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"Jaaaaahahahahack! What the fuck?! What the fuck did you put in my ship?!" Lix knew how every twitch of the stick would affect the No Safety Measures, how every light touch and gentle caress would adjust her speed and trajectory by even the slightest margins. There were no mysteries, no surprises, in the way her own vessel flew. It was an intimate relationship built over years and years of hardship and trials. Whatever Jack had done, however, had the controls shaking in her claws like a Hux trapped in a box.

Heat readings slowly rose, the speedometer roaring into the red faster than she'd ever seen. Worry about parts melting once again sparked in the back of her scaly head before remembering the myriad of upgrades they'd pulled from the Last Stop Staryard to avoid just such a thing. Lix would just have to trust in her mechanic. That, and she really didn't have time to worry about it, her claws clenching the controls with a shout of shock and fear that had her Human chuckling with mirth.

"Hahaaa! I'll tell ya after the race, scaly lady! Wanted it to be a surprise an' all!" Focus was something racers prided themselves on, focus and reaction time. When used in conjunction, these skills propelled athletes to soaring new heights above their competitors and into the annals of Asteroid Racing League history, their names forever remembered in hallowed tales of bravery and daring. At the moment, Lix found that she was very much having a reaction to Jack's brazen invasion of her personal space. Not that she minded, of course, but during the middle of a race was not the time to get her all hot and bothered! That he wiggled into place behind her, forcing her forwards on the seat, wasn't helping at all.

"Hng-gnah! Jack, you bastar-" Metal hands grasped at her paws, steadying the trembling controls as asteroids began to whizz by. Helena and Skrunkles were an afterthought, barely keeping pace with whatever upgrade Jack had stuffed into the No Safety's rear. Already, the starting line was visible ahead, the pack quickly screaming into the second lap.

"I'll steady ya, just focus on flyin', scaly lady." Jack huffed in Lix's ear, his breath hot on her scales. Chuckles, evil and needy, bubbled from deep within his chest as he squirmed in place, forcing the Kux'lar further into his lap, his chest flush against her back. "Mmmm, yeah, this feels niiiiice."

"I'm going to bite the shit outta y- eek! Don't… f-fuck… please! N-No nibbling..." Against her will... or perhaps... very much with it, the Kux'lar tilted her head, offering herself up to her mate.

"Please… what?" Teeth trailed down her proffered neck, nibbling as she skirted around an asteroid hanging between her and the starting line, officially being the first ship to start the second lap. "Ya taste as excited as the night I took ya… the night after the qualifier."

"P-Preliminary not a qualif- ngh! Don't… bite there, ye- I mean no! Behave!" Lix shrugged her shoulder, yet the man's teeth didn't leave. Powerful Kux'lar legs squeezed the motorcycle-style pilot's seat as she fought to keep her muzzle from twisting in open pleasure. Every chomp felt like molten electricity injected directly into her bloodstream, her tail struggling to wriggle around her mate. Half of her wanted to continue focusing on the race, the other half wanted to… well… "Gnah! Jack!"

"Alriiiight, I'll ease up. For now, at least." One last nibble, and a freaking lick, and her vulnerable neck was released from its torment. Not that… she wanted his lips separated from her… no, no focus! His laugh as she waggled her head only brought more heat to her muzzle, her paws twitching to and fro as the No Safety Measures danced between asteroids and fellow racers alike. In an effort to distract herself from the tantalizing heat behind her, Lix used her nose to flick the comms panel over to Glorious Angela's commentary. Anything to get her mind off the damnable Human…

"It seems we're at the final stretch!" The commentator's bowl of olives had long since emptied, the screens around her shining with the roiling crowds screeching as the heads of the race jockeyed for position. Lix never cared for the fans, if she were to be honest. That sea of sweat and noise, mindlessly roaring on the sidelines as their minds went blank. Sure… she could understand. It was a moment in time when they could forget it all, the bills and the worries and the grinding teeth of life everyone seemed to be caught in. It just wasn't enough for her. Lix needed to be in it, to feel the rush as she slipped between asteroids and discharged chaff into the face of an oncoming missile. It was the only way her heart really pumped. That and… well… there was another way now… and she had both right here, right now…

First, second, third, then second… Lix found herself fighting with the other aces, and not just Skrunkles and Helena. Though with every warm breath that caressed her muzzle, the only thing she could focus on was not ploughing into the next asteroi- ploughing wasn't the best word to think of right now. Hitting… from the front and not any other angle. Yeah… those were the thoughts that needed to be in her head right now.

