Tallisa shrugged nonchalantly as she wiped her oil-stained hands on a cloth. “Apparently her mom is some hoity-toity Jedi noble from Naboo who took a hard pass on matrimony to shack up with that wealthy heir, Baros Sal-Soren. Her family ain't too happy about it, mind you; apparently snubbed some pretty prestigious prospects for him. Guy managed to worm his way into their inner circle though, made a name for himself on Naboo I heard — became the Queen's advisor or somethin'. Personally, I don't know why they're even allowed to compete here; not enough Corellian blood left in 'em if you ask me." Tallisa crossed her arms and looked down at the steaming gruel in front of her with a frown. “I do know one thing though, our little princess over there won’t have to choke down chit like this.”
Upon hearing Baros' name, another racer in the group chimed in—a hulking figure known as Trask Banes, sporting a long scar across his left cheek and perpetually scowling as if he'd just found out his favorite drinking establishment was temporarily closed. “Baros is her father?” He picked at his teeth with slight annoyance before flicking away whatever morsel he'd extracted. “My Mom said she knew that guy, called him a charmer, but a scoundrel.”
One of the more elegant competitors, Xendra Varo, perked up, the shimmer in her gray eyes matching the iridescent sheen of her artfully cropped hair. “Ha! Yeah, I bet she ‘knew’ him.” she snorted before gracefully swirling her fork through the air and taking an expertly poised bite.
Trask’s scowl deepened considerably, “You best watch it, Varo!"
“Struck a nerve there, Trask?” Xendra purred, clearly enjoying the escalating tension she’d caused a little too much.
Taking a hearty swig of her canteen to wash down that first spoonful of slop before setting it down with a loud ‘thud’, Tallisa followed it up by letting her foot swing out beneath the table to deliver a swift kick to Trask’s shin before shooting a warning glance at Xendra. “Point is,” she continued, attempting to steer the conversation back on course, nudging her head in the general direction of Briana who was already surrounded by a small crowd that acted like an impromptu entourage, hair pulled back in a tight bun with a few rebellious curls framing the sharp contours of her face. “Doubt a girl like that is going to be happy with just the factory specs. Money doesn’t buy everything, but it can buy a lot that we can’t. Might make our bikes obsolete out there.”
“Money can’t buy skill,” Aiden chimed in after he finally entered the room with the other racers. He looked at them for a moment, eyes narrowed and his lips already tugging up into a proper Corellian grin. “If you all want to make excuses, go ahead, but I’ll make sure that rich girl knows her place today.”
The friends exchanged glances, smiles replacing their previous expressions of concern and agitation. Aiden had been the undisputed champion of The Corellian Youth Athletics leaderboards for the last five years in a row — if anyone could give the interloper a run for her money, figuratively and literally, they all knew it’d be their very own golden boy — Aiden Rennek.
All except Xendra, who had almost let herself join her fellow comrades in their renewed sense of vigor, but her coy smile gave way to doubt as her lips pulled to the side. “I don’t know, she might be legit. You’re not even a little worried?”
The initial response of the racers around him boosted Aiden’s ego, but Xendra was quick to spark a more frustrated look from the Corellian as well. “What? Are you her new fangirl now?” he scoffed and looked her in the eyes. “Why would I be worried? The only thing she has proven is that her daddy can buy her fancy toys.”
Pride took over again, as he stood tall and with his chin raised just a tad, “I climbed my up the ladder without any gifts or special equipment. I’m not scared of her, and you all shouldn’t be either. If you believe you might lose, you’ve already lost.”
“You’re not wrong,” chimed a sharp, yet feminine voice from behind him, momentarily drawing the group’s attention away from their impromptu leader to land on Briana Sal-Soren who was clearly unafraid of confronting the tight-knit group. “You’re Aiden, aren’t you?” she asked with a thoughtful tilt of her head, though it was more of a statement than a question. Dark lashes lowered and lifted as her eyes flickered over his form, almost as if she were performing her own pre-inspection on a piece of machinery. One well manicured brow raised in response and she hummed to herself. “Talk of the circuit is that you’re the one to beat… I sure hope you’re more than just the hype.”
"I sure hope you're more than just your father's credits," Aiden snapped back, though he realized how harsh he made it sound as well and paused for a moment to keep himself in check. He had never been afraid of competition, and even welcomed a good challenge, but there was something about being confronted by a dolled-up rich girl that agitated him. She wasn't supposed to be here, as far as he was concerned.
"I'll show you what I got on the track, and you better not disappoint after all this hype either, Sal-Soren."
written together with Briana Sal-Soren
