Greenback Boogie [ PM For Invite ]

[Helen Havana]

"Exactly that." She quipped

"I'm not quite sure what opportunities you're looking for." Helen exchanged in regard to the Zabrak's earlier statement. "Though I promise you you're not going to find them dressed like that." She eyed Valeska up and down, though there was no judgment on her face.

Perhaps if there was she simply hid it well. Who knew. Besides Helen of course.

The heiress took a few steps closer, with arms crossed elegantly behind her back. "Now, I could help with that of course. But only if you withhold the venom dripping from your tongue..."

"Shall we start from the top? I believe it's polite to offer your name first when in better company." Helen smiled.

[member="Valeska Daeranthe"]

 

[Darth Morrow]

Pulling the robe closed around herself, Valeska looked her up and down.

Near biting her tongue, the woman offered the common 'pleasantries'. "My name is Valeska Daeranthe. And yours?"

Pleasantries has never been her strongsuit, though punching faces, that was. But there was a time and place for everything, and it was not now.

 

[Helen Havana]

"That is an unusual name. Though I suppose you're an unusual alien." She remarked.

Helen brought a finger to her chin, tapping it gently in thought. "I am Helen, and that is all you'll know of me for now. Tell me, Valeska, what is a Zabrak like yourself doing in a place such as this?"

As the two of them were engaged in their little introduction, Helen's people were searching desperately for their lady. Though they tried their hardest not to raise any alarm. Few people would have known who she was. Bronsoon wasn't exactly a household name, but if kidnapped she was worth a pretty credit in ransom money.

In fact, Helen noticed one of them moving through the crowd away from her. Thankfully she wasn't spotted but it meant there wasn't a terrible amount of time.

"I would like to continue our conversation, Valeska, but I'm afraid my time here is limited." She said with a sidelong glance towards a second man making his way towards them. "So let me make this quick--I don't think you're a particularly bright person. Not stupid, but certainly not an educated woman. But someone like me could be of service to someone like you... and vice versa."

"If you're interested, then meet me at the cantina by the starport later. I will manage my way."

With that said, the man approaching them finally made his way into the opening and spotted Helen. "My lady! Are you alright?"

She turned to face him. "Of course, I had just gotten lost..." Helen wanted to roll her eyes, but unfortunately the helpless act would have to do for now.

"It's alright. We can show you the way, my lady. Please come with me." He let out a sigh of relief.

 

[Darth Morrow]

Simply watching Helen be dragged back to the crowd, she merged with the hoard herself.

One offer down, would it be possible to get more.

A faint smile tugged at the edge of her lips before she contained herself, now simply scanning the crowd for others. Likely many weren't to show interest in the somewhat evil looking pasty Zabrak besides whatever security patrolled the area. Thus, after a short time she decided to make way to the exit.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Cass strolled through the crowd, surveying the booths with some combination of disdain and boredom. It was clear she had already decided this trip had been a waste of her time.

She rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. She knew his type. Thought too highly of himself by half.

"Please," she said, finger tips coming up to her chest, just below the curve of her necklace, "If this wasn't the direction of traffic, I wouldn't even be walking with you now."

Grey eyes cast sideways at him.

"You do? Who even are you? I wonder just how grounded in fact your opinion of yourself is Mister.....?"

She was about ready to turn off at the first possible opportunity, even if it meant another mining booth with an over zealous attendant.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

That deflection received nothing, because it didn't deserve something.

The traffic direction, really? His interest was already waning. Oh, she was beautiful to look at and the curve of her clavicle was enough to keep him in the conversation, but only barely. Tash was many things and among them was a chaser, but that chase was usually pronounced by push rather than the extended run. A light jog was one thing, but the traffic direction?

"Me?" Now that infuriating smirk flashed in truth, lighting up and dominating. "My name is Lord Itash of House Mecetti." That light shrug after the end was almost enough to convey humility.

