Bounty Cards of Chance

[Kiff Brayde]

S C O U N D R E L

Royal Flush Casino
Starshine District Fondor

By all accounts, Kiff Brayde -- scoundrel, cheat, naval extraordinaire -- should have been enjoying his early retirement on some resort world far from the center of anything in the galaxy. After all, more or less, he had earned it. He had spent the larger part of his lif training, fighting, and winning, all in the name of the Confederacy. But over Rhand. . . blood had been shed. Good men and women had given their lives in the name of incompetent commanders, messy execution, and a war that was pointless in the first place. Kiff's resignation from the Ministry had been part protest, part his attempt to take responsibility for his failures.

And what better way to numb his emotions than a rousing game of Sabacc?

The House was good tonight; as it should be, since technically Kiff owned a controlling share at the Royal Flush Casino. A fine establishment in the financial capital of the Confederacy, Fondor's premier gambling house was full of the Galaxy's elite in their finest suits, all hoping to make fortunes, most simply squandering them away. It was good business to have high-profile guests, and Kiff. . . well, even though he was now unemployed in the bluntest of terms, his reputation and skill with cards more than preceded him. Enough to draw a crowd.

Hundreds watched on tiered seating as a Klatoonian threw up his cards in rage, storming off from the table now-unoccupied except for Kiff, a trail of curses following him. Kiff simply smiled devishly as he collected his winnings, to the approval of the crowd. They had come for a show, and so far, Kiff's antics had delivered. If one thing could be sure, profits would be up tonight.

All he had to do was keep it coming.
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[Tawnita Wren]

TAG: Vren Rook Kiff Brayde
Ancilliary Tag: Aela Wren Verin Oldo


It really was amazing. Quite something.

Not the locale; Fondor was just one of a great many city-planets that specked the galaxy, their vast sprawling populations crawling together in a sludge of technology and vanity, vast cathedrals of durasteel and glass, championing each other for dominance in the skies.

Not the company; Vren Rook was as old a companion as Tee could count on. Their past was checkered, to say the least, but they had entered into a new normal, a healthy and fruitful working partnership that only encountered the odd awkward silence every now and then.

Not the casino; she had seen plenty of dive bars that were dressed up like this. It didn’t matter whether you were on Coruscant, Tatooine or Scarif, ‘a bar was a bar was a bar.’

This one just liked to fleece as much as it could out of wealthy patrons.

No.

What was amazing was just how many concealed weapons a pair of Mandalorians could bring into a casino in central Fondor.

Tee stood in a corner booth, watching a table, from the lowest of the tiered seating she had managed to procure. She looked down at a holo display in her hand.

“Are you sure that’s him? He’s not much the looker but he’s definitely piled on the kilos since this headshot was taken.”

She smirked, her helmet obscuring her face. The credentials that had permitted their entry even with their armour on were strong ones; agents working for the Ministry of Influence. They had managed to get them smuggled out and coded for them by various contacts on Scarif. Yet another drink she owed Aela.

She looked down at Vren. He was calculating as per usual, some various scheme or other whittling away. The place was busy and well-stocked full of armed security details, private and personnel no doubt. The former Minister of War would be a target, no doubt, to less scrupulous types. He would be lucky if he was detained by one of her team, that was for sure.

The plan was to wait it out. Take stock. Gamble with the time. She wasn’t going to be playing sabacc; this prize was worth chasing for a little longer than a card game. He’d have to leave at some time or somebody foolish would do something. Tee and Vren would be there to mop up the pieces and take over.

She murmured into her comm to Vren.

"Minister Oldo said that 'though this man might be a ‘quantifiably enormous nerf’, we shouldn’t take too many chances.' He’d put up a fight.”

She was sure she could hear Vren smile widen at that comment. She quite enjoyed it when a challenge was presented to him. He always rose to the occasion in spectacular form.