"It seems like we've finally gotten around to everyone using their barely legal boosts!" Angela's voice ripped the Kux'lar's thoughts away from her mate and what she felt pressed against her back, and back into the moment.

"They seem particularly volatile this cycle." Riks hissed, his suit loose and his tie nowhere to be found. "Though it seems the real champions have finally risen to the top! The number of deaths has sharply dropped."

"A relief if you ask me." Angela reached into her empty bowl, manicured nails curling around empty air as the woman scowled. Those twisted lips quickly evened back out into her familiar smile, the raised edges never reaching her eyes. "We were about to run out of racers."

"The ones we have left are tearing up the track. We've got Mo'Ona, Helena, and Lix nipping at each other's throats for first place, with Corso and Vertrax right behind them dancing for fourth and fifth." For once, Angela didn't seem to be faking her excitement. The death, the speed, the unexpected aces… the traitor lived for this. "Sixth place seems like a solid hit for Elizabeth Urta, not even on any of the betting boards!"

"Looks like she's capitalizing on the lack of competition! Smart, though if she couldn't dance with the real racers before, she can only hope to ride the coattails of the surviving aces."

"Who knows," Angela countered, her grin turning thin and sharp. "Maybe this is exactly what she was waiting for? Why exhaust yourself when you know half the field was going to die anyway? Spiders wait for their food to come to them, after all. Let's see what she has up her sleeve."

Lix tried to focus on the distraction, on extrapolating what data she could from the commentary while avoiding pancaking into one of the many asteroids that were quickly becoming more and more dense, yet that became impossible as Jack shifted. Just as the Kux'lar was… excited… so too was her Human, an incessant and pointed presence beneath her tail rocketing heat into her muzzle with enough pressure that the reptile was sure blood was going to spurt from her nostrils.

"Ja-HACK! Don't wriggle!"

"Knock knock."

"Not! Here! You horny monkey! Gnah! Noooo…" Lix bared her fangs, her eyes glued to the viewport as her mate split her attention between her passion and her passions. Left, right, up, and over a ship-sized rock that would end their lives… As the field became more and more dense, so too did her claws pull further back on the throttle, Jack's hand following in synch as his teeth returned to her neck. "No, no, no… not here, Jack! F-Fuck, please!"

"Please, what?" _A bite, a gasp, paws kicking, and tail whipping- as much as it could, at least. Words were stolen as the damned Human bit down again, hard enough to depress her scales. A growl grew in her throat, not at all warning or angry, but needy and wanting. Both- she wanted both. Right here in the middle of the race. Would anyone see? Would a drone show their sordid debauchery through the cockpit? Her suit halfway down, paws on the controls, her mate's arms around while he- no! No, no, no- focus! Gotta focus, no matter how _amazing that may sound. "Tell Jack what ya want."

"This! That! Ugh, gnah, come on!" If Lix could stamp her paws, she would, right on his boots! Nip his chin, too! "Lix need to focus! Lix give an order! When Lix get back though…"

"When Lix gets back?" His hands squeezed her paws, sending another wave of need through her chest. "What happens when we get back, scaly lady?"

"Lix going to shatter your pelvis." Jack threw his head back and laughed, the sound bringing a smile to Lix's still blushing muzzle. Thankfully, his teasing fell off right as they arrived back into the thicker parts of the asteroid field, Yulpa spinning lazily to their left as Jack's strange boost fell off. Now that missiles and mass drivers had ceased trying to end their run, the Kux'lar could admire the planet in all its glory. Emerald greens and gentle blues swirled over vast continents of forests and valleys cut through with rivers the size of cities.

