Public High Rollers [Bovo Yagen, Darkwire]

[Cassus Akovin]

Ever-Summer Casino on Bovo Yagen
We're playing Pazaak freaks.
​

"Fierfek," Cassus exclaimed tossing his remaining cards on the table, "I don't understand, I thought you were bad at this game?" He asked his compatriot Deryn Kaaldos . The last time they had been here, the grand opening, it was crawling with CIS personnel. There was plenty of Bounties to pursue, and instead of catching any of them the bounty hunter across the table from him decided to sit down and play a game. Very badly in fact. So badly, he heard that he had to be literally retaught how to play the game.

Little did he know, there was at least one hacker among them skimming off the house winnings by making those wearing specific colors lose more than usual. The whole plot was a little hazy, and as far as he could recall it wasn't resolved. He attempted catch a mark but got a little... distracted. Now the replicant didn't have a missions exactly, other than to continue ingratiating himself into the Darkwire organization, see what intel could be gleamed for the Corporate Authorities.

So far, not very forthcoming. For a group of elite job hunters, they partied an awful lot.

"Well, I'm still up for another game. I wonder who else is coming around?"

Spoiler: Darkwire Tag List

Airal Thamne Aren D'Shade Brie Jaxx Cartri Keswoll Cassus Akovin Chelara "Chel" DuCote Chloe Santhe Daiya Extari Kanos Gray Venasir Hacks Haden Del Helena Marimax Mortui Mliss Roo Rook.the.slicer Shira Varanin Spark Venku Bralor Xan Deesa Yula Perl

 

[Grindo Sedog]

Deryn Kaaldos | Cassus Akovin​

"Deal me in if you would." The Courier said in his dark voice as he stood over the table. He didn't even give a hello to the two men, but there would be time enough for that later. Anyone betting credits against a person they weren't prepared to get acquainted with would lose their money forever.

The Lethan, dressed in an all black suit sans tie, sat next to the much larger of the two men. "What are we playing gentlemen, Pazaak? Nice to see a familiar game amongst all these unfamiliar faces."

The Courier reached gently into his suit jacket and pulled out a credit chip, then placed it on the table in front of him. The game in front of him had yet to start, but he was playing a different game. One that he'd started playing long ago: the information game. If he was lucky tonight he'd win big...

 

[Deryn Kaaldos]

​

"I am." He chuckled under his helmet, holding his cards lazily in the his hand. He was leaning dangerously backwards, a risky posture for someone of Deryn's weight. The chair's were made of something that could take his half-ton weight but it didn't stop them from creaking whenever he moved to get comfy. "You're just a lot worse." Deryn wasn't even really playing at this point. He didn't know how to play anymore, not since the last time he had been on Bovo Yagen. Cassus Akovin had been losing to a man that was literally just putting whatever on the table and hoping for the best.

"Luck is on my hand." It sure as hell wasn't skill, after all. His cards dropped from his hand as he gave a shrug, falling on the table with Cassus'. He sniggered drunkenly, though since Deryn physically can't get drunk, it was probably a pained laugh as he had flashbacks of suffering of the previous times he had played pazaak. "Get karked."

When a third player arrived, the flashbacks to that night turned up. He honestly still wasn't sure how you played Pazaak with more than two people. He couldn't process how that worked. Why? How? When was it ever taught? He read the manuals. He would cry. Deryn would cry if he had tear ducts. "Sure. Take a seat." He gestured beside him.

Cassus Akovin The Courier

​

 

[Cassus Akovin]

​

The Cassus android observed as The Courier approached, and dealt the cards as appropriate. It wasn't someone he had met before but that wasn't surprising. The Underworld was a big place, and not every name was going to be immediately significant until it was. For now, the Bounty Hunter was cautious. The cards were distributed, and they all began to select their side decks.

Adapting to a third player shouldn't be difficult, the objective was still the same after all. Achieve a total of 20, or the closest to, and hope the other side busts are stands with a number you can beat. It made no difference if there was one, two, or more opponents. One the game was set to begin, Cassus drew his first card.

"Fierfek, seriously?" The boy exclaimed as he placed down a 1 for his first card. Looking to his side deck, he had a +5, -5, -2, and +1. "I end my turn, I guess." He said sighing.

Deryn Kaaldos

 

[Deryn Kaaldos]

​

Deryn would eschew looking at his cards as he peered over to what Cassus had drawn. He a lazy elegance, he drew his first card as well. It was a 1, like Cassus', but Deryn took it a step further. He closed his eyes, randomly picking out a card from his hand and placing it down on the table beside his first card. It was a -6, putting him at an astounding -5 points.

He laughed, not knowing if -5 was a good thing. He knew he was supposed to get to 20, or was it 21? He's been playing pazaak for over 60 years, four times Cassus' age, and yet the rules continued to elude him. He stared back at Cassus and then to the Courier. "Go Fish." He said as he leaned back, the durasteel of his chair crying out in pain against his weight.

He had recently finished more than a few jobs. Unlike Pazaak, Bounty Hunting was something he was good at. He had Hutt Coins, Galactic Standard Credits, and Sith-Imperial Credits to spare even if he lost a lot. Deryn, however, was surprised that in this twist of luck, he has met someone worse than him. Well, that is to be seen.

