Blue is the New Black

[Cryax Bane]

Location: Planet of Antecedent, Dragon Palace Casino

Surrounded by ubiquitous henchmen and droids, which was now the new reality for the Chiss slicer since he'd been promoted to President of the Red Ravens, Cryax Bane sat at the center bar on the main floor of the Dragon Palace Casino. Now that every public appearance he made, even one in the casino, was being watched by prying eyes, gossip Holo mags, and the hoi polloi of Antecedent, Cryax had to dress up his image. He had eschewed his typical trenchcoat and fingerless gloves for an exquisitely-tailored three piece suit, a look more fitting for the newly minted crime boss of one of the most infamous criminal syndicates in the Outer Rim.

Tonight Cryax had invited two good friends to come and drink at the casino to celebrate his promotion with him, [member="Zatten Black"] and [member="Kadrak Jalaan"]. The memory of why Cryax was actually on Iridonia that evening escaped him, but the Zabrak planet was where he'd first met the couple way back when he'd first taken a job with the Red Ravens. How time flew. Just like Zatten through a window.

With all three of them having some of the busiest schedules in the galaxy, he'd never really gotten a chance to catch up with them. His Holo message had mentioned his promotion but didn't say the exact title. He figured he'd leave that bit as a surprise.

 

[Zatten Black]

I woke up blearily as an alarm went off, smiling as I saw Kadrak cushioned on me like she usually was. Whispering into a nearby mic, I told my 'little brother' to shut the alarm off. It faded, and I shifted a bit to kiss Kadrak on the neck. Waking her up was fun, sometimes, but other times, not so much. I seriously hoped that she was rested enough to tell me what the vague memory of an appointment today was for.

With another small shift, I pulled the blanket back up over us. It was cold in my room, because I'd had it put right where the coolant burned off, to keep the engines from frying themselves. Kadrak had said something about it once, and I'd laughed it off as an excuse to spend more time under a blanket than not. But it was colder than usual, as if my AI 'brother' had been trying to wake me up.

I kissed Kadrak gently on the neck again, and brought my mouth towards her ear.

"Did we have something to do today, love?"

[member="Cryax Bane"] [member='Kadrak Jalaan']

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

Stirring slightly at his first kiss, a sleepy smile turning up the corners of her mouth at the second, and she blinked slowly awake, returning his kisses with one of her own on his neck, shifting her position slightly to look at him better, though she still stayed as close to him as possible under the blanket. Kadrak searched her still slightly sleep fogged brain for any memory of their current schedule, awakening further once their most recent appointment came to mind. "I think..." She kissed him on the jaw now. "We're supposed to meet Cryax today, at the Dragon Palace Casino. Something about him being promoted in the Ravens." Now she nuzzled the crook of his neck gently. "Luckily, it's only a few blocks away. All we have to do is get dressed."

Even though she spoke of getting along with things, she still didn't make any move to get dressed, or even get out from under the blanket, content in the warmth the two of them created, not quite ready to leave it for the cold of the bedroom they'd been sharing each night since she boarded the ship. "Fortunately, I already have a dress picked out for the occasion." She looked to him with another smile, knowing that she hadn't mentioned any shopping trips of hers to him before. "You'll have to wait and see, I'm afraid."

With a quiet yawn she propped herself up on an elbow. "I suppose we'd better get going, hm? We're already going to be late." Her eyes flicked to the chrono that sat next to the bed, and with another yawn she sat up completely and stretched, leaning over to kiss him on the lips before standing, taking a bag in hand that held the dress she'd chosen for the meeting before making her way to the small bathroom that branched off of the room, poking her head out with a grin and a wink. "I'll be right back." With that she stepped back inside, the doors sliding shut behind her.

[member="Zatten Black"], [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

In his new position, Cryax wasn't used to being kept waiting. It was usually the other way around. When the minutes dragged on and still no sign of Zatten and Kadrak, the Chiss testily started typing up a group message on his Datapad that said, "U R LATE!!!!!!" in all caps with multiple exclamation points. But he changed his mind about sending it and deleted the message.

