Kenzkei lay in her bed after a restless night of sleep, plagued by anxiety-fueled nightmares of the upcoming race. Her normally wavy long brown hair resembled a jumble of tangled and matted wires. The race today was by no means her first, and she had plenty of racing scars and a small fan base to show for it. It wasn’t the race that was getting to her, it was what she had at stake. Winning this race could mean she could finally get a sponsor, allowing her to get some much-needed upgrades to her bike and simply have money for once.
Kenzkei got up and began to get dressed. She brushed out her hair and put it into a tight ponytail to keep it out of her face, she would usually do French braids, but was already running behind and this would work just fine.
After throwing on her signature orange and pink jumpsuit and jacket, she quickly dug through her fridge. She had spent her last winnings fixing up her bike after her last race, in which she finished third after almost getting decapitated by a random wire trap someone had left on the track.
Kenzkei settled for a hard-boiled egg and rushed out of the house. She didn’t have much, but she got by. Kenzkei was about 22 but had been living on her own since she was 19.
It had always been her dream to be a pod racer, but she could never afford to own an actual pod. So when she moved out, her parents pooled some money and managed to get her a swoop bike. Although it wasn't perfect, clearly used (and probably stolen) it became her pride and joy.
Kenzkei hopped onto her bike and started the ignition. The familiar rumble of the engine spurring to life as the bike began to hover helped calm her nerves a little bit, but she couldn’t help but worry she might mess this up.
Kenzkei blasted music in her ears as she rode to the race site. It wasn’t usually on the same track to follow, but the races always started in the same spot. The familiar banners fluttered in the wind surrounding the starting line and many fans were already in their seats, with more trickling in.
Kenzkei signed in to the race and assumed her position at the start. Surrounded by other loud bikes and determined-looking racers, Kenzkei felt all her anxiety drift away.
Kenzkei was never spiritual, but she always found herself feeling the most focused in the moments before something big was going to happen. When she was 18 and in her final years of schooling, a rogue empire ship destroyed her school. She was one of the few survivors in her class.
It was a completely normal day, and she was sitting in class doing another pointless assignment for a class she would never need, especially once she was a racer. It was then that she began to hear the roaring of a jet, she couldn’t tell you why, but she knew she had to react, like a jolt of electricity. She dove underneath her desk as the hull of a tie fighter broke through the roof of her school building and exploded in the room next to hers.
Shrapnel flew around her body, and the ringing of her own ears drowned out the screams of her classmates. She stood shakily and looked at her dead and injured classmates, impaled by the previous walls of her building.
Her desk was lined with splinters, but she was unscathed. She felt like she had danced with death and by luck dodged his scythe, she had no control. Kenzkei didn’t go back after that day, what was there to go back to?
The cheers of the crowd and the announcer's voice indicating the race was about to start, drew her back to reality and away from that gruesome day. On her bike, she felt in control. She knew the terrain. She practiced every day she could, had great reflexes, and could think quickly on her feet.
Kenzkei braced for what would become one of the most important races of her career.
A Racing Start
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Boxah Borrek
- New Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2022 2:57 pm
Re: A Racing Start
“Get your hot Bantha Dogs here! Get ‘em while their hot”
It was a decent turn out for todays race, even a few Hutts and some big wigs from the corporate sector had shown up. The energy was electrifying as the racers were taking their positions, voices cheered and booed, and many bets were being placed. It was still a few minutes before the race officially began and the announcers were beginning to introduce the racers. In the stands, a few rows down from the VIP booths a Falleen and human were taking their seats.
“I’m telling you Tajann, your going to love it, this is my favorite event every month!” The human exclaimed as he sat down with the pale green scaled Falleen.
The Falleen slowly took his seat as his bright orange eyes watched the racers line up, a hot bantha dog in his hand. “I’ve seen a few races in my time Helio, I’m sure the over all spectacle will be most enjoyable,” Tajann replied, his deep voice trying to speak over the loudness of the crowd.
“It most certainly will!” The younger man’s excitement was most noticeable. “Oh and keep an eye on that one, Kenzkei is young but I think she’ll have a bright future!” Helio pointed at a young woman pulling up to the line.
“You do seem to like to push for underdogs, I will keep an eye on her but my bets go towards the racer Metiso, he’s got a strong record of multiple wins across several tracks.” At this point the Falleen took a bite out of his bantha dog and immediately regretted not getting more hot sauce.
