Private Fine Tolerances

[Aselia Verd]

Midday light poured through the upper levels of Sundari, Mandalore stretched out in stark geometry clean lines, armored spires, and distant traffic threading between towers with quiet efficiency. No alarms. No smoke. Just the steady rhythm of a world at work.

Aselia moved through it unarmored.

No beskar. No helm. Just a casual, well-worn outfit suited for getting her hands dirty dark pants, boots scuffed from use, a light jacket with the sleeves pushed up. Her hair was tied back loosely, practical rather than severe. She blended easily into the midday flow of engineers, merchants, and couriers moving between levels.

She wasn't in a hurry.

The shop she stepped into sat along one of Sundari's mid-tier platforms, tucked between a machine parts dealer and a small café that smelled faintly of roasted caf beans and oil. Inside, the air was cooler, tinged with ozone and lubricant. Racks of components lined the walls repulsor housings, power couplings, custom-machined assemblies clearly not meant for off-the-shelf civilian use.

Exactly her kind of place.

Aselia paused near the counter, eyes scanning a display of modular assemblies before the shopkeeper even noticed her. She knew what she was here for, but she took her time anyway habit more than necessity. Rushed work showed.

Eventually, a compact crate was set on the counter between them. Inside, nested in foam, was the custom part she'd commissioned: precision-machined, reinforced in all the right places, clearly built by someone who understood stress tolerances and high-speed instability.

She lifted it carefully, turning it in her hands, checking seams and contact points with a practiced eye.

"Clean work," she said, more observation than praise.

The shopkeeper nodded, satisfied. "Should hold up better than stock. Especially if you're… pushing limits."

A faint smile tugged at one corner of her mouth.

"That's the idea."

The transaction was quick, unremarkable. Credits transferred, crate sealed again. Aselia slung it under one arm and stepped back out into the daylight, letting the ambient hum of Sundari settle around her once more.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Maintenance needed to be done on her Basilisk and since she didn't have the space to keep it on Contruum, Adelle found herself in Sundari. The Basilisk bays had been full of activity, her Basilisk receiving programming calibrations as well as tune-ups to its hardware. Phantom had sniffed at it curiously and the Basilisk had tilted its head at the spukami. 'Big' had been Phantom's judgement. The mechanics assured her they'd be done with everything soon and that they'd contact her comlink when it was done.

Adelle still needed a name for it.

Sundari felt different now, after their blitz on Yaga Minor. Quieter, for sure, but still lively. She wandered the streets and pathways, staying within comfortable walking distance of the bays. Phantom was on her usual perch, draped across her shoulders and eyes shut contentedly in the daylight. This area definitely seemed to be geared more towards the mechanical aspects of things, hangar bays for speeders and garages for the smaller speeder bikes and swoops sandwiched between parts shops and mechanics. Residences, small restaurants, and bars only dominated about half of it.

A cafe next to a parts shop caught her eye, the scents of caf and grease bringing with it memories of time spent working on an old swoop with her mom during recovery. She didn't think twice and stepped in. The cushions on chairs and stools were cracked from use and patched over. A patchwork of official licenses and handwritten notes to employees on flimsiplast hovered over a small collection of holopucks displaying banned persons. The floor in front of the counter had been worn through several layers of design choices. It felt like putting on a pair of worn in boots.

Her ordered caf came out both scalding and strong enough to be used as motor oil. Adelle handed over the appropriate creds and headed out the door the same time someone exited the parts shop. The scent of ozone mixed with slugthrower propellant. There were few enough that Adelle knew who smelled like that. But it was the bright red hair that really identified the Verd.

"Hey Aselia," she said, taking a cautious sip of her caf. It still burned her tongue. "How's your Basilisk?"

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia heard a familiar voice call out to her and at the sound she turned, red hair catching the light as she did.

"Hey there" Aselia said easily, eyes flicking from Adelle to the caf in her hand, then briefly to Phantom draped across her shoulders. The corner of her mouth twitched. "You sure that's caf or industrial lubricant?" she quipped with a small smirk on her lips.

