Private Bingo Night!

[Mathieu Brion]

Bingo Night

​

Stepping out of the cantina, Mathieu let out a sigh. He had worked for the scum who owned it for quite some time now and was glad that it was finally over. While the Gran who employed him paid well and had a reputation which ensured that most jobs just required some flexing to get their way, it was immoral. Her establishment was popular, certainly - plenty of visitors, both local and foreign made it possible for a many credits to be made. But it was at the expense of her unfortunate suppliers and her exotic entertainment troop. They were often underpaid, put in hard situations and lived in constant stress and sometimes even threatened in order to stay and keep working. But that was only the surface of the problems. From the inside, Mathieu had witnessed several criminal activities taking place in the bar as well as some high profiled criminals having private rooms in which deals were struck and schemes planned out - all with the good eye of the owner who made sure to give them early warnings if law enforcement were to stir the pot and cause trouble.

The large Morellian, turned around to take a long look at the entrance. Shaking his head, he felt a little disappointed in himself for being so tempted to go back in - but as a guest, just to enjoy what the place had to offer. Of course, that would never be possible as knowledge of what his credits would then go to and how much the staff suffered put a bitter taste in his mouth. Still carrying his normal gear, both his heavy armour and blaster cannon, Mathieu decided to stick around outside. It was common for the richer guests to pay for protection on their way home after a few too many shots and in his current apparel, he was surely going to get an extra paycheck soon enough.

It was an interesting area he found himself in. Clearly not the richest part of town, it was in one of the bustling and emerging areas. Poverty had characterised it for decades - but it was in an upwards trend with newer and more affluent families moving in and establishments such as the one he had just been in attracting more desirable customers to the area, bringing in their wealth as they dropped by - often staying to buy something light to eat at the supermarket or paying the cab driver a bit extra after the trip. Still, there were many loiterers on the streets - some of them were just like Mathieu, looking to make a few extra bucks - whether it be through offering protection or selling squeaky toys or lucrative parking permits. But then, some of them were street rats, more desperate and willing to breach a few rules if it meant getting food on the table for the night. It was a sad sight, but one which was become less and less common.

While waiting, the young Mercenary thought of giving Sammy a call and brought out his comms unit with a smile. Browsing through the contacts list until he could finally see her image, Mathieu was prevented from pressing the 'call' button in the last minute. A loud metallic noise could be heard from the alleyway by the cantina he had worked at. Throwing in a quick look, he saw one of the kitchen hands scrambling to pick up a large trash container he had toppled whilst trying to climb it. Jogging over to the spot of the accident, Mathieu noticed how fear started to spread in the boy's eyes. A deep sense of regret formed in him as he waved at the boy "Easy, my contract has run its end" he said before bending down to help the kitchen hand to get everything back in order. Not having to reprimand simple accidents was one of the best aspects of no longer working for the Gran and while this simple act couldn't compensate for what he had done in the past, it did make him feel a little better as he turned to leave the alley.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

After spending most of his night wandering the streets and questioning others on information regarding the Gran crime lord that was infamous in this area. The Jedi Knight was now officially back to his roots, a solo mission that required him to bring in a fugitive - suffice to say, he missed this and it was a nice break away from his responsibilities of being a Master as well as his usual brooding over the breakup.

Following the gathering of information relating to this crime lord he was after, he deduced that she was a nasty piece of work and not to his surprise - on the surface she was nothing more than a simple club owner but rumours revealed a different story, she ruled over her territory fearlessly and with an iron fist with the former being proven that she'd hold private meetings in her very own cantina.

While others saw these as rumours, he and the Order knew otherwise thanks to information relayed to them by snitches. With what felt like enough information to go on, Cas made his way to the crime lord's infamous cantina. Passing an alleyway near to the cantina, out of the corner of his eye he noticed two individuals in the alleyway - raising an eyebrow, while he couldn't see exactly what was going on he wouldn't have been surprised if it was something sketchy.

Placing his back against the wall, he peeked his head over and inside the alley to see what was going on. As the much taller man turned to leave, thinking fast, Cas quickly assumed a more casual position, leaning against the wall with one foot up against it while pretending to fiddle with his fingers. As the taller man exited the alley, he got a quick glance of his features finding them almost familiar but there was no time to think of that right now. Cas deduced that someone who looked as geared up as him and was so close to the cantina had to be involved in some way or form and decided to tail him on wherever he was headed.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Letting out a heavy sigh, Mathieu threw another glance behind him as he walked out the alley. The kitchen hand had already returned back into the establishment which left the path empty. Frowning, the Mercenary picked up his pace a little upon noticing that some of the smell from in the trash container was still on him. "I'm not picking up anyone like this" he mumbled upon soaking up more of the smell with a short sniff.

It was not too bad - and given a little time, it was bound to disappear. Still, it did create a little gap during which he couldn't be very productive. Naturally, he saw the Jedi standing outside the alley upon leaving it - but it never occurred to the large Morellian that it the guy was a jedi - in fact, he didn't seem very remarkable at all, considering the wide array of different characters who moved around in the area. Coming to a halt near the Kiffar, Mathieu brough out his comms unit again. It was still displaying a picture of Sammy, but with the stench he had just felt, any desire to call her was gone. With that, he closed it down and started walking again.

