Week 8: Champion's Corona

# Cosmic Coronation: The Final Showdown

The twin suns of Korax Prime had not yet breached the horizon when **Jet Masterson** bolted upright in his bunk, sweat beading on his forehead. The nightmare still clung to him like desert dust—Nero's SuperZok towering over a fallen Nova, the championship trophy slipping from his grasp, the mocking laughter of **Nero Saurex** echoing across the cosmic canyon.

"Just a dream," Jet muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

A soft chirp drew his attention to the foot of his bunk where **Nova** lay curled, her blue plates glowing softly in the pre-dawn darkness. The stegosaurus raised her head, sensing her partner's distress.

"I'm alright, girl," Jet assured her, reaching out to stroke her snout. "Today's the big day. Everything we've worked for."

As Nova nuzzled his palm, a metallic glint caught Jet's eye. There, sitting on his doorstep, was a small package wrapped in iridescent foil. Cautiously, he crossed the room and retrieved it, turning it over in his hands.

No note. No sender.

With trembling fingers, Jet unwrapped the package to reveal a sleek, chrome device no larger than his palm. Its surface pulsed with an eerie blue light, and tiny neural connectors protruded from its base—a neural augmentation amplifier, the kind that could boost Nova's natural abilities tenfold.

The kind that was strictly forbidden in tournament play.

Jet stared at the device, its blue glow reflecting in his eyes. With this, he could guarantee victory against Nero. With this, the championship would be theirs.

All it would cost was everything they truly stood for.

---

"You look like you've seen a ghost, kid," **Jett Novak** observed, leaning against the paddock fence. The legendary rider's weathered face creased with concern as he studied his protégé.

Jet glanced around to ensure they were alone before producing the device from his pocket. "Found this on my doorstep this morning."

Jett's eyes narrowed as he took the augmentor, turning it over in his calloused hands. "Nasty piece of work," he muttered. "Military grade. Illegal as they come."

"Who would leave it for me?"

"Got a few ideas," Jett replied, his gaze drifting toward the Marauders' compound across the field. "Question is, what are you gonna do with it?"

Jet ran a hand along Nova's flank, feeling the natural warmth radiating from her plates. "I don't know," he admitted. "Nero's SuperZok is going to be juiced to the gills. Everyone knows it, but no one can prove it."

"So that makes it right for you to cheat too?" Jett's voice carried no judgment, only curiosity.

"No, but—"

"Let me tell you something, Jet." Jett pocketed the device and placed a hand on the younger rider's shoulder. "I've been where you are. The night before my first championship final, I was offered an edge too."

"What did you do?"

A shadow passed over Jett's face. "I took it. Won by a landslide." He paused, his voice dropping. "Felt hollow as a dead star. That trophy gathered dust while I couldn't look my partner in the eye for months."

Nova chirped softly, pressing her head against Jet's side.

"You and Nova got here on grit, skill, and that bond that can't be manufactured," Jett continued. "Trust in that. It's stronger than any tech they can cook up."

As the first rays of dawn spilled over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of fire and gold, Jet felt a calm certainty settle over him. He reached out, taking back the device.

"I know exactly what I'm going to do with this," he said, a new resolve hardening his voice.

---

The championship arena buzzed with an electric energy as spectators from across the galaxy filled the stands. Holographic banners rippled in the artificial breeze, displaying the faces of the finalists—Jet Masterson and Nero Saurex—alongside their dinosaur partners.

In the competitors' paddock, **Landon Adams** adjusted the saddle on his **Plasma Pteranodon**, its wings crackling with barely contained energy. The Pteranodon's specialized bag tag glinted on its harness, marking it as the second-ranked competitor in the league.

"Nervous?" Landon asked as Jet led Nova into the adjacent stall.

"Focused," Jet replied, checking Nova's harness one last time.

Landon nodded toward the far end of the paddock where Nero was preparing his massive **SuperZok**, the dinosaur's body a grotesque patchwork of chrome plating and pulsing circuitry. "Word is his tech's untested. Pushing the limits of what's legal."

"Nothing new there," Jet said grimly.

"Just watch yourself out there. Something doesn't feel right."

Before Jet could respond, a hush fell over the paddock as a slender figure in a sleek black jumpsuit strode through the entrance. **Raven Blackwood** moved with the predatory grace of someone accustomed to commanding attention, her eyes scanning the competitors until they locked on Jet.

