Captain Ash
Aeshi tried not to slump as she picked her way through the crowd to the podium in the front of the square. A few Morellian Enforcers hugged the edges of the crowd and podium to keep it all cleared. Exhaustion tugged at Aeshi's bones and held her eyelids heavy, but she shook her and head and down a shot of her whiskey from a canteen.
The burn trickled down her throat to her belly and sent some energy coursing through her body and she shook her head to clear off the buzz as she strode up to the platform.
"Hello, galaxy!" Aeshi said into the cameras, gesturing to the small pavilion erected where the racers had been ushered to in advance of the race finale. The celebration here was more subdued, as it had been very chaotic to organize, as nobody could expect when all the racers would arrive. It had taken nearly a week for the last stragglers to finally make it to Morellia. One from ship problems and the other just from bad luck on their route, which was, on paper, shorter than the other.
The difficulty was the length was so long and crossed so many different territories, the racer ran into all sorts of intense problems. But everyone eventually made it to Morellia, more or less in one piece.
Several of their ships, not so much.
"We're coming to you live from Morellia, the finish line of the first inaugural Imynusoph Run!" Aeshi continued. "All our races made it alive and more or less in one piece to the finish line, though several ships look to be in need of serious repair work! But that just shows the tenacity required to finish the race and the incredible feat they've all accomplished."
She let the words sink in for a few moments. "Across the entire galaxy in just over a standard week! A distance close to 120,000 light years. Let me repeat that point- light takes 120,000 years to cross the distance these racers did in less than nine days. It was tough, it was brutal, hard choices had to be made, and big gambles rolled... and not all of them paid off. But now it is time to officially announce the winners! Drum roll please!"
The pavilion doors opened up and the racers were shooed forwards towards the podium. Once they were all present, she would clear her throat and read off the times.
"Coming in final place due to ship issues that could not be resolved, we have racer Okkeus Dainlei! Bad luck hits everyone at some point, but good effort on sticking it out to the end!" Aeshi paused for the applause to subside. "Coming in with somewhat faster time was Aeson Keel!" Another round of applause.
"While initially starting strong and holding neck to neck with the other contenders, a desperate gamble to shave off some time ended in a bad roll of the dice, metaphorically speaking of course, we have Jerec Asyr at 198 hours. Still, this sits quite nicely in the middle of the pack! Sometimes boldness doesn't take the day folks!" More applause and hoots and whistles. "Just barely sneaking in two hours ahead at 196 hours is Gren Blidh! Also a strong contender in the mid-race legs, due to some strange phenomena I can only believe because I spent a lot of time in the Kathol Rift, this racer fell a bit behind but still lands a very solid third place!"
A wide array of applause and lots of curiosity that could be easily milked for profit if so desired. "With our next big jump to 184 hours, we have the racer of mystery whose face is unknown beneath the Mandalorian mask! Scar Berenk in second place, quite exceptional for someone who has struggled to keep up with the other racers for the first portions of the race!" Aeshi had no idea if that name was right or not, but it would have to do. "And finally, our grand prize winner at a strikingly short 152 hours, the infamous Coren Starchaser!"
Lots and lots of applause at that. "Congratulations to our winners! The credits from the League and the Guild will be in your posted account shortly, and I'm sure the other donors will contact you to make their deposits as well. Don't forget to pay the taxes on your winnings." This, Aeshi said with an exaggerated wink at the holocamera. "And the managers of the Dream of the Rim will be in touch shortly. As for those of you who didn't make the cut, fear not!"
She turned and gestured to the others. "We have a complimentary prize donated by yours truly here- three cases each of the oldest vintage whiskey I've been making. Thirty years aged, friends, and the finest you've ever tasted. Thanks to everyone for joining us for this first race! Check all your local sports channels for after-race analysis and commentary! Until next time, fly fast and loose, both in space and with the rules! This is Captain Aeshi Tillian, signing off from Morellia."
With that, the celebration began in earnest as fans, reporters, and the occasional bounty hunter surged forward to try and connect with their chosen racer. Music blasted, there were pistol competitions from the Enforcers and anyone who wanted to see if they could outshoot the famous gunslingers, and highlights caught by the news ships trying to keep up were playing on replay as people debated what they could have done.
But Aeshi slipped into the shadows away from the crowd and changed from her more formal coat to her more rugged spacer's coat and hat pulled low. She had other business here on Morellia, of a clandestine nature. And she needed to empty the whiskey crates to add in the false bottoms for the return cargo, both legal and illicit, as well as to get in touch with a contact on behalf of the Outer Rim Intelligence Operations Network.