Cassus Akovin The Courier

​

 

[Shira Varanin]

Sabacc was Shira's game, and fresh from a win, she sidled up to the pazaak table.

"Don't mind me," she said, pocketing the cost of tomorrow's overdue upgrades. "Pazaak's not my thing, just here to watch."

And make a side bet on the winner, of course. She'd just had a quiet word with a hulking Anx and placed fifty credits on The Courier to win.

"I'm Shira, by the way," the cyborg ex-Jedi added.

Cassus Akovin Deryn Kaaldos

 

[Aeron Dosh]

Shira Varanin | Cassus Akovin | Deryn Kaaldos | The Courier

Aeron was about to walk out of the place after his fair share of gambling that day, until he got an earful of what sounded like rookies playing a match of Pazaak.

"Easy money. I might as well leave here with even deeper pockets," He thought to himself, before calmly making his way over to the table and pulling up a chair to sit down in.

"Ok, which one of you wants to get beat first?" Aeron half-jokingly stated, with a cocky grin spread across his face.

 

[Kara Moonlighter]

Cassus Akovin Deryn Kaaldos The Courier Shira Varanin

She loved Casinos.

Lots of tech, lots of things to hack. Her processors were running in the background, probing ever so gently at the different machines and game tables as she passed by. she had to hand it to them, security in their network was like a giant wall of magma. One false move and she'd trip an alarm.

Judging by the amount of guards in this place, and the thickness and length of their sidearms, there was an equally impressive amount of creds stashed away somewhere. She happened upon the table in question, audience now growing and grinned. From her belt pouches she produced a platinum credit chip and slid it down with bruised bloody fingers across the table.

"I'm betting this on the Tin man in a trench coat," she said, nodding to Deryn casual like.

That was enough to recover her docking fee and a lil extra scratch on the side.

"Don't blow it big guy."

A waiter passed by, and she seized the chance to snag a silver plated cup off the tray, taking a swig. Meanwhile her neural scanners kept probing, as he memory bank calculated possibilities of a win. She;d have to see the cards first of course...

 

[Grindo Sedog]

Deryn Kaaldos | Cassus Akovin | Shira Varanin | Kara Moonlighter | Aeron Dosh
​

As more underworlders gather around to play or watch the game of Pazaak, The Courier drew his cards. From the main deck he drew a 10. A fast start, perhaps faster than he wanted. He didn't care about winning or losing, but the more people he could attract to the table meant the more people he could squeeze information from. And of course that required time. From his hand he placed a -5. That would pace them a little better.

He was ahead of the other players, for now. Things could, and likely would, change. He just hoped the fifty credits one of the newcomers bet on him wouldn't cause a scene if he lost.

As his turn ended, a fourth challenger arrived, another Twi'lek. Cocky, upfront. The Courier liked it. This man would hopefully be one to tell him what he wanted to know.

As the other Twi'lek was dealt in, The Courier glanced slowly across the faces of all in attendance, then said in a calm but commanding voice

"How is everybody tonight?"

A simple question, but it would get the conversation flowing.

 

[Cassus Akovin]

Cassus eyed Deryn Kaaldos curiously for managing to go in the negatives, not sure what game he was playing at. Then, The Courier got a great start and then... squandered it? He wasn't sure what game they were all playing now.

The dealer passed cards to Aeron Dosh as he approached the table, and they all watched as the new comer took his first turn. Cassus nodded to them without saying anything before it was his turn again. With a careful breathe, he selected his next card.

"I swear, if I get a three next round..." The android said in response to selecting a whopping 2, and left the rest of his statement hang. He looked at the rest of the table, and looked at his side deck again: +5, -5, -2, and +1. As much as it was uninteresting to do, he didn't feel a great incentive to play any cards right now. After all, he had to conserve them for three games, and with two draws he was the farthest away from 20... or at least he would be if it weren't for Deryn. He was in no danger of going bust.

"I end my turn, and I'm doing fine. Not on a job, and vouchers to burn. Yourself?" He replied to The Courier. Others approached their table, to watch them play, and suddenly the make-believe boy was feeling a bit itchy. More eyes put him under greater scrutiny, the copy was glad at least that it was no one he recognized, and that most of the attention seemed to be diverted to the other three players rather than himself at the moment...

Shira Varanin Kara Moonlighter

 

[Gray Venasir]

"Come on, get some action going," excalimed Gray. He had been watching Cassus and Deryn play the first round, before the others had arrived, and it had thus far been uninteresting. Sure, Pazaak was as much about luck as it was about skill (and cheating), but these rounds had been very slow. At least now there were betters among them.

"Alright, I'm betting 300 credits on Cassus. But I'll be playing, and winning back that money, next round." The money was fished up from his pocket, and put with the other bets. "I'll also soon be taking that platinum chip, Miss Implant."

Hopefully, more betting would lead to more action. And also, more credits in Gray's pockets. The only backside to this was, Gray had no idea how good Cassus was in pazaak. Or rather, how good he was with cheating in pazaak.

