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"A great cycle to you all! I'm so enamored to have what feels like half the galaxy join us for the first race of the Seventy-Fourth Galactic Asteroid Racing League!" Across the stars, trillions upon trillions of souls tuned in to forget their woes and their bills and their deteriorating homes for just a scant few hours to revel in the blistering action of yet another 'Roid Race. This time, however, they weren't waxing hypotheticals about the next hopeful group to tangle with the old hats. Oh no, this was the real deal. The best of the new blood pitting their grit against an entrenched generation far from beyond their prime and even further from willing to give up their titles of best of the best. Glorious Angela, resplendent in the very same dress from the night before and gleaming with perfectly applied make up and lighting, soothed the pain that had slowly inflamed the known galaxy with but a gentle smile, her bright eyes brimming with eager bloodlust. Next to her sat a Kux'lar, his muzzle narrow and scales a vibrant green. "Joining me for the first circuit of the League is Riks'shals, head of litigation of the Whisper Box! Remember, for all your banking needs, only trust the Roark." Riks nodded, his scales gleaming with polish and a tailored suit hugging his hourglass form that all Kux'lar seemed to bear.

"Thank you, and thank you for inviting the Whisper Box to this prestigious event." Unlike Angela's honeyed tone, Riks had a much calmer, more measured lilt to his voice. "Personally, I've been a fan of the races for about two seasons now. I got hooked on Racer's Guile and slid into watching the circuits themselves from there. It's quite exciting to be at, literally, the best seat in the house."

"Perks of the job, my new scaly friend! For those who are unaware, Riks has one of the most analytical minds of his age! It'll be interesting to see a bankers view as our contestants make the laps!"

The duo was sequestered in the luxurious media palace aboard the Racer's Heart, the room circular and lined with gold and silver filigree. Above them sat a chandelier styled in a facsimile of the known galaxy, gemstones and twinkling crystals in place of plants and landmark stars hovering over a black and gold marbled desk. Raised holo-screens fed the two announcers live data of every section of the track; nothing would escape the eyes of their fleet of high-speed drones. Drones a certain mechanic might recognize if he looked close enough at the base frame…

Yulpa herself was lazy with ships and drones and temporary stations ringing her orbit like a swarm of steel and glass. An entire planet ringed with dozens upon dozens of space stations each full to the brim of slathering fans eating and gambling and waiting for the entertainment. Spaced between them were whales of ships, the real VIPs, living in luxury as whatever conglomeration they held part ownership over raked in the money all while they enjoyed only the ripest fruits the galaxy had to offer.

"We have some big names pouring their Roarks into the League this year!" Angela commented, taking a moment to slip an olive, green and moist straight from Earth, between her shining red lips from a crystal bowl before her. "Of course, of most prominence is the Queen's Glaive, captained by CEO of Ormanic Industries, Ralph Orman himself! This district's very own council representative! We are honored to have one of the shepherds of our society joining us today. Ormanic Industries, of course, is one of the leading developers of cell splicing technology and practices around! Creating your own, perfect offspring is as easy as building a character in a video game from a selection of donor DNA, be it yours or others! Feel free to donate for the cause, and the Roarks, of course." The aforementioned vessel, half as long as the Racer's Heart herself, hung heavy over a station near the starting line. Her hull bristled with point defense cannons and missile tubes, as well as drone launch bays, as her halls were stuffed with Ormanic Industries shareholders and investors enjoying a tax-deductible business trip. For the good of the sector, of course.

"Let's not forget our fleet of dedicated corporate security officers as well! This cycle we'll be relying on the Ferton Security Solutions Corp. For all of you looking to enhance your asset protection, look no further. I can see very few deficiencies in their work that can't be easily rectified in moments." Riks' more subdued commentary bounced off Angela well, but it was plain to see the Human woman was leading the segment. A quick glance, a subtle twitch of her nails on the perfectly polished desk, and the Kux'lar would simply smile and eat whatever he was about to say. "Now how about we stop glazing our generous sponsors," He chuckled, winking at the myriad of cameras surrounding them. "And get to the real heart of the matter, the racers."

"I can't wait to see how they fair today. The first episode of Racer's Guile is up for subscribers and let me tell you Riks, this batch isn't playing around. The games started hot last night with only the fifth internal breach of League communications, as well as a rising star calling out the tried-and-true champions!"

"I believe that was Lixistruzsias! One of my very own people, if I may proudly say so myself. I hear she even jousted with you."

