Log Date: 1/24, 1/26/99 Log Cast: Selektah, Kartijan, Gavril Turlon/Han Solo, Donald, Piper, Morrison Log Intro: Called to the Caspar system by an urgent message hinting that Leia might have been killed, Han has been horrified to learn that an unknown assailant has attacked Leia and some of her guards on the Plaxton City beach. Moreover, this unknown attacker made off with the Princess's lightsaber, suggesting that the individual was a Jedi or perhaps hired by one. Though Leia is rather dubious about his ability to disguise himself, Han has determined to try to discover any clues he can uncover on the streets of Plaxton City -- by resurrecting the disguise he'd used on his recent undercover mission to Tatooine, that of 'Gavril Turlon', the alledged brother of the gunrunner Kass Turlon, an old friend of Han's. Thus far the Corellian has been unable to find the clues he seeks about the attack on his wife, but he has come across another piece of fascinating information: That Simone Drake, the former VicePrex of the Corporate Sector Authority, has resettled on Caspar. And given his past history with this particular woman, Han finds her presence on Caspar when an assault has been made on the Princess just a little bit too coincidental for comfort. And so, intent on putting his disguise to the test, he crashes the opening party of Drake's new business, Avalon Enterprises... ---------- You head through the glass doors and into the Avalon Enterprises complex. Main Showroom -- Avalon Enterprises The two story tall ceiling over the front of the shop dedicates plenty of room to live and holographic swoop models and a variety of information about sales, pricing and Team Avalon. The back half of the main showroom is divided into two floors- the lower story has an information counter and, to the right of that, a large security door that leads to the back room of the building. The upper story overlooks the front of the shop and is faced entirely of reflective plasteel. The mirror effect is used as a canvas for holographic racing sequences that expand over the entire wall. A sound system on low levels accentuates the overhead movie. Between racing scenes, the Avalon Enterprises logo is displayed across the wall. < Type 'VIEW DISPLAY' for sales information. > -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Kartijan => Selektah => Donald => Piper => Avalon Guards => Party Info -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ecurity Door leads to Back Office Area -- Avalon Enterprises. ut leads to West Blake St. - Plaxton City. This evening, the room has been decorated to host an elegant party. Several finely uniformed waiters and waitresses walk around with trays of champagne-filled glasses, while others offer delectible appetizers. Two or three long tables have been set up on one side of the room against a wall, covered with blue and white Avalon-emblemed tableclothes, and are covered with an assortment of foods, both local and imported, set up in a buffet-style arrangement. A nearby area contains two or three round tables where people can sit to eat or just to talk. Classical music is pumped in softly through the speaker system, and the holographic races flicker on the mirrors overhead all the while. Between holographic races, the Avalon logo is displayed with a superimposed 'grand opening' at the bottom. Selektah waggles his eyebrows at Piper's suggestion and smiles, "Maybe.." he says "I'm gonna go over to the bar and refresh my drink." he says happily. Kartijan steps aside as someone else enters and allows her coat to be taken out of the way. Gavril_Turlon ambles in, looking a little lost, and perhaps a bit out of place amidst the party set up in here for the evening. Gavril_Turlon(#1491POUA) This tall, rangy man doesn't seem like anybody particularly noteworthy, just one of countless human denizens of the galaxy. Hair, a mustache, and beard that can all be classified as short, full, neatly trimmed, and a sandy light brown frame a set of ruggedly handsome features... though one might wonder whether their owner is aware of their general appeal, for he meets the galaxy with a pair of slightly befuddled brownish-green eyes, and he typically speaks as if he's about to burst into a nervous babble. He is currently clad in a simple black vest over a green shirt, tucked into brown pants with a single yellow stripe that runs down the side of each leg, and scuffed black bloots. Over the top of it all he's got on a long, tan-colored coat, for protection against winter weather. All of his clothing appears to have seen better days, although it's perfectly serviceable. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => 800 Standard Galactic Credits => DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol Donald chuckles, "Maybe if you want to make me feel bad" he grins as he looks down at his chrono, "Look at the time. I'm sorry, but I must go. Nice party" Piper grins to Selektah, then nods to Donald, "It was great having you here, Donald.. I appreciate your attending both parties. I'll see you tomorrow around the Arena sometime in the evening.." With her fiance heading towards the bar, and other guests heading off towards the door and just elsewhere in the room, Piper goes back to mingling. Donald heads out through the main doors to West Blake Street. Donald has left. Gavril_Turlon wanders into the showroom, smiling a shy, crooked sort of smile at the assorted displays, and almost bumping into an elegantly clad lady in the midst of mingling. He blurts an apology to her and just narrowly avoids colliding with one of the waiters. Piper is almost bumped into for the second time tonight, but somehow, the man perpetrating the bumping manages to avoid her at the last minute. He's got her attention now, though, and with a smile, she greets him, "Welcome to Avalon Enterprises.. I hope you enjoy the party this evening." Scuttling backwards to avoid the waiter, the fellow in the tan-colored trenchcoat starts and then turns back around to face that elegantly clad lady. "Uh... um, good evening," he warbles, his voice on the low end of a tenor range. "It's real nice so far, yes ma'am. Nice place." "Thank you," Piper chirps