Race

“And there’s Feran Andoal through the seventeenth ring to cap off a truly dominant weekend with the win.”

“He’s been in a class of his own since Friday.”

“He has indeed. And winning three out of the first five races, you’d have to say the smart money’s on Feran for the title already, right?”

“Long way to go yet, Sam. Niki Coro comes round now to finish second, that puts zir only six points behind in the championship.”

“True, and with Lyonne Ertku following zir to get his first podium of the year, by my count that’s going to put Lautern ahead of Royal Hermeia in the teams competition, second only to Temisia.”

“Heck of a year we’ve got on our hands here, Sam.”

“Indeed. Gerald Ipemas comes in fourth for Temisia, we haven’t said a lot about him this weekend but Feran will by buying him a drink later I’m sure for keeping the Royal Hermeia riders behind him, Arden Markwe in fifth and Lucia Aelschu, it has to be said, a pretty distant sixth. Is it possible that Olympia’s still suffering a bit from that wild move two weeks ago?”

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“They haven’t posted any injury announcement, so it’d better be very minor if there is anything.”

“Maybe just confidence, then?”

“Could be, Lucia went home with head bowed last time. It’ll do her good to take some quiet points and come back stronger next time.”

“Let’s hope so, it worries me to see Feran streaking off into the distance while Lucia struggles. And here comes – look! Idrin Felvan’s still holding off Queru Idcoulh for seventh, is Anelace going to have the strength… yes, Felvan across in seventh, Idcoulh rounds out the points in eighth.”

“Good work from Felvan, gets another couple of points on the board for Phaestia and keeps them in touch with Augir.”

“Yes, that could be very important for them later in the season. And there’s Teda Nioli, ninth, and Sam Muiko bringing Pil through for a very creditable tenth.”

“I really thought Soot would catch Pil these last few laps.”

“If their pace at the last race was anything to go on, you’d have had to have said it was a done deal, but Phoebe’s not just finishing outside the points but outside the top ten for the first time since entering the Imperial League.”

“Tenebrae just got everything wrong again, and this time Soot couldn’t save them.”

“Indeed, it was a bit of a shambles. What do you think, pressure to live up to the win last time?”

“Well, we know there are some big changes happening within the team, new sponsors, probably some new equipment, maybe some new personnel, and I don’t know how Phoebe’s taking to all the attention.”

“Will all that disappear with this result?”

“Get worse, if anything. But Soot’s a hell of a dragon and Phoebe’s tough.”

“You think they’ll come back swinging?”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll do.”