With wide strides, the mercenary picked up and maintained a relatively rapid pace as he began making his way around the block. Upon rounding the corner, he spotted a merchant who was supplying the cantina with exclusive Tarisian brew. The gruff looking Toydarian had fear spread across his face as he saw the Mercenary approaching. Mathieu was unsure of if he was the cause and maintained his hope that it was untrue until it proved to be false. "But the deal was tomorrow. That I'd deliver the next shipment tomorrow. You don't understand" the merchant spoke with a pleading voice, obviously mistaken as to why the Morellian was there. Letting out a tired sigh, Mathieu waved the alien's concerns away "I no longer work for her, okay? Just leave me be" he said, feeling quite a bit of guilt over how much fear he inspired after his time in the Gran's employ. With that, he picked up his pace again, hoping to avoid another unpleasant encounter.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas had noticed another thing on the Morellian as he passed by, a display of Sam on his comm. Sam Sheridan. Which only meant one thing, this guy had to be Mathieu... honestly, he was expecting more? Sam had hyped him up to be this great guy and, maybe he was, but the Jedi Knight just assumed he'd be heartthrob material. Well, he was tall... girls liked that, right?

Shaking his head, Cas pushed his rambling thoughts aside - if Mathieu was indeed in trouble or involved with the Gran crime lord, he had to help for Sam's sake. When the large Morellian was about fifteen steps ahead of him, Cas kicked off the wall and rested his hands in his jacket pockets as he began to tail him. Eventually, the young Jedi Knight would have to pick up speed as he noticed Mathieu was visibly picking up pace - did he know he was being followed? If so, Cas really had to work on his tailing skills.

Rounding the corner not long after the mercenary had, he spotted an exchange between Mathieu and a Toydarian. Quickly backtracking behind the wall, he eavesdropped on their conversation out of sight - one thing that stuck out in the conversation was when the Morellian had mentioned no longer working for her, which meant his theory was at least half right. After peeking to see that Mathieu was on his way again, Cas continued to tail him.

Tailing him until they reached a point where he was certain no one was around, he stopped and called out to Mathieu "Hey, Stringbean!" in the time it'd take the Morellian to turn around, Cas placed his hands in his white jacket pockets and stood in a relaxed stance "What'll Sam say when she finds out? She's been trying to go straight, right?" he asked, his voice echoing through the empty area they were in. Taking a step forward, he removed his hands from his pockets and began adjusting his leather glove on his left hand "What're you doing, man?" Cas asked rhetorically with disappointment and disapproval in his voice. Despite his concerns for Sam's feelings, it wouldn't hurt to get some information out of him.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

An amused eyebrow rose - he was the only person in the vicinity so the voice had to be referring to him. But stringbean was not a nickname that had been thrown at him since early on in his puberty. Stopping in his tracks, Mathieu tried to compose himself the best he could.

Lowering his right arm to rest by his blaster pistol which hung holstered to his hip, he turned around and had planned on responding in kind "What's up, str-" he said but cut himself short mid-sentence. Letting out a slight chuckle a teasing glint flashed by his eyes "That would be unfair, wouldn't it?" he asked as he moved closer to the stranger "Alright, I've got it. So, beany-boy, what's on your mind?" he asked, looking down on the person with a grin which had a number of friendly nuances.

What was said next took him by surprise. The little guy knew Sam - not any Sam, but his Sammy. The grin quickly dissipated as he scrambled to recover from the surprise of it all. "What?" he asked, trying to sound as unaffected as possible. Looking away for a moment, Mathieu shook his head, disappointed at how vulnerable he was just for hearing the guy mention her name. With that, he did what he could to distance himself from it all and view it from a more objective perspective - but before he could continue, the stranger spoke.

"I'm a mercenary, bud." bordering on sound condescending, Mathieu looked down on the guy who was annoying him in all kinds of ways "We take on contracts and complete them. Some jobs are worse than others and when they are, we don't renew the contract." he said, explaining some of what he considered the basics in mercenary work. Finding it odd to be explaining it to a random stranger, the large Morellian leaned back a little "Who are you anyways?"

Ultimately, Mathieu was not much of a vindictive person. With a sigh, he tried to let go of the discord that seemed to have arisen between them "Alright then, Beans, what are you up to? I'm sure I could have the guys let skip the queue but if want to get into the VIP area, you'll have to pay for it, just like everyone else." With that, he hoped to have brought peace and security to their relations.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Mathieu had jokes too, he could dig it and he was beginning to see what Sam saw in him. As the larger man approached him, Cas tilted his head upward to meet the Morellian's blue eyes and his youthful features remained unfazed by his stature.

At the mention of Sam, the mercenary's confident and humorous demeanour crumbled away almost instantly. Although he tried to sound unbothered at the mention of her name, his feelings completely betrayed him as they echoed through the Force's currents. Folding his arms and watching him with a raised eyebrow, Cas listened to the reasoning Mathieu gave for his work under the Gran crime lord. Shaking his head, he was disappointed with the answers given - after Sam had been so afraid to tell Mathieu of the work she'd done, here was her boyfriend who was previously employed by one of the planet's worst criminals. Sam was no saint but she talked Mathieu up like he was.

"Name's Cas, I'm a friend of your girlfriend's and I've heard aaaaaaaall about you." he introduced himself with a smug grin, giving off a salute in a lazy manner almost looking like a flamboyant wave. A toothy grin crept on the Kiffar's face as he raised his hands to halt Mathieu's assumptions, quipping in response "Relax Treetop, I'm not here for that. Besides, VIP area's for schmucks." he folded his arms once again and met the Morellian with a more serious look now "I need information on your former employer. I'm sure you know it's time she gets what's coming to her." he said in a vague tone.

