The raven-haired Intelligence Service Agent smiled sheepish at SunTzu, her cheeks were blushing.
"Please excuse him, Yumeko. These starfighter jockeys are notorious charmers." Ada interrupted the two of them and sighed before she motioned Yumeko to take a chair.
"Would you be so kind and sit down? You too, Captain."
Although Ada acted the opposite, she was actually glad that SunTzu was obviously quite taken aback by the master gambler. This would make him take things more serious.
Ada grabbed two more dossiers from her desk and handed them to the woman and SunTzu.
"These is the most recent report on your target person."
Yumeko and SunTzu opened the folders.
"His name is Guntram Stavro. Shipbuilding Magnate from Tallaan. And an avid lover of gambling. Just like you, Yumeko." The two women glanced at each other, both their smiles being rather challenging.
"Why we don't just snatch him for interrogation?" SunTzu asked.
"The man is too wealthy and his docks are too important for the Alliance to anger him. But the Sabacc tournament he's hosting is the perfect way to get close to him and gain enough trust that we can either get access to compromising data or even get compromising information directly from him. As said, he loves to gamble and he also is very fond of expert players, so he's holding this tournament where the winner gets to play against him. And if one beats him in the final game against him, he gets five million credits as reward. Yumeko, I'm trusting you to play well enough to get close to the target. SunTzu will make sure you are safe, even in the unlikely event that you get compromised. We'll fake his dishonorable discharge and the following employment as your bodyguard and pilot. Actually the paperwork is already done." Ada looked at Yumeko and then at SunTzu.
"You'll leave Coruscant tomorrow and might want to use the rest of they day to prepare. Oh, you're taking a commercial flight to Tallan."
"What about AICA?"
"Still on mission with Taskforce Sol. They're escorting an important supply convoy into Wild Space. But as soon as the mission is done she can rejoin you."
"Who's AICA?" Yumeko asked, the question seemed like juvenile curiosity.
"Captain SunTzu's Advanced Starfighter, it possesses an AI. You can find data on her in the dossier I sent you."
"Dossier? About me?" SunTzu looked questioningly at Ada but the Intelligence Officer just shrugged him off.
"I needed to let Miss Jabami know with whom she's dealing with, didn't I?"
Ada soon dismissed her two subordinates.
They both left the room with their dossiers in their arms.
For a moment Yumeko and SunTzu were silently walking next to each other, with SunTzu holding up every door they came across for her and her thanking him every time with a warm smile.
They were almost at the central entrance when SunTzu finally broke the silence.
"Why we don't have dinner together later on?"
Yumeko shot him a coy smile.
"You know, just to get to know each other." SunTzu quickly added.
The same smile on, Yumeko looked at him for another moment while they stepped outside into the afternoon sun.
"Good idea, Captain. Let's say eight? I'm staying at the Manarai." She finally replied.
"Very well, Miss Jabami."
Both nodded at each other and then Yumeko walked away, with light steps and swinging hips and following her with his gaze SunTzu had to admit that in the pencil skirt of her uniform and the black pantyhose underneath she almost looked as good as Rei from behind.
After a few steps she stopped and turned around again, brushing a strand of her hair back while looking at SunTzu and shooting him another smile.
"I'm looking forward to get to know you better."
And then she walked away.
Miss Jabami, the feeling is mutual.
SunTzu didn't had any idea what the dark haired gambler had in mind for tonight so he had come prepared for almost everything, including his Glock and twenty thousand credits in his light grey two piece suit's pockets. The suit wasn't bulletproof but SunTzu made sure he wouldn't be unprotected in at least another department. Just in case.
He entered the hotel where the young woman was staying at exactly 8 pm CST and spotted her instantly, sitting on a sofa in the lobby of the hotel.
Yumeko was wearing a innocent looking knee-length, white dress, a leather jacket, pumps and in her hand she was holding a small LV handbag.
She got up and smiled when she saw him and he walked over to her.
He expected a handshake or a bow but she greeted him with a light kiss on the cheek. While she held in next to his cheek for a second after the kiss, he could smell her perfume, floral but also with hints of citrus and chocolate.
She looked him deep into the eye as she greeted him.
"Good evening, Captain."
"Good evening, Miss Jabami."
"Yumeko."
The pilot nodded and his mouth curled up.
"SunTzu."
"Named after a legendary ancient General."
"Exactly. Unfortunately my real name…"
"… is unknown. I read your file." Yumeko finished the sentence for him.
"Since you have the file from Ada you probably know more about me now than I do about myself."
She shoot him an disarming smile.
"Who knows." And then she switched the topic so naturally, that it made SunTzu think about that she had probably more than gambling as talents when it came to her deployment in the Intelligence Service.
"Mind if I'll introduce you to the basics of gambling after dinner?"
"I'd be delighted. Knowing about each other's fortitudes will help us work together."
She smiled, this time it was flirtatious.
"I'm sure you have a lot of fortitudes, SunTzu."
Drinking. Getting everybody and everything around me killed. Driving even the woman I love away from me.
"I guess that's up to you to find out." SunTzu replied, with a pokerface, hoping the professional gambler wouldn't have noticed that he needed a millisecond longer to reply.
"Oh, I can't wait." She replied with that same flirtatious smile and then, after a moment to let it sink in, she motioned to the hotel's restaurant with her hand.
"They have an excellent intergalactical cuisine here, so I was thinking to eat here. If that is alright for you, of course."
"Sure."
SunTzu smiled, although he was fully aware that the restaurant of her hotel wasn't exactly neutral grounds to get to know each other. But on the other side, she was new with Intelligence, maybe she really was a bit shy because of the big task ahead of her.
Yumeko had been right, the food was excellent. SunTzu had a light dinner as he didn't want to overstrain his stomach after the last few days while Yumeko had a Nerf Steak with a exotic looking salad as side, and she ate it with gusto. Apparently she was the type that could enjoy herself and wasn't too shy to show it.
They finished dinner while talking about their background. Yumeko had been educated on a school and adjacent university that was notorious for game of lucks and teaching about them and had been in her first year teaching on her own at said school, when she had been approached by Intelligence for the mission. All because of her natural talent for gambling, a talent which always would come In handy in a Galaxy like this, she told. She had been twenty three back then, had already won hundreds of thousands of credits in intergalactic gambling tournaments and found the idea to become a spy thrilling.