"That she did, and what a fire in her heart! Let's see if her dedication to ship and crew can withstand fire and steel?" Another pause, another olive, a bite that accentuated the gleaming lipstick catching the light. "Let's go over our top five newest contestants, shall we? Coming in first of the preliminary race was Hort Anton, a Human from the Paloris Sector and recently retired corporate enforcer! He's been dead silent, letting his skills do the talking."

"Behind him was Lorvusius Alinder, a Greer of all things, promising to flip the galaxy's views on her species."

"Coming in third was an old familiar face who has yet to make the final stretch to champion! Mo'Ona, a Hux and one scrappy flier. Watch yourselves around him, new racers, that railgun of his has made a fool of those who underestimate his cute whiskers and little paws."

"In fourth place was Aaron Tulis, another Human looking to nab the prize money to move his family off Alto III's frozen surface, and finally we have the aforementioned Lixistruzsias, who barreled across the finish line in a melting ship! I'm pretty interested to see how she put that thing back together." All across the galaxy, screens flicked from ship to ship, each one vastly different from the last, displaying an icon of their captains. When it came to Lix's new and shiny No Safety Measures, her profile was an unflattering view of her maw chomping down on the orde vores that Jack had stolen the night previous.

"I hate that bitch." The Kux'lar captain muttered in her pilot's seat, straddling the motorbike style platform with a scowl. Behind her, Jack snickered as he languidly flicked over an instrument panel. Angela and Riks had another allotted hour to plug sponsors and investors and make rich people nod their heads before the green flag dropped. To their left and right rumbled thirty-nine other racers, their competitors and fellows, yet Jack's only concern was the No Safety's power readings.

"Who ya tellin'? Alright babe, go through another power cycle." Jack turned his eyes back to the panel, several screens shot gunning data Lix couldn't even begin to understand. "Ohhhh yeah, that's it baby. Nice an' smooth. Like a freshly waxed ass, water just slides right off a ya, don't it? Or… a recently shed Kux'lar? All shiny an' slick, mmmmph yeah look at that low latency loss. Oh fuck, yes…"

"Jacky, if you're gonna start touching yourself, I'm gonna watch."

"I might, actually might start touchin' ya. Oh man, these readin's with your moans? I'd bust all ove-"

"Jaaaack! Shuddup! By the scale!" The seat rattled as Lix shook her head like a wet dog, the spaces between the scales of her face burning purple. "You've a problem man."

"Ya know what don't? This ship, fuuuuuck she's runnin' like a dream! I just wanna put my lips on 'er manifold intake!" Were it that Lix could roll her eyes any harder, she might go blind. Still, she couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face. She really did need his antics right now. Her nerves were a wired bundle of electric anxiety. How Jack was staying so calm was… well, no it wasn't outside her understanding anymore. The guy was a survivor a system wipe after all… It had taken quite a bit of late-night thinking bundled up in the man's metal arms to come to terms with that. How many other isolated or lesser-known systems had been wiped by the council and their advancements stolen? Was it just Sevar… the ones that fought back?

"Ngh, focus…" Lix nipped at the air, wishing her Human was nearby so she could bite him instead of nothing. As if drawn by her thoughts a pair of alloy hands fell upon her shoulders, gently kneading the scales and muscles beneath. "Oooohhhh… mmmm…" Resistance was futile, her body bending forward as Jack forced her to lay across her control panel so he could run his hands along her back. His hoodie that she'd stolen a lifetime ago was folded neatly in her footlocker, leaving her orange flight suit zipped up fully in case of an emergency. Still, he was plenty strong enough to press down through the cloth. "B-Babe we… race is in thirty we… we can't- can we?"

"I ai'n't about ta ream ya on your pilot's seat. Not 'fore a race as important as this."

"R-Right. Good, I need the focus… that feels so good… lower? Right above my tail. I've been sitting too long lately." A wonderous pop and release of pressure had her maw split in euphoria as he pressed down just right, the bones rewarding them with a dull pop. "Ngh! Fuck yeah. Thanks monkey man, that's just what I needed."

"No problem, scaly lady." He pat her back after resisting the nearly overwhelming urge to smack her rear. "Now get your eyes on tha' prize. You checked in with Mo'Ona?"

"Hey, who's the captain here?"