Cryax was looking forward to his friends' arrival and didn't want to start the evening out on a bad note. To bide his time the crime boss surfed the Holonet, met with a few Bothan black market traders, put up a few listings for gently used Droids on Freg's list, and greeted the big spenders at the sabaac tables. Luckily there was plenty to take care of while his friends lolly-gagged around.

[member="Zatten Black"] [member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I smiled, and watched Kadrak go out the door, before walking to my own closet. Was I gonna wear that tuxedo that looked like something out of a bad opera? No... The more subdued one, with the gold thread shooting through it? Nah. Maybe the red one, that looked like some kind of naval uniform? Absolutely not. Jedi robes would be a good bit of irony, but it didn't appeal to me today. I looked around a bit more, and found a long black and gold coat.

Grinning, I put it on, leaving it unbuttoned. I grabbed some random tie off a hanger, and put it on, letting it show under the unbuttoned flap of the jacket. Some pants were sort of hanging on the back of a chair, and I picked the loosest ones that would still fit boots over them. Finally, I tugged on my normal pair of tall boots. All in all, the effect was alright, though I knew Kadrak would probably have something to say about it, good or bad.

I glanced over at the door to the bathroom where she was changing, and I grinned wider. Should I? Should I not?... The more mischievous part of my mind won out, and I slid the door open, just far enough to run a finger down Kadrak's arm.

"You decent? I sort of wanted a bit more fun before we go getting poor old blue-face drunk as a pirate."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"] [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

Not quite ready to respond to his question just yet, Kadrak finished applying what little makeup she would ever be seen in, straightening her dress and smoothing it out the best she could before opening the door the rest of the way, looking Zatten up and down with a grin before stepping closer to him, running a finger down the arm of his jacket just as he'd done to her. "I think this is one of your more subdued outfits, or at least the quietest one I've seen in a long time. I like it, but then again, I like you in anything. Even if that anything is nothing." She winked again, snaking her hand down to intertwine their fingers.

Only then did she reply to his comment, smiling teasingly. "Define 'fun'. Unfortunately, I don't think we have much time to be sidetracked. We'd better get going, before he decides to cancel on us altogether. Then you wouldn't have anyone to get drunk, besides yourself. And considering you only seem to get more sober, that won't be nearly as fun. Not that I'm saying I don't enjoy your company, but something about Cryax drunk is a, hmm, special experience, especially after what happened on Iridonia."

Stretching up on her tiptoes, she pressed a long kiss to his lips, squeezing his hand gently and smiling once she pulled away. "Hopefully that holds you over for later. What say we get going to the casino, and try not to gamble all of our credits today. Even if you might win just about every game. There won't be any fights happening to amuse either of us, however disappointing that might be. So we'll just have to settle for getting him drunk and seeing how many other people you can manage to upset just by existing."

Now she ran her thumb over the top of his hand. "Shall we?"

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I wrapped an arm around Kadrak, and squeezed her shoulders, smiling. I brushed a hair away from my face, and leaned down to kiss her neck again. Looking up and down over the dress, and smiling wider when I looked back up to her face, I raised an eyebrow.

"I wonder where you're hiding your gun this time... Maybe you should let me search later. That'll be a long, long search, whether I find anything or not."

I growled gently, and played around with our hands for a bit.

"And maybe I'll steal a kiss or two while we're out. Maybe while people are becoming upset my existence... Or perhaps that's what'll piss them off."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

A smile found her lips and she couldn't help but laugh quietly, raising an eyebrow right back. It was a game of sorts, as the first time they'd gone out together and she'd worn a similar dress, she'd still managed to sneak in a vibroblade with the boots she'd been wearing under the dress. This time that feat was made a bit difficult, as she was wearing something just a bit more revealing this time, and low-rising heels to boot. There would be no concealing weapons this time, much to her and his disappointment. Unless he had other things in mind for what qualified as such, that is. Still, there would be no fun giving things away right off, as he most certainly knew.

Kadrak made a show of looking him up and down once more, stepping just a bit closer with a wink. "That's for me to know...and for you to find out just a bit later. But I have a few hints in mind that I'm sure you can think of. However, I'm not inclined to reveal any of them just yet. You should have something in mind from our earlier exploits, at the very least. I'd be disappointed if you don't." She smiled again at his last comment. "Oh? That implies that we make people jealous. i don't think I've ever encountered anything of the sort."

About twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the casino in question, the ever usual weapons search just a bit irritating to her, as just by looking at her one should have been able to tell that it was all but impossible for her to conceal anything that could even remotely be used as a weapon on her person. But she complied with it anyhow, however grudgingly, taking Zatten's hand again once it was all said and done. Her yellow eyes scanned the casino floor, a small smile finding her lips as she spotted the only other familiar face through the crowd, the first being the man at her side. "Well, I supposed we'd better see how upset we made him over our being late."

[member="Zatten Black"], [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I grinned at the security guards on the way in, welcoming whatever attempt they could make at finding the hidden weapons he carried. When the scanner still buzzed for metal, I gestured to the buttons all over my jacket. The security guard just flashed me a look, and let me pass, moving onto Kadrak. When we were safely out of the reach of security, I squeezed Kadrak's hand, and spotted Cryax.

"He looks bored. Too many people asking him to kiss their monetary boo boos and trying to get guns to cover their asses. It's a criminal empire. Made of criminals, but still with plenty of bitching citizens."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

"There you are!" said Cryax, greeting the couple as they cleared security. Marching right along with the Chiss came his bodyguard droids and a few burly Gamoreans he'd plucked from Dasha the Hutt's ranks. His face was tight with irritation, yet he was happy to see his friends. The sight of the Zelto-chiss and the Zabrak filled him with rosy-colored memories of an easier time. A time before all the kark hit the fan and Cryax was able to drink with friends without being in danger of being pistol whipped in a sewer and tortured. Amid the sounds of bets being placed, Jubilee wheels spun and Gamoreans snuffling, the crime boss signaled for a bar droid who dutifully rolled up with a tray of drinks for his friends.

"Kadrak you look lovely," he said to the Zabrak woman, leaning in to give her a cordial peck on the check. "That's some dress," he added with a smile.

Then Cryax nodded to Zatten, extending a blue-skinned hand out to shake. "Zatten, you old bastard. We have so much catching up to do."

Other than the expensive suit and the increase in his personal security, there was little about the Chiss that looked much different. If one looked closely, an edge of paranoia might be noticeable, but he'd always had a jumpy look about him. But his next sentence would speak volumes about just how much had changed in a short amount of time. His hands straightening the lapels of his jacket, he asked, "What would you say to sharing a few drinks with the new president of the Red Ravens?"

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"] [member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

Grinning at my blue-skinned friend, I gripped his hand and tried not to crush it. He was awfully dressed up for drinks, even if he did get promoted. I wondered vaguely where Anastasia was, but I decided not to bring it up. Being a Mandalorian, it was possible she or Cryax could be in danger if they were here together.

"Catching up is right. But you're dressed a little too well to be callin' me just to drink."

When Cryax mentioned the new president of the Ravens, I had to stop myself from laughing, just to piss Cryax off a bit. I raised an eyebrow, understanding what was going on now. My short, slightly dorky, friend was now the head of the second largest criminal-run government in the galaxy. I looked around, slightly mockingly, and tilted my head with an innocent look.

"Are you hiding your new president somewhere, Cryax? That's awfully rude."

[member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

The nonchalant way Cryax wove his new promotion into conversation earned a smile and a quiet laugh from her, and she looked to Zatten with a roll of her eyes, squeezing his hand. Sure, she hadn't expected anything different from him, but his sarcastic attitude never failed to amuse her. And from just a glance at their friend's face, she could tell he needed a bit of lightening up. True enough, he'd chosen the right man for the job. If there was one thing her Zeltrochiss partner was good at, it was getting people to overstep their bounds regarding most anything they'd usually not do. Which accounted for more than a few of their adventures.

With a glance to Cryax's guards she smiled again. "Don't worry, nothing's changed about him, if you couldn't tell. But, believe it or not, you get used to it once you've lived with him for awhile. He happens to make very good company." Looking to Zatten, she winked. "I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course. I'm sure you already knew that I wouldn't want it any different."

Now she looked to Cryax again, her smile less teasing in nature. "Congratulations, Cryax. We'd be happy to share a few drinks with you." She couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips at the memory of the last time they'd done similar, though it was at a bar on Iridonia instead of an upscale casino on Antecedent, a planet home to one of the most notorious criminal organizations of the galaxy. To say the Chiss had gotten drunk would be a bit of an understatement, but it had been all in good fun. No lines had been crossed, but it would be interesting to see how things transpired this time around.