“Yeah but he’s cocky and is bound to make a mistake sooner or later, that’s when Kenzkei will strike… if she doesn’t get stuck in another trap…”
The Fallen shrugged in response as his mouth was currently full. As he slowly worked the dog down it was about time for the race to start and to see if his bets were placed correctly.
It was a decent turn out for todays race, even a few Hutts and some big wigs from the corporate sector had shown up. The energy was electrifying as the racers were taking their positions, voices cheered and booed, and many bets were being placed. It was still a few minutes before the race officially began and the announcers were beginning to introduce the racers. In the stands, a few rows down from the VIP booths a Falleen and human were taking their seats.
“I’m telling you Tajann, your going to love it, this is my favorite event every month!” The human exclaimed as he sat down with the pale green scaled Falleen.
The Falleen slowly took his seat as his bright orange eyes watched the racers line up, a hot bantha dog in his hand. “I’ve seen a few races in my time Helio, I’m sure the over all spectacle will be most enjoyable,” Tajann replied, his deep voice trying to speak over the loudness of the crowd.
“It most certainly will!” The younger man’s excitement was most noticeable. “Oh and keep an eye on that one, Kenzkei is young but I think she’ll have a bright future!” Helio pointed at a young woman pulling up to the line.
“You do seem to like to push for underdogs, I will keep an eye on her but my bets go towards the racer Metiso, he’s got a strong record of multiple wins across several tracks.” At this point the Falleen took a bite out of his bantha dog and immediately regretted not getting more hot sauce.
“Yeah but he’s cocky and is bound to make a mistake sooner or later, that’s when Kenzkei will strike… if she doesn’t get stuck in another trap…”
The Fallen shrugged in response as his mouth was currently full. As he slowly worked the dog down it was about time for the race to start and to see if his bets were placed correctly.
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Master Buggie
- Staff
- Posts: 1053
- Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2017 7:03 pm
Re: A Racing Start
((OOC: Posted on behalf of Kenzkei Furlave.))
As Kenz moved up to the starting line, she couldn’t help but look out to the crowd. She scanned the many faces, some watching intently, others chatting and enjoying snacks before the race began. As she scanned she noticed an old man sitting with his eyes shut, despite this she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Metiso.
Metiso was another racer, known for his incredibly daring maneuvers and absolute lack of caution on the track. Despite his recklessness, he was incredible, having a near perfect winning record. She raced with him prior, he almost caused her to run into that wire trap when he ran into her to try and do some flashy slide.
“I see you repaired your bike, hard to tell considering it always looks awful. Glad you’re here though, always enjoy racing someone with a pretty face.” Shouted Metiso over the whirs and groans of the engines.
Kenz shook her head, “Yeah, yeah, I almost had you last time and you know it. Also, uh, gross.” Metiso, grunted in response as a gruff voice came over the intercom.
“WELCOME EVERYONE TO TODAYS RACE. RACERS TAKE YOUR PLACES THE RACE TODAY IS BEING SPONSORED BY NEO CORP, THE BEST SWOOP MANUFACTURERS ON THIS SIDE OF TATOOINE. AS ALWAYS, WE ENCOURAGE ALL RACERS TO ACT RESPONSIBLY AND AVOID MANSLAUGHTER WHEN POSSIBLE.”
The crowd cheered as Kenz strapped on her helmet and lowered her goggles. She scanned the racers and fans one more time, ignoring the man who seemed to be sleeping?
“RACERS WE HAVE BEEN CLEARED TO START… ON YOUR MARKS. GET SET. GO!”
Kenz gripped the handles on her swoop bike tight as she slammed on the gas, launching her bike forwards and sending sand and debris flying through the air. The wind whistled against her hood, sounding like a tornado barreling down on her ears, and the smell of gas enveloped her.
Despite launching at the same time, Kenz was already surpassing over half of the other racers, cutting corners close and passing anyone she could get around. She knew it was wise to not be cocky this early, especially with Metiso pulling further ahead of her.
The track was really not marked, you just had to follow the canyon paths. Each race was different, since you never knew if certain paths would be blocked. It was an intricate maze of rocks, overhangs, and cliffs where one mistake could have you shushed against a rock wall. Kenz always found it beautiful, especially as the suns set, and you could see the golden rays bouncing off the orange rocks.
