Chapter 13: Relaxation, comfort and frustration
NOTE: Ok, Im going to admit I lost my trail of thought for whatever I had planned for this story, so I think its about time to get it on.Also, I know Canto Bight is built like 67 years in the future in the timeline or something, but maybe I should have chosen Corellia, anyways, enjoy some gambling and drinking. Get ready for a ride.Also, later on in the story do u want my Bounty Hunter Ahsoka to start a prison riot? I feel like starting some chaos and creating a bit of a mess for the council. xD
To say she was enjoying herself was an understatement, who knew gambling was this much fun?
She had dropped the Dutchess and Kenobi back at Coruscant and she was wondering the huge casino win Onyx, both armed and very dangerous. Their blasters holstered to their waist and cloaks wrapped around their shoulders. Savage's corrupted red saber clipped to her side.
Ahsoka kept the helmet off, due to the blistering heat and pools of sweat dripping off her face, but the armour was hidden under the cloak. She had only gotten here half an hour ago, but already, she was gaining more and more credits.
This place had the finest rich scoundrels in the galaxy, from extravagant crime lords to exploiting buisness people. Species from all over the galaxy could be found, from ugnaughts to twileks, to humans and weequays. You name it.
Against her better judgement, she settled on an isolated table after one game of poker, sitting down with a cool jawa juice in hand, the mixture bubbling inside the glass. She wanted to have a private chat with Onyx about the various exploits of the underworld.
Her left hand gently tapped the glass in moments of silence (between them), fiddling with the glass whilst the casino blasted out music max volume.
A stool was left open to the side, her cloak draped around the holster and the shadows of her hood giving her the menacing appearance of a bounty hunter, to let employers know the pair was job hunting and a force to be reckoned with.
As the two settled down into the expensive beskar chairs, she slouched back, wrapping her arms around the comfortable luxury material. "So.." sh started, drawing out her lips slowly, "i've noticed the wide variety of cheaters around the tables, most of them use stupidly obvious tactics. It's a surprise they haven't been kicked out" she sighed lightly. Onyx merely smirked.
"Yeah, well.. best way to make buisness in these parts" he pulled out a bullet from his pocket, and started twirling it in his fingers, the metallic gloss of it reflecting in the abundant artificial lighting "is that manufacturing weapons of mass destruction, the bigger the damage, the bigger the price."
Ahsoka gritted her teeth, her mouth twitching slightly, bearing her predatory togruta canines, "and the better the profit..." she sipped her glass lightly, bringing it back to the table with a soft 'clunk'
"..or.." Onyx cut her off, eyeing her drink whilst his foot shifted under the table, shifting away any present dust that dared collect itself after being recently swept "You swindle your way through corrupt politicians and loaded gangsters, until you have enough credits to survive whatever bounties they set on you the moment they suspect foul play", his mouth pursed, biting his lip lightly he leaned forward and murmered to his fellow creed member, "that is... unless if your subtle." a slight tilt of his wrist exposed a card holder on his wrist, usually covered by his robe.
Like a black flag, a collection sabacc cards were waiting to be ejected from the small device. "Why you little.." Ahsoka started, her finger running back over the smooth of her cloak, before pointing at him. "You are going to teach that to me someday.." her hand going straight to her chin as she looked back at his now covered arm. Her head tilted as she gave him a devilish grin again, chuckling then stuttering. "and whatever other tricks you got up your sleeve."
He gave a low chuckle in reply, running his hand through his hair.
"Well, i can't teach you them all.." he narrowed his eyes, lifting the side of his lips into a very obvious smirk, his hands clasping together in a way that very much reminded Ahsoka of master plo koon in an important council session.
"Why not?" her smirk dropped, as an eye marking raised high in question, her fingers performed a periodic check for her blaster. Her fingers ran against the cold metal, a reminder to always defend herself and stay out of sight of pickpockets.
Onyx leaned forward, his small finger twiched whilst the rest figeted. "I can't be giving away all my secrets now can I?"
She shook her head lightly, a small smile painted across her face, before lifting up her drink and finishing the contents.
One of the cantina staff walked over, a green twilek wearing a plain buttoned crop top, with leather jeans and tacky heels. "Anything you require?", she asked, as she lifted the discarded glass onto a tray.
The bounty hunter nodded, the hood of the cloak draping over their face, the shadow darkening their skin, "Actually... get us some sabacc cards, tell any vacant gamblers a new game is about to begin".
"and get us some new drinks" Ahsoka cut in, chucking a small credit chips as payment and a tip.
The waitress strolled off, with the drinks tray.