 

[Leonard Godwin]

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I N V I C T Y R A
Kiff Brayde | Tawnita Wren | Aela Wren | Vren Rook | Verin Oldo​

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ONE must never, no matter the temptation, display their inner nature for all to see.​

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It's the very reason why Invictyra had chosen a host of noble birth, of mundane ordinarity in the eyes of the Force. Why he had decided against the typical folly of his lesser kin, beings already masters of the Force.​

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It was why he prospered where they failed. It was why he could blend in to crowds and make his bargains. Everybody expected the Dark Side's Cultists to take and give naught in return, just as they expected the Light Side's Adepts would give, and expect naught in return.​

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But one of them? An ordinary man who had no mystical force guiding his actions and swaying him one way or the other? A regular man who's only gain from deals was monetary? It was perfection.​

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They never expected somebody who had no alignment, or even connection, to the Force to fool them, con them into giving up their spirits. When he slipped his request for their connection to the Force into his deals, his absurd, Eldritch prices, into conversation... ​

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He was met with laughs, and if he wasn't, he slid a proper price onto it. Accompanied with a preluding conjunction and an eccentric grin, of course.​

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-​

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But just because he dealt in deceit didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a game or two with the mundanes. Even if his idea of a game was to toy with them, outplay them at the things they themselves created. And, of course, make a deal or two along the way if the opportunity presented itself.​

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His pace was slow, an almost predatory stride, his blood-red eyes locked on the man at the table as he approached, lowering his tall, thin frame into the seat across from him. He ran a hand through his bark-brown hair, slicking it back.​

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Leonard sat there, staring at the man across from him, a light, tight, smirk forming on his face. A hand straightened out his vest, a bloody red with faint, white pinstripes. His other hand raised itself, adjusting the spectacles he had absolutely no need for.​

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"You know, for a price, I could let you leave. Here and now. There's no shame in playing it smart, cutting your losses, and leaving with a few specks of dignity still intact."​

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At this, Invictyra drew his leg up and over the other, black suede pants with a similar faint, grey pinstripe design. His black-booted foot hung somewhat free, and the Ignoble Lord drew a pale, slender hand up to his collar, straightening the blood red tie against the black button-up beneath.​

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As much as he enjoy the fame of people knowing his name and title, it simply wasn't good for business. So here, amongst them, he was Leonard Godwin. If they asked his name, that is. Most didn't.​

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[Vren Rook]

THE IRRITATION: Tawnita Wren

THE COMPETITION: Leonard Godwin

THE TARGET: Kiff Brayde

OUTLAW​

Fethin Fondor.

What was it with kids and having to gamble on chit stains for planets? What was it with kids and gambling, period? They were throwing it all away so early on in their lives.

Vren leaned against a table while looking at the kid they were supposed to be taking in alive.

"Minister Oldo said that 'though this man might be a 'quantifiably enormous nerf', we shouldn't take too many chances.' He'd put up a fight."

Vren chuckled at her interpretation of the new Minister of Defence based on Hefi. The man was a character to behold, for sure. He always seemed to be uncomfortable between the Mando'ade. It was quite....quaint.
"Looking at that kid now, I doubt he'd be much of challenge in the physical sense. Not against us, at any rate. From what I've read, he's dangerous in a ship and that's about it." he told her.

His peripheral caught a flamboyant individual that sat down across from their quarry. There was something about the man that put Vren on edge, though he couldn't put his finger on it. Keying in some commands on his vambrace, his armour systems, audio sensors among others, honed in on the sabacc table.

There was quite a bit of background noise that his systems tried to clean up until finally -

"You know, for a price, I could let you leave. Here and now. There's no shame in playing it smart, cutting your losses, and leaving with a few specks of dignity still intact."

Vren let out a slow exhale through his nose.
"I don't know why I think this, but I think we have company." he told Tee. "I hope you can handle your cards. If he gives us trouble....shoot him. Preferably in the leg or in the hand only, all right?" He knew full well she could be trigger happy if she wanted to.