Then his face quickly switched to his usual lighthearted expression "If you wanna help me, the more the merrier - if not, it's cool but I'm taking her in one way or the other." the Jedi Knight was determined to succeed in his goal.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Internally, he was screaming. He had no idea who this guy was but he claimed to know Sammy and that drove him crazy. The fact that he actually seemed to know a thing or two about her - at least judging by his initial line and his facial reactions - made it all the more unnerving. Trying to summon what little courage he could, Mathieu spoke "If you really do know her, you'll also know that she'll mess you up if you-..." The Large Morellian grew quiet for a few moments as he struggled to think of what to say before finally blurting out a bad finisher "abuse her name"

The best move now was to move on - and if the 'Cas' guy would let him, Mathieu would continue the conversation with his offer to access the establishment by skipping the line. He let out an amused chuckled as yet another nickname was given to him, and while reeling from the crushing defeat after Sammy was mentioned, he did want to take his chances when she was not the topic of the discussion. Biding his time, the Mercenary simply shrugged as his smaller companion called the VIP guests schmucks.

Letting out a hearty laugh, Mathieu moved in next to the guy and put a heavy arm around his shoulder, ushering them both forth. "Calm down there, Mr. Carnifex" he said sarcastically, looking down on Cas with a skeptical yet highly amused expression. "What makes you think that you can take out the Ladyship on your own?" From Mathieu's point of view, he was saving some foolish guy from suicide against a troop of professional mercenaries and squeezed his shoulder with noticeable force to prove his point.

It would not be long until they had made their way around the building and arrived back at the area where the entrance to the establishment was. Removing his arm from Cas' back, Mathieu looked over at his old place of work "So, what would persuade me to help you out? My boss was trash, but many of my colleagues were good people."

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Abuse her name? That was it? Cas looked him up with a questioning expression as to convey 'really?' "Sam really must be a special girl if the mention of her name's got your tongue tied like that, big guy." and so, Cas patted him on his shoulder with his cybernetic hand in a faux reassuring manner.

Things went back to normal, relatively speaking, soon after as the conversation's topic moved on from Sam. Maybe it was a mistake, as the Morellian's previous demeanour seemingly returned in full fashion as he let out a hearty laugh and came in close wrapping an arm around the Kiffar's shoulder. "Guess the concept of personal space never made it to Morellia, huh?" he pointed out passive aggressively, facing away from Mathieu in a polite but lame attempt at creating some distance between the two. Of course the big guy underestimated his powers which earned the larger man a confident smirk from Cas "Oh, y'know, just my amazing people skills... and my lightsaber." Cas answered as he patted the hilt of his lightsaber that was attached to his hip.

Mathieu had led Cas back to the area of the establishment and, finally, had released him from his overly friendly grip. For a brief moment, he thought to himself if this actually was some attempt at a 'alpha male, macho dominance thing'. Cas bent his arms and stretched out his shoulders before patting off his white jacket, as he did so the Jedi Knight looked at the mercenary with a nonchalant facial expression "The satisfying fulfilment of making these streets cleaner and safer for your fellow man." he answered with a fake enthusiastic tone.

Placing his hands in his pocket again, Cas turned away and stared off into nothingness as he revealed a genuine side to himself - his compassion "I've seen what it's like around here, if I mentioned her species to anyone people would flinch or shudder. Living that kinda fear? It's no life." his eyes then sideways glanced at Mathieu "Sam never shuts up about how good of a guy you are." meaning that in the most respectful way possible "If that's true and if you worked for her, you know she needs to be taken down." Cas concluded, finally turning his whole head to meet the Morellian's gaze.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

It was a lost battle. Cas was correct and to his shame, Mathieu was at a loss as of what he could say, seeing as he truly did struggle when Sammy was brought up. Instead of continuing to smash his head into a brisk wall, he ceded the point and remained silent for a few moments before trying to move on in the conversation.

He also refrained from responding to the comment about Morellia but was a bit surprised that the Knight even knew that about him and curious about what conversations he might have had with Sammy for it to come up. Needless to say, the smaller guy would have some challenges creating much distance between them by only facing away. With a mischievous smile, Mathieu would lean down and try to get a better angle at Cas as he spoke. Not expecting the confident smirk, the large Mercenary kept listening curiously. A jedi! Always having had immense respect for them, he was surprised that this guy was amidst their ranks. The one he had met before was much more agreeable.

For a moment, the Morellian felt like a fool - he had looked for potential threats as he first sized beany-boy up but had somehow managed to miss the sabre - but then, getting ambushed by the mention of Sammy did quite the number on him. His mask never dropped though and a knowing glint could be seen in his eyes as he flashed a smile at the Knight. Throwing a clear and long-lasting glance at the mechanical hand, Mathieu assumed a sarcastic tone "I can see that you must be a very skilled warrior." While having a deep desire to get along with Jedi in general, the Mercenary simply found it hard to not give this one a hard time.

Having expected an immediate answer, Mathieu couldn't help but to let his amused expression show as Cas stretched after being releases. He almost started to feel bad for the guy but quickly changed his mind as he heard the cheesy response that was provided to him. Of course, the cause was noble, but the words did little to sway him seeing as the act might put his old comrades in danger. "But I'm already doing the world a favour by keeping you from chopping another limb off, bud" he replied, mirroring the same faked enthusiastic tone which Cas had just used.