"Mr. Masterson," she said, her aristocratic drawl dripping with false warmth. "The rookie sensation. I've been watching your progress with great interest."

"Ms. Blackwood," Jet acknowledged stiffly. "Surprised to see you here. Thought you'd been banned from league events."

A cold smile played across Raven's lips. "I have friends in useful places. Did you receive my little gift?"

Jet's blood ran cold. "That was from you?"

"Consider it a test," Raven replied. "One that, I'm pleased to note, you appear to have passed." Her gaze flicked to Nova, assessing the dinosaur with clinical precision. "No neural signature of augmentation. Admirable restraint."

"Unlike some," Jet said pointedly, nodding toward Nero's SuperZok.

Raven's expression darkened. "Indeed. Nero's modifications have... exceeded my recommendations. I fear he may have crossed a line even I wouldn't dare approach."

Before Jet could press further, the announcement system crackled to life.

"Riders to the starting line. Championship final begins in five minutes."

Raven stepped back, her eyes never leaving Jet's. "Good luck, Mr. Masterson. You may need it more than you know."

---

"Ladies, gentlemen, and beings of all configurations," **Jett Novak's** voice boomed across the arena, "welcome to the championship final of the ElevateUT Showdown Series!"

The crowd roared as holographic displays lit up, showing the course in all its glory—eighteen holes of the most challenging disc golf terrain ever assembled. Cosmic canyons gave way to asteroid fields, while black hole bunkers threatened to swallow any disc that strayed too close.

"Today's match pits the rookie sensation, Jet Masterson and his stegosaurus partner Nova Brighteyes, against our reigning champion, Nero Saurex and the fearsome SuperZok!"

As the competitors rode onto the course, the contrast between them couldn't have been more stark. Jet sat tall in his saddle, his simple blue uniform emblazoned with the Nova Brigade insignia. Beside him, Nova moved with natural grace, her plates glowing with a soft, steady light.

Across from them, Nero cut an imposing figure in his black and red armor, his face partially obscured by a tactical visor. The SuperZok beneath him was a behemoth, its natural reptilian features almost completely hidden beneath layers of cybernetic enhancements. With each step, the ground trembled, and pulses of energy rippled across its augmented plates.

"First throw honors go to our champion," Jett announced. "Nero Saurex, you're up!"

Nero urged his mount forward, the SuperZok's movements unnaturally precise as it positioned itself on the tee pad. Drawing a disc from his bag, Nero activated something on his wrist control, causing the SuperZok's augmented plates to pulse with increasing intensity.

"Energy readings are off the charts," Jett commented, a note of concern in his voice. "That's pushing mighty close to regulation limits."

With a fluid motion that seemed too perfect to be natural, Nero launched his disc. The SuperZok's tail whipped forward at the exact moment of release, imparting additional velocity. The disc cut through the air like a laser, curving perfectly around the obstacle canyon and landing mere feet from the first basket.

The crowd gasped, then erupted in applause.

"An incredible opening throw from our champion!" Jett exclaimed. "Now, let's see how our rookie responds."

Jet guided Nova to the tee pad, taking a moment to center himself. He could feel the eyes of the galaxy upon him, the weight of expectation heavy on his shoulders. Nova chirped softly, sensing his tension.

"Together," Jet whispered, patting her flank.

Drawing his favorite disc—a worn Cosmic Driver with Nova's constellation etched into its surface—Jet took a deep breath. No augmentations, no shortcuts. Just skill, instinct, and trust.

With a fluid motion born of countless hours of practice, Jet released the disc. Nova moved in perfect synchronization, her tail creating a subtle updraft that carried the disc higher, allowing it to glide over the canyon. It landed just beyond Nero's, in a slightly better position.

"Would you look at that, folks!" Jett's voice rang with pride. "A textbook display of natural partnership! This championship is shaping up to be one for the history books!"

---

By the ninth hole, the match had become a showcase of contrasting philosophies. Nero's technologically-enhanced precision gave him a slight edge, but Jet and Nova's natural fluidity allowed them to adapt to the changing conditions of the course in ways the rigid programming of the SuperZok couldn't match.

As they approached the most difficult stretch of the course—the dreaded Asteroid Alley—the score stood at Nero leading by two strokes.

"Hole ten," Jett narrated, "perhaps the most challenging in the galaxy. Competitors must navigate their discs through a field of constantly moving asteroids to reach a basket suspended in the gravitational sweet spot between two competing black holes."

