Joron closed his eyes then took in a deep breath after studying the map. It had taken only moments but, like many other places, he had put it to memory. Out of all the games on this floor, it was perhaps the Lugjack machines he held the least amount of interest in. Those games, like many others, he would eschew. Like so many games of chance, there were but a fun he truly enjoyed playing and at the top of the list were roulette and dice games. However, some card games proved to be acceptable. Knowing the game he wished to play, he opened his eyes and journeyed first for a place to exchange credits for chips then toward the gaming area. [private to GM: I know the descriptions of the games are usually, 'a game of chance' so I'll not assume which would be the roulette game here. But that's what Joron wishes to play. We can have fun with this and watch Joron build a small fortune off of the 1000 credits Jaerad gave him, heh heh.]

The facilities, while quite nice were not exactly what Aadun wanted to explore, so as soon as his stomach settled, he left them.  He stepped out and wandered back into the main area.  He wasn't very surprised that the table he had been watching was done and a new set of "victims" were beginning to settle themselves in for a game.

He gets some of his credits changed over (if need be) and hits his pager button.  Since he wasn't drunk, gambling should be a great thing to pass the time and he was sure he could beat any of these posers.  'Why is the room getting so hot?' he wonders, but chooses to ignore it.  It was one drink after all.

Kaiten smiled at the waitress, brushing away the menu with a gesture. "I am working on behalf of Master Jaeden. Can you tell me where Admiral Keynes is sitting? I would most like to talk to him." He stated to her, glancing meaningfully at the private booths where he was sure the admiral was sitting. He was also metally going over the questions he neded to ask the admiral, and how he would go about doing it. Strangely, there didn't seem to be any stormtroopers about, despite the fact that an admiral was here. It wasn't common for the Empire to trust security detail to anyone else. Could that mean Jaeden truly was in bed with the Empire?

[Private to GM: ooc: Kaiten will keep a lookout for any stormtroopers, or any other sign of imperial security.]

Joron

Joron makes his way over to the Binspo tables. The gamblers here are much more intent on the spinning of the wheel than on who is beside them, so if he wants to get to the table, he'll need to shoulder a place for himself.

Aadun

Since Aadun isn't very far from where he entered the casino, Kyra is quite prompt in attending him. "Sir? How can I be of assistance?" she asks pleasantly.

[Private to Aadun Ogden: OOC: You have moved 1 step down the condition track. It's persistent as well, so you'll need to rest to recover from it.]

Kaiten

The waitress considers Kaiten's request for a moment. Reluctantly, she answers, "Please wait here. I'll check and see if he would care to have additional company." She leaves Kaiten at the hostess station and walks to a booth on the far side of the dining area. She presses a button on the booth and after a moment, she apparently receives permission to step inside, because she does.

A minute or so later, she walks back out of the booth and over to Kaiten. "I'm sorry, sir, but the Admiral does not wish to see anyone right now."

[Private to Kaiten: OOC: Kaiten has plenty of time while the waitress is gone to perform a very thorough visual search and he sees no signs of Stormtroopers or extra security beyond what is already present in the casino.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:30, Wed 06 May 2009.

Kaiten chuckled at the waitress and replied, "Actually I am here on behalf of Master Jaeden regarding a matter most pressing and most confidential. If the admiral but knew of it he would welcome me inside the booth with open arms. But worry not, it is no fault of yours that he refuses to see anyone. Imperials are stuffy like that. Jaeden shall never know how you inadvertantly caused a delay in a matter of business." He finished meaningfully. "I shall talk to the good admiral myself." Nodding at her, he strode forth purposefully towards the booth the admiral was in, and pressed the button to open the door.

The hostess knows her clients well enough to know that if they don't want to be disturbed, she at least needs to make a token effort to enforce their wishes. As Kaiten walks, she keeps moving forward and putting herself in front of him. "Sir, please, no. Sir, you can't... Sir! Sir, stop!" Kaiten notices that she does not call security.

When he gets to the booth and presses the button, he finds that it does not, in fact, open the door, but only alerts the occupants that they have company and activates the intercom system. A commanding voice answers the alert, sounding quite annoyed, "What is it this time? I just told you I have no desire to see anyone!"

Kaiten scowled at the intercom, which had just thrown a wrench in his smoothly laid plans. For a moment he had a sudden urge to cut a hole in the door with his lightsaber, put the energy blade to the admiral's throat and ask him if he would be inclined to change his mind, but the madness passed quickly.

