Public Casa Canto

[Marion Coeur]

There was one constant in the universe, the capacity in sentients for greed. Many claimed to be patrons of noble causes, do gooders, and protectors of liberties, in end they all sang the same tune, the sound of coin ringing in the coffer bin.

Canto Bight was the heart beat of this reality. The beauroful city was one giant den of money exchanges in the form of gambling. It attracted every sort, Imperials, Alliance, Smugglers, Bounty Hunters, and even Sorcerers they call Jedi. The allure of wealth, the combination of drink, and the company of pretty faces to blow on the dice, hold your arm, and for a price take you for more private entertainments was a concoction powerful enough to seduce even the most disciplined of persons.

Marion had become a regular face at the tables. Her contagious smile, her expressice and big blue eyes, and her purple dress made many want her company. One in particular was an Imperial, Grand Moff Himmel. A man twenty score her age, with black combed hair with grey streaks and white suite with decorated with medals. Marion approached Himmel who was at a red table with Ithorian, Rodian, and two other Imps. Seeing Marion in her beautocul dress, he motioned for a waitee to bring a chair next to his. Marion greeted him with a kiss on tye cheek as she sat in golden armed seat.

“Your late.. my luck has been terrible tonight,” said Moff Himmel.

Marion smiled,

“It takes time to look pretty.”

The Moff scoffed.

“Plenty of the ladies about are pretty and on time.”

Marion squinted, her big eyes belying a revolution.

“That is because they are not ladies.”

Himmel lit a match and puffed his cigar as he threw down some cards.

“You are very direct Marion.”

She placed her hand on his white wrinkled shoulder.

“That is why you like me.”

The Moff puffed another smoke cloud.

“Perhaps..”

The Den of Gambling was alive with noise, people cheering, pulling levers on machines that chimed with the promise of fortune, others laughing as they sipped cocktails in there decadent dress. It was the perfect place to get lost in this little Babylon.

Marion rose up with her silver pocket book in hand.

Himmel coughed,

“Where are you going?”

Marion turned and batted her lashes.

“To the bar, I am famished.”

The Moff threw some chips into the pile.

“Sit.. I will call a waiter.”

Marion persed her lips, wrinkling her nose in smile.

“I can do some things myself.”

The Moff folded his cards.

“Hurry back.”

Marion titled her head down and made wrly smile.

She went to the circuiar bar with its holo projectors. A droid ij the center with oval head and yellow eyes rolled on a metal piping in the floor, attached to the bar itself. Marion took a seat sideways, placing her silver purse on the tan wood counter. The droid asked her what she wanted, she ordered Ubuugu Cavier. Besides her sat a man with unkept hair and beard. He wore robes that were out of place in Cato, either he was a Sorcerer or Farmer. He down a shot of red liquid and turned to Marion.

“You know the guy.. sittin.. at your table.. hes a bad.. bad guy.”

Marion tried to ignore the Drunk, but he persisted.

“You.. know.. what he didz.. what.. he is?”

Marion turned to the Pauper in the Palace of Exchanges, her eye lids fluttering with a chiding smile,
“Pointing the figure is usually the past time of those who are bankrupt of moral authority. You feel that by objecting you are still somehow clinging to what you believed, in truth you are a poor imitation of that person who once had scruples. Indeed.”

The Paupee cried out, “Hes a.. criminal!” Pounding his fist on the table. The commotion drawing guards in red armor and helms with stun batons and holstered blasters.

Marion took her purse, and stood up. The Farm Boy grabbing at her hand, she taking the stool with her leg and heel spun it around into his face, knocking to the ground. Two guards grabbed him and took him to a balcony, tossing him off info the sea. He cried out and there was a splash.

One of the guards approached and gave his apologies, Marion smiled as she took a glass of champagne on the house and walked back to the Moff, a droid brining the caviar on a white plate.

Himmel drew a card and turned to Marion,

“Was it worth the trouble?”

Marion sheepishly smiled.

Meanwhile the Pauper floated to the sand and laid there on the shoreline. He wiped his wet long hair back and pulled out a comlink.