Nero went first, his disc glowing with an unnatural light as it left his hand. The SuperZok's tail lashed out, imparting a spin that allowed the disc to weave between the asteroids as if guided by an invisible hand.

"That's not natural," Landon muttered from the sidelines, his Plasma Pteranodon shifting restlessly beside him.

As the disc approached the basket, it suddenly veered off course, drawn toward one of the black holes. At the last moment, it corrected, dropping neatly into the chains.

The crowd's applause was tinged with uncertainty. Even the most casual observer could tell something wasn't right with the SuperZok's augmentations.

Jet stepped up to the tee, studying the asteroid field. The pattern was ever-changing, impossible to predict. This was where feel and instinct trumped programming.

As he prepared to throw, a deafening screech cut through the air. The SuperZok convulsed, its augmentation plates flashing erratically. Nero fought to control his mount, but the dinosaur bucked wildly, its tail whipping around in a deadly arc.

"Nova, watch out!" Jet cried, but it was too late.

The SuperZok's tail caught Nova in the side, sending her crashing to the ground with a pained cry. Jet was at her side in an instant, his heart pounding as he examined the injury. A deep gash ran along Nova's flank, blue blood seeping from between her natural plates.

"Medical team to the course!" Jett's voice rang out, all pretense of calm commentary abandoned.

As medics rushed forward, Nero struggled to regain control of the SuperZok. The dinosaur's augmentations were clearly malfunctioning, its movements becoming increasingly erratic.

"Shut it down, Nero!" Jet shouted. "Your tech is going haywire!"

"I can handle it!" Nero snarled, his fingers flying over his wrist controls. The SuperZok's movements became more controlled, but its augmentation plates continued to pulse with unstable energy.

The head medical officer approached Jet, her expression grim. "Your partner can continue, but she's injured. Her mobility will be compromised."

Jet's hand went to his pocket, where the neural amplifier still rested. With it, he could compensate for Nova's injury, perhaps even turn it to their advantage. No one would blame him, not after Nero's obvious violations.

As his fingers closed around the device, Nova chirped weakly, pressing her head against his chest. Their eyes met, and in that moment, Jet knew what he had to do.

"We'll continue," he told the medical officer. "No augmentations. Just us."

---

"An unprecedented turn of events, folks," Jett narrated as play resumed. "Following the SuperZok's malfunction and Nova's injury, Jet Masterson has elected to continue the match without seeking technological assistance. A bold move that speaks volumes about this young rider's character."

The crowd's support had shifted noticeably toward Jet and Nova. Even with her injury, the stegosaurus moved with a determined grace, compensating for her limited mobility with subtle adjustments to her stance and movements.

Nero, meanwhile, had managed to stabilize the SuperZok, but the dinosaur's augmentations continued to pulse erratically. As they approached the fourteenth hole—a narrow corridor flanked by swirling nebula gases that could knock discs off course—Nero's lead had shrunk to a single stroke.

"Something's wrong," Landon said, guiding his Plasma Pteranodon closer to Jett's announcer's platform. "Those augmentations are building to critical levels. If they blow—"

"It'll take out half the course," Jett finished grimly. "And anyone nearby."

On the tee pad, Nero's face was beaded with sweat as he struggled to maintain control. The SuperZok's augmentation plates were now pulsing so rapidly they appeared to be a solid glow, and a high-pitched whine emanated from its cybernetic components.

As Nero prepared to throw, a commotion erupted from the edge of the course. **Raven Blackwood** pushed past security, her face a mask of controlled panic.

"Nero, shut it down now!" she shouted. "The core is destabilizing!"

"Stay back!" Nero warned, his voice edged with desperation. "I'm in control!"

"No, you're not," Raven replied, her voice cutting through the tension. "You modified my designs. The safeguards are gone."

The SuperZok let out a bone-chilling roar, its body convulsing as surges of energy rippled across its augmented plates. Spectators began to flee as security droids moved in, attempting to establish a perimeter.

"We need to evacuate," Jett announced, his voice steady despite the chaos. "All spectators please proceed to the nearest exit in an orderly—"

His words were cut short as the SuperZok's primary augmentation core erupted in a blinding flash. A shockwave of energy rolled across the course, knocking riders and dinosaurs off their feet. The asteroid field projections glitched and failed, leaving real debris raining down on the arena.