Straightening his frame, he moved down the tiers to the card table below, rocket boots clinking slightly as he went. Upon reaching the table, he clapped a hand on the shoulder of his bounty as he passed to take a seat.
"Deal me in, friend." he said, the smile in his voice evident as his face remained obscured by his helm. Leaning back in his chair, he rested both arms on the table, angled nonchalantly at both Brayde and the newcomer in red. To the unknown eye, it would seem he was just reclining and waiting for his cards to be dealt. Tee, on the other hand, would know that he was ready to fire off the arsenal in his vambraces should anyone try anything.

In an establishment like this, he was glad to have her at his back.

 

[Kiff Brayde]

S C O U N D R E L

Location: Royal Flush Casino
Tag: Tawnita Wren | Leonard Godwin | Vren Rook

Kiff's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly as the first challenger took his seat. The man was far from inconspicuous; a tall, thin frame with blood-red eyes and matching blood-red vest. There was an air of dangerous confidence about the man, too, like Kiff was prey being surveyed by a predator to see if he was tasty meat.

"Your offer is intriguing," Kiff responded, and he could feel the silence around him as the crowd waited with baited breath. "I let you play. You get your brief thirty-minutes of fame. And at the end of it, if your bank account has a few thousand credits less? Well then, I would call that money well spent." The crowd cheered, the atmosphere now brimming with excitement.

They would not be the only ones, however. A gloved hand clapped his shoulder from behind, and the hand was revealed to belong to a third man -- a Mandalorian. His battle-worn armor was a stark contrast to the fine livery of the first challenger and looked out of place in the high-end casino, but no one was begrudging for it. If the first man had been interesting, then a Mandalorian playing meant a night of intrigue and excitement. No doubt word would travel through the sector fast, and the Casino might be poised to make a fortune tonight.

Nonchalantly the Mandalorian took his seat and requested that he be dealt in, the tone in his voice friendly though his face was obscured by their signature's helmets. Kiff's swashbuckling smile did not leave his face, but his mind was already launching into tactical mode. Mandalorians didn't just come to play cards; most of their kind worked as bounty hunters, mercs, assassins, the whole track. Last when Kiff had been Minister, a group had been contracted by the Confederacy to keep the underworld from making too much trouble, but since then the Holo's had reported that they had left the Confederacy for Wild Space. So then, what was one doing here?

One thing was for sure; the Mandalorian would have to have balls of beskar to try and do anything here, so publicly. Kiff wasn't in any immediate danger -- so he played on. "I like your swagger." He gave a wink towards the Mandalorian. "Droid," he called to the house droid, an elegant Roble model that had been kept off the markets so far as to add to the casino's status, "deal these fine gentlemen in."

The droid rolled up and began gathering the cards, quickly with artificial precision. "The game will be Sabacc, Corellian Spike variant. All inquiries to the rules of the game may be made. Failure to comply will result in forfeiture. I shall now deal the first hand." With rapid precision, the first two cards were dealt to each player. Kiff looked at his own surreptitiously his face a mask of confidence. A ten and a five.

"One thousand, five hundred," he called his first bet as he turned his cards face down and leaned back. Above them, a rotating holo flashed to life with a display of the bet, and the crowd looked eagerly to see his opponents reaction.

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[Leonard Godwin]

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I N V I C T Y R A
Kiff Brayde | Tawnita Wren | Vren Rook ​

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THE wisdom of a hunter is to never forget that the rights to prey are inexclusive. The wisdom of a merchant, however, is to never forget that everybody can be a customer. These were the thoughts circling around within the Invictyra's mind as his predatory gaze fell upon the armour-clad man approaching the table.​

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It took his gaze a brief, lingering moment for him to figure that nobody who cared for their being a Mandalorian would find their day's entertainment in a casino. At a Sabacc table, no less. And nobody who cared for the armour's many benefits would wear it into a casino.​

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He smirked, quaintly, at the man, crimson eyes staring over the rim of his spectacles, like needles towards the man's visor. He raised his hand once more, gesturing loosely towards the open seats, his gaze falling back to the man who was at the table before him. Some mundane scoundrel.​

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"Oh, my good fellow... I think this night will be memorable for more than just the exquisite card game- And it'll most certainly take longer than thirty minutes-s"​