A deafening crack came behind her, likely some poor soul who had their bike lose control and crash. Despite the bikes being stronger than the usual speeder bike, they were obnoxious to control and required great reflexes and awareness, sometimes even the best riders would lose control.
She noticed the first obstacles way before they would be a problem, iron gates blocked the main canyon path, forcing her to swerve into a tight passageway. As the swoop bikes zipped through it, rocks would begin falling off the sides. Although they were just small rocks, they could really do some damage when you are flying into them at 200 kph. Kenz managed to avoid most of the ones kicked up by Metiso as she began to catch up to him.
In an instant, Kenz felt a rock slam into her arm and yelled out in pain before gritting her teeth shut. She watched Metiso throw it at her from his bike. She managed to only get hit by one or two more, but they hit the bike and seemed like they didn't do much damage.
As Metiso looked back to throw another rock, he started to lose control of his bike as he ground up against the rocky walls, allowing Kenz to slam on the gas and pass him. This race was largely tame, and was nothing compared to the races later in the season, these were merely the qualifiers designed to weed out the folks who sucked but still make sure to let a few finish since everyone loves watching a good swoop crash.
Metiso was still behind Kenz as they exited the ravine and entered the final stretch of the race, the track opened up to a large plane as they had now completed a large loop and were heading back to the initial start.
Metiso pulled next to Kenzkei and slammed into the size of her bike with full force. His bike was built strong and stocky. Despite grinding against the rocks prior, all he had to show for it were a few scratches. Kenz jerked her bike to avoid being hit again, her bike was nowhere near as resilient.
As Kenz moved up to the starting line, she couldn’t help but look out to the crowd. She scanned the many faces, some watching intently, others chatting and enjoying snacks before the race began. As she scanned she noticed an old man sitting with his eyes shut, despite this she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Metiso.
Metiso was another racer, known for his incredibly daring maneuvers and absolute lack of caution on the track. Despite his recklessness, he was incredible, having a near perfect winning record. She raced with him prior, he almost caused her to run into that wire trap when he ran into her to try and do some flashy slide.
“I see you repaired your bike, hard to tell considering it always looks awful. Glad you’re here though, always enjoy racing someone with a pretty face.” Shouted Metiso over the whirs and groans of the engines.
Kenz shook her head, “Yeah, yeah, I almost had you last time and you know it. Also, uh, gross.” Metiso, grunted in response as a gruff voice came over the intercom.
“WELCOME EVERYONE TO TODAYS RACE. RACERS TAKE YOUR PLACES THE RACE TODAY IS BEING SPONSORED BY NEO CORP, THE BEST SWOOP MANUFACTURERS ON THIS SIDE OF TATOOINE. AS ALWAYS, WE ENCOURAGE ALL RACERS TO ACT RESPONSIBLY AND AVOID MANSLAUGHTER WHEN POSSIBLE.”
The crowd cheered as Kenz strapped on her helmet and lowered her goggles. She scanned the racers and fans one more time, ignoring the man who seemed to be sleeping?
“RACERS WE HAVE BEEN CLEARED TO START… ON YOUR MARKS. GET SET. GO!”
Kenz gripped the handles on her swoop bike tight as she slammed on the gas, launching her bike forwards and sending sand and debris flying through the air. The wind whistled against her hood, sounding like a tornado barreling down on her ears, and the smell of gas enveloped her.
Despite launching at the same time, Kenz was already surpassing over half of the other racers, cutting corners close and passing anyone she could get around. She knew it was wise to not be cocky this early, especially with Metiso pulling further ahead of her.
The track was really not marked, you just had to follow the canyon paths. Each race was different, since you never knew if certain paths would be blocked. It was an intricate maze of rocks, overhangs, and cliffs where one mistake could have you shushed against a rock wall. Kenz always found it beautiful, especially as the suns set, and you could see the golden rays bouncing off the orange rocks.
A deafening crack came behind her, likely some poor soul who had their bike lose control and crash. Despite the bikes being stronger than the usual speeder bike, they were obnoxious to control and required great reflexes and awareness, sometimes even the best riders would lose control.