"Unfortunately, no one will be getting thrown through any windows this time around. And no bar fights either, much to someone's disappointment." She looked to Zatten again with another smile.

[member="Zatten Black"], [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax gestured to his shiny new suit. "Look the part, be the part I suppose," he said to Zatten whose trademark snark was ever present. To Kadrak, he said. "Thank you," and then chuckled. "Are you sure you're up for drinking with me again?" He smiled self-effacingly, well aware he couldn't hold his liquor worth a damn. "After all, I'm not the one that's going to remember it. You'll be the ones stuck with that bad memory I'm afraid."

Grabbing a glass of cognac from the bar droid, he escorted the couple to a VIP section of the club, where a few other seedy Outer Rim gangsters sat around whispering in the ears of overly spackled mistresses. "It's more private here. Less interruptions," he said as he took a seat at one of the booths.

Sipping a cognac, the unlikely crime boss grinned broadly. "How the frell have both of you been? When was the last time I saw you? Was it Chroma Zedd? I don't seem to remember much from that evening either. Whatever happened that night, i hope we all had fun." He paused and with a nervous laugh added, "We, uh, did have fun that night didn't we?"

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"] [member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I grinned at the memory of the beach resort we'd stayed at that day. Cryax and Ana had invited me and Kadrak, and we'd all been drunk, possibly except for the Mandalorian woman. I looked back at Cryax, and smiled wide.

"That was pretty fun. Your girlfriend beat me at drinking. Me and Kadrak fell asleep in some room somewhere, and that crazy gangster woman got sat on by a giant dog. Oh, yeah... And the guy with the weird race car and the bird in his hair."

That reminded me of something, but I wanted to drink more than I wanted to talk, for the moment. I grabbed a whiskey out from behind the bar, and two glasses, glancing at Cryax mischievously. Then I realized what, or rather who, was missing.

"Where's Ana, Cryax? Woulda thought she'd be drinking me down a hole again at the first opportunity."

[member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

At Black's question, Cryax's brows furrowed and he took a rather long swig of his drink, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He couldn't find the words to describe what he'd done. For reasons he was reluctant to share, had broken up with his girlfriend without warning. And he'd done it over text message. It was cowardly and she deserved much better that that. But what was done, was done. There wasn't any way to right it. As much as he wanted to call her and apologize, he continued to be craven about it, finding it much easier to just avoid the whole situation entirely. "We're not together anymore." he simply said and looked down at his glass, his finger absently tracing the rim.

Then, smiling at couple, he evasively switched topics. "So what have you both been up to? Bar fights with giant Iridonians? Taking over the Chiss Ascendency? You must have alot of good stories to tell since we parted." Then he gulped down more whiskey, and turned to Kadrak with a wink. "Has he popped the question yet? C'mon, you can tell me."

"By the way, if you two smash up one of the hotel rooms here, I will be charging you for it," he said with a chuckle, hoping with that last joke that the subject was thoroughly changed.

[member="Zatten Black"] [member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

The question that had been asked regarding Ana was almost on her lips, but Cryax's answer to it stunned her into silence for a moment. From what she'd seen of their interactions together on Chroma Zedd, the two seemed to have been in a state of marital bliss. So the news that it had been cut off wasn't something she'd been expecting. If anything, a wedding announcement was something she'd thought to hear soon. But it was obvious even the simple mention of the topic made the man uncomfortable, and she wasn't one to push things like this, more so when it came to friends. So she left it at that, hoping that Zatten would do the same.

Instead she turned her attention to his other inquiries, unable to stop herself from laughing quietly at the last one, glancing to the man in question with a smile, reaching over to squeeze his hand gently. "Not just yet. But when he does, you'll hear about it. I'm sure he has a few rather creative ideas in mind." From the way their relationship had kicked off since their first meeting, she had no doubt in her mind about that. But really, Kadrak hadn't put much stock into the idea until Cryax brought it up. There wasn't a point in dwelling on it, so only time would tell.