“The Moff is here. Repeat, The Moff is in play”

 

[Anak Darkstar]

The Son of Darkness sat in a booth. The loud chine of coins and the voices full of excitement helped him fade away. All the pain, the misery of existance had brought him here. He held a glass with his black gloved hand and sipped the fermented liquid. Its effects did nothing to numb the ache within. Tossing some coins on the table he stood up, pulling the black leather collar on both sides of his neck.

He made his way outside, a fair sea breeze as the night carried on. The city of Canto was alive with light. Looking down at the shaols which lapped across thick blocks of grey stone, Anak felt impulse to toss himself into the sea. The reflection bore no semblance of who he had been, his amber eyes gone, now filled with same blue of those waves at day. His Mistress had abandoned him, rather he had left her. The Darkness had been his key to “his place in history.” Now he was drowning, standing on pier dreaming of The Void. How bright he burnt, then to burn out. Now what? The fire out.

The Son of Darkness, could he call himself that? Was he its son? Had it all been forced upon him to play the dark role? Had he ever chosen The Dark Side, or was he groomed in it and thus felt entitled to it? Was the severance he now felt its greatest test or had he lost The Mistress forever?

As Anak stood there riddled with questions that gnawed at his mind, he knew one thing for certain, his destiny, whatever that maybe, was at a stand still. Like the pylons holding the ward up, he was driven into the rock and ropes tied around his soul. He had no where to go. So he stood there, hugging the rail, watching the black waves of night bear against the prison, there to wait.

The Force was a fickle witch, and if had caste him out. What he dis now was perhaps the most courageous and stupid of all choices he had made. Heading to the landing pad, where The Dark Star was, he wntered the squid like ship which hummed to life inside.

Taking the pilot console he set coordinates, forty feet beneath the ocean floor.

The Screen came alive with red flash, “WARNING!”

The Son of Perdition pressed the key and descended the ramp. The ship soared over the sea, and then began to descend till it met the water with a great crash, sending great waves to hit the pier, and began to sink, the tentacles going down last.

Anak had buried the past, his connection to the old self. If The Mistress was to find him again, that dark power, he would not be as she left. No longer a spawn of the Dark Star.

Anak walked the pier as the wind blew his black leather trench coat. He was starting over, so best get another drink.

 

[Trace Xyston]

“The Moff is here. Repeat, The Moff is in play”

Those words were the ones Trace had been waiting for. Patiently. For hours. The man that the Elghaseki team had hired wasn't the best (just picked him at random, really) but he did his job. The Lilaste Order would pay him a few dozen credits or so. But the real payday was about to begin.

The Twi'lek, disguised as a waiter in one of the numerous bars in the casino, backed up inconspicuously into the back room. No one was there. Trace slipped off his apron, revealing a crisp white suit and a black tie. After hanging the robe back in the wardrobe, he took the side exit and walked out into the main path of the casino.

He held a hand to his ear and spoke quietly, covering his mouth with his rather tall collar. "Team Six, the Moff is in play. Den of Gambling."

A minute later, he had the moff in his sights. But, with only a blaster pistol, Trace would need to get closer if he wanted a good shot at taking the man out. So he pushed through the throng of casino-goers, scowling at their dress. They practically had credits flowing out of their pockets.

Soon, Trace was in the Den of Gambling, standing across the room from the moff's table. This was it. He looked to his side. An emergency exit. Most likely, an alarm would go off if the door was opened, so that would add confusion and panic to the situation. Just what Trace needed.

The Twi'lek's hand slid to his left hip...and in a second, he whipped out his pistol and fired two shots at the Moff. Without waiting to see if he fell dead or not, Trace burst through the emergency exit, finding himself in a dimly lit corridor. He sprinted down the hallway to the right, not looking back.

"Team Six, I didn't confirm death. Follow up behind me. I took the emergency exit," Trace said. A chorus of "copy" came over the comms, and the wailing of the emergency alarm came over the PA. Chaos. Just what Trace wanted.