"Tip 1" Onyx started, tapping the table impatiently with his fingers, he leaned in to tell her more privately. "Is never let yourself get the large streak. Instead leave and end the game before your on too much of a streak, allow them to think of it as.." he paused for a moment, trying to grasp the correct words, his hand returning to the air and twirling a little to emphasise his words "a stroke of luck".
A few minutes later, the waitress returned, with a pack of sabacc cards and 2 more drinks, accompained by a female Mirilian with olive green skin and face markings running along her chin and down her neck.
She wore a brown leather jacket and had her matte black hair in a slick high ponytail. She had a line of white lipstick trailing down her dark emerald lips and wore numerous accessories ranging from a gold large pendant necklace and around 5 glittering rings on her middle finger.
A toydarian fluttered over and pulled out another chair to the table, he had a grey hood and a piercing on his mouth that looked very uncomfortable on his blue features, his eyes were a strange red and his left tooth was chipped, with a scar running down his left cheek, its origin looked like the mark of a vibroblade. 'Thats gotta hurt' she quietly thought to herself.
To Ahsoka's annoyance, the toydarian species had adapated to become resistant to force persuasion, meaning any cheating methods involving the force were banned from use.
A orange rusted and beaten protocal droid shuffled from his master two tables away; located nearer the bar was a bith with black beads for eyes, the droid having been given a command appeared to be approaching them. Sensing a slight pang of danger as a warning from the force, Ahsoka's hands trailed along Savage's lightsaber clipped to her belt.
Onyx noticed her shift in position; the tensening of muscles and the sitting upright instantly. To a normal observer it would appear a change in formality, be he could feel the air about her shift uncomfortably.
"Greetings" the protocal droid began "my master wishes for me to partake in this game of sabacc, on his behalf", Ahsoka visibly relaxed slightly, glad not to have a blaster shoved at her backside.
"Then you gotta sit down then" Onyx remarked, pointing to an empty seat nearby. He started to deal out the cards, giving eye contact with Ahsoka, the kind of look that said 'watch and learn'.
After a long senate meeting, Dutchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore explained the situation on her homeworld, and the rise and defeat of Darth Maul and the capture of Dooku's ex part time assasin: Savage Oppress.
The chancellor listened to her plead for aid for hospitals for those affected by the poverty the shadow collective brought in their reign of terror and appeared sympathetic to the cause, sending a few medics to help with the injured crisis in Mandalore.
Sidious listened intently when she told him all the details of what he needed to know; who defeated his once promising pupil; Darth Maul was but a mere bounty hunter, who apparently went by the name of Perdita Pax; perhaps she was worth hiring to join Cad Bane's team of bounty hunters.
This force sensitive would make a valuable asset and perhaps; after the correct testing would make a fine addition to his future inquisitorious or a potential line of Sith being trained for the war effort to strengthen his army. Victory was so close, he could feel the pieces of his Empire falling into place. Under the moonlight of his balcony when finally alone for the night, the unending lines of traffic left loud noises of the thrum of the engines.
Flicking on his communicator, he updated his apprentice on these new plans moving forward, Dooku had 3 months before his next major battle, with grevious and other seperatist leaders handling a cluster of battles. After Dooku's quick acceptance to enlist the hunter and accept his mission, he turned off the communicator, satisfied that job was done for now. For now all he could do was look at the blinding lights around him, imagining them flicker out like the jedi he so deeply wished to destroy.
At this time of day, no noises could compare to the volume of his gravelly cackle at how close the grand plan was coming into motion. Soon, the galaxy would be his.
Credits racked up, with the win streaks flipping from across the table, to Onyx, then the droid, then Milirian, Toydarian than Ahsoka, then back to the Toydarian, who nearly left with most of the credits, but the cheeky togruta knew exactly what greed does to people, and proposed to go all in to reclaim the credits, initially, the toydarian wasn't having it, Onyx went all in, in return, persuading the greed to overcome the Toydarian, who arrogantly was full of himself, gloating on how they 'lost all their money' to him.
However, as the final hand was played, Onyx pulled the winning card from his sleeve, outside of everyone's gaze with the exception of Ahsoka, who knew exactly what he was playing at. When the Toydarian reached over to grab the credits from his score of 22, Onyx just grinned madly and deposited a 23 on the table, therefore getting closest to 24 and winning the game of sabacc.
In rage, the Toydarian raged at his loss, threatening the bounty hunter. Onyx's arm reached towards his holster, as did Ahsoka's.
The slight movement of her cloak as it shifted revealed the chrome glint of the lightsaber, at which the Mirilan stared at greedily unbeknownst to the togruta. Once Onyx pocketed the credits, he signalled his companion to leave with him; to which she rose from her chair and tipped the staff.
Obi wan accompanied the Dutchess to her new hired apartment to the 500 republica, staying unusally quiet so much that it was considered... unsettling. He didn't even try to have quick banter.