But then, he struck again. Frustrated, Mathieu closed his eyes and let out an audible sigh. Opening his eyes and looking down at Cas with a squint, the Morellian pointed at the Knight with his index finger. "You're treadin' on thin ice here" he said, but now with a low voice and a blurred enough pronunciation that it may very well have sounded more like a growl. Taking a few quick steps, Mathieu had his back facing the smaller guy. Eventually, he let out another sigh, his broad shoulders slouched as he let out an unwilling "Fine"

There were still many things which Mathieu wouldn't be willing to do. Being hired included a certain sense of loyalty that at least required him not to use what he had learned from her during the contract against her. He was also a person who quickly formed bonds with others and had many friends who still worked for her - friends which he did not want to kill. Thinking about what options he had, Mathieu finally spoke "Okay, these are the rules. I don't wanna see any one of my friends in guards be killed and I won't provide you with any inside information" Obviously, it would be very hard to work with him with these conditions, but the large Morellian soon got another mischievous grin and leaned down to speak with a lower voice "But what I can say - because I saw this before I took the job - is this: There is a crane on the building next doors that extends over our target" Standing back up straight and looking down at the Knight whilst crossing his arms, Mathieu asked "So, what do you say, Cassie? Want to see how things are from up here?" Putting an endearing emphasis on the nickname, Mathieu made a downwards nod upon jokingly referring to the Knight being shorter.

 

[Cadere]

"Sam seems to think so." Cas retorted at the mercenary's obvious dig on his skills with an expression of brief contempt, he paused for a moment before quickly shaking his head and letting out a small snicker "Alright, alright that was a low blow. My bad." he apologised in a serious tone - even he knew that mentioning Sam was just a cheap tactic now.

With the current dynamic between the Kiffar and the Morellian, Cas wasn't at all surprised at the jab at his cybernetic arm. However, he wasn't ashamed of it, in fact he actually liked it - it was a reminder of the consequences of his hubris but not only that, it was a useful asset being much more stronger and durable than his organic arm. Instead of taking offence, Cas simply smirked at Mathieu and jerked his head upward "Who needs limbs anyway? Bet I could lay you out in an arm wrestle." he fired back chuckling as he hooked his flesh hand around his metallic wrist as if to adjust the leather glove that covered it.

A small, albeit genuine smile, etched on the corner of his lip when Mathieu actually agreed to help out. The Jedi Knight was confident in his abilities to do it himself but that wasn't the point, with the mercenary agreeing to aid him it just proved that the guy was compassionate and had a heart after all. Unfortunately for Cas, Mathieu laid out some rules which earned him an deep eye roll from Cas; so deep that for a few seconds his irises actually retreated into the back of his eyelids.

"What do I look like, man? I'm a Jedi. I don't kill unless I absolutely have to - just make sure your 'friends' stand down when the time comes." he argued waving Mathieu off with his organic hand, Cas shook his head in disbelief at the fact that was actually one of his rules. The next rule prompted the Jedi Knight to raise an eyebrow and part his lips slightly in bewilderment, with his arms at his sides Cas bent both of his elbows in opposite directions with his palms aiming upward to express it further "If you're not gonna give up any information, then what use are you?" he asked, a small hint of annoyance trailing through his otherwise serious tone.

The young Jedi was ready to turn tail and leave, with his back turned, the Morellian managed to catch his attention prompting Cas to stop and look back at him. When Mathieu mentioned of a crane on the building next door, his eyes darted to its location and he stared at it while Mathieu continued talking. The degrading nickname Mathieu had coined for Cas made the Kiffar's eye twitch slightly in response, but he remained composed nonetheless - sighing, Cas turned round and headed toward the building next door with the crane on top of it. As he did, he grumbled "I'mnotevenshortyou'rejustafreakofnature." all under one breath. "Alright, Matty - guess you aren't useless after all." he called out, although 'Matty' probably wasn't as irritating for him as 'Cassie' was for Cas.

Cas looked the building up and down, it wasn't too tall and had enough grappling points for him to scale it - it had been a while since he'd done any freerunning, what a perfect time to refresh his skills. Brushing his hands together, Cas leapt and using the Force to enhance the distance he grabbed onto one of the building's windowsills before propelling himself up to the next one and continuing the process fluidly until he reached the top. Climbing onto the ledge of the roof, he turned and looked down Mathieu "It isn't so great up here, underwhelming actually!" he called out to the Morellian smugly, referring back to his comment 'seeing things from up here'. With the brief time he had alone up on the roof of the building, Cas reflected on their interaction earlier and how he felt a whisper of the Force within him, like a small and dim candle - was it possible the Morellian was Force-sensitive? If so, it'd be something he'd have to discuss with him after all this was over.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

A challenge. It was not what Mathieu had expected from someone like Cas - the guy seemed slight as he was enveloped by the large Morellians arm bearing down on his shoulders. "How much?" he asked, confidence clear in his voice - knowing that most cybernetic limbs often provided strength in relation to their size - and in that regard, Mathieu had an advantage. Eyeing the Jedi curiously, he then asked "How far up does that shiny arm of yours go anyways?" knowing that it can have quite an impact on how much additional force Cas was packing.

With an amused smirk, Mathieu took a few moments whilst looking at his new mate with an expectant look. After a few moments, he let out a mocking sigh and spoke with a matching tone of woeful disappointment "If your idea of absolute need to kill is when someone doesn't stand down upon request, I might just be a better Jedi than you." Looking at the Kiffar fow a few moments to let his joke sink in, Mathieu would continue speaking, regardless of if he interrupted the other or not - this time with a serious tone. "Look, I can't control them and if you think that they're going to lay down their arms because I've got a new Jedi friend, you're out of your mind. Just show some restraint, okay?"

Watching the Jedi react to his words was like riding a roller-coaster - plenty of anticipation and highly amusing. Few things could've topped the finisher as Cas invented a nickname for him too. It reminded him of his childhood days and an old girlfriend who had called him by the same name which caused a somewhat goofy smile to grow on his lips. Quickly regaining his composure, Mathieu simply nodded "Good, let's be on our way" he said, shortly before starting to walk over to the building.

