The Season Opener was the biggest race of the planetary cycle on Taris. The first race of the standard year, it kicked off the rest of the races around the galaxy. Hundreds of racers competed, and competition could be fierce. Bets had already started in the cantinas throughout the upper and lower city.

The rules were simple, the racers all ran their heats throughout the day, the racer with the fastest time at the end of the day wins. The track was long and winding, with obstacles set up along the way that got progressively more difficult as it looped back around the finish. Each racer got to run three heats throughout the day. Their fastest time out of their three heats would be the one that represented their standing in the race.

The stands were packed with people from mostly the lower city, the upper city residents preferred to watch on the holonet. Flags waved in the air representing various planets throughout the Outer Rim. The Black Vulkars glared at the Hidden Beks from their pit areas as they worked on their swoop bikes. Various other swoop gangs also were present though none as notable as the Vulkars and the Beks.

Venar wore a biker's jumpsuit which was similar to a flight suit. His goggles hung around his neck as Gadon's men worked on the swoop bike, double and triple checking to make sure everything was in order. Gadon would've been present but Diedra had urged him to watch from the comfort of the base.

Venar spoke into his wrist com, "Carth, any eyes on our Jedi friend yet?"

"Negative," Carth's voice came back, "be careful though. Tensions are high between the gangs, and you're going up against experienced racers."

"Relax," Venar said smugly,"how hard could it be? You know what they say: like stealing candy from a Jawa."

"No one says that."

"Sure they do. Well at least I say it."

Venar turned to see Mission and Zaalbar had just gotten back from a concession stand. Zaalbar was munching some giant fried leg of... something.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Mission asked, "Swoop racing is dangerous stuff even for experienced veterans. They say tons of racers have died on this track."

"I figure its our only shot at freeing our Jedi friend," he replied.

"You must really like her."

"What? I haven't even met her."

"Wait, you're going through all of this for someone you haven't even met?"

"Its a long story." Just then an official came over to announce to Venar and his crew that his heat would be next. The crew gave him the nod that everything seemed to be working properly.

He settled himself into the cockpit and adjusted the goggles onto his face. He felt the thrumming of the engine as he slowly moved it out onto the track. He glanced at the scoreboard which showed that one of the Vulkars currently had the fastest time of three minutes and ten seconds. It also displayed the all-time record for the track of two minutes and forty five seconds. He pulled up to the starting line and all eyes were on him.

He watched the signal lights ahead for the signal to start. He revved the engine a few times. The signal light showed red. He adjusted his goggles. The light turned yellow. He disengaged the engine dampener. He hit the throttle the instant the light turned green and the vehicle shot forward picking up immense speed.

The wind shot through his hair and he struggled to keep the vehicle steady as he winded in and out, dodging obstacles while trying to keep it moving as fast as he could. He took a tight turn a little too fast and the vehicle scraped the side wall sending sparks flying and causing a small dent in the side of the speeder. The crowd oohed and ah'd as he struggled to regain control. He was able to stabilize it and continued to accelerate through the track.

Everything seemed to whizz by so quick it was everything he could do to keep from smashing into the obstacles and the walls of the arena. Sweat was beginning to form on his brow and he realized he may have bit off more than he could chew. Yeah, he could pilot a starship but this was different. This required lightning quick reflexes and anticipation.

Up ahead he spotted the finish line and accelerated towards it at top speed. The roar of the engine echoed throughout the stadium and then the cheer of the crowd as he crossed the finish line. He slowed the swoop down and brought it into the Bek pit area. He pulled down his goggles and gazed up at the scoreboard. It read three minutes and fifteen seconds. The black vulkar was still in the lead. He had two more tries to get the top time and even then whoever was after him had a chance to beat his time. According to the schedule, there were only three racers after him.

He hopped out of the cockpit and went over to sit with Mission and Zaalbar on the bench while the Bek engineers worked on patching up the vehicle and getting it ready for the next heat. He sunk down on the bench and let out a deep breath. He looked up at the Tarisian skyscrapers against the backdrop of the rosy sky, the silhouettes of Sith dreadnoughts in the atmosphere. Even if they freed the Jedi, they still needed a way off-planet.

