Ravens Without a Cause (Rebel Alliance/Red Raven Truce)

[Reverance]

He couldn't help but smile at the leveled disrespect that was being tossed at him. "You speak of respect and then you talk down to me..." He eyed her as he spotted a bit of cigarra wrap on table. Smashing it with his finger, he slowly slid the thing across the table, meticulously, before lifting it up to inspect it upon finger. "You seem...young. If you don't mind me saying, it's not meant as an insult...but it'll help me look over any slight." He rubbed his fingers together before flicking the flake away from him, steeping his fingers on the table and exhaling. "And I think you misunderstood me entirely. However, it seems rephrasing is unnecessary..."

Truth be told, he cared very little for what had occurred in the past between who ever the metaphored Dark Lord of the Sith was, for the Red Ravens. The fact that she would compare a criminal, crime boss at best, to one of the most powerful figures in the universe - well, it revealed a form of arrogance and naivety that seemed to stretch from one side of the casino to the other. Which was expected, very select individuals had ever experienced the deafening silence that was the Dark Lord. Strike two - Gabriel may have the appearance of a man just beyond 40, but he was ancient, running with mercenary groups far before he landed in the folds of the One Sith. The very fact that this twi'lek would suggest that the hierarchy of the One Sith was clean or in any form neat just proved even further the lack of understanding she had with which she dealt. Once again, an expected level of ignorance. Some times, Gabriel accepted that even he didn't full understand the hierarchy, and he was the Wrath.

"There is nothing new beneath this sun or the next. Yours is an organization, successful sure, but..." He leaned back and smirked from the side of his mouth. "It's the same song and dance. You export currency and goods in exchange for the like. You play the brigand on one hand, especially when I mention a friend once lost. And in the next breath, you speak words of respect and imply honor with umbrage. It's a game and it suggests that you intend to find slight in the words I speak, no matter my choice of words or what I offer. If you don't mind, I would prefer to avoid it altogether."

He cracked his neck. "You've inherited this alliance, sown with the breaking of a former one - the black suns, you might recall that endeavor upon Barab I. Is it, by your words, a suggestion that this alliance is no longer valid? Because here I was, under the impression that we benefited from one another's company. Even beyond personal altercations that couldn't possibly be controlled by either faction..."

He wasn't particularly fond of this woman's attitude and something she seemed to neglect is that fact that at any moment, he could level this casino with a force of an outward wave. But he had no intent to do that, coming under the umbrella of a parlez. He had a set of codes and despite what insults he had interpreted from this woman, he wasn't one to break them. They were safe, though they assuredly didn't feel that way with the level of anxiety and hesitation infesting the casino with a sort of petulance.

"Shipment destinations and intelligence would suit our needs fine..." He bore down on her as he pushed the glass of whiskey over. "Are you not thirsty? It's really quite good, Menkeroo Whiskey of a particular age...though I suspect you knew that already." He said with a smile, as if this confrontation had little to no impact on him. In earnest, he was enjoying the socialization for what is was. A few broken eggs doesn't detract from the flavor of the omelette.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] | [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"Come to me as a man and not the representative of the Dark Lord and I will show you respect [member="Reverance"]. You yourself have been an ally to us, though few others have."

"It is by my words that you would not tolerate what we have tolerated. I do not like the direction our relationship has gone. We are not supplicants, we were to be allies, partners. Working together but independent."

"I can be both brigand and honourable, or neither. I am whatever the Ravens require me to be. I will not necessarily take offence to everything you say, but nor can I afford to have the previous relationship continue as it was. As you've said, I've inherited this.. Unique set of circumstances and it falls to me to right it."

She did not say mess. Not with [member="Cryax Bane"] sitting beside her. He'd done his best, she was sure. He'd even been successful in some ways, there were others in which he was woefully under equipped or had been too traumatized to perform effectively any more. Still. He'd chosen to step back. He'd handed over the reigns and she intended to steer.