"Mhmmm, sure ya are, scaly lady." Finally, the warmth of her mate left her back as Jack limped away. Worry replaced lust as his grunt of pain reached her ears, yet she held her tongue. Trust… she'd trust him to take care of himself. Besides, it wasn't like they could do more about his poor leg at the moment.

"Shit… Jack? Leg?" That being said, she was still his mate, and he was still a dumb male. "How's that leg?"

"Still shot, still hurts. Ai'n't gonna stop hurtin' unless I get some real fixin'." Lix appreciated the honesty, but the worry still lingered. "Guess ya better hurry an' finish the race, huh?"

"Cheeky monkey." No matter, he was right though. Heat levels began to drop as whatever system Jack had installed ebbed off, normal readings and a sensible speed returning to her instruments as she began to weave through asteroids without the added tension of railgun fire or missile lock. Additional obstacles drove a spike of cold indifference through the raptor's chest, one she ignored as she leaned to suck water through a straw connected to a bag of water strapped to the ceiling.

The destroyed corpses of fellow racers hung still and silent in the spaces between asteroids, many forcing the surviving racers to juke into new pathways to avoid their debris. Lix shut her heart to the sight, a grim reminder of the stakes one agreed to when they pitted themselves against the best of the best. Death hung heavy, the track turned tomb would only be graced with peace until the final ship passed through the macabre graveyard before vultures descended upon their carcasses for fuel and parts and glory. Personal effects went for an astronomical amount of money on fan sites, some folk boasting massive collections pilfered from dead pilots.

The effects of champions ran even higher, some items such as pictures or… body parts… ran for millions. Lix wondered if her own bones or fangs would be sold if she were to die. A violent shake of her muzzle put a stop to such thoughts as she engaged the thrusters, edging out ahead of Skrunkles, who had slingshot around an asteroid to try and overtake the Kux'lar. Helena was similarly fighting for position, the surviving rookies encroaching on their airspace as fatigue pulled at the pilot's arms.

By a large margin, this was Lix's longest race, her chest heaving with constant panting. Her eyes squinted, struggling to burn through dust and shattered spacecraft as the No Safety Measures made quick time through the thickest part of the field.

An exasperated huff burst from her maw as Helena creeped ahead, the sleek yellow vessel just… better… It made her fangs grind in frustration. She knew she was just as good a pilot, but the Human had more time and money for a superior ship… Them's the works… Unfortunately, it would appear that she'd have to cede first place to the more experienced champion.

"Focus on keepin' ahead of Skrunks!" Jack called from the back, his voice strained. "Teammate or not, he's gunnin' for second!"

"Aye! Just shivers my scales that Helena is creeping ahead!"

"I'm doin' good to keep heat down back here, ai'n't no beating her for now." Jack resigned himself to the loss, sucking down another shot from his inhaler. Pain ripped at his shoulders and injured leg, his vision hazed with agony. It had been a long time since he'd endured a gunshot without his armor. Still, this was no time to bitch out. The straight away was coming upon them much faster than last time being forced to dodge and dive around enemy fire. "Prepped an' ready for ya to use the boost!"

"What is that anyway? How did you do that boost thing?" Lix hissed, her tail limp in its cradle as the last of her water slithered down her ruby gullet. "I've never felt the girl move like that."

"I'll tell ya after the race… ngh…"

"Jack?!"

"I'm fine! Focus on the race, scaly lady." Jack winced at her angry growl, smiling through the enraged reptilian bark tossed his way. "I promise, alright? I can make it a few more hours."

"I'm making sure you head to medical on the Racer's Heart."

"Oh, for fuc-"

"If you open your mouth about it again, I'm gonna tie your balls to the No Safety's nose!"

"Yes ma'am." Lix risked an angry glance over her shoulder at the man, not believing his submission for even a moment. True to her suspicions, his shit eating grin was as wide as ever.

No time for that…

The 'Roid Racer turned her attention back to the viewport and thinning asteroids ahead, the final straightaway towards the finish line. This… this was the best part. Helena's drive bells glowed with heat as Skrunkles sidled up port-side of the No Safety Measures, the top three racers pushing and prodding at each other as Lix hooked a claw beneath her seat… waiting… panting… eyes struck small to pinpricks with pure euphoria.