Anak Darkstar Marion Coeur

 

[Marion Coeur]

The Moff was drawing a card, an ace, as he moved more chips into the pot. His stoic face unmoved, chistled with imperial authority and years of proving himself.

Marion was tasting the caviar when two holes bursted through The Moff, causing him to fall to the ground, knocking the table with all its chips over. The room filled with screams and hustle of people scurrying to get away. Marion leaned down and cried out, guards headed for the exit in pursuit of the shooter ( Trace Xyston ), firing bolts as they tried to take them down.

Marion placed her hands on the Moff’s cheeks, his breathing was faint, and his pulse weak. Marion drew his head into her lap, tears dropping on his brow. A med droid was deployed and floating stretcher, Marion kissed the Moff, underneath her tongue she rolled a capsule into his mouth before he was taken away.

Marion’s eyes darted to and fro before she leaned down, and picked up a lapel pin. On it was a lense, a camera, she closed it in her hand as walked away from the scene.

The Moff was taken to Med Bay which was overlooking the seaside, a white seashell building. He was rushed into Critical Care where droids applied shocks to restore his heart beat, and another used Kelto in the wounds like a paste, then sealing it with heat. The Moff was then rushed to a Becta Tank, where inside the great glass tube that was laid down like a table, cords of life support applies to his body like black tubes, and a respirator placed over his mouth. The Tank was then tilted into a vertical standing pillar and filled with liquid.

Marion arrived to see Himmel floating in the tank, her great big eyes reflecting his image. A Guard approached and asked her for a statement, which she gave that detailed that nothing was suspicious save the Farmer or Jedi who called The Moff a “Criminal!”

 

[Anak Darkstar]

The Son of Perdition had barely ordered another blood ale when commotion filled the casino. There was the spund of two shors and the accompanying screams. Taking a sip he stepped out on the pier and saw someone dash from an exit, and guards opening fire, red light illuminating the shadows. Anak curious walked to the other side and saw what looked like a team preparing to offer cover fire for their comrade. The whole operation was entertaining. Cato Bight was proving to be a welcome distraction from his own troubles.

The Sith Prodigal did not intervene in what would probably be a shoot out. It was not his affair, he had no idea who was the target was, and in place swelling with avarice it was only a matter of time before someone drew a weapon. What Anak knew is he had an optimal view of what was to be a fire fight.

TAG: Marion Coeur Trace Xyston

 

[Trace Xyston]

Trace ran and ran for his life. Sizzling sounds filled his ears as red laser blasts passed close to his head. He was weaving back and forth, and had so far evaded all the shots. He scowled. He knew he should've worn armor under this tux. Just then, the firing stopped. Trace looked back, and saw three of the seven other members of Team Six trailing behind him. And then another squad of guards broke through the emergency exit, crouching down and firing down the hallway.

In unison, the Elghaseki rolled to the ground, turned, and fired behind them, taking out each of the guards in one shot. They continued to slide, and used that momentum to face Trace again, and get up, continuing the mad dash to leave the planet.

Finally, after running for what seemed like hours, Trace reached the end of the hallway and opened the second emergency door. This one led out to a neatly trimmed lawn, with a low wall "defending" the casino. The squad leader vaulted over the structure and kept running. He activated his comm and said, "Snipers, cover our escape!"

He looked up towards a small ridge, maybe a hundred meters away. Somewhere there, the other four members of the spec ops team were waiting to pick off anyone that decided to chase Trace, Rhomma, Garz, and Traxus.

And so Trace kept running, trusting his comrades on the ridge to keep him safe.

Marion Coeur Anak Darkstar

 

[Marion Coeur]

Marion stood eatching the Modd in the Becta tank, the bubbles rising in the warm waters to his face. She had been his mistress for some time, and grown a fondness for him.

A Med Droid approached and injected a cocktail of nutrients into the cord that was connected to inside ones attached to Himmel all over. Marion sat in a chair, her dress disheveled, and her eyes strained, she watched as the droid attendant left. Then she watched as Himmel began to tremble, his body jerking in the water. His vitals began to drop violently and an alarm rang loudly. Marion turned to leave as the Med droids attended to him, her face stoic, like marble.

