Tough Luck and Good Fortune

[Bull]

"Bust!"

Bull rubbed his eye in frustration. 10 games of pazaak, and not a single win. 1000 heard-earned credits down the drain, and it was finally time for the hulking Herglic to drag himself from the table. With a resigned frown, he cast his cards onto the table and pushed himself up from the twobseats he had taken up; which surprisingly, had not broken during his game.

As he turned from the table, his gaze was met by a pale-skinned human, accompanied by a large Trandoshan and a considerably smaller Bothan.

"Win your losses back, big guy?"

Bull frowned again. Although he towered over the trio, and was possibly twice the width of the Trandoshan, his size wasn't something he prided himself on. He wasn't a violent creature. In fact, far from it. His limited years on Coruscant had taught him the value of patience and peace, right up until Order 66.

"Not today, thank you" Bull replied to the human, making a move to pass the trio. His voice was deep, but smooth and easy on the ear.

The Trandoshan planted a firm palm on Bull's immense chest.

"It would not be in your best interests to refuse" the human snarled, his voice quiet enough for the attendents not to hear.

Bull exhaled heavily through his blowhole, making a noise akin to a sigh. He didn't want trouble, and so with a simple nod, and let the trio lead on, to a quieter corner of the establishment.

[Kallum Romanoch]

In the corner there was a circular booth occupied by a young man flanked by a pair of scantily clad Twi'lek girls. He was leaning back comfortably while fingertips danced across his chest and thighs, his arms stretched across the back of the leather seat and his boots were propped up on the table before him. He whispered and the girls giggled in the warm crimson glow then when his eyes caught a motley crew of aliens, one of whom a gargantuan species he'd never before seen, he saw the girls off with a slap to their bare butt cheeks.

"Okay, boys, wharrav yeh got feh me?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his head.

[Bull]

"Too much spending, too little income" the human replied, giving the Herglic a filthy look. "Lost control of his little addiction and we're the ones paying fo-."

"I assure you" Bull interupted, looking down at the youth. "I have every intention of paying my way. There's really no need for all this."

The Herglic spoke calmly, his eyes wide and honest, pulling his vest a little looser from his right shoulder.

[Kallum Romanoch]

"No need fer wha', big fella?"

Kallum gave his associates a glance which was, all at once, filled with incredulous innocence and wicked amusement. He cracked his knuckles, his eyes twinkled as he assessed the creature from head to foot. Then he gestured to a seat.

"Why don'tcha pull up a chair or three an' tell me all abour-it! An' let's get de formalities out de way, I'm Kallum, yer only friend 'ere, so yeh best be honest wit me, gorrit?"

[Bull]

Bull hesitated for but a moment, before conceding that if he had a chance with making an ally out of anyone, it would be this one called Kallum. Pulling back two of the chairs before him, he took an uncomfortable seat, feeling the stares of the trio burning into the back of his skull.

"Bull" he replied with a nod, folding his thick arms into his lap. "I owe these gentlemen a few credits. It is nothing of much significance. I was trying to win back the amount in this establishment, but alas, luck was not on my side" he explained, wiggling slightly to try and gain more comfort from his seats.

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Well, dat's why de call 'er Lady Luck, buddy. Only a lady would sucker yeh in wit 'er charms den cross 'er legs at de moment o' truth. Yeh know wha' I mean? We don' entertain no ladies round 'ere, ey boys?"

The men's laughter engulfed the quiet little corner of the room while the rest of the punters went about their gambling undisturbed. Kallum occupied himself by carelessly flicking a credit chit high over his head before snatching it out of the air, he did this over and over, chunky jewellery jingling on his wrist.

"So... 'ow much?"

[Bull]

It finally clicked in Bull's brain - that these men were all connected. This wasn't the trio trying to pull in some guy about their loan. The money belonged to their superiors...to this boy. The Herglic's heart jumped, and he stood quickly, accidently knocking the table over in the process.

With a backhanded swipe, he knocked the Bothan aside to clear a path and made a run for it, thudding across the hall at a surprising speed. He cleared the main floor, pushing his shoulder into a doorway to knock it open and head outside, rapid footsteps and shouting closing in quickly behind him.

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Oh, look at dat big boy run!" Kallum laughed, rising out of his seat.

The Bothan scrambled to his feet and joined his human and Trandoshan counterparts in chasing down the enormous escapee. Meanwhile, Kallum slipped out of the side exit reserved for staff and lifted his blaster pistol out of its holster. He examined it curiously for a moment, changed the setting to stun, then aimed it steadily down the length of the narrow alley in which he stood, waiting, as the sound of thundering footsteps approached.

[Bull]

As the panicked Herglic erupted outside, he looked around frantically, trying to spot out some escape route. Deciding to go right, he had left it too long, feeling the human leap onto his back, shouting loudly for his followers to help him out.

