USH'S GAME EPISODE III- 'ARTIFACT'. Light Side Area

"Tell me, Master Gundark... have you ever seen a pod race?"

"I've been to Malastare before. And the pod races."

"Good..." says Ascar. "Very profitable business, both for the competitors and those involved in its operation. Tomorrow is the Malastae open, one of the greatest events on the calendar. And the race is wide open... you see, four months ago at the Boonta Eve race on Tatooine, there was a VERY nasty few laps... much of the top travelling line up of the sport were killed or injured. Some local boy won it in the end. But now, there are no clear favourites for the victor..."

Some local boy.... Kellan pushed the whole thing out of her mind. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we ?"

"Well now. If, say, a new competitor joins at the last moment, he is likely to be given very long odds... no-one will expect him to win. Of course, that will be because no-one suspects it is actually a Jedi. Knowing that, I could make a good deal of money."

For a moment, Kellan couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Surely you jest."

"Not at all," says Ascar. "Win that race for me and I may be willing to let you... borrow... my Astrolabe. And we will forget about all the other nonsense that has been going on here. It does not matter which of you does it, of course."

Kellan decided she hated this turn of events. "This is not a deal, Ascar. This is extortion."

"No," says Ascar. "This is business. You can try and do this the hard way, if you wish, through the courts. How long would that take, do you think? Weeks? Months? Years?" Ascar fixes you with a stare. "How long do you HAVE, Master Gundark?"

She was being manipulated and it frustrated her. But there was no other way that she could see. And she didn't have a lot of time to examine her options. Kellan turned to her companions standing silently behind her. She needed someone younger and with quicker reactions that herself to compete. "mah, how do you feel about pod racing ?"

"I can provide you the pod, of course," says Ascar. "Oh, and one other thing... the ploy does not work if you are recognised as a Jedi. Luckily, I have a decent disguise for you... Persis?" says Ascar. Persis reaches to the wall and opens a secret compartment he was standing by. He reahces in and pulls out... a Mogarian body suit.

"Interesting choice of disguise," Kellan said coolly. "I assume some of your security staff need to travel incognito at times."

"Picked up during my earlier travels," says Ascar. "Useful indeed. Majora will show you to the pod."

"Yes Master, I'd be glad to do that."
Mah followed Majora to the pod

Ok, Majora will show you down to the pod.

"May the Force be with you," says Ascar, as you leave.

Something just occurred to you, Gundy. Persis was standing by that cupboard the whole time. Coincidence? Suddenly, you can't help thinking that Ascar was inwardly very calm for a man showing such exterior unhappiness. You suspect this is the way he wanted things from the start- maybe even from when he first saw you!

Mah, the pod is a wide type (like Sebulba's, unlike Anakin's, which was long) and mainly brown. It looks worn but perfectly servicable. Majora gives you a bundle of paperwork.

"Your accreditation," she says. "All worked out, you just need to sign with any name you like and turn up tomorrow. A copy of the rules is there as well. Will that be all?"

Sorry to ask this again but:

Update please.

I haven't been in the RP mood the last few days, but I'm ready to jump back in.

Ok. Well, things have narrowed down now. You have agreed to enter Mah in a pod race- tomorrow's Malastare open- in a deal with Ascar. If Mah wins, you get to borrow the astrolabe.

You are just checking out the pod now.

"I believe that's all yes" Mah signs the papers with a random name he comes up with.

"Well then," says Majora. "Maybe I will see you after the race..."

Ok, mah, you know a little about engineering. You've never raced a pod but you have driven things based on the same principle. This is a fairly decent little number- nothing hugely spectacular but certainly enough to win you the race if the current racing aces are out of the running.

You could tinker with it. Right now, it is fairly fast. You could alter it so it instead either had good traction or good manoeuvrability.

ok, manoeuvrability then