Chapter Text
The next day, everyone goes to the race. Kaydel washes and feeds her Fathier. Next to her is Choke, a Rodian who has won nine Fathier races in a row.
"A Resistance Member? And you are the one who captured Vanto, right?"
"Yes, I am Kaydel Ko Connix."
Choke chuckles at the name. "I am Choke. I have plenty of trophies because of Fathier races. After I beat you, I will show them to you and ask for an autograph."
"I didn't fight for the publicity. Like everyone else. My friends of the Resistance will watch from here. All of them. Even though one of them doesn't like the races because of animal abuse."
"Animal abuse? I was a champion in Cantonica. There WAS animal abuse, and a very bad one. I knew everything about it. When Canto Bight was burnt to the ground, I lost the job I was loved for. Thankfully, the Senate started these races. Without the abuse."
"And you did nothing to stop it?"
"Money first, animals later."
"If I beat you, I will make you rethink about it!"
"If."
And the race starts. "KAYDEL! KAYDEL! KAYDEL!" Rey and the others scream as one person. But Kaydel isn't the only one with fans. "CHOKE! CHOKE! GO FOR TEN!"
"YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN, DYNA!" "CRUSH THEM, RHIL!"
Poe sees Kaydel being only seventh of the thirty racers. Choke is leading with a long distance from the second racer. Dameron changes his encouraging words.
"Rise! Resist! REVOLUTION!"
Everybody looks at Poe. "Isn't this the battlecry of the Resistance?"
Yes, and Kaydel's morale increases tenfold. She accelerates and soon she reaches Dyna, the third racer. She manages to pass her just as they enter the last lap.
Rhil is next. He goes in front of her, but she still passes him. She goes closer and closer to Choke. Will she pass him?
No! She loses for thirty seconds!
And Choke loses no time to brag. "Yes, baby! YES! I beat a Resistance officer! I got ten victories! I am the best of the best!"
Kaydel doesn't have many emotions. "Well, that was fun!"
Rhil leaves a sigh of relief. "Phew! I still get a small trophy."
Dyna curses. "I will get a trophy next time. I will!"
Later, Kaydel sees Choke's trophy collection. "This is Mia, this is Natasha, this is Phasma and the new one is... hmm, found it! Lyra!"
"Except for Phasma, the others are good names."
"I understand. But said Captain funded that race."
"I didn't know she liked races."
"Me neither. Either she had a soft spot or she wanted to see animals suffer."
"Or she paid a First Order contact."
"Tell me, would you ever kill an animal?"
"Only if it helps me survive. Not for my enjoyment."
"Fair enough. The same reason you have killed Stormtroopers, right?"
"Obviously."
"You look very good tonight. Want to jump on this bed?"
"No."
"Ok. No problem."
Kaydel leaves after saluting the winner of the race.
She finds the others playing a drinking game. Scavenger from a desert vs former child soldier. No contest.
"Well done, Finn! You lasted four whole glasses!"
"Well, he still lost."
"Rey, the contest was just unfair. Nobody beats you at drinking!"
After a bit, Finn recovers. "Did I win?"
"No. But you still did well against all odds. While Rey won in a match in her favor." Poe remarks.
Connix challenges Poe in a game of Holochess. "Fair game. Officer vs officer. May the best woman win."
"I am no woman."
"I know."
The two are both quite skilled. Even though Poe is a very competent General, he gets trapped early in the game, always having only one option to evade checkmate.
Kaydel has learned a lot fighting Thrawn's robotic chess pieces inside the Chimera. But this proves to negate her advantage when she puts the King in the offensive.
In Thrawn's trap, the King was the strongest piece. Not in real Holochess. So putting the King in the offensive is a horrible idea.
"Crap. I forgot my King can't fire rockets here."
And soon Poe manages to turn the tables, but Kaydel corrects her mistake and manages to form a good defence, even though she loses her Queen.
So does Poe when he sees a quick and risky opportunity. A Rook saved Kaydel's King in time. In the end, Poe stalemates Kaydel by blocking all the ways of her King but not being a direct threat.
Kaydel has a dirty trick. She has to win something today. "We play 'yes' or 'no'. Anybody who says yes or no loses. Are you all in?"
"Yes!" everyone replies.
"You all lost."
Everybody laughs.
Then Jessika puts on the news. Suralinda announces that in one month there will be a podracing tournament to celebrate the victory of the Resistance and restoration of the Republic.
Poe rubs his hands. "Finally! A chance for the pilots to shine! I can beat all of you with my eyes closed!"
"Even me?" Jessika asks.
"Not with my eyes closed, but still easily."
"Classic Poe. Are you good with your cock as you are good in the cockpit?"
"You know that very well."
"Hey, we can still hear you!" Snap interrupts.
Both Poe and Jessika blush.
"Hey, Snap, where's Kare'?" Finn asks.
"Sick. But it's not something that bad. I should be with her, but she said she can do it by herself."
Snap, starting to worry about his wife, leaves after hugging literally everybody. Kaydel wants another victory. "I challenge Finn to a shooting match."
"Are you nuts? He can beat you even drunk!"
"Let's find out!"
And Kaydel learns why she should never get too cocky.
"Nice try, Connix!"
"Thanks!" Kaydel replies.
"Poe, how did you know that I would win?"
"You saved the Galaxy with a single blaster bolt!"
"That's true..."
But someone is watching them from somewhere. "... for now. I can wait until the festival. Let them be happy. Let them forget. Let them rebuild. It will be sweeter when I turn all of them to dust."
"I am proud of you, my liege! You really are a monster."
"Monster? I am no monster. I AM A GOD."