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With that, he inclined his head, drawing his elbows up onto the table, resting his chin upon his thumbs and interlocking his fingers. Leonard inclined his head, pressing his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose, absently.​

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He kept a light chuckle to himself, tucking it away in his mind, as he observed the exchange of pleasantries between the two mundanes. Seeing them interact in such a way was quaint. It always was. It had some sense of nostalgia to it, the soft treachery, the light lies, the hidden intent...​

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It was marvellous.​

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In a way, he almost, almost, felt pity for the mundanes. What misfortune had befallen their souls to be made in such boring, bland bodies...​

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He allowed himself a light grin, behind his closed fist, the gesture hidden. His eyes glided over to the droid as it approached. A model he had yet to see amongst the Galaxy. Taking into account the confidence of the man in front of him, his clothing and the crowd cheering him on, as well as the way with which he commanded the droid...​

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The droid may be exclusive to this casino, that Invictyra did not deny. But it was hardly special in any way. He slid a hand away from the other, waving it slightly, dismissively. He had no questions for the droid. Corellian Spike was hardly new to him, though not his preferred variant.​

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As evident by logic; the first man there, coincidentally the crowd favourite, was first dealt and first to bet. Invictyra was delighted by the bet, in fact. Not too high that the game rose prominently to the heights of ridiculousness, and the crowd began to question whether they were truly wealthy enough to bet so heftily, or if they were bluffing.​

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Yet, it was not low enough for it to be boring. Nobody worth his interest bet low.​

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Leonard kept his body perfectly still, only allowing the almost inhumanely shallow rise and fall of his chest to remain. As he was dealt, his hand was already moving to place his hand face down upon the table. He turned his head, looking at the scoundrel once more.​

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"I raise your bet by the same."​

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He was rather confident in his cards. A zero, with a four to follow.​

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[Vren Rook]

TAG: Kiff Brayde | Tawnita Wren | Leonard Godwin

DIGGIN' MY OWN GRAVE​

Helmets were nice.

He didn't have to put on a sabacc face, nor did he have to hold back the sinister glint in the eye. He could happily sit there with a smirk on his face as he assessed the situation.

Brayde may have been Minister of War up until recently, but that title held little importance to the Karjr. The man was still a boy in his eyes. But the other gentleman at the table instilled a caution that Vren couldn't exactly put a finger on as to why. The Mando'ade wasn't stupid enough to launch a rocket in the table right off the bat, but he wasn't above causing a scene in order to grab a bounty and go either. Prefsbelt IV Command was expending every resource necessary to have this man captured.

What did this kid do to piss off the Admiral Regent of the New Imperial Navy?

Either way, the credits were good and economically bolstered the Enclave as a whole. So he continued to recline for now as the droid dealt them in. Brayde gave his bet while the finely dressed gentleman raised it. Vren was by no means a wealthy man. But he had no intent on paying up or even to finish the game at all. But for now, he played along. Checking his cards, he raised a brow, thankful for his helmet. A two and a six.
"I'll match." he said, looking at the spectacled gentleman, his voice still holding his smile through the helmet.

 

[Tawnita Wren]

Kiff Brayde Leonard Godwin Vren Rook

She watched. She mused. She pondered. She desperately tried to catch the attention of the attendant. She motioned several times, her right arm desperately waving to get a refreshment in the chilled air but to no avail.

She grunted, her fingers rapping across the table in front of her. She watched on as the game went ahead, sluggish and painful in its fashion. She didn't know why Vren was entertaining the target. The two of them could simple apprehend him now and take him on their way with little no struggle. The payout would ensure that all manner of repairs could be undertaken on the Mother Abbess, the ship they had landed in the system in.

But here she was. Watching Vren play cards. Again.

She looked on, taking in the surroundings. It was getting busier and the music was getting ever louder, the thick, repetitive beat beginning to severely get on her nerves. Thoom thoom thoom.

She wished she was back on Kestri.

She wished she wasn't watching a card game.

She really wanted a drink.

