[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/nODm5rf.png[/img][/center][color=turquoise]"Well, it seems like I got a bit of a slow start,"[/color] Lydia said to herself as she noticed that she ended up being one of the last to leave the starting line. It would be a long way to reach the first place, but since the other competitors were mostly busy engaging one another, Lydia thought that she could slip by undetected and recover some of the lost time, at least for a while.

With a plan in mind, Lydia zoomed forward, putting all the power of her ship in the engines and shields, trying to go as fast as she could while playing it safe for the time being. It wouldn't be easy. On the other hand, Lydia had the cheers of much of the public on her side. A race was as much about popularity as it was about skills and equipment. And if there was a thing the public loved was an underdog.

If only Lydia could capitalize on it and get some special boosts during the race, she could turn the tables. But first, she had to get through the first obstacle in her way, that being none other than Aurora.

Now was the time to see which machine had the best legs between the two of them.[hr]