With a grunt, Bull set off on another charge, which came to an abrupt stop as he rounded a corner and spied Kallum at the end of the alley, his gun raised. He turned to go back - the human still clinging to him - but was met by the Trandoshan, who tackled the Herglic hard, knocking him back against the wall. The human cried out, pulling himself over Bull's head and back to reform the trio, before advancing menacingly.

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Go fer de knees! De knees! No, no, stick yer fingers in 'is blow hole! Ha ha!"

Kallum smirked, his head bobbing and weaving as he approached, trying to catch all angles of the violence. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek and he could practically feel himself tingling with anticipation. He closed in and ducked suddenly as one of Bull's massive limbs swiped at the group at large, it caught the Rodian who squealed as he was sent crashing into the wall opposite. He was too strong, he decided, and he raised his weapon, inches away from the hulking alien.

"Say 'cheese', wide load!"

He squeezed the trigger and loosed one shot straight into his chest.

[Bull]

Bull yelped, feeling instantly drowsy. He slumped backwards, barely managing to raise his arms to the attack.

"Please...stop..."

He bled from a few rough cuts, closing his eyes in defeat and covering his face. The thugs were merciless, laying it in thick to prove their point.

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Enough o' yer cryin'!" Kallum barked, cracking his pistol across the side of Bull's head.

"Back off, fellas. I've got dis..."

The heavy packing sounds of clenched fists on thick skin came to an end. They stepped away from their victim, panting, and Kallum stood before him. He gazed at him with curiosity, and ran his free hand slowly over the smooth contours of his head. His palm was now slick with blood. He grinned.

"Now we're gonna do dis my way, fishbait," he said in a dangerous undertone, "We're gonna take back wha' yeh owe us one way or anudder..."

There was a click and a brief gleam of pale light. Into Bull's unprotected side, Kallum buried the blade of a flick knife. The alien lurched and he surged forward, forcing their bodies together. He turned the knife and sucked heavy breaths through his clenched teeth, basking in the pain he inflicted; he wanted to feel it in his twitches, he wanted smell it on his breath, he wanted to taste it in his blood. His mouth pressed to Bull's ear and he whispered.

"A pound or two o' caviar an' we're square, alright?"

He turned the knife again.

[Kanji]

Kanji was just minding his own business, as much business as it could be getting from the freshest (that in itself being days old) hydro-garden market to his starship in the most round-about fashion possible. He couldn’t help himself; he rather enjoyed the sights of the floating cities and did his best to take the most scenic route possible. Today’s adventure, if you could call it that, took him through the gambling district.
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The tall reptilian creature shuffled along at his own gait, his serpentine head smoothly twisting to the left or to the right to peer into windows or have a look at a flashing sign, and this random ‘window shopping’ as it were caused him to peer off across the platforms at a very odd little scene. A large creature bursting out of a casino and rushing away as if his coat trails were on fire!
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Kanji cocked his head to the side a moment, stepping closer to the balcony that guarded the stray passerby from quite a fall and leaned slightly forward to get a better look at the commotion over there. Apparently two others had chased the bigger one out of the casino, then down an alley…
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Kanji frowned!
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Setting his parcel down to the side the railing, he drew a long-digit hand across his shoulders and pulled away his cloak; revealing his all too cramped wingspan before the dragon kind pushed off the railing. With a few easy flaps of those membranous wings, he glided across the short gap and settled with a light step upon the opposite side – just soon enough to see a third being pull a blaster pistol, and fire it much to Kanji’s shock, then pull a knife on the bigger creature!
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The covert Padawan issued brief and low growl before he began forward toward the group, his gait shifting from a compact hunch and prowl to a fully erect pace.
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“What’ssss going on here?” He spoke, his yellow eyes turning down upon the startled henchmen briefly, then up to the two against the wall. The smaller human was pressed too close to the larger creature for Kanji to notice the blade, but there was this scent on the foul air that Kanji couldn’t quite place…

[Kallum Romanoch]

The low rumble of the stranger's voice forced Kallum to tear his gaze away from Bull to ensure that it wasn't local law enforcement. He snorted with annoyance, another huge alien, and measured him from head to toe with a scowl of disgust.

"Nottin' dat concerns you so frack off!"

He returned his attention to Bull, and barked out to his trio of brutes:

"If dat thing takes anudder step closer, rip it apart!"

[Kanji]

Kanji snorted as he was told off so rudely, and then the following command to the trio before him caused him to glower.

"Thing?!" He growled softly, his lips curling downward in disgust at the insult. Being called a lizard was one straw, but a /thing/ broke the bantha's back! He turned his yellow eyes down at the three before him and considered his options. As the thug pinning the creature to the wall had turned, Kanji caught a glimpse of metal and that alone fortified his desire to break up this little spat.

