Daemon in the System

[Cryax Bane]

Location: Cryax Bane's office, Dragon Palace Casino on Antecedent

Kicked back in his Corellian leather chair, eating some takeout from a nearby Melahnese restaurant, Cryax Bane, Red Ravens secretary, was currently on his lunchbreak in his terminally messy office. Lifting his favorite spicy dish, fodu with green fire sauce, to his lips with thin Durasteel chopsticks, the young Chiss multi-tasked on his Datapad, looking up every now and then with his glowing red eyes to catch a sudden explosion or a speeder chase in the action Holo he was watching.

Although the Red Ravens were still at war with the Black Sun, it had been fairly quiet at the casino in recent days, especially with Mr. Rigger's increase in those new security droids. Perhaps it was the quiet before the storm, but something told him he should check in on the action on the casino floor. As he absently glanced towards the Holo cam feed, the Chiss slicer saw a familiar figure being detained in the casino's security room. Cryax did a double-take. The shaggy red-hair, tattoos, and smart allecky grin were unmistakable. What was Pr0xy doing stunned-cuffed in the security room?

Cryax jumped on his commlink and gave some orders for two Mirari Security Droids to bring Jalek Sathora to his office. In a few minutes, his door opened with a hiss and the two droids dumped the other slicer, still cuffed, into the messy floor. With a nod, the towering pair stood at the closed door, staring straight ahead in rapt attention ready to move at the Chiss' command.

Cryax sat back in his chair, smirking, his hands folded behind his head, feet up on the desk. He adjusted his glasses and stared the cuffed man squarely in the face, his brow raised.

"Sorry I didn't have time to roll out the red carpet for you, Jalek. You see, I was on my lunchbreak." Cryax gestured to his takeout which was getting cold. "Let's just say you'd better have a fething good reason to interrupt it."

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Casting a final look back at the droids that had brought him in, Jalek pushed himself to his feet, taking time to hook a chair over with his foot and sit down, making himself as comfortable as he could with his hands cuffed behind him, which, all things considered, wasn't much. Only then did he acknowledge the man in front of him, trademark crooked grin still on his face despite his situation. Being in cuffs wasn't a strange scenario for him, nor was being drug before this or that crime boss. But who said person was changed things. "Well, if you want a good reason, then you'd better get back to what it is you were doing before." His gaze flicked to the Holo he was watching, and he nodded toward the screen. "Oh, and he dies in the end, so you know. Now you don't have to bother with the rest of it. There are decent fight scenes, though." He kept his tone light, as if this was an everyday conversation.

"Why do you think I'm here? Let's think a little bit before asking an obvious question. I'm a slicer, you're a slicer, this casino happens to have one of the biggest encrypted networks for miles...put two and two together. I assume you're intelligent enough for that. Or maybe your looks precede you." At the last comment, which could have been interpreted as flirtatious depending on how he looked at it, he raised an eyebrow. "Other than that, apparently there are some rooms that are off limits, and your security is better than I thought. Normally I'd say good for you, but considering the situation, I don't have much praise."

With a faint smile he let his eyes wander to the Chiss' lips before looking back to his eyes. "Still taken? Because I'd be happy to give you another demonstration of how things get done in the Renegades. Apparently a bit different than how everything goes down here on Antecedent. Nice droids, by the way." He tugged experimentally on the cuffs, not putting much effort in the motion, knowing it was all but useless. "And the cuffs were a nice touch. But if you missed me this much, all you had to do was send a quick message over the HoloNet, Bug." He referred to him by the alias with a slight smirk, adjusting his position once more.

"A red carpet would be nice, next time. Might make this all seem more welcoming. And you could use a different paint job."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

A couple of droid heads went flying as Cryax slammed his hand down on the desk with some swearing in Cheunh "Kteh! You did not just spoil the ending for me!" He shook his head and sighed, glancing at one of the Miraris. "It's ok, you can uncuff him now." The droid quickly pressed a security code on Jalek's stun cuffs and removed them, returning to its nearby position.

As Jalek went into his spiel, Cryax appraised the other slicer with his glowing red eyes. Once he was finished, he pointed a blue-skinned finger at the man accusingly. "Ok, Jalek. Level with me. You're working for the Suns aren't you? Your actions reek of casing the place out for another casino attack so don't play coy. However much they're paying you, I assure you it's not worth the kind of punishment that's going to rain down on your head for this." Then he dumped his cold food into the trashcan with a scowl.