SunTzu had read her file, she was not only a great gambler but also highly intelligent, very skilled at acting and charismatic. She passed all parts of rapid field agent training but was lacking when it came to combat skills. This would be where he came into play and after the losses around him lately, especially with him being the only survivor more than once, he swore himself to do this job right this time.
Yumeko was having a parfait made of exotic fruits as dessert and was eating it with the enthusiasm a girl her age should have with a treat like this and SunTzu catched himself once again to think about that the young woman seemed way too innocent to be a secret agent. He wished he could sense her intents but his Force-Sensitivity was still impacted by his phase of alcohol abuse and detoxing.
SunTzu was observing her eating her dessert with a smile on his face as seeing someone enjoy something so much was wholesome, when Yumeko suddenly looked up.
"SunTzu, this might be a bit intimate but there is something I'm asking myself all the time already." She asked, her voice giving away shyness but the way she fluttered her eyelids while looking in his eyes, would have melt every man's defenses down.
"What would that be?" SunTzu asked and took a sip of water from a glass in front of him.
"Senator Hino and me are both of what is called Asian descent on Earth and both black haired. Is this your type? Do I fit it?"
SunTzu choked on his water and almost spit it on the table, while the small sting he felt to have dinner with another woman than the Princess of Mars for one moment became painful.
She giggled innocently over his reaction as he coughed, cleaned his mouth with a table napkin and finally cleared his throat.
"I actually never thought about if I have a type before."
The corner of the mouth of the woman sitting opposite of him began to slowly to drag themselves down.
"But you are a very attractive woman, Yumeko." SunTzu added hastily before she could fully pout and immediately her lips curled up again into a smile.
With almost closed eyes she beamed at him.
"Thank you for the compliment." She replied with her sweetest voice and a little blush on her cheeks before she got back to the rest of her parfait, leaving SunTzu wondering what that just had been.
After Yumeko had finished her dinner, they left the restaurant, the innocent young woman raving over how good the dinner had been and how much she had enjoyed herself.
She had her arms linked in his and gently lead him out of the hotel lobby to outside where a handful of repulsor cabs were waiting.
"Ready for your crash course in gambling, Captain?" She asked him, the Captain aspirated in a way, that made SunTzu feel heat beginning to dwell inside him and for a millisecond he stopped in his steps and glanced at her lips, wondering how sweet they would taste. This in turn triggered another sting inside him as he realized that he desired an other woman than Rei.
"Are you okay? Did you slip?" She asked him, apparently she had noticed his minimal stop.
"I'm good, I was just eyeing if those cab drivers seem to be reliable means of transport." He replied with a small smile.
Rei has been in a relationship with Yuichiro for weeks now, maybe it's time to move on as well.
Yumeko told the cab driver to head to the lower levels, to which the cab driver replied that it wasn't the right place for a young woman like her down there.
"Don't worry, I'll pay you double. And a tip on top." And then she linked in with SunTzu's arm, he was sitting next to her, again.
"And don't worry, I have my bodyguard here with me." She said to the driver while she smiled at SunTzu. The pilot wanted to interject something as well but Yumeko cut him short when she leaned in next to his ear.
"It's necessary to teach you about gambling. So trust me. Partner." She aspirated in his ear, making the hairs on SunTzu's arms and neck stand up.
After a long look in her eyes SunTzu nodded, but as soon as she drifted to her side again, he checked if his Glock was within reach in his jacket.
Soon they arrived dozens of stories deeper, and while it wasn't as deep as where SunTzu and Rei had found Abeloth, it was definitely not the shiny, flashy and rich part of Coruscant up skywards.
The taxi landed and Yumeko gave the cab driver even more than double the price for the drive.
As soon as she had handed the man the credits she shot SunTzu a smile and opened her door enthusiastically as if they just had rolled up at Disney Land. And faster as SunTzu could react as he was more reluctant with stepping out in the dark, which was pierced by the neon lights of the nightlife establishments around.
He sighed, nodded to the driver and got out, where he had to do a short sprint to catch up with the professional gambler he had been detached to protect.
Yumeko was heading straight to a shady, and shabby, looking bar which had a blinking multi colored advertising sign that said Sabacc.
"You really want to go in there, Yumeko?" SunTzu asked his ward in all seriousness but the young woman just smiled at him, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do.
"Of course. I do have to teach you about my profession, don't I?"
Im beginning to think this girl isn't as innocent as she seems…
They entered the bar with SunTzu holding the door open for her and then immediately falling in step behind her.
Yumeko surprised SunTzu once more, when she slung her arm around his again but this time pressing herself close onto him.
For the people in the bar it gave the intention that this beautiful young thing was afraid and clinging onto her lover.
Both didn't seem to fit into the bar and it was not only Yumeko's beauty that turned heads.
Yumeko was scanning the bar and when she spotted the table where a few patrons played Sabacc she pointed SunTzu to it and then began to drag him to the table.
Three scowling figures, two humanoids and one human, were at the table and playing, the pile of credit coins in the middle bigger than expected in an establishment like this. Standing behind the human were a Twi'lek and a Chiss, probably the gambler's bodyguards.
Yumeko was almost squealing with joy when she arrived at the gambling table.
"Excuse me Gentlemen, would you mind if I join you for a round?" She politely asked and pulled out two hundred credit chips and the three players exchanged looks with amused smiles on their faces. Easily earned money.
"Sit down sweetheart." The Human said and pointed to an empty chair at the table.
"See Honey, they would let me play a round of Sabacc with them." Yumeko told SunTzu as if he was her significant other and let a hand run over his chest.
SunTzu shot her a glance and motioned at the chair as well.
Something began to dawn on SunTzu.
"Ever played Sabacc before?" One of the humanoids, a male Balosar, who looked like he enjoyed Deathsticks way too, much asked her.
"Only on the holopad." Yumeko replied with a friendly smile, making the three other players look at each other again with big smiles. A waitress came and took orders, Yumeko ordered a sweet juice and SunTzu who was informed by the waitress that he had to have a drink or had to leave after first declining to take something took a caf.
