Tenric's Gambit: IV

Part IV

The Holo-coverage switched to commercials for race sponsors Incom and Byblos Drives, in order to allow the producers and judges time to decide what to do about the finish. Never before had there been a tie for any position in the Somantus Slalom. Indeed the race was dangerous enough that many thought of it as pod-racing for idiots and nearly every race used to end in numerous deaths until the local Dure-Lite engineers had come up with a shield/repulsor combination that could usually save a ship from glancing blows. All racers were now required to have the modifications made in order to race.

Dale headed over to the landing pits to see if Tenric was any better off than his ship. He knew there was no way the crippled Z-95 could land planet side which meant his friend would be coming down in either a med transport or on the media-sled. He wasn’t sure which he hoped for, since the trip planet side in the media-sled could be the more painful of the two. He waded through more than a hundred spectators waiting for the sleds. Reports being piped over the address system from the comm. channels said Tenric was ok and the media-sled would be mobbed when it landed. Dale looked from the crowd by the media bay to the med pit. The reports said Tenric was ok, but knowing his friend he headed for the med pit anyway.

Sure enough when the med transport landed Tenric was strapped to a grav-bed with full life sensors engaged. There was an audible gasp from the nearby media bay as they took him from the transport and the crowd took notice. Dale was wondering how he could find out how bad Tenric was when one of the med-techs called out to him.

“Hey, you there! Your name Dale by any chance?” called the med-tech, causing the guard to glance at both of them.

“Uh…Yeah that ‘s my name.” Dale responded somewhat cautiously. “Why?”

“He said you’d be here waiting and he wanted you to come along.” Came the reply.

The guard eyed Dale’s zero-g racing suit and the advancing mob and quickly waved him in past the barrier. Dale headed over to the medical speeder they were loading his friend onto wondering what was going on. As he got in he saw that Tenric had a bacta patch across the left side of his head and some visible scorching along the arm of his suit. The med-tech gave Dale an odd look as he closed and secured the hatch, then turned and winked at him.

As Dale was trying to figure out what that could mean the med-tech went over to Tenric and shut off the life sensors and remove them. The Speeder rose and headed out toward the Dure-Med Facility as the med-tech took a seat. Dale waited a moment then slid up to the bed and took a look at his friend. Tenric looked disheveled and beaten up, but otherwise not too bad. The left side of his head had apparently been burned by whatever had scorched his flight suit. There was a bruise on his chin as well.

While Dale was still taking stock of his friend’s injuries Tenric popped his eyes open wide and said “Boo!”. This had the intended effect of surprising Dale enough to cause him to jerk back, knock his head on the wall of the compartment, and slide off the seat. Tenric sat up laughing, then coughed and grimaced from the effort. The med-tech also thought it was funny.

“What the hutt are you doing!” was all Dale could manage by way of protest.

“Tenric wanted to avoid the media and asked us to play it up a bit.” The tech answered while Tenric recovered from his coughing fit. “ His ribs took a beating and he got a nasty gash on his head, but otherwise he’s fine.”

“Yeah, forgot to max out the inertial compensator’s in all the excitement.” Tenric offered with a lopsided smile. “Got banged around a good bit by that big ol’ rock.”

“Everyone thought you were dead when that rock hit you. What happened?” Dale asked.

“Well I had seen it coming and knew Halphon and Guurk wouldn’t so I turbo’d up between them and told them to roll out fast. Then I threw everything into the shields, nearly broke the control stick banking hard, and got bounced clear over the neighboring rock, well…skipped over the rock is more like it if you believe my ribs.” He finished while gingerly testing his side.

Dale just shook his head. “Only you could have lived through what you tried. Heh, only you would ever have even tried it in the first place.”

“Hey, can’t let my best friend end up enslaved to the Hutts.” Tenric replied.

“Well thanks for at least trying.” Dale offered dejectedly as the speeder stopped at the med facility.

The Med-tech told Tenric to lay back down. When Tenric asked why he was told that since he had wanted to “play it up” he would now have to endure an examination and convince the droids he was alright as well.

“Ohh Burble-blow.” He responded with a laugh. “I guess I got myself into that didn’t I?” He said as he lay back down. “Dale. Remember my Ale. I’ll be along as soon as I can.”

Dale turned to leave and heard Tenric call out to him as he was taken into the med-facility, “Besides I’m not done trying yet!”