She stood, making her way to the nearest bar. Their table would be fine unattended, she figured. Nobody would dare steal a Mandalorian's table...

 

[Kiff Brayde]

S C O U N D R E L​

Location: Royal Flush Casino
Tag: Tawnita Wren | Vren Rook | Leonard Godwin

"The first betting phase has concluded," the droid announced as the Mandalorian matched Kiff and the other man's bet. "I will now distribute the spike cards."

The hexagonal slid deftly across the tabletop to Kiff, who smoothly added it to his hand without revealing it to anybody but himself; a skill that came with many, many hours spent playing the game. He had joked on many an occasion that the Bassadro Sector Armada had run so smoothly that he needed to spend only an hour administrating his sector with the rest of the time free to pursue his dreams of becoming a galaxy-class gambler. The joke had been taken literally by less intelligent minds, but despite heavy lobbying to the contrary Kiff had ended up as Minister of War regardless, and exited on his own terms. Now he was quite literally living the high life, a welcome respite from constant blunders, misdirections and war.

And the card served only increased his mood. A negative ten, making his sum value five. He wasn't bluffing anymore: he had a foot firmly in the circle. "Seven-hundred fifty," he declared, anteing up the bet, opting not to buy a card and risk his hand.

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[Leonard Godwin]

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I N V I C T Y R A
Kiff Brayde | Tawnita Wren | Vren Rook ​

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HE cast a single glance around the table, spectacles slipping a miniscule, insignificant, fraction of an inch down his face. Yet, without fail, a single, slender finger rose to meet the change, pushing it back.​

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As the round closed, his grin widened. Invictyra sensed an inordinary amount of suspicion in the man hidden beneath the helmet. More than one might normally exhibit at a game of Sabacc. Moreover, it was a different kind. The kind that came hand-in-hand with an ulterior motive.​

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Of course, it was hard to miss the clues. No Mandalorian went to a casino. No Bounty Hunter went to a casino in armour. Unless they had a score to settle, or a bounty to collect. In the modern galaxy, however, the two seemed to be more-or-less mutually inclusive. Rarely were bounties picked up by somebody who didn't have something against the unfortunate soul with a price on their head.​

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Rarely did somebody have a problem with somebody who didn't have a bounty on their head, may be a better way to phrase it.​

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Leonard leaned back in the chair, hands still clasped; fingers still intertwined. The only difference was that they now laid in the dead-centre of his lap. He cast a light smirk towards the masked-man, a light glint in his eye.​

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"So, I'll take it that you're a Mandalorian? Truthfully, my good fellow- I didn't know one was given an abundance of credits for wearing shiny armour and playing Sabacc;"​

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The dealer droid dealt him his card as he spoke, and the not-so-gentleman took it with grace. Not the same gambler's deftness as the scoundrel who'd been here first, but with an almost aristocratic grace.​

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"Or do you have a day job that pays for the Sabacc? You really must be the model office worker. Filing documents... Putting up the ole fisticuffs at a bar fight... same skillset, no?"​

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Leonard didn't need the same practiced moves as the scoundrel to hide his card, as he lifted it up, adding it to his hand. No, a strange shadow loomed over his deck, an unnatural shadow. The kind one only noticed if they looked at it. The kind that hid what his hand was from prying eyes.​

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It was amusing, however, that he hadn't even needed to cheat. He already had a winning hand. A four, which brought his total up to Zero.​

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[Vren Rook]

TAG: Kiff Brayde | Leonard Godwin | Tawnita Wren
GEAR: In bio

KILLIN' FLOOR​

"So, I'll take it that you're a Mandalorian? Truthfully, my good fellow- I didn't know one was given an abundance of credits for wearing shiny armour and playing Sabacc;" "Or do you have a day job that pays for the Sabacc? You really must be the model office worker. Filing documents... Putting up the ole fisticuffs at a bar fight... same skillset, no?"

