Public Blood In The Cut

[Cord Starfall]

Theed, Naboo
Spaceport


The right-hand slid back the green hood onto the shoulders as her left hand pushed the pressure release on the sith mask so it could be lifted from the head and face. As she pulled the mask from her head, her black locks came tumbling out and her boots stepped off the landing ramp of her ship. For the first time in months her feet felt solid ground. Cord took in a deep breath of the relatively fresh air of Naboo’s spaceport.

She placed the pieces of her mask inside her green long coat and grabbed the satchel sitting on the ramp. She made her way to the concourse of the spaceport; it had been many months since she had stepped foot on ground and years since she had been to Naboo. She managed to make it to the concourse with out running into people mostly cause they seemed to move out of her way quickly. It was probably either her orange glowing eyes or the fact she was clad in armor that made them steer clear of her. It also could have been unease the darkside taint on her soul sometimes gave off.

She had to wonder how far away they would run if she had decided to bring her arsenal with her. She looked around the Concourse until her eyes land on the one place anyone could call how a cantina. It wasn’t long and woman who carried herself like Soldier sauntered up the bar with a nod the Tenders way. “Whiskey Neat.” She spoke with a slight rasp in her voice the tender obliged and began to pour her a glass. As he did so she dropped some creds on him more than the cost of the drink. “Leave the bottle.”

As the Tender walked away, she stared into the amber Nabooian whiskey. Her thoughts began to drift as her satchel was set down to her feet. It would be an hour or more before her buyer would show up for the black box she had in her satchel. It wasn’t often all she was paid to steal just a black box from a spaceship but this one must have been important to someone.

She finally picked up the glass and knocked back the Whiskey in one swig allowing the liquid to burn down the back of her throat.

 

[River Kryze]

How long did Mandalorians have to keep their helmets on? River wasn't sure truth be told, she didn't recall her husband keeping his helmet on every waking moment, but then again he wasn't trying to pass himself off as a woman. Even if he tried, it would have failed disastrously. Omar had never been the bright one in their relationship. Probably the reason why she was here, and he was not. As River set her gear onto the work bench, she sighed, seeing that her work still had a ways to go. The armor wasn't comfortable to wear, and she was going to have to cut her hair if she wanted to make it fit her head; it was going to be a long road to pull this guise off.

Entering the bar, she could feel the eyes set upon her, but thankfully went back to their drinks. The Beskar would have made them look longer, and probably garner a bit more distain. In place of the armor, she took to wearing her white sun dress, something that fit in with the rest of the Naboo people here. Reaching the bar, River flagged down the bartender, and had her drink order put in. "Nal Hutta Shakedown, on the rocks." She leaned onto the counter, her gripping her forehead as she found her mind wandering. Honestly it was a surprise to her that she hadn't lost her mind after everything, now she was walking around posing as her dead husband. It wouldn't bring them back. They were all gone, and no amount of killing was going to change that.

As her drink was set before her, it was quickly snatched up and downed, the liquor scorching her throat as she swallowed. Setting the glass rim down, she shook off the sensation, leaning back onto the counter as the tears began to well up in her eyes. "Another, please."

It was going to be a long night.

Cord Starfall

 

[Brave Capon]

Suddenly, a back curtain of the cantina belched forth a dumbfounded Twi'lek male. He had just enough time to look back-and-forth in panic before a wooden chair smashed headlong into his cranium.

SMASH!

Sending the poor sailor right down into the floor. Unconscious as a daisy.

"Tsk tsk, Mr. Malone."

Came the gruff laughter of a chuckling human male. The infamous, (now retired,) Royal Guard Captain of Naboo Palace. Sir Brave Capon of Naboo himself. He breached the secret curtain and stepped easily over the Twi'leks' body. Dressed all to the nines. Dashing as a duke and looking mighty slim today too.

"Poor sod. Ha."

The Old Man leaned down and began to pat down the body. Looking for clues like any good detective would. Tipping his black bowler's hat with a mean, mean squint.

"Aha!"

He withdrew two sabbacc cards from the unconscious man's vest pockets. Shifters. Playing cards that could shift illegally between two different faces. Very much a cheaters tactic and very, very expensive too.

"I knew you was a cheat Malone. But never did I expect you was gonna cheat me."