As Cryax suspected as soon as Jalek was brought in, the red-haired slicer was flirting with him like he had back at the betting club. Despite himself, Jalek's inquiry about his relationship status brought a slight grin to his face. It really wasn't any of the man's business but he gave him the information if only to see what kind of reaction it would get. "As a matter of fact, I'm single now," he said with a frown, straightening up some papers on his desk. "And I've had enough of your demonstrations, but thanks for the offer."

"Now are you going to answer my question truthfully? Or am I going to have to get those droids to give you a demonstration of how things get done in the Red Ravens?"

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Once the cuffs were released he rubbed his wrists, unable to stop the grin that crossed his face as the man pressed with the questions. It was amusing that Cryax was so convinced that he worked for the Black Suns. Apparently no one could slice just for fun anymore, and they had to be working for one major group or another. But, unfortunately for the man across from him, he wasn't. It was whether he'd believe him that was up in the air, as this time, Jalek actually was telling the truth. Which was a rarity in and of itself. "No matter how disappointing it might be for you, I'm not working for the Suns. Believe it or not, some of us still like to slice for fun. Not all of us are strictly business. There's this thing called getting out, and I think you might like to try it sometime. Maybe with a partner." There he flashed a teasing smile.

"But if things get done in the Red Ravens the same way they do in the Renegades, then I wouldn't mind a demonstration. Especially if you're the one giving it." Now that his hands were free he scooted his chair closer to the desk in front of him, resting his arms on the desk and leaning forward to study him with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. "And I was telling the truth there, slicer's honor and all that. Or you can knock me around and get the same answer, but I'd rather save the trouble."

For a moment he considered lighting a cigarette, but decided against it for the time being. Normally one that wouldn't care what others thought, this time he decided to pass on the opportunity, smart enough to know when he was pushing things. But that didn't mean any of his comments had to stop. "Single, huh? And you didn't let me know? I'm disappointed. I really thought we were better friends than that. You were even kind enough to bring me to your office with an escort. I have a feeling nobody else gets such special treatment." He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "I'm afraid I can't return the favor. Not all of us are such big shots in the slicing world. Then again, you didn't seem to mind my first demonstration of hospitality."

Resting his head on his arms, he looked up at Cryax through his shaggy hair that fell over his forehead. "Is that it for questions? However much I'm glad to be able to pay a visit, this isn't quite what I had in mind for our time alone together."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

As Jalek moved closer to Cryax, the Mirari security droids both stepped forward a few paces like clockwork, but when the Chiss raised a thin blue-skinned hand, they stopped. Cryax had to admit, Jalek's slicing skills were good. The best he'd seen in a while. He was in a mind to see if the man was interested in joining the ranks of the Ravens. Cryax knew that the only reason the red-haired slicer got caught in this time was because of the extra security measures the Ravens had put into place. After all of those attacks, the Dragon Palace Casino was as impenetrable as a fortress. Still unsure of his veracity, he decided to entertain the notion that the other slicer was telling the truth, if only because putting Jalek on the defensive wasn't going to yield much anyway.

At the other man's flirty comments, Cryax blushed despite himself. He wouldn't have admitted it, but Jalek was right about one thing. He had enjoyed the feeling of the other man's lips on his. More than he wanted to admit. It was a confusing feeling that he had tried not to dwell on too much, and so he had gone back to business as usual after the night at Below Zero. Until now.

As there was still street cred to maintain, Cryax couldn't afford to give any quarter. As one of the leaders of the biggest criminal syndicates this side of the Outer Rim, he had to maintain some control over the Jaleks of the world, especially when they infringed on Ravens turf. So he simply waved his hand dismissively. "You haven't given me a good reason why I shouldn't knock you around. Despite the treatment you got, there's nothing special about you Jalek. You're just a punk ass kid who can write a bit of code. Sloppy code, I might add."

"If you were to say, join the Red Ravens, I could show you how to correct some of those mistakes of yours." Cryax smirked. Then he quickly added. "But we'd have to be pretty desperate to hire the likes of you," he said raising his eyebrow in a challenging expression.