in response, pride in her smile at the compliment, "We worked hard on it, and the plans took a while to draw up, but in the end, the guys I contracted did a wonderful job." She extends her hand, "Simone Drake. Avalon's CEO." Piper Rapacious eyes of a cold winter storm stare out from the face of a young woman, her left eye a rich emerald green, the right a vivid, sapphire blue. Thick, dark hair is worn down, loosely curled ringlets tumbling across her shoulders and down to a point just above the middle of her back. Her smooth, fair skin is flawless in nature, her face rarely holding more than a touch of emotion to it. The woman's upper body is clad in a loose blouse of white, the collar and design framing her in an almost architechtural way, creating an elegant and sophisticated look. The blouse is tucked into a pair of black designer pants that are tailored to fit her curves and simplistic in nature, meant to accentuate the elegant blouse through contrast. About the waist of the pants is a belt of fine leather with a silver buckle, square in shape and small as to not detract from her overall look. On her feet are black leather sandals with a thick sole and a thick, high heel, showing off her crimson-painted toenails and a silver toe ring around the second toe on her left foot. Around her wrists are thin ropes of silver, two rings of the same metal on her right hand, ring and middle fingers respectively. On the fourth finger of her left hand, she wears a diamond ring. Her fingernails are painted crimson and are of a functional length, manicured professionally. She wears a pair of silver hoops in her ears. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Diamond Engagement Ring "Uh... Gav, ma'am, Gavril Turlon," the man in the trenchcoat answers, in his tenor warble. A hand is tentatively extended, to take and shake the one proferred, his grasp seeming as uncertain as his voice. But he gives another shy little grin and adds boyishly, "I always did like swoops." Having had her coat and gloves removed to place where they will be out of the way, Kart begins to weave her way through the crowd and towards the bar. Piper's smile is bright and shining, much like the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand as it's wrapped around a glass of champagne. "They're fun, aren't they?" she begins as she looks upwards to the holorace going on up on the mirrors of the second floor, "You should come down to the arena and try out for the team sometime, if you're interested. We've got some openings." It's by no coincidence that occasionally, the race footage ends with a spectacular finish, and several racers in the winner's circle accepting tropheys and other awards of gratitude for achieving the highest ranks for the races they competed in. And it's also by no coincidence that each time, Simone Drake is the one at the top of the podium. Gav Turlon jams his hands into his coat pockets, now that he's shaken the hand of Simone Drake, and turns a guileless green-brown gaze up to the displays overhead. "Oh, I dunno..." He actually scuffs one boot toe along the floor, while going on, "I, uh, kinda played around with it when I was a kid, ma'am, but um, well, you know." He shrugs a bit. Kartijan arrives at the bar and requests a glass of Satori. Selektah makes his way over the bar, he orders a glass of wine and plops down, exhaustedly on a stool where he turns and watches the crowd with as much interest as he can muster. Piper's champagne is sipped from and with a smile that won't quit, to match her sales pitch, she says, "Hey, so did I; it doesn't take much to get back into it, look at me- haven't touched one of these things since I was 14, and within a few weeks of getting back into it, I'm winning left and right." "It... _does_ look awfully tempting," Turlon admits, looking apparently raptly up at the holodisplay. Every so often, his gaze absently wanders around the room, however, and flickers with apparent shyness over the figure of Ms. Drake, never lingering on her for more than a few moments. Kartijan sips at her wine, watching the races and occasionally looking thorugh the crowd as if hoping to see someone in particular. The comment by Gavril brings Piper to smile a little brighter, and she motions up to the screen, explaining to the man in a quiet, professional tone, "I didn't think I'd be able to get back into it as fast as I did, but it's one of those things you just never forget how to do, it stays with you, it's in your blood." It's all, of course, part of her continued sales pitch, but she makes it seem like idle conversation, something exciting he should consider, "I've got a couple of good machines squared away down in my garage at the Arena, that I haven't found riders for yet.. you really should come down and give it a shot." As an assurance, she grins and says, "Papers call me one of the best racers in the circuit. You'd be in good hands." Gavril_Turlon appears to hesitate... but then, that seems to be part of the man's habitual demeanor. "You're awful persuasive, Miz Drake," he allows, shoving a nervous hand back through his sandy hair. "But I-I-I'm just passin' through, you know?" Still, his green-brown eyes flick up towards the holodisplay, as if under temptation's sway. Piper takes the continuous glances to the display and the hesitation to mean she's already got the man hooked, and it's just a matter of reeling him in. "We get a lot of people like that, who come into town and check out the Arena, just to look around, catch a race as a spectator, see what's out there... the ones who've had the guts to come ask to ride something usually went home very happy people. Swoops are versatile machines, as I'm sure you remember from you childhood.. you can take 'em anywhere, do anything with 'em, they'll do it for you, if you know the right way to ask." Her smile is relentless, much like her approach tonight, "Anyway, I'm in the business of fun now, making this sport fun for other people. If you want, you could come down to the Arena, I'll let you ride something of mine, no strings attached." Piper's made a lot of sales this way, the technique seems to work for her, so she tries it on Gavril, hoping the