Private Casino Royal

[Makko Vyres]

Corazona von Ascania

The tree had broken his arm and collar bone. Revenge was a Sith concept. He didn't blame the tree. The dragon and its pet sith were at fault. As a jedi, he would have liked to return the favour.

Makko slid the data pad away from himself. He had a new mission. One that would require deception.

A casino with technology to detect almost all forms of tampering. It wouldn't be able to detect his manipulation, but his winning streak would get the attention of the owners. Gangsters with deep connections to the sith order.

“Cora,” he called out. “I'm going to need your help for a mission.”

After everything she had been through, he smiled to himself. With his right arm in a sling, he reached down to pet Estella. Instead she nibbled on his hand , grabbed it and turned it over to check for food. She voiced her displeasure.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

In the room next door, Cora was folding laundry. In the wake of everything that had happened on Ukatis, it felt like an oddly benign thing to do. Wasteful, even.

She'd never taken care of her own laundry growing up. Makko had taught her to do it when they'd moved in together, and now she found folding clothes to be strangely cathartic.

That, and her husband couldn't fold laundry with a broken arm.

"A mission?"

Cora padded her way into the living room with a frown. They'd be leaving for a more permanent assignment on Ukatis soon enough, but the planet was tentatively stable for now. It still made her nervous.

Lula was quick to settled herself atop a pile of shirts.

"What sort of mission?"

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Corazona von Ascania

"A Shadow mission. You will need..."

Makko started to call out, but he stopped when she entered the room. It had seemed so easy to say something that would wind Cora up just a little when she wasn't in the room.

He smile went away. He glanced down and gathered his courage.

"You will need to be my arm candy."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Balancing the laundry basket on one hip, Cora’s hand rested at the other.

She took a moment to scrutinize the change in his demeanor. Eyes cast down, voice just a little softer.

“What?”

An eyebrow twitched.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

"My..."

Makko looked up at Cora. He decided that he would choose a different turn of phrase.

"I need to cheat at cards and dice to get us close enough to read minds. And it would help to have someone looking incredible as a bit of a distraction..."

"...we'd have to spend money on a dress?"

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Her other brow went up. Then, they both lowered. Cora hadn't remembered a mission like the one Makko had described on the council docket, but it was entirely possible that it had been added after their monthly discussion.

"I have enough dresses."

Words she never thought she'd voice, and ones that weren't quite true. From her flat tone, it was clear that she knew exactly what sort of dress Makko had in mind.

She held her free hand out, expectantly, for the datapad.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

Makko handed over the data pad.

"I'll quote that, y'know," he said.

"And..." he went. His smile faded and he offered a small shrug.

"I know there is so much going on right now and I'm asking you to get into a slinky dress and roll dice with me. But it's fairly low risk and out of the way for a few days."

In a moment, he was back to a smile. She didn't need serious every second of the day. Not now.

"What if we bought two dresses?"

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

One brow rose sharply at his quip. With a few swipes, the mission dossier had been pulled up. Cora didn't think that Makko would dare lie to her, but as she scrolled, everything appeared to be in order.

When he reframed the mission in a different light, she tilted her head in consideration. There was much work to be done on Ukatis - and endless amount - but she was still a Jedi, beholden to the Order.

Perhaps, this would be a way to blow off steam without dancing too far outside of their responsibilities.

"Not too slinky," she conceded, and handed the datapad back.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

Makko smiled at her. Every time he did for any length of time, it was easy to let the sad look creep into the corner of his eyes.

Cora had been strong enough to stand against a Sith Lord even in the middle of his trap, but that didn't change what had happened. What had been broadcast.

Makko - perhaps selfishly - thought that he cared more for Cora than anyone else in the Galaxy she deserved better than a sad smile.

"Slinky enough," he countered. This time he smiled properly.

---

"Too slinky?"

Makko had never become accustomed to department stores with helpful staff. He had always loved shopping for clothes, when he could muster the ill-gotten credits, but in thift stores on Denon.

He was, at least, a good bag carrier.

He nodded towards the blue dress hanging from a mannequin.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Hmm."

Cora approached the dress with a sharp eye and pursed lips, as if it had somehow offended her. It wasn't as skimpy as some of his earlier suggestions, and she did like the way the fabric draped over the mannequin's shoulders.

She pinched the cloth of the skirt between her fingers with a discerning hum. Light, yet high quality. It wouldn't fray or pill easily.

"I will try it on," she declared. A victory of Makko in its own way.

After flagging down an associate and getting set up with her correct size, Cora exited the dressing room and made for the tri-fold mirror.

"It's not bad," she conceded while turning to the side. "I like the way it flows. The slits in the skirt are a bit too high for my tastes, and we'll have to pin this closed."

Cora tugged at one of the straps of fabric across the chest. It showed too much skin, but perhaps just enough for their purposes.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"You would make anything look good," Makko said as Cora turned back and forth.

If she liked it enough to wear on the operation, but not enough to wear it in public again then that was a win for him too. That dress was going to see some things.

"We'll get you some tape," he said with a sharp nod.

---

The casino was decorated in gaudy gold, white and black. Makko supposed that when you owned half of the moon, people wouldn't openly reflect upon your taste.

Cora was a familiar face, but in a far away sector of space. Not all broadcasts were sent across the analogue technology of the age. It was a small risk.

Tonight she was Malanna Britz, gold digger of little importance. He was Garuda Pirion, a trader from a few systems over who liked to throw away his credits. He would chest, gain some attention and try and get close enough to the owners to dig around in their minds.

See the two guards watching, he imparted to Cora. Telepathy was an abstract art, but their bond was strong and it was easy to be quite precise when they were close. It was safer than and comm system.

They had to separate for a moment. A metal arch had to be stepped through to enter the gambling floor. It was an advanced scanner.

Beyond it was a range of tables for serious gamblers. Each table was attended by a well dressed croupier. That was a little garish, in its own way. The crime syndicate was showing off. They could afford better than droids at the table. They were people who would be charming and helpful. Draining credits with a merry smile.

"Where should we start?" Makko asked, giving Cora a gormless smile.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora met his telepathic observation with a brush of acknowledgment against his mind.

Let them watch.

She was busy adjusting her hair, which was a little more extravagant than the simple, classic styling she preferred. Gaudy, she'd called it. Too many pins. They'd gotten the idea by searching for baddie tutorials on zikzok.

Where to start?

"With a glass of wine, preferably."

At least their chemistry wouldn't give them away. The way her hands wrapped around Makko's arm was perfectly natural.

The casino was thriving. The sabacc tables were the most crowded.

"I'd say either chance cubes or pazzak. Depending on how lucky you're feeling."

She fluttered her eyelashes for good measure. Hopefully the glue wouldn't come off.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

"Oh I'm feeling very lucky Ms Britz," Makko replied.

The hard work had been down by the intelligence agencies before their arrival. There was enough of a trail of breadcrumbs for them to believe he had the financial weight to afford some losses. Garuda also had a lack of decorum and would roll high.

Before he could answer a tray was held out for them. Elegant champagne coops were filled with glittering amber.

"I think chance cubes," he said. He took a glass without offering thanks and led them towards a table.

See if I'm getting noticed.

At the moment, the Force only told him that Cora's elegant legs were getting attention. Makko pulled up towards a table. One of the casino staff quickly followed, offering a stack of the credit chits he had exchanged for outside the secure area.

Someone was already rolling at the table, but he was welcomed in. He immediately slapped them almost all the casino chits down on the shooter rolling higher. They didn't. The credit chits were whisked away and he simply laughed.