It was supposed to be a simple casino heist...

[Xavier Synik]

Frack, frack, frack.....

Xavier dived back down under the cover of the sabbac tables they were hiding behind just in time for a volley of blaster bolts to fly by where his head had been a few milliseconds before.

Looking over at Emilie he gave her a slightly crooked smirk.

"They're still there..." He said dryly.

She didn't say anything back, but if looks could maim...

For what seemed like the hundredth time in an hour he checked the blaster in his hand. And for the 99th time, he found that the power cell had not miraculously recharged itself. He still had about 50% of a charge, but that wasn't going to do much good in the long run.

No, half a charge wasn't going to get them walking out the door any time soon. Mind you anything less than a platoon of bucketheads probably wouldn't get them out anytime soon.

So much for a "simple" casino heist. Simple in and out, planned with a high level of detail and enough men to get it done. of course how was he supposed to know that they were funneling all their dirty credits through the casino.

Again he looked over at Emelie. So much for her birthday present...

[Emelie Shadowstar]

Well wasn't this just a lovely piece of gos-se? She would laugh if the fact the two of them were right and properly screwed wasn't so evident. Months of planning gone to hell in a single moment. Right, okay, so maybe it wasn't a single moment, but Emelie was sure that if they made it out of this alive that she would be able to nail one down and point at it on a board somewhere and glare at it.

But for now...

Emelie looked back over at Xavier, trying not to focus on the blaster bolts whizzing overhead, trying not to think about how the probability of any of them being set to stun was a big fat zero.

Her set of Westar blasters were in the same pitiful state that Xavier had found his in. Possibly worse. But at least she had two, right? Two blasters, a mind full of angry regrets, a broken heel, torn stockings and nothing left to lose. Well...except the man next to her, but she wasn't about to admit that to anyone given the circumstances.

"So, Fearless Leader, what now?"

[Xavier Synik]

"I think we should sit tight for the time being." He tried to sound confident in his statement. But seeings how they had been "sitting tight" for the past four hours while the goons on the other side of the room took pot shots at them, it was hard to sound totally confident with the plan.

In reality he just wasn't sure what else to do for the moment. Looking around he surveyed the area hoping that an idea would pop into his head suddenly and solve the current problem. As his eyes moved around they fell upon his discarded suit jacket that he had tossed aside several hours ago.

The dark charcoal pinstripe suit had a large blaster burn on the upper left arm where he had been grazed by one of the first shots fired in their direction.

As his eyes lingered on the suit he sighed.

So much for that one. Too bad... His thought was met with a slight chuckle that made Emilie look over at him with one of those "This is not the time to be laughing" looks that women gave men when they were less than impressed.

"Just thinking about the day I got this suit."




***Six Months Earlier***


"Sir, please stand still." The tailor barked at him.

As much as Xavier enjoyed a fine suit, he hated getting them fitted. And as always, pinstripes were the worst, the stripes had to be perfectly in line, and so care always had to be taken when doing the pinning to make sure they would be after the seamstress was finished with the suit.

"Are we almost finished?" He asked the tailor, while looking at Em's reflection in the mirror he was standing in front of. He was quite ready to get down from the little platform in front of the mirrors. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" This time the question was posed at Emilie.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

"Enjoying? Now why would you think I would enjoy watching you get tortured by some..." The tailor looked up at her, his eyes giving a warning that Emelie ignored freely, "Overpaid fashionista."

With a smirk she toasted the tailor with the half full glass of wine in her hand and made the chair she was sitting in swivel from side to side slowly. She was gifted with a glare before the man returned to his work, a bit dissapointed she hadn't made him grumble something that she would have to ask Xavier about later.

"It could be worse though. I could have invited Serrena to get a second opinion. Or any one of my cousins..." The grin she gave Xavier was downright evil. But he deserved it. If for no other reason than he should have known better to bring her along.

"It's worth it though, let me tell you." She paused to take a drink from the glass in her hand. "I think this might become a new favorite of mine."

[Xavier Synik]

The tailor wasn't the only one grumbling under his breath. Xavier could only roll his eyes though, and hope that the tailor didn't decide to take his displeasure out on him with one of his needles.

He was glad that she hadn't brought anyone else along with them, though that might be more due to the fact that they were supposed to be going out for dinner at some point later in that evening.

"Well if you like it make sure to get the name and vintage and add it to your list."

He'd long ago decided to make her add a "wine" list to her personal datapad that she could update. Too many "Hey do you remember the name of that wine..." situations in the past had encouraged that decision.