He was standing behind her and kept an eye on things. Maybe it was the Force finally coming back but he had a bad feeling about all this.
Goddamn, she's one hell of an actress. No wonder Intelligence specifically recruited her .
As soon as the drinks arrived at the table they played the first round and although Yumeko seemed to be nervous and inexperienced she won.
"Beginner's luck." She explaind with an innocent smile, sounding rather embarrassed that she won. The three other gamblers exchanged looks but weren't conspicuous yet.
Which changed after three more rounds that Yumeko won and making the Balosar leave the table because he was broke.
Yumeko had already won a few hundred credits by then.
While the two other gamblers were scowling her, SunTzu noticed something, the Force was really coming back to him. He could sense open anger and aggression from the two male gamblers and something completely different from Yumeko. It wasn't negative, rather pure joy and excitement. No, not only excitement. It was lust. Yumeko was getting turned on from gambling.
And when she won the fifth time in a row and the second humanoid, a Zabrak, went broke as well and began to curse and make a scene, SunTzu even saw in her eyes and gesture that she was highly amused and thrilled by it.
The human male on the other side wasn't. He kept his pokerface but SunTzu felt that the man was on the edge of flipping out.
SunTzu bowed down to Yumeko and whispered in her ear.
"Maybe it's time to go."
She shot him a glance as he just had told her that he had lost his mind.
"Just this last round, Darling. I'm having a spree." Yumeko answered, voice way too sweet and not giving away anything about the look she had just hit him with.
SunTzu closed his eyes and sighed before he nodded.
"You are okay with a last round as well, aren't you? Or do you want to leave as well?" The female gambler asked the human across her and for a moment the gambler just glared at her.
Then he waved at the Chiss behind him and the blue skinned alien leaned down as his boss whispered something into his ear which made the Chiss leave the table and then he turned to Yumeko again.
"What do you say we go all in for a last round?"
Yumeko began to play with her hair, seeming as she was pondering about the offer.
"Okay. Because I had so much fun." She finally answered in an innocent voice.
Of course she hadn't even been thinking rejecting the offer.
The cards were allotted after both players put all their credits in the middle of the table.
"I want to see." The man said after each of them took a few cards each, his voice giving away the sureness of his victory.
"If you really have to." Yumeko said in an upset tone and acted like she was about to loose.
The man pushed his carts away from him to be seen on the table.
"22." He stated with a smug grin. 22 was almost a perfect Sabacc and very hard to beat.
SunTzu had been sensing something not situational fitting from Yumeko all the time and it got stronger by the second. He also noticed that her knees compressed together. Her aura was emitting pure passion now and he could have sworn her eyes began to glint.
"Pure Sabacc." She more moaned than spoke when she put her cards on the table, amounting to the number of 23, the number that everybody playing Sabbac strived for.
"You dirty little bitch!" The man exploded and jumped up from the table while Yumeko shot him a maniacal smile in a mixture of rapture and amusement.
"Maybe next time you should think about whom you're trying to rip off." Her giggle was the last straw and the man jumped forward to get her.
And was stopped in the air by SunTzu grabbing around his neck, pulling him out of the air and making him land hard on the ground, which immediately triggered a response from the Twi'lek that tried to pounce into SunTzu but the Pilot had his Force-powered reflexes back and dodged the attack. SunTzu made the attacker trip and when the man crashed to the floor, kicked his foot into the Twi'lek's head, knocking him out instantly. These guys sure hadn't the reflexes of Sailor Senshi.
At the table Yumeko noticed the Chiss coming back with two more thugs.
She sighed, took two one-hundred credit chips away from the pot and stowed them into her bag before she grabbed the jackpot and threw it in the air so that the chips landed all around the table.
SunTzu in the meantime knocked the human male out, while around them everyone in the bar began to try grabbing credits from the floor, closing the path for the two new thugs.
Yumeko grabbed SunTzu's hand and pulled him away and within two seconds he had outpaced her and led her on, through the flock of greedy patrons.
That was until a blue fist hit him in his stomach, pressing the air out his lunges.
The Force helped him to dodge the second punch. Behind the Chiss the two other thugs tried to make their way through the horde of people but couldn't get through as SunTzu parried the Chiss with a right hook.
The Chiss stumbled back and held his face.
He growled at SunTzu as he draw a long, saw-toothed knife and stormed towards the Earthling again.
SunTzu blocked the initial stab and the two men were fighting over control of the knife, the Chiss was stronger than he looked.
Finally SunTzu head butted the Chiss and grabbed the knife. He was about to stab the humanoid when Yumeko yelled "Stop!" behind him and SunTzu dropped the knife but gave the Chiss, who was busy trying to see clear again with his broken nose, an uppercut that knocked him out.
Yumeko grabbed his hand again and they ran towards the bar's exit. Behind them the other two thugs were now in a brawl with the other patrons, because everyone in the bar was after the credits on the floor.
The Gambler and her Bodyguard stormed out of the door and ran onto the street.
A repulsor car came nearby and SunTzu ran over and ripped the car's back door open.
"Galactic Intelligence Service! You need to take us with you!" He yelled at the driver and more or less threw Yumeko inside before he followed suit.
The driver turned around.
"And if I don't want to?" The driver asked.
As answer SunTzu just opened his jacket enough to present his pistol.
"Where to then, Mister?" The driver then asked as if he was a chauffeur.
The small ride to the nearest place where they could get a taxi was nerve-racking as they were expecting followers but none had showed up in the end and when they got out the repulsor car, SunTzu put hundred credits into the man's hand and said thank you. Just when they finally sat in an official taxi and had clear skies above them again he was finally able to relax again.
SunTzu sensed a certain excitement in the young woman beside him and she seemed to be a bit fidgety, her body constantly moving, while she looked out the window, her eyes still sparkling, but he couldn't tell if it was positive or negative.
He himself on the other side had defintely felt better before, that Chiss's fist had hit him like a truck. He wasn't back to his old form yet but at least the pain was beginning to already ebb down again and at least nothing seemed to have been injured.
The cab dropped them in front of the hotel and this time Yumeko paid, while SunTzu already got out and walked around the car to open the door for his new partner.
