Qualifying

"Thirty seconds until the end of qualifying, Bob, who's going to make it round for one final flying lap?"

"Ertku won't, he's backed off already, look, Phosphora's just gliding over the lake. Feran's going again, Tenryuu's through to start hers and… looks like Lucia's just going to make it."

"She is, good grief, is that – wait, look, Feran's blown it over the ridge, Corredeira's way wide for the fourth ring."

"That means his last lap is the time to beat. 1:43.10."

"It's down to Phoebe and Lucia, then"

"Phoebe's already second, she's been risking it like crazy through the Shogun's Pocket all session, she doesn't need this."

"Can Lucia catch her? She's only a few tenths of a second off in third at the moment."

"She's flogging it pretty hard up the hill."

"Phoebe's just turning into the ravine now, there she goes, she's a couple of tenths down on Feran's time in the first sector, looks like- oh my GOD Soot goes over the waterfall like nothing I've ever seen, look at how his body twists into the steepest part of the dive."

"I don't like watching this, Sam."

"Look at the control, though! Look how sharp he can swing into the Shogun's Pocket, they're lighting up the timesheets now."

"Tokugawa's teeth! Look at the speed trap!"

"Good grief, that's the fastest anyone's flown through the Pocket… well, we have to say since modern records began, but realistically no-one went faster before that."

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"It's not going to be enough."

"What?"

"She's still a tenth off Andoal's pace, and look, Lucia's not so wild through the plunge but she's not down on time."

"Oh no, come on, Soot, put this one together."

"He's doing all he can, look, they're fast down to the Sentry. It is sweet to watch him weave through there, I'll give you that."

"Reminds you a bit of Feran when Corry was that young, right?"

"More than a bit. Here comes Olympia."

"Lord, they're up on Phoebe even with the second sector."

"This is something, even for Lucia."

"Out over the lake now, this corner is probably Phoebe's last chance to make up time, watch the way Soot just slides through the eleventh ring."

"Sets him up beautifully to go up the hill, he'll need that."

"Meanwhile Olympia taking the more classical line, look at that wing angle though, off they go."

"You know, it's a tribute to Phoebe that she forced Lucia to push this hard."

"I don't think she's going to be happy settling for that. Here she comes through the stadium, up to the first ring again… whew, 1:43.4, she was so close to Andoal's time."

"Lucia's faster."

"You're joking."

"Watch."

"What- that's sensational, Lucia Aelschu brings Olympia around in one minute, forty-three point three seconds, just beating out Phoebe Tenryuu and Soot for the front row opposite Feran Andoal. I don't know if Aelschu's ever lapped this course that fast before."

"A real champion's performance, she doesn't intend to let even an inch slip away to Andoal that she doesn't have to."

"Phoebe's going to be devastated."

"She's got a lot of years to make amends, that's a third place any rookie would envy."

"What?" Phoebe could barely hold her voice. She could feel the ragged edge of Soot's strength, he'd given everything for that lap.

"Aelschu did a forty-three three. I'm sorry." Petunia's voice was so quiet it should have been swallowed by the wind, but the earphone was too cruelly faithful. "We're starting third."

"No!" The word ripped out of Phoebe's throat with a full-on convulsion. Soot wavered in his tired circle back to the pits, trying to read a signal in the shift of Phoebe's weight that just wasn't there. Phoebe let herself slack against his neck, cheek to the heat of his scales. He knew the way back to his stable, she could close her eyes for a second.

There was no way Olympia could hold a candle to Soot in the race, she could take Lucia in the first couple of laps. But every second she was in third was a second she wasn't troubling Feran for first, and she might never catch him from this start. And if she couldn't win here…