At the question, she thought a moment, Yaga Minor had been rough on both their basilisks She nodded to Adellle." Stress fractures, lots of recalibration, the stuff you don't skip if you don't want surprises later all in all though, not in terrible shape. Yours? I did promise to bring it back, though I admit it got a bit more banged up than I intended. Sorry about that, i'll have to make it up to you."

Aselia shifted her stance, adjusting the small crate tucked under one arm as the steady hum of Sundari's lower levels carried around them. Her gaze flicked briefly toward the basilisk bays down the walkway, where armored silhouettes moved behind open blast doors, then returned to Adelle.

"This part isn't for the basilisk, though," she added, giving the crate a light, absent tap with her free hand. "Separate project. Something I've been tinkering with for a while now. Had to custom order a part, and I finally got it.."

There was no secrecy in her tone just quiet satisfaction. She studied Adelle for a moment, then nodded lightly toward the caf.

"What about you?" Aselia asked. "Just killing time while the mechanics work, or did Aether leave you alone long enough for time off?"

TAG: Adelle Bastiel

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Adelle smiled and laughed softly when Aselia mentioned her caf. “I like it with a little bite, sue me.”

The Verd listed off all the things her own Basilisk needed repaired and Adelle nodded. Yeah, based on what she’d seen of Aselia’s side of the fight, it sounded right. Her own had come back with scuffs and dents but nothing majorly structural. She waved off the offer to make it up to her.

“Mechanics didn’t mention anything major. If anything, it needs a new paint job and body work but blitzing through buildings will do that,” she said. There were other repairs, the invisible things that needed to be addressed before they became surprises like Aselia said.

Adelle studied the small crate curiously when Aselia brought it up, mentioning it was for a project. It piqued her curiosity. Aselia being a gearhead figured; the hobby seemed to fit the Mandalorian like a glove. But Adelle had to wonder if it was a starfighter or speeder, since it wasn’t for her basilisk.

"What about you? Just killing time while the mechanics work, or did Aether leave you alone long enough for time off?"

“Bit of both,” Adelle said, taking a sip of the bitter caf. “Figured I’d explore Sundari a bit while I wait. I am curious though, what’s your project?”

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia let out a quiet huff of a laugh at that, adjusting the crate under her arm as she shifted her grip.

"Yeah Aether did, in fact, leave me unsupervised," she said dryly. "Dangerous, I know."

At Adelle's question, she glanced down at the crate for a moment, then back up, expression easing into something a little more open.

"Oh it's a fun one Clone Wars era BARC speeder, original frame. Well mostly."

She lifted her free hand, gesturing loosely as if outlining the shape in the air.

"I found it years ago. Half stripped, drive assembly shot, controls barely recognizable. Most people would've scrapped it or turned it into a wall piece." She gave a small shrug. "Didn't sit right with me."

Her tone warmed as she went on.

"I'm restoring it, but I'm not trying to make it a museum piece. Modern internals, updated repulsor arrays, smarter power management, proper stabilization so it doesn't try to kill me at speed. Keeping the soul, ditching the parts that explode."

She gave the crate a light tap.

"This is a control coupling custom-machined. Lets me integrate modern response systems without gutting the original handling. Couldn't find one that would do the job so had to do a custom order."

Her eyes flicked back to Adelle, curious now.

"It's slower than just buying something new, But I like knowing every bolt. Every sound it makes." She paused for a moment. "Feels right, bringing something old forward instead of letting it disappear."

"You're welcome to come see it, few people are actually interested though." she added.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

“That’s always a mistake,” Adelle said into her caf when Aselia mentioned being unsupervised. But her attention snapped up at the mention of the antique speeder bike and she listened with rapt attention, nodding when Aselia said she wanted to restore it but not as a museum piece. Adelle understood that. As fun as it was to see how things had been built historically, it was more fun if you could still use them.

Then Aselia offered to show it off.

“Hell yeah, I’d love to see it,” Adelle said. “Don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to see a piece of history.”

