sebulba has hired soon Weequay mercs tah make sure u hagwa finish."
The race is going spectacularly so far. Ben is maintaining a steady second place, and by the looks of it, the racer in the lead is set to burn out and fall behind any second. There's only one lap left, and the other racers have either wiped out or fallen too far behind to regain a lead. However, Ben's fortunes might change. When Nakei warns him of Sebulba's plan, the nervous Toong immediately reverts to his sheepish persona, his eyes widening with fear and his body language shrinking. "H-he's what?" He murmurs. "Oh no, that's... oh gosh, I'm gonna die. He's gonna kill me out there, isn't he?!"
Nakei grabs Ben and slaps him. "Relax! Voyla um doe others have it covered. U're gonna win." Ben yelps at the sudden and sharp smack to his cheek, his trembling immediately stopping, but his worrisome expression remaining. "Right, right... I can do this... I can do this!" He drops back down into the seat of his pod and, taking the reins, pushes forward and resumes the race. Other pods that had stopped for pit stops do the same, peeling out right behind him. Meanwhile, the rest of the Renegades set about putting their plan into motion. For a tense few minutes, Kirkran doesn't hear back from anyone, left wondering about their success and safety as the calamity of the podrace plays out before him. Then, without warning, his comlink goes off.
"Come in, Renegade Leader!" Vox exclaims. "We nabbed Sebulba, got him locked down in his booth. He's threatening to sick his mercs on us, you better come up here and calm him down."
"On my way. Renegade Leader out." Replies Kirkran before departing the pits.
---------------------
A few minutes later Kirkran enters and immediately locks eyes with the Dug.
Kirkran finds Sebulba sitting at his chair in the commentator booth, his body bound to the seat with a length of rope, Jak and Vox standing at his sides, looking quite proud of themselves. Kirkran doesn't recall them bringing a length of rope with them, or having rope at all.
"Well, u got je."Sebulba remarks with a reductive tone of voice. "Ateema jee-jee just need tah wait chemyo mercs tah come rescue je whao they hagwa hear tuta je on-schedule."
"Oh they're gonna hear from you. And you're gonna tell us where." Said Kirkran, visibly angry. "You endanger an innocent lifeform, a nice guy. But above all, you screwed with our payday. ...... WHERE ARE THEY?!" Snapped Kirkran, back-handing Sebulba. He lets out a sharp yelp when Kirkran smacks him across the face, his head turning sharply to the side, his mouth turning into a baneful scowl. He brings his head back and looks Renegade Leader in the eyes, responding to his threat by spitting onto the ground.
"U hagwa scare je, ulwan." He bites back. "Mee owe Gardulla doe Hutt moulee-rah. If this buttmalia falls through, she'll do far worse tah je than u um do clone rejects ever could."Kirkran now livid, scowls and gestures to Vox and in doing so presses his blaster to the Dug's cranium. "Call."
"Renegade Two, it's Renegade Leader. Sebulba is on frequency 23. Tune in and see if you can pinpoint the mercenaries' location." Says Kirkran.
"Copy that Leader. Reg Two out." Replies Voyla.
Despite Sebulba's earlier claims, Kirkran and his Clone comrades seem to scare him quite a lot. He yelps in fright when the blaster barrel is pressed to his temple, his toes curling and clenching together, his body beginning to tremble feverishly. The wrinkles and fat on his aged Dug face shake along with his body.
"Th-doe buttmalia mee placed, it. Soong enough tah wamma ovv Gardulla um set je tonka che life." He admits. "Kava much sa da wermo ben paying u? Mee'll fofo it. Triple it!"
"Tempting but no deal, sleemo." Growls Kirkran. "Where are they?" Vox presses a little harder.
"I got nothing, Captain." Says Voyla.
"Call them now. My trigger finger's is cramping." Growls Vox. For a few tense moments, Sebulba sits frozen in place, his eyes clenched tight and his body quivering with fright. As the gravity of the situation further sets upon him, he clenches his toes and lets out a hiss, submitting to Kirkran's demands. "Okey-okey, okey-okey! Put hoohah on."