"And it's only worth it because you found a new favourite wine." He smirked and gave her a wink in the mirror. He knew what she was getting at, but he felt like taking a playful joust at her anyway.

"Finished sir." The words he had been waiting to hear from the moment he put on the suit 30 minutes ago.

10 minutes later, Xavier was changed, into a suit that was thankfully already tailored, and he was handing the suit back to the tailor.

"I'll have someone come by and pick this up at the end of next week, there's no rush." The tailor nodded and Xavier turned where Emilie was still sitting, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Are you ready to go, or did you order another glass?"

[Emelie Shadowstar]

"Another glass? Dear, I've gone and ordered a case. To be delivered, of course. Having it now would just be silly." She was playing... mostly. Emelie couldn't resist the opportunity to add to her collection of bottles so she had ordered a few, but a few did not make for an entire case... most of the time.

Still, play time, at least this play time, was over. She placed the empty glass on the small side table next to her and rose to her feet. It didn't take Emelie long to work her way over to Xavier's side and interlock one of her arms around one of his. She grinned up at him, still fully playing the mischievous card.

"So, you going to tell me where we are going tonight or do I have to keep guessing?"

[Xavier Synik]

"Only a case?" He said playing along. "Did you leave your credit chip back on the station? And as for where we are going... Just some Bantha burger place around the corner." Xavier deadpanned.

Which was funny to him both for the reason that he would likely never actually take her to eat at some fast food joint, and that one would actually exist in an area of town like this.

A light swat of his bicep told him that she got the joke, and to move on.

"Fine, if the lady is not satisfied with the finest Bantha burger in four systems, then we'll just have to go to this lowly restaurant that some Jawa suggested to me."

The lowly Jawa was actually one of Xavier's business associates, and the lowly restaurant was one of the best restaurants in the city, perhaps the planet. Or at least that's what he was told. Though the wine list that he had asked the manager to send him upon making the reservation had indicated that if nothing else, their Sommelier was top notch.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

"Some Jawa, huh?" The smirk refused to leave her lips as she mulled the thought over and finally decided on letting Xavier keep his secrets. "Well, if you can't trust them who can you trust?"


***Present***


She was going to blame Xi's contact for this. That was for certain. He had assured them time and time again in the planning stages that everything was going to go smoothly. That this was an easy hit. That he had supplied them with everything they'd need.

Emelie pictured the little Jawa as one of the men she returned fire at. Her aim was true but she knew damn well that it was a waste. It didn't stop it from feeling good, though. As she returned to their cover she cast a small smile over at Xavier again.

"Well, that's one down. Don't think dad was a Corellian or anything so I'm pretty sure the odds are still pretty fraked against us."

As if in retaliation for the loss of one of their own the group...Emelie had no idea just how many there were... returned fire, causing bolts to smash against the sabbac tables. She couldn't help but cringe as bits and pieces around the edges were removed. It would take some time but eventually they could literally find their cover shrinking. And sadly time was what they had in plenty and what she and Xavier had in short damn supply.

"I am getting too old for this dren."

It was true, when she was younger she had run around with bounty hunters and smugglers taking little care for her own well-being. But nowadays she spent most of her time drinking and lounging about on the station. Former allies would say she was going soft.

"We gotta do something, Xi." Emelie paused long enough to check her blasters again and push a strand of hair out of her face. "I aint dying in this damn casino. Not like this."

[Xavier Synik]

"You're not old... And you aren't dying here, and neither am I." It was only a half lie. While he wasn't sure that they would be able to get away, he was pretty sure that if the goons finally got a hold of them that they would not be killed in the casino.... No it would probably be some dirty warehouse someplace.

He shook his head, he didn't want to think about that right now. Right now he had to think about something other how he was going to die or not die on this cursed rock.

His eyes went back to scanning around the area of the room that he could see from where he was sitting with his back against the Sabbac table. There has to be a way out of here... Xi thought to himself. Just have to find it. There's always a way out.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

***Three months ago***


Emelie stood in front of the holo projection of the casino's blue prints. Every possible entrance and exit that was known, and even some that weren't, was highlighted. Her arms were folded as she stared at the thing as if it were a damn rubix cube.

"I don't like it. Everything's too spaced out." She pointed a finger accusingly at the main gaming hall. "It's like they intentionally trap people here."

She looked over at Xavier and shrugged a shoulder. "Genius really. The harder you make it for people to get out, the more likely it is they will just stay and spend their credits, I guess."

Her attention turned back to the layout. "Frak, though. If I didn't know what I was looking at, I'd say this was some sort of fort or bunker or...something. I'm never going to be able to go to a casino again without feeling like I'm just being hearded in."