"An' I'm the overbearin' boyfriend." Jack clapped his hands. "Chop chop, while Angela still yappin'." Lix huffed but flicked her claws across her comms panel all the same. Cheeky bastard…

"Skrunkles, how's things looking over… ov- what the fuck?" Coming in clean and crisp across her video feed, Mo'Ona sat atop a series of books in his own ship, the Spitfire, conducting what appeared to be a strange… ritual. The Hux would squat, pull his ears, bulge his eyes, bite his paws, whip his own back with his tail… "You uh… okay there buddy?"

"Yes! Skrunkles is readys and eagers! Been too longs since a real race!" The rat jumped up and down on his elevated platform of dictionaries and ship manuals, his paws stippy stepping in an excited dance. "Spitfire is runnings greens and cleans! Railgun topped offs and fuel gauge fulls! Hows things over theres?"

"Peachy… just waiting on the green flag."

"Should be ins uh… ten minutes! Okays, gotta go! Needs to finish good lucks dance." With that, the feed went dark, leaving Lix questioning every decision she'd made in relation to the little Hux.

"Ten minutes 'till burn, babe!" She hollered, deciding it was better to forget she saw anything to begin with.

"Good copy! Gonna post up mid ships so I can jump where I'm needed."

That was all that needed to be said. This was it, the big leagues… was Pa watching? All his friends gathered 'round and eating cheap snacks? Lix remembered the very first little cardboard shuttle he'd made her. The afternoon on Kux had been warm, and the sands calm. Her paws had beat a circle in the yard as she held the straps over her shoulders, dodging imaginary asteroids and 'pew pew pew'ing at evil rival racers trying to take her title from her. Back then she'd been a hero of the League, the best of the best flying against all odds! Now… she was here for real, side by side with the most skilled pilots the galaxy had to offer and about to burn full throttle though a field of uncaring asteroids. No imagination needed here… she'd made it. Jack, her mate was behind her, Mo'Ona, her friend, was by her side, and the prize was just ahead. The only way left to go was straight along that glowing orange trail that indicated the track on her navigation computer.

Five minutes…

Lix turned her attention back to Angela and her seemingly endless supply of oxygen.

"As for our projected victor, it's none other than last cycle's champion Carlile Motsa, and what a controversy surrounding him. Several petitions failed to have the droid removed, but Sentience Solutions quite easily smacked them down in court. Supposedly testing their new algorithms in high stress scenarios is key to developing cutting edge brain implants to combat degenerative diseases and regenerative tech to combat longevity." Angela took her time to eat another olive.

"Not sure how making an AI race improves it for medical procedures, but I'm just a humble lizard. They paid the fees and the rules haven't been amended to outlaw droid pilots. If it were such an issue though, I'd expect a lot more bots in the running. Yet we have only the one." Riks lounged in his chair, his tail undulating behind him like a metronome.

"That may be, but the fact that the only droid in the League is also the current reigning champ might add credence to the complaints. Waxing philosophy will have to wait however…" Flourishing her dress like a cape, Angela stood tall, looming over the desk with a lustful smile that promised death, destruction, and mayhem. It was one Jack knew well… "Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come! In but a few moments, this cycle's Asteroid Racing League will commence! The time to chin wag about which racers have the best chance or which sponsors have poured the most money into their pilots is over! The time for drive plumes and grit has arrived! Firstly, please all rise for the council anthem and a quick prayer, for those who worship, whishing our racers safety and health on their first race." Lix ignored the rousing anthem and the quiet prayers, couldn't hear the resplendent voice of the singer… Throwing her hands wide, Angela killed the feed to her own media room, nearly every station across the galaxy tuning in to the forty ships lined ready and waiting. It was finally time… she'd made it.

"Now, without further delay! 'Roid Racers, start! Your! ENGIIIIIINES!"

The No Safety Measures roared. Her rumbles, once those of a predatory cat sleek and graceful, now boomed like an angry monster. A beast that hid in closets and under beds, that stole away drunken fools in fields and tore open bellies in dark alleys. What had once simply vibrated Lix in her seat now rattled her bones with unrestrained power. Claws closed around the control sticks not as lovers, but as a handler controlling a leashed beast. A predatory grin spread across the racer's muzzle, her fangs gleaming in the low light as the overheads dimmed and her paws set securely on the pedestals below her. The No Safety Measures was angry. It was hungry.

It felt so good…

Behind her, Jack couldn't help but let slither a disturbing chuckle, his hands caressing the sides of the tiny connecting corridor with the admiration he usually reserved for Lix herself.

