The Old Days [pm to join]

[Miss Blonde]

Planet: Antecedent
Location: Orbit
Local time: 1900
Objective: Secure The Dragon Palace Casino

Old wounds sometimes didn't heal all that well, memories that passed your mind and hurt knowing that you couldn't do anything about them. Antecedent had a lot of those memories for Patricia, memories of friends turned enemies and vice versa. The Red Raven criminal syndicate was something Patricia gave up her previous life in the Republic to join, she went undercover and got in too deep to ever get out due to the nether. She'd of spent at least six years with the organization before it tanked into the ground and in that time she had made a lot of friends, some of which she missed fiercely despite them being intergalactic wanted list in most parts of the galaxy.

Though was it ever a surprise? When did you last watch a gangster movie that had a happy ending? Never, that's when. While other people leaving the Ravens rushed off to seek haven in other factions and organizations, Patricia had sought out to make a name for herself once she distanced herself from the Ravens. And that's what she had done, she was on the top ten list of most successful businesswomen in the galaxy and had owned the galaxies largest cloning company. Spaarti Creations had given her a lot in her life, it had even helped rekindle those old friendships.

[member="Keira Ticon"] former secretary of the Red Ravens was with her today on the Spaarti corporate fleet, aboard the main Hades Heavy Cruiser, Queen Bee, a ship that had been with her since her time as a Raven. The two women stood on the bridge of the ship looking down at the dark side of the planet. Light of all kinds illuminated the world and yet the brightest one had gone dark. The Dragon Palace Casino, the former headquarters for the Red Ravens had been abandoned ever since the organization had been swallowed up by the techno union, the place had gone dark and had probably been looted if the security system was still down.

That was something that would be an issue. Patricia and Keira were here to take back the casino and bring it into Spaarti's fold of businesses. They had been expanding quite a bit as of late and they needed more sources of revenue. However this one would be a tough cookie, if the security system was still live, which she was sure it was. They were dealing with at least a thousand droids left over by the Ravens, and the security that former president [member="Cryax Bane"] had set up was no joke. He may of had little bird wrists but the guy could set up droids and security like no other, just don't expect him to get into a fist fight.

"Bring us in. Have comm operators on standby and prepare the troops, we are taking back the casino." Patricia said in a commanding voice, or at least as commanding as a four foot eleven woman could.

The multitude of freighters and light escort ships tucked down and into the antecedent night, their destination the Dragon Palace casino to get it up and running again.

 

[Keira Priest]

For the majority of the trip Keira had never found it in herself to remain still for any extended period of time, always standing from any place of rest almost immediately, not containing near enough tranquility to so much as attempt any sort of meditation. Maybe it was the thought of simply returning to Antecedent itself, let alone the old haunt of the Red Ravens back in the day, but regardless she was too keyed up to do anything but wait, and rather impatiently at that. It had never been within her character to remain in anticipation rather than actively making some effort to push forward and make progress, no matter the risks inherent. That was nothing more than who she was and who she always would be.

As the planet grew in the viewport she stood on the bridge, studying it for some semblance of familiarity. Once upon a time she had belonged here, and perhaps still did, but that same pull wasn't quite as strong as it used to be. Just as with everything else even that bond had found itself victim to the constant fraying and tearing of time. Nothing would ever be the same, and no amount of willing things to return to how they once were would change that. They had to make do with what they had, and right now all that consisted of was a detachment of clones and a very abandoned and worn down Dragon Palace Casino that was a shell of what it had once been.

Once the ship settled in the spaceport that had at one time harbored a number of Raven vessels she remained where she was for a long few moments, mottled eyes half-closed as she relived some memory for a time. It was amazing how potent of a drug one's own mind could be when exposed to nothing more than an abandoned building that had once stood far prouder. This had been her place to return to for Force knew how long, back when she had one singular place to rest her head. And she had nearly forgotten all about it, those old friends and enemies alike remaining all but forgotten until the mission was revealed to her. Now it was time to experience them all over again.