She shot him an earnest smile as she disembarked the vehicle and took the waiting hand to help her get out.
For a moment Yumeko looked at SunTzu, and he saw and sensed genuine worry when she asked him about how he was doing.
"Are you okay? That punch looked painful."
SunTzu nodded.
"I'll survive. Been hit worse."
Yumeko forced a smile and nodded.
"Uhm, would you mind to bring me up to my room? Just to make sure I'll get there safe?" Another honest sounding question.
"Of course." SunTzu answered and offered her his arm to link in. Yumeko accepted the offer with a smile and together they entered the hotel.
Within a few minutes they arrived in front of Yumeko's hotel room, located in the middle of the hotel.
SunTzu stopped in front of the door and Yumeko's arm slipped off from his and she pulled the keycard to room out of her handbag. She left out a big breather after she opened the door and turned to SunTzu.
For a moment she locked eyes with her newly assigned bodyguard and then she took a step forward and planted a light kiss on a surprised SunTzu's lips. Nothing too passionate, no tongue, no biting or sucking. Just a little touch of two pairs of lips.
After the fleeting kiss her delicate fingers stroke over his beard while SunTzu looked at her, clearly wanting more but holding himself back as he was not completely sure how she was feeling right now. She bit her lips and looked to ground for the moment, apparently contemplating about something.
And then her gaze traveled back to him.
"I know what you want and it's not that I don't want the same as well but I have this principle that I don't go all the way on the first date."
SunTzu answered with a nod and an understanding smile. Yumeko responded with a grateful smile and then turned around and walked into her room, closing the door behind her.
SunTzu stood alone in front of her room for a moment, still kind of surprised by her kiss. Her lips had tasted of strawberry he thought as his index finger brushed over his lip.
And then suddenly her door opened again and she rushed out and yanked him inside, her lips crashing onto his while doing so.
"I thought about it. That wasn't a date. This counts as work so the rules don't apply." She said in between kissing him and striping off his jacket.
SunTzu hadn't been with a woman for quite some time so he knew that he probably wouldn't last long, especially with a woman as attractive as Yumeko, so he took his time to please her and concentrated on her climaxing first.
Just after she had peaked the first time he took her. Or did she take him? Her passion and lust which obviously were still there from winning at gambling made it unclear to SunTzu who was really in charge here but both satisfied their lust and finally they came together.
To his surprise she didn't even threw him out of her room but rather snug closely onto him afterwards. Closely embraced they fell asleep soon.
SunTzu woke up to the familiar feeling of someone sleeping on his chest, he opened one eye halfways and saw silky and long raven hair falling around his body, from the head lying on his chest. Feeling contended he closed his eyes again, oh how much he savoured this moments. But something was different this time.
Since when does Rei have such huge breasts?
SunTzu inhaled but the scent of the woman's hair on his chest wasn't of Sakura. It was more like strawberries.
And then it began to dawn on him. He wasn't in his bed in his apartment in Tokyo and the woman sleeping on his chest wasn't Rei.
A painful sting shot through him.
So much for moving on. I'm feeling bad for waking up next to someone who wanted me while Rei has been with another man for weeks by now.
A move of the head on his chest snapped him out of his thoughts.
Yumeko turned her head and looked up to his face.
"And here I thought the stereotypes of pilots were all true and you'd be gone in the morning."
SunTzu forced himself to smile at her, not wanting Yumeko to know that he still had to fight with his heartbreak.
He felt a kiss on his chest before she pressed her head against his body again.
"You were willing to kill for me yesterday."
SunTzu didn't say a word and also didn't move.
"This is something I'm pretty new to." Yumeko continued but SunTzu stayed silent. Killing and dying for someone was the one thing but what about living for someone?
Could Yumeko be the one he could live for?
SunTzu cleared his throat.
"You said you'd give me a lesson about gambling yesterday, yet I just watched you play. I'm sorry but I still don't even understand Sabacc."
"Oh I gave you the most important lesson about gambling. Game of lucks are full of with people that are utterly scum, assholes and people that don't have any problem at all hurting you." She sat up and looked him in the eyes.
"This was your first lesson. Be aware that nobody wants something good happening to you at the gambling table." She cupped his face with one of her hands, the other hold the blanket over her body, covering her breast.
"And I learned that you will protect me with your life."
While SunTzu thought about his reply, he was at the edge to tell her that even if he wanted to protect her, death always found him, she leaned down until she was a mere few centimeters apart from his face and let the blanket slip away from her body.
"And that I can trust you." And then she kissed him. It was a gentle yet passionate kiss, a honest meant kiss.
And in this moment SunTzu tossed his bad thoughts to the side and decided to life in the moment, at least for this mission. And to make sure that Yumeko would be safe, no matter what it would take.
After they had breakfast together they spent time studying the file about the target person. Also Yumeko insisted to give SunTzu another lesson about gambling. After all it was important for him and who could teach him better about Sabacc than a gambling teacher.
After explaining the basics to him, as well as the four most played variations, she let him play against a computer.
It didn't went great but it was okay.
And then Madame Jabami, head teacher of gambling, as she jokingly called herself for the lesson, even a fitting outfit on, decided that he would play against her. Not for money but for pieces of clothes.
It only took a few minutes before SunTzu was bare naked and the still almost completely dressed Yumeko, she only had lost one time and that apparently just because she had wanted to, the piece of her clothing she took off giving even more proof to this, had a very freaky teacher role play going on with him.
She sure was a freak SunTzu thought, but in that moment he sure as hell didn't mind.
Late afternoon Yumeko and SunTzu were back in Ada's office to have a last meeting with their superior before they would leave for the preliminary round of the tournament, which would be held in a casino on Metellos. Leon was there as well, casually leaning against the wall, behind Ada, while the other two sat at the other side of the table.
Yumeko and SunTzu had made their homework and were ready.
They were sitting closer together than yesterday, Ada noticed when Yumeko and SunTzu briefed her about their little field trip/gambling lesson yesterday evening.
"I now know that I can trust on the Captain to protect me." Yumeko said, shooting SunTzu a small glance and a brief smile.
"Good." Ada replied and then turned to SunTzu.