The stars stopped twinkling, the crowds ceased roaring, breaths were held, and eyes were glued to the trio as the rookies struggled to keep up…

Then…

"Activatin' boost!" Jack called, sitting on his ass in the connecting corridor with a vicious grin. "All you this time, girl."

"Oh yeah…" With a flick, Lix slammed home the boost and grabbed hold of the controls with such force that the knuckles in her paws popped. "I got this shit."

As one, Helena, Lix, and Mo'Ona rocketed through the stars in a weaving trail of drive plumes and red-hot afterburners, sparks showering from the Spitfire's belly as the No Safety slipped under her fuselage. Bumps and metallic grinding groaned along the length of the sleek shuttle as Mo'Ona fought to control his own boost, the duo left slowly behind by Helena's more stable machinery.

Nothing mattered, here in this starlight lane. Not fans, not victory, not glory or fame… only the line of the track and the throttle at max. The League was a distant thought as Lix felt the scrape of metal-on-metal travel down the length of the No Safety Measures, Mo'Ona and his powerful but ramshackle ship losing ground. A fang-filled smile sliced its way across Lix's muzzle as her comms panel lit with the rat's face, his own look one of pure unadulterated focus.

A racer's waltz, understood by none other than them, as the duo silently accepted that this stretch, this moment… this was where they decided who was better. Lix and Mo'Ona felt their hearts beat in time, ships thrumming in tune as they separated. With a scowl, Mo'Ona slipped behind the No Safety Measures, his paws working the controls as the rat quickly slammed the brakes before screaming home the boost once more. The maneuver slung his ship around Lix's opposing side, the noses of their ships smacking together as his failed sling shot brought them neck and neck towards the finish line.

Helena crossed mere meters ahead of them, quickly pulling off to let the dueling aces pass in their battle of boost. The two screeched, Mo'Ona's tiny muzzle splitting in a chittering holler as Lix roared like the predator she was, forcing her ship harder against her teammate's. In the end, it was nothing more than the anatomy of their vessels that won the Kux'lar her victory, the No Safety Measures jutting forward along the more angular fuselage of the Spitfire.

Lixistruzsias took second place by mere inches, the finish line's high-speed cameras displaying her name proud and prominent below Helena's on the intergalactic scoreboard.

All at once, the galaxy returned to the raptor, a deep breath filling her lungs as her claws eased back the throttle. The screaming crowds and bombastic commentary filtered back through the comms channel as Mo'Ona sighed his defeat, downcast only for but a moment before shooting the screen a thumbs up.

"Nows that's racin'." Lix smiled back at him, genuine and exhausted as they carefully pulled away from each other.

"Holy shit, Skrunks. That was down to the wire… oh shit! I gotta get to the Racer's Heart!" Mo'Ona's smile faded, his eyes crinkling in worry.

"Lix hurts? Jack's hurts?" He asked, his whiskers trembling.

"Jack! The idiot got shot on the refueling platform."

"Whats! That's whys Skrunkles don't go theres!" Bugs crawled across Mo'Ona's nose as he pressed the little appendage to the viewscreen, his eyes frantically searching for the aforementioned Human. Worry wrinkled the space between his eyes… moisture of some kind smearing his side of the comms. Lix… hoped it wasn't snot. "Skrunkles escort!"

"Appreciate it." Lix turned the No Safety Measures hard as the galaxy celebrated Helena's first-place run, making room for the Spitfire as they fell in formation towards the Racer's Heart. As if a swarm returning to the hive, the surviving racers began a steady pace back towards the hulking super carrier. Fourteen… Lix counted fourteen in total. So many had failed the first circuit, would there be enough for the remaining two races? "Racer's Heart, No Safety Measures requesting medical docking for injured crew, male Human, approximately thirty-five years of age, ballistic wound to leg."