But anyone who could pick up even shreds of body language would figure out there was no humility to be found in this one.

Not true, neither false humility. "And who might you be, miss?"

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Oh well hold the communicator.

Just as she was eyeing the next booth, trying to decide if it were worth using as a means of slitting the throat on this conversation, he said something that was actually interesting.

Her head turned and Cass looked at him, really looked at him for the first time. She blinked slowly and something shifted in her attention.

She reached out, offering him her hand.

"Forgive me, I should have recognized you. We've never been formally introduced, so of course you wouldn't remember me," she said, though just as there was no humility in him, there was no false modesty, despite the tone, in her. "Cassandra Paige. It is a pleasure to meet you."

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Helen Havana"] | [member="Valeska Daeranthe"] | [member="Kalo Draxler"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Astrid Gray"]

Anyone else might have been smug about the change of demeanor.

Not Tash.

Why? To him it made complete sense that Cassandra would shift her attitude and behavior, once she realized who she was speaking to. All it did was confirm to him that she was someone worth speaking with and nothing more. That this was a sane individual, who understood the subtle dynamics of nobility; the have's and have not's. Her last name did ping his memory though.

Fingers wrapped comfortably around her hand and brought it to his lips. The classical Tapani gesture. "It certainly is." Mildly ambiguous- either Tash meant that it was a pleasure meeting her as well or that meeting him was the pleasure.

By design? Perhaps.

"Paige... hmmm, ah, the Coruscanti Paiges? We may have met at one our balls on Obulette." Oh, he had never had much of a mind to work, but socializing and carousing had always been a love of his. Part of that was getting to know who was worth knowing and who was worth ignoring. The Paiges had been new money as far as Tash could remember.

A comfortable amount of money that elevated them from their common-born kin.

Which was presumably how they got invited into the Tapani balls. "Wh-" He was about to say more, when something shifted. His luck suddenly started shouting at the back of his head and his attention turned to look over her shoulder. He could feel the three Thyrsians he had brought with him, they recognized the alarm and were already making their way back to him. The crowd knew what was about to happen. Not consciously, they would have started a stampede, but it was the change in atmosphere from busy and involved to... nervousness.

It started.

Explosions followed by screams at the far right of the conference hall. The large transparisteel windows had shattered, raining shards of sharp glass on those nearest, cutting them up. It was followed by the sounds of blaster shots on the left. Through the gaps in the crowd Tash could make out masks, bright red, they were methodical in their approach.

Soldiers.

His hand curled tight into hers as he pulled her closer. "We need to move." To her, to himself, but he saw what the intruders were doing.

Funneling the crowd towards a point north. Away from the lifts and the strange statue- "Can you fight?"

 

[Helen Havana]

Just as Helen was being escorted back into the vulture's nest came the explosions and fighting.

The chaos threw everything out of balance. The crowd scattered in reckless abandon, leaving only a slim few standing in utter shock. Those few were no match for the stray shots of blaster fire; or perhaps they were trained on the civilians themselves. Helen had no idea. She wasn't a fighter, a soldier, or a general. But she was a person, and as such she did have one trait--survival instinct.

"Behind me, my lady!" Her bodyguard placed himself in front of her with his blaster pistol drawn. The cowardly trustees on the other hand were quick to abandon their post and fled into cover. Her aide, in a moment of misfortune, was grazed in the leg and fell to the floor. His awfully loud screams forced Helen to bring both hands to either ear. She ducked behind her guardian who cautiously escorted her into cover.

She hid behind the statue, the one with the holographic planet. A hologram which soon dissipated as a shot melted the emitter. Another blast shook the statue, the cracked fingers collapsing into a balled fist.

"Fething hell!" She shouted in panic. A pair of blue eyes darting in every direction they could see.