"Yeaaahhh that's it baby, moan for daddy. We're gonna show 'em, yeah? Show 'em your new legs an' fangs." Below him, the Sevar laser vibrated with barely constrained power, its off-white paint broken only by Jack's last-minute edition; Icebreaker, emblazoned along her barrel like a declaration of violent love. "This is gonna be goooood!"

Ten!

Lix lipped her chops, her tail lifting to set into the receptacle Jack had made just for her.

Seven!

Jack bent his knees, his mouth stretched in a rictus grin of adrenaline and anticipation.

Four!

The universe stilled. Stars refused to expand… Yulpa ceased her never ending spin… the slathering crowds and space stations froze in time…

Breathe in…

Breathe out…

Inhale…

Exhale…

…

…

…

… green.

The explosive drive plumes of forty racing vessels bloomed in a kaleidoscope of color and chaos as the orderly line devolved at once into a frothing mess of metal and fire. Streaks of mass drivers, missiles, and the invisible menace of laser fire crisscrossed the tangle of racers like the frayed weaves of a tapestry, several rookies tumbling into the void as their dreams were cut short at the very start line by incoming fire from insidious opponents. Vessels broke apart in a widening cone of freezing vapor and sparking components as the League drew its first blood, the attending crowds screaming their approval to the uncaring heavens around them.

Lix dipped low, the Icebreaker tracking several targets as the gimbal Jack had installed it upon whirred and twisted, the lens gleaming and ready to spit hot death. It had taken council lives before, now it thirsted for racers.

"Port quarter high, detecting missile lock!" Jack hollered, his eyes scanning a control panel faster than any organic could dream.

"Chaff away! We've plenty of 'em. Let's give them something sparkly to look at."

"Shields to half, ai'n't gonna need 'em if those fuckers hit anyway!"

"Good copy!" Lix dipped her head low, as if urging the No Safety faster. Sparks fanned from her starboard side as some racer she didn't know slammed to her side, riding along before the Icebreaker bored a hole straight through the arrow shaped shuttle. Atmosphere and quickly dying flames vented from the circular breach before the pilot, a Human visible through the icing cockpit, abandoned the controls for what Lix hoped was an escape pod. Alarms pulled her attention back to the screeching missile lock warning, several incoming icons racing towards her on the radar panel. One went wild, its targeting systems practically melting in the target, and heat, rich environment, while the second and third detonated harmlessly in the twinkling cloud of thick chaff. "Mo'Ona, sitrep!"

The scratchy face of her only ally flickered to life on her comms panel, his furry face focused and sharp for once. Most of the detritus and clutter had been cleaned or shoved into a compartment somewhere, his diminutive cockpit relatively clean. Or… at least cleaner than Lix had ever seen it.

"Lots of fires. Stay zigging and zaggings. Pick up spots further in laps. Couple o' rookies already blew loads an' bit its!"

"Roger that, stay alive rat."

"Skrunkles aheads of Lix!" The little Hux blew the Kux'lar a kiss, his visage vanishing as she watched him barrel roll away from a stitching line of tracer fire, annoyingly, ahead of her.

"Bastard."

"We've got about one hundred fifty kilometers of open space 'fore we're in the asteroid field!" Came Jack's yell as he did… something. "Got one at your three o' clock, looks like its got a rear facin' gun!"

"I see it!" In truth, she'd already had eyes on the modified cargo shuttle and its single imposing rear facing PDC. Usually the thing wouldn't pose a danger, but the wad of racers was still on top of each other, everyone jostling for the best positions before they arrived at the ring of rocks proper. Lix hissed in rage as she thumbed the controls for the Icebreaker, power dipping and her seat below her tail vibrating as the powerful Sevar weapon spat an invisible beam. Bright flashes of gunfire burst from the vessel ahead of her, one round scoring a glancing blow across the No Safety's nose before her claws had twisted the shuttle free just as the laser slammed into the rival racer's drive bell. Metal heated, the barrel of the PDC drooping as her trajectory began to wobble. Much sooner than Lix expected, the cargo racer shuddered and popped, her rear blooming in a quickly staunched explosion as some component overheated in the engine bay. "This laser is mean!"

"Fuckin' right? Sevar tech still eatin' souls, bitch! Wooooooo!"