The wait for a return response had Lix snapping at the air, anxiety curling her claws around the controls like hapless prey. Jack chuckled, plopping himself on the deck behind her with a pained groan.

"I bet- agh… they got a whole slew of medical reque-"

"Don't care, mine is more important 'cause it's yours." Lix hissed, cutting the man off before he could spout more nonsense. "Lix mate- mine. Need b-bed."

"I'm fine, scaly lady. Just gotta keep from movin' too much." Jack chuckled as the panicking Kux'lar turned to glare at him, her eyes wet. It was then that he realized Lix had never seen him hurt. Bruises, sure, exhaustion perhaps, but never hurt, not really. "I'm fine."

"Jack not. Jack bleeding." Tremors ran through the pilot as she reached out to strike her comms unit, anger at its silence rushing through her thin chest.

"Alright, alright…" His chuckle did nothing to assuage her fear, the lines of red ichor running down his leg urging her to accelerate ever faster. With a grimace, Jack rose to force himself into the pilot's seat behind his snarling mate, her maw split in a warning growl to return to his place. "I know, I just said I shouldn' be movin'." Still… tossing his injured leg over the seat didn't hurt enough to discourage the man from flopping his chest against Lix's back. Rage-filled rumbles ebbed away in her throat as the usually stalwart Human leaned against her, his breathing slow and steady as a metallic hand pressed upon the still bleeding wound.

"Jack… Lix don't like it when Jack bleed… gnah…" Hands wrapped around her slender waist, squeezing away the pervasive anxiety as their trajectory wavered. Ever loyal, Skrunkles stayed true to her wing, never once pinging her comms to correct her flight path.

"Ai'n't the first time I've been shot. Calm down…" Sighing, Jack settled in on his scaly bed, squishing the Kux'lar into the controls. Not… that she seemed to mind. "Oi, sing that jingle for me."

"J-Jingle? Ngh… Jack heavy…"

"Yeah, about Meelk."

"Gnah… S-Super wheat and vat grown meat…" Lix trailed off, her worry staying her tongue.

"Add a little water?"

"And… and then some heat."

"It's Meelk!"

"Jack is silly."

"Lix worries too much." Another squeeze, a grateful warble, a tail lifting from its cradle to wrap around his waist… "There we go. Just breathe. Stars, you'd think you were the one who got shot."

"It's worse when it's your mate… Jack cuddly when bleeding out."

"Yeah well, it's probably delirium." Finally, the No Safety's comms panel lit to life with the visage of an overworked and underpaid Human, one with bags under her eyes. The woman's voice was quick, clipped, and strained, her fingers flying over a worn keyboard.

"Racer's Heart to No Safety Measures, docking clearance approved for bay seventy-seven delta. Medical staff on site, standby for flight path."

"Lix copies!" The weight upon her back had slowly been increasing, along with her worry, as Jack went from leaning to slumping. A terrified trill crawled from Lix's throat as she burned hard ahead of her fellows towards the Racer's Heart, pulling in front of the cloud of surviving racers. Docking procedures, deck protocol, and pilot etiquette all went out the window as Lix roared her racer into docking bay seventy-seven under the startled yelps of a medical crew.

Jack was across her shoulders in a moment, the Kux'lar struggling to hoist the limping man down the on-ramp and onto a gurney surrounded by emergency personnel that shoved her away with the professional acumen awarded their station. Paws padded after the group as more vessels roared in to land, the Kux'lar jostled this way and that as the more organized crews pushed ahead. Heads ducked as the reptilian pilot leapt, her killing claw-tipped feet slashing at the air as she landed on an empty gurney before sprinting off after her mate.

"Lix! Waits! Lix!" The voice, distant and familiar, wasn't enough to register. "Hah, Skrunkles, ouch! Skrunkles can't… hah… Skrunkles can't keep- ack!" That… did slow the frantic Kux'lar. The padding paws eased, a reluctant sigh escaping a fang-filled maw as Lix turned to scoop the lightly trampled Hux from between a sea of boots. She hadn't even seen him land… Bugs crawled up her arms and into her suit as Mo'Ona clung to her neck, his tail bruised and curled tightly to his leg. Several whiskers seemed to be askew, while his arm was held close to his chest. "T-Thanks…"

"Shit, Skrunks! You okay?"