His mind kept thinking about what Pa- Ahsoka had told him, to teach the dutchess self defense with the darksaber, as the two stepped into the elevator, it was Satine who spoke, after a cough of attention.
"So.. is this how it is going to be then..? We say this and then we act like nothing happened weeks after..?" her eyes were shades duller, as kenobi turned with a frown on his beard. "Satine... I.." he sighed "As a jedi i cannot harbour feelings for you, i must deny myself attachment or it would lead to the darksi-".
"I know.." Satine interrupted, "I guess i was just.. so worried about you, i waited for ages for you to wake up and now we just act like..." she waved her hand, trying to grasp an idea, before staring at the floor in defeat.
The elevator opened, and she pulled the keys to the apartment out her pocket, she fiddled for a bit to get the key in the hole. Her hand were shaking too much from her overflow of emotions threatening to break and wash over her like a broken dam.
Obi Wan just stared at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck in contemplation, he was at a loss for words, he took an oath. He couldn't just break it. Could he..?
Satine started to finish her sentance, her eyes averting his gaze "What i'm trying to say is... now we have a sense of normalicy we act like we were before." she choked back a sniff, possibly more from the chilled coruscanti night air than her feelings, who knew? they were so strong even a non force user could pick up on it. "It's fine then Obi... if, I.. I understand if that can never happen... us. I mean." she wiped a lone streak running down her cheek as she clasped her hands behind her back formally.
"So General Kenobi.." god, obi wan was using all his jedi training to not drop the act, and just accept his love for her. It pained him so much to hear her speak to him formally. He kept considering what Ahsoka said, about having someone he knew he could trust, someone who has his back no matter what. The thought of a creeping betrayal lingered in his mind at it was so deeply rooted at this moment in time that it was oh so very personal.
"you can leave if you so wish, unless there is something you wish to tell me" , Kenobi's self control was slipping, sliding, his jedi training now but a mere stick pressured under the weight of his feelings. He wanted to tell her so much, about the life he yearned to have by her side, about living a life outside the jedi order, in a time of no war perhaps they could take things further.
He felt the weight of emotions clamp down on him, and his feet started to pick up, he didn't even notice the streak running down his cheek or the red puffiness around his eyes from compressed sorrow. All he could feel was his breathing getting heavier and before he knew it he was apologising.
The look on the Dutchess' face was a mixture of hope and sorrow. "I.. im sorry I hurt you satine, I... kriff. words can't even describe how much I am attached to you and there are times.. like these that I want to just drown in it, let all my worries be washed out in the tide."
Satine wrapped warm arms around him, rubbing circles into his back, far more affectionate close contact than Kenobi had ever recieved in decades. It felt.. freeing.
Using the hem of her sleeve, she wiped away his tears "so do I, but I know you have a duty.."
"Satine.." he croaked, " if you say the words, ill... ill leave it all behind, the order. Start a new life; a life without the sith and just you and me." his arms snaked around her back, whilst the two exchanged a comforting embrace. He knew this was possibly the most selfish thing he has done in his life, but his emotions told him he needed this.
"Obi, that sounds wonderful... all i ever wanted but.." she looked at the floor and stepped away.
"but..?" Obi wan asked, his arms unconsciously reaching out to hold her again, close to him, as if she would fall and tumble out of reach if she strayed too far from him.
"but you have a duty, i can't ask that of you Obi.. there's a war going on an-" she began.
"-and we can just be us. in secret. hide it from everyone, including the council. When the war is over I can step down from my position in the order.." he held her hands, stroking his thumb over the smooth skin of her palms, looking into her eyes.
"Only if this is 100% what you want to do Obi, I can't force you- I won't. I know how much the order means to you."
Obi Wan felt like he needed to prove a point, and he leaned in and kisses Satine on the lips; it wasn't short, it was a long, affectionate, needy kiss, the kind he had waited over a decade to give to the woman of his dreams.
Anakin had just finished a joint meditation with Master Yoda, he never enjoyed meditating but it did him some good after the near heart attack he had earlier from his former master.
He looked at the clock on the wall and wondered how long it would take for Obi Wan to return, he hated the lonely nights without his snippy padawan to accompany him or his sassy former master brightening his mood with some light bantering. It was just him and all he had to do was wait.
It was times like this he felt truly abandoned, right now all he had was Padmé, his wife who was currently at a late night session with his other most trusted confidant: Chancellor Palpatine. They never abandoned him, ever. Therefore his loyalty to them was as dense as the lava rivers of mustafar.
Dooku contacted his spies in the late hours of Serenno, to keep on the lookout for a female togrutan bounty hunter in Mandalorian armour and a cloak.
All he could do now was wait for a reply.