"Perhaps it can be salvaged, one would hope so, certainly I see no gain in opposing you providing we maintain our autonomy. And you make that clear to yours. Those are my terms. We provide intelligence, you respect our autonomy, we remain allies."

"Give me something to drink to and I will drink with you."

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax stared at the exchange, mouth agape, his face a mixture of consternation and anger. Did Chiasa have a death wish? The man at the table offering his assistance and oranges to the Red Ravens was the Wrath of the Dark Lord. Some in certain circles might call Cryax a coward, but the Chiss knew better to insult a man who could single-handedly wipe out entire armies in battle. Bane had survived as long as he had in the Red Ravens, by having the sense to know when to shut his trap, a skill Chiasa had obviously not yet learned. It was the kind of self-preservation that one honed when he found the castle he had worked so hard to build was made of sand.

Darth Vornskr had kidnapped him and fouled his body and mind with Sith magick so that he could pull his strings as if he were a laughing puppet. It was something that still shamed the Chiss greatly. When he heard Chiasa speak of it, he felt the same fresh pang of humiliation that haunted him after the spell had been broken by the Sith Lord’s passing. Perhaps if Zambrano were alive, it would be time to see the bearded cur brought to justice, but he was dead, and Cryax could not paint all the One Sith with the same bloody brush. Especially not ones whose forces protected him on Kashyyyk and Barab I.

His glowing red eyes flashed to Reverance. It was too late to force those words back into her orange lips. The situation was beyond damage control. He speechlessly waited to see what the Vong King's reaction would be.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Reverance"]

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat Mantis, entered. He sat down, quietly. He was not wearing his armor, nor was he armed.


He stared at [member="Cryax Bane"], but said nothing- nothing yet.

 

[Reverance]

What more can a man do, in respect to the idiocy laid before him, then release a small chuckle before jutting out his lower lip, tucked beneath the top row of his teeth. His left finger tapped the table for a moment as he studied the woman before leaning back against the chair. "I find it interesting that you all have adopted the Raven moniker, an avian of quite common rapport with the Dathomirian witches. Did you know they have a very complex social structure...something you might appreciate, given the intricacies of this group you are running." He squinted his eye, chewing his teeth as if rolling gum back and forth. "When introducing a new specimen into a well established group, if the temperament of the raven goes against the grain, even in the presence of plentiful resources...well...there is a reason a group of ravens is called an unkindness. I pray, for your case, that the name is the only similarity you and yours share with the species."

In this case, Gabriel had been aiding the Red Ravens since before Chiasa had been involved with the group, let alone who else might claim leadership besides Cryax. He could deal with Cryax and he could deal with Lysle, but he was quite over dealing with this orange woman. For all the times he had assisted this group, he felt an odd lingering notion that he wasn't being appreciated. And frankly, he was tired of the belly aching about wounds already healed. His mind drifted to [member="Matsu Xiangu"] and how she would feel about the considerations the Wrath had made so far, wondering if she would gawk at the softness on display or would she understand concessions offered? Turning mind from it, he blinked steadily and pointed at the table. "Do you see that microbe...right there?" He raised an eyebrow, the tone of the question implying sincerity despite the lack of it. "How much do you care about it? I assume none whatsoever? Well, that's how the Dark Lord feels about you. You don't want me unencumbered by title and duty of representation...the fact that you request it suggests how little you understand of the complexity of the universe around you." She wanted to deal with the man, but she didn't understand that the arrival of such a figure was merely a harbinger for something far more visceral and brutal. He was a complex person but continually insulting him was a sure fire route towards clarification and more absolute results.

He lowered his eye to the table, as if searching for something. Placing his cigarra down, he gripped the tumbler after finishing off the whiskey. "For a diplomat, Chiasa Kritivaas..." The empty tumbler hovered a foot from the polished wood as he seemed to search for a moment. "You leave much to be desired..." Releasing the tumbler, the crystalline structure hit the table at it's most structurally sound spot - the corner of the base. As it impacted the table, it struck the shatterpoint - perfect height to provide the perfect vibrating resonation to sever structural integrity. The table didn't explode so much as collapse outward, a single wedge left standing, directly beneath the whiskey bottle. The sound might be loud but Gabriel was amping up, prepared for the repercussion - though he would find that odd, that in a room filled with relatively few, if any, force users - that they would expect foul play on his part. After all, the glass must have just slipped from his hand.