"Here," Mission said, handing him a cup of water," you ok? You look like bantha poodoo."

"Thanks Mission," Venar said gulping it down, "can always count on you."

"Sure can!"

"Venar, I've got eyes on Bastila," Carth suddenly came through on the com, "she was just brought over to the announcer's pen. They're keeping her there until she's claimed."

"Copy that," he replied to Carth. Turning to Mission he said, "Can I borrow you're quadnocs?" Mission took the quadnocs from around her neck and handed it to him. He held it up the his face and gazed through the lenses and pointed it across the way on the other side of the track. There at the announcer's podium he saw a cage and inside was a woman dressed in a rather skimpy outfit, leaving very little to the imagination. He focused the lenses in a little more and noticed the neural dampener that was fixed around her forehead, keeping her in an entranced state. Her face was serene and had striking features. Her wavy brown hair was tied up in a bun. He noticed the shock collar around her neck and then glanced a little lower...

"Take a picture it will last longer," Mission said suddenly shaking him out of his daze.

"That's not- I wasn't" he protested, his cheeks turning crimson.

"Mhmm," she said crossing her arms.

Suddenly, the crowd cheered and a new time was posted to the scoreboard. Three minutes and one second. One of the Beks. Good, at least if the Beks won they could still free Bastila.

Soon, it was time for his second heat and this time it didn't go much better than the first, but a little bit. His time was three minutes and nine seconds. By the time his third heat rolled around, the time to beat was down to two minutes and fifty-three seconds. Black Vulkars were in the lead.

Again, out at the starting line, he felt the thrum of the engine and the energy from the crowd. This was his last shot or the Vulkars would win the race and the Jedi. He glanced back over at the cage and the Jedi woman. The light turned red. Goggles on. Yellow. Deep breaths. Focus. Focus. A calm settled over him and he tuned out the crowd and focused on the thrumming of the engine. Time seemed to stand still and he closed his eyes. Green. He opened his eyes and the swoop bike took off down the track at top speed.

He weaved the bike between the first two obstacles seamlessly, and shot around the first turn tightly cutting into it as much as possible. This time, he felt almost in tune with his surroundings, feeling what was coming next before he got there. He cut into the turns with skill and weaved through the obstacles and debris with precision.

Up ahead, the finish line. Almost there, almost there. Pop! A small explosion erupted from the engine and fire and smoke plumed out blocking his view. He kept the accelerator down, determined to finish. Part of the engine broke off and went flying backwards, nearly taking off his head.

He couldn't see ahead of him but he watched the pavement below him and was relieved when the paint of the finish line whizzed by. He brought the swoop bike to a stop and jumped off just as the front end exploded sending him flying forward to the ground and sending shrapnel flying into the stands. He got up, and dusted himself off looking back at the half of the swoop bike that was still smoldering. The track crew rushed out onto the track to put the fire out and clean up the debris.

The crowd was cheering and whooping at the top of their lungs. He glanced up at the scoreboard. Two minutes and thirty seconds!

"We have a new track record folks!" the announcer bellowed, "and on his last heat! What a show!"

The Bek crew ushered him over to the waiting area outside the announcer's pen. Mission and Zaalbar came running up to him. The wookie grabbed him into a hug and lifted him off the ground with a bellowing roar.

"Wow that was incredible!" Mission exclaimed, "I can't believe it! That record has been in place for ten years!"

"Well done, soldier, " Carth said over the com. Zaalbar set him down and they watched the last three heats from the waiting area. None of them came close to Venar's time. It was final. He won. He didn't know how, but he won.

He was ushered into the announcer's pen to claim his prize. As he walked in he heard people arguing. A young dark-skinned man with curly dark hair and wearing the colors of the Vulkars was shouting at the track authorities.

"I'm withdrawing the prize!" he shouted, "they must've cheated!"