Adelle followed Aselia down the pathway, occasionally waving away Phantom’s tail from her face and taking a sip of caf. The sounds of Sundari washed over them, a city of life, and a far different sound from the days leading up to their strike against the Diarchy. Almost like nothing had happened. Quieter.

“How long have you been working on it?” she asked.

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia walked at an easy pace, adjusting the crate slightly against her side as they moved through the hum of Sundari’s lower district. The soundscape was familiar repulsors whining, tools striking metal, the steady rhythm of a city that built more than it broke.

She glanced sidelong at Adelle as the question came.

“A while” she admitted A smile touched her lips as she recounted.

“I found the frame years ago. It was in bad shape I mentioned that part. Someone had tried to ‘modernize’ it at some point and just made a mess.” She shook her head lightly. “I tore it back down to bare structure.”

They passed a garage with an open front, mechanics arguing over a repulsor imbalance as they passed.

“I don’t rush it,” she continued. “When I have time, I work on it. When I don’t, it waits. Some of the parts took a while to source. Others I had to fabricate from scratch.” She shifted the crate slightly. “Like this one.”

Her expression softened not nostalgic, exactly, but grounded.

“BARCs were mass produced out of necessity, but they were also built for a specific kind of pilot. Fast reactions. Aggressive control input. and the frames were solid. Kind of like a Mandalorian.” a smirk forming on her lips.

She looked at Adelle again.

“I’d say I’m close,” she added. “Once this coupling’s installed and I finish the power redistribution tweaks, she’ll be rideable again.”

Her eyes flicked forward toward a hangar levels ahead.

“I'm using one of the smallar hangars as a garage. Keeps it secure, and everyone I don't want there out" Aselia led her into the hangar and there it was, tools strewn about everywhere, parts diagrams. Clearly she had already given it its pain job. Crimson body with raven black highlights, everything about it was pristine from the outside anyways. Aselia set the crate down finally, and went over and popped off part of the cowling so Adelle could get a good look at the internals.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Adelle hadn't missed the look that passed over the Verd's face when she talked about the speeder bike, but felt like commentary or questioning wouldn't be appreciated. Aselia opened the small hangar, leading the way inside. Lights flickered on and gleamed off of a glossy red and black BARC speeder, making the antique look brand new.

“I see it has your signature on it,” she said, eyes tracing the lines of the restored body. As much as she joked, the color scheme made the speeder bike look far sleeker. She crouched down to look at the front turbine engine as Aselia opened up a panel. The internals were just as clean as the outside, each piece installed with precision and care.

“Whills be damned,” she whispered appreciatively. “That’s gorgeous work.”

Phantom hopped down from her shoulders and found a worktable to loaf on, a more solid perch to watch everything. Adelle walked around to the back of the BARC speeder, looking over the restored repulsor engines. The bitter tang of caf mixed with vehicle lubricants and oils. It reminded her of days spent working in a small garage with her mom.

“This gonna be an everyday speeder or were you thinking of turning it into a racer?” she asked. Coronet had a track for speeders of all sorts. “Wait, does Sundari have a course?”

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia didn’t miss the way Adelle looked at it. That low whistle., the quiet appreciation. It meant more than she would ever say out loud. She let the panel she was holding drop back into place when Adelle had moved on from it. While Adelle did her inspection Aselia set about uncrating the last part, with a practiced ease the crate slid open and she claimed her prize from within. Turning it over in her hand as she studied it.

When Adelle crouched near the turbine and whispered Whills be damned, Aselia allowed herself the faintest smirk, before turning and looking back at her.

“I replaced the forward intake assembly with a modern micro-turbine housing,” she explained, tapping the open panel. “Original design choked under stress. This one breathes better. Runs cooler. Doesn’t scream for maintenance every hundred klicks.”

She moved toward the rear, where Adelle was examining the repulsors.

“Repulsors are updated too. Housings are original dimensions, but the internals are new. Gives me more control at low altitude and sharper lateral correction if I need it.”

“Everyday,” she answered first. “I built it to ride. Not to stare at.”