To his great surprise, Cas then proceeded to scale its wall, forgoing all discretion and taking what Mathieu considered to be unnecessary risks. Naturally, the streets would be crowded by the popular cantina and the same would be true for the building next to it. Why Cas decided to do what he did was beyond the Mercenary's comprehension. Putting his arms on his hips, he tracked the guy as he jumped and leaped, letting out an impressed "Huh" before walking into the building and calling down an elevator. Going as high as he could, Mathieu would then take the stairs up onto the rooftop to reconvene with his temporary partner.

With a nonchalant shrug, Mathieu agreed "You're right, this isn't all too impressive" before walking over to the crane. While he did find it to be a little tight, the Morellian proceeded to climb up the ladder with his back brushing up against the protective foil that formed a tunnel behind it. Once having reached the top, he would throw a look down at the Jedi to make sure that he was following before starting to walk out onto the crane arm, avoiding to look down when crossing over the alley. It wouldn't take too long before he had got far enough to drop down onto the roof of the cantina "Alright Cassie, I'mma hop down now." he said and if the guy wouldn't get the clue, Mathieu would add "We're far from it's base, it might shake a little so hold on" before jumping, doing his best to ensure that they'd both get to the other side safely.

Once there, he started walking towards the door to the room with the stairs that lead downstairs. Mathieu had no idea if it was protected by an alarm or not and carefully scanned its sides for any signs of having wires. He then pushed his head against the door and listened for sounds before knocking on it lightly. "You don't happen to have skills in the department of breaking through locks, do you?" he asked. If the Jedi did have them, he'd nod approvingly and let out an approving "Cassie to the rescue!". If not, he would step back "Alright, Cassie, stay back, I'll kick it in" before following through on the action lest interrupted.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas' head turned slowly to meet Mathieu's face, with a minor confused sour expression. The Kiffar looked him up and down before patting Mathieu's chest with said-mechanical arm "Trade secret, pal." he responded, the guy was unusually curious about his arm - then again, no one really asked that much about it. Still, he wasn't going to casually reveal personal information like that to him.

Holding a single hand out to halt him "Relax, I'm not a fan of killing anyway. I always disable their weapons and knock the goons out most of the time - your buddies will be fine." he assured him before quickly adding "Worst case scenario, I'll cut off their limbs." in a lighthearted, jokey tone. Although, if he really did have to do that he wouldn't hesitate.

With one leg on the roof's parapet and the other planted on the ground, Cas rested both arms on the thighs of his raised leg as he waited for Mathieu to arrive. Still staring into the distance, Cas snickered at the Morellian's add-on to the joke he'd made earlier "Being tall is overrated, a Jawa told me that." he quipped. Stepping off of the roof's parapet, he followed Mathieu to the crane and waited for him to climb its ladder first, waiting for a five handle bar gap between the two before climbing it himself. Reaching the top, with a gymnast's grace, the Jedi Knight placed his hands behind his back and effortlessly followed the broad Morellian across the crane arm.

He called him Cassie again, prompting a tut and an eye roll from the Kiffar. Cas casually folded his hands in his jacket pockets, nodding with an expression of disinterest as Mathieu informed him he'd be dropping down. Cas spread his legs apart in preparation for the crane to move slightly as the mercenary did so - as it shook a little, Cas tensed the soles of his feet in an attempt to keep them planted on the crane before dropping onto the roof himself. Cas then followed Mathieu to the door that led.

"I got it, Matty." the Jedi Knight casually stated as he passed Mathieu, pulling his lightsaber from his belt. Stopping in front of the door, he looked over the hilt of his lightsaber before shaking his head and putting it back onto his hip. Cas crouched down in front of the door's locks and hovered his palm in front of it, he envisioned the internal locking mechanisms before using telekinesis with the Force to rearrange the locking mechanisms and open the door. Getting back up to his feet "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week." he jested, jerking his head inside for Mathieu to continue leading the way "If we find any of your buddies, it'd be better if they see you first."

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

A conservative yet amused smile grew on the large Morellian's lips as how far his restraint would go. A brief chuckle was soon followed by a light shrug and playful squint "Maybe the deserve that" he said.

He had expected it to continue and it sure did - even after the Jedi had hopped up to the rooftop soon followed by Mathieu taking the elevator and stairs - the sparring never stopped for real. But then Mathieu did find that it was becoming more and more enjoyable and when Cas shot him the line about a Jawa, the Mercenary would be quick to fire back "Oh yeah? A family member of yours I take it?" Jestfully demonstrating with a quick hand gesture, he continued "Plop down a brown little hood onto that head of yours and I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference" With a mischievous smile, Mathieu was quick to turn around and start taking a few quick steps towards the crane, hopefully depriving the Jedi of a chance to fire back - at least through hand gestures.

The two made steady progress - while Cassie shot him the odd look from time to time, there were no real hiccups in their teamwork. And then it happened - it was like Life Day but during the completely opposite time of the year - the Jedi pulled out his lightsabre and Mathieu eyed it with a sense of great excitement. He had only seen one ignited a few times in his life and he still remembered it fondly. All the excitement he had quickly dissipated as Cassie put it away and used the force instead. While his companion certainly seemed happy about his feat, the Morellian threw an unenthusiastic fist above his chest and let out a half-hearted "Yay" before entering the room and starting to head down the stairs.