Speaking directly to the three in front of him, Kanji slid a sneer across his elongated muzzle and flashed teeth a moment. "I ssssuggessst you three... leave, unlesssss you really think you can rip me apart before I do unto you the very ssssame ..." He taunted with a dangerous growl, a long hand reaching into the folds of the opposite sleeve carefully, drawing out a slender metallic object slowly into view. He kept his hand tilted just slightly so the three brutes could really take notice at what the large beast was drawing out - a hilt. A hilt to a lightsaber. Kanji had no intention of using it unless he had to - the thought of bringing such a symbol out into the open air where it could cause him a great deal more trouble that four little ruffians, but if it worked for a bluff; then so be it.

"You have a choice.. Make it," He took a brief glance to Kallum, "You too, shorty."

[Kallum Romanoch]

"Oh no, boys, he's gorra crapped-out old 'ydrospanner. Watch 'e doesn't tighten' yer nuts!"

Kallum sneered with amusement, dismissing the alien's taunts as hot air, and watched as his men closed in on the hulking beast. The trandoshan looked the most confident and ran at the interfering do-gooder with every intention of tackling him to the ground so his buddies could pummel him. Kallum returned his attention to Bull, who was still leaning limp against the wall, and patted his cheek with the barrel of his blaster.

"An' don'tchoo worry, lardy, Cap'n Ahab 'asn't finished wit' yeh yet!"

[Kanji]

Kanji's eyes narrowed at the comment that blew off his threat, and regretted inwardly that he didn't make it a bit more believable. As the trandoshan rushed, Kanji took a half-step backwards and tensed his muscles - the talon holding the hilt of the lightsaber swiftly flashing out from the cover of his sleeve and catching the transoshan cleanly across the jaw with the back of Kanji's large hand and delivering a strong blow. Kanji didn't pull his attack, and gave a swift word to the Force in hopes he had just knocked the fool unconscious and not shattered his jaw.

He turned his sharp eyes toward the other two advancing thugs who had paused briefly as the trandoshan went down to the ground. Kanji kept is crouched ready stance and took a step closer to the two with the hand holding the lightsaber off to his side - the thumb pressed against the activator switch.

"Lasssst warning.." He growled, and seeing the two thugs were still scoffing his threat, the reptilian beast spread his right wing open and lifted the right arm with the lightsaber into it's shadow. His left arm and wing tucked close to his body, not needing that side to cover the activation of the weapon. It came to life with a sharp sizzle.

"Run.. now, or sssso help me I will be forced to ssssend you to your Godsss.." He growled louder and advanced upon the group quickly, wanting to get this over with before the lightsaber became the center of attention. If the group did flee, then Kanji would need to be swift to leave this area as well - perhaps even this planetoid - before word got out.

[Kallum Romanoch]

When the blade of light sprung out of the alien's closed talon, the thugs froze and made very obvious whimpering sounds. Kallum looked up to see his men slowly retreating, his eyes narrowed at the stark glare of the alien's weapon. Then there were heavy footsteps and he turned in time to see his cowardly associates disappear out of the alley. The alien growledl and he whirled around. He was close and loomed over him holding his laser sword at the ready.

"Arright, yeh overgrown gecko, tell me... are yeh a gamblin' man?"

There was a soft click, Kallum raised his blaster pistol to Bull's head and pushed it forcefully between his eyes. His fixed gaze burned with defiance and he stood unflinching, wearing a face set with ruthless confidence. His finger closed on the trigger.

"I enjoy a good bet, lemme tell yeh, so 'ow abour dis? Yeh leave, 'ee lives. Yeh take one step closer an' I smear de wall wirr'is frackin' brains! 'ow d'yeh like dem stakes? Hm!?"

[Kanji]

Kanji growled once more, the hand clutching the lightsaber tightened it's grip as Kallum delivered the stakes of his little "game". His eyes flickered from the thug, to the gun, to Bull before coming back to rest their fiery intensity upon Kallum. He probably could move quick enough to sever the weapon-wielding arm, or push the punk aside and save the alien with hopefully a non-lethal score. Kanji let out a deep breath through his open snout as he weighed the options in his mind. He could safely do nothing to prevent the large alien from getting harmed if he had taken action, and being as Kanji honored life he was certainly in a tough call.

His thumb flicked across the 'sabers activation level and the glowing blade vanished with a sizzle and he spoke as he concealed the hilt into the folds of his sleeve and presented two bare, outstretched palms to the gambler. "Thossse ssstakesss are high," He rumbled with a mild tone and considered a moment, then took a shot - "I sssshall not leave while you intend harm on thisss perssson, however. Ssshall we ssssettle thisss asss men?"