He turned to regard the waitress and waved a hand nonchalantly in front of her face. "You will tell the admiral that I am here on orders from Jaeden Kienaan." He said, leaning close so that only she could hear the words.

[Private to GM: ooc: Mind Trick on Waitress: 28]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:38, Wed 06 May 2009.

The hostess looks at Kaiten for a moment, and the turns to address the intercom. "He is here under orders from Master Kienaan."

"Dash it all! I'm busy! I don't care if he's here under orders from bloody Palpatine, himself!" the voice roars. Keynes's voice is loud enough that a couple of nearby patrons turn to look at the booth in surprise. Kaiten hears muffled giggling over the intercom, definitely of the feminine variety and then the intercom goes silent, the indicator light flashing off.

The hostess turns back to Kaiten, giving him an almost apologetic shrug, "I'm sorry, sir. It seems the Admiral is busy."

Kaiten nodded absently at the waitress, stroking his chin and considering his options. On one hand, it appeared the man didn't seem to really care much about Kienan, perhaps he simply enjoyed the use of the facilities. But on the other hand he did bad mouth the Emperor, something Kaiten wished he had manged to record on his comlink. And ofcourse there was the woman; women did strange things to a man's head. There was no telling what Keynes ultimate loylaites were, nor the extent of his dealings with Jaered. In other words, Kaiten was no better off than before.

He sighed, then walked over to a corner of the restaurant where he had his back to a wall and at the same time could view the entrance of the booth clearly. "Since I am here, I might as well have a Taste of Tapani myself." He said to the poor waitress with a smile. "Bring me todays special please as well as a cup of non-alcoholic Jawa Juice." Since there was little else for him to do, Kaiten decided to wait Keynes out. When the man left the booth Kaiten would either accost him immediately, fuddling his mind with the Force so that the man revealed all or follow him and try to see what he might be up to this night. Either way, Kaiten intended to have a bit of excitement before the day was done.

[Private to GM: ooc: Hope its ok to try to wait him out. There doesn't seem to be anything else for me to do at the moment. The arena intruiged me, but while Kaiten is very skilled at arms he wont go looking for a needless fight nor fight for credits. And gambling is not really his type of thing, though Qui-Gon did enjoy it so one can't say its against the Jedi Code. ;) ]

A waitress shows up and takes Kaiten's drink order and brings him food a few minutes later. The special today is Rockfish skewers, served with a spicy cream sauce for dipping. The patrons who were disturbed by Kaiten's outburst watch him warily for a few minutes, then go back to their conversation.

[Private to Kaiten: You are welcome to wait for him to exit the booth. ]

Kaiten nodded at the patrons as they glanced at him, trying to appear soothing while sipping his drink. When his food arrived he set into it with gusto, not having eaten the entire day. All the while however he kept an eye on the booth, ready to spring into action on a moments notice.

[Private to Joron Sarrus: As Joron is walking to the Binspo table, he feels a disturbance in the Force above him, at least several floors.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:31, Wed 06 May 2009.

Now was the moment of truth, the time when the spirit of lady luck would either bless of disgrace Joron and the pittance of credits he possessed. It was ironic, really, the way Kienaan's business was named after a card that once upon a time was used primarily for telling fortunes rather than making them. But would the Queen of Air and Darkness prove to be a blessing or a curse? For some, the game of binspo was all about numbers, probability and betting strategies but for Joron...it was all about raw chance and trusting his instincts.

But were his instincts enough to turn all his misfortune around?

Just then, as he moved to push through the crowd and find a place at the table, his body came to an abrupt stop. Above and beyond the voices and commotion around him, something caught his attention but what? As eyes drew upward, wisps of auburn tinted hair slid behind his ears and over his shoulders. It was a feeling, a nagging feeling, like a tug on a rug that sought to steal his senses away from the game. But was this feeling good or was it bad? And so, with chips in hand, his mind fermented at the quiet possibilities. Just what was up there or rather...who? [private to GM: I went ahead and rolled a new utf check for the sense force option if needed. 19:10, Today: Secret Roll: Joron Sarrus rolled 27 using 1d20+15.]
This message was last edited by the player at 19:17, Wed 06 May 2009.

Kaiten

While Kaiten's wait continues, the waitress brings him another virgin Jawa Juice. The two patrons who had looked strangely at him leave when they finish their meal, and a half dozen others leave and enter the restaurant over the next few minutes. Kaiten may be surprised to see that casino's upper floors are actually quite busy. He also has time to look around and really notice the security guards who patrol as well as the numerous 'eyes in the skies' placed strategically around the floor in his line of sight.