Emelie brought a hand up and rubbed two fingers against her right temple. "I'm gonna need a drink."

[Xavier Synik]

"We can have a drink later. Need to figure this out first."

Xavier rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"Maybe we're looking at this wrong. If we are going to be here. In the bar," he pointed to a far corner of the casino, "with the wireless transmitter so that we can hack their system and move the funds, then what's the farthest exit?"

He looked up and got a quizzical look from Em.

"Okay if you were head of security and you just got notified that someone was in your system what would you do first? Lock all the exits down and start screening guests as they try and leave right? And the first place most thick headed guards look is the easiest way out. So let's go to the place where they aren't going to look."

He looked at the map.

"Okay here, through the Sabbac then past the slot machines. It's perfect, if we time it right it'll look like we're coming out of playing Sabbac and not from over in the bar where we'll have to be for the transmitter to do it's job."

he looked up and could see the skepticism in her eyes.

"Okay... You're right, still won't be that easy. Okay then let's bring in some other players. Give security something else to think about but us."

[Emelie Shadowstar]

"Patsies?"

Not that Emelie was above using them, hell, she was sure somewhere out in the galaxy were quite a few people who cursed her name every night before going to sleep... but well, her list of throwaways had grown shorter and shorter. It probably was a maturity thing. Or that troublesome part where she seemed to have gained more friends than expendable lackeys.

"Not sure any of the crew would be down for that sort of thing no matter the paycheck. People have gotten all uppity about their own well being it seems."

She smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"Not that I couldn't ask them anyway, it just depends on how many people you want to cut in. You know... on top of their usual pay."

[Xavier Synik]

Xi chuckled. For whatever reason the thought of her crew taking anything but the paycheck into mind was comical.

"No I was thinking about some local thugs. And not a big part of the greater plan, just something, or a few somethings to distract the security forces."

He stared at the holo-image intently as the wheels turned in his mind.

"Though maybe we use a few of your crew to do the hiring. That way it doesn't tie directly back to us. We give them a little bonus, though no cut of the the big prize."



***Present***

It was somewhat amazing to Xavier that that part of the plan had actually failed so epically. Apparently he hadn't given the security chief at the casino enough credit. In his mind the five distractions they had set up at different locations in the casino were intended to keep security focused elsewhere. In reality it seemed that the security chief had seen them as out of the ordinary and ordered his men to keep an even closer eye on their systems.

Either that, or they got really lucky and some rookie security tech just happened to look at the right screen at the right time. But in Xi's mind, luck was too much of a coincidence. It was far more likely that security was watching for something to happen, and were ready to pounce when they found it.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

The problem with hired help was that inevitably, eventually, someone with a bigger bank account would come along and offer a bigger paycheck and then you ended up with a bigger backache from where you had to pull the dagger out. It was the main reason that Emelie went out of her way to make sure her employees were really just that on paper. In truth they were allies, colleagues, friends. Sure they'd still sell you out if the price was right but odds were they'd show up and ask if you could meet or beat the offer before they did the deed.

She knew she should have asked at least one of her crew if they had been interested. But that had brought about all the what-ifs of things that went wrong. It was fine if one of the goons got caught in the mess. No harm no foul. But if it was one of her people... well that would just open another can of worm and Emelie didn't want to have to try and plan a rescue op on top of the casino heist.

Of course... who the frak was going to come rescue them now? Aint that about a bitch?

Emelie checked her blaster again and looked over her shoulder. Sure all she got was an eyeful of their hiding place but it was more a figurative thing anyway.

"We gotta figure out which of those pieces of dren is in charge. Not...like... biggie who fraked us - in charge. Just, whoever is calling the shots right now. We take him out, we might just rattle his cronies enough to get them to stop shooting long enough to either bail out or end them as well." She looked back to Xavier, her expression pained and filled with forced hopefulness. "Unless the badass merc I fell for has a better plan?"

[Xavier Synik]

"I'm working on it..."

A couple of blaster bolts sailed a few feet over his head, while another couple impacted the makeshift barricade they were behind.

Something else was bothering him about this situation. There was no communication. Not idle chit-chat, but no "if you give up, we'll let you live" bullshit that usually came from the guys holding all the cards. Especially since as far as he knew, all the money they had transferred out was still in their accounts.

Or was it? He couldn't check at the moment, but if they still had all those credits, then why were these guys not trying to get their money back?

Something just didn't quite make sense. Xavier was getting that feeling in the back of his mind that something else was going on that didn't make a lot of sense, or that someone was about to jump out and yell "surprise", though in this case he really doubted that was about to happen.

