The Tie-Breaker

Posted on Tue Sep 5th, 2023 @ 7:35am by Commodore Tohru Honda & Captain Maho Takahashi & Captain Shimakaze Zh'gero & Lieutenant Commander Tristana

1,657 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Fast & The Fleet

The score was tied two all as the two Utes of the Myogi's acting Ops Chief and the Haruna's Ops Chief were lined up. As Tristana climbed from her El Camino, Maho approached her assistant Chief of Security, filling in for Ensign Kurosawa.

"Remember, Tristana; the outcome of this battle could depend on your driving skill." She said. "The score is tied two all, and whoever wins will break that tie."

"I understand, Capitan. (Captain.)" Tristana responded. "Any advice on how to handle this?"

Maho looked over at Tristana's opponent, a newer model Holden Ute, and its Andorian driver, who was now speaking with Captain Zh'gero.

"Your opponent has trained mostly on one-way roads." Maho pointed out. "However, this course is a two-way mountain road. The difference should become clear if you pay close enough attention to her technique."

Tristana nodded.

"I won't let you down." Tristana said.

As Lieutenant Visha Zh'ichapol dismounted her Holden Ute, she too, was approached by her Captain.

"Visha, I know this kind of race isn't exactly your strong suit, but I need you to not reveal your weakness to your opponent." Shimakaze said, glancing over at Tristana and Maho. "Not like it should be a problem. My intelligence tells me this one is one of the worst drivers on the NightKids, and word was, Captain Takahashi was threatening to kick her off, so don't hesitate to go full throttle from the start and leave her in the dust."

Visha nodded.

"As you wish, Captain." She said, turning to approach her opponent.

"I'm Visha Zh'ichapol of the Haruna SpeedStars." The Haruna's Chief of Ops introduced herself. "And you would be?"

"Tristana of the Myogi NightKids." Tristana responded, the first competitor of the evening to introduce herself as being from the NightKids.

"Hmmm... Kyhl will be so disappointed he didn't have the opportunity to face you personally." Visha smirked. "He was quite looking forward to rubbing it in your face that he replaced a good officer."

Tristana's eyes narrowed as the insult sank in.

"Well, you can tell him that if he ever wants to take me on, I'll take on that EVO any time." She said. Now, she was fired up, and if she wasn't going to let her smug opponent walk away with the W, she certainly wasn't going to now.

"Drivers, to your cars!" Tohru said. "Spectators, clear the starting line! We'll be starting the countdown shortly!"

As Maho and Shimakaze cleared the starting line, Tristana and Visha returned to their cars. As the engines fired up, Tohru raised her hand into the air.

"Starting in 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! GO!" Tohru started the race.

Off the line, Visha obtained the early lead, heading into the first corner, she swung her Ute wide, blocking the whole road.

If Tristana's the worst of the NightKids, then this should be easy! Visha thought. So long as I remember that there's no oncoming traffic and I treat this like a one way road.

Visha looked into her rearview and saw that the El Camino was still behind her.

What the-? The only way you're this close is because I'm letting you: Visha thought. But that's about to change!

Visha shifted to a higher gear and took off down the straightaway. But Tristana wasn't about to let her prey get away that easily.

Oh no, you don't She thought. Get back here!

Tristana also put her foot down, catching up to the Holden for the next corner, heel-toeing down into a lower gear as she guided her El Camino into a drift, bringing it close to the side of the drifting Holden in a move she wouldn't have dared dream of doing just a few days prior.

"That El Camino's driving is insane! She's chewing on the Holden's bumper with some sort of Kamikaze technique! This girl has no fear!"

Maho heard the transmissions back to the top, and was surprised by them. Even earlier that morning, she had been reluctant to keep Tristana on the team, and had come close to telling Tristana to stay on the Myogi when Lieutenant Fujiwara of all people had insisted on not kicking Tristana off the team.

I suppose I owe you an apology, Tristana: Maho thought. Perhaps you really meant it when you said the Haruna was personal to you...

Shimakaze was surprised as well.

Our reconnaissance suggested her driving was amateur, if that: She thought. So, what's changed?

As the corners wound on, Visha found that despite driving all out, her opponent was sticking to her like glue. No matter what she tried, she just couldn't pull a gap on Tristana.