Brushing the bits of the table from his lap, he stood up and stretched, scratching his face. His nonchalance didn't reveal the depth of his focus that while he seemed to casually look here and casually look there, his eidetic memory captured the place in still frame imagery - showing the shifts of bodies and the movement around the meetings epicenter, like a flip book through decaying time interval. If someone suspected they would catch him off guard, they might find themselves disappointed. And in the art of war, the most grievous mistake would be to press a foe with no outlet for evasion - unless they desired to fight a Wrath with nothing to lose.

"I...think...It would be best if you avoided the core worlds for the time being." He looked around, his focus obviously between Chiasa and those watching the interaction, though his gaze would reveal none of that. "But don't take my word for it. It seems you wont heed the advice of anyone but yourself." He smiled once more before looking down towards her, assuming she was still sitting. "Thank you for the illuminating evening. It wont be one I soon forget." Stopping, he shuffled through his pocket and flung a pile of credits into the debris. "For the damages, though I would look into finding quality furniture from a different vendor - I don't know if Titan Industries is in that field, but that's where I would look first. And I tossed in a bit extra - for charm school. Not that you need it...you don't seem to need anything, do you...Vice President?" With a glance and imperceptible nod towards Cryax, Gabriel would make his way out of the casino. Unless someone wanted to try and stop him.

[member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] | Anyone else circling the drain

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Oh how sad, the Sith didn't want to play, they seemed to have forgotten some microbes were virulent, and deadly.

After his little display the Twi'lek held up a hand. Not to him, to the security detail. After all the times the Casino had been attacked it had literally hundreds of security staff, both organic and droid. Though they were inconspicuous, they already been on high alert for the Rebel Alliance meeting, it was only common sense.

Greatest force in the galaxy or whatever he wanted to call himself, any outright aggressive move on [member="Reverance"]s part while he was here alone would end in his death, even if he did manage to take some with him.

"What ever I need I take."

Came the reply to his back with an honest and open laugh as he moved off. Sith, dramatic and haughty as ever, and here she'd been willing to compromise, all she'd asked was guaranteed autonomy. Well, she'd made an effort, he'd been precisely as Sith always were, and now pleasing them was no longer her problem.

Good.

She could turn her full attentions to her other plans then. She'd not even asked for an apology, though she was owed one. Now the Sith would learn what a microbe would do, in time. She was not hasty, she'd weave her web well and carefully first.

"How exciting."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Reverance"]

At the table had been other people, dignitaries and crime lords of various levels of power and authority. Amongst them was a bartender, invited to the mix by one Cryax Bane. Rumor had it the bartender held some considerable sway with the old guard of the Nar Shaddian underworld, how much was difficult to say, but considering the President himself had insisted on him being here; one could make an educated guess.

'Nicely done.' Khaleel finally said after the Sith Lord had left the casino, it wasn't too clear if the praise was sarcastic in nature or genuine. Old leather crunched slightly as the bartender discarded his cigarette into the ash tray and gestured with his head for Bane to follow him.

They would enter one of the private and exclusive rooms of the casino. Guarded by members of the Exchange, loyal to him.

After making sure that Cryax had seated himself, that the door was locked and the room private, the Underlord sat down himself and their eyes met.

'You didn't mention your two 'trusted' lieutenants were fecking maniacs.'

 

[Cryax Bane]

Castles made of sand...

Cryax watched dumbfounded as the One Sith treaty that he had worked tirelessly to cultivate collapsed just like the table that Reverance imploded with the simple placement of a glass object. And with that severing, Cryax himself felt it was also he who had been torn. On the one hand, he would kill for Chiasa and Patricia. On the other hand, he had allegiances that spanned beyond the ranks of his organization. His own half-brother was an acolyte of the Sith, and although he wasn't fond of the man, he was still family. The Wrath of the Dark Lord tossed a few credits into the wreckage. Metaphoric. Then the man made his way out of the Dragon Palace Casino with no looking back.