She noticed the first obstacles way before they would be a problem, iron gates blocked the main canyon path, forcing her to swerve into a tight passageway. As the swoop bikes zipped through it, rocks would begin falling off the sides. Although they were just small rocks, they could really do some damage when you are flying into them at 200 kph. Kenz managed to avoid most of the ones kicked up by Metiso as she began to catch up to him.
In an instant, Kenz felt a rock slam into her arm and yelled out in pain before gritting her teeth shut. She watched Metiso throw it at her from his bike. She managed to only get hit by one or two more, but they hit the bike and seemed like they didn't do much damage.
As Metiso looked back to throw another rock, he started to lose control of his bike as he ground up against the rocky walls, allowing Kenz to slam on the gas and pass him. This race was largely tame, and was nothing compared to the races later in the season, these were merely the qualifiers designed to weed out the folks who sucked but still make sure to let a few finish since everyone loves watching a good swoop crash.
Metiso was still behind Kenz as they exited the ravine and entered the final stretch of the race, the track opened up to a large plane as they had now completed a large loop and were heading back to the initial start.
Metiso pulled next to Kenzkei and slammed into the size of her bike with full force. His bike was built strong and stocky. Despite grinding against the rocks prior, all he had to show for it were a few scratches. Kenz jerked her bike to avoid being hit again, her bike was nowhere near as resilient.
FORCE SENSITIVITY APP: START
The two quickly approached the finish line, Metiso was focused on Kenzkei while she continued to try and avoid contact and avoid losing control of her now smoking bike. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement. A bike was spinning out of control and crashed into a crane near the finish line. The explosion of the bike caused the crane to creak and begin to fall towards Mestizo and Kenzkei.
She felt her mind lurch like her thoughts were clogged with honey. Everything felt slow and yet like it was moving too fast. From her peripheral, she saw Metiso moving in for another hit, clearly too cocky to notice the gigantic crane about to crush them both. She had maybe seconds left, no time to stop, slowdown, or speed up.
Metiso and Kenzkei flew under the crane as Metiso noticed the screaming of metal and the shadow enveloping them and let out a wail of fear. Kenz began to realize she was going to make it clear of the crane if not by a few centimeters, but Metiso certainly wouldn't. His bike crashed into hers, sending her spiraling, in those few moments Kenzkei grabbed Metiso and pulled him from his bike, before flying off of her own bike. A thunderous boom sounded all around as the bikes were crushed, and the two flew through the air with shrapnel.
Kenzkei flew towards the side of the finish line, a large sandstone wall. The wind blew around her as she floated through the air towards what would be certain death. It all still felt so slow, so thick. She felt weightless and carefree, looking up at the sky, she felt the surrounding energy, the wind wrapping itself around her like a breath cradling a voice, and something gave her clarity. Her thoughts felt sharp, where there was once molasses the wind broke through, wanting to tell her secrets and explain everything.
She wanted to embrace the feeling, but as she felt her mind opening to it, her body lurched back, as if a parachute had deployed before smashing into the wall. She groaned and coughed up blood, probably broke a few ribs, but she was alive. Just as the clarity came, it had left. She met eyes with the same old man as before, in the haze she almost thought he was reaching out to her.
Kenzkei’s vision blurred as she hobbled across the finish line, with Metiso standing on the other side, clearly injured but grinning.
“METISO FIRST AGAIN, FOLLOWED BY KENZKEI IN SECOND” The announcer called out. Kenzkei’s vision finally went black, and her knees buckled as she collapsed to the floor, in her final conscious moments, thoughts whispered through her mind. Could it be, the force? She thought before drifting unconscious.
FORCE APPLICATION APP: END 465/100 Words
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Kenzkei Furlave
- New Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2022 11:42 pm
Re: A Racing Start
Kenzkei opened her eyes and found herself standing in the middle of her high school classroom. It had only been four years since the incident but she didn’t let herself think about it much anymore, besides this recurring dream. She looked around the room taking in the posters and knick-knacks that she had forgotten about over the years. She glanced over at her classmates sitting quietly, waiting for her teacher. It was as if she wasn’t even in the room. She couldn’t help but look at her old best friend, Lilia. It felt like sliding across pavement, they were inseparable. Truth be told she always liked her, but Lil didn’t seem to feel the same.
Her teacher walked into the class, she couldn't remember exactly what he looked like so she figured that's why he seemed so blurred. All the students looked up at him as he began teaching. And yet it was silent. Kenzkei knew what was coming, she had seen this nightmare many times before, but she was never this lucid. Never conscious. She took a deep breath, figuring she had just to wait this through.