[member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Kalo Draxler"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Astrid Gray"]

 

[Darth Morrow]

As Valeska was taking her last steps out, the loud explosion rang in her ear. Looking back she felt hesitation. Is this really worth it. Though of course, when she spotted Helen, it was of course the only way she would be making any profit off the night, maybe a few other nobles would be thankful.

Storming back in she pulled a saber from her waist band and began making her way back in, stepping over a few dropped bodies here and there, watching the chaos unfold further in, and stepping behind another unfortunate soul to only have them be a momentary shield before they too dropped. In an odd sense, the woman seemed unbelievably calm as she slipped behind the statue to Helen, a shot passing every second or two.

"Plan on hiding until you and your guards are dead?" The dark yellow eyes locked on the panicked blue. A hand extending down to her. "Come, Ill lead you out."

[member="Helen Havana"]

 

[Cassandra Paige]

She smiled one of her shyer smiles (she didn't even try copying Ana, that would be simply too much), hand at her breast as he kissed her hand. It was the way things were done, and she played that particular part well, even if it was by practice rather than nature. She opened her mouth to say something, but her head cocked slightly as his gaze went over her shoulder, the smile fading ever so slightly around the edges as she wondered just what could possibly be more interesting-

And then something exploded behind her and she jumped in surprise. His hand tightened on hers, pulling her in slightly, preventing her from doing the natural thing and *running*. It was only a slight move to be there against his chest, and while the tug hadn't actually been enough on it's own to do it, she took that half step in. She looked up at him, blinking in confusion for a moment. Her heart was beating faster but that was purely in reaction to the explosions and the screaming. Even she wasn't immune to that.

"Me? Fight? Don't be ridiculous. Who are they? What's happening?"


[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Astrid Gray]

Astrid was never particularly inclined towards violence, despite being surrounded by quite a bit of it during her youth. Over the years she had gradually became desensitized towards it, even despite seeing the sight of aftermath's like Mirial.

She had never personally set foot on the planet, but she had seen the footage, read the reports that had been filed. The details had been ingrained into her mind, then filed down into an editorial and script.

But Astrid had never been in the middle of it, the closest possible thing she could compare was a street brawl when she was fifteen. Astrid knew how to throw a punch, not afraid to get her hands dirty if it was needed.

Getting shot at though, was a different story entirely.

She had no qualms about fleeing the moment everything went to chit.

Unfortunately in this instance, she just so happened to be too far away from the elevator to make any kind of exit.

Astrid had been in front of booth, one that had caught her interest and the older man behind it was talking her ear off. Though she wasn't paying complete attention however, instead focusing on the conversations that were happening around her. There was a young man and woman close by, chatting away and if she got her accents right; the man was Tapani. Her eavesdropping was cut short however by the sudden explosion that blew the window open.

Her instincts were to run, but her guards were there to protect.

"Ma'am, stay behind us!"

No, what she really wanted to do was make a beeline straight for the lift. But everything seemed to be pushing them away.

[member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Valeska Daeranthe"] | [member="Helen Havana"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Kalo Draxler"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Evoros"]​

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Helen Havana"] | [member="Valeska Daeranthe"] | [member="Kalo Draxler"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Astrid Gray"]

She couldn't fight.

Great.

The Thyrsians had rendezvoused with them at this point and were keeping the screaming, fleeing masses away from them for the most part. The red masks were targeting targets and through the bustle hadn't yet noticed the little congregation, but Tash knew that wouldn't last. "No idea who they are." His voice steady, eyes shining bright and there was a thrill in his voice. This was surely turning out to be an... interesting affair. "They are leading them somewhere, probably a killing ground set up north to maximize the casualties."

Smart.

Lead them into a trap like a fish and catch 'em once they got nowhere else to go. The weapons-fire, the explosions, they were all funneling them away from the lifts and the supposed immediate danger.

"Make us a path." His soldiers immediately detached and left to pursue the objective- almost automatic, one entity moving without needing much in the way of communication or anything else. Another explosion and this one made one of the walls collapse south- it cut off the most obvious path towards the lifts. Feth. Anyone still around the statue and lifts would suddenly notice hostile shouting off their side, one of the corridors sweeping into the waiting hall of the lifts.

