Whispers of a space race had been circulating around Andi ever since the Vulture had gotten back from their "vacation" on Mahoroba, if you could even call it a vacation. Parts of it had been relaxing, and parts of it she had really enjoyed, but she had known what the overall tone was of the visit and she hadn't liked that. She hadn't liked that tensions between Elora and Prior had only gotten worse. She hadn't liked that Elora felt the need to jump a shuttle back to Terminus ahead of everyone, though she definitely didn't blame her. If Andi had had to go through what she had gone through, she wouldn't want to be in such a toxic setting either.

If she were being completely honest, Andi was happy to be back on Terminus. At least this was a brand of crazy she was familiar with. The hustle and bustle of station life was soothing somehow and she didn't question how. She'd just gotten used to it over the past year and she was finding comfort in routine. That was only slightly unnerving to her.

Maybe a race was just what she needed to spice things up? Sure Vash would likely be entering as well, but she was over their teenage fight wasn't she? She didn't need to prove herself against him anymore.

But she couldn't help the small part of her that was itching for a rematch.

She found herself daydreaming about it as she sat with her cat in her lap outside of Felicette. Orion still had friends at the cafe and Andi brought him to see them every so often. He had grown tired of playing with them, however, and was sleeping soundly in her lap while she stroked his long smokey fur absentmindedly, her other hand wrapped around her coffee mug as she lost herself in her thoughts.

"Excuse me? Excuse me? Are you Andromeda Vera Foster?"

The voice managed to break through the fuzz that was Andi's thought and she blinked a few times as she looked at her blankly.

"Huh? Oh... yes," she answered, finally catching up to what the person had actually asked her. "Yeah, that's me. Can I help you?"

After her eyes adjusted from staring off into space, Andi finally started noticing things about this person - woman - who called her by her full name. No one had used her middle name since her racing days on Antillia and it made her slightly nervous. The woman appeared tall but that could have been because of the four inch heels she was wearing. She wore a fitted light gray pant suit and her blonde hair was brushed back into a tight sock bun. She had a soft, friendly expression but the twinkle in her eyes didn't set well with Andi for some reason.

The woman reached her hand out to Andi in greeting, rolling her shoulders lightly so that she stood just a hair taller. "My name is Miranda Everly and I'm in need of a pilot," she said simply.

Andi looked at her hand for a moment before reaching out and returning the gesture slowly. A name and a quest didn't tell her much of what she wanted to know, but she played along anyway.

"It's nice to meet you, but I'm not looking for a new ship," Andi told her, taking her hand back when the other woman let go of it and placing it on Orion's head. He had begun to purr loudly, demanding that Andi return to the massage she had been giving him.

Miranda crossed in front of Andi and sat in the chair across the small round table from her. Sure, you can sit, thanks for asking, Andi thought to herself as she watched Miranda make herself comfortable.

"I only need you for the upcoming race," Miranda explained, shaking her head lightly. "You've heard about it, I assume?"

Oh yeah. Andi had heard of it.

"In short, yes," she answered, picking up her mug and taking a sip of her coffee. It had cooled off considerably since she got it and she grimaced slightly. Whenever this lady left she'd have to ask for a refresh.

A smile broke out over Miranda's face. She was completely oblivious to Andi's disinterest in the race, or else she played it off very well. "Good. I have an A-Class Dragonfly I want you to pilot-"

Andi nearly spit out her coffee at that. "Dragonfly?" she asked, adding as much emphasis to the word as she could. Even when she'd been racing on Antillia, she hadn't had a ship that nice. Dragonflies were top of the line. They flew quick and they moved through crowds of ships even quicker. Designed after the dragonfly insect from Earth, they lived up to their expectations but were extremely tempermental on the controls as well.

"Yes, a Dragonfly. I wanted the best pilot for the race and my search turned up two names, you and Vash Keler," she started.

At Vash's name, Andi let out a loud cackle and shook her head. "Lemme guess, he's already got a sponsor?" Miranda ignored the interruption and kept going.

"But upon further investigation, I don't think Keler is the right fit for my ship. And so here we are."

Andi took another sip of her coffee despite detesting how cold it was. Setting her mug back down, she kept her gaze on it as she considered what the other woman had just told her. "Why isn't he the right fit?" she asked, not bringing her eyes up to Miranda. There had to be a catch here.

"His scores on the Academy simulators were outstanding, but he didn't complete his education. You did," Miranda answered matter-of-factly. Andi flicked her eyes up to Miranda just in time to see the woman shrug simply. "I need someone disciplned behind those controls. I'm sure you know how touchy Dragonflies can be. She was my father's pride and joy and I don't want to see her harmed."

Andi kept a quiet gaze on the woman sitting across from her, trying to figure out exactly what her gimmick was. Suddenly she wished she was able to read minds instead of just seeing memories through touch. After a moment of silence that Miranda didn't seem to mind at all (it honestly made her question whether or not this woman was human), Andi spoke again. "What do I get if I win?"

Miranda didn't hesitate in her reply. "You get to keep the Corvette, I have no need for it, and a half the purse. That's one mill-"

"Yeah, I know one million credits," Andi said, cutting her off a bit rudely. A million credits made the sixteen thousand she just made seem like chump change. "Is there compensation if I don't win?" she asked, quirking a brow slightly. In a ship like a Dragonfly, she'd have damn good odds against Vash, but on the off chance that she didn't win, she still needed to be paid for her time and talents.

"I'm willing to offer you two hundred and fifty thousand credits for your time." It seemed like Miranda had thought of everything with how she rattled back answers to all of Andi's questions.

That was a good bit of change as well and would definitely be worth the trouble of racing, but Andi was curious if she could get more. "Three hundred and fifty," she countered, lazily picking up her mug and tipping it back, swallowing the rest of the cold, bitter liquid in it. She didn't move her gaze from Miranda's as she drank and swallowed.

"Three," was the only reply Miranda made.

"Three twenty five."

This was the first time Miranda didn't fire back immediately. Instead, she let her gaze move over Andi noticeably until she reached her face again and she tilted her head to the side slightly. "Three twenty five," she agreed, reaching back out over the table to shake Andi's hand once more.

Setting the mug back down, Andi took Miranda's hand and shook it firmly. "Now where's this ship? I'm going to need to practice."