Joron

The Binspo pit boss calls an end to betting and then the wheel begins to turn. Joron can watch a game or two as he decides how he wants to bet. A couple of shady-looking characters near him eye his credit chips enviously, perhaps wondering if he's a potential mark.

[Private to Joron Sarrus: OOC: In the 100 km radius that he can sense, Joron picks up several Force Sensitives, which is perfectly reasonable considering how densely packed Nar Shaddaa really is. The most immediate Force Users, however, and the ones that drew his attention, seem to be several floors above him, and there are three that he can detect, all very near one another.]

Always dangerous was curiosity, for through its tangled webs, it possessed the power to enrapture and bind even the keenest minds or strongest bodies. Here, now, in Jaerad Kienaan's most esteemed casino, that sudden disturbance was like a swoop at full throttle. Who, what, why, those were but a few of the questions on Joron Sarrus' mind. Suspicion, suspicion offered him plenty of answers, plenty of reasons why but he had no way of knowing that they were true. He didn't see the look, didn't see the devious men that eyed the chips in his hand; his eyes were still aimed upward.

Part of him wished to investigate, to find and discern but the other half wished to relax and gamble until his services were needed. Then there was his own bait he needed to weave. Raising his left hand to the air, the decadent youth took a long sip of the chilled water. But the freezing water wasn't enough to numb his senses. It was only then that he truly wished that he had ordered something numbing. Frowning, Joron finally returned his gaze to the table and waited for the next round of bets to be taken.

"Two hundred on black," he said, nodding once to the dealer and then placing two hundred credit chips onto the table below. It was a relatively small bet, a means in which to work more money from his benevolent employer. And right now... he was uncertain if his gut had told him black or if that was the wrong decision. [private to GM: Not using utf to cheat, Joron is merely betting as any man would. Given the nature of the game and the bet placed, feel free to random 1d2 with red being 1 and black being 2 or however you see fit.]

Joron
Joron's initial bet on black proves unfortunate. After the ball takes its spin, it lands on Red. One of the other humans at the table, though, shouts with joy as he wins not just with the right color, but also the number and rakes in a thousand credits on a small bet.
[Private to Joron Sarrus: If you wish to do this gambling for any length of time, it would be appropriate to roll a d20 and use the table in the Saga book as a guide. Each roll would be an evening of gambling at pure random chance.]


Kaiten

While there is still no indication that the Admiral is finished, a hutt exits a booth near the Admiral's and slithers towards the entrance of the restaurant. The serving staff is extremely obsequious to him, with all of those nearby making an effort to wish him a pleasant day.

[Private to Kaiten: While Kaiten is waiting, he sees a pink skinned woman peak out of a private booth not far from the Admiral's. The woman looks directly at him for a moment, and then quickly ducks back into the booth. It is the same booth the Hutt exits a few minutes later.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:20, Wed 06 May 2009.

Luck, luck was supposed to be one of Joron's skills but, as with his lot in life, fate had other plans in store for him. His initial bet had been a flop and more than a quaint surprise. His lips pursed in mild displeasure as a look of boredom crossed his face. The man that cheered in victory earned his ire, however, he did not make that fact known. He looked toward the gentleman and smiled. Yes, it paid to be so very lucky. Were circumstances different, their roles would have, should have, been reversed. With a tap of consideration to the edge of the table, Joron mulled over yet another bet then made the same bet as he had previously. Perhaps things would turn out differently? [private to GM: I rolled a d20 for gambling. Got a ten (23:18, Today: Joron Sarrus rolled 10 using 1d20.). So this means, unless he somehow underhandedly regains coin, he has lost his entire stake.]

A few minutes after the hutt emerged from the booth, a pink-skinned woman emerged from it. She appeared to be dressed in a blue evening gown, and had no visible weapons on her person. The way she carried herself, she did not seem like the normal hostesses in the casino.

She stretched a little, as her eyes scanned the crowd, taking in the different emotions from all those gathered.

"Hey, I was wondering...  You mentioned Seven Card Comet earlier, which sounded kind of fun.  Where can I play it?" he asks and begins to ignore the strange feeling that was creeping up on him.

[Private to GM: Alrighty, I'll be sure to factor in the -1 on all rolls, :)  Oh, and I went ahead and changed over, like 200 credits towards gambling, so I wanted to be sure that I kept track of that.]