Once opening the door one floor below, they arrived at a fancy corridor with smooth and non-intrusive orange lights, fancy plants from Serenno and modern Nubian art. The muffled beat of the song being played downstairs could be heard faintly, if listening carefully. Leaning down to his side, Mathieu whispered "The WIP area" as he threw a glance at his ally. While it could be mistaken as him suddenly breaking faith with his former employer and revealing inside information, this was something which was written on the wall behind them by the door which they had just come through.

Slowly walking forth, deciding to not enter any of the rooms that could be found along the corridor's left wall, Mathieu kept a watchful eye for any movement. With soft steps, he ensured that he wouldn't make any noise - but if anyone happened to look in at the corridor, hiding would become quite the problem. Once they reached the end of the corridor, Mathieu put his hand on the door control put stopped himself "This one ain't locked. Wanna go in and have a look?"

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas had a perfect comeback ready for Mathieu, something about him being a distant relative of Wookiees who happened to have alopecia, but Mathieu was quick to approach the crane. It didn't matter, he was over the bravado contest ten whole minutes ago, although it did irk him that it was possible Matty would assume Cas' silence as him ceding victory. Shaking his head, he snickered to himself at his comeback before following Mathieu to the crane.

The Jedi Knight shot the Morellian a disapproving look at his unenthusiastic response to him unlocking the door, waving his wrist up and down in Matty's direction he argued "The lightsaber draws too much attention. Don't worry big boy, you'll get to see it in action soon enough." while condescendingly patting him on the shoulder as he said it. Although they were way passed the back and forth banter stage, he couldn't resist. With that, Cas resumed following the larger man down the stairs and to a fancy corridor that felt like an eyesore to the Jedi Knight. Cas threw his gaze in the direction of the VIP area that the Morellian pointed out, he nodded "Nice." praising Mathieu as he had totally missed the sign from earlier.

Reaching the end of the corridor, the Morellian asked if they should investigate the unlocked door. Taking a moment to weigh his options, it would be a good idea to check the room for any form of evidence against Sirod the Gran - turning to Mathieu, Cas gave him a thumbs up. As he raised his hand and hovered it over the control panel, he heard something faint, it sounded like a punching or kicking followed by the muffled grunts of a man. "You hear that?" he asked, eyes facing the door.

Whether he would answer or not, the Jedi Knight swiftly opened the door to find three men inside. A Devaronian was behind a Rodian, holding his arms back while a human was throwing out gut punches to the incapacitated Rodian. "Whatever happened to a fair fight?!" he quipped, although a layer of anger was behind it as he threw his arm out - yanking him away with the Force, the human landed in front of Cas' feet which the Jedi Knight promptly leapt over him. The Devaronian released the Rodian, throwing him away before taking out his blaster and aiming it at Cas provoking the him to bring out his own lightsaber to deflect any incoming blaster fire. When close enough, in a yellow flash the Jedi sliced the blaster in two with a vertical strike before punching him out with his gloved, but metal, fist.

Assuming Mathieu had dealt with the human, Cas knelt down and checked the downed Rodian for severe injuries before helping the bug-eyed alien to his feet. "You good? What happened?" he asked with concern, the Rodian used both hands to rub his head and stomach simultaneously "I--I had to get out." he answered cryptically "She's gone.... too far." the Rodian elaborated, glancing up and looking passed Cas - his face lit up in recognition as his inky eyes locked with Mat's "M-Mathieu?" he said.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

He had, obviously, won the last little match they had after getting up on top of the building - letting the Jedi pat him on the back with a few condescending words did little to hamper Mathieu's morale. "I hope not" he mumbled in a barely audible tone. While it would be pretty neat to get to see a lightsabre in action again, he knew how deadly the weapons were and hoped that it wouldn't be used against his former colleagues.

Soon, they found themselves at the door at the end of the fancy corridor. Watching as Cassie leaned in against the door, Mathieu waited until the Jedi gave him some kind of instruction on what to do and simply let out a little nod upon being asked if he heard something. Of course he did and the sound was far from unfamiliar. He had, after all, worked there. It wouldn't be long before his ally opened the door on his own, revealing what was going on behind it. Mathieu's gaze dropped to the floor as he saw the Rodian beaten up so badly. He worked in the cleaning staff and was among the more experienced ones who regularly found themselves on the top floor. This one was special as he and the large Morellian used to look out for each other. While Mathieu would protect the smaller fellow, the green alien would ensure that things got cleaned up properly after a particularly brutal fight the Morellian had to do, keeping him on Sirod's good side.

Having failed a friend like that never felt good, even if it was not truly Mathieu's responsibility after he left. When Cassie pulled the human close, the the heavily armed Morellian was quick to move forth and sending a powerful kick into his abdomen, causing pained coughs to be produced by the poor man. It was a mean move - not at all the minimal force which could have been used. It was a mistake which he tried to correct immediately as he then bent down to turn the man so that he would lay on his back. With a strong punch, using his non-mechanical right hand, Mathieu knocked the human out.

Standing back up, he approached his friend with quick steps and putting a heavy hand on the alien's shoulder "That was stupid of you" he said, looking at his beaten friend. Seeing his black sad eyes, Mathieu brought him in for a one-armed hug and a pat on the back "Me and Cassie here are going to end it. Make yourself scarce for a while. Things will get worse before they get better" he said before looking over to the Jedi.

Releasing the Rodian from the hug, the large Mercenary started moving toward the elevators and the door leading in to the building's main stairwell but was stopped as his old friend spoke up "Aren't you grabbing the keycards?" he asked, throwing a glance at the two guards whom had been knocked out. A knowing smile spread across the Morellian's face as he looked to Cassie and then to the guards before turning to the green alien "I'm just here as muscle. You know I can't give up any insider information" he said before continuing to his destination.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

After the Rodian had recognised the Morellian, Cas relinquished him over to Mathieu and stood by as the two spoke. Placing his hands behind his back, the Jedi Knight scanned the room when Mathieu engaged in a one-armed hug, rolling his eyes at being referred to as "Cassie" again. He still had trouble differentiating whether it was a term of endearment or a cheap attempt to get under his skin.

