View source for The Spice of Life: Gasgano's Tale

{{Story
|title={{PAGENAME}}
|image=Gasgano.png
|author=[[Nick Schuessler]]
|series=''[[Tales from the Boonta Eve Classic]]''
|length=3,489 words
|source=[https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Tales_from_the_Boonta_Eve_Classic/works/59762494 AO3]
|date=October 25, 2024
|timelineplace=32 BBY
|canontier=F
|preceding="[[Loser Take All: Dud Bolt's Tale]]"
|following="[[Rock Bottom: Mawhonic's Tale]]"
}}

'''"The Spice of Life: Gasgano's Tale"''' is a short story by [[Nick Schuessler]]. It is the fourth story in the ''[[Tales from the Boonta Eve Classic]]'' anthology. It was released on AO3 on October 25, 2024.

The story follows famed [[Xexto]] podracer [[Gasgano]] and his manager, [[Carcer Hermas]], in their exploits leading up to the [[Boonta Eve Classic]].

==Blurb==
''Behind this great racer is a very small manager. This is their story.''<ref name="ao3">"The Spice of Life: Gasgano's Tale"</ref>

==Plot Summary==
[[Carcer Hermas]] is a [[Zilkin]] scavenger and mercenary during the [[Stark Hyperspace War]]. After being defeated by a Jedi in a cave on [[Troiken]], he narrowly escapes a swarm of [[Challat eaters]] and heads for the nearest town. As he contemplates his future in an alley outside the local cantina, he encounters a Xexto&mdash;[[Gasgano]]&mdash;rummaging through a trash can for valuables. Hermas follows Gasgano back to an associate, and learns he is a [[glitterstim]] addict.

Spice is more than just a mere pasttime for Gasgano; it permits him to see visions of the future. When Hermas decides to partake with him, the two see a vision in which Hermas acts as Gasgano's manager as the latter competes in a podrace on a [[Tatooine|desert world]]. The pair decide to team up then and there to make this vision into a reality.

Over the next twelve nears, Hermas and Gasgano become a formidable team&emdash;and a pair of good friends. They became rich enough to buy all the spice Gasgano wanted, and eventually found their way to Tatooine to compete in the [[Boonta Eve Classic]]. In the days leading up to the race, Hermas and Gasgano spend their time in a bar. [[Mawhonic]] picks a fight with Gasgano, whose temper is exacerbated by the liquor. The two take their fight outside, into a sandstorm, where Gasgano handily beats Mawhonic bloody. Meanwhile, Hermas converses with the enigmatic spacer [[Rum Sleg]].

Before the race, Gasgano participates in an interview with [[Fodesinbeed Annodue]], following Mawhonic, [[Clegg Holdfast]], and [[Boles Roor]]. After [[Sebulba]] enters and calls out [[Anakin Skywalker]] directly, Gasgano loses his composure, skulking off to engage in his pre-race spice trip. This time, Hermas decides to join him after not having partaken in the drug since the first day he and Gasgano met. The vision that greets them shows that Sebulba would not win the Boonta, but left the true winner unidentified. After the trip, Gasgano tells Hermas to bet all their money on Sebulba not finishing the race.

==Appearances==
===Characters===
*[[Carcer Hermas]]
*[[Iaco Stark]] <small>(Mentioned only)</small>
*[[Gasgano]]
*[[Sebulba]]
*[[Mawhonic]]
*[[Rum Sleg]]
*[[Fodesinbeed Annodue]]
*[[Clegg Holdfast]] <small>(Mentioned only)</small>
*[[Boles Roor]]
*[[Anakin Skywalker]] <small>(Mentioned only)</small>

===Planets===
*[[Troiken]]
*[[Tatooine]]

===Species====
*[[Zilkin]]
*[[Xexto]]
*[[Dug]]
*[[Swokes Swokes]]
*[[Gran]]
*[[Nosaurian]] <small>(Mentioned only)</small>
*[[Troig]]
*[[Sneevel]]
*[[Humanoid]]
*[[Human]] <small>(Mentioned only)</small>

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Short stories]]
[[Category:Media by Nick Schuessler]]