The Old Man spit on the body and then stood up to brush off his fantastic purple outfit. His business suit was almost as expensive as the cheater's cards he held in hands.

"Sorry Vinny." He smiled through his white mustache to the counter. Catching the bartender's eye. "I'll throw him in the fresher to sleep it off in a moment."

The infamous card player and lying scoundrel of a Guard Captain, Brave Capon of Naboo, approached Cord Starfall with a gentleman's pish-polished gait. Giving the orange-eyed woman a tip of his, (equally infamous,) black and gold hat.

He leaned over the counter and slowly undid his driving gloves. His chest and feathery eyes never stopping from smiling at the poor beautiful Cord. The silence almost as unsettling as it was warmly familiar. Then he smirked and threw his gloves on the counter like he owned it.

"Do you play cards Miss?"

He let the last words linger. Unsure if he was asking her name or, just musing with his own vanity. Either way, the bartender cracked a local beer and set it down next to him. Right on que.

Brave's dashing eyes flicked over to River Kryze . But, only for just a second. Because much like poker, a skilled gunman never gives away his tells.

 

[Cord Starfall]

Cord was lost in the amber liquid thoughts when a dark-haired beauty walked into the bar. It was like a scene out of those old black and white holovids. There was a sadness behind those eyes and her body language spoke of someone trying to hold it together. Cord only glanced at the woman for a moment and just from that glance she had garnered a few details. Once upon a time, that seemed like thousand years ago Cord had been trained as Jedi investigator of sorts.


She watched from the corner of her eye noticing the watering of the eyes revealing that sadness she had guessed was there when River Kryze walked in. “Tender, her drinks on me and keep them rolling as long as she wants em.” The best way to bury the pain and sadness was in a nice stiff drink in steady supply. Before Cord could supply the second part of her philosophy which was a good drinking buddy a ruckus broke out.

Cord turned her head to see a twi’lek male crash to the floor at the hand of a distinguished looking man. Cord’s eye brow perked up on one side as she watched the interaction there was no need to use deduction for this one it was pretty clear. It reminded her of a former lover actually well more the twi’lek who got the crap kicked out of him for cheating more than the one doing the kicking. That was the problem with dating gambling addicts losing money and always having to back their butts in a fight.


As Brave Capon moved towards the bar giving her a tip of his hat, Cord returned it with a friendly nod. She returned to her drink for a moment out of the corner of her eye he seemed to keep a smile her way. Cord being polite returned the strongest smile she could muster making clear she didn’t smile to often at least not these days.


“If the drinks are free and cheaters are smarter….” The thumb of her gloved hand point over her shoulder back at the twi’lek on the floor. “Then him.” As a pirate she knew everyone cheated but only the skilled ones succeeded.

 

[Brave Capon]

Brave stroked his mustache and gave a faint smile. Then reached for his beer. His eyes seemed to daze off to somewhere far distant. As if he was looking through the very walls of the cantina and out into the great blue sky beyond.

Then he took a drink and just nodded in reply, "Let's hope we're all smarter, than him."

He grimaced a smile and then eyed his glass. Unsure if it was what you'd call half-full or half-empty. Well. Maybe today it was both.

"Here Vinny, sell it and keep the change." Brave withdrew one of the Shifters from his coat. Then handed it to the bar man. "I've no use for cheat cards anymore, anyways."

Then he withdrew the second card and offered it to Cord Starfall . Placing it face-down on the counter next to her.

"I'm told a Shifter Card like this one sells for thousands of credits on the black market. Hard to catch. Impossible to trace. Valuable trade among thieves and perhaps even valuable coin among collectors too."

He looked up and matched eyes with her. Her dark, sulfur raging eyes.

"But I'm curious."

He looked deeper into her eyes. Eyes he'd seen before. His gaze was like a gun man's thousand yard stare. Just like he was trying to scry right into her soul.

"How much do you think a cheap deception like this one is worth? Hm?"

 

[River Kryze]

Being served a second drink, River took the glass and threw it down, nearly throwing up as the taste hit her. She never drank, well hardly ever, after all mechanics and alcohol was a sure fire way to lose a limb. The sounds of antics was drowned out, as the Corellian woman was left to stew with her empty glass and a long list of painful memories. The movement of a figure caught her gaze, and she followed it, linking to the older gentleman arriving at the counter. He seemed an odd sort, dressed a little unorthodox, but truthfully it wasn't any of River's concern.