Cryax was still considering making Jalek an offer but figured he might as well let the guy sweat a little bit for ruining his lunch.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Either Jalek had managed to get under the Chiss' skin just a bit, or he was reading too much into things, but regardless, his insults didn't stir him too much, nor did they cause him to shift position, as he simply shrugged. "Don't have one for the contrary. You can tell your droids to do whatever, but it won't change anything." Now he grinned again. "Sure, I might just be some punk kid, street rat, whatever. But that sloppy code managed to crack into two of your systems, so I wouldn't be downplaying it all that much. Unless you want to admit that your work is just as bad, which is fine by me. Because at the rate you're going, one connection leads to another, and you end up being just as bad of a slicer as I apparently am."

The offer put forth in regards to him joining the Ravens caught him off guard, whether he would admit it or not, though he did his best not to let the fact show on his face. "So, hold on a second..." He straightened, leaning back in his chair to better regard the man. "Either my hearing's completely karked, or you offered to hire me. Normally I'd accept, but freelancing is a bit too fun at the moment. There's more money in the business, and less commitment to this or that individual." Another grin. "Unless you manage to make a rather convincing offer, that may or may not include the likes of my own demonstration again, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. However hard that might be to hear, not everyone will jump at the offer to join your little gang."

It was true that he was at the very least marginally interested in the idea, if only because the idea of solid work appealed to him in a vague sense. Finding steady work on the galactic scale was becoming more difficult as the big buyers shelled out their credits towards specific groups instead of independents, and it was beginning to show in his account, though he'd never been bad at managing his money. If there was a chance to find profitable work, it wasn't as if he could just pass it over without a second glance.

"But I'm flattered that you want to take me on as your protege. It means a lot, honest." The statement was accompanied by a sardonic smile on his part, and he glanced back to the droids that stood just a bit closer, though he was as of yet still unconcerned about their presence. If Cryax was going to make good on his threats, then he'd let him. A part of him was curious to see just how far the man would go.

"So throw me around, lock me up, but at least do something. Sitting around and talking isn't even half of the fun."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Running his fingers through his blue-black hair, Cryax sat forward in his chair and looked at Jalek with daggers in his glowing red eyes. The other slicer's snark had been racheted up to a level where it made Cryax's blind rage kick in. It wasn't his best idea ever, but he leaned forward in his chair and nodded at the two Miraris, gesturing to the door with his head. His office door opened with a hiss and the two droids dutifully exited, leaving the two men alone.

"You don't wanna talk Jalek? Fine. Actions speak louder than words anyway." The Chiss then stood up and crossed to the other slicer so that he was standing within arm's reach.

He looked Jalek up and down noting that the two slicers were relatively the same body type. No stranger to a scuffle here and there, the Chiss felt he could probably take the man. Probably. Cryax glared at Jalek. "Don't tempt me, man. I won't hesitate to throw you out of here myself if you try anything funny. In fact, I dare you." Then he reached out and gave the slicer a rough shove on the shoulder.

The man sure could talk but he wanted to see if Jalek could walk the walk.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

When the droids were sent out, Jalek knew things were either going to go very badly for him, or in the opposite direction, there being no in between. In his life, there hardly ever was. So when Cryax stepped around the desk, he stood to meet him, not reacting to his shove other than taking a step backwards as if to right himself, letting his eyes wander none too subtly over the other man's body for a moment before they found his eyes, and there his gaze remained for a time, no words finding his lips. It wasn't that he didn't have anything to say, because he most certainly did. But he wanted to see what the other slicer would do if he didn't get the reaction he was hoping for.

"Can't say I don't mind the new view." As if to make a point Jalek looked him up and down once more. "But I don't think this is how you treat a guest, last time I checked. And I didn't even really do anything this time, aside from a bit of slicing. Even you can't fault me that, Bane."

Now he stepped closer to the man once more, reaching out to return his shove from earlier. "I think you might be surprised at what a group of 'pretty boy bikers' can do, if you want to keep it up. My first trick isn't even half of it, and the rest of them aren't quite as nice. And I don't think you've taken near enough courses in street fighting to know what you're getting into. Slicing might be more your game than mine, if it makes your ego feel better, but I was raised on the streets. I might be a punk, but at least I know how to take care of myself."

