ARTIFACT- The Malastare Open Pod Race!

THE SET-UP: The Malastare Open is probably the most civilised pod race there is- fatalities are not uncommon, but deliberate murder on the track is more or less unheard of. As one of the few Republican worlds that permits gambling, Malastare has even greater distinction in allowing this most dangerous of sports. A sport which, right now, is wide open, as many of the best pod racers were killed or injured four months ago at the Boonta Eve pod race on Tatooine.

It is an Open event, anyone with a pod may join. And at the last moment, two new racers unheard of before join the line up, both of them from the planet Mogar. Mogarians cannot breathe or touch oxygen, and so both racers are clad tightly inside body suits that obscure their appearance. Neither are actually Mogarian; the suits are disguises.

From the Jedi, Knight Mah Ar'cor is racing. He is not happy to be doing so; the Jedi find the situation displeasing. But they have little choice- the only chance they have of pursuing their Dark Sided opponents is to retrieve the Sith Navigation device- the Astrolabe that the title of the story refers to- that Kuylen and the others plan to use to find their next target, in conjunction with the maps they got from Avalar. The man who owns the Astrolabe is rich businessman, and one time archaelogist, Kir Ascar. Ascar wants the Jedi to ruin the betting for the event by posing as an outsider and winning the race- Ascar stands to make a fortune by this. Only if the Jedi win will he lend them the Astrolabe. No other option remains open to the Jedi in the time they have.

Ironically, the Jedi are unaware that Kuylen's men have not used the Astrolabe yet after all. The two he have sent to do it- violent warrior Galder (Rex) and powerful but ill-trained Takuan (Dexx)- have run into great difficulties, and found themselves making an identical deal with Ascar. Ascar, of course, finds the whole thing rather hilarious...

Mah and Galder are racing for the same prize, neither entirely sure who the fellow 'Mogarian' racer is and why he is there.

Ok, so now the pod race starts! (Play the music here...)

It is a warm and bright day (for Malastare, anyway). Conditions are good. There's a good buzz for the audience of tens of thousands at the track for the Malastare open. The arena is at the edge of the city, and the track itself winds somewhat to the outside of the city limits before winding back to the main arena. The whole area is observed by many cameras, and there is no chance of Tusken Raiders and the like taking potshots at people!

RULES: It is pretty simple. There are three laps of four sections each. Each section, the racer describes the means he plans to drive through that section. The other racers will be controlled by me. Rather like duelling, a point score will then be determined- a combination of the skill of the driver, the quality and appropriateness of the post, and a small random factor.

The scores accumulate over each section and lap. Whoever has the highest score is in the lead! The second highest is second, and so on! Whoever has the highest score at the end of the final section of the final lap has won!

However... there is a complication. After each bit of scoring, it may look like people have moved up or down places. But anyone trying to move pass someone else may have to fight to do it! Before the next section begins, little fights and tussles will break out as we see if someone's potential to move up a place actually translates into reality! If an attempt to overtake is successfully blocked, your points total becomes limited to that of the person who stopped you. So, if a person trying to move from 20 points to 30 is stopped by a man on 25, that person is also stuck on 25.

The two of you are currently walking onto the track to get into your pods- Mah's wide brown one, and Galder's long and narrow brown one. They look like they were built by the same company... this is very odd!

In a moment, I shall describe your rival's pods, and how the course looks. SOon after the race will start.

Galder hops into the brown podracer that Ascar has assigned him. He spots the other Mogarian-suited racer and the large brown podracer he has. "Odd..." Galder says to himself, as he takes note of the other other Mogarian and his podracer.

btw, Ush. I've registered under the name Unad Bejeem.

Of course, it is a little difficult for the two of you to see in these things. Obviously Mogarians are not into peripheral vision (don't worry, your Jedi senses will compensate).

They are also very tight and somewhat restricting. Your own breathing is very loud and when you talk, the sound simply echoes around the suit; to be heard you must press the button on your chest mounted synthisier, and when you speak, a rather flat tone emerges from the unit; your words but not your voice.

Inevitably, the grass is always greener and the other Mogarian looks far more comfortable than yourself, for both of you...

This will be interesting... thinks Galder. He wishes that the Mogarians had better visors.

So, who are the opposing racers?

(Just waiting for Mah to check in)

(Okily-dokily. 🙂 )

I'm here!

Mah jumps into the big podracer, and gets ready for the race.

Okidokey then...

There are nine pods in the race.

#1 is Mah's, a wide brown thing. It is manoeuvrable

#2 is Galder's, a long and narrow brown thing. it is fast.

#3 is driven by some small blue thing, and looks like a small blue thing. It is VERY fast indeed, but hard to steer. It also looks very fragile.

#4 is large and nasty, driven by some hard-scaled alien. It is slow, but the sides are built to better ram and jostle other pods; you want to be careful near that one.

#5, a very orthodox job driven by a Dug, is fast like Galder's

#6 is driven by something with six tentacle-like arms. it is the largest pod in the race, done in a rather sickly yellow. It is manoeuvrable and has good traction, but isn't very fast.