"AICA is still on mission with Lieutenant Meiou, but we have a small yacht available for you. You two can leave whenever you want."
SunTzu nodded, he was missing his starfighter but it was good that Hotaru got some hours piloting AICA in.
"I guess we go and pack then." Yumeko told and SunTzu nodded again.
"Good luck. Keep me updated." Ada stated shortly as all three of them got up.
"We will. Goodbye Ada. Goodbye Leon." Yumeko said to Ada and then turned around.
SunTzu nodded to Leon and then to Ada and followed his ward out.
Ada sat down again, her gaze following the duo out of the door.
As soon as the door was closed again, Leon rose to speak, still casually leaning against the wall. "They're fucking."
"Yeah, they're definitely fucking each other. But maybe it will help SunTzu find some peace of mind. And as far as I know him, this means he will be even more on the lookout for her."
Ada had supplied them with a fast, comfortable and rather luxurious small space yacht. The ship had been manufactured by Sienar on Corulag and therefore felt very similar like flying a large TIE, much to the delight of SunTzu.
Yumeko had first sat down in a huge, comfortable seat in the passenger area but then had decided to let herself down in the copilot's seat and was lounging in it now.
She had to smile at the joy he showed, about that what he had expected to behave like a dump truck was almost as agile like a Starfighter.
"This thing actually is real fun to fly." SunTzu stated while the starship was climbing towards the space over Coruscant.
"Men and their toys." Yumeko joked but smiled while she shook her head.
Once they had reached space and sped away from the planet for the jump to Metellos she marveled at the sight of Coruscant from space.
"It's so beautiful from above."
"But it get's more and more rotten and ugly the deeper you go." SunTzu replied. "As we saw yesterday."
For a moment she looked at him.
"Most beautiful looking things are rotten and ugly under the surface."
Now SunTzu was the one looking at her for a moment before he had to concentrate on piloting the ship again, they were almost at their jump point and traffic around Coruscant was as overcrowded as always.
"How can you keep a clear head with all this ships around." Yumeko asked SunTzu, as he perfectly held his space in between two large freighters and several smaller ships left and right of him.
"How can you stay so cool and keep your pokerface while gambling?" He said with a glance at her and then turned back to the cockpit window. "I don't know i guess it's just training. And the sensors help. I wish we had my starfighter, we would have jumped to hyperspace already as we could have avoided this jam."
"How is she?"
"She? What do you mean?"
"Your Starfighter. I read she has an Artificial Intelligence, programmed as a female."
SunTzu thought for a moment and Yumeko noticed that he began to smile, when he thought about his ship.
"AICA, that's her name. She has quite the attitude but she's an amazing piece of technology. Fastest and most advanced fighter in the whole Galaxy." With an even bigger smile he turned to her. "And she's a good friend."
"Ada said something about that she is on another mission with a Lieutenant…."
"Meiou. Second Lieutenant Hotaru Meiou, my former protégé. I taught her how to fly. She's a natural talent. Like you're with gambling." SunTzu smiled again at Yumeko, while outside rows of ships around them cruised through the void and their lights lighted up the space around them. "But that was back when me and AICA were with Taskforce Sol."
For a moment Yumeko looked at SunTzu, he seemed a bit melancholic.
"You miss her?" Yumeko asked SunTzu and the pilot didn't know if she meant AICA, Hotaru or someone else.
"Yeah. I guess I do." He answered, his voice low and his face fixed at the cockpit window.
And then he pulled a few switches and they jumped into hyperspace for their four hour trip to Metellos. SunTzu cleared his throat.
"And we're off. Are you hungry? I brought the ingredients for the one thing I can cook better like no other." SunTzu said and stood up.
"Now I'm intrigued." Yumeko replied playfully.
"Oh you should be. Ever heard of French Toast?"
They landed at Metellos, almost directly in front of the huge Casino, a few miles outside the planet's capital.
Of course the Casino was also a luxurious hotel and while Casino staff members carried their luggage inside, Yumeko walked in front and headed directly towards the reception.
The hotel was so big that they had suites with multiple bed rooms and the Intelligence Service had been so nice and reserved a room with two bedrooms for them. Just another time, SunTzu mentally thanked Ami for providing money for his undercover missions.
A few minutes later Pilot and Gambler were alone in the elevator to their room, a page would bring them their luggage.
"Good thing we have two bedrooms. I will need to rest after all this Sabacc games and you'll have a bed for yourself." Yumeko stated without looking back to SunTzu who was a step behind her.
"Yeah, you're right. You really should get some well needed rest afterwards. It's better I stay on guard the whole night and patrol our floor. Outside the room of course."
SunTzu stated completely serious.
"Nooo!… that was a joke." The raven haired beauty turned around to him. "I'll need you after the games."
"Is that so?"
A finger traveled up from his upper stomach to his chest and she followed her finger with her eyes.
"Yes." She said still not looking up but her finger drawing circles around his chest now.
"And for what?"
"Hm…" And then she leaned in and whispered something in his ear what made SunTzu's eyes widen.
Late afternoon the preliminaries began, they were pretty much open for everyone and according to this boring for Yumeko, as the master gambler only needed to play against amateurs. She didn't even try to hide her boredom or play a role, she just went for winning as fast as she could. After winning the second game, by a mile against her competitor, she got up and leaned into SunTzu's ear.
"This is beyond boring. I'm not getting excited at all."
"As your bodyguard I don't see a problem if things stay uneventful my dear." SunTzu replied with a smug grin.
"I hope you know that means i need a proper seduction and foreplay then, Captain."
SunTzu smile turned even more smug and his gaze accepted the challenge of Yumeko.
"Fine." She finally said with an equal smug grin. SunTzu felt a hand at his hip, underneath his suit's jacket.
"I get back then." She said, her touch was brief but she also shot him a playful wink.
God, i love freaks way more than i should…
Two more, flawlessly won games later the preliminary rounds were over and for tomorrow evening the round of sixteen was scheduled, also in the Casino on Metellos. Yumeko's opponents would be chosen directly before the games would begin.
Stavro was nowhere to be seen but a man that introduced himself as assistant to him, his name being Auric, overlooked the tournament on Metellos.