It was obvious even to him that he was crossing multiple boundaries, some of them perhaps even unspoken of yet, but he didn't care. All that much. This was a more of a test of the waters to him, than anything. He wanted to see just how long he could prod the man before he eventually either did worse than his shove or relented. Whichever came first.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Surprised that Jalek didn't instantly react to his shove, Cryax noticed how Jalek was looking at him as they squared off. If he had to be honest with himself, the thorough once-over the other man was giving him wasn't completely unwanted, and as he searched the other man's eyes, he wondered if it showed on his face.

Still unmoving, Cryax simply smirked at all of Jalek's trash talk. "If you wanted hospitality, you shouldn't have crashed parties you weren't invited to." Then not altogether unexpectedly, Jalek came towards him with a shove of his own.

Now that the other slicer had shoved him, Cryax knew he had to cash in on those threats he'd made earlier about knocking the guy around. It was a pissing-contest he couldn't back down from, especially with a street thug like Jalek. The Chiss slicer reached into his boot and pulled out a vibroblade, flicking the switch on the blade so that it hummed softly.

Yanking Jalek by the collar he roughly pulled the man closer to him and moved one arm behind the other man to tightly grip his shoulder. With the vibrating knife held sideways to Jalek's throat, he pressed his lips closely to the side of the other slicer's face and with his lips grazing his ear, growled in a low-pitched voice.

"Let's see some of those tricks now, eh Red?"

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

This was a situation that wasn't altogether uncommon for Jalek to find himself in. A live weapon at his throat held by a near stranger that would probably like nothing more than to end things at that moment sure, something like that was an average ocurrence. Or at least more frequent to him than it was to anyone else. The Chiss had guts, he'd give him that. He'd only made one mistake in it all, one that was all too common. Instead of finishing things, or at least making it less easy for him to maneuver, he left him with all manner of possible defenses. And that was something the Morellian intended to take advantage of.

"Tricks, huh? I don't think you'll like this one near as much."

Without waiting for another jibe on his part Jalek hooked his leg around to knock Cryax off of his feet, taking the vibroblade into his own hand at nearly the same moment, keeping the blade engaged. Not giving him any time to rethink things he straddled the other man, twirling the weapon in his hand almost thoughtfully before moving the knife to the Chiss' throat.

For a moment he let the silence linger, completely calm in the situation. This was more his style, if he was being completely honest. Talk was fine, even appreciated in some instances, but it only worked if you had the skill to otherwise back it up. And although he might not have been the most athletic of guys, the slicer knew he was at least moderately in shape. It would be the last thing he did, letting himself be showed up by another man who didn't know the first thing about anything when it came to fighting the way he was taught.

It was then he broke the silence, his voice even, having lost all but a trace of its earlier sarcastic tone. "Hopefully I didn't disappoint."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Amid the faint sound of a explosion coming from the nearby Holo flickering on the Chiss slicer's wall, Cryax felt himself flat on his back with the weight of slightly more powerful slicer on top of him. His first emotion upon finding himself overpowered was fear, and he chastised himself for being so stupid. Most gang members possessed psychopathic tendencies and Jalek was probably no different. It was possible the man might just slit this throat right there in his own office. Cryax's second emotion was harder to process because it was more difficult for him to confront, but it was a feeling that made his heart race for different reasons.

Pinned down with the humming blade just centimeters away from the delicate skin on his neck, Cryax didn't dare make a move even though his hands were free. He moved them to his head in a surrendering gesture. The analytic Chiss had quickly processed all of the odds in his head, and all of his options seemed like they'd have frizzled outcomes. The physical ones anyway. Thankfully, the Chiss still had his wits, and his tongue was sharper than any knife.

With narrowed red eyes the young Chiss growled up at the Jalek breathlessly. "Say what you want about my slicing, Red, but your seduction skills could use more than just a little help." Knowing it was unlikely he'd be understood, but not much caring, he added his next phrase in Cheuhn, the intonations in his alien vocal chords making a strange clicking sound.

"Rah vah ch'epasahn ch'at vizehn ch'ah ttico ror ch'eo turcah vah hsr'ah viz morco ver ch'ah csaah."

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Though Jalek was certain he'd made his point, he still didn't let Cryax up, but he did adjust his grip on the weapon to distance it slightly from his throat, as if in indication that he wouldn't be so quick to violence this time around. But that didn't mean that he had to play nice, either. "And so could your skills in a fight, but I'm not being too picky. It just so happens that I like you right where I have you." With a smile he shrugged, simply watching the other man for a moment, somewhat surprised at how easily he'd surrendered. Normally, had the Chiss pinned beneath him been anyone else, this fight would have drug out for at least a few moments more. Apparently he was in the wrong company if that was what he'd been expecting. It was a surprise that security hadn't been called in again.