The suns were setting on the horizon. The fog of waking up was beginning to slip away as she remembered what just happened. She scanned the track for her bike, only seeing pieces scattered under the crane. Her heart sank, that was all she had. There was no way she would be able to afford another one.
Everything hurt, mentally and emotionally, she got second so she could move on to the next stage of the races but she just had to mess it up at the end. She felt as if she could just sit here forever. Moving and even thinking about what to even do from this point was just too much. She was trying not to break, this was supposed to it, this was supposed to be her big win.
“Um excuse me? Are you Kenzkei Furlave?” Kenz heard from over her shoulder. she wanted to scream at her and ask to be left alone, or ask for a hug and support, but neither made sense, her mind was all over the place.
“Yeah, uh thats me” She croaked, the taste of iron in her mouth. “I don’t think I can do an interview right now, I’m sorry.”
The woman walked into Kenz's view, she was a short human woman in nice business clothes, glasses, and piercing blue eyes. She was clearly not from around here.
“I am here on behalf of Gareth Spingleheimer, I went to your house and didn’t find you there, asking around I found out you would be here, however I’m surprised you are still here, I was told your race was 2 days ago.”
Kenz reeled with the idea of sitting here, alone, for two days and yet being perfectly fine. How did nobody even stop to help her, did they think she was dead or something? No that wouldn’t make sense because they would have atleast robbed her, its like nobody even noticed she was there. Also who is Gareth Spingleheimer, theres no way that's a real person and why would she be involved.
“I um, I don’t know who you are talking about, and you said 2 days? That's not possible I was just knocked out for a moment” Kenz anxiously responded.
“Look hun, I don’t know what you have going on in your life, I don’t really care all that much either, but I am obligated to fulfill Mr Spingleheimer's last wishes, he has left you a small hut about 45 minutes from here. Here is the key, and the location. I need you to sign this paper and I will be on my way.” the woman said, clearly getting more irritable and likely displeased to be on Tatooine.
Kenz was confused but he must have been a big fan? She has had weirder things happen before, sometimes old dudes are just kinda odd. She read the agreement over to make sure she wasnt signing away her soul or anything and then signed and took the key.
“What do you need a ride?” the woman asked, clearly knowing the answer. “Please” Kenzkei responded. Now she didn’t feel like this was her brightest decision since she wouldn’t have any way to get home, and who knows maybe this place was a set up, but it just felt like it was going to be alright. Like she was supposed to go.
Her teacher walked into the class, she couldn't remember exactly what he looked like so she figured that's why he seemed so blurred. All the students looked up at him as he began teaching. And yet it was silent. Kenzkei knew what was coming, she had seen this nightmare many times before, but she was never this lucid. Never conscious. She took a deep breath, figuring she had just to wait this through.
Kenz jerked forward gasping for air before looking around frantically. “Damn so much for medical crew, this must be too low of a priority race” Kenz said catching her breath. Surprisingly nobody seemed to have noticed she was sitting on the sidelines since nobody was swarming her like they usually would. Actually, there was nobody even around? “How long was I out?” Kenz wondered to herself, feeling way too stiff to try and even move.SENSE LEVEL 1: START
She wished she could’ve finished high school like her parents wanted her to, maybe go to college, who knows. It was never something she used to want to do but she often found herself wondering what it was that she could've had. After Lilia died, everything felt so numb. She could hardy bear it. It wasn’t until she started racing that she really felt something. The adrenaline, the wind on her skin, running through her hair. Her parents tried talking to her and encouraged her to go back but she just couldn’t. They bought her a swoop out of pity, they just wanted their girl to be happy. Kenz looked at Lilia and thought about how she would have laughed riding on a swoop with her. She could almost feel the wind on her face.
As she stopped daydreaming, she realized that she didn't “almost feel it” she felt as if a breeze was running across her face. She looked around the room but there was nothing there. No fan or anything was blowing. She started walking around, and she could still feel it, there was this breeze all around her. She paced the room, usually the dream didn’t last this long. She ran her hands through the air, tracing the walls, picking up books. It was there too. More than just there, the wind was inside the books, inside the walls, it was inside her.