Her gaze drifted over the length of the BARC again, eyes tracing the lines she’d painstakingly restored.

“Could it race?” A faint, competitive flicker entered her expression. “Definitely.”

She reached for a creeper board with her boot. One smooth motion later, she was on her back and sliding beneath the BARC.

Her voice carried from underneath, calm and focused.

"The original stabilization node wasn't built for modern repulsor cores. It'll run, but you start pushing lateral correction and it drifts. Feels… sloppy."

A few bolts loosened with precise turns of her tool. The old part was out, and the new on slid in like it was made for it, because it was.

"I don't do sloppy. Fits like a glove"

Aselia slid back out from under the speeder and kicked the creeper board away. "Want to try her out?"

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

The more Aselia talked about the work she’d put into the BARC, the more impressed Adelle was. Granted, the work she’d done with her mom hadn’t been for very long so there was a bit that went over her head. Still, it was very evident that Aselia had taken the time to turn something that had been mass-produced for a war into something truly reliable and efficient.

Adelle took a step back to admire the machine while Aselia pulled herself under the speeder, installing the new part. She smirked when Aselia said she didn’t do sloppy.

“I know. I fought alongside you.”

The offer to take it for a ride made her blink.

“But… It’s your project. You’ve been working on it for years and you just installed the final piece, you should take it out for a ride,” she said. Her eyes drifted back over the sleek body, remembering the rush she got from just her stock Halberd swoop. A hand raked back through her hair. “That said, I wouldn’t mind taking it for a spin.”

She hissed a sigh and scratched the back of her head. “This is making me want to adjust my own swoop.”

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia watched Adelle take in the BARC again, arms folding loosely across her chest as she leaned one hip against the workbench.

"Years" she repeated. "Off and on. Mostly when I needed to clear my head."

She reached out and ran her hand along the chassis one more time, thumb brushing the edge of the red plating.

"You're right," she admitted. "First ride's mine, but that doesn't mean I ride alone."

She pushed off the bench and stepped around the speeder, eyeing Adelle with that familiar competitive glint.

"To answer your question, there is a track, not far from here actually."

She swung a leg over the speeder and settled into the seat with easy familiarity, hands resting lightly on the grips.

"You can ride with me" she offered casually. "Or you can bring your swoop and try to keep up."

The challenge was there, but softened. Her eyes flicked toward Adelle.

"What're you running right now?"

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

When Aselia offered to take Adelle with her, there was little hesitation on Adelle’s end.

“If you’re sure,” she said, pointing at Phantom and giving the command both verbally and through their bond. “Stay.”

Phantom's tail flicked but her eyes half-closed. She folded her front paws beneath her on the worktable. Good. The spukami seemed content not to try to cling for dear life to Adelle's shoulders.

Adelle mounted the speeder behind Aselia, the single seat not giving much breathing room between them. Still, with no sidecar attachment, she preferred this arrangement to anywhere else she might be able to sit. It’d also be easier for Aselia to manage their weight with turning if it was located in one spot. She pushed thoughts of how incredibly close she was to the back of her mind.

“Halberd-441,” Adelle said. “It’s stock and got a sidecar for Phantom so I highly doubt it’d be able to keep pace with your machine. That and it’s at my apartment on Contruum.”

She was incredibly excited to see the track Sundari had. Might be worth it to move to Mandalore proper, if only so she didn’t have to find a way to haul her swoop back and forth. The city she lived in, at least, didn’t boast a racing course for any kind of speeder.

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia didn't hesitate, but she flashed Adelle a smile "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have offered."

She watched Phantom settle with approval, giving the spukami a small nod before swinging a leg over the BARC and settling into the seat. The machine hummed faintly as she powered it up, systems cycling with a clean, confident tone.

When Adelle mounted behind her, the shift in balance registered instantly she simply waited for Adelle to settle, as she signaled from the bike to open the door. The BARC's engine deepened into a throaty growl beneath them.

"Halberd-441, nice choice I like those too."