Through the chaos, Jet saw a group of young spectators trapped beneath a fallen section of the viewing stand, directly in the path of the rampaging SuperZok.

"Nova!" he called, and without hesitation, the injured stegosaurus was at his side. Together they charged toward the children, Nova positioning her armored body as a shield.

"Landon, we need cover!" Jet shouted.

Without hesitation, Landon directed his Plasma Pteranodon forward. The flying dinosaur's wings crackled with energy as it soared overhead, creating a plasma shield that deflected the worst of the debris.

As they reached the trapped spectators, the SuperZok lurched toward them, its systems completely out of control. Nero had been thrown clear, watching in horror as his mount became a weapon of destruction.

"Get them clear!" Jet called to Landon. "We'll handle the SuperZok!"

"Are you crazy?" Landon shouted back, even as his Pteranodon began lifting children to safety. "That thing will tear you apart!"

Jet met Nova's gaze, seeing the same determination he felt reflected in her eyes. "Trust us," he said simply.

As the SuperZok charged, Jet reached into his bag and pulled out his championship disc—the one he'd been saving for the final hole. Designed to fly true even in the most chaotic conditions, it was his secret weapon.

"Ready, girl?" he whispered to Nova.

The stegosaurus tensed, then with a surge of strength that belied her injury, launched Jet into the air. At the apex of his jump, with perfect form honed through countless hours of practice, Jet released the disc.

It flew straight and true, striking the SuperZok's primary control node with pinpoint accuracy. The node shattered, and the dinosaur froze mid-charge, its augmentations powering down in a cascade of failing systems.

As Jet landed, the crowd that had remained erupted in cheers. Nova limped to his side, and he wrapped his arms around her neck, burying his face in her scales.

"That," Jett's voice rang out over the commotion, "was the most incredible display of skill and courage I've witnessed in all my years in this sport."

---

After the chaos subsided and the damage was assessed, the league officials convened an emergency meeting. The championship match had been disrupted with only five holes remaining and Nero's disqualification assured due to his illegal modifications.

The decision, when it came, was unanimous.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and beings of all configurations," Jett announced, his voice solemn yet jubilant, "it is my profound honor to declare **Jet Masterson** and **Nova Brighteyes** the new ElevateUT Champions!"

The ceremony took place on the repaired center court, with the twin suns of Korax Prime casting a golden glow over the proceedings. Jet stood tall beside Nova, whose injury had been properly treated, a decorative bandage covering her flank.

The championship trophy—a disc golf basket crafted from the fossilized remains of an ancient cybersaur—gleamed as the league commissioner presented it to Jet.

"Not how I imagined winning," Jet admitted quietly to Nova as applause washed over them.

"Perhaps not," Jett said, joining them on the podium, "but no victory was ever more deserved. You proved today that the bond between rider and dinosaur, built on trust and respect, is more powerful than any technology."

As Jet raised the trophy high, his gaze fell on Raven Blackwood, standing at the edge of the celebration. Their eyes met, and she gave him a small, respectful nod before turning away.

"What will happen to her?" Jet asked Jett. "And Nero?"

"Raven's coming clean about the augmentation ring," Jett replied. "In exchange for leniency. As for Nero..." His voice trailed off as a commotion erupted from the security area.

Alarms blared, and security droids rushed past the celebration. Over the chaos, the announcement system crackled: "Alert! Prisoner escape in progress! All security personnel to docking bay three!"

Through the panicked crowd, Jet caught a glimpse of a familiar black and red armor disappearing into a maintenance tunnel.

"Nero," he breathed.

As if hearing his name, Nero Saurex paused at the tunnel entrance, turning back to lock eyes with Jet. Even at a distance, the hatred and promise of vengeance in that gaze was unmistakable.

Then he was gone, vanished into the shadows.

"Well," Jett sighed, "guess that's a problem for another day."

Jet nodded, his hand resting on Nova's neck. "Whatever comes next, we'll face it together."

As the celebration resumed around them, Jet looked out at the cosmic horizon, where the stars were just beginning to appear in the darkening sky. Their journey had only just begun, and somewhere out there, Nero was plotting his revenge.

But today, in this moment, they were champions. They had proven that the true heart of the sport lay not in technology, but in the unbreakable bond between space cowboy and dinosaur.

And that was a victory no one could take away.

**THE END**