"You can't withdraw the prize, Brejik," a Duros official responded, "its against the rules!"

"I don't care about you're blasted rules! I'm the leader of the Black Vulkars, and I say I'm withdrawing the woman as the prize," Brejik said.

"Guards! Escort him out!" the Duros shouted. Track guards came rushing in, vibroswords drawn.

"Did you really think this would work, Brejik?" a woman's voice said in a thick core-worlds accent. There was a metallic clank and everyone turned to see that the Jedi was no longer in her cage, and he neural dampener lay on the floor. "You really thought you could cage the mind of a Jedi? You overestimate yourself."

"What?!" he shouted in disbelief, "You were restrained! You're not supposed to- Vulkars! Attack!" Vulkar gang members came rushing in with staffs and swords and blasters.

Bastila reached out her hand and with the Force ripped a staff from the hands of one of the Vulkars and called it into her own. She leapt forward through the air, the skirt of the slave's attire trailing in the air behind her. She twirled and spun the staff through the air, connecting it with several Vulkars as the track guards began fighting the Vulkars.

Venar saw that fighting had erupted in the stands as well. He ducked under a vibrosword and elbowed the man in the jaw and then proceeded to wrench the sword from the man's grip. He sliced across the Vulkar's abdomen and then proceeded to rush forward to fight alongside the guards and the now freed Jedi woman.

Bastila lifted a Vulkar into the air with the Force and brought him quickly through the air in front of her just as several Vulkars began firing their blasters at her. She used the Vulkar as a shield as several blaster bolts struck his body, then she flung him back at the blaster-wielding thugs.

Venar felt energized from the Jedi's presence, he felt a rush of power coursing through him, using it to fight harder and faster. Venar spotted Brejik seeking to make a break for it. He cut him off, blocking his path out.

"Going somewhere?" Venar asked smugly.

"You fool!" the gang leader shouted, reaching behind him and retrieving a long metal cylindrical object from his belt. With a flip of a switch, he ignited the lightsaber staff, two yellow blades igniting from either side.

Brejik rushed forward with a powerful chop aimed towards Venar's face. He brought his vibrosword up and blocked it as sparks flew from the clash of the blades. He pushed Brejik backwards but was forced on the defensive by a flurry of three quick strikes from the lightsaber.

"You ruined everything!" Brejik screamed, "I was supposed to unite the gangs! I was going to rule the lower city!"

"I honestly don't care," Venar replied, "I'm just here for her." He nodded to someplace behind Brejik. "And I think she wants her lightsaber back."

Brejik turned around suddenly to see Bastila standing there, her face twisted into an angry frown. He lunged at her with the weapon, she easily sidestepped it, and kicked at his heel which sent him tripping forward onto all fours. She called her lightsaber to her with the Force and deactivated it.

Brejik was now scrambling backwards on his back as she walked towards him. "This," she said, "is for putting me in this ridiculous and insulting outfit." She placed her heeled foot on his groin and pressed down and he cried out in pain, tears streaming down his face.

"Stop!" he shrieked, "I thought- I thought Jedi weren't supposed to take revenge!?"

"I'm still only a padawan," she said, clearly lying through her teeth, "I must have not learned that part yet. I should ask my master about that sometime." She began to walk away and walked over to Venar. "And you! If you think you can claim me as some sort of prize, well you better-"

"Relax," Venar interjected, "I'm Venar Moonrunner, I'm here to rescue you."

Her strict demeanor suddenly softened and she let out hearty laugh, "you... rescue me? That's rich. If I don't recall I believe I rescued myself."

Venar tried his best to ignore the fact she was almost naked and keep his eyes above her neck. "Well... we intended to rescue you." Venar glimpsed Brejik behind her slowly pulling a blaster. Before he could warn her, a blaster shot rang out and Brejik sunk to the floor, a sizzling hole in his forehead.

"Got you covered," Carth said over the com.

"Thanks Carth," Venar said into the com.

"Wait," Bastila said, "you're here with Carth Onasi? He's alive?"