The T-Visor turned toward the gentleman.
"Just because I choose to follow the Creed, doesn't mean I live in poverty, friend." Vren said, the smile still evident in his voice. Yet, in truth, he was growing more and more suspicious of the man. There was something off about him, but the Karjr couldn't put his thumb on it.

As his turn came, he drew his card with more skill than one would expect a Mandalorian to have.

A brow lofted behind his helmet as he looked at his card. Not a bad hand in all. Could be better, could be worse, the two he drew pushed him to a negative six. Not that it would matter in the end, as he wasn't planning on sticking around.

In a split second, he kicked into action. From the left vambrace aimed in Brayde's direction, a whipcord shot out to wrap around the ex-minister. At the same time, Vren's hand struck out at the arm of the suspicious man in an attempt to stun him with the stunners lining his hands.

He was on his feet instantly.
<TEE, TIME TO GO!> he hollered at Tawnita Wren as he jumped towards Brayde and to also to get out of immediate range of the other gentleman should the stunners have had no effect on him. It was a gamble, pulling such a stunt within the casino. But the Karjr wouldn't have achieved what he had over the years if he had just sat meekly and watched life go by.

The game was now afoot.

 

[Tawnita Wren]

Kiff Brayde Vren Rook Leonard Godwin



Tee spat out her drink. She had finally managed to obtain one, a cool, rich, spiced something or other blended on some Outer Rim nowhere. She was livid. A moment of peace was ruined by the hot-headed Vren. Ooft.

She grabbed her helmet, putting it back on straight away. At this stage, it didn't matter if they knew their faces. What they were trying to do would make them pretty infamous.
She stood, drawing a small pistol that had been concealed inside of her armour, set into the left pack on her hip. She engaged it, wielding it in the face of a screaming patron, the cacophony of noise and panic escalating as she watched Vren tackling the target.
She jumped forward, side-swiping an oncoming security soldier with her elbow. She lurched towards Vren's rear, standing with her back towards him as he did his work. She called into the comm within her helmet.

"We haven't got long, lover-boy. Time to wrap this up"

She chuckled to herself. Amongst the pandemonium, she was still witty. She monitored the local traffic, the back and forth of encoded messages and thinly veiled challenges.

"We've got troopers on their way."

 

[Leonard Godwin]

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I N V I C T Y R A
Kiff Brayde | Tawnita Wren | Vren Rook ​

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IT is always in a demon's best interest to maintain the lowest profile possible; Till the very last moment, that is.​

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As each moment ticked by, Invictyra grew more and more weary, disregarding the grand scheme of the evening and it's own short-term goals in favour of the finer details of the current situation. The Entity held no doubt as to how it's evening would end. Fate rarely saw fit to play in his favour without throwing in a twist.​

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Leonard positioned himself further back in his chair, eyes watching the Mandalorian. Every bit of the situation struck him as wrong. Mandalorians did not simply appear in casinos, fully clad in armour, and happily play a game of Sabacc with such a large crowd. Those who chose to keep their helmets on certainly did not speak with smiles in their voices.​

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Then he struck out. First, a grappling line of some sort. Fired at the patron and host of the game. Then, a hand grabbing for Leonard. A hand that Invictyra did not appreciate. A threat, though one not severe enough to warrant he break his cover; especially amongst a crowd so numerous.​

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A grasping hand was not easy to counter, not subtly. However, given that subtlety had all but gone out the metaphorical window at this point, the Entity chose instead dodge the attack. One moment, the slender form of Leonard Godwin was still in the chair sat at the table, the next he was standing a metre away from it and adjusting his cuffs.​

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His cuffs were perfectly fine, however, kept in a state of constant immaculacy to match his outfit. The gesture was merely a guise, a way to mask the subtle flick of his hand that uprooted the seat from the floor and flung it in the direction of the Mandalorian, now joined by a compatriot. The chair had hardly any force behind it, a result of the carelessness with which it was thrown. An act of retaliation.​

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Truthfully, he had no intent to linger in the casino... and yet he remained, a devilish grin forming on the man's face, his eyes seeming to gain a malevolent glint; Or perhaps it was just light reflecting off his spectacles?​

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