"I'm going to assume that wasn't anything too terribly insulting. It helps when you speak a common language. I haven't even slipped into Cant yet." He was referring to the jargon typically used by smugglers when they were speaking about something that wasn't for the ears of anyone else. Not a smuggler himself, he'd picked up on it during his time with the Renegades, but didn't use it much around those he knew wouldn't understand. "Now, I'm going to let you up, and if you decide to pull another knife on me, the outcome isn't going to be any better. Go ahead and call those droids of yours, cuff me again, but if you try anything things aren't going to end up quite a well for you."

His jade gaze held the crimson one of the Chiss' steadily for another moment before he stood, thumbing the switch on the vibroblade to deactivate it, letting the weapon fall to the floor. He didn't bother to offer a hand to help the other man to his feet, having a feeling it would probably be shunned if he did. And he wasn't feeling too generous considering the current scenario anyhow. "So, is that it, then? I never thought I'd end up being the more civil out of the two of us, but yet here we are."

Slowly and deliberately he pulled a half-empty pack of cigarettes from his pocket, drawing one out and taking it between his teeth, returning the small box to his pocket before lighting it, not caring anymore for whom he offended by doing so. Exhaling smoke, he raised an eyebrow at Cryax through the haze, silently awaiting his reply.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Rising to his feet, Cryax stood up and straighted out his t-shirt, running his fingers through his blue-black hair. The red-haired slicer was a cocky bastard, he had to give him that. He reluctantly admitted to himself that the other man's street fighting skills were much better than his own. Although he'd trained with quite a few combat professionals over the last year, the Chiss didn't quite have the natural coordination needed to go toe-to-toe with someone like Jalek.

The next thing Cryax did was grab the knife up off the floor and carefully weigh it in his hands before putting it back in his boot. Cryax then moved to his desk and got an ashtray out of his filing cabinet, plunking it down on the desk for the other man. Moving back in front of his desk, he sat on the edge, watching the other man carefully.

"Wow, that was close. I almost gave a kark for a second," he said sarcastically, totally playing off the fact that the other man had bested him. "Don't worry, man. I'm not going to call my droids." With one blue-skinned hand he waved some of Jalek's smoke away from his face. "They have more important stuff to be doing other than messing someone who's such a small-time thug." He pointed to Jalek's arms with a smirk. "Where did you get your tattoos anyway, the bubblegum machine?"

The odd thing was that although Cryax continued to taunt the other slicer he didn't ask him to leave his office. Nor did he make any moves to call security. He was loathe to admit it, but there was something the man that made Cryax feel defenseless, and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the Chiss.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

"Anyone ever tell you that you're a bad liar?" Those were the first words out of his mouth as he simply watched Cryax, sitting down again in the chair he had been previously, an amused smile playing on his lips. "You can act like you hate me all you want, but you still haven't asked me to leave, or called your droids in to have me escorted out. I don't even need the Force to see that, but you're reading pretty strongly there, too." His Force sensitivity was never something he exploited, but the natural hints he got here and there did come in handy, whether he would readily admit the fact or not. It gave him an edge, and one he wasn't quite ready to part with, if ever. The added benefit was sometimes necessary, especially when he was one step away from either being booted or thrown in a cell.

At the mention of his tattoos Jalek made a show of studying his arms for a moment before shrugging. "Not all of us can afford to go somewhere upscale to get them done. Sometimes the street jobs are the better ones." As if to make a point he held his left hand up to his face, finally revealing the purpose of the tattoo there, lowering his hand after a moment had passed. "Besides, last I checked, I wasn't asking for your approval when it came to anything. Unlike you, I don't need babysitters." He gestured to where the security droids had been standing earlier.

It wasn't often that he found himself with nothing to say, but this was one of those rare occasions in which silence was his only response. Maybe it was because they'd already established who was who, but for whatever reason he resigned to studying the other man, no words being put forth by him. True, a part of him was disappointed that their fight hadn't gone on for just a bit longer, as he hadn't been in any sort of brawl since his leaving the Renegades, unless the escapades with Diego counted as anything of the sort. But that one had been short-lived, and almost too easy for his tastes. But it was obvious that Cryax wasn't as much of a fighter as he was, if at all. It would be wrong to say it was something he necessarily respected, but the only response he would get to initiating anything else would be the droids called on him, he had a feeling.

