Xera

12|Favored

The fifth track was daring. There were huge turns around the top of the complex that gradually morphed into a type of spiral. The setup created two paths: one to ascend and an opposing one to speed down. Solise's mind was running wild from the sight of it. At least I won't fall out of the sky this time. She thought. She wouldn't dare verbalize this and remind Bix. Though her mic was currently off, she wasn't going to risk making him worry again. Gurd's massive hologram appeared in the middle of the track while Solise was staring at it.

"We have a big one today! We're looking at the top fifteen contenders right now but by the end of these next two races, that'll be down to our final ten." The Gurdish announced. "The odds are all over the place, who knows what could happen next? I know all you wonderful Xerians are ready to find out!"

With that, the crowd roared. Gurd's hologram disappeared as the countdown arrived. Solise locked eyes with Bix right before the countdown ended. She winked to him, clearly forgetting she was wearing a mask. Somehow, he still knew. Then, she was off. She immediately lost her lead to racers that were eager to boost their rank and survive the cut. Once she got the feel of the track, she managed to climb back up the ranks. She was in 13th, then 10th, then 5th, before peaking at 3rd. She was behind Galene, who was behind Huzmul. The Inquirer attempted to tail her but was blocked by the Poggle from Vawe. Meg was trailing behind the Inquirer.

Everything changed in the wind down portion of the track. Those with back-heavy crafts gained a boost from the incline. Solise narrowly avoided being crushed by the Poggle's vehicle as he stopped mere inches from Galene. She used this outside positing to blast past Galene. She was now battling it out with Huzmul. Every attempt to maneuver around him was swiftly responded to. He was quick. Solise was impressed. Her attempts to pass him were paused by the Inquirer attempting to ram her bike.

She ducked and whipped around to avoid the attacks. The rage was building within the Inquirer, she could sense it. His charges became more frequent. Solise took advantage and faked him out. He slammed into Huzmul, slowing both of them down. Solise sped onto one wheel and hopped over the Inquirer and Huzmul's crafts. This was a risky move on the curved track. If she didn't land right, she'd fall off the track. Galene used this to his advantage and sped into first, nearly knocking her off in the process. They rode side by side for some time. As they began lap two, they were still tied.

Galene managed to pull ahead when the Inquirer resumed his attacks on Solise. These continued until Meg managed to catch back up and put some space between the two. Her protection ended when Huzmul wedged himself between them, in an attempt to climb ahead. The Inquirer sped ahead and got in front of Solise. Something was off. She could notice that he was doing everything in his power not to pass Galene. Let's force him. See what his deal is. She thought, before whipping around the Inquirer's ship. She gave the bike everything and moved into 1st. As lap three started, she had her lead. The Inquirer would only briefly pass Galene and then fall back once he started getting too far. Okay, so he doesn't want to win...he wants Galene to win. Why?

She didn't have much longer to wonder what was going on. The trap triggers launched. Solise chose defense, once again. She was gifted with a cloaking ability. Great. So useful. She sarcastically groaned, in her head. Nevertheless, she deployed it, as soon as the purple energy steadied around her vehicle. A silvery shimmer overtook her and the bike. Suddenly, they were both gone from sight. Attacks meant for her missed as the racers fumbled over where to aim. Solise easily avoided everything that blindly flew in her direction. Okay, that's not bad. She sped toward the archway, still in the lead and invisible to everyone else.

Then, a sudden thump boomed behind her. She looked back for just a moment before the bike was struck with an electric charge. It had come from the Inquirer's craft. Solise could feel a powerful pain in her chest. Her skin felt as though it had gone ablaze. Blue energy swirled around her as her bike's engine shook and sputtered out. Her chest continued to tighten as the bike began to coast on its momentum. She was visible to the others now, and they were gaining. In the crowd, Bix could see that something was wrong. Solise wasn't paying attention to the road. She was grasping at her heart. He panicked and reached for his bag. He fumbled with the radio, almost dropping it into the bleachers below. He managed to catch it before this happened and quickly hoisted it to his mouth.