The race may have been very public, but there were very secret goals underneath it as well.
The burn trickled down her throat to her belly and sent some energy coursing through her body and she shook her head to clear off the buzz as she strode up to the platform.
"Hello, galaxy!" Aeshi said into the cameras, gesturing to the small pavilion erected where the racers had been ushered to in advance of the race finale. The celebration here was more subdued, as it had been very chaotic to organize, as nobody could expect when all the racers would arrive. It had taken nearly a week for the last stragglers to finally make it to Morellia. One from ship problems and the other just from bad luck on their route, which was, on paper, shorter than the other.
The difficulty was the length was so long and crossed so many different territories, the racer ran into all sorts of intense problems. But everyone eventually made it to Morellia, more or less in one piece.
Several of their ships, not so much.
"We're coming to you live from Morellia, the finish line of the first inaugural Imynusoph Run!" Aeshi continued. "All our races made it alive and more or less in one piece to the finish line, though several ships look to be in need of serious repair work! But that just shows the tenacity required to finish the race and the incredible feat they've all accomplished."
She let the words sink in for a few moments. "Across the entire galaxy in just over a standard week! A distance close to 120,000 light years. Let me repeat that point- light takes 120,000 years to cross the distance these racers did in less than nine days. It was tough, it was brutal, hard choices had to be made, and big gambles rolled... and not all of them paid off. But now it is time to officially announce the winners! Drum roll please!"
The pavilion doors opened up and the racers were shooed forwards towards the podium. Once they were all present, she would clear her throat and read off the times.
"Coming in final place due to ship issues that could not be resolved, we have racer Okkeus Dainlei! Bad luck hits everyone at some point, but good effort on sticking it out to the end!" Aeshi paused for the applause to subside. "Coming in with somewhat faster time was Aeson Keel!" Another round of applause.
"While initially starting strong and holding neck to neck with the other contenders, a desperate gamble to shave off some time ended in a bad roll of the dice, metaphorically speaking of course, we have Jerec Asyr at 198 hours. Still, this sits quite nicely in the middle of the pack! Sometimes boldness doesn't take the day folks!" More applause and hoots and whistles. "Just barely sneaking in two hours ahead at 196 hours is Gren Blidh! Also a strong contender in the mid-race legs, due to some strange phenomena I can only believe because I spent a lot of time in the Kathol Rift, this racer fell a bit behind but still lands a very solid third place!"
A wide array of applause and lots of curiosity that could be easily milked for profit if so desired. "With our next big jump to 184 hours, we have the racer of mystery whose face is unknown beneath the Mandalorian mask! Scar Berenk in second place, quite exceptional for someone who has struggled to keep up with the other racers for the first portions of the race!" Aeshi had no idea if that name was right or not, but it would have to do. "And finally, our grand prize winner at a strikingly short 152 hours, the infamous Coren Starchaser!"
Lots and lots of applause at that. "Congratulations to our winners! The credits from the League and the Guild will be in your posted account shortly, and I'm sure the other donors will contact you to make their deposits as well. Don't forget to pay the taxes on your winnings." This, Aeshi said with an exaggerated wink at the holocamera. "And the managers of the Dream of the Rim will be in touch shortly. As for those of you who didn't make the cut, fear not!"
She turned and gestured to the others. "We have a complimentary prize donated by yours truly here- three cases each of the oldest vintage whiskey I've been making. Thirty years aged, friends, and the finest you've ever tasted. Thanks to everyone for joining us for this first race! Check all your local sports channels for after-race analysis and commentary! Until next time, fly fast and loose, both in space and with the rules! This is Captain Aeshi Tillian, signing off from Morellia."
With that, the celebration began in earnest as fans, reporters, and the occasional bounty hunter surged forward to try and connect with their chosen racer. Music blasted, there were pistol competitions from the Enforcers and anyone who wanted to see if they could outshoot the famous gunslingers, and highlights caught by the news ships trying to keep up were playing on replay as people debated what they could have done.
But Aeshi slipped into the shadows away from the crowd and changed from her more formal coat to her more rugged spacer's coat and hat pulled low. She had other business here on Morellia, of a clandestine nature. And she needed to empty the whiskey crates to add in the false bottoms for the return cargo, both legal and illicit, as well as to get in touch with a contact on behalf of the Outer Rim Intelligence Operations Network.
The race may have been very public, but there were very secret goals underneath it as well.