She hated it so much. She could feel it blowing through her. It felt strange and wrong, She enjoyed the feeling of it blowing against her but this was so different, she felt like a ghost, it made her feel sick. We grow up with this understanding of how the world looks and feels and what a normal sense should be so when suddenly you feel something udderly new, its hard to be really able to take it all in or accept it. The wind was getting stronger and more gust-like as she continued moving around. She stood next to Lilia and took her hand.
“This isn’t wind” she admitted to herself. “what am I even feeling right now? It’s everywhere, it's blowing through me it's blowing through Lilia, I-I don’t understand how I never felt it before” she thought to herself. She looked back at Lilia and felt the searing pain of thinking about watching her die again.
“I can’t farking do this” she said to Lilia, as she started to break. “Please, wake up. How can you even be here and yet so far gone?”. She collapsed into her old desk chair. Tears flowing down her face. “Let this end please, this is only making it all so much worse”. She laid her head in her hands and just sat, feeling the wind continue moving through her, through all of her. It was almost peaceful if it didn't feel so uncomfortable.
That’s when she began to hear the screeching of the tie fighter. Kenzkei closed her eyes tighter as she began to sob harder. This was always the worse part. She tried plugging her ears but the ship was getting too loud. The wind felt violent and sharp, it almost hurt. She braced herself for the impact of the ships hull and then heard Lilias scream. It destroyed her, but it always echoed through her mind in these nightmares. The deafening cracking and shattering of the ship through the building finally set her awake.
SENSE LEVEL 1: END 572/400 Words
The suns were setting on the horizon. The fog of waking up was beginning to slip away as she remembered what just happened. She scanned the track for her bike, only seeing pieces scattered under the crane. Her heart sank, that was all she had. There was no way she would be able to afford another one.
Everything hurt, mentally and emotionally, she got second so she could move on to the next stage of the races but she just had to mess it up at the end. She felt as if she could just sit here forever. Moving and even thinking about what to even do from this point was just too much. She was trying not to break, this was supposed to it, this was supposed to be her big win.
“Um excuse me? Are you Kenzkei Furlave?” Kenz heard from over her shoulder. she wanted to scream at her and ask to be left alone, or ask for a hug and support, but neither made sense, her mind was all over the place.
“Yeah, uh thats me” She croaked, the taste of iron in her mouth. “I don’t think I can do an interview right now, I’m sorry.”
The woman walked into Kenz's view, she was a short human woman in nice business clothes, glasses, and piercing blue eyes. She was clearly not from around here.
“I am here on behalf of Gareth Spingleheimer, I went to your house and didn’t find you there, asking around I found out you would be here, however I’m surprised you are still here, I was told your race was 2 days ago.”
Kenz reeled with the idea of sitting here, alone, for two days and yet being perfectly fine. How did nobody even stop to help her, did they think she was dead or something? No that wouldn’t make sense because they would have atleast robbed her, its like nobody even noticed she was there. Also who is Gareth Spingleheimer, theres no way that's a real person and why would she be involved.
“I um, I don’t know who you are talking about, and you said 2 days? That's not possible I was just knocked out for a moment” Kenz anxiously responded.
“Look hun, I don’t know what you have going on in your life, I don’t really care all that much either, but I am obligated to fulfill Mr Spingleheimer's last wishes, he has left you a small hut about 45 minutes from here. Here is the key, and the location. I need you to sign this paper and I will be on my way.” the woman said, clearly getting more irritable and likely displeased to be on Tatooine.
Kenz was confused but he must have been a big fan? She has had weirder things happen before, sometimes old dudes are just kinda odd. She read the agreement over to make sure she wasnt signing away her soul or anything and then signed and took the key.
“What do you need a ride?” the woman asked, clearly knowing the answer. “Please” Kenzkei responded. Now she didn’t feel like this was her brightest decision since she wouldn’t have any way to get home, and who knows maybe this place was a set up, but it just felt like it was going to be alright. Like she was supposed to go.
LEVEL 2 APP: START
Kenz got up painfully and hobbled over to the womans ship who flew her over to the hut. It wasnt nearly as long by ship as it would have been by swoop, she would need to remember to go back and try to scavenge some pieces whenever she got the chance.
