Limited Opportunity [Kalyn]

[Djonas Vile]

A crowd of people began to form just outside the Aerie Casino by the hundreds. A massive event was a couple of hours away, and folks from across the galaxy came in flocks to be a spectator for what was to come. The event causing such a commotion? The Aerie Casino was hosting an animal fighting tournament, the biggest one the casino had seen. THe guest list was rather exclusive, however some people had their own underhanded ways of getting access to spectate the tournament.

Being a frequent patron of the casino, Djonas merely had to mention his interest in the tournament before he was given tickets by the casino owner. However, instead of going for the barbaric spectacle, he would use this as an opportunity to get some more business going for the Society. He required more personnel before he would be able to officially establish his power in the galaxy. He had ambitions for a criminal empire that would span the entire galaxy. But, for now, baby steps.

Inside the arena, there were hundreds of commoner seats. They were for the lower class rabble that were there just to see beasts rip each other apart. Above these seats were the VIP boxes. This is where those with some extra cash to spend to watch the fights in luxury. This is where the real money was. More often than not, bets were placed on the fights in these boxes and, sometimes, they would end in some bloody confrontations. Whatever happened in the boxes, stayed in the boxes. Djonas purchased an entire box for himself and those he would meet today. The Korun crime boss stood inside the box, facing the massive glass pane in between him and the arena. A glass of wine sat in his grip, pale gold in color.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

Disgusting.

Not only was she stood within a Casino of all places, but the spectacle they were presenting swathes of crowds with was barbaric to say the least.

Naturally Kal was not here of her own volition. 'Count' Bertos Sunfell, a man of Serenno heritage if rumours were to be believed - though he didn't act all that noble during the few times they'd met - had simply insisted that the Aerie Casino be the last port of call for their little soiree. For the past few weeks now they had been working closely together, yet at a respectful distance, solving the disappearance of his son Sal. At first she had been skeptical - how could a damn spacer like herself be of any use in such an investigation? - until she realized that a series of cryptic clues had been left behind. Most locked behind various encrypted networks.

She'd made relatively short work of the technical side of things, but old Berty hadn't been inclined to pay her until his boy was back safely at his side.

As she glanced over her shoulder now she could see the two of them locked in a warm embrace. Given the foul sports going on around them it seemed entirely out of place, but the hefty sum of credits now weighing down her pockets allowed her to shrug it off.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Kal began to search for the nearest exit. But with the Casino swiftly filling up with people it was becoming a damn sight harder to unearth it among the bodies.

[member="Djonas Vile"]

 

[Djonas Vile]

Two large men in suits stepped into Djonas' box, eyes covered by dark shades. One of them held a datapad and stepped forward a few steps. "Boss, we've got something you need to see." Djonas turned and took the datapad. An image of a ginger-haired girl with data on her. "She has the skills you been looking for, boss. There ain't much info on her, but we have enough on her to know she's good for the job."

"Ain't isn't a word, Getino. We're not savages." Djonas paused for a moment. "She has the lookas as well. Where can we find her?"

"Well, boss. She's here, actually."

"No kidding? Bring her to me. Immediately. Try to be cordial, please. Don't want to frighten my future business partner and we don't need to make a scene with all these people around. Apply force only if necessary." Djonas laid the datapad on the coffee table just in front of him.

"You got it, boss."

The two men left the box and began their search for the girl Djonas asked for. He stood there, waiting for his guest. Suddenly, several men in black suits began to move about the casino, searching for the girl. If one were observant, they'd be able to tell they were searching for something or someone.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

For such a high-class event, the air sure did stink like unwashed bodies.

It was unpleasant to say the least, so much so that she pulled a face without necessarily meaning to. Too many bodies around the place, too much chaos on the air, the music was too loud, and the guffawing laughter, and the shriek of animals tearing themselves apart.

Before she knew it, Kal was doing the closest thing to running a tight space like the one she found herself in allowed for. She'd been locked in her ship for days at an end before now and not felt anywhere close to as claustrophobic as she did in that moment.

"Screw this place," she muttered under her breath, as she accidentally knocked into a couple of people and sent a small statue plummeting to the ground. Whether or not it broke upon impact she couldn't say, because by that point she was already several people away.