"Yes me and him are the only survivors from the Endar Spire," Venar explained as they walked briskly out of the arena," we've been trying to resc- ah I mean, find you, since we crash landed."

"Well good job with that," she retorted, "can you stop staring?"

"W-what? I wasn't," he replied his cheeks going hot, "maybe you should put some clothes on!"

"You think I asked to be dressed in this silly thing," she shouted, "I look ridiculous!"

"I think you look ho- ah yeah you uh... you look ridiculous."

"Thanks for that!"

"Hey! Its not my fault!"

"Then stop staring! My eyes are up here!"

"I wasn't starin- you know what, nevermind let's just get out of here," he said frustrated. He spoke into his wrist com," Mission, I'm with the Jedi, meet us back at the apartment when you can."

"Sure thing, scoundrel," her voice came back.

Several hours later, after retrieving her Jedi robes, and a quick stop at the Bek base, Venar and Bastila finally arrived at the abandoned apartment. There Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar were waiting for them.

"Thank the Force you're alive Bastila," Carth said as he saluted her.

"Its good to see you too, Carth," Bastila replied, now fully clothed in her Jedi robes. Even in her robes, Venar noticed her curvy figure still shone through. He cursed himself for the thought. "Who are your friends?"

"This is Mission Vao, and Zaalbar," Carth said introducing their twi'lek and wookie friends.

"Nice to meet you both," Bastila said, her voice calm and warm.

"Hi Jedi lady," Mission said, "you were amazing in that fight!"

"Grrraaawwwrrr!!!" Zaalbar roared which meant: glad to meet you.

"Thank you, both of you," she replied.

"I believe you already met Venar," Carth said.

"Indeed," Bastila said, "your performance in the race was impressive, and the fight after as well."

"You seem in a much better mood," Venar said.

"Well see how you like being dressed as some sexed up prize in front of all of Taris," she retorted.

"Hey I bet I would've looked good in that outfit," Venar jested, "probably would've broken even your Jedi concentration."

"Oh please, as if. I do sense something odd about you though."

"He dreamed about you," Carth interjected.

"What?" Bastila asked surprised. Mission and Zaalbar let out stiffled chuckle.

"Ok it wasn't like that!" Venar said defensively, "it was more of a vision first of all. It was of you fighting Darth Revan."

"Hmmm," the Jedi pondered, "that is odd you would have had a vision of that encounter. Perhaps it was the Force guiding you to me. Usually visions only come to those trained highly in the Force, though."

"Are you, are you saying I can use the Force?"

"Perhaps. I do sense a great deal of power in you but, I really shouldn't speculate. Perhaps once we get off this planet the Jedi Council can shed more light on this. For now, just follow my lead and maybe you'll learn something. I can't train you without the permission from the Council."

"I think we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here," Carth said, "we still need to find a way off this planet."

"You mean you don't already have a way off?" asked Bastila in surprise, "what have you been doing all of this time?"

"Looking for you," Carth said.

"Did it not occur to you that maybe I could handle myself? You have no leads of how to get through the blockade?"

"We thought you might need help or maybe you were in trouble, since the Sith are clearly more interested in you," Venar spoke up, "that's why we were trying to rescue you."

"Well it looks like I'm going to have to rescue you now doesn't it?" she rebutted.

"Look, Bastila, I get the situation is bad," Carth said, "but a leader doesn't berate her troops. We did the best we could given the circumstances."

"You're right Carth, I'm sorry. I forget sometimes that I still have much to learn," she said, "there is no emotion, there is peace. Sometimes my emotions get the better of me."

"Hey Bastila," Venar said, "I do have a question actually.

"Of course," she said a calm tone to her voice.

"How did you get captured anyways?"

"I um, well the crash was pretty hard and my lightsaber must have fallen loose in the crash so when the gang found me I couldn't-"

"So the great Jedi... lost her lightsaber..."

"You insufferable little-"

"Careful, remember the Jedi code..."

"You- ugh!" She threw up her hands in frustration and a sly smile spread across Venar's face.