“Alright love you’re on your own, best of luck” The woman shouted down to her as she got off the ship. They were out in the middle of nowhere, but to be fair everywhere was the middle of nowhere on tattooine. She walked over to the door of the hut and unlocked the door. The hut was small just a rug, a small cot, and a desk. Kenz was incredibly disappointed. She had wasted her time, that was until she felt an unusual breeze that seemed to be flowing from under her. She moved the rug and found a trap door leading to a ladder and some sort of basement.
Kenzkei cautiously went down the ladder into the basement and realized it was way more than that. As Kenzkei went down she noticed the warehouse size room that was unfolding around her. She saw weapons, a bike, drones, and so much more. She felt like she was going insane, the main thing in the room was a YT-1300 starship. She thought she was still dreaming as she stood alone in the large warehouse.
She noticed a small table sitting not to far from the ladder with a wooden case on it and a note. She opened the case and found a bright yellow crystal waiting for her.
LEVEL 2 APP: END 268/200 Words
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Kenzkei Furlave
- New Member
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2022 11:42 pm
Re: A Racing Start
OOC: This is a rewrite starting before the beginning of the previous level 2 app
Kenzkei got up, pain flaring through her muscles. She was stiff and had bruises all over her body. As she shakily followed the woman into her ship her mind was still filled with questions. She was on a random woman’s ship, not even heading to her own house, but to some random shack she inherited. None of it made sense and yet here she was.
Kenz sat quietly in passenger while the ship flew over the desert landscape. Shadows from the natural rock formations stretched across the dunes. Tatooine was everything she had ever known. She never had ridden in a ship like this. Everything seemed so small from up above, not to mention she was going so fast. Despite everything, this was pretty awesome.
Within several minutes Kenz felt the ship begin to slow and descend towards what seemed almost like an empty barren field. The ship landed on the ground with a slight thud, Kenz bet she could fly one of these things better if given the opportunity. And she wouldn't have to deal with the awkward tension of sitting alone with a stranger. Maybe one day, but all things considered, it wasn’t looking too good for her racing career.
“Alright love, you’re on your own, best of luck.” The woman shouted down to her as she got off the ship. Kenz shouted back a “Thank You”. In front of her was a small house. It really wasn’t huge, but she wouldn't call it a small hut. Kenz walked up to the front door of the house and unlocked it.
The house was dark and blandly furnished, several houseplants were on the kitchen counters, miraculously alive and clearly taken care of well. Other than the plants, there wasn’t much personality in the place. The walls were barren with some basic furniture. She walked around the house and found the bedroom. More plants, she noted, but not much else.
“Honestly, not a bad place,” she thought to herself, before wondering if he died in here. She didn’t think so, but maybe that's why it's so clean and organized. As she sat on the bed and rested her head in her hands, Kenz thought she could hear a slight whistle coming from somewhere in the room. She got back up, groaning like she was an old person herself, and listened closely. She walked around the bed and noticed a groove in the floor she hadn’t seen before. Upon closer inspection, Kenz thought it could be a sort of hold. She tried to get a good grip on it and pulled.
As Kenz pulled on the hold, she felt part of the floor lift and the whistling quieted. There was a staircase leading down below the house. Kenz thought there must have been some basement that nobody had noticed. She pulled the trap door open and began to descend the stairs. Realistically, this was another poor idea, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was doing the right thing.
The stairs went way deeper than a normal basement, and Kenz began to wonder if this was more of a survivalist bunker or something. Her guess wasn’t completely wrong though, as she got to the bottom of the stairs and round a corner a gigantic room opened up in front of her. She squinted her eyes but couldn’t see much more than darkness in every direction.
Kenzkei got up, pain flaring through her muscles. She was stiff and had bruises all over her body. As she shakily followed the woman into her ship her mind was still filled with questions. She was on a random woman’s ship, not even heading to her own house, but to some random shack she inherited. None of it made sense and yet here she was.
Kenz sat quietly in passenger while the ship flew over the desert landscape. Shadows from the natural rock formations stretched across the dunes. Tatooine was everything she had ever known. She never had ridden in a ship like this. Everything seemed so small from up above, not to mention she was going so fast. Despite everything, this was pretty awesome.
Within several minutes Kenz felt the ship begin to slow and descend towards what seemed almost like an empty barren field. The ship landed on the ground with a slight thud, Kenz bet she could fly one of these things better if given the opportunity. And she wouldn't have to deal with the awkward tension of sitting alone with a stranger. Maybe one day, but all things considered, it wasn’t looking too good for her racing career.