Cassus Akovin | Deryn Kaaldos | The Courier | Shira Varanin | Kara Moonlighter | Aeron Dosh

 

[Shira Varanin]

"I'll also soon be taking that platinum chip, Miss Implant."

Shira bristled before she realized he was talking to another cyborg entirely, the new arrival - Kara Moonlighter.

"Got a fething problem with cyborgs?" she asked Gray. She rolled her neck and her metal-clad spine clicked loudly. "Or just like talking down to'em? Pretty slimy to call people by how their bodies are, ain't that right, pencildick?"

 

[Deryn Kaaldos]

​

Deryn smiled under his helmet when he saw the crowd go about. Was he doing well? He didn't know. All he cared about was that at the very least, people seemed interested. He felt sorry for Kara Moonlighter though. Poor sod has no idea who she betted on. Deryn drew his next card and sure it put him ahead somewhat.

"A 10, huh." That put him at five. He was equal to The Courier now, and above Cassus by 3. Was that a good thing, though? They were aiming for twenty, right? So getting closer to it was better? Does he should put his best cards forward? "Uno." He mumbled, unsure what exactly he was doing.

He turned his head to Gray Venasir with a spiteful look under his helmet. In spite of weapons being rather restricted in the club, Deryn was an exception to the rule due to his "life-support" power-armor, and so were most of the cybernetic individuals like Kara and Shira that couldn't have their implants be removed removed here. Outside, people can feel safe calling him and his-likes medi-droids all they like with their weapons and armaments on the job. But teasing one at a table of at least three of them practically unarmed in comparison to walking weapons like Deryn wasn't a smart move.

"Let's calm down here." He gestured to Shira Varanin with his hand halting that conversation by going between the two. "We're playing a game, so let's have some fun." In his attempts to diffuse the small conflict, underneath his helmet, there was still a look of discuss towards Gray.

Cassus Akovin Aeron Dosh

​

 

[Aeron Dosh]

Aeron ignored the casual cyberism. It was very typical around these parts, and personally Aeron had nothing against cyborgs, but he also wasn't interested enough in the strangers at the table with him to say anything about it. Either way, Aeron knew that picking sides would only escalate the issue, so instead he tried changing the subject,

"Let's do what Deryn Kaaldos said. At the end of the day this is a game and we came here to have fun - Well, you guys came here to have fun. I came here to win," Aeron said with a slight smile despite being nervous about drawing his first four cards. Aeron had his four cards dealt to him face down, and the tension he felt before he flipped them over was immense. A +2, -3, +4, +2. So, 5 in total. Not bad honestly.

Shira Varanin | Gray Venasir | The Courier

 

[Gray Venasir]

Gray couldn't help but snicker at the reaction he got from his simple comment. But to avoid seeming more rude than he already did, he put a hand to his face, to cover his satisfaction. And the counter-offense he got in return right out made him laugh. This woman was obviously easily offended, and didn't take any chances with having her pride hurt.

"Hey, I'm just calling it as I see it," said Gray, once he got control of his laughter. "At least I'm using the truth in my nicknames. But these fine gentlemen here are right, we shouldn't escalate this further. I'm not here for a brawl, just for some fun and credits. How about I pay for your next drink, my robotic friend, and we call it even?" He looked towards Shira for the response. But that didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to the game, where the man in the helmet had just got a small lead over the others.

Pazaak was more luck than actual skill. What one needed skills in were not the game, but the cheating. And thus far, it didn't seeme like any of the players were planning on coing that.

Shira Varanin | Cassus Akovin | Deryn Kaaldos | Aeron Dosh | The Courier | Kara Moonlighter

 

[Shira Varanin]

Gray Venasir

Shira chewed on his offer for a minute. On the one hand, laughing at her was generally considered a bad idea. On the other hand, de-escalation made sense and so did a free drink.

"Done," she said. Apparently her pride cost as much as- "Whyren's, neat."

The game was escalating. She still liked The Courier's odds, which was good because she could really use the return on those fifty credits.

 

[Cassus Akovin]

​

There seemed to be many drinks being had by the crowd, as the emotions were already heating up by what the machine calculated to be the most boring four way game of Pazaak imaginable. Apparently there were accusations of Cyborg-phobia, and part of the replicants memories did include strong defensive feelings for his mother, who was a cyborg, but the uncaring metallic part of its heart was more focused on staying low and unnoticed by his compatriots to avoid discovery.

So it just drew its next card.

Its first draw was a 1, its second draw was a 2, and now its third draw...

"Alright who the kriff is cheating? There is no way I just drew a damn 3, this is a joke right?!" The Cassus analog stood up from his chair as he drew the card in disbelief, trying to figure out what to do with its grand total of 5. "Fine, you want me to waste a card wise ass, I'll do it!" The emotion of unfairness getting the better of the Cassus copy, it placed down its +5 card from his side deck to bring his total up to 10.

"I end my turn," He finished with a wave to the next one at the table.

Gray Venasir Shira Varanin Deryn Kaaldos Aeron Dosh The Courier Kara Moonlighter