The Boonta Eve Classic was more than a race — it was a celebration of chaos.
Over a hundred thousand spectators filled the desert arena carved into the cliffside. Stands overflowed with gamblers, locals, off-worlders, crime lords, and smugglers. Flags flapped in the wind, music thumped from junkyard speaker towers, and announcers bellowed across the dunes in multiple languages.
Kael Solaris stood in the shadows of a vendor's tower, draped in a sand-stained cloak, eyes fixed on the starting grid. His stealth armor glinted faintly beneath the folds, and his magnetic rifle was slung low beneath a false mechanics bag. Ghost stood motionless at his side, wearing an armored desert poncho and a helmet that completely masked his Spartan profile.
[ Objective: Monitor Boonta Eve Classic – High Risk Timeline Node ]Threat: Darth Maul (Sith Infiltration – Confirmed Presence)Key Variables: Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé AmidalaSuggested Action: Maintain concealment unless hostile threat is confirmed
Kael had set motion sensors across the canyon walls earlier that morning, placed by Ghost during a "systems check" routine. They would detect any non-standard movement — especially cloaked probe droids or stealth infiltrators. Maul might be a ghost, but Kael was a shadow, too.
"Status?" Kael whispered.
Ghost's voice was a low murmur. "Maul sighted on upper ridge moments ago. Still observing. No contact made. Two Sith probes holding formation on southwest wall."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Keep an eye on him. The moment he moves, we react."
On the track, Anakin Skywalker sat inside his cobbled-together podracer, adjusting the throttle regulators like he'd done a hundred times in his dreams. His heart pounded, not just from nerves — but because something felt off.
He looked into the stands and caught a glimpse of Kael's silver eyes watching him from the shadows.
Anakin didn't know why, but it made him feel better.
The flag dropped.
The engines screamed.
The Boonta Eve Classic had begun.
Pods shot forward like thunderbolts, turbines howling through the canyon pass. The crowd erupted in cheers, laughter, and roars. Gamblers shouted over each other. Drinks spilled. Children screamed.
Kael didn't move. His eyes were on the ridgelines.
He watched the podracers blur past checkpoints and loop around treacherous rock formations. Two racers exploded before the halfway mark. Sebulba's pod clipped another into a wall, laughing as he soared forward.
Anakin was in tenth place.
Ninth.
Seventh.
Kael let himself smile faintly. "That's it, kid."
Then it hit him — a tremor in the Force. Subtle, but intentional.
[ MercNet Alert: Sith Movement Detected – Target: Padmé Amidala ]Estimated Engagement in 42 SecondsSource: Darth Maul – Proximity Cloak Disabled for 6 Seconds
Kael's mind snapped into focus.
"Ghost — Maul's making a move."
"Confirmed. Probe signals flaring. I have visual. He's moving along the third-tier walkway."
Kael's eyes flicked across the seating rows.
Padmé was near the upper edge of the dignitary platform, surrounded by handmaidens and Captain Panaka. Qui-Gon stood near her, but had his attention split between Anakin and the race.
Maul had chosen his moment well.
"Set intercept path," Kael said. "No weapons unless he engages first. We are not giving ourselves away until we have to."
Ghost's voice was ice. "Understood."
On the third-tier walkway, Maul moved like death.
He was fully cloaked, his footsteps silent. A single probe droid hovered behind him, projecting a sonic field to dampen his presence. He was within 30 meters of the Naboo entourage. One more turn. One more—
Then something changed.
A flash of red light.
His probe droid sparked and dropped, its emitter fried.
He turned instantly — and saw nothing.
Just the whisper of wind.
Then a blur dropped behind him.
Kael's elbow slammed into Maul's back, disrupting his balance. The Sith twisted mid-air, lashing out with a spinning kick, but Kael had already used Shadowstep, blinking five meters back.
[ Engagement Initiated: Darth Maul – Status: Aggravated ]Recommended Action: Delay, Not DestroyBonus Objective: Prevent Padmé Amidala From Seeing Sith Presence (Timeline Preservation)
Maul ignited one end of his lightsaber — not both.
Kael smirked.
"He's holding back. He wants information."
Behind Maul, Ghost dropped from a hidden crawlspace and opened fire — not to kill, but to suppress. Each EMP burst hit the wall near Maul's feet, forcing him to leap back.
Maul's yellow eyes locked on Kael.
He didn't speak.
Kael didn't either.
Then the Sith deactivated his saber, hissed something in ancient Zabraki, and vanished over the edge of the walkway.
Ghost moved to pursue, but Kael held out a hand. "Let him go. We're not exposing everything here."
[ Combat Result: No Fatalities | Sith Presence Confirmed | Target Evaded ]Timeline Impact: PreservedReputation Gained: +10 (MercNet Internal Rating)Bonus Unlocked: +800 XP | 1 Skill Point | Padmé Favorability +2 (Unconscious Recognition)
Kael pulled his hood low and moved into the crowd.
The audience never noticed. They were screaming for the final lap.
Anakin's pod surged forward, a blur of sand and flame.
Sebulba tried to force him into the canyon wall — but Anakin twisted, drifted, and flipped, pulling ahead in a maneuver so absurd it looked accidental.
Kael felt the moment.
The Force moved through the boy like lightning.
He won. The crowd exploded.
Qui-Gon rushed toward the track.
Padmé stood and clapped, still catching her breath.
And Kael? He slipped away.
That night, Kael stood in his hangar, reviewing the data on Maul's attack.
[ Darth Maul Status: Retreated | Jedi Encounter: Pending ][ Upcoming Event: Jedi Negotiation for Anakin's Freedom – 12 Hours Remaining ][ New Optional Quest: Sabotage Maul's Departure | Objective: Place Tracker on Sith Speeder or Ship ]Reward: Unknown Artifact – Tier II
Kael rubbed his temples.
He'd officially entered the timeline.
He'd confronted a Sith Lord.
Protected a Queen.
And the Chosen One had seen him.
Ghost approached from the shadows. "You saved lives today. Without being seen."
Kael didn't look up. "It won't always be that easy."
"Nothing worth doing is."
Kael opened the system and pulled up the Summon Token countdown.
[ 12 Days Remaining ]Next Summon Tier: 1Potential Unlock: Tactical or Strategic Operative
"Next time," Kael said softly, "we bring in a mind."
Ghost nodded. "And if the Sith return?"
Kael looked toward the stars.
"Then we make them bleed."