"Em, does something feel off to you? I mean other then the fact that we're being shot at?"

[Emelie Shadowstar]

She glanced at him and tried to put on her best smile.

"Now what ever do you mean?"

Ok so... she really didn't have a clue. Something was wrong about the whole situation... but it certainly couldn't have anything to do with the fact she was adamant about this particular casino as opposed to a few others that had been brought up that would have been easier to pull off. Sure there was the thrill of overcoming the odds... But neither one of them were Corellian. No, it had been a personal agenda that she just hadn't wanted to really let Xi on to.

Her shoulders slumped and she glanced back down at her blasters.

"Now that you mention it... we're down right outgunned, horribly outnumbered, and if I'm not mistaken - totally screwed. So why haven't they just dropped the axe yet?"

She had her theories about that. They were forming slowly under the pressure of the situation but still there.

"They want something. Well, at least the one behind the scenes does."

[Kyran O'Hurn]

wrong character... Need to delete

[Xavier Synik]

**Four Months Prior**

“I don’t understand why you are so against these other two casinos?” Xi let out a deep sigh signaling his slight frustration.

“The layout in this one is much better for an easy escape.” He said picking up and tossing the datapad with the blueprints of one of the casinos on it onto the large table in front of him. “And this one,” he started as he picked up another pad, “if they’ve updated their security system in the past 3 years I haven’t found evidence of it. A 4 year old could hack this.”

He put the second pad back down on the large wood table. The large table in the dining room of their vineyard villa on Lynaria to be exact. It had been weeks since they had really started to look at the idea of looking for some more ‘capital’, but Xavier had decided that they should take the discussion out of the Silenus Corp offices. He wasn’t really worried about anyone spying on it or anything like that, but he didn’t want to mix personal business with professional business; at least not unless it was really needed.

The one benefit of taking the discussions to Lynaria was that there was almost always an open bottle of wine around. Taking another deep breath, Xi paused to take a long sip of the red that was currently occupying his glass. Putting it down he glass he looked at all of the datapads scattered over the table.

“Okay, if those two are out, where does that leave us?”



**Present**

“Where does it leave us? It leaves us in a frakking casino built like a fort… Leaves us getting shot at, that’s where…” he thought to himself.

Why he hadn’t listened to his gut when she had made that comment in the first place he’ll never really know.

Suddenly he thought of something and looked over at Em.

“You didn’t happen to bring the pad with the casino layouts on it did you?”

[Emelie Shadowstar]

"Darling, you should know me better." Okay so the cheeky smile she offered was a bit over-the-top given the situation. Probably just about as bad as her lifting the edge of her dress to mid-thigh to snag the datapad she had strapped to her leg. "Would I ever leave such a thing at home?"

Her smile faded slightly as she held it out to him. The act was fun and all, but even Emelie had to admit this wasn't really the best time.

"Think it'll give us insight on what they're planning? Of course, I'll settle for a way out of here as well."

[Xavier Synik]

"What they're planning? No, I don't think this pad will be able to.... Frack!"

His mind had been moving faster than his mouth and realized something before he had finished his sentence. He didn't know how he could have missed something so obvious.

At least it should have been obvious for an ex-soldier like himself. There was only two reasons why you held your enemy in a static position for an extended period of time. Either you were waiting for the big guns to arrive and just wipe them out, and since that would probably mean that it would also mean destroying a good piece of the casino. Or...

His fingers moved over the datapad as fast as they could pulling up schematic after schematic until he found what he was looking for. And what he found made him upset enough that he wanted to throw the pad across the room, though his self control got the better of him before he could.

"So I have good news and I have bad news..." Xi didn't look at Em while he spoke, but instead was trying to match what he had seen on the datapad with what was in front of his eyes. "The good news, I think I found our way out. The bad news. I think they are keeping us here while some of their friends use what I just found to flank us."

There it was just a couple degrees away from straight in front of him.

"Right there," he pointed at a spot on the wall for Em, "a hidden door. You can't see the sides because they line up with the stripes of the wallpaper, but you can see the seam at the top if you look hard."

He waited for a minute to let her try and find the door.

"It's on an old schematic, but not on any of the new ones. My guess is that it was a way to get to the back area years ago and they stopped using it at some point and just took it off the plans but never removed it from the actual wall."

He paused again.

"Now I have no idea what's behind it. It may not even open, but it's our best bet and it's slightly better than what we are dealing with right now.

Except that, my guess is that they know it's there too, and they haven't come at us from the front because they have guys trying to get to that door to attack us from behind."