streak of success holds up. Indeed, Gavril does seem rather overwhelmed by the unhesitant sales pitch, and in the face of Simone Drake's charming, relentless persuasion, he puts forth a wide-eyed, nostalgic sort of look. "It'd be awful nice to try out a swoop again," he murmurs, almost dreamily. With the party winding down, Piper's much more apt to take herself up on her own offer, and she decides to continue the aggressive approach, as it appears to be working. "We can go down there now, if you want. I can put you on something and let you get used to it all again, and have some fun with it. What do you say?" Her eyes, mismatched green and blue, are bright as her smile as she tries to get the net on the customer. Gavril_Turlon blurts, "I-I wouldn't want to take you away from your party, ma'am..." Morrison enters from West Blake Street. Morrison has arrived. Kartijan sitting at the bar. She sips at her wine, watching the races and occasionally looking through the crowd as if hoping to see someone in particular. Morrison walks through the door of Avalon enterprises. He removes his long overcoat and hands it to a waiter. He's alone pretty late. He walks through the crowd towards the bar looking for faces he has seen on vids. He needs a driver for his swoop. He walks up to the bar and orders a drink. Piper's smile shifts to a more comforting one, a consoling one, as Gavril seems to get a last minute case of cold feet, and she murmurs to him, "Come on, it'll be fun. Don't you miss getting on the back of one of those high-powered machines and just letting her loose, riding her for all she's worth? You haven't lived until you've taken one of these out on the beach and just let her out all the way." Selektah finishes his glass of wine and sets it on the bar, he stands gives a slight stretch and an inadvertant yawn and heads over to where Piper appears to be haggling.. "Hon, I'm going to excuse myself and go upstairs. I'm sorry, I've just had a long day and I'm exhausted." he says to Piper quietly with a weak smile. Gavril_Turlon's greenish-brown regard flicks uncertainly to Selektah, with the same sort of skittering glance he's been giving everybody else in the room since his arrival. Shy, this fellow. Or nervous. Or both. Piper turns to face Selektah just enough to where Gavril can't use the move as an oppertunity to slip away unnoticed, her attention remains on him enough to where that'd be difficult at best. To Sel, she lifts her left hand and places it on his upper arm, some concern in her eyes, and she murmurs to him, "Okay, Sel..", offering him a smile that tries to encourage a brighter one out of him, before she glances back to Gavril for his response. Gavril_Turlon murmurs sheepishly, "Well, I, uh, guess I could, just for tonight anyway..." Selektah nods a polite greeting/farewell to the strange, nervous man that's talking to Piper before heading off to the back room. Selektah heads back into the secluded office area. Selektah has left. Piper takes Gavril's sheepish response as a full affirmative yes and she glows with approval, "That's the ticket. Come on, I'll bring you down there and get you up on something fast, and we'll take 'em out to the beach for a romp." She looks as if she's ready to move towards the exit, but only if Gavril's willing and able to follow, she doesn't want to let the customer out of her sight for fear he'll feel ignored. "Y'think the weather's okay for it, ma'am?" comes Gav Turlon's unsure warble, even as he moves off shyly in her wake. "Oh, the snow, you mean?" Piper gets this question a lot. "I've raced mine out on the beach during snowstorms and she's none the worse for wear.. garage crews clean them up well after an outing like that, keep the weather from doing anything nasty to them. And we've got some spare racing suits you can borrow, if you wanna throw one on.. they help keep the cold from nipping at ya." She keeps walking towards the exit as she talks. A tentative, crooked smile makes itself visible in Gav Turlon's bearded visage as he falls into step beside the woman departing. "I'll, uh, give it a go..." Piper continues out of the party with Gavril, leaving the onhand Avalon staff to attend the remaining guests while she attends the needs of the potential customer following her out. Morrison mixes with the crowd, he is seen shakeing hands with a few people, mostly low class racers. Piper heads out through the main doors to West Blake Street. Piper has left. You head out the main doors and back out on West Blake Street. West Blake St. - Plaxton City Lined with meticulously groomed Vilinias Shade trees, Blake Street unrolls towards the coast. Park-style benches sit under the trees, making this area seem like an ongoing extension of Fountain Square. The Pula trees creeping from the beach have been allowed to occupy a few spots on the sidewalks, and a few buildings of prominence have disturbed the natural look of this district. Occupying the skyline to the north is 'The Oceanside', with its entertainment centers and resort-like hotel accomodations, topped with the famed Club Infinity. To the south, a new road has been cut through the thick forest of Vilinias trees. The night sky above is filled with puffy white clouds with snow falling quickly coating the area and forming drifts where it can collect. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Piper -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- valon leads to Main Showroom -- Avalon Enterprises. outh leads to Speedway Avenue - Plaxton City. est leads to Hideaway Beach - Plaxton City. orth leads to Entertainment Center - The Oceanside. ast leads to Fountain Square - Plaxton City. Morrison enters from the Avalon Enterprises complex. Morrison has arrived. Morrison walks towards Fountain Square. Morrison has left. Piper continues on through the lightly falling snow, chatting with Gavril all the way. "How long has it been since you've been up on one of these?" she asks. Out into the wintry night, Gavril Turlon strides with no perceptible change in his stance, though his green-brown gaze sweeps once up and down the street. It seems to take him a moment before he finally pipes, "'Bout twenty years, Miz Drake... give or take." Kartijan enters from the Avalon Enterprises complex. Kartijan has arrived. Piper hadn't taken the man to be quite that old.. maybe it's the facial hair; a lot of these younger guys grow it to 'look' older, when they're really not. She doesn't let on that she misjudged his age, though.. or at least, she tries not to, remarking, "That's not too bad... like I said, one you hop on one of these things, you never really forget how to do it." She continues on towards the south. Kartijan walks towards Fountain Square. Kartijan has left. Piper turns south, following Speedway Avenue. Piper has left. Turning south, you start down Speedway Avenue towards the Arena. Speedway Avenue - Plaxton City A long broad road running north/south with rolling green hills and evenly spaced trees on either side. In the distance to the south looms a massive structure towering above the horizon -- The Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Directly in front of the entrance to the arena, a quartet of flags bearing the insignia of the StarShield Corporation flutter in the wind. Surrounding the Arena is several hectares of pavement that make up the parking lot to accommodate the thousands of fans that come out on race day. Blue-uniformed soldiers are easily seen throughout this area, performing routine patrols at all hours. Commands: 'Sign' -- To see a direction sign 'Rules' -- To see a listing of laws pertaining to visitors. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Piper -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- Staging Gates leads to Staging Area -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. South leads to Main Mezzanine -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. North leads to West Blake St. - Plaxton City. "I, uh, hope so, ma'am... I was pretty good at it, before..." This is proferred from Gav Turlon in the sort of manner a small boy might proclaim that he can fasten his shoes. The night wind, laced with a hint of frost, whips across his short sandy hair, disheveling a bit for him. Piper continues on towards the Staging Area of the Arena, the entrance the pilots all tend to use, "That's good to hear.. maybe you can give me a bit of a challenge, hmm?" Her tone is friendly and lightly joking, though something in it's a bit serious. Piper enters the arena through the staging gates. Piper has left. You head through the staging gates. Staging Area -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena This is a large paved area open to the elements and surrounded by a towering chain-link fence complete with razor-wire. The area serves as the staging area for the Arena events, where racers and crews congregate, waiting their turn at the track. Several small buildings dot the landscape -- A pair of Repair and Upgrade shops and then the larger form of the Stable House. The Stable House being where riders that have a team or sponsor can house their swoop or congregate before a race etc. The Stable House is also where the racing commission keeps its offices. To the south are a pair of towering bay doors that serve as the entrance to the Raceway and to the North is a small access gate for riders and their teams to exit and enter the arena. There are a pair of StarShield Marines patrolling this area. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Piper => SWOOP: Mobquet Flare-S -- Mobquet 1 => Leaderboard -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- Staging Gate leads to Speedway Avenue - Plaxton City. Bay Doors leads to The Raceway -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Arch leads to Stable House -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Garage Doors leads to Avalon Garage -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. cTavish's leads to McTavish's Swoop Repair Shop -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Tunnel leads to Main Mezzanine -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Piper's path leads the two past the leaderboard as they head towards the Avalon Garage, walking through the snow. A pace behind his escort, and therefore temporarily out of immediate viewing range, Gavril Turlon grins a small lopsided grin within his beard, and the green-brown eyes that had been flicking a shy grin about Simone Drake's party glint momentarily. But the glint is gone as swiftly as it came, as the man heads with her towards the garage, announcing modestly in that slightly nervous, high warble of a voice, "Oh, I don't imagine that'll happen, ma'am..." Piper reaches the Avalon Garage and begins to head in through the doors, murmuring to the man as she starts to head in out of the lightly falling snow and into the warmer air of the swoop garage, "Here we are.." A waft of mechanical-fluid tainted air creeps up in the wake of the open door. Piper enters the Avalon Garage. Piper has left. You enter the Avalon Garage. Avalon Garage -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena Like any garage that services machinery, the smell of motor oil hangs sweetly in the air. The sounds of tools being used often mixes with the soft elevator music piped in through the ceiling. To the left of the entrance is a holographic sales display terminal, behind which is a row of neatly spaced and stored racing swoops in pristine condition. Across the room is a makeshift lounge with a few comfortable chairs, a couch, and a table for snacks. A small office in the back contains a desk and a holoterminal. The walls are painted blue, and in the center of the back wall is a large white set of wings with silver highlights, and a silver scrolled 'Avalon' across the center. < Type 'VIEW DISPLAY' for sales information. > -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => HoloTerm <08-25-95> -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Piper => SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury => SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity => SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Dragon of Darkness => SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Panthac => SWOOP: TaggeCo Air-2 -- May-Queen => Storage Racks for Swoops => Avalon Enterprises Repair/Upgrade Terminal -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- eam Lounge leads to Avalon/Privateers Lounge -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. ut leads to Staging Area -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Gav lets out a low whistle as he wanders into the garage in the wake of his companion, an initial glance going straight to the swoops before trailing diffidently all around the place... and coming back to settle on the swoops again. "Wow," he blurts. SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury This swoop before you is obviously built for one thing... Speed. Everything from it's custom high gloss, silver paint job. To it's precision crafted durasteel shielding screams maximum velocity. It's very sleek with black components, a black leather seat and black handlebar grips. There are two oval shaped cutouts on each side of the shielding. Each cut out is covered with a flat black grill-type plating, that has several hundred tiny holes cut into them so you can catch a glimpse of the huge, high chrome engine hiding behind them. The rest of the shielding is custom shaped and louvered to provide maximum aerodynamic effeciency. The only identifying mark on this swoop is --The Vornskr's Fury - M. Selektah-- stenciled in very small letters under the seat on both sides. The swoops's armor is in pristine condition. SWOOP: TaggeCo Air-2 -- May-Queen The swoop is painted dark blue with two thick, white stripes stretching from nose to tail up the center of her body. On either side of the back is the logo of Avalon Enterprises- a set of white wings with silver detailing, and the word 'Avalon' scrolled across the center circle in silver decorative script. Below the symbol are the silver words, 'May-Queen'. The swoops's armor is in pristine condition. "Yeah, I know," Piper responds with a smile, heading on into the garage and over towards where a few of the more torqued machines are resting peacefully out of the way. "I still think that every time I walk in here, and I've been at this for months." She wanders over towards where the Terminal Velocity is sitting side by side with another machine. He's interested, no doubt about that; Gav Turlon's eyes have taken on a sort of look you'd expect a boy to be wearing when presented with sleek, shining machinery. "What kind of speed can they make...?" Staring intently at the pair of machines he's been led to, he speaks with a voice that drops ever so slightly in timbre. Piper runs her fingers across the chasse of the Velocity and says, "The others are fair machines... with a good pilot, I've seen 'em put out two fifty.. three hundred SRU's out on the track total lap speed. These two, though.. are some of the few who push the envelope." She rests her hand lightly on the Velocity's handebars, "Set the track record on her several times over.. I think it's up to 542 SRU's. Also have the fastest individual section speed record on her, got her up to 88 SRU's through one pass on the track." SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity This swoop has been painted a sleek black, dark as the deepest regions of space and with a finish so pristine, it shines like wet paint. The only markings the racing vehicle bears are the number 21 and the words 'Terminal Velocity' scrolled in an elegant script. The lettering is silver, giving stark and dramatic contrast to the void-like black background. A thin silver racing stripe runs along the length of the machine with a twin that parallels it, making the design a double stripe with a similar stripe of black in the middle. The simplicity of the design seems to work well, giving it a very classy and sophisticated look. The swoops's armor is in pristine condition. Greenish, hazel eyes glitter again, momentarily... perhaps at the discussion of record breaking. Turlon takes a step towards the Velocity, as if almost magically drawn... before hastily backpedalling and shooting a glance off in a random direction, before settling it more or less in the direction of the allegedly 'lesser' machines. "Sounds... real impressive," he warbles. Piper motions to the other machine and says, "You can ride that one, if you want.." She motions to the swoop next to her, blue and silver in Avalon Enterprises colors with the word 'Avatar' scrolled on its chasse as it's name, "We've got her upgraded to the hilt, just like the Velocity here. Runs well. Fast as you wouldn't believe. We can bring 'em out north to the beach and give it a run, if you're still interested." Gavril Turlon gives the Avatar one of the steadiest looks he's given anything in Simone Drake's presence... and then proffers shyly, "Uh... sure, ma'am..." Piper motions over to the swoop in question, "You can hop on her if you want. Get a feel for her." She swings a leg up on the Velocity and sits back to give the man a chance to approach the swoop in question. Approach the Avatar Turlon does, slowly, tentatively, almost as if he's afraid the machine might rev into life without him. And he swings one long leg over the seat before settling down so gingerly one might think he expects the craft to explode any second now. But once he's in place, he seems to sit up a little straighter, though his hands hover uncertainly over the controls for a moment before closing a grip on the handlebars. A slight crooked smile curves his mouth. "Wow," he murmurs again. Piper's lips curve into a soft grin and she says, "Yeah, she's a nice machine. You can get the engine going and get a feel for how she runs, then we can bring 'em on out to the road to head on to the beach." She leaves the Velocity off for now, so that the purr of both engines going at once won't drown her out as much as just one would, in the event the man has questions or needs to speak with her before they bring the machines out to the beach. Gavril_Turlon flicks a sort of nostalgic, sheepish smile to his companion, his hands moving to power up the machine with a comfortable movement that doesn't quite jibe with his shy demeanor. Perhaps he's recollecting exactly what to do on this kind of craft, hmm? Piper is considerably put to ease by the way the man takes to the machine, hoping to herself he's better than