The hangar doors parted with a hydraulic groan, revealing the open stretch beyond. Sundari's lower transit corridor glowed under controlled lighting, traffic minimal at this hour. Aselia leaned forward slightly, looking slightly over her shoulder at Adelle.

"Hold on" she said.

The BARC surged forward smoothly, gliding out of the bay and into open corridor space. Not reckless. Not yet. She let the new regulator settle into rhythm, listening to the engine's pitch like it was breathing.

"The track doesn't get a lot of use yet, but I have a feeling you and I might change that." she continued, eyes forward. After those words, Aselia's hand closed on the throttle, ramping up the speed gradually but agressively. Speeding through the lower levels of Sundari. They would eventually emerge on the surface and she settled the throttle all the way down.

Just a few minutes outside Sundari, the circuit cut across the plains in a clean, deliberate arc of dark composite duracrete. Built to follow the natural rise and fall of the land, the track combined long, high-speed straights with tight technical turns that demanded control rather than reckless acceleration. Minimal guard rails, wind-swept elevation changes, and a sharp descending basin section forced riders to manage drift and throttle with precision. Sensor pylons tracked telemetry with military efficiency. It wasn't flashy or overcrowded with vendors it was clean, disciplined, and built for those who treated speed as a skill, not a spectacle.

The speeder came to a stop right next to the track. "Here we are, one Mandalorian inspired track, not much to look at compared to Coruscant or something. But it has its own charm"

TAG: Adelle Bastiel

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

Don’t need to tell me twice. Adelle bit back the thought and wrapped her arms around Aselia’s waist as the speeder accelerated. The BARC slipped out into traffic more fluidly than a brand new off-the-lot speeder. Adelle was, once again, impressed. The care and thought Aselia put into its restoration showed.

Her comment about the track piqued Adelle’s curiosity. A brand new track? If Adelle had her swoop here, she’d be tempted to try and modify it like Aselia had hers—everyday use but with enough power and fine tuning to race. The gradual increase of speed caught her attention and held it. Adrenaline started to run through her veins.

Yeah, she needed a swoop on Mandalore.

Aselia took them out of Sundari, out to the fields surrounding it. Adelle sat up and looked out over the track as the Verd pulled up right next to the track. It looked impressive. Probably could give Canto Bight or another speeder track a run for its money.

“Coruscant sucks,” Adelle said with a scoff. Her tone turned playful. “I’ll be honest though, I was expecting more rocks and chasms to jump.”

She flexed the fingers on one hand, trying to ease the sudden itch to race. “Wish I had my swoop here though. Looks fun.”

 

[Aselia Verd]

"Coruscant does suck," she agreed, voice carried back over the wind. "Too much vertical. Not enough horizon."

She brought the BARC alongside the outer barrier and let it idle, engine purring low and steady. From here, the full stretch of the main straight could be seen cutting clean across the plains, dark composite gleaming in the sun. At the comment about rocks and chasms, she snorted softly.

Her eyes traced the long curve ahead, the descending basin, the elevated ridge turn.

"You want rocks and chasms, I can take you somewhere stupid."

There was quiet amusement in that.

Then she turned slightly in the seat, just enough to glance back at Adelle.

"You'd like it here" she added more seriously. "Clean surface. No civilian clutter. Long sightlines. You can push without worrying about some idiot freighter drifting into your lane."

Her hand tightened on the throttle briefly, as if resisting the urge to just go.

"You should bring the Halberd," she continued. "Sidecar won't slow you as much as you think. You just adjust your balance and tune the suspension."

"And if you move it here," she added casually, "I'll help you modify it, if you want?"

She let that settle before revving the engine once, the BARC's growl deep and eager.

"Unless" she said, tone turning competitive again, "you want to see what it looks like from the back seat while I show you how this one runs."

She didn't wait for a full answer.

The BARC rolled forward toward the starting line, smooth and deliberate.

"You'll get your rocks and chasms another day" she added over her shoulder. "Today you get precision."

TAG: Adelle Bastiel

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

The confirmation that Coruscant did indeed suck brought a smile to her face. Good to know they had similar tastes.