Feeling the place getting a little too crowded, she went to pay for the tab, only to learn that it had been covered for her. A tad confused, she counted her blessings and moved on; she wasn't going to be eye candy for the public with how she felt right now.

/exit thread

 

[Cord Starfall]

He stared into her eyes like he was looking searching for something. Searing right down to Cords soul that was scarred, tainted, and cursed by the sins of a thousand life times. This galaxy didn’t have enough redemption in it to cleanse Cord of the evil she had brought upon it. If one dug beyond the soul one might find themselves in the depths where the monster lived in endless sea of rage. When monster peered out of Cord’s eyes all it saw was red the stains of the thousands it would kill just to feed itself. Cord felt it growling but lucky for most of the galaxy it was contained and had been for many long years.


Yet she had to wonder what exactly Brave was looking for or if somehow hoped to probe the Master of the forces mind. What ever it was even if he could read her soul and mind all he would find was the wave destruction she was keeping at bay. It was something she herself had come to terms with and learned to live with. She knew who she was and exactly what she was capable of if she ever let loose the flood gates again.


Her hand reached out and touched the card he had laid face down on the counter next to her. She could have read his mind, made him reveal his game to her instead she peered into his eyes that had a moment ago been staring longingly off into a blue sky beyond the cantina’s walls. Her figure tapped the face down Card. “The Idiot.” She said with a smirk her eyes pulling away towards the card under her finger.


She slipped her index finger under the card and held it between her index and middle finger as she flipped it over.


Revealing The Idiot Card

"And the Evil one." She said tapping the card with her thumb changing the face.

"The Evil one is really underwhelming, can't really play it unless everyone at the table is really drunk. Circuitry seems well woven into the card though a good slicer could maybe fix it. I would say your look at a couple hundred creds at best." That was her best guess though she wasn't an expert at appraising modern tech. You bring her something old though she could probably given a more accurate price. Though Brave Capon had peaked Cords interest now with what ever game he was playing.

"Names Cord." She said as she sat the card back down on the counter.


(OOC: sorry for my crappy quick Photoshop on the evil one card. I just wove it into the story. lol)

 

[Brave Capon]

She was good. Maybe even great? Ah, and that made Brave give a big, honest-to-God, smile.

Well well. "Cord." He nodded with satisfaction at the name. As if musing it over once or twice. Then he smiled again and looked away. Taking a big swing of his beer and a large deep breath. Calming down maybe in the first time since forever.

"Well then." He nodded to the card, "Welcome to Naboo, Cord. I think you'll fit in just fine around here."

He reached into his vest pocket and removed another card. Then, with a flick of the wrist, it changed from a simple playing card into a neatly decorated business card. Just like that.

"Of course. If you just so happen to get into any trouble with those lovely red eyes of yours? You just give me a call, okay. Never hurts to have friends in low places."

He smirked as he said that. The word. Trouble. Then he held out his business card. Aloft in the air like a perching opportunity. Trouble. Trouble indeed.

"And you do be careful now Miss Cord. This planet's got a lot folk with eyes, just like yours."

Then he put the card on the counter. Just so.

He didn't smile when he said that. CIS didn't smile about it nether. But it was a truth that Naboo and her vaulted Palace guard had come to grips with long ago. Where there's power, there's always the Dark Ones too.

"Now. You have a pleasant day, and do enjoy yourself around our fine city. Whether in flowers, cinnamon, silks, in saton, or in gold. We always aim to please."

He gave a slight tip of his hat and gathered up his loose gloves, as if to leave. He grabbed his beer, his belt, and frankly ignored the body he'd left behind too. Then aimed his sharp eyes at the door.

The name on the business card read: "Brave Capon. Retired Captain of the Queen's Guard. Pilot, Chef, Gambler, and owner of the Dancing Coin Hotel." Truly a mouthful to say, a morsal to read, and even worse when it's printed in gold and stamped on a card with a potent flowery scent.

"Good luck Vinny. I'll see ya later."

"Yep." The bartender sighed with an eye towards the unconscious man on his floor.

Darn Brave. He never cleaned up his own mess.

Oh,

And she could keep the Shifter. Brave didn't need any more demons anyway.

Cord Starfall