Grinning wide a smile full of shining ivory fangs, Lix turned her attention quickly to the secondary comms channel displaying Angela's commentary. As much as she hated the woman, there was a high likelihood she'd let slip some useful information about the race.

"What a spectacular start!" Glorious Angela began after swallowing another olive, her partner nodding listlessly. "I believe that was the single largest number of ships lost at the very start of the race in twelve seasons! Eight right at the start line even. This is why you watch your back during those pesky pre-race media sessions."

"Indeed," Riks hissed, his tail undulating. "Though that's not to say we haven't lost quite a few after. Numbers say we've gone from forty to thirty-two racers in the first twenty seconds alone! The starting line is known to be the most dangerous part of the race, but this is something else."

"Those who jet ahead in a straight line are always the first to die. Short sighted racers and unprepared rookies mostly…" A dismissive hand dipped down into the bowl of olives, prim fingers raising a glistening green orb to ruby red lips. "It is as I said last night, cutting the fat from the marble. Now that the amateurs who got here through luck are out of the way, we can start in earnest."

"We're only fifty kilometers from the entry to Yulpa's largest ring," Riks attempted to snag an olive, only to get his claws gently smacked. "This is where racers like Mo'Ona can really get ahead before slowing down in the rocks."

"It might not be enough this year, Motsa is already pulling ahead of the pack followed by, surprisingly, Alinder the Greer! It seems like she's dead set on putting her money where her colony is."

Lix poured on the speed, ignoring the lack of anything useful to focus on the race. True to Angela's word, the boxy passenger ship Alinder had modified was hot on the tail of the wedge-shaped beast belonging to Motsa. Missiles streaked from the Greer vessel only to turn and sail into the void, their targeting computer fried by jamming. Return fire from a gimbaled railgun sent the rectangular chasing vessel on a spiraling evasive pattern that refused to sacrifice ground, the duo waltzing through fire and steel like angry lovers. For the first time since she arrived, Lix doubted her skills against those of her opponents, especially if performances like that were the norm…

"Head's up!" Jack's shout ripped her from her gawking. "Gonna give ya a bit of a boost before we get mired in those rocks."

"What? What kind of boo-ooh!" Heat readings rose, beyond what the No Safety used to be able to handle, as Jack fiddled with systems in the back. Lix grinned with predatory lust as she began to pull ahead of her competitors, her tail twitching in its receptacle. "Oh yeah, baby keep doing that!"

Jack, for his part, was very warm. Just as intended, the Sevar slave cables allowed him to bypass safety systems and reroute power to whichever system he so desired. The result was that the heat had to go somewhere, and without any sinks yet it accumulated in the engine bay. Which, of course, was where he currently was redirecting coolant so the new parts didn't melt. His shirt lay discarded somewhere in the bowels of the bay, leaving his bare torso and the angry cybernetic connections holding his arms onto his body open to the air. Sweat glistened in thin rivulets down into his waistband as he wiped the back of an alloy hand across his forehead.

"Mmmm yeah, girl you like that? Like all that power you can handle now? I told ya, new dressin' would fix ya up right! Now look at ya, purrin' and sweatin' and mphf fuck… gettin' all heated just like me? Don't worry, I'll keep ya chuggin' nice and cool. Everybody around us dyin'? You don't blink an eye, cool as ice."

Lix ignored the man, dipping the No Safety before jerking her up once more, scything over a streaking volley of micro-missiles angrily flying into the void. The cloud of explosions, of dying racers, had quickly tapered off as pilots with observant crews and quick reactions on the controls pulled ahead of the slower competition. For Lix, however, the challenge lay in her own instincts; little reptilian huffs barked from her maw as her clawed feet tippy tapped on the deck. Every synapse in her head screamed to run, to sprint, to tear down prey and drive her fangs into flesh. Her tongue roared for the warm splash of meat and sharp crunch of bone. Racing, she'd found, when pushed to her limit, felt like the hunt of her ancestors. Speed and guile were as important for filling the bellies of the Kux'lar of old as was crossing the finish line of today's race, and her muscles knew no difference.

Crossing the line of asteroids into Yulpa's belt was like diving into the ice-cold waters of a rushing river, sound dying in Lix's ears as she juked, jived, dived, and rose over the familiar still forms of stone. Sparks glanced off a shuttle to her left as another vessel to her right slowed, unwilling to continue through the field at full throttle. Another distant plume of quickly freezing gas indicated the death of a racer, one who had challenged the asteroids and been found wanting.