Cryax had noticed a familiar broad-shouldered figure staring at him like a creeper from across the room. Well, hello, Preliat Mantis. Did anyone ever tell you you have the most exquisite timing? The Chiss could hardly be bothered by the dagger-eyed Mandalorian given the momentous occurrence of a few minutes ago. Rubbing his eyes in exasperation, he turned back to Chiasa and stared at her, an cold glare etched on his face. A look that said that they had much to discuss later.

With a last gulp of his coffee, the Chiss rose from what was left of the table, and with his own security droids in tow, joined Khaleel Malvern in a private room in the back of the casino. Although he had just recovered from his hangover, it was already time for another drink. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar, and simply drank from it, forgoing the tumblers altogether.

"A foolish bird fouls her own nest." he said with a dismissive hand wave. Then he took a long swig of whiskey and let out a hiss at the pungent taste. "But I wouldn't worry about it, Mr. Bartender. If there's one thing I have learned how to do in my time running this organization, it's damage control."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"] [member="Reverance"] [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

People did not seem to understand quite how seriously she took her job, nor how thorough she was.

Cryax's little projects were starting to vex her. She spent half of her time in the Golden Nautolan. She knew about the Bartender, and was vaguely insulted that he thought he could come here and secure a room from her with his own men. As if she would not be informed. Still, perhaps [member="Cryax Bane"] had been less than forthcoming about his current figurehead position. As much as she hated to think it, if this went on the head might have to come off.. She did not have time for enemies without and enemies within.

She rose from the wreckage of the table, and toggled her comm unit on.

"Declan, update security. Sith are to be considered hostile. Ensure we have our anti-force user gear on hand at all times. Communicate this to our other holdings."

"Yes Miss."

A security droid stepped up and handed over a data pad dropped by the rebels on their way out. She accepted it and tucked it under one arm. Yellow eyes flickered over to a known threat at the bar. [member="Preliat Mantis"], Mandalorian. How convenient. She moved over to where the man was sitting and flashed him a smile.

"If you do not mind, perhaps you could let [member="Strider Garon"] know that if he wants to know why Toprawa cost him so little he should come and speak with me. I would do it myself, but sadly I feel less than confident about my chances for a long full life in Mandalorian space."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Lurcano Car'dann]

Lurcano smirked at the scarred man as he walked by him, heading towards the door. 'That kid is mad as kark right now, I bet.' He'd watched the whole encounter, and it didn't take a telepath to feel the wide range of emotions coming from the table where Cryax, Chiasa, and the Vong had been seated. 'Wonder who the kark that fellow was? Definitely someone with pull, considering he was just speaking with the President and Vice-President of the most powerful Criminal Orginization in the galaxy.

Little did Lurcano realize the magnitude of the situation until he heard Declan's voice buzz into his ear to inform him of their updated security situation. He had been about to take a drink, but as he was informed of what had just occurred; what little color had been left in his face drained away. He sighed, and placed the drink back down onto the counter, now abandoned. He pushed himself off the stool and decided now would be a good time to speak to Chiasa. 'Might as well get her while she's tired as chit.'

He sauntered over to Chiasa who had no engaged in a conversation with a rather flamboyant character; dressed even more sparsely then Lurcanos traditional attire. 'Who the kark is this? I haven't seen him around here before.' Lurcano just shrugged his shoulders, and before logic could get the better of him, he plunged straight into what he wanted to say.

Lurcano Car'dann: "Oh hey Chiasa. Looks like quite the party was had here. To bad I wasn't invited. Oh yea, about that. What the kark? You invited the laserbrain Chiss, the married midget in a Red Dress, but not me? And here I thought we could take our relationship to the next level. Tsk tsk tsk, might have to rethink some things. And what's this I just heard over the comms?" Lurcano spoke to Chiasa as if the shirtless Mandalorian wasn't seated just a few feet away from him. Manners were never Lurcanos strong suit, nor was bandying words across a table with people he didn't like.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

For the love of.. Enough was enough turning she levelled a glare at [member="Lurcano Car'Dann"].