"This nothings, wasn't paying attentions. Jacks?"

"Hurt, he got shot in the leg and they're taking him to medical." When Lix turned, she saw neither hide nor hair of the Human, eliciting a deep, frustrated growl from her gullet. There were too many people, too many crews… now that her goal of staying with Jack had failed, she could observe the bay and get her bearings.

It was smaller than she was used to, devoid of the stacks of cargo crates and balconies of rich onlookers. Instead, oil-covered mechanics and teams of medical staff waited, ready and eager to rush off towards each and every incoming ship. How Skrunkles had gotten permission to dock here, Lix didn't know, but as the little rat adjusted in her paws… she was grateful he had.

"Gets a move on! Medicals not fars. Maybe theys lets us in?" Her look was all he needed to see. "Ngh… rights… they lets no one ins." It was well known that no crew was allowed in the expansive medical facilities aboard the Racer's Heart, not even captains. On that thought, Lix didn't even know why she'd been chasing after them in the first place. "We shoulds go to the hall."

"R-Right… sorry." Downtrodden, Lix turned away from the flow of crew already being denied entry and towards the distant rail system. It was tradition to attend the Victory Lane post-race, especially if one counted themselves among the victorious. Lix held her charge close as she shouldered her way through the crowd and onto a railcar, slamming the door shut before anyone could join them. Unlike before, there was no well-dressed attendant to guide them. Relief flooded the pair as a gentle rocking pulled them into the seats, the car ambling along the track in blessed silence. Aches and pains Lix didn't even know she had began to make themselves known, creeping to the forefront as Mo'Ona slapped his paw on her neck. "Ack! By the scale, what are yo- eeuuugghhhh…" Revulsion spread across her very soul as the tiny beetles that had made home under her flight suit, unbeknownst to her, returned to their master with the skittering of a hundred legs. "I'm going to eat your ears."

"They have bugs in them." Came his tired reply, sitting against her as the last of his friends returned to the small tufts of fur that hid his chitin. Bands of light illuminated the interior of the car as the race came back to the pair in a slow deluge of overstimulation and exhaustion. So many dead in the first run, and many more during the combat phase… Lix had never seen so many racers eliminated in one circuit, much less the _first. _It was unheard of for the pack to thin so fast… so many names would be upon the Wall of Memory…

It… wasn't a ceremony Lix was looking forward to. Though staying in the races, it was inevitable to find your own name chiseled upon its surface one day. No matter rookie or champion, all had an equal place. Though… only real champions found themselves immortalized upon the doors of Victory Lane. Tight steel corridors and wide, gorgeous expanses of neighboring rails passed by without nary a look from the duo of pilots, Skrunkle's high-pitched snores filling the cabin as he fell limply across Lix's lap. She placed a paw on his chest to keep him from falling on the floor, though… a part of her wanted to push him down there herself. Still… he was a member of the crew now and had proven himself both a more than competent pilot and… a friend.

Sleep threatened to take her then and there as well, a weight pulling upon her eyelids, yet worry stayed them. Several times now, she'd tried to ping Jack's comms, desperate for an answer. When that had failed, she'd tried for the medical wing itself, receiving the same such silence. They were busy- she knew that, of course. That didn't mean there weren't hundreds of Kux'lar generations screaming in her head to force the railcar around and find her mate, to steeple over him and hiss and snap at anyone foolish enough to get too close. Jack was hers- _hers, _and she should be by his bedside while they… did whatever it was they did to fix his leg. It wasn't right… being away from him.

There was nothing for it, however, armed guards turned all away who weren't injured. Affiliation didn't matter, even familial ties meant nothing to the crew of the Racer's Heart. As expansive as the facility was, room would quickly become a premium once they allowed every worried onlooker and terrified lover into the hospital wing's halls. That and… and Jack was tough. Tougher than anyone! Yeah… she just had to keep telling herself that. That he had slumped so limply across her back… that his steps had been so weak down the on ramp didn't matter. It was just blood loss, nothing a quick patch-up couldn't fix.