"Small-time, I'll agree with you there. But unless you've had a change of heart, I thought you were still interested in hiring me. Unless you've decided that having another competent slicer around wouldn't benefit you, in which case I'll gladly be on my way, and we can chalk all of this up to another misdemeanor on my record." Here he exhaled smoke again, making a bit of a trick out of it as if to show off in his own way.

"Or you can go ahead and admit that maybe you appreciate my company more than you'll let on. I'm ready when you are, Bane."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

The Force sensitivity of the other man surprised him, although at this point he didn't trust the other slicer to be truthful about anything. If what Jalek said was true, however, it was possible the other man could read the raw attraction that Cryax was trying in vain to deny.

"I don't hate you Jalek. I'm just not very excited about your existence right now," Cryax said with a smirk. "You broke into the casino, ruined my lunch, put a knife to my throat, and now you're getting ashes all over my carpet." The Chiss had a selective memory when it suited him and failed to mention that he himself was the one that had originally brandished the knife. He testily pushed the ashtray closer to Jalek.

Cryax adjusted his glasses and leveled his red eyes at the tattooed slicer. "The Ravens could use another slicer of your caliber, but give me one good reason why I should hire you after the lack of respect you've shown me. Besides your slicing abilities." Then despite himself he muttered in a lower-pitched voice. "And your good looks."

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

A grin broke out on his face at the last muttered comment, but he didn't give any other indication of having heard what had been said. Let him think he was being subtle for the time being, but when the time came to bring it to light, he wouldn't hesitate to do so. Sometimes feigning ignorance really was the better strategy. "You want a reason besides those two, huh? Well, I'm afraid all of my cards are on the table." He leaned back in his chair and put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture, finally reaching out to put his cigarette out in the ashtray, if only to appease the other man. It seemed he was getting far even without the extra additions only meant to perhaps irritate him more. That was a change.

"Let's think about it. If I had to guess, it probably wouldn't hurt the Ravens to have any more connections in the criminal underworld, and as it happens I have my fair share of ties to a number of gangs on Taris, and more than a few of them have their own slicers. Sure, they could use some work, but I didn't think you were in the market for being picky. Doesn't look to be that way, at least." As quickly as he was trying to help the other man he was tearing him down again, his sarcastic comments second nature. Really, he was open to the idea of possibly working for the Ravens somewhere along the line, but he'd learned not to appear eager in his line of work a long time ago. That only set things up for failure, and he had enough experience under his belt to know when to back down.

Jalek titled his head with a half smile. "You don't hate me? I'm flattered. Of course, it's a bit hard to tell what with you pulling a knife on me, bringing me here in cuffs, having no appreciation for my slicing skills...but I'll take what I can get. I don't hate you either, really." There was a pause, and a quiet laugh on his part. "But nothing says you're my favorite person in the galaxy. It's not every day that someone goes from threatening my life to complimenting me left and right. Your consideration on the matter is much appreciated."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

The fact that Jalek put out his cigarette seemed to be some measure of appeasement, and it returned a slight smile from the Chiss, but any peace the other slicer attempted was quickly undone with more insults from the red-haired swoop ganger. Cryax in his rage over being disrespected and physically assaulted, and his state of confusion about his unexpected and unexamined feelings about the other man, wasn't willing to let things simmer down just yet.

He rose from his perch and before he knew what he was doing, grabbed Jalek by the tattooed throat with one blue-skinned hand. "I'm not your favorite person in the galaxy, eh?" he growled, narrowing his glowing red eyes. "Well, get in line, you Moactan teel," he said, using the potent Chiss insult for fair-haired humans. "I've got alot of people who aren't big fans of mine, quite frankly. Not to mention a bounty or two on my head. Besides, you could have fooled me back at the betting club. As I remember correctly you sliced into the betting networks just to get a chance to do this."