"You are the Sargent at Arms. You tell the children with their guns where to go and shoot things. You are not entitled to attend diplomatic meetings and quite frankly after today neither are Patricia or Cryax! If perhaps one of the lot of you could pull your heads out and make some minuscule effort to understand the gravity of the situation that would be fantastic!"

"Our relations with the Sith are over! We have never been at a more critical crossroad and let me make this clear, Patricia may have promoted you but if you do not prove yourself to me I will not only demote I will have you destroyed. For once your position is relevant and I need some one capable within it! I will not tolerate you questioning me again, particularly not in front of others! Have I made myself exceptionally clear?"

That last was purred out in a low growl. There were literally sparks of flame jumping off the Twi'lek to fizzle out in the air. Angry was an understatement. One person. Just one person she could rely on, was that so much to ask?

Even this admittance before [member="Preliat Mantis"] was calculated however. Let him know the Ravens were done with the Sith. Let him know Cryax was no longer in control. All the better.

 

[Lurcano Car'dann]

Chiasa Kritivaas: "You are the Sargent at Arms. You tell the children with their guns where to go and shoot things. You are not entitled to attend diplomatic meetings and quite frankly after today neither are Patricia or Cryax! If perhaps one of the lot of you could pull your heads out and make some minuscule effort to understand the gravity of the situation that would be fantastic!

Our relations with the Sith are over! We have never been at a more critical crossroad and let me make this clear, Patricia may have promoted you but if you do not prove yourself to me I will not only demote I will have you destroyed. For once your position is relevant and I need some one capable within it! I will not tolerate you questioning me again, particularly not in front of others! Have I made myself exceptionally clear?"

Lurcano raised his hands, a smile playing on his lips. He chuckled and spoke with a confidence he didn't feel. He was on thin ice right now, but Lurcnao wasn't one to back down very easily. He tactfully retreated as he spoke, ready to duck away from any projectiles that might be launched towards his head.

Lurcano Car'dann: "Wow, that time of the month I see. Must've caught you at a wrong time. As for your comment about my position in this organization, yea you've got a point. I am the Sgt-At-Arms, and Diplomacy is not my strong suit. Yet, being the Sgt-At-Arms, it is my job to manage our combative efforts against this organizations enemies. A bit difficult to do that when I don't know who our enemies are.

Do you comprehend the military capability of the One Sith? Have you ever fought a force user? Have you ever fought with a gun in your hand on the field? Have you ever been pinned down by artillery fire, holding your breath the entire time hoping the enemy doesn't get a lucky shot in and blow your balls out through your brains? No, you haven't. You've sent out expandable grunts like me to do that kind of work.

With all due respect, I won't tell you how to do your job as I'm sure I'd be dogchit at it. I'd ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt, and assume that I am fairly proficient at mine. I'm sure you could do all you described and more, but where's the fun in that? You really want to command this criminal organization all by your lone some, with only Cryax and Patricia to keep you company? Damn, that's a feat I can say with certainty I would be unable to handle. But yea, suit yourself. I'm sure they'll mellow out after a few years right?"

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

The fire was gone, ice was in its place, the Twi'lek drew herself up and looked down her nose at the retreating man.

"Do not presume to know what I have done nor the situations I have been in for this organization [member="Lurcano Car'dann"], you truly have no idea."

Despite it not being her area of expertise, the Twi'lek had fought and bled and worse for the Ravens. As a relative newcomer on the scene she doubted Lurcano had any idea the risks she took for the Ravens. Quite frankly no one seemed aware, and that was fine if they would only get out of her way.

"If you want the benefit of the doubt then prove yourself. Do not question me, do not doubt me, if I have to I will do this entirely on my own. I will protect our members and I will protect our interests. Help me or stay out of my way."