Yumeko tried to get into conversation with the tall, blonde and slender man, but he didn't seem to be interested in conversation nor was he seen anywhere outside of the games. SunTzu tried to check out the access to Auric's room but security there was way too tight to come even remotely close. At least as official bodyguard nobody bat an eye when he said he was checking security of the place.
After dinner, to SunTzu's surprise Yumeko didn't play the boss and shared a table with her bodyguard, the couple left for their room.
In public they were acting professional although friendly towards each other but in their room they were way more Intimate with each other.
It was late at night and a bare naked Yumeko was laying on her stomach in the white sheets of her queen sized hotel bed.
She was in deep thought about something when SunTzu began to kiss his way up from her hips to her shoulders.
"Whatcha thinking about?"
She snapped out and her lips curled up as she turned around and put her arms around him.
"Just about if every Personal Security Detachment from the Intelligence Service makes things as worthwhile as you do."
SunTzu raised an eyebrow and she giggled.
"I was thinking about my possible opponents for tomorrow and the rest of the tournament. Stavro will probably just join in at the end of the tournament. And he's good enough to be a match for me. But there are a few other players here that are on a same level as I am. There might be one or more challenges for me at this tournament."
SunTzu gently laid the palm of his hand on her forehead.
"What are you doing?" Yumeko asked curiously.
"Looking if you're having a fever. I think I heard doubts from the Master Gambler herself and this seems completely unusual."
Both smiled at each other and he leaned down to kiss her forehead after pulling his hand away. "You got this Yumeko."
Her lips curled up. "I know. I just wanted to hear it from you." She replied with a sly grin.
SunTzu looked at her for a moment. "You want me to help you with the Force?"
"No!" She replied, louder than she expected herself to. "Sorry, no. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate it that you want to help me but I would feel bad about myself if I couldn't do it on my own." She continued, her voice more calm and quiet again.
SunTzu nodded slowly and a hand cupped his face and gentle eyes locked with his.
"But there's something else you can help me with." Yumeko said before she pulled him in for a kiss.
Since they had time until the evening the two aficionados slept out, SunTzu had a workout at first thing then, and then they ate well and enjoyed the luxurious hotel. They went for a tour through the complex and Yumeko showed SunTzu some tricks about games of luck in the casino. They weren't playing themselves though, just observed various gambling machines and tables.
"I'm not here for the small stuff, I want to win this tournament." Yumeko had told SunTzu when he asked her if she didn't want to play.
Later the two of them were at the hotel's huge outdoor pool a few hours before the game of sixteen would start.
SunTzu, still dressed in a dark suit, stood more or less guard while Yumeko swam a few laps.
SunTzu could have been on guard, shielding her, for hours, just to glance at the revealing red bikini the attractive black haired woman was wearing.
After Yumeko had swam round after round she stopped at the edge of the pool, right in front of SunTzu, who was standing there, ready with a towel for her.
She smiled and looked up. "Why you don't come in? The water is great."
"I'm your bodyguard so I have to guard you."
"What if I just pull you in?"
SunTzu hunkered down. "Then I'll have to scold you about how the water could have an impact on the correct functionality of my gun and if things go wrong I couldn't be able to properly perform my mission and protect you."
She rolled her eyes. "How narrow-minded."
"Yumeko, we're not here for fun. We're at war and war is unforgiving. Things can go bad very, very quickly. And I want to be fully able to do my job."
She sighed. "Okay, I get it. Geez, you've been more fun already."
She pulled herself out of the water and sat down on the edge.
SunTzu put the towel around her and gently dried her with it. He leaned in to her ear. "I just want you to be safe." He said in a low voice and earned a small smile from her.
Not long after they had to get ready but not before Master Gambler had ordered room service to bring dinner, to SunTzu's surprise the raven haired beauty ordered nerf burgers and the local equivalent of fries.
"I need energy." She had stated before she pitched into it, still wearing a towel around her body, and another around her hair, earning her a smile from SunTzu that followed her example to eat properly.
Thirty minutes later Yumeko had almost finished, now dressed in an black evening dress with crimson red lining. The dress was more than complimenting her curves and SunTzu catched himself already thinking about later when he would get her out of that dress.
Cut it out, first she has to win this game and you have to watch her six until then.
Wearing this dress, SunTzu definitely didn't have a problem watching her back.
The remaining players and the onlookers assembled at a large hall where four different tables to play Sabacc on had been placed, as well as seating opportunities for the spectators.
Eight people would play against each other at the same time, one versus one each.
SunTzu wasn't too fond that he couldn't stay around the table but at least he could take a seat where he could cover everything.
The pairings were announced and Yumeko's lips curled into a wry smile.
SunTzu looked at her with a questioning look.
"Easy opponent?"
"Completely the opposite. My opponent is Savis Caadras. One of the best Sabacc players out there. A real opponent."
Although SunTzu wasn't too happy with this her eyes were glistering with anticipation.
A few minutes later the players had taken their seats, as had the spectators.
SunTzu took a close look at Yumeko, a few meters afar from him.
She looked gorgeous in her outfit and she had a pokerface on, while she gave the perfect Femme Fatale Impression as she sat there, smoking a cigarette on a long cigarette holder.
Just moments before the game began she seemed to look around the hall a last time and when her and SunTzu's gaze met she shot him a tiny wink.
Then she looked at her opponent.
"Let's get our gambling freak on." She told Caadras with a wide smile.
The other three matches had been before the match of Yumeko against Savis Caadras, a huge towering grey colored Herglic, and it became evident pretty fast that this would be the match of the evening and probably one of the best ones of the tournament. Both opponents were cold as ice and equally matched. So equally matched that it became apparent that it would be sheer luck here to decide who would go to the quarterfinal.
SunTzu never had been much into gambling or the thrill of it but even he was at his seat and he was impressed how serene Yumeko seemed to be on the outside.
Concentrating into the Force he could feel that she was overly excited, even euphoric.
The game went into it's final round and the last call was made.
Caadras showed his hand, a positive twenty and was pretty sure about his win, he had seen a tiny wince when Yumeko had drawn her last card.