More terrorists coming to clean out the lifts?

Could be.

Either way, Tash couldn't worry about that, he had himself to save (and also Cass apparently, who was staring at him like he had the plan. Boy, this was not the time to tell her he winged everything). "Stick close to me, don't get separated." Tash started walk, crossing against the crowd running, fleeing, pushing and shoving where necessary to make a path for them.

The obvious path to the lifts was out, but maybe there was a staircase for emergencies and personnel.

 

[Zef Halo]

It would've been a good and full with opportunity evening for Kalo if it weren't for the red masked troopers storming the place. His two escorting droids quickly opened fire while Kalo moved away from them. Unlike most of the running cattle, Kalo analysed the situation. To everyone he was a businessman, he shouldn't differ much from the rest of the fleeing cattle.

The reality was different.

Cursing underneath his breath for not being able to use the Force for obvious reasons, Kalo concluded from observing the methodical and focused fire on armed guards by the terrorists meant one thing - this was not the trap. They were forcing them into it.

Or so it seemed.

Draxler glanced at his droids, one of it was already destroyed. So much for positive product demonstration.

He fled against the flow looking for an emergency exit- no. Those would probably be full of the gunmen as they were obvious but staff exits? Those tended to be in much more irrelevant and less busy locations. The businessman kept his cool while exploring through the crowd any such location.

There.

Kalo caught a glimpse of a staff's uniform disappearing into a side corridor. He vigorously made his way through the crowd the last of which were another group of fleeing against the flow (Itash & Co). They took his attention, He expected he'd be the only one able to remain calm and collected within such a situation.

"Out of my way." Draxler growled pushing away another man and a woman before he scurried past a crow-looking faced man and a brunette - the pair which were moving against the flow. He gave them a glancing but fully analytical look and kept on moving towards the staff corridor.

Whether they followed, he did not check backwards.

Yet.

[member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Helen Havana"] | [member="Astrid Gray"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Valeska Daeranthe"]​

 

[Helen Havana]

Helen wished Valeska hadn't complicated things even further.

A Zabrak suddenly showing her face did not bode well for her personal guard during the whole ordeal.

From cover he pointed his blaster now towards Valeska. "Step away!" He wasn't messing around.

"Fools the lot of you!" Helen threw her voice into debate, a mixture of panic and anger. The enemies were closing in fast, though for the time being their focus remained on the civilians and not the three behind cover. Either they weren't noticed, or they weren't the immediate priority. The heiress raised her voice to Valeska now. "I don't know who the hell you think you are but leave us before we're all killed!" She rasped.

Helen glared at the Zabrak. The whole point of the heiress venturing out to speak to her was intended to mask her intentions. Valeska was not about to break that secrecy, and Helen was already stretching her own persona to protect it. Her own guard looked confused about the exchange, but thankfully his focus was still primarily on the ones shooting up the place.

[member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Astrid Gray"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Valeska Daeranthe"] | [member="Kalo Draxler"]

 

[Darth Morrow]

Perhaps someone else would be more grateful. Damned nobles and their high upkeep images.

As the blaster went off she would step to the side, glaring at the guard, her dark yellow eyes feeling as though they burned into his flesh. "Pathetic. I was simply trying to help, a rare thing for a person like me. Have fun with your guard."

Stepping off Valeska stared to the approaching attackers now locking to her, throwing one into three others with a simple demonstration of power and ducking behind cover. She was now trapped as well. I'm never trying to be helpful again. Being mumbled as shots fired past.

[member="Helen Havana"]

 

[Evoros]

She had a heartbeat of anxiety as a warning before the explosions started out of nowhere and troopers stormed the building all at once. Not enough time to do anything; only enough time that she knew to move when it happened.

