XxJadePhoenixX
Member
DURING THE DAY the city of Canto Bight was a sight to behold, but at night it was truly spectacular. A beacon of opulence on an otherwise barren world. Ringed by an imposing mountain range the city was located on the shore of the galaxy's largest artificial ocean. A popular destination for society's elite across the galaxy. Wealthy tourists, gamblers, and war profiteers gathered in equal measure to visit Cantonica's luxurious casinos and bet on the fathier races. Elena hated this planet. Nowhere else in the galaxy was the decadence of high society so blatantly on display as it was here. The rich and powerful gambled and drank themselves into a stupor while the less fortunate worked the casinos and the race tracks.
Nestled among the foothills, a scant five hundred meters from the wall of Old Town to the west, lay the Tangle. An encampment of shanties, tents, and shelters half thrown together into a makeshift settlement. Out of sight, out of mind, the Tangle represented a loose band of homeless beings who long ago came together to form a semi-autonomous community on the far outskirts of the city. It's where a fair number of the denizens working the casinos and the racetracks lived. In squalor, like animals, while society's elite trampled over them.
Elena had half a mind to do some trampling of her own, but she was here on business and trampling wasn't on the itinerary. With a sigh, she came to a stop in front of the Coruscant, one of Canto Bight's largest casinos. She looked up at the neon sign, one hand pulling her hood tighter around her face. She wasn't dressed in anything fancy, not like the other denizens around her. She wore typical spacer garb: a muddy gray poncho over dark shirt and trousers. It served to hide her weapons from prying eyes. Several beings descended the stairs from the casino, Elena had to step around them to get out of their way. As they passed, she overheard one of them comment on her appearance, mocking her in front of the others. Elena stuck her tongue out at them after they had passed. Feeling a bit childish she checked her chrono then ascended the stairs to the casino where a large, burly bouncer stood outside of a massive entrance.
"Gotta check ya for weapons," the Nikto told her as she approached.
"You don't have to check me for weapons," she answered, without faltering in her step.
The Nikto stared blankly ahead then shrugged. "Guess I don't need to check ya."
Inside the noise was ear-shattering. Between the music, the slots, the crowds, and the constant sound of poker chips and dice rolls it was a wonder anyone could hold a conversation. People passed by almost shoulder to shoulder as servers carrying drinks carefully made their way through the crowd. A large uproar rose up from a nearby sabacc table. Someone was on a roll. She didn't have the luxury of partaking in the games though, she was here to meet someone, a man known only by his title, Master Codebreaker. She had no idea what he looked like, only that he wore a red plom bloom on his lapel. He could typically be seen rolling dice at a high-stakes table at any of Canto Bight's casinos. Apparently, he wasn't allowed to touch the digital stuff.
Can't imagine why...
She stopped next to a large card table, her eyes searching the crowd for the red plom bloom. There were so many people that the task of finding a single person based on his pin seemed like an impossibility. Finding her, though, wasn’t nearly as hard as it didn’t take long for her to garner unwanted attention.
"Well, well, what do we have here," a man asked as he sidled up next to her at the table, eyeing her from head to toe. "A bit dirty for my liking, but that's all right. I bet you clean up nice. You all alone here, Darlin'?"
"Not interested," Elena said.
The man looked disappointed. "Aw, don't be like that, I haven't even introduced myself."
Elena sighed then discreetly lifted the edge of her poncho to reveal the Westar 35 she carried beneath. "I said scram," she snapped at him.
The man's eyes bulged at the sight. "Uh, yea--right," he said, slinking back into the crowd.
Elena rolled her eyes then turned her attention back to searching for the Codebreaker. There was another commotion from a table not far away that drew her attention. There was a large crowd had gathered around a craps table. Packed so tight they completely obscured her view of the dice roller. Pushing away from the table she tried to make her way closer. She’d barely made it a few feet when a pair of larger beings suddenly obstructed her path, forcing her to dance around them to avoid being knocked over. The two Ithorians seemed not to notice her as they passed, idly chatting among themselves while pointing to a row of slot machines.
She glowered at them then turned her attention back to the crowded table. After moving a bit closer she could barely make out the form of a well-dressed man wearing a white jacket through the gaps in the crowd. He was leaning forward over the table to pick up the dice when she saw him. As he did so he briefly flashed a small red pin on his lapel.
Red plom bloom, she thought before working her way around to his side of the table. Her first attempts to push her way through the crowd earned her a few nasty comments, but she persisted until she was standing right next to him.
"Are you the one they call the Master Codebreaker?" she asked.
The man paused briefly to look down at her with what looked like the slightest hint of surprise. "They letting kids in here now?" he asked, one hand reaching for the dice again.
"I'm not a kid, I'm eighteen."
"My apologies," he said with a shrug before tossing the dice down the table. There was a brief pause followed by a celebratory pump of his arm.
Elena stared at him, a frustrated look on her face. "Look, I don't have time to be coy. I've got a job I need you to do, so are you the Codebreaker or not?"
"I don't work pro bono, Kid, and you don't look like you have much to pay with."
He wasn't wrong, she wasn't exactly swimming in cash. "Can we go talk somewhere private or do I have to do this here?"
"Depends on what you're offering," he said, reaching for the dice once more.
She scowled. "I was told you'd be sympathetic toward my plight."
"Told by whom," he asked, never taking his eyes off the table.
"Maz Kanata."
Finally, he stopped to look down at her, a curious glint in his eye. "How do you know that name?"
Elena refrained from answering him, instead picking up the dice and placing them back into his hand. Then she nodded toward the table. Codebreaker gave her a strange look but tossed the dice anyway. As they tumbled across the table Elena made a simple gesture with her hand, stopping them on a five and six. There was a celebratory cheer mixed with a few groans from the patrons around the table. The Codebreaker, however, had not yet taken his eyes off his winning roll. After a moment he leaned over to the woman standing next to him.