This was when SunTzu sensed that Yumeko's euphoria went through the roof and also sensed how turned on she got from the game. Her eyes were glowing and SunTzu could sense she was ecstatic, her body reacting to her lust, when she showed her cards.
Negative 22 and therefore closer to 23. She had won.
The hall erupted with applause and cheering. Savis Caadras jumped up from the large chair his massive body had been sitting on and for a moment SunTzu was afraid that he would do something stupid and got ready to intervene but instead the Herglic offered his hand to the human woman and congratulated her to her victory. He even praised her and gave her a fake hand kiss.
Yumeko thanked him with a polite bow. Her body mimic showed that she was in a hurry.
And after the Herglic had thanked her, she apologized to the game management and quickly walked off, people still cheering and applauding for her.
SunTzu had stood up and was curiously looking at her when she rushed towards him.
Without a word she motioned him to follow, out of the hall.
"What's the matter?" SunTzu asked after they had left the large room and she had taken his hand to pull him along. She was heading to the next elevator but she hadn't said anything yet and just kept stoically on walking.
It stayed like that until they were in the elevator up to the floor where their room was. She pounced onto him like a tiger on his prey.
"I so badly need you to fuck me right now." She purred out between kissing him, her hand already on the swelling bulge on his crotch.
Yumeko had been almost insatiable and they had fucked half the night until she finally had been satisfied.
She was curled up next to him and he remembered that she had taken his arm and had laid it around her body as she had snuggled in.
She was a freak, turned on by the odds of gambling but there was also a sensitive young woman underneath the master gambler's Pokerface.
SunTzu was up first again, watching her sleep, still cuddled onto him. He wasn't in love or head over heels for her but SunTzu had to admit he really enjoyed spending time with her. And after all these weeks of hurting she made him feel better.
A movement on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts and he moved his head to the side where a pair of burgundy eyes was looking at him.
"Good Morning." He said in a low voice.
Yumeko stretched, and smiled at him, eyes still half closed.
"Good Morning." A small yawn. "I slept so well."
Suddenly she jolted up.
"What's wrong?" SunTzu asked, surprised by her sudden move.
"The game management. They wanted to talk with me after my victory. But I was too horny for this." She faceplanted. "I'm a horrible spy. I let my excitement got the better of me. I'm so sorry, I messed up."
SunTzu sat up as well and she expected that the veteran would scold her but what he actually did, surprised her.
SunTzu laid his arms around Yumeko and pressed her against him.
"Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody came at us, nobody attacked us, nobody got hurt. And you still won, they can't take that from you. So you didn't mess up."
Her shoulders were still slumped down but after a moment she pulled her arms around his and squeezed herself even tighter.
"You have to see it that way, it was a surprising move from your side and any move to surprise the enemy is a good move." SunTzu told her, gentleness and reassurance in his voice.
Yumeko's lips curled up.
"Guess you're right." She kissed his arm. "Thank you, SunTzu."
"You're welcome my little master strategist."
She leaned her head back on his shoulder and looked up to his eyes before she cupped his face. "Gambling and playing a role is way easier if it is for pure entertainment than it is when life's are at stake. Or a whole Galaxy."
"And you're still doing great. This is your first assignment and you're doing great so far with all this pressure on you."
"I hope so."
"You are. Just don't jump out of a starfighter on your first assignment. Stuff like this sticks around." SunTzu grinned absently and Yumeko stopped petting of his cheek.
"Now I wanna know more." She told him curiously.
One hour later Yumeko Jabami, quarter-finalist of Guntram Stavro's big, intergalactic Sabacc tournament went to the quarters of Stavro's right hand's man Auric to talk with him about how things would go on from here.
And apparently her victory was enough for him to finally take time to talk with her.
Her bodyguard had to wait outside the huge suite where Mr. Auric resided and was conspicuously eyed by his bodyguards.
SunTzu had tried to begin some small talk, initiating with some bad jokes about their profession but the guards weren't interested. Professionals SunTzu asserted.
Hopefully Yumeko comes close enough to Stavro without the need to use violence.
Twenty minutes later the door opened and Yumeko was lead out.
She motioned SunTzu to follow her with a motion of her hand.
She didn't say a word until they were back in their room and as she was about to open her mouth SunTzu motioned her to be quiet.
Three minutes later he had checked the suite for any bugs and motioned her that everything was okay.
"Can I finally speak now? Gosh, you're so paranoid." She remarked but SunTzu just shrugged.
"Just spy things."
"Ugh, fine. Anyways I talked with Auric. The semi- and half finals are on a cruise ship, the Halcyon. They're starting tomorrow and the ship is waiting near Palanhi. I tried to talk about Stavro with him, even tried it with charming him, but to no avail."
"Then I guess we're off to the Halcyon. And maybe we have more luck there. Maybe even Stavro will be there. And if not…"
"…then I'll see him in the finals. Don't worry, I got this." Yumeko finished the sentence for him. "I beat Caadras, it can't get much more difficult than that."
She looked at him, determination in her face and he nodded.
"Good. Then I suppose we should start packing."
A day later they had arrived on the Halcyon.
The ship wasn't any less luxurious than the casino. As quarter-finalist Yumeko became one of the biggest suits onboard, three bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as a private observation deck.
The games would begin in a few hours and right now SunTzu was standing in front of the observation deck and stared out into space.
I wonder where the Far Side is right now.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Yumeko's voice came in from behind.
"Err, I was just watching the stars."
"Liar." She replied with amusement in her voice.
SunTzu turned around and looked at Yumeko.
"Are you ready, Yumeko?"
"I am. The first game starts soon. The next player isn't bad but it should be way easier than last time."
"Good. Ada checked the ship and it's crew, we're on neutral ground but of course I'll be around."
"I do hope so. I might need you after the game again."
The Sabacc match was well-balanced in the beginning but soon it became obvious that Yumeko was way better than her opponent and within a few rounds it was over.
With a smile, Yumeko, wearing a burgundy colored dress the same color her eyes were, got up, bowed down for the cheering onlookers and then walked over to a nearby standing SunTzu.
It was around time for dinner and he offered her an arm to link in, which she gladly accepted and both left for one of the ship's restaurants.
"No pouncing onto me? Is something wrong?" SunTzu asked as they were in private, walking through the ship's corridors.
