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