Once the mercenaries are patched through, he issues his command. "Doe hit's ovv, mee repeat, doe hit's ovv. Jee-jee've been busted, get tah do ships um get outtaunko!"The mercs display notable anger at this, but Sebulba's fib about their cover being blown manages to convince them to back off without too much fuss.
"Good." Says Kirkran, looking to Vox, "You and your brother stay here until the race is over."
"You got it." He replies, spinning Sebulba around and pushing him towards the microphone."I need to get back to the pits." He says, walking out. "Renegade Two, this is Renegade Leader. Return to the landing bay. Sebulba called off the mercs."
"Copy, Renegade Leader. The pods are pulling into the finish line now, I can see Ben near the front. He'll probably want to see you."
Indeed, as Kirkran returns to the track, he sees that Ben managed to maintain a steady position throughout the race and has placed second. It is just short of first, but sure to come with rewards and revelry, nonetheless. When Kirkran finally manages to reach Ben through the cheering crowds and sports commentators, the old Toong is practically euphoric. His wrinkled face is lined with a bright, broad smile, his eyes displaying the most excitement the young smuggler has seen from him since they met. "Second place!!" He exclaims joyously. "75 000 credits! That's 32 500 credits for each of us, Kirkran!"
"Well done, Ben." He says smiling, giving Ben's hand one firm shake.
"Well well well." Says Nakei as he hobbled over. "Second pa. None peetch shabby. Those bota probably could've gotten u first gee some tweaks."
"That's what I'm going to be spending my share on." Ben remarks. "... well, after buying you guys a drink at the cantina. C'mon, let's blow this joint and wet our whistles!" With determination and the promise of free alcohol, Kirkran and the Renegades manage to wade Ben and his podracer through the crowd and into the racer's garage, where the prize money and a press team are waiting for him.
The cantina is abuzz with excitement, racers and groupies lining the bar and nearby booths, the drinks flowing like water from the keg taps. The first place winner has the seat of honour, but Ben and the Renegades snagged for themselves a nice booth in the corner, close to the crowd but private enough to be comfortable."Check this out." Ben takes a cup from the table, a thin pilsner glass that's about as tall as his arm is long. Holding onto the bottom and propping it along the length of his arm, he tilts back and raises his hand, dumping the entire drink into his gaping mouth and chugging it down in only four heavy gulps.
The two brothers cheer loudly at Ben. "I knew I liked you!" Says Vox, clapping Ben hard on the shoulder, causing him to cough.
"Haha, sorry."
"Mee'd settah Boonta Eve sa all but forgotten ateema, Quadinaros." Adds Nakei, smiling as he counts the credits he made on his side bet.Ben sputters and wheezes, placing his hand over his chin as he works through the alcohol in his windpipe, regaining his composure after a few moments of rough coughing. "I'm sorry I didn't get first place, my friends." He says with a tone of lamentation. "I hope the 32 500 is enough to set you up for a while. I can't imagine smuggling is a very inexpensive lifestyle."

As the Renegades and their podracer friend rejoice, a waitress approaches them, turning her attention to Kirkran. "Pardon me. Kirkran Stakes?" She gingerly grips her drink tray. "There's a call for you at the holoterminal. I'm told it's important."
"......" Eyeing the waitress suspiciously, he orders Vox and Jak to watch the door before getting up and walking over to the holoterminal. "Who's this?"The terminal flickers to life when Kirkran takes it off hold, and the holographic image of the caller appears, casting a cool blue glow onto the young smuggler. A Hutt, bloated and slug like, standing upright with its arms resting lazily at its sides. Its eyes are narrowed, and its mouth is curled into a long, authoritative scowl, a scowl those in the underworld know quite well; The scowl of Gardulla the Hutt.
"Captain Kirkran Stakes." Gardulla growls in Huttese, her fists clenching and relaxing at her sides. "Mee've been told u had do spot of trouble gee myo debtor Sebulba at doe Aleen Annual earlier today. He said u swindled him nenoleeya of doe moulee-rah he owes je. Would u care tah explain choy? He's talking about?"
"Swindled, no." He replies sternly. "That sleemo tried to kill my client, Ben Quadinaros. I sank a lot into him winning. Including giving him two of my freighter's sublight engines."
"Hrmm, Sebulba neglected tah mention da part of doe story." Gardulla reaches up and scratches the blubbery folds of her chin, pondering for a few moments. "U're noleeya luck, ulwan. Mee'm do betting Hutt, mee hagwa much appreciate it whao people try tah cheeta do contest, even whao it sa noleeya myo favor. “She drops her arm back to her side, her lips curling into a fiendish grin.
"U'reovvdoe hook, Kirkran Stakes. Mee won't press this issue kickee further. But bear noleeya mind, u're on myo radar ateema. Mee have eyes um ears all across doe Outer Rim, um if mee catch u making kickee moves against je, u won't live long enough tah regret it."
"Believe me, Gardulla, I won't." He says, yawning. "Apologies, I haven't slept in almost three days."
Gardulla's slug like figure stiffens at the sight of Kirkran yawning in her face, a somewhat remarkable feat given the relative lack of rigidity in Hutt bodies. For a moment, it looks as though she's scowling a bit harder at him, but this quickly fades. She doesn't dignify him with a goodbye or well-wishes, simply ending the call then and there, the blue projection flickering and fading.
"Captain!" Vox calls out, drawing Kirkran's attention back to the table. He beckons for him to rejoin the group, which has a whole night of revelry and drunken tomfoolery ahead of them with the respectable payout they'd just received; An opportunity to forget about the troubles of the galaxy and goof off with good company.