For now, the best thing she could do for him was to conduct her captain duties, and right now, that was to attend the post-race ceremony in the Victory Lane. There would be songs and drink and food, of which Jack could imbibe when he was better, and the etching of new names on the Wall of Memory. After that, the highlights of the race and commentary from Glorious Angela… Just the thought of the traitor bitch doused whatever good mood Lix had garnered for herself, her hackles trembling in a near silent growl.

A paw upon her ankle brought her attention down. Down, down, down… to the concerned muzzle and trembling whiskers of the only Hux she'd never kicked away… Mo'Ona didn't say anything, just… nodded, his little fist to his chest. Bruised, battered… he didn't care. A part of her still warned that the little rat man was setting them up for some elaborate scam, something Mo'Ona's people were well known for. The long game was their forte, their bread and butter, and… and Lix was falling for it hook, line, and sinker if that was what he was up to. A larger part wanted to believe in his apparent sincerity. So… she did. Nodding, Lix began the arduous trek up the stairs to Victory Lane with her friend in tow.

The same guards that had allowed the 'Roid Racer entry after the preliminary heaved open the large doors resplendent with memorial etchings of past champions, the din of the survivors rushing to fill Lix and Mo'Ona's ears with all the cacophony that one would suspect from a mass of survivors. Rookies had become aces, aces had become memories, and prospective champions now glowed proudly on the leaderboard above the bar. In prestigious first place sat Helena, a picture of her sharply angled vessel hanging beside her final lap time that Lix could only humbly bow her head to. Below in second place was Lix herself, the unflattering photo Angela had taken replaced by a zooming side profile of the No Safety Measures as she blew through a debris cloud, spark showering from her belly. Lastly, in third was Mo'Ona, tactfully navigating the battlefield in his haphazardly slapdash Spitfire.

It felt… good. She'd made it, even if she didn't win… the No Safety Measures was on the leaderboard in an official asteroid racing league. Regardless of what happened next, this was her dream.

"Are you watching, Daddy?" Lix whispered, low enough to make sure no one else heard. "Your little ankle biter made it."

Though the exuberance of the fourteen remaining racers was high, a blanket of melancholy pervaded the room like a miasma. Several of the generational canine workers were busy etching the names of the twenty-seven fallen racers upon the expansive Wall of Memory, their names so small as to be barely visible. There was room yet for more, more that Lix was sure to come.

Drones weaved between the crowd as eyes idly watched each new name scrawl across the stone, interviews and comments tunneling straight to the still excited and slavering fans across the galaxy. The ire that was boiling in Lix's chest threatened to return as she noticed Glorious Angela speaking with Helena, the former with her signature wicked grin and a drone hovering over her shoulder. Mercy, and perhaps luck, had run out for the Kux'lar, as the woman bid a farewell to the current League champion before descending on the reptilian racer with all the bloodlust of a starving beast.

"Captain Lixistruzsias, what a performance today! You blew expectations out of the water, and more importantly, several aces met their end exactly as you said they would. Do you have any comments for your quickly growing fan base?" Lix sneered for a moment before plastering a cocky grin to her muzzle, one she enjoyed seeing on Jack's face so often.

"Couldn't wait for the bodies to cool first, huh? Fine… Gultian was an amazing racer, but just like I said, he trusted his piloting skills too much and never learned how to dogfight while racing. He underestimated Mo'Ona, like most everyone does. And… and Tulis… I don't like how it went down. He was so focused on the finish line that he lost sight of the track. I know he wanted to help his family with the prize money, but the right move would have been to fall back and make up positions when he wasn't in such a bad spot to maneuver." Lix took a breath, heaving a long sigh. "This endurance-based race took a lot of pilots… I don't know what the rest of the season is going to look like." At that, Angela nodded, bringing the drone's attention back to herself.

