Beeggo and Frygar entered the large main space of the casino. In the area by the door, there were some sabaac tables and jubilee wheels, where most visitors who wanted more legal fun remained. There was a low, semi-transparent partition that separated a small dining section. The floor, opposite wall, and ceiling in this slightly lowered region were black, the tabletops made of glass, and the seat cushions in the booths bright red. Across the way was a long bar, and above this several screens were situated, displaying podraces and other sporting events. One of them briefly showed the Nikto from that morning obtain the bowcaster and shoot down his monster foe.
On the other side of the partition were a few tables before a medium-sized stage, on which several Twi'lek females were dancing. The mood here was set with tawny walls and gray floor tiles. The seats were blue and the tables brown.
Past the show area there was an exit onto the broad balcony, which overlooked the bay. To the right and through a door guarded by a TT-L8 "Tattletale" droid was the lounge where the high rollers went to win big in a golden and crimson atmosphere. This room was circular and filled with more gambling stations. The centerpiece was a massive tank of water in which graceful melodies swam to mesmerize and entertain those in the golden room.
Upstairs corrupt businessmen met in luxurious meeting halls. Here, the smell of burning ixetol was occasionally smelled. Smugglers tended to bring their wares to the upper levels of the casino to make their transactions.
However, the pit fighter and his friend did not go to the evil business meetings, or to the VIP lounge, or to the balcony with the stunning view, nor did they sit and watch the Twi'lek girls on the stage. Instead, they walked straight past the spinning jubilee wheels and credit chip-laden sabaac tables and slid into the red booth against the opaque partition.
After a moment, a human waitress came to take their order. Both decided on gourmet nerf burgers. After the waitress walked away to give their orders to the chef, the two turned their attention to the screens above the bar. While they were sitting in the spot farthest from the back wall, the screens were so large and the images so clear that they had a great view of the podrace going on.
The race was the Phoebos Memorial Classic on Malastare. Elan Mak, Ben Quadranaros, Ratts Tyerell, Sebulba, Mapco Taiges, Teemto Pagalies, and Mawhonic were sailing through a lichen-encrusted canyon. High up on either side of the bottomless gorge were Dug houses, where the inhabitants had come out onto their roofs to cheer on their favorite contestants: mostly Sebulba the Dug and Mawhonic the Gran, as they were considered to be the "home team."
Mak soared ahead, dodging under a suspension bridge. Taiges was not so luck, though. His Radon-Ulzer 623D clipped the metal base, spun out of control, and collided with the canyon wall. A spray of debris and sparks exploded from the crash, but Quadranaros managed to make a sharp turn to avoid this shrapnel.
Tyerell's bulky Vokoff-Strood Titan 2150 would not have cleared the bridge had it not collapsed after Taiges' fatal crash. He rocketed into second place, Ben Quadrinaros keeping his hold in third away from Mawhonic, who tried valiantly to escape the advancing Sebulba.
Activating additional thrusters, the crafty Dug went up and over the Gran, purposely clipping his right engine on his descent. Cursing furiously, Mawhonic was forced to land in the pit area with a spluttering and smoking turbine.
Laughing, Sebulba zoomed up alongside Tyerell and checked him into the narrowing rock wall. Panicked, the diminutive Aleena pulled up, trying to get to the broader portion of the canyon. Sebulba wouldn't have it, though. He pulled up also, only at a sharper angle. His large engine caught Tyerell's underside and flung him, spiraling, into the sky, his cockpit scraping precariously against the rough face of the ravine until he crashed on a higher ledge.
Beeggo's attention was torn from the race when Frygar tugged on his sleeve. "What?" he complained. "This is really interesting. I think I should bet on that Dug Sebulba…"
"Look! Isn't that Ploku, the arena manager?" said Frygar, regardless. He pointed across the way, to a table near the bar. See-yees Ploku was talking to two men in long black capes and dark glasses.
"L-look, I tried my best!" stammered the obese Gran.
"Really?" snapped one of the men, a human. "Do you want to tell that to Mr. S'eggo? Do you take him for a forgiving person?"
"Please, do be calm, Derzocg. We are trying to help Mr. Ploku here," said the other man, a contemplative, meticulous Duros. "Now, Mr. Ploku, what did S'eggo ask you to do, exactly?"
After a brief pause, the arena manager shook his head and replied, "I was told to rig a fight between Seebo Kabouk and another Rodian so that Kabouk had real razors and the other's were…"
"Were what, Ploku?" urged the overzealous man Derzocg.
"The other Rodian's razors were remote controlled so that they could be guided away from Kabouk and miss!" blurted the manager in dismay. He slammed his head into the tabletop, spilling his alcoholic beverage.
"So what happened, hm?" seethed Derzocg.
"I-I don't know! M-my hand slipped! He was at point-blank range!" screeched Ploku so loudly that a few customers turned around at the bar and stared at him.
"You hear that, Beeggo?" whispered Frygar.
"Yeah… I guess there's trouble on the way."
"I don't like the looks of this… I think you should take a little break, just until this blows over—"
"I can't do that!" snapped Beeggo. "Gladiatorial games are my life, just as betting on me is yours! I can't stop living!"
"Let's just hope this doesn't get out of hand…"
AN—Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate any reviews you would be so kind as to submit!