She did huff a laugh at the Verd’s joke, although her curiosity was piqued. What did Aselia call stupid? And was it better or worse than what some of her clanmates called stupid?

The Mandalorian race track only grew more impressive as they sidled up alongside it. She could see what Aselia was talking about. Clean straightaways with turns that challenged control, and none of the visual noise of sponsors or advertisements. Not even a Mandalorian clan banner, although she guessed those showed up on race days.

"You should bring the Halberd," she continued. "Sidecar won't slow you as much as you think. You just adjust your balance and tune the suspension."

"And if you move it here," she added casually, "I'll help you modify it, if you want?"

“Wait, really?” she asked.

Something flashed in Aselia’s blue gaze when she glanced back and then brought the speeder up to the starting line. Adelle's eyebrows raised ever so slightly.

“Alright, Verd,” Adelle said, rising to the challenge given. “Impress me.”

If Aselia was anything like her clanmates, Adelle knew how this was going to go. Her body was already braced for sudden acceleration and her arms were ready to hang on tightly.

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia didn't answer the question right away.

Wait, really?

She let the BARC roll the last few meters toward the starting line, easing it into position with deliberate calm. The engine idled low beneath them, a steady vibration that felt more like a restrained animal than a machine.

"Yes" she said at last, as though the offer had never been in doubt. "I don't make suggestions I don't intend to follow through on."

The track stretched out ahead of them in a clean, dark ribbon against the plains. No clutter. No distraction. Just open space and carefully designed challenge. The long straight shimmered faintly in the afternoon light, the first curve banking outward in a way that invited speed but punished arrogance.

When Adelle told her to impress her, something sharpened in Aselia's expression.

"Oh, I will" she replied with a grin.

She leaned forward slightly, hands settling on the grips with the kind of familiarity that came from knowing every calibration in the machine beneath her. The new component she had installed earlier hummed in quiet harmony with the rest of the system.

"Hold on" she said, not dramatically, but as practical instruction.

Then she launched.

The BARC surged forward with immediate, controlled aggression, acceleration pressing them back as the speeder devoured the opening straight. Aselia didn't jerk the throttle or snap into reckless movement; she built speed deliberately, letting the machine climb through its power band before committing to more.

The first turn approached fast.

She didn't brake hard. She feathered the throttle, shifted her weight subtly, and let the speeder lean into the curve with fluid precision. The suspension absorbed the load cleanly, the chassis staying composed instead of fighting for balance.

"This is the easy part" she called back over the wind.

The track dipped slightly into the basin section, crosswinds pushing laterally across the surface. Aselia anticipated it, adjusting angle before the gust hit, keeping their line tight instead of letting drift carry them wide.

"You wanted rocks and chasms" she added as they climbed out of the basin and toward the ridge segment. "This is where you learn control."

She pushed harder on the next straight, letting the engine sing fully now, the BARC responding like it had been waiting for this moment. The wind tore at her hair and the sound of the engine filled the air around them.

They crested the ridge turn at speed, the capital visible in the distance, and Aselia tightened the line just enough to make the maneuver sharp without compromising exit momentum.

The BARC shot down the next straight like an arrow loosed cleanly from a bow.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel

​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

When Aselia told her to hold on, Adelle leaned forward, settling once again into the backseat rider position. The acceleration was sharp at first but smoothed into something very nearly inevitable as Aselia sped down the straightaway. Adelle had to duck her head behind Aselia’s shoulder, the wind beginning to whip tears from her eyes. But the acceleration had ignited the thrill of adrenaline and she smiled into Aselia’s back.

The engine’s whine shifted as Aselia approached the first turn, and Adelle let Aselia shift the weight of the speeder and both riders. She had no intention of throwing off the driver’s sense of balance. The throttle opened again coming out of the turn, Aselia calling it the easy part, as they headed into the basin area of the track. Gusts of wind tried to push the BARC around but Aselia adjusted with the anticipation brought on by experience.