“Alright love, you’re on your own, best of luck.” The woman shouted down to her as she got off the ship. Kenz shouted back a “Thank You”. In front of her was a small house. It really wasn’t huge, but she wouldn't call it a small hut. Kenz walked up to the front door of the house and unlocked it.
The house was dark and blandly furnished, several houseplants were on the kitchen counters, miraculously alive and clearly taken care of well. Other than the plants, there wasn’t much personality in the place. The walls were barren with some basic furniture. She walked around the house and found the bedroom. More plants, she noted, but not much else.
“Honestly, not a bad place,” she thought to herself, before wondering if he died in here. She didn’t think so, but maybe that's why it's so clean and organized. As she sat on the bed and rested her head in her hands, Kenz thought she could hear a slight whistle coming from somewhere in the room. She got back up, groaning like she was an old person herself, and listened closely. She walked around the bed and noticed a groove in the floor she hadn’t seen before. Upon closer inspection, Kenz thought it could be a sort of hold. She tried to get a good grip on it and pulled.
As Kenz pulled on the hold, she felt part of the floor lift and the whistling quieted. There was a staircase leading down below the house. Kenz thought there must have been some basement that nobody had noticed. She pulled the trap door open and began to descend the stairs. Realistically, this was another poor idea, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was doing the right thing.
The stairs went way deeper than a normal basement, and Kenz began to wonder if this was more of a survivalist bunker or something. Her guess wasn’t completely wrong though, as she got to the bottom of the stairs and round a corner a gigantic room opened up in front of her. She squinted her eyes but couldn’t see much more than darkness in every direction.
LEVEL 2 APP: START
Kenzkei felt a sort of breeze run across the side of her face, making the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. She recognized it, the same wind from her dream. She turned to face the darkness, where the slight wind was blowing from. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed a dull yellow glow illuminating an awkwardly placed shelf. She couldn’t tell if her eyes were still adjusting or if the glow was getting brighter, she wasn't sure how she managed to miss it before.
Still unsure of where to find a light switch, Kenzkei walked towards the glow. As she approached it, she could feel the breeze flowing towards her and through her, but it lingered as if trying to grab on, to connect.
She stood in front of the shelf, on it sat a glowing yellow crystal in a marble-like box with a felt interior. She felt entranced, like it was calling out to her, but in a way she couldn’t quite comprehend. The winds continued to gently wisp around her body. As she reached out, she felt all the wind converging onto the crystal.
As soon as her hand touched the glassy surface of the stone, she felt some wall within her mind shatter. She felt the wind flowing from the stone strengthen. Like a gust front that comes before a thunderstorm. With every gust, she felt more. Emotions, long stored, being released into her mind. At first, she felt joy and innocence, a sense of happiness and excitement. This happiness was short-lived as it was blown away by crippling fear. She knew this fear, it was like knowing you were about to die, but not being able to do anything about it. The crystal was cold in her hand, she tried to let go but was paralyzed, she felt trapped like she was standing in the middle of a storm.
She closed her eyes. This raw emotion, the wind, she couldn’t deny it anymore. She was feeling the Force, the thing she refused to believe existed. And yet, it was flowing through her, and seemingly this stone too. For the first time in her life, she tried to not just feel the wind, but the Force. It blew around her; it was fast and unpredictable, full of turmoil, and then flowing and forcing its way right through her. Amid the storm, she could sense a smooth wind, a shaky but steady flow in the force, like a warm summer breeze. She focused on the stream and breathed it through herself. She felt a sense of bravery and courage. She felt the final stand of someone dear who was lost.
Kenzkei understood, she knew what it was like to lose someone, to see them fall and never come back. The Force around her shifted, and a slow, cool draft flowed from herself, like a fall breeze, carrying leaves along as winter creeps closer. She thought about what she would have said to Lilia, how she would have told her how much she loved her and that she was going to be okay.
The force flowing from the stone mellowed; the winds mixing and weakening as all that remained was the slow meandering draft flowing and radiating outward from Kenzkei and through the crystal. She took a deep breath and let her muscles relax. The crystal felt warmer in her hand now, and from the crystal Kenzkei could almost hear the sweet harmony of wind chimes, carried along the breeze flowing between them.
LEVEL 2 APP: END 499/200 Words