Aadun

"Seven Card Comet is on the fifth floor. Would you like me to show you, sir?" she asks him. "I must admit, I am impressed that you're still standing. The Antakarian Fire Dancer is an extremely potent drink, even if you don't take into account the fact that you drank the whole thing like that without allowing the other substances to react with the liquor and dilute." She sniffs the air delicately, "And I'd say you've even managed to keep it all down! You must have a stomach like a Hutt."

[Private to Aadun Ogden: Once you get up there, you can gamble for a while, if you like. Roll a d20 for me when you're ready to make your gamble check to represent the evening.]

[Private to Joron Sarrus: It is entirely your call as to whether you feel up to cheating. Besides, the d20 roll is for an entire evening of gambling. You could win and lose quite a bit during that time, but you'll just come out 200 credits down.]

A stunning, flame-haired human woman makes her way to the table where Joron is currently gambling. Male humanoids in the casino turn to look and step out of her way as she walks over to him. The gambling at the table completely stops when it is clear that it is her destination. The human pit boss gulps visibly and stammers a greeting when she acknowledges him. "Hello, ma'am. Can I help you?"

[Private to Joron Sarrus: Joron recognizes the woman on the divan from Kienaan's office.]
She shakes her head, a husky laugh bubbling out of her throat. "No, I think not. I need to speak to this gentleman for just a moment," she says, placing a hand on Joron's shoulder.

She leans in, placing her lips almost against his ear. Joron sees other humanoids at the table gulping, glaring at him jealously, and even adjusting their shirt collars. [Private to Joron Sarrus: "Jaerad would like to know if you would recognize the men who stole your ship and attempted to kill you," she whispers in his ear.]

The noise level being what it was, Aadun leaned in closer and closer to Kyra while she was talking to him and by the time she was done, it was slightly uncomfortable.  He didn't really notice, however and seemed perfectly content right where he was.  When she mentioned the potency of the Antakarian Fire Dancer, he gave a disbeliving look.

'It couldn't of been that bad,' he thinks to himself before giving a wave with his hand.  "Oh, no I drink just fine," he says and gives her the best reassuring smile that he could, though had he seen a mirror, he'd of realized it was more scary than reassuring.  "Please, show away.  I...  don't really know my way around."

Kyra leads him to the nearest turbolift and presses the button for the fifth floor. [Private to Aadun Ogden: Out of the glass doors, Aadun sees a cascade of fiery red hair on the third floor that he's sure he recognizes from somewhere.]

"You really don't look so good. You aren't feeling dizzy because of the turbolift, are you?" she asks, concerned.

Once they make it the fifth floor, she shows him to a table, introducing him to the dealer, a bothan by the name of Nek, and then fetches him some water and some finger foods, just in case he needs something on his stomach.

Kala closed her eyes, and let the emotions of the surrounding people flow about her, like the seas surrounding a boat in an ocean. Sometimes, all of that was hard to keep from affecting her, but sometimes she let it get to her, to experience a little of what everyone else was.

She could feel some despiration of someone who was about to lose the last of his credits, or feel the joy, and perhaps a little of the greed of someone who hit a big score. She could feel people working on losing their wits to alcohol, and also those who wished to do others harm. All of these things were hers to sense, and the darker emotions whispered to her, urging her to follow them to power quickly.

She opened her eyes, and shook her head. Those emotions never lead to anything good. So, she wandered around the different tables, looking for something that looked interesting to her.

'Now, where have I seen that before?' he thinks to himself, but finds that nothing was coming to mind quickly.  Part of him wanted to tell Kyra nevermind and take him to the third floor, but he was already here and another ride on the lift wasn't something he wanted right then, but not wanting to show any weakness in front of the pretty hostess she says, "Thanks for the concern but I can handle it."

"Alright!" he exclaims, excited to finally be getting somewhere and he begins to lay his chips onto the table.  He greets all of his fellow players as they join the table and begins to concentrate on his hands.

[Private to GM: I rolled my D20 and got: You rolled 13 using 1d20 ((13)).]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:44, Thu 07 May 2009.

Kala finds that the patrons on the sixth floor are very intent upon their gambling and the competition is so intense at times, it is almost painful. They're a little too serious for her. Making her way down to the fifth floor, she finds several interesting and friendly games going on, where it is much more fun and relaxing for her to watch.

At one, a bothan dealer is managing a table of four, playing Seven Card Comet. There are two humans, a Zabrak, and a twi'lek. The Zabrak is obviously having a good time, he's very drunk, and he's still holding his own.

Aadun notices a pink-skinned humanoid woman as she walked by the table, checking it out. She is very pretty and something about her draws the attention of everyone at the table for a moment.