Looking down at the floor she considered just what her purpose here was and finding no greater reason other than the expansion of Spaarti and perhaps a chance to remember a simpler time. Nothing else could be gleaned. Turning her head she looked over to Patricia, half-doubting this once-hallowed ground still held the same meaning for the other woman. "It's funny, you know. We've spent the better part of our lives trying to forget all of this," She nodded towards where the Casino awaited them, "And yet here we are again. It's like we weren't ever really meant to get away. Like we were going to come back no matter what." That was something she didn't like to think about overly much.

[member="Patricia Susan Garter"]

 

[Miss Blonde]

"As profound as that was Keira really I'm just here so we can make more money." Patricia said as she rooted around in the trunk of the speeder that brought them there.

On the stretch of hovering sidewalks and runways that was antecedent upper levels, the clone detachment of about two thousand soldiers were exiting their transport speeders and loading up their weapons. Patricia had made sure that the purchase had gone through with the local government and crime organizations, so the Dragon Palace legally now belonged to Spaarti Creations. However, in spirit it always really belonged to [member="Cryax Bane"]

Regardless of spirit and other bull crap like that, Patricia was just about ready to roll on to the casino and take it so it could join the fold of other Spaarti Creations businesses. It was just a matter of seeing what was going to happen next, chances were due to recent visitations to the casino the security system would have gone through its emergency shutdown protocol that the chiss had programmed. That meant that on the other side of that door there was either a dusty old casino, or a dusty old casino with a thousand battle droids pointing guns at your face. You had to enjoy the little things in life.

With that information now out in the open a young communication engineer came forward towards the two women and spoke as she held her helmet to the side giving a short salute before standing at parade rest.

"Ma'am, preliminary scans show activity inside the casino. Droids most likely, I've had my squad of comm operators try to hack the system but I've never seen anything like this. It's like there's a code monster eating our attempts to breach the system." The Isard clone said in a very professional manner.

"Yup that sounds like the blue boy wonder." Patricia said as she rose from the trunk of the speeder producing a Czerka assault rifle loaded with shock slugs from within.

"I'm sorry I don't follow mom." The Isard clone said rather confused.

"Just pull your comm operators back and tell the infantry to set up on the marked points on your map." Patricia commanded of her children.

The clone nodded and soon power walked back to her comm operators to inform them of what was going on and to prepare to fallout to their individual platoons. After a good minute or so had past every clone trooper was ready to rock and roll.

"Let's go wake the neighbors." Patricia said as she pulled the slide back on her rifle to chamber a round and cock the weapon.

"After you oh fearsome commander." Patricia said with a quick little mock salute.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

With a shake of her head Keira laughed quietly, accidentally-on-purpose bumping into Patricia as she walked past, the gesture playful in nature, a new characteristic she was learning how to display once again. Slowly but surely she was piecing her old persona back together, lifting a weight from her shoulders she hadn't recognized as being present previously. In some manner it freed her from the trauma and stress she had endured in the years before, granted her a new outlook on life, one filled with far more hope for the future. Everything was starting to look up, each step rendering itself nearly featherlight within the realm of her own perception. But, just as always, she still moved with a purpose.

"You'd think the old facial recognition software would still be online. Unless he killed the coding, it should still be hardwired into those droids, even if this place is on lockdown." Even that had likely deteriorated over the years, just as everything else had within and without the Casino. Now they were entering as adversaries rather than members of the Unkindness that had once resided within these walls. Her approach to the doors was almost reverent, and it was plain she still held some kind of respect for this place. But not enough to stop her from doing what had to be done. Momentarily she considered the doors that were sealed tightly shut before her, seeming to weigh her options when really one had already been chosen from the get go.

Reaching forward with one hand as if to inspect the integrity of the entrance, instead blowing the doors inward and off their hinges with a resounding crash. A smirk manifested on her lips, and she looked to Patricia with a raised eyebrow. "You did want to remodel, right?" In any case, there was no turning back now. Shortly after entering they were met with a hail of blaster fire from the preliminary guards placed about the ruined doorway, and her saber was in hand and ignited almost immediately, the droids reduced to scrap in short order with help from the soldiers accompanying them. That hadn't been so bad, but she knew there were worse surprises in store. This had been a home to criminals, after all.