“I’m still very curious as to what you think is stupid,” Adelle called out as they crested the ridge.

Then Aselia opened up the throttle fully, pushing the BARC’s upper speed on the straight. Adelle laughed for the joy of it, barely audible even to herself over the roar of the engine and the rush of wind. Her eyes gleamed as she watched Aselia commit to the next turn without slowing down, coming out with minimal loss of speed.

The scenery blurred together as the dark duracrete beneath disappeared behind them.

 

[Aselia Verd]

Aselia felt Adelle settle closer when the acceleration deepened, and instead of easing back, she leaned into it. The BARC surged forward with a hungry smoothness, gliding just above the track as if the ground existed only as suggestion. Wind tore at them, forcing Adelle to duck behind her shoulder, and Aselia allowed herself a faint smile when she felt the grip tighten around her waist.

The straight stretched ahead and she let the speeder run, not in reckless bursts but in a steady climb that made the speed feel inevitable. The engine's tone rose and flattened into something clean and fierce, and the world around them began to blur into color and motion.

When the turn came, she didn't call it out. She simply shifted her weight and committed. The BARC leaned and drifted through the arc in one fluid motion, not fighting the curve but flowing with it. She could feel Adelle adjusting instinctively behind her, trusting rather than resisting.

"That's still controlled" she called back, voice carried by wind and vibration.

They skimmed into the basin and the gusts hit them hard, but instead of correcting sharply, she made the smallest adjustments and held the line. The speeder sliced forward, steady under her hands.

Adelle's laughter reached her even over the engine, bright and unfiltered, and that sound made her open the throttle further.

The next straight vanished beneath them. The capital shimmered in the distance, the track rising and falling in long sweeping curves that rewarded confidence more than caution. She stayed in the power longer than before, leaning into the rhythm of it, into the shared balance of two bodies moving as one unit.

At the crest of the ridge she did not lift. The BARC skimmed light for a heartbeat, then settled as she guided them into the next turn with a sharper line than the previous lap. There was no hesitation in the movement, no second-guessing. Only the hum of speed and the pressure of Adelle's arms around her.

They tore down the final stretch, the duracrete disappearing beneath them in a dark blur. For a moment, she let it run at the edge of what felt reasonable, not because she needed to prove anything, but because she could.

Then, gradually, she eased back.

The roar softened into a steady hum as the speeder slowed in a long, graceful glide. She guided them off the racing line and back toward the starting area, letting the wind settle and the world regain its edges.

They drifted to a smooth stop where they had begun.

Aselia let the engine idle for a moment before cutting power entirely. The sudden quiet felt almost heavy after the rush.

She glanced back over her shoulder, blue eyes bright with the lingering thrill.

"No rocks or chasms, but don't tell me that wasn't fun" she said, breath steady but charged.

TAG: Adelle Bastiel
​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Aselia Verd

The first lap was just a warm-up, it seemed. Aselia pushed the throttle more, took tighter lines, sharper turns, and really tested the limits of the newly fully-restored BARC. Adelle had to duck her head just to catch her breath as the wind of their motion tore it away. She felt mildly disappointed when the engine’s tone quieted and they began coasting toward their starting point.

Adelle sat back, as much as she could, and released her hold on Aselia’s waist as they drifted to a stop. For a moment, the engine ran a little longer. The silence that followed the cut to power was deafening.

Aselia looked back, pleased and excited. “No rocks or chasms, but don’t tell me that wasn’t fun.”

Adelle had to laugh.

“The most fun I’ve had in a long time,” she said, still trying to catch her breath. Her cheeks burned from the wind. “Been a while since I’ve gone on a ride like that.”

How many years had it been since she’d been found on Coruscant? The first time? Ten years. Ten years since she’d helped her mom work on an old swoop. Ten years since they took it out for a joyride outside Coronet. When the engine died thirty klicks from the city and they had to comm a tow.

Her father had been so mad but it had been her mom’s idea.

“But one of these days you should show me these rocks and chasms,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I want to know what a born Mandalorian thinks is stupid.”