At the mention of the keycards, Cas quickly shifted away from the two and knelt over the Devaronian's unconscious body and picking up his keycard. Lifting his head up at Mathieu's comment, he grinned before shaking his head "Your a man I aspire to be, Matty." he retorted while fitting the keycard into his pocket. Using the Force, he summoned the human's keycard into his hand before throwing it at Mathieu as he rose to his feet "Just in case, can never be too careful." he said flashing a wink.

Cas then followed the large Morellian out of the room they were in, however, he stopped at the doorway and turned round to face the Rodian "Be safe." he ordered, with a lazy salute before finally exiting. Turning to Mathieu, he glanced up at him "How cute." he lightly teased, referring back to his and the Rodian's hug and his blatant concern for him. Glancing away for a moment he then looked back at him, his face turning serious "What's your deal? I can sense it all in you, for a merc you seem to have a conscience... isn't that like, I dunno, frowned upon?" he asked, genuinely curious. Maybe the Morellian would make a decent Jedi after all.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Grabbing the card that was being thrown at him, Mathieu gave it a melancholic look as he had been using one the same kind of card just a few hours ago. Bouncing it in his hand, he put it into a pouch hanging by his belt where he used to have it at work and let out a low "Good thinking, Cassie" The large Morellian's tone was not one which indicated that he wanted to tease his new friend. While it did show a somewhat softer side, it also conveyed that Mathieu had started to call Cas by his new nickname for real.

Walking into the next section, he waited for Cassie to catch up - managing to see that the Jedi wished for his Rodian friend to stay safe. It was a nice sentiment for the guy to have and Mathieu knew that what they were doing now contributed directly to his friend's safety. It was comforting to keep it in mind when he expected them to be attacking more of his former colleagues as they made it deeper into the building and the heart of the base.

Already standing by the elevators, Mathieu looked at the table with the floors, detailing what they contained. Naturally, he was already well aware of where everything was but it would probably be good for the Knight to see where everything was. The floor below theirs was another VIP section, the one after contained overnight-sleeping chambers, then came a staff-only barracks. Curiously, the floor after that was not listed, below it was another barracks solely for staff - below that point, the floors varied between different fields of entertainment. Looking to his ally, the Mercenary spoke "You know where we're going?" To him, it seemed so obvious as to where they should be heading but whether Cassie had the same idea or not was an unknown.

Not feeling particularly keen on being trapped in a box while attacking Sirod's stronghold, Mathieu moved towards the stairwell. Once again giving it a listen, he then opened the door and looked down. It was a rather daunting sight, as he could see all the way down to the bottom whilst the stairs hugged the walls, spiraling down along the sharp turns of the square formed room. Turning around, he whispered "The coast is clear" before moving further in and starting to descend the stairs.

Just as they had made it down one floor, Mathieu who walked at the front heard a faint sound from behind the door to the second VIP area. Quickly, he stretched out an arm to the Jedi. While Mathieu pushed himself in against the same wall as the door, he also pushed Cassie to that wall with a strong hand sprawled over the Jedi's chest. Soon, two guards opened the door, causing a ray of light to shine into the otherwise dark stairwell. Fortunately, they failed to spot the two intruders, but all that would be needed would be for one of them to turn around and look - something which seemed likely as they started walking down the stairs and getting closer to the next corner.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

The Jedi Knight frowned at Mat, before relaxing his features and letting out an unenthusiastic shrug "Guess I'm just talking to myself then." he said sarcastically before following Mathieu over to the elevator. Stopping beside him, he also scanned the table detailing the floor levels - when the Morellian asked him if they knew where they were going, he hooked his fingers to his chin and let out a quiet "Uhhhh..." he was out of his depth here, all this sneaking around, if he were on his own he would've simply kicked the club doors down and fought through everyone until he got to Sirod.

Glancing over at Mathieu, he shrugged "Staff barracks? Or..." dragging out his R, his gaze narrowed closely to the table as he spotted that the floors below hadn't been listed "The floors that haven't been listed?" he surmised, to him it made the most sense, and since Mathieu wasn't telling him anything due to his 'code' or whatever, he didn't really have anything to go off. When he saw Mathieu heading towards the stairs, he threw his head back and sighed, while he was an active person he wasn't particularly in the mood to walk down a series of stairs.

Grumbling quietly, he followed him nonetheless. As the Morellian scanned the area in front of him, Cas closed his eyes and tilted his head upward slightly, beginning to reach out with the Force he couldn't sense any immediate danger nearby so once Mathieu confirmed the coast was clear, he was inclined to agree giving him a solid nod in response.

Cas felt the Morellian's broad arm force his back to the wall after they had made it one floor below. Scrunching his face and tutting, Cas was ready to go curse Mathieu but quickly pursed his lips shut once he realised why he had done it. His brown eyes watched the two guards begin to wander down the stairs and soon enough, they'd spot the Kiffar and Morellian. Cas bit his lower lip, he had to think fast and not draw attention unto themselves.

As the two rounded the corner, beginning to take the first step down the next flight of stairs and as his head began to rise to spot Cas and Mat. Cas lightly flicked his index and middle finger upward, using the Force to give one of the guards a light push, sending him tumbling down the stairs prompting the second guard to rush after him. Turning and facing his head upward at his tall ally, he flashed him a sly smile and shrugged "I'm sure he's fine." he assured, however, right on cue the two would hear the pained groans of the guard that had fell down the stairs. Cas' face turned into a frown "Well, he's alive at least. Come on" he whispered, taking the lead.