The crowd began to thin the closer she got toward the exit, seemingly just the center of the room holding such an unbearable tangle of bodies, and once she was free from the tide she slowed down and decided to take a breather. Leaning on one of the many pillars dotted around the place, she sucked in a good lung full of air and let it out slow as could be.

No longer amidst the crowd she actually stood out a lot more than she'd have liked. After all, she seemed to be the only person heading toward the exit.

[member="Djonas Vile"]

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas' people were systematically searching through the massive crowd of patrons of the casino like a pack of wolves sniffing out their prey in a crowded forest. The search for the girl was initially considered to be simple considering her out of the ordinary features such as her hair color, but the guards were still having issues finding her.

That was until a report came in. Someone knocked over a priceless statue depicting the queen of Naboo, Jamie Pyne. Witness reports claim the culprit was female with ginger hair, much like the girl Djonas needed to see. The guards began to move to the scene of the disturbance while the guards monitoring the security feeds began to look around the surrounding area.

"There. Right there. That's the one." The guard watching the cameras picked up his walkie-talkie and pressed a button along the side of the device. "Found her. Quadrant AG Section 4." Guards within the casino all turned towards the girl's direction and began moving swiftly towards her, wading through the crowd.

"I see her. Moving to intercept." A pair of guards began to approach the girl while others moved towards nearby exits in case she attempted escape. If she managed to go free, Djonas would be superbly aggravated with his hired hands. To prevent this, they had to go to extra lengths to appease him in fear of the consequences. "Excuse me, miss! We need you to come with us."

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

For a moment there, Kal didn't move.

Where previously she had been in a rush to get to the exit, right then she stood with her back against the cool pillar and tried to block out all of the noise and busy chaos around her. Part of her was trying to remember where the feth she'd docked her ship, another thing Bertos had been ridiculously specific about; at first she thought it was sketchy, that maybe she wasn't coming back from this job, or she'd discover her ship was gone, but when her employer was threatening to turn her over to the Law if she messed up?

Well, the choice there was easy.

She still didn't know quite how he'd gotten hold of her actual name. All that meant was that she'd have to retrace her steps and scrub whatever database he'd used. How hard could that be?

Just as she pushed away from the pillar, and began to gather her bearings once again, the sound of a gruff male voice drew her attention. With nobody else in her immediate vicinity, and his eyes on her, she knew the target of their words, though naturally she didn't know their reasoning. She didn't recognize them as being with Bertos, though what did she know? Her mind raced for a split second; maybe they were angry about that statue?

Either way, Kal wasn't sticking around to find out. Instead she bolted for the exit.

[member="Djonas Vile"]

 

[Djonas Vile]

Djonas watched through the security cameras as his men tracked the girl down. He did not show it on his face, but he was pleased with their swiftness to act in order to claim his prize. But then, she evaded them, with ease. His pleased look turned to an annoyed scowl. He knew he would have hire new muscle and it would have to be soon. As his other men moved towards the exits, he decided to take it upon himself to apprehend this girl. If she would continue to be such a nuisance, he would directly approach her.

Meanwhile, the guards who attempted to speak to the girl grunted as she darted away from them. "Come back!" one called out before they began the chase. The other men were standing vigilant at all the exits. If any of them caught eye of the girl, they would wall off any attempt of leaving the building.

She was effectively trapped. And, if Djonas made it down to the casino floor beore the guards manage to take her, there was going to be some real trouble.

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

 

[Lief]

Soon enough Kal found herself completely cornered by the guards.

Like a wild animal caught in some sort of trap she glared daggers at the men and turned to survey her options, a deep glower set into her expression. What the kriff was going on? Had that coward of a man gone back on his word? Decided that she wasn't the sort he wanted out there in the world with some of his secrets in mind?

"It's just a kriffin' statue," she snapped, in hopes that they were obstructing her due to the item which had smashed, "If it matters tha' much I'll pay for it, alright? Ain't gotta stand in my way like that, sheesh."

The astute among them might recognize the fact that she was genuinely a little on edge by the situation, of course, and her words while snappy and filled with 'confidence' were really hiding that fact. Her eyes darted around, looking for some sort of an exit plan.

If any of the men tried to step closer, Kal would move out of their reach, running them in circles around what little space she had remaining. Just because she was cornered did not mean they needed to manhandle her in any way, after all.

[member="Djonas Vile"]