Old Rivalry, New Sport (Part 2)

Posted on Mon Aug 28th, 2023 @ 7:18am by Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Commodore Tohru Honda & Captain Shimakaze Zh'gero & Lieutenant Commander Ryosuke Takahashi 'Ry'

1,451 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Fast & The Fleet
Timeline: After 'Old Rivalry, New Sport (Part 1)'

Previously, on Star Trek Myogi:

Jane winced as she was forced to slow. Too close.. The next few turns she kept close but couldn’t get past. Not yet at least.

It was time for a risk. She guessed that Tyli would take the optimal exit from the final turn in the series. If that happened, then Jane would have enough space — barely — to squeeze past on the inside.

There it was. Last turn. Exiting tight on the inside…

And now, the continuation:

What the fuck? Tyli thought. There shouldn't be enough room to pass on the inside! Are you insane??

The two cars shot out of the corner neck and neck up a straightaway. Though Tyli kept her foot pinned to the floor, she wasn't able to eek out enough of an edge before they reached the next corner, and Tyli was forced to slam on her brakes and give Jane the pass.

Damnit. Tyli cursed. Nice one, Sinclair; but this race isn't over yet!

They were near the top of the mountain, and Jane was able to defend her lead the rest of the way up. The end of the line was marked by a cone in a bit of straightaway, and it required a tricky handbrake turn which the Myogi pilot just managed to pull off. She kept her lead, but she wasn’t sure whether she gained distance or lost it. She wouldn’t be sure until she powered down the same way she came up and could judge properly how far behind her Tyli was.

To be expected, Tyli had been unable to reclaim the lead from Sinclair. Even her planned counterattack at the turnaround point had failed. However, they were now on the downhill portion, and that meant that Tyli could go a whole lot faster. As Tyli put the pressure on Jane, something familiar about Sinclair's technique was starting to occur to the Andorian pilot.

Her technique seems quite familiar... She thought. Where have I seen it before?

As they rounded the next corner, the realization finally hit Tyli.

Of course! She must have learned from Takumi Fujiwara! She thought. Well... Let's see if Fujiwara taught you... THIS move!

Tyli went for the headlight controls and switched off her headlights.

The reflection in Jane’s rearview mirror went dark. Ah. Tricky, tricky, Tyli, Jane thought.

The VTEC induced roar of a Honda B16 engine drew alongside Jane's Clio before Tyli finally switched her headlights back on. The two of them were running neck and neck barreling towards a left hand corner, which would give Tyli the inside line.

The next corner will give me the inside line. Tyli thought. Alright, Sinclair; let's see how much of a death wish you have!

The corner approaching was the one at which Ryosuke and Rize stood. Ryosuke had watched as first one pair of headlights appeared, then a second alongside the first.

Fujiwara's blind attack; Ryosuke immediately recognized the move. Well, it was only a matter of time before somebody else appropriated the move, but it's surprising that its first use tonight comes from the Haruna...

I might need to fuse a few moves, Jane thought as she rapidly approached the turn. Takumi had taught her this attack, but its main benefit appeared to be that it put her badly out of position. But between Keisuke and Takumi’s lessons and Karen’s specific turn handling advice, she might just do this. Or I’ll go into the guardrail.

The next two turns were close together, but…

She didn’t slow down as Tyli was hoping she would. Instead she took the late apex. Her turn began just a moment later than her opponents, meaning she stayed on the outside and managed to floor the accelerator earlier than Tyli, pulling ahead and into the inside of the next turn. By the end of the move, she was half a car ahead.

And crossed the finish line just like that.

Tyli couldn't believe it as she slowed down after the finish line:

She had just lost to Jane Sinclair; again...

Commodore Honda put up her hand.

"Winner: Jane Sinclair!" She declared. "Score: NightKids - 1, SpeedStars - 2!

As the victor was being declared, Tyli turned around and drove back to the SpeedStars' staging area. Captain Zh'gero was waiting for her: Tyli was expecting her Captain to be displeased. However, she was surprised to find a subtle grin on Shimakaze's face.

"You did good, Sh'veshron." She said. "Drove like hell out there."

"Thanks, Captain." Tyli said, turning to see Jane's Clio pulling into the NightKids' staging area. "But, there's someone else I need to give congratulations to..."

Tyli walked across the starting line to the other staging area to greet her Myogi counterpart as she emerged from the car, extending a hand.

"That was one heck of a run, Sinclair:" She said. "Tonight was a well-deserved victory, though if you ever want a rematch, don't hesitate to get in touch. I mean, we are working on sister ships, after all..."

Rainwater was cascading down her face and hair once again, but Jane barely felt it. She won. She felt invigorated. Alive.

She took only a small moment to enjoy the feeling and opened her eyes to see and hear Tyli, her hand out. She accepted it.

“A great run, Tyli. You put up a hell of a fight. And if it were dry, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten you.” She smiled warmly. “I hope our paths cross again, my friend.”

"Oh, and I suppose there's one final wager left:" Tyli said. "Computer; how many viewers did we manage to amass?"

Beeping, the computer responded. "Viewership numbers peaked at two million, one hundred and eighteen thousand, six hundred and eleven."

"Heh, told you we'd get two million." Tyli said with a wink.

“That you did,” Jane said, returning the wink. “Hey, so someone from FSS is almost certainly outside the holosuite door. Feel free to say no to this, but…what do you say we play it up for the press, for old times’ sake?” She grinned and had a devilish spark in her eye. The two helmswomen had a mutual respect and admiration forged on the track and in the pilot seat of a New Orleans class, one which a bit of smack talk to a holo camera wouldn’t affect.

A mischievous smirk spread across Tyli's face.

"You know me too well, Sinclair:" She said. "It'll never break my heart to shallowly call you a cheat in front of those reports."

With a smirk of her own, Jane took her leave of the race course.

As expected, outside the holosuite door was Matt Gow, reporter for the Federation Sports Service, holding a microphone and standing next to a man holding a holo-camera. Ever the gentleman, Matt offered Jane a towel, which the victorious racer used to blot some of the rainwater off her face and out of her hair.

“Quite the race today, Jane! Seemed touch and go there for a bit.”

“Touch and go?” Jane shot the reported a dirty look and shook her head. “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, mate. Sure she got in front at the start but there was never any doubt I’d win. I knew it. She knew it. Not even sure why she challenged me, really. It’s like she woke up and said to herself ‘I want to be humiliated in front of two point one million people’.” She looked right into the holo-camera. “Well good news, Tyli. You got what you wanted. Proof that I’m better, whether in space or on the ground.” She looked back at Matt and chuckled. “Think she’ll challenge me to a boat race next? Or do you think she’s learned her lesson?”

Though occasionally interrupted with questions, the helmswoman of USS Myogi continued to gloat (insincerely and over the top) about her win, until Reporter Matt Gow was finished. They exchanged pleasantries and she walked off, eager to celebrate feeling alive.


Posting by

Commodore Tohru Honda
Task Force Jomo Commanding Officer

Captain Shimakaze Zh'gero
Commanding Officer
USS Haruna

Lieutenant Commander Ryosuke Takahashi
Chief Medical Officer
USS Europa

Lieutenant Tyli Sh'veshron
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Haruna

Lieutenant jg Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Myogi

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