"Oh don't worry, I'm just saving up. If you think last time was crazy, wait for tonight." She shot him another one of her winks.
SunTzu pressed his lips together and nodded.
Dinner was exquisite and the couple got one of the best tables on the ship. The participants of the tournament were treated like Royality on board.
Mister Auric even visited them briefly at their table for a praise of Yumeko's abilities and to inform her about her next opponent. As soon as Auric was gone, Yumeko turned to SunTzu.
"My next opponent is the weakest of all the players here. If he didn't voluntarily play so bad that is. But so far he just got here out of sheer luck."
After dinner they went back to the ship's casino and the table were the half final would be played.
A grinning Yumeko took her place a few minutes before the game would start and soon after her opponent arrived as well, a human named Glinsto.
SunTzu immediately sensed that something was wrong with this guy. He felt out with the Force and his jaw dropped.
The man hadn't won because of luck, he only had made it seem like that. Glinsto was Force-sensitive.
Thank God, the game hadn't started yet and SunTzu rushed to Yumeko's side and bowed down to whisper in her ear.
"Yumeko, that guy is a Force-Sensitive. He didn't win out of luck."
"What? Then how can I beat him?"
"Try to keep your mind as far away from the game as you can."
"How shall I win If i can't concentrate on the game?"
"I'll try to come up with something."
"Then you better hurry."
She sighed and nodded slowly and then turned her gaze back to the table and to her opponent who shyly smiled at her.
Yumeko swallowed hard as she tried to let her mind wander away from the game.
The game began and Yumeko played very defensively. She seemed to be absentminded and even made some smaller mistakes. The audience was beginning to wonder, why the woman that had played so flawless and professional until now suddenly was playing like an amateur.
The only thing didn't make her loose early was that her opponent made errors on his own. But SunTzu was very content with how things were going.
Yumeko, you're doing great.
The more she turned her mind away from the game the more Glinsto had to tap into the Force.
Four rounds in and things were completely open when the Force-sensitive gambler was concentrating so much onto the Force that he had his eyes closed, opposite to him Yumeko had her mind on the most insignificant things she could think of, and SunTzu began to smile a few meters behind Yumeko, on a table for spectators.
Experienced through his training and mediation with Rei, SunTzu could basically infiltrate the almost untrained but for the Force wide open mind of Glinsto and he could feel that the man was busy with trying to find out what Yumeko was thinking. Right now she was thinking about which shoes she should wear tomorrow for the game. SunTzu almost had to laugh as he concentrated more.
A few moments later Glisto's eyes opened and with determination he called to see the cards, pushing his on the table.
It was a negative 12 and after a glance at SunTzu who shot her a wink she put her cards on the table, points counting up to 17.
Glisto's eyes almost fell out of his face. How could that be? He was sure his sixth sense just had told him that he would win.
Yumeko began to grin, her eyes beginning to sparkle again as she motioned her opponent to lean in.
Glisto did and with venom in her voice she told him something only he could hear.
"That's what you get for cheating."
And then she turned away and was gone from the table, leaving a dumbfounded Glisto behind.
On her way to SunTzu she was stopped by Auric and the game management who gratulated her. The spectators began to cheer and applaude for her once more.
While Auric talked with her, Yumeko could see out of the corner of her eye that SunTzu gave her standing ovations as well and his expressions showed genuine respect and joy because she had won.
Auric told her he would contact her soon with the data and location of the finale and then left.
As soon as he had left, Yumeko walked over to SunTzu and stopped in front of him. Both were smiling at each other.
"You did great." He told so quiet that only she could hear.
"I don't know what you did but I guess you won this for me."
"I didn't play." SunTzu told her, his grin having that certain smugness in it that only Rei and Yumeko knew about.
"I guess than we make a good team."
"We sure do."
Yumeko let out a big breather.
"Wow, we made it again. C'mon, let's celebrate!" She told him and they began to make their way to the ship's casino's exit.
It took long minutes until they finally had left the casino because so many people wanted to congratulate Yumeko.
As soon as they were alone, somewhere in a quiet corridor of the ship, she kissed him passionately.
"Room?" SunTzu asked between kisses.
"Not yet. I want to dance."
It might not have been a wise choice and it might not have been the way good spies would behave but Yumeko needed to blow off some steam, more than usual. She had won against odds she even couldn't fully grasp. And they were on their way to get close to their target person.
She had asked him if it was okay and he promised her to not overdo it but yes, they even drank champagne and she could see that SunTzu really took it easy, probably to keep an eye out for her.
She felt great, she felt alive and in that moment she knew it was right to live in thos moment.
They were sitting at a table in the night club of the cruise ship and just had toasted to their partnership with another glass of champagne when Yumeko got up and grabbed SunTzu's hand.
"You still owe me a dance, Captain!" And to her delight he got up immediately and willingly let her guide him to the dance floor.
And this wasn't the dancefloor of a ball, this was a club and she lead him directly inmidst of the dozen of people there before she huddled against him behind her and began to move her hips while she laid his arms around her.
They danced wild, seductive and tight and next to them a beautiful looking, blue-skinned Twi'lek was dancing like there was no tomorrow as well. The Twi'lek's outfit left no room for speculating what she was here for and Yumeko, after biting SunTzu in his lip after dancing in his arms walked seductively over to her and kissed the Twi'lek who was very willingly to reciprocate the kiss on her lips. After the kiss Yumeko turned around to SunTzu and smiled seductively at him.
SunTzu woke up bare naked the next morning. The Twi'lek had left their room somewhen in the morning.
It had been a a really freaky night when the trio changed the location from the dancefloor, where they had danced together with each other very tight, to their quarters.
SunTzu learned that Twi'leks actually were able to give Lekku-jobs, which because of the very sensitive nerves in their head tentacles, was very pleasurable and erotic for the giver as well.
Equally naked as him Yumeko was again still sleeping in his arms.
Suddenly a voice came out of his chronometer on the nightstand next to him.
"Hey Boss, I hope you're sober. Your Day One is on her way to pick you up. ETA thirty minutes."
With a groan Yumeko opened her eyes.
"Who was that?"
"That my dear, was my starfighter."