TO BE CONTINUED…



Huttese to Basic translations:
TELOS

"Hey! Do eyes got do problem looking tchuta else? Most people would shoot u che it."
(Nakei translated: "Hey! Your eyes got a problem looking somewhere else? Most people would shoot you for it.")

"Jee-jee are CARGO HAULERS. U are just itching tah be shot using words like ulwan um staring at others."
(Nakei translated: "We are CARGO HAULERS. You are just itching to be shot using words like smuggler and staring at others.")

"Da cheating sleemo Sebulba, noah doubt. He always cheats."
"Mee met him once whao mee was younger. Makes all Dugs look goola."
(Nakei translated: "That cheating slimeball Sebulba, no doubt. He always cheats."
"I met him once when I was younger. Makes all Dugs look bad.")

"Da so?" "Ya are noah pawa casings MO pawa cells, Benny. Choy are u hoping tah chawa gee, hopes um dreams?"
(Nakei translated: "That so?" "There are no power casings OR power cells, Benny. What are you hoping to race with, hopes and dreams?")

"These pod bota hagwa have kickee pawa casings mo cells."
(Nakei translated: "These Pod engines don't have any power casings or cells.")

"Let's just hurry um locate some cells um get bata on schedule."
(Nakei translated: "Just what I wanted to do....babysit."
"Fine let's just hurry and locate some cells and get back on schedule.")



FERIAE JUNCTION

"They're nopa modified. Mee looked." "How 180 a piece? Depending on how this job we're doing goes, we should be back at the end of the week to collect."
(Nakei translated: "They're not modified. I looked.")

"U doubt myo engineering skills Toong? This ship took on do whole squadron of TIEs while protecting two other doma toma ships. If these bota fail mee'll eat Bantha poodoo."
(Nakei translated: "You doubt my engineering skills Toong? This ship took on a whole squadron of TIEs while protecting two other space ships. If these engines fail I'll eat Bantha fodder.")

ALEEN
"He mogootunopa be. Mee've got do personal buttmalia riding on his winning."
"Why nopa? He's using bota MEE modified um maintained."
(Nakei translated: "He better not be. I've got a personal riding on his winning."
("Why not? He's using engines I modified and maintained.")

"U did tell do pit crew they weren't needed che this chawa, right?"
(Nakei translated: "You did tell your pit crew they weren't needed for this race, right?")

Sebulba translated: "They know do lost cause whao they stuka wompa."
("They know a lost cause when they see one. ")

Sebulba translated: "Ben Quadinaros. Choy are u doing unko, u old stupa?"
("Ben Quadinaros. What are you doing here, you old fool? ")

"Ateema if u'd leave us solo, jee-jee have some fa preparations tah make."
(Nakei translated: "Now if you'd leave us alone, we have some final preparations to make.")
Sebulba translated: "Mee haven't raced noleeya years. Mee'm do commentator ateema."
(I haven't raced in years. I'm a commentator now.)
"This sa quite doe machine, Quadinaros. U sure u're good enough tah ride it?"
(This is quite the machine, Quadinaros. You sure you're good enough to ride it?)

Sebulba translated: "Mo he will crash into do wall!"
("Or he will crash into the wall!")

"If doe captain trusts u."
"So do mee."
(Nakei translated "If doe captain trusts u."
"So do mee.")

"Bolla show da sleemo Sebulba kava an Inferno racer does it."
(Nakei translated: "Go show that slimeball Sebulba how an Inferno racer does it.")