Reaching a safe place outside she fook up a comlink and whispered into it, when she noticed someone watching on a balcony, and heard blaster fire. The face that looked at her was handsome, long curly brown hair, and deep blue eyes. Deciding she needed to assess what he knew, she walked uo a white spiral stair case, her heels making thuds, as she came to the Observer. Her lavender dress blowing in the wind, and her great eyes fixed on This Stranger. Was he an Imperial? His attire looked more like those mystical madmen who conquered worlds. She wondered if he was a spy, or if he knew anything about the operation.

Unable to stand the silence much longer, she directed her words to him.

“Nice night.”

TAG: Anak Darkstar
Trace Xyston

 

[Anak Darkstar]

The Son of Perdition was preparing to enjoy the firefight when he noticed a Lady in Lavander, standing with a comlink. She seemed to be having a private conversation when she caught sight of him and ascended the stair case, talking to him.

“Nice night..”

The Sith Acolyte was not particularly in the best mood. Having sunk his inheritance and home, he felt rather poorly.

“Don’t worry.. I could care less about your phone call.”

He turned to look her over, she was pretty. Big eyes like a Bantha, that contained a bit of whimsy as well as concealing some other intent. Her jet black hair was also to his liking, and her smile was pleasant.

“Besides we are in for a show.”

Below Guards converged on Trace Xyston and his team, opening fire in their red armor. The flash of muzzles, red beams dancing in the shadows was beautiful to the Son of Perdition.

 

[Trace Xyston]

It was only moments after he had vaulted over the low casino wall that red flashes of laserfire beamed past him. Trace looked over his shoulder, unholstering his pistol and firing blindly behind him. One of his shots grazed a guard's shoulder, but merely slowed him down instead of killing him.

And then, a shwoop! noise sounded, and that injured guard dropped to the ground, a gaping hole in his chest. The sniper's had found their targets. Trace kept running with faith in the rest of his team, as more and more guards went down, either to Trace's pistol fire, or the sniper shots.

Finally, Trace and his three other undercover troopers crested the ridge and slid down a few meters, seeing the Elghaseki snipers already running towards their speeder. Escape was close. He could only hope the Moff had actually died.

Anak Darkstar Marion Coeur

 

[Marion Coeur]

Marion saw the Team making their evac, the operatives taking down Cato Guards with grear percision. Her big eyes fixed on one soldier Trace Xyston , she pressed a button on her comlink that sent a coded ping.

Then turning to the Dark Man she addressed him more formally, “Forgive my manners, I am Marion Couer.” She studied this stranger. Who was he? Why was he watching the team so intently? Should she employ certain measures or let this play out? All these questions raced through her head.

“What brings you to Cato?”

 

[Anak Darkstar]

The Son of Perdition watched as the Covert Op Team made their escape. He did not care. A Moff had no meaning to him, especially with what he had been through.

The address of this pleasant Woman was soothing. He knew what she was despite her mask, regardless of her spycraft.

“I am Anak.. Anak Darkstar.”

The name now gutted him, for the Dark Star was now drowned at the bottom of Cato’s Waters. The place he had called home for so many years that now he was at last free of.

He now turned her attention to her last question. Her inquisition was much nicer than those he would face on Juntrand.

“I am a Sith.. I have come here to drown my sorrows in drink and perhaps find some rest, which has eluded me.”

His confession was as much a test of her craft as her will. If she was with the Alliance, she might kill him. She was certainly no Jedi, the Midi-chlorians were scant in her. Perhaps if things went smoothy, he could try a relationship with a non-witch, and non-Force Sensitive.

TAG: Marion Coeur

 

[Marion Coeur]

Marion had not met a Sith before, she had always kept her distance from them. She has heard the stories, how they could prob minds with their sorcery and inflict great pain. She wondered if he was already searching her mind. So she decided to fracture, honing her identities, so that now she believed she was a companion to the Moff.

“A Sith? I have never had the pleasure of meeting one. Is it true you can caste lightning from your finger tips or is that a legend?”

She purposely was playing up as an innocent, hoping he would play along and not harm her.