His other round of comments were definitely something she had more of a response too. "Just the usual. The fight with our friend on Iridonia was a one time deal, disappointingly enough. I think it's been a record amount of time since the last bar fight either of us have managed to start. So in other words, a few weeks, at best. And even that depends on what planet you're counting your week on." At that she only smiled and winked, looking in mock surprise between the two at the comment regarding hotel rooms. "That would be a first for us, I think." Now she glanced to Zatten with a nonexistent eyebrow raised, another grin on her face. "Or at least, a first with a hotel room."

@[member="Cryax Bane"], @[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I looked over at Kadrak, and gave her a surprised look. I'd been expecting Ana and Cryax to get married way before I asked Kadrak. They were just like that. But I wasn't gonna push the subject, especially since Kadrak has a better judgement for when it's time to stop than I do. That didn't mean that I wasn't going to come back to the subject the second I thought my friend was drunk enough to talk about it, but this wasn't the moment for that. I squeezed my girlfriend's hand, and looked back at Cryax.

I shook my head at Cryax's question about a marriage proposal.

"I haven't found anything near theatrical enough for us. Trust me, you'll know when I do. Along with half of the galaxy, if I get my way. Fights, though, have been in sadly short supply since the last time we were on Nar Shaddaa... Maybe a month-ish ago."

@[member="Kadrak Jalaan"] @[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax smiled widely as the old saying from the Bright Jewel Cluster came to mind. Then he winked knowingly at the bearded Zelto-chiss. "Well you know what they say on Ord Mantell, 'If you like it then you should put a ring on it.'" The Chiss grinned. "I'll be anxiously awaiting that invitation in any case. And your proposal better involve flying through a window, Zatten. Or else I'll be disappointed."

As he took another generous swig of his cognac, Cryax leaned forward and leveled his eyes at the couple. "I wish I could say this was strictly an excuse to drink with the two of you, but it's not a purely social call. I hear there's a war brewing. The likes of one the galaxy hasn't seen in a long time. It's not a certainty of course, but in my new position, I just want to solidify allies."

He glanced at both of them with a furrowed brow. He knew he was asking alot and it was possible neither would want to get deeply involved. "If the Red Ravens get caught up in a galactic war. Would you be open to lending help to the Ravens? If not with the Silver Jedi, then personally, for the sake of an old friend?"

@[member="Zatten Black"] @[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

There hadn't been any talk of war, galactic or otherwise, that Kadrak had heard of. Then again, her view of the galaxy had been rather removed since that night on Nar Shaddaa when she first met Zatten, and they hadn't been paying attention to much in regards to any sort of conflict. But she supposed the fact shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. With the number of rival factions that were already warring, and the smaller offshoots that were springing up left and right, something like this was bound to happen eventually. It was only a matter of where and when. The request put to them, however, was something new. Normally she wouldn't have considered it for a moment, but this was an old friend, not just another leader looking for cheap labor.

But despite that, it was still a moment before she spoke again as she weighed her options. In the end, she figured she didn't have much to lose, and one or another faction she was tied to would probably wind up finding themselves involved somehow, somewhere. This was just a preliminary. "Well, someone has to keep your gadgets and gizmos ready to go. It just so happens that you've found the right Zabrak for the job." With a glance to Zatten, she continued speaking. "I'll throw my lot in, but that's assuming I'm not called to help on other fronts first. Things have been quiet lately, but if there's the prospect of war going around, something tells me Cross might want in."

Now she turned her attention to Zatten's own comment regarding the marriage proposal. "Theatrical, huh? Now you've got me curious. And you know what they say about keeping a lady waiting." She smiled and winked, curious about his reply regarding Cryax's call for allies.

@[member="Cryax Bane"], @[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I reached an arm over to pull Kadrak a bit closer to me, and lowered my voice to a whisper.

"I've got something to tell you about that, later. Cross sent you a message."

I looked at Cryax, and a problem poked at me, keeping me from overwhelming agreement with Kadrak's sentiment.

"The Silvers don't care what I do, much. But Ana just joined up. The question is how much influence will her friends there give her, and how angry she is with you. I'm coming along, but I seriously doubt the rest of them will be too happy about it."

@[member="Kadrak Jalaan"] @[member="Cryax Bane"]

(Your post on the kitty cat )