"Cash me out," he told her, even as the dice were being passed back to him. He ignored them then turned to face Elena. "Come with me…"
Nestled among the foothills, a scant five hundred meters from the wall of Old Town to the west, lay the Tangle. An encampment of shanties, tents, and shelters half thrown together into a makeshift settlement. Out of sight, out of mind, the Tangle represented a loose band of homeless beings who long ago came together to form a semi-autonomous community on the far outskirts of the city. It's where a fair number of the denizens working the casinos and the racetracks lived. In squalor, like animals, while society's elite trampled over them.
Elena had half a mind to do some trampling of her own, but she was here on business and trampling wasn't on the itinerary. With a sigh, she came to a stop in front of the Coruscant, one of Canto Bight's largest casinos. She looked up at the neon sign, one hand pulling her hood tighter around her face. She wasn't dressed in anything fancy, not like the other denizens around her. She wore typical spacer garb: a muddy gray poncho over dark shirt and trousers. It served to hide her weapons from prying eyes. Several beings descended the stairs from the casino, Elena had to step around them to get out of their way. As they passed, she overheard one of them comment on her appearance, mocking her in front of the others. Elena stuck her tongue out at them after they had passed. Feeling a bit childish she checked her chrono then ascended the stairs to the casino where a large, burly bouncer stood outside of a massive entrance.
"Gotta check ya for weapons," the Nikto told her as she approached.
"You don't have to check me for weapons," she answered, without faltering in her step.
The Nikto stared blankly ahead then shrugged. "Guess I don't need to check ya."
Inside the noise was ear-shattering. Between the music, the slots, the crowds, and the constant sound of poker chips and dice rolls it was a wonder anyone could hold a conversation. People passed by almost shoulder to shoulder as servers carrying drinks carefully made their way through the crowd. A large uproar rose up from a nearby sabacc table. Someone was on a roll. She didn't have the luxury of partaking in the games though, she was here to meet someone, a man known only by his title, Master Codebreaker. She had no idea what he looked like, only that he wore a red plom bloom on his lapel. He could typically be seen rolling dice at a high-stakes table at any of Canto Bight's casinos. Apparently, he wasn't allowed to touch the digital stuff.
Can't imagine why...
She stopped next to a large card table, her eyes searching the crowd for the red plom bloom. There were so many people that the task of finding a single person based on his pin seemed like an impossibility. Finding her, though, wasn’t nearly as hard as it didn’t take long for her to garner unwanted attention.
"Well, well, what do we have here," a man asked as he sidled up next to her at the table, eyeing her from head to toe. "A bit dirty for my liking, but that's all right. I bet you clean up nice. You all alone here, Darlin'?"
"Not interested," Elena said.
The man looked disappointed. "Aw, don't be like that, I haven't even introduced myself."
Elena sighed then discreetly lifted the edge of her poncho to reveal the Westar 35 she carried beneath. "I said scram," she snapped at him.
The man's eyes bulged at the sight. "Uh, yea--right," he said, slinking back into the crowd.
Elena rolled her eyes then turned her attention back to searching for the Codebreaker. There was another commotion from a table not far away that drew her attention. There was a large crowd had gathered around a craps table. Packed so tight they completely obscured her view of the dice roller. Pushing away from the table she tried to make her way closer. She’d barely made it a few feet when a pair of larger beings suddenly obstructed her path, forcing her to dance around them to avoid being knocked over. The two Ithorians seemed not to notice her as they passed, idly chatting among themselves while pointing to a row of slot machines.
She glowered at them then turned her attention back to the crowded table. After moving a bit closer she could barely make out the form of a well-dressed man wearing a white jacket through the gaps in the crowd. He was leaning forward over the table to pick up the dice when she saw him. As he did so he briefly flashed a small red pin on his lapel.
Red plom bloom, she thought before working her way around to his side of the table. Her first attempts to push her way through the crowd earned her a few nasty comments, but she persisted until she was standing right next to him.
"Are you the one they call the Master Codebreaker?" she asked.
The man paused briefly to look down at her with what looked like the slightest hint of surprise. "They letting kids in here now?" he asked, one hand reaching for the dice again.
"I'm not a kid, I'm eighteen."
"My apologies," he said with a shrug before tossing the dice down the table. There was a brief pause followed by a celebratory pump of his arm.
Elena stared at him, a frustrated look on her face. "Look, I don't have time to be coy. I've got a job I need you to do, so are you the Codebreaker or not?"
"I don't work pro bono, Kid, and you don't look like you have much to pay with."
He wasn't wrong, she wasn't exactly swimming in cash. "Can we go talk somewhere private or do I have to do this here?"
"Depends on what you're offering," he said, reaching for the dice once more.
She scowled. "I was told you'd be sympathetic toward my plight."
"Told by whom," he asked, never taking his eyes off the table.
"Maz Kanata."
Finally, he stopped to look down at her, a curious glint in his eye. "How do you know that name?"
Elena refrained from answering him, instead picking up the dice and placing them back into his hand. Then she nodded toward the table. Codebreaker gave her a strange look but tossed the dice anyway. As they tumbled across the table Elena made a simple gesture with her hand, stopping them on a five and six. There was a celebratory cheer mixed with a few groans from the patrons around the table. The Codebreaker, however, had not yet taken his eyes off his winning roll. After a moment he leaned over to the woman standing next to him.
"Cash me out," he told her, even as the dice were being passed back to him. He ignored them then turned to face Elena. "Come with me…"
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