Momentarily she studied their dimly lit surroundings, stepping back in time for a few short seconds as a tidal wave of memories briefly overwhelmed her. Just as quickly she returned to the present, blinking a few times and shaking her head. None of that mattered now, she had to keep reminding herself of that. She wasn't a Raven anymore, nor would she ever be again. "We'll have company again pretty soon. Things should be fairly lax until we get to the upper levels. That's where the fun begins." While the common area of the Casino wasn't lightly guarded by any means, the old offices and rooms were under even tighter security, something she had been thankful for in the past but now disdained.

[member="Patricia Susan Garter"]

 

[Miss Blonde]

[member="Keira Ticon"]

The clones rushed in after Keira had destroyed the guards around the doors. Squads commanding fire teams taking cover from incoming blaster fire by flipping tables, slots, anything that could take the brunt of a blaster bolt. Incoming fire was raining down on clones and gambling machines from above on the upper levels, catwalks, and balconies. Clones were positioned to hit upper levels at the same time as the main assault force but that didn't mean they were going to get to the DDS1s before they took out a few clones.

"Keira! Use your magic legs and start clearing the upper level! Golf should be up there with you as well!" Patricia yelled from behind a column.

Popping out of cover she fired seven to ten shots at various droids hitting them either dead center or in the head. She smirked a bit at that knowing she still had it, years of inactivity in combat could do that to you. Hell she hadn't even fired a gun since Geonosis.

"Bravo! Foxtrot! Push up the flanks and clear out the droids two hundred meters ahead on the dance floor." Patricia yelled to her clone soldiers.

"Yes mom!" A mantis clone said in response.

"Gamma!! Covering fire!!" Patricia yelled to a squad that was located at the large reception booth.

The clones popped up from cover and started to unleash automatic blaster and slug thrower fire on the droids in the hallways and on the balconies. Patricia popped out from cover once again and kept her head low as clone troopers covered her with their bodies. A few men went down from blaster shots but they were advancing deeper into the casino, they had to get to the control room to try and shut down these droids otherwise there wouldn't be a casino to bring back.

 

[Keira Priest]

A mock two-fingered salute was her only response to the command given, and Keira drew on the Force in order to augment her speed, her form appearing as nothing more than a blur as she traversed in seconds to the upper levels of the Casino. The only light granted her was from occasional flashes of weapon fire and the plasma blade she held in her hand. Neon light from nearby buildings shone dimly through grimy windows, but that did little to illuminate the colossal structure that was the Dragon Palace. It didn't take long for her to reach what appeared to be the epicenter of the fight on the upper levels, and soon enough she was engulfed in the same chaos that was taking down the horde of droids that had gathered to repel the supposed intruders.

Nothing slowed considerably even after a few minutes, but there was a shift in morale that she knew only boded well for their advance. Motioning for the men to advance she did the same as well, crushing the torsos of a small number of those droids pushing forward with the Force and tossing the ruined scrap they now amounted to aside. Another telekinetic repulse was sent forward, her saber leaving her grasp momentarily to decimate the droids that had fallen. Things weren't shaping up to be too bad so far, her ethereal senses compensating for a lack of physical sight, the high proficiency of the clones pushing their efforts forward at an even faster pace.

Once things had quieted she contacted Patricia via the comms, "One more level left, but that's just housing. everything's clear where I am, but we're going up one more to check it out." With that she cut the signal as she awaited for the other woman's response, taking the stairs along with the others to the once grand floor that contained the personal rooms for each and every Raven, including those two lost from the Unkindness finally returning. It didn't surprise her that there was still resistance in place, and she only grew all the more resolved to halt this once precious security in its tracks before any further damage could be done. This was where all the surprises were.

[member="Patricia Susan Garter"]