"Come on, let's get tah our stations before doe chawa starts."
"Mee'm nopa looking forward tah Sebulba's commentary."
(Nakei translated: "Let's get to our stations before the race starts."
"I'm not looking forward to Sebulba's commentary....")

"Knowing da sleemo, he's set do trap cheQuadinaros. Mo has moolee-rah do racer tah make Ben's efforts tah win all che nothing."
(Nakei translated: "Knowing that slimeball, he's set a trap for Quadinaros. Or has paid a racer to make Ben's efforts to win all for nothing.")

Kirkran translated: "Schutta...."
("Dammit….")


"If u're thinking of having u mo mee take over che Quadinaros, forget it, soong illegal."
(Nakei translated: "If you're thinking of having you or I take over for Quadinaros, forget it, it's illegal.")

Kirkran translated: "SCHUTTA!"
("DAMMIT!")


"Goola news, Quadinaros."
"It seems Sebulba has hired soon Weequay mercs tah make sure u hagwa finish."
(Nakei translated: "Bad news, Quadinaros."
"It seems Sebulba has hired soon Weequay mercs to make sure you don't finish.")

"Well, u got je."
(Sebulba translated: "Well you got me.")
"Now we just need to wait for my mercs to come rescue me when they don't hear from me on-schedule."
(Sebulba translsated: "Ateema jee-jee just need tah wait chemyo mercs tah come rescue je whao they hagwa hear tuta je on-schedule.")

"U hagwa scare je, ulwan."
"Mee owe Gardulla doe Hutt moulee-rah. If this buttmalia falls through, she'll do far worse tah je than u um do clone rejects ever could."
(Sebulba translated: "You don't scare me, smuggler."
"I owe Gardulla the Hutt money. If this bet falls through, she'll do far worse to me than you and your Clone rejects ever could.")

"Th-doe buttmalia mee placed, it. Soong enough tah wamma ovv Gardulla um set je tonka che life."
"Kava much sa da wermo Ben paying u? Mee'll fofo it. Triple it!"
(Sebulba translated: "Th-the bet I placed, it... it's enough to pay off Gardulla and set me up for life."
"How much is that worm Ben paying you? I'll double it. Triple it!")

"Okey-okey, okey-okey! Put hoohah on."
(Sebulba translated: "Okay, okay! Put them on.")

"Doe hit's ovv, mee repeat, doe hit's ovv. Jee-jee've been busted, get tah do ships um get outtaunko!"
(Sebulba translated: "The hit's off, I repeat, the hit's off. We've been busted, get to your ships and get outta here!")


"Second pa. None peetch shabby. Those bota probably could've gotten u first gee some tweaks."
(Nakei translated: "Second place. None too shabby. Those engines probably could've gotten you first with some tweaks.")

"Mee'd settah Boonta Eve sa all but forgotten ateema, Quadinaros."
(Nakei translated: "I'd say Boonta Eve is all but forgotten now, Quadinaros.")

"Mee've been told u had do spot of trouble gee myo debtor Sebulba at doe Aleen Annual earlier today. He said u swindled him nenoleeya of doe moulee-rah he owes je. Would u care tah explain choy? He's talking about?"
(Gardulla translated: "I've been told you had a spot of trouble with my debtor Sebulba at the Aleen Annual earlier today. He said you swindled him out of the money he owes me. Would you care to explain what he's talking about?"

"Hrmm, Sebulba neglected tah mention da part of doe story."
(Gardulla translated: "Hrmm, Sebulba neglected to mention that part of the story.")

"U're noleeya luck, ulwan. Mee'm do betting Hutt, mee hagwa much appreciate it whao people try tah cheeta do contest, even whao it sa noleeya myo favor."
(Gardulla translated: "You're in luck, smuggler. I'm a betting Hutt, I don't much appreciate it when people try to cheat a contest, even when it is in my favor."

"U're ovv doe hook, Kirkran Stakes. Mee won't press this issue kickee further. But bear noleeya mind, u're on myo radar ateema. Mee have eyes um ears all across doe Outer Rim, um if mee catch u making kickee moves against je, u won't live long enough tah regret it."
(Gardulla translated: "You're off the hook, Kirkran Stakes. I won't press this issue any further... but bear in mind, you're on my radar now. I have eyes and ears all across the Outer Rim, and if I catch you making any moves against me, you won't live long enough to regret it."