that guy she had in here the other day who couldn't get her out of the lowest gear without nearly flipping it over on himself. Motioning towards the bay doors and raising her voice enough to speak over the sound of the engines, she says, "Once you leave the arena, it's just north up that road until you can't go north anymore, and the road should be on the left, leading down to the beach. You can follow me if you want." She then revs the Velocity's engine, the thrumming purr of the finely tuned, and very modified swoop humming along with the one beside it until she brings it up into a low gear and begins to guide it towards the door, checking behind her once to make sure the man's following. "Okay," Turlon warbles out, loudly and clearly enough to be heard over the Avatar's own building purr. "I guess I can keep up with ya, ma'am..." SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity exits the garage and heads out to the Staging Area. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity has left. You exit the Avalon Garage. Staging Area -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena(#7379RXtN) -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity(#6683QaeM) => SWOOP: Mobquet Flare-S -- Mobquet 1(#5503QXaeM) => Leaderboard(#8559n) -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- Staging Gate leads to Speedway Avenue - Plaxton City. Bay Doors leads to The Raceway -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Arch leads to Stable House -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Garage Doors leads to Avalon Garage -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. cTavish's leads to McTavish's Swoop Repair Shop -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. Tunnel leads to Main Mezzanine -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity rolls out of the Avalon Garage and slowly navigates towards the exit to the street. The pilot turns her head and checks up on the swoop behind her once or twice before shifting to rely on the sound of the other engine and its proximity to judge where the other pilot is. SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury is apparently not about to turn over under her pilot. She glides out in the Velocity's wake a few breaths behind, and securely in her seat, Gav Turlon rides as if he had last gotten on one of these things not very long ago at all. He flashes Piper a guileless smile, a brief glimmer of white in the midst of his beard. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity continues to head along north, the pilot smiling herself as the other rider seems to be enjoying his swooping. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity exits through the outer gate. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity has left. You depart through the staging gate. Speedway Avenue - Plaxton City(#7648Rt) Commands: 'Sign' -- To see a direction sign 'Rules' -- To see a listing of laws pertaining to visitors. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity(#6683QaeM) -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- Staging Gates leads to Staging Area -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. South leads to Main Mezzanine -- Black Krayt Swoop Arena. North leads to West Blake St. - Plaxton City. Gavril_Turlon, apparently, is indeed beginning to enjoy himself. As the two swoops set their course out into the streets, the Avatar takes on a bit of speed, making her pilot's hair whip about in the resultant breeze. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity is doing no less, her pilot's tresses dancing behind her in the wind as she heads north along Speedway Avenue, her speed moderate for navigating pedestrian traffic, enough to keep her no further from the other swoop as she was earlier. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity heads north. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity has left. You head along the road. West Blake St. - Plaxton City -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity(#6683QaeM) -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- valon leads to Main Showroom -- Avalon Enterprises. outh leads to Speedway Avenue - Plaxton City. est leads to Hideaway Beach - Plaxton City. orth leads to Entertainment Center - The Oceanside. ast leads to Fountain Square - Plaxton City. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity continues on down the road as hit curves and changes from Speedway Avenue to West Blake Street, heading more towards the left than the right as the road begins to draw to an end. Gavril_Turlon keeps his seat with ease as the Avatar skims along, his stance beginning to alter subtly... a relaxation of that tall frame of his, almost. Though he doesn't obviously shift position, something in the way he rides that swoop makes him seem more casual, more fluid, at ease. His gaze seems to sharpen too... though perhaps that's simply because he's paying attention to keeping from running into anyone on foot, or larger vehicles? SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity heads for the beach. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity has left. You head for the beach. Hideaway Beach - Plaxton City Surging whitecaps paint themselves onto the powderlike, white sands of this sliver of beachfront, tucked between the two massive bluffs that encircle Plaxton City. The waves have eaten into several places on the shore, forming rocky outcroppings and small coves, but one long strip is laden with pristine, whispy sand. A few Pula trees jut out, throwing their branches toward the tides. A few hundred meters from shore, a jagged pebble of an island stands defiantly in the surf, holding up an old, unused lighthouse. The night sky above is obcured with cloudy sending a gentle snow fall covering the area. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity(#6683QaeM) -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ighthouse leads to Lighthouse. ast leads to West Blake St. - Plaxton City. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity glides into the beach to find it deserted and lit by only the moon above, for the most part, lampposts found along the entryway soon giving way to open, unhindered space and patches of darkness where trees by the easternmost border obscure the moonlight from above. She brings the swoop down to a hovering gear and calls out to the man while gesturing, "We usually let them out down the straightaway, then once some speed is picked up, get into the brush and some of the surf." She then revs the engine once, and as it slowly timbers down, she watches to see if he's ready. Gavril_Turlon calls out, "I guess I can handle that, ma'am..." His craft, too, skims in to a hover, and he stares off intently into the vista of beach and moonlight and shadow before him. A hand dips into a pocket in his long tan overcoat, and produces, of all things, a pair of flight gloves. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity idles in place, engine dying to be let loose on this open terrain, but the pilot keeps her in hover until the other pilot is ready to begin. She guides her swoop up to where the nose of each craft is as even as one can eyeball, and she motions out loosely with a finger in the shape of a long teardrop out towards the beach, giving him a general idea of the path the race is going to take, then once he's ready, she revs the engine, begins a countdown on her fingers starting from five, four, three.. at two, she lets him keep counting in his head to the rhythm she set forth and puts both hands on the handgrips, then at zero, she guns the engine and pushes the swoop off across the snow covered sand. Gavril_Turlon seems to get the idea readily enough, for he nods his now thoroughly tousled head once, gloved hands settling back into place on the controls... and revving them once, making the skimmer he rides growl restlessly, like a just barely caged beast. And however shy a fellow he might have been when he wandered into the showroom not long ago, he appears to have bonded swiftly with the craft, for it and he fire off into motion at the same time the Velocity and her pilot do. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity leaps off down the obstacle-free straightaway of the flat beach, gunning the engine up with a loud rev and a roar. (Difficulty: 10) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity gets a great start, heading with due speed down the length of the beach. SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 19 16 Gavril_Turlon leans in low over the Avatar's controls, beginning to build a serious amount of speed -- though he lags behind the Velocity, regardless. From the look of the man, though, this isn't bothering him, not yet. That seemingly habitual shy look of his has given over to a sharp, intense hazel stare as he steadily pours on speed to the Avatar's engines. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity is ahead by a decent clip and veers towards an area of light brush as the swoops continue on their high speed venture, the wind picking up and giving the racers something they have to work against as they edge through the obstacle at hand. (Difficulty 15) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 11 26 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 11 26 Gavril_Turlon, slowly but surely, is gaining. And as long as the Velocity is ahead of him, her pilot's gaze away from his face, Gavril Turlon grins an entirely non-shy, devilish grin, a light of challenge sparking those previously puppydog eyes under the sandy locks now tumbled along his brow, turning him seemingly into an entirely different man. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity remains out in the lead as the swoops glide through the brush with no difficulty whatsoever, and with the sound of the engines of the swoop behind her growing ever so slightly closer, she follows the path of the beach over into the surf, waves breaking against some craggy rocks along the shoreline and causing for a fairly difficult obstacle, if one's not careful where they put their swoop every second of the race. (Difficulty 20) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 11 26 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury under her pilot's hands almost seems to dance as much as fly. Inexorably, he works at closing the gap, the engine of his craft pouring forth its growling cadences. And the man who calls himself Gav Turlon is evidently enjoying every minute of it, never mind that this craft is bound to an atmosphere and he is swooping along a beach rather than through a field of stars. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity opens the throttle and heads into another area speckled with brush, the wind gusting up again to provide something that has to be worked against rather than with. (Difficulty 15). SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity and the Avatar continue to plunge across the snow covered sand of the beach, the Avatar gaining on the Velocity all the while. The swoops dip back out towards the surf again, this time the rocks not present to cause the spray of crashing waves to cause a disruption to the path taken, but enough to make it mildly difficult to navigate without the rolling water below and the wind driving in the tide causing the swoop problems. (Difficulty 15) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity is bogged down by a gust of wind that gives her opponent the edge he needs to use his piloting skills to move himself out in the lead by about two swoop lengths. The Velocity's pilot doesn't give up easily, though- and as the swoops head back out on the open straightaway, she pushes the swoop hard and lets it all the way out in hopes of catching back up and regaining her lead. (Difficulty 10) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury roars, at last, ahead of the other swoop, taking wing under her pilot's hands. Never mind the wintry gusts stirred up by the race and chilling where they strike your unprotected face... never mind, even, that Gav Turlon's overcoat's long back end is now flapping wildly behind him, making visible the gold stripes down either side of his pants... and a flash of something riding on his right thigh, though he swings the craft swiftly off to hide his right side from easy view. SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity is continued to be pushed hard by her pilot, the racing woman relentless in her persuit of her lead once again. As the straightaway nears the end of the beach in this direction, as bordered by a large rock face that stretches up to the sky, the swoops are brought around in an arcing curve to ride along the craggy rock's surface nearly on their sides as they move across the face of the rock wall as if it were the ground itself. (Difficulty 20) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 The two swoops' engines shrieking in discordant harmony now, the Avatar surges along neck and neck with the Velocity... and the transformation of the Avatar's pilot from unassuming man in a long tan coat to unhesitant racer is complete. His lanky frame shifts fluidly with every motion his craft makes to let him keep his seat -- and the slightest motion from him sends the vehicle roaring into an altered trajectory, narrowly missing... and sometimes deliberately skimming near... obstacles in her path. SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity closes the gap to just shy of a swoop's length as the racers come off the rock face and head out along the brush filled outer edge of the beach, nearest the city rather than the waters beyond. With this trajectory, the swoops are on their way home, still quite some distance from the finish area where they started, but this puts them on the first of two 'home stretches' they must complete before the finish line is crossed. (Difficulty: 15) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity nears the final leg of the race- the swoops swing out onto the straight beach path and have only to close the remaining open distance in order to cross the finish line. With the Avatar ahead by two swoops lengths, the Velocity makes a last ditch effort to try and close the distance and get out ahead while she still can, pushing the swoop as hard as she can, trying to squeeze every last ounce of power out of her vehicle. (Diff 10) SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 Gavril_Turlon's bearded visage, out of his opponent's immediate line of sight, is now the very image of a man who means business -- though his hazel eyes are afire with an undeniable fierce excitement, as the Avatar holds her lead under his manipulations. And, bent on not only holding that lead but leaving the woman he's racing inhaling his exhaust fumes, the man calling himself Turlon milks his borrowed craft's engines for every ounce of power they're worth. SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury shifts gears and provides: Manuvering Velocity 3 39 SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity tries, to no avail, to catch the lead swoop as her efforts to catch up provide a grace and ease of handling that can't be matched, but no power to kick in behind it and allow it to make a difference as the other swoop digs in and pulls away with a tremendous push. After the finsh line area is crossed, Piper brings the swoop back down to a managable speed and brings it over to where the man has located himself post-victory. SWOOP: Skyreaver X2 -- Vornskr's Fury lands, her engine settling down into a lower-pitched growl as she hovers. The man astride her plasters on a bemused, boyish smile when Piper and her craft catch up with him; shoving a gloved hand through his thoroughly disheveled hair and not doing a thing to straighten it out, he pipes out, "Wow, huh?" SWOOP: Oblivion Skyrazor -- Terminal Velocity purrs in idle mode and her pilot, despite having lost the race in a considerable last minute upset that turned a two length lead into a considerably larger one, is smiling from ear to ear, thinking to herself, _Wow, indeed, I've got to get this guy signed to the team._ "Great race," she remarks to the man, "You really have a way with her." Gavril_Turlon might be blushing, but then again, with that beard and his now wind-flushed, cold-reddened features, it's hard to tell. He does, however, proclaim modestly, "Aww, well, I guess you just do get right back into it, huh...?" "Told you," Piper replies with a smirk of a smile, adding shortly thereafter, "She's without a rider right now, if you're interested in perhaps, playing with her on the track during the racing season. You suit her well- you could probably come into quite a bit of money as time rolls by, from purse winnings." Gavril_Turlon glances down at the idling craft upon which he sits, and with his head tilted at that angle, it makes his expression difficult to catch. "I don't... really think so, ma'am, though the offer's awful tempting..." he hedges in that warbling tenor. "Well," Piper begins, trying not to let go of this so easily, "If you're not interested in competition, but just want to have a little fun every once in a while.. I've got some stock models for sale pretty cheap. They travel well- I load mine up in the cargo bay and bring it with me most places I go offworld, just to have it around should I need it. They come in quite handy." Gavril_Turlon, listening to this, strokes a gloved palm along the Avatar's controls in an almost tender, respectful sort of touch, a shadow of a crooked grin hiding somewhere in his beard. "I... could maybe think about that, ma'am... I got a ship that could carry one of these sweethearts, after all." Odd; is his voice going lower? As he speaks, he sits up a little on the craft, not quite looking at his companion. And he goes on, "But I can't stay for the season." Piper, for the briefest of moments, gives the man on the Avatar a curious look.. something about him's familiar. She shrugs it off, though- blames it on the adrenaline wearing off after the race wreaking havoc on her attention span. "It's a shame, we could use another talented pilot out on the track to shake things up every once in a while. But I know how that goes. If you're interested in picking up something to take with you when you take off, I can show you what we've got available, back at the shop. You could look it over, take a while to think on it, whatever you'd like, and just stop by the shop if you decide you'd like to make a purchase." [To be continued...]