As he walked down the stairs, he spotted the unscathed guard tending to the other completely oblivious to the Jedi and mercenary standing above them "Wanna stun them?" he whispered over to Mathieu, holding in a snicker at the guard holding his leg in pain from the fall. It was pretty funny watching him ragdoll down the stairs. Once Mat had taken care of the both of them, they would continue down to the unmarked floor accessible only to the staff with no issues. Standing outside its door, he glanced over to the Morellian "You worked here, what's in there? Have you even been in there?" he asked. He needed to know what to expect going in

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Mathieu was not very old, especially for a Morellian. In fact, he was around the same age as Cassie. Still, the Jedi managed to make it feel like a take-your-kid-to-work day as he curiously spoke of the table detailing the floor levels. Sending the Jedi a sideways glance, Mathieu assumed that he already knew that he would receive no answer in return. Once his friend was done, Mathieu let out a simple "Clever" letting it summarise the entire monologue.

Staying a bit ahead of Cassie, the large Mercenary often failed to catch when he expressed dislike of a certain choice. But whenever he caught on to it - just like when he had pushed them both against the wall - Mathieu often tried to look the other way as a mischievous smirk spread across his lips. This time, however, it quickly died out as his companion threw one of the guards over the edge, only to let her tumble down towards the bottom. "Allie" he made a soft, quiet and beathy voice, barely audible for anyone to hear as she fell. He was using all the willpower he could muster to not reach out and try to save his friend from a fall.

Shooting an annoyed look at the Jedi, Mathieu pushed on down towards the unmarked floor. Once there, he looked down at them and then to Cassie. Begrudgingly, he let out a bitter "Yes". Looking down at them, he called out "Allie, Leon, make sure you don't hit your head against something" With a blaster aimed at them, they quickly understood what was happening. While Allie only moaned in pain, Leon swore as he laid down on the floor, cursing his formed colleague. With two bolts fired and two formed work mates stunned - one gravely wounded - Mathieu turned back to the Knight.

Leaning in against him, he hissed "You could've killed her" and with that, he made a few unintelligible grimaces before letting out a bitter sigh "But it was a good call, Cassie." he said, giving the man a tentative look. Quickly softening, he said "You know I can't say that. But the word on the streets are that she is well protected."

Taking a few deep breaths, obviously preparing himself for what was to come, Mathieu brought out his chaingun and looked to the Jedi with a heavy hand patting him on the back "You ready, Cassie?" he asked before gaining a mischievous smirk "I know you're witty and all, but if things get too heated for you, then stay behind me." While it was said in a lighthearted manner, Mathieu had no idea about the true potency of his ally and was genuine in the offer, knowing that his armour could withstand a few shots - after that, they'd both be in trouble.

Once they were both ready, Mathieu used the keycard which Cassie had given him earlier to get the door open. Dashing in, he quickly tackled another mercenary. With his weapons, heavy armour and large bulk, she was sent flying into the nearby wall and was quickly knocked out as her head impacted against it. He then leveled his chaingun and turned to the right, unleashing a flurry of bolts whilst making a wide sweep, taking out five security droids. It was clear that the level was very heavily guarded as two droids now took aim at him from behind, left to where they came in. And this was just the reception area outside the elevator.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas averted his gaze, he was right but the Kiffar didn't have much of a choice but still he responded with an apologetic "I know." glancing over at the unconscious bodies, he tried to reassure the Morellian "I made sure to push her as gently as possible." before making their way to the unlisted floor. Cas sighed at Mathieu's elusiveness, he expected it, but still the vague information that he gave was eficient enough "Alright, that's good enough."

As Mathieu psyched himself up, Cas took out his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. Following its snap-hiss, his blade created an amber glow in the dim stairwell. The Jedi glanced over at his ally, he appreciated his offer in case things got too heated, but he was too stubborn to go down - he shook his head "I'm good. But thanks." he responded, giving him a genuine smile.

When the Morellian unlocked the door, he was the first one in, and was genuinely surprised at his strength - managing to knock a full-grown woman off her feet and into a wall. The Jedi rushed in behind him, when he saw Mathieu take to the right side, Cas immediately had his back on the left side. With his free hand, Cas extended it out in a sweeping movement, as he did so he used the Force to send out a wave in front of him to knock a few of the droids over. With his lightsaber, he lifted it in front of him and began deflecting blaster bolts as he rushed over to the droids still standing.

"HellOoOoOo, we're wondering if you've seen a Gran? Three eyes, orange about yay high?" he jested, taking out a few of the security droids with a couple of lightning fast swings from his lightsaber. With a few more in front of him, the Jedi Knight performed a Force-enhanced air cartwheel while upside down, he angled his lightsaber above his head and dragged it across some of the droids' heads, destroying them. When he landed on his feet, he plunged his lightsaber through a droid's cold, metallic torso before quipping again "You don't know? That's fine, we'll ask someone else!" as he destroyed the last few droids.

"How're you doin' over there, Matty?!" he called out, cupping a single hand around his mouth to project his voice louder. Once that was over with, Cas noticed the issue of the left and right hallway - he had a suggestion, in order to save time and stop Sirod from escaping they may have to split up in order to break more ground. Meeting back up with the Morellian, Cas would ask if this is what he wanted to do but there was still the problem of the area being heavily guarded, however, Mathieu seemed very much capable of handling himself.

Mathieu Brion