With his hand still clutched around the other man's throat, he drove Jalek forward and pinned him against the wall, the blue lights of the Holo playing over their faces. Cryax put his other hand on the side of Jalek's face, and titled his head in for a long, rough kiss.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

As Cryax grabbed him by his throat Jalek flashed another smile, meeting his eyes easily, not bothering to pry his grip away. The kiss, however, was entirely unexpected, but he didn't have cause to complain much, if at all. Instead he grinned and spoke somewhat breathlessly once the other man pulled away, "Not bad, not bad at all. But if you can give me tips on slicing, then I can give you tips on this. And you're doing it a bit wrong. This is how you play a game of chance." He reached up to tangle his fingers in the Chiss' blue-black hair, kissing him again, matching him in roughness. Only when they both needed to breathe did he pull away, though reluctantly so, keeping his hands where they were for the time being. "That's better. Wouldn't you agree?"

Almost absently he clicked his tongue piercing against his teeth with a teasing half smile. "Didn't even get a chance to use this one." Now he let his hands fall, keeping his hands at his sides and otherwise unoccupied, noting that the other man's hand was still at his throat. "But if you wanted me to stick around that badly, all you had to do was tell me. But I appreciate the more hands on demonstration. Even if you do need a bit of tweaking with your technique." He only raised his eyebrows at the last comment.

"You seem to like me quite well, for all of your earlier hostility. I prefer this to having a knife at my throat, any day. Especially if this is how you plan on welcoming me from now on."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Although Jalek's words told a different story, as the two men's lips parted for the first time, the look on the other slicer's face spoke volumes. At his teasing, Cryax just rolled his eyes with a smirk and with his free hand, ran the back of his hand gently over Jalek's cheek. During the second kiss, Cryax pressed his body against the other man's almost involuntarily and when Jalek pulled away, his breath was ragged.

An audible gulp could be heard as the Chiss's red eyes flashed down to the other man's tongue piercing. Then he released Jalek's throat and dropped one hand down to Jalek's to tenatively stroke a couple of his fingers. This kind of relationship was new to Cryax and he knew it was written all over his face. The Chiss knew he was a good kisser though. It was one of the only skills besides slicing that Cryax was actually confident about, so he paid no mind to Jalek's taunting.

After a few moments of letting the silence hang in the air, the tension getting unbearable, Cryax finally spoke, his eyes searching the other man's. "The jury's still out on how I feel about you, Red" Here another smirk. "But I would add kissing to your list of skills that interest me. That much I'm sure about. I wonder what your Lower City Renegades would say if they saw you doing this with the President of the Red Ravens, eh?"

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

A simple shrug, as if they hadn't just kissed, and the last few moments were something that had happened to two completely different people, instead of them. It was true that his old friends would have plenty of wisecracks for him if they'd been made aware of what just occurred, and likely a generous amount of lewd comments as well. But that was exactly what made the gang home for him, especially considering he'd have his own share of smart comments in return. "They'd probably say something about how it only stopped at a couple of light kisses, and how it was disappointing that nothing else happened. And then someone would make a comment about how we're alone now, and the doors are easily locked, and how one thing leads to another..." There he stopped, letting Cryax's imagination do the rest.

Now he grinned and studied Cryax for a moment. "Does that mean I'm hired, then, or do I need to fill out a résumé?" He let his gaze wander to the other man's lips for a long moment, finally meeting his eyes. "I'd be happy to, if it involves more of the former and less paperwork. And if I'm going to be working with you, then I definitely can't complain. I think you already let me know exactly how it is you feel about me after that, but if you need to kiss me a few more times just to get things settled, I won't have anything to say about it." He looked Cryax up and down. "Unless that was just a preliminary to you calling your droids on me. I know how hard it can be, after you got knocked on your ass by me and then shown up again, but try not to let it get to you." In as much time as it took him to blink he was back to his old, snarky comments.

The reaction to his tongue piercing hadn't been expected, but he decided to take advantage of it nonetheless. "You're going to have to wait until we get a bit closer before I decide to let that little secret out of the bag. It's not something I show to just everyone, and whether you like it or not, you're just another crime boss I happened to tick off." A raised eyebrow, and a faint smirk. "Who happens to have other talents, and a pretty face to wrap it all together. But forgive me if I don't suddenly change my mind and start worshipping the ground you walk on. That's not my style, Blue." He returned the man's use of the moniker with one of his own.

"So, do I get the golden pass on the casino grounds now, or are you still going to lock me up and ignore my existence? Because I'll slice my way out of the cell, and we'll end up right back where we started." He leaned up against the wall, tattooed arms crossed across his chest.

[member="Cryax Bane"]