#7 is a four-engined pod, making it fast, but a bitch on the traction; it slides all over the place. It is also driven by a Dug

#8, looks like it is held together with sticky-back plastic and spare parts. Driven by some greasy ape-like being, who wears a big smile, it is fast and manoeuvrable, but looks like it will fall apart at any moment.

#9 is another tiny pod with a tiny green alien. It seems to have no distinction whatsoever...

And then the course.

The first section is the Straight, starting at the wide line-up at the starting line and shooting out of the city limits. It is fun, easy and wide. Pods with good speed will do best here.

The second section is the Narrows. The straight curves slightly and splits into four seperate routes, walled off from each other. Each of the four routes is the same length, and each is pretty straight, so fast pods will do well here as well. However, the routes are very narrow. It is IMPOSSIBLE to overtake in the second section!

The third section is the Twists, a nightmare section of tough turns and hairpins as the track starts to curve back around on itself. There are several wide points to overtake but only a brave racer would go fast enough to try. Manoeuvrable pods do well here

The fourth section is the lake, a section going over one of Malastare's green lakes, that also give off green fog. The fog makes it hard to see. There are several turns here, nowhere near as bad as the twists but the pods slip and slide on the surface, and only pods with good traction can peform well here.

The final corner of the Lake takes you back to the Straight.

Please note:

1. Manoeuvrable pods are better in a tussle or fight
2. Pods with good traction are more likely to recover if you go out of control
3. Pods with good speed have no extra bonus but have TWO sections of the race they are better at.

Also note that one each lap you may activate your boost for ONE section. This will improve performance for that section- but also your risk!

Everyone is now being directed into their pods; the pit crews are clearing the track and the engines are starting!

Mah is concentrated and ready to blast off the starting line

Bit nervous there, Mah- youe engine didn't start until you you hammered the control panel a little... the energy binders for you all are powering up now!

(Race starts when Rex signals ready...)

Galder starts the engine. The energy binders delay for a second, and then spark to life, the purple energy flowing to and from the engines. The engines start, with yellow flames and smoke bursting from the rear.

"This is gonna be fun..." Galder says to himself under the suit.

(btw, I could plug a few names to the species of the drivers. There are some that are similar to ones that I have names for...)

I nickname them myself... speedy, rammy, boring, and so on...

Ok, guys, the final countdown to the off is starting... this is the big moment!

Slight difference as this is the first round. There is no 'jostling' for position after the first section- you just establish your places- no fights!. The jostling will start after the second section. And as you cannot overtake in the second section, how you do here dictates your position for the whole first half of the first lap!

What are you planning to do? Will you shoot forwards and try and be first into the narrows? Or will you hang back, let someone else be the target and try and get places in the Twists?

Don't ask me what is better, I have no idea- this is all experimental to me!

3...

2...

1...

GO! GO! GO!

What's your plan, guys?

(Here's the species that your descriptions best fit...)

1. Mogarian
2. Mogarian
3. Aleena
4. Trandoshan
5. Dug
6. Neugarian
7. Dug
8. Triffian
9. Fluggrian

#6 is the only one that's not an official Star Wars species. I made it for my Star Wars story, about a bounty hunter and so on...

Galder slams forward on the accelerator throttles, and his podracer goes rocketing ahead of the others.

(Is that a boost use?)

(Um...I guess...)

Mah is sure to get quickly off the start-line, positioning himself not in the lead of the field but slightly behind, planning to use his manouvreable pod to gain places in the Twists.

And boom! You guys are off! As you have never done this before, yout first round is a little slower than normal as you try to get to grips with the way these things handle at top speed. They are VERY scary! Your guts try to force their way through your stomach as your pods shoot up to top speed without the grav compensators you are used to in spacecraft. It is all a blur as you speed down the Straight, and it takes you a few moments before you note the Narrows are approaching and the playing field is developing.

Galder, you boost yourself hugely forwards with a perfectly times surging start. But the small guy in the very speedy pod has the same idea, and the sheer power of his pod starts to outdo yours. As you enter the Narrows, he has just pipped you to the pole.

Mah, you soon find yourself mid-field as the faster pods (qudrto four engined guy and the dodgy pod) slip in front of you, boosts unused this lap so far. But now you are getting the hang of this...

Orthodox and Boring (the dull pods with the Dug and small alien, respectively) slip in just behind Mah. Twisty manoeuvrable pod and the big basher stall on start-up, and bring up the rear.

Now, everyone splits up as they enter the Narrows...

Your plans please!

POSITIONS AND SCORES

1st: Speedy (10)
2nd: Galder (9)
3rd: Quadro (6)
4th: Dodgy (6)
5th: Mah (4)
6th: Boring (4)
7th: Orthodox (3)
8th: Twisty (1)
9th: Bashy (1)

NOW ENTERING: The Narrows, lap 1

Mah decides to try and stay out of trouble for this section, and works to keep some distance to the two pods behind, while not attempting anything with the Dodgy bloke ahead.