"That's the big question on everyone's mind, isn't it? More racers died during the Yulpa circuit than in any other of the last twelve leagues. Normally, we'd have several more races lined up, but with the visceral bloodbath this season, the show runners are looking at an emergency restructuring. It will be interesting to see what they cook up." Angela flashed a blood sucking smile one last time before the drone went dark, zooming off to accost some other racer, before turning back to Lix with a strand of hair twirling around a pale finger. "And how is dear Jack doing?"

"Fine. Leave me alone, I'm going to pay my respects to the Wall."

"Of course! Just remember, if you need anything, Glorious Angela is here for you."

"I'll keep it in mind." Snarling one final time and letting Mo'Ona hide behind her legs, Lix left the infuriating commentator behind. A lull had fallen over the bar as the final name was etched in place. Twenty-seven new souls upon the Wall, each one with just as many dreams and aspirations as those still living… It was tradition, after every League race, to take a moment… in respect… in contemplation… in silence… Drinks were nursed, memories were visited, thoughts were pondered…

The names stared silently back, the souls of fallen racers still and stagnant, forever more never knowing the roar of engines and push of a thruster. Lix herself had only ever been witness to such a ceremony through the holos… participating from across the stars. Here, in the moment? It was… far heavier… Slowly, as one, the racers began to stamp feet, paws, and boots upon the floor, filling the room with a thrumming heartbeat of those still living.

Shanties were sung for the fallen in taverns and dives the galaxy over… yet here in the Racer's Heart… only a beating pulse in remembrance…

Thwum

Thwum

Thwum

As such was her namesake… as such was her duty… as such was the drifting tomb of every Asteroid Racer…

Thwum

Thwum

Thwum

And none held any illusions… that if they continued this passion… that their own names wouldn't be included upon that hollowed, silent Wall…

Thwum

Thwum

Thwum

***

Jack groaned as the painkillers oozed through his system like cold mud, his leg patched up and throbbing with a fresh skin graft. The doctors had been precise and quick, moving on to other patients while he lay and waited for the treatment to settle. Thoughts swam as nausea danced in his stomach, his metallic hands searching for an inhaler that wasn't there.

Lix had messaged him, but there wasn't any possibility of a return message while still in medical. Correspondence was highly regulated, nothing in or out, so the last messages he'd received shortly before being wheeled past the guarded doors was all he'd get from the assuredly worried Kux'lar. Still, there were worse ways to spend an evening. Booze would be preferable of course, and he'd love to be present for the memorial ceremony in Victory Lane, but this was his reward for getting shot.

Liliana would have called him all manner of insults for even being in a position to be shot…

A tapping at his bedside drew his hazy mind from the ceiling, the small room suddenly occupied by another. Shapes and colors swirled as he reached for his revolver, the weapon absent from his belt.

"W-Who? The fuck…"

"Mr. Geoffery, have you made any considerations towards our offer?"

Jack blinked… that voice was… familiar… so was that shape… with a waggle of his head and a squint of his eyes, the roiling masses of blurred lines coalesced into-

Tripod legs… a thin body… an avian face and a trunk in place of a beak… a Wistar… a Wistar lawyer.

S'Vark K'Tula…

"Fuck are you doin' here?"

"I see you remember me, sir! On behalf of Arington Shipping Co., which now has a satellite office on Koorka Station, I'd like to present you with these papers." Jack could only stare as a large envelope was placed upon his chest, the Wistar trilling with a professional bow. "You'll find all the legal documentation to show that we had tried to contact you about a particular lawsuit, but as you didn't respond to the received summons within the allotted time, the courts deemed you to be in default on the-"

"Oi, hold the fuck on. What summons? What lawsuit?"

"The one that has record of you receiving, of course."

"I never received no summons!" Jack snarled, reaching for the thin creature, who backed away with ease.

"That's not what the court records show. You'll find in there the legal acquisition of one Stripped Bolt by Arington Shipping Co., and we thank you for your business." With that final hammer blow to Jack's gut… the lawyer turned on his three spindly legs to leave.

"Which… which one o' you cloak an' dagger fucks stabbed me in the back." S'Vark slowed, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh… I shouldn't… but… I believe his name is Tik'Tik. I hear he's an old friend."