This was where the real 'Roid Racers cut their fangs, where they pulled ahead and left the pretenders, the dreamers, behind to take their place by the doers. At the edge of her vision came the first of many observation stations, the tiny dots of frantic fans roiling into an angry sea of frothing color as all instinct and thought left the masses. Every near miss, every short pass, riled them further until she could nearly feel their cheers…

She could… if she wanted… all she had to do was pipe the channel specifically for just their voices into her cockpit… some racers lived for that, Like Mo'Ona. The roar of the crowd… but no. The engines, the zipping asteroids zooming by the viewport, the scream of weapons lock and the myriad color of rival racers and their preferred fuel burning a trail of rainbows in front of her… This is what she lived for.

Two such racers spiraled about each other's drive trails, traces of railgun and PDC fire stitching a dizzying pattern of light that Lix ardently avoided. Sparks and shredded metal rained from the belly of the slower shuttle as a spearing strike from the railgun tore her belly free, the victorious pilot flying straight and true just long enough to catch their breath before a volley of micro-missiles tore the aft end asunder. Two spinning craft, nothing more than scrap, forced Lix to dive beneath the hulking form of an asteroid, ceding her position to the streak of yellow that was Helena.

"Sorry 'lil lady! Them's the works!"

"Gnah! Scrah!"

"Is that Kux'lar flirtin'?" Helena winked through the comms channel, her visage as perfect mid race as it was during the media session. "I'm flattered, darlin'! Meet me at the finish line an' maybe I'll let ya show me more!"

"Ya gonna lose some power to weapons, gettin' too much juice to everythin'!" Jack's voice pulled her back into focus, the cabin rattling as the Icebreaker powered down, yet the engines roared like an enraged force of nature in return. The edge of the asteroid was close enough that Lix felt she could reach through the scratched cockpit and run her claws along its bumpy surface. Euphoria pulled her mind along a floating cloud as she stretched backwards, one paw upon the controls as her neck curved back… back… back…

Adrenaline surged through her veins as her eyes left the path ahead to gaze up at the dizzying scene of rock passing by at breakneck speeds. This is what it felt like to be alive! Nothing else mattered here, at the edge of the universe screaming feet from death while her idol stole her place in the race. It meant one thing, that she could take it back.

"Eyes on the prize, ya psycho!"

"SCRAAAAAWWWWW!"

Jack was right, it was time to get her head out of the proverbial clouds and focus! Jerking back onto the seat, Lix's grin spread across her muzzle as if she'd been presented a real steak with the flesh still sizzling and butter running rivulets across its warm surface. Determination steeled her legs as she pressed forwards as if it would speed along the No Safety Measures. Like the release of a champagne cork, Lix zipped back into the fray, eager and ready to duke it out with her childhood hero. What would it be like? What tactics would Helena use? How would it feel if she won? Could she ask Skrunkles to come out here after the race and get a piece of the woman's ship if she won? Or would this be the final stretch of her dream…

If it was against Helena… that would be a badass way to go. At the top of the galaxy with her mate… but no, that wasn't how she did things.

It was time to kill the woman she looked up to as a hatchling, and it was going to be glorious!

With the roar of a warrior Lix slammed the nose up high, power from the engines diverting as Jack worked in tandem without command. The crew was ready, hungry, driving for the victory that would be hard won and harder celebrated…

And into a clash of titans.

Gultian, with his strange racer bearing seemingly pointless forward swept wings, danced around fire from none other than Mo'Ona himself, the Hux making good on Lix's prediction that combat fliers would attempt to eliminate speed racers before the straight aways in the asteroid field. To their twelve high, Helena danced with Carlile, the former champion, jousting with heavy missiles and staccato PDC fire, desperate to avoid a collision with the chaotic fliers below them.

All the wind sucked from Lix's sails as she watched the dizzying, mind melting twists and rolls and dives and leaps her competitors displayed, Mo'Ona included, weaving a tapestry of drive trails that colored her eyes like a kid staring through a candy store window. It was… beautiful… it was art in motion. Not a single maneuver was wasted or over blown, not a drop of fuel was wasted on wanton thrust, not a bit of position lost for errant dodging or positioning. Every shot was pinpoint, missing only due to the skill of the target. It was difficult to follow, this high-speed dance that all at once made Lix feel like an imposter on the racetrack… but as all things do…

Carlile slammed on the breaks, thrusters at half, to let the other racers zoom on ahead. Mo'Ona broke off first, followed by Helena who left Gultian a parting gift of dummy missiles that forced him back onto the straight and narrow. It was as if the world slowed to a crawl- the next few moments slammed by at the pace of cold molasses… A missile streaked from the nose of Carlile's tapered shuttle, slamming into the drive bell of Gultian's ship dead on, like a dart released from a drunkard at a bar.