But where?

At this point she might as well come to social affairs expecting a gunfight. Oh well. She was sure she'd have more fun this way. Evoros darted through the crowd, towards the lifts- feth.

Her mind raced. There was some small chance she could find somewhere to hide and hope the crowds going in the other direction kept the terrorists busy. But the room was still shaking and the walls seemed a little closer to crumbling every time she blinked. This wasn't a situation to wait out. It was the kind to run away from. If only her way out wasn't being blocked by seemingly everyone in the room.

Pause. Scan the room. Her mind's eye drew a dozen lines, a dozen pathways before she took off down one of them. Every turn seemed to generate more people pushing in the other direction like a blockade, but Evoros moved through the gaps without pause.

She was used to nearly dying at social affairs by now, after all.

[member="Helen Havana"] | [member="Valeska Daeranthe"] | [member="Kalo Draxler"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Astrid Gray"]​

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"Killing ground?"

Cass was a lot of thing. A narcissist. A psychopath. Hell, she'd deliberately attempted to blind her youngest sister when they were children, just to see if she could. But after than incident she had put a lid on those tendencies hard, that moment gelling the line her family- her mother- would allow.

Her tone wasn't alarmed, but it was surprised and sharp.

"Stick close to me, don't get separated."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Cass considered herself a practical sort. She wasn't prone to making a fuss unless it *got* her something. Right now? Playing the fainting damsel was the exact opposite of helpful so she did not such thing. She did however watch Itash, who clearly was familiar with things like this... this.... what even was this? It was like something out a holodrama and if she were being honest with herself, she kind of liked it.

It was a little exciting.

She could be blasé about a lot of things. This? This sent a thrill through her.

Sharp grey eyes picked out a small, square sign high on the corner of a wall, up near the ceiling. Emergency stairs.

"There," she leaned in, keeping her gesture small to point out the direction. "Stairs are that way."

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Helen Havana]

With the battle still raging on, Helen's bodyguard saw an opening and deciding they'd both make a run for it.

"We're moving in a moment, my lady." He alerted her of his plan. The man peeked over the ruined statue to see the assailants fanning out. They looked to be herding the civilians somewhere, and in that he saw their opportunity to escape.

He grabbed Helen by the arm--Helen still in shock from all the chaos thus far--and dragged her out of cover with him. Her feet moved instinctively, but her mind was elsewhere. Running the scenarios in her head where she dies. Her heart began to race even higher as adrenaline pumped through her veins. She slid into cover when they ducked back down, tearing a muscle in her ankle as she exerted herself.

"Gah!" She yelped.

The sound briefly calling the attention of one of the armed men. He began his search in their hiding spot, only to be called back last minute over his comms. Her guard let out a deep sigh.

"We're almost in the clear." He whispered.

 

[Astrid Gray]

It became clear that it was near impossible to make a solo exit, to get away from this scene without having to fret over anyone else who was also caught up in this chaos.

Was it selfish? Damn right it was, but Astrid didn't care.

She was focused on keeping herself alive, getting herself to safety. If folks ended up getting knocked and stepped over?

There wasn't going to be any loss of sleep from it.

Astrid watched as the crowd were split into two; those that were easily corralled like sheep to the slaughter, and the minority that were taking matters into their own hands. Folks were pairing up, whether they were familiar with the other or just simply latching on as another body between the attackers. She caught sight of the Tapani and the woman he had speaking too, seemingly pulling her with him as he tried to make an escape.

She didn't have a military mind, but even Astrid could see something that was there. Individuals suddenly converging to a single point, moving as one unit towards the pair, then moving out making a path through the chaotic mess.

It was an opportunity, one she was going to exploit.

"Follow them," she pointed towards [member="Itash Mecetti"] and [member="Cassandra Paige"]. Her bodyguards had paused to make a comment, but their duty was to protect her - and the best chance of that was following those that were already carving a route out of this hellhole.