Something isn't right; Visha thought. I'm doing my best to lose her, and she's still on my tail! Could our intelligence be flawed?

This is actually quite fun once you get the hang of it! Tristana thought. Gracias, (Thanks,) Fujiwara for helping me out there...

As Tristana followed the Holden, she began paying attention to the manner in which it drove, trying to make sense of what Maho had told her at the top:

"Your opponent has trained mostly on one way roads: However, this course is a two-way mountain road. The difference should become clear if you pay close enough attention to her technique."

So, she says my opponent has trained on one way roads, and that there's a difference: But what is it? Tristana wondered.

The answer came to Tristana on a right hand corner. She noticed that her opponent wasn't taking the right hand turns as confidently as she was left hand ones. Furthermore, this loss of confidence in right handers was making Tristana slower through them as a result.

A-ha! Of course; Tristana said. I get it now.

With the missing piece of the puzzle, Tristana began to formulate a plan of attack. A two lane right hander was coming up, and Tristana was going to use the width of the road to her advantage.

Your weakness is your fear of turning right: Tristana thought, merging into the oncoming lane.

What the-? Visha thought. What is this girl doing?

It's something you never bothered to conquer, and quite frankly... Tristana thought.

The straightaway gave way to the right hand corner, and the plan was now in action:

You really suck at it! Tristana thought.

Visha had gotten distracted by Tristana attempting to pass on the straightaway that she hadn't considered the corner coming up. She had been played right into Tristana's trap.

Damnit, I'm pinned down! Visha thought. I can't turn like I normally can!

"Whoa, that's insane! The El Camino's got the Holden trapped to the inside!"

To keep Visha from wriggling out of the trap, Tristana initiated a very precise drift in the space between the guardrail and the Holden's side. One wrong move and Tristana could clip the guardrail and spin out, or worse still, wreck both cars, which would cause a reset for a second round.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing! That El Camino's cornering while keeping the Holden trapped to the inside!"

As Tristana drifted, Visha slowly backed down, eventually ceding the lead to Tristana by about half a car length when the corner spat them out onto a short straightaway leading into a left hand corner, one of the final ones on the course prior to the finish.

Damnit! Visha cursed. There's not enough course left for me to retake the lead!

Visha was forced to brake again heading into the final corner, fully ceding the lead to Tristana.

At the finish, the lookout radioed in.

"This is the finish line; I can hear them coming!"

Rounding the corner, the El Camino was out in front, but the Holden went wide, attempting to overtake on the final straightaway before the goal.

"The El Camino's out in front, but the Holden-! It's gonna be a drag race!"

The two cars blew past the finish line, the El Camino just barely out in front as the time was recorded.

"The El Camino takes it! With a new course record to boot! 1.5 seconds faster than the standing record!"

When Tohru received the transmission at the top, Maho and Shimakaze were both surprised by the record.

It was to be expected. Shimakaze thought. Visha was on track to beat this course's standing record during practice last night... But that El Camino's crazy performance... Clearly, we underestimated this girl's abilities...

I can see now I was wrong to kick you off the team. Maho thought. Whoever showed you how to improve that quickly... Is one hell of a racer...

Tohru put her hand in the air.

"Winner; Tristana!" She declared. "Score: NightKids - 3, SpeedStars - 2!"

As the two trucks pulled to a stop in the car park at the bottom of the course, Visha was first out as Tristana emerged from the El Camino.

"Our intelligence suggested you were the weakest link of the NightKids." She said. "So, what changed?"

"Perhaps nothing changed, and I was just putting on an act to give you faulty intelligence." Tristana winked cheekily. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."

Damnit, she really did play us for fools! Visha thought. Well, one thing's for certain: Starfleet or not, you're still a con artist, Tristana...

Posting by

Commodore Tohru Honda
Task Force Jomo Commanding Officer

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer
USS Myogi

Captain Shimakaze Zh'gero
Commanding Officer
USS Haruna

Lieutenant Commander Tristana
Acting Chief Operations Officer
USS Myogi

Lieutenant Visha Zh'ichapol
Chief Operations Officer
USS Myogi

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