Bullseye.

Glutian, the expert avian racer Lix had spoken to not hours before, who had called his death if he didn't pull ahead of the pack, met a fiery end followed by blood freezing decompression as his cockpit was exposed to the vacuum of space. The 'Roid Racer didn't feel a thing as his feathers iced over before the explosive destruction of his beloved ship blew what was left of him to scattering ash…

Nothing more than a widening cone of debris…

"Holy-" Lix didn't get to finish, as Mo'Ona dipped back into Gultian's widening cloud of obscuring scrap to release a swarm of micro-missiles behind him, the screaming bunch of small explosives curving up into the bottom of Carlile's shuttle, hidden by the very streak of weapons fire he'd just unleashed. One pop, two, then three and four- Lix lost count. She hadn't even blinked, hadn't even breathed, and the projected victor of the League vanished in a plume of icy vapor.

She could hear it… the disbelieving screeches of fans and the delighted roars of onlookers- the dismayed cries of lost bets and investors and the slamming of headsets as team leads saw their ticket to riches go up in literal smoke…

It was surreal. She'd seen countless racers die in the preliminaries, but never one she'd just spoken too… not so closely… not literal galactic champions. She didn't know what she felt… it was… she-

A metal hand slammed her console, making her jump nearly out of her scales.

"Fly! You can handle it later! Fly fly fly!"

"Gnah! G-Gnah! Right! Raaaaahhhhh!"

Claws closed back around the controls as she juked into an evasive pattern, other lesser racers zooming by as they took advantage of the champions fight with each other. Positions vanished before their very eyes, yet they didn't care, their focus glued to the lock on alarm and fingers poised over the chaff release…

Yet nothing came.

"Hoo… can't believe it y'all… Gultian and Carlile gone… boy howdy!" Helena glitched to life on Lix's screen, her brow dripping with sweat.

"Lix not go down without scrap! Gnah!"

"Easy, easy! How about we cruise to the refuel dock? I need a breather an' how could I ever shoot down ya pretty muzzle, baby girl?"

"Skrunkles… would likes a seconds to breathes too." Lix huffed, growling as her comms panel was suddenly invaded by her partners screen as well. The little Hux was shivering, his eyes wild as they zipped to and fro… until Lix remembered he'd just flat lined the best racer in the galaxy… that was a whiplash of emotions if there ever was one…

"That was some freakishly good flying, Skrunks!" Lix found her tail wagging as they fell into formation. Underestimation wasn't even in the realm of what she'd done to Mo'Ona… at least in the pilot's seat. Outside the Spitfire, he was a dirty, twitchy, weird, freaky, horny little bastard… behind the stick, however? He was an ace, through and through.

"Luckys… Carliles tunnel visioned on Gultian, just took advantages."

"Typical Hux," Helena chuckled, easing her sharp customized fighter in beside the Spitfire. "In a good way, sugah."

Once again, Lix jumped on the pilot's seat as a cold metal hand fell on her shoulder, though a content trill left her trembling maw as the adrenaline worked through her system.

"Breathe babe, ya did good but don't blow ya load jus' yet. Ya heard Angela, it's an endurance race."

"Y-Yeah, yeah I'm good. Just need to get my head on straight." Jack simply nodded as the temporary fueling platform came into view, several ships were already docked, one leaving at a hard burn.

"I'll seal the cockpit an' take care o' refueling myself, that thing be all zero atmo. Ya just be ready to fly." Cloth shuffled as Jack pulled his EVA suit from the cockpit locker, ensuring his mate's was ready to go if need be.

"Roger that, you be careful out the-"

"Lixes! Problems!"

"Gnah… what now?"

Though as she turned, the 'problem' made itself quite apparent; the fueling dock was a warzone. Flashes of small arms fire barked between the ships, zipping between listless corpses, as crews looked to add their own names to the annuls of the Asteroid Racing League's history book. Even here, Lix noted, death followed.

"Oh… that's how they wanna play." Instead of dismay, Lix only felt a giddy elation. "Well, I have a Jack."