Saga - PT In the Cards: a Raissa Baiard/Doran Blayne story

I just caught up on the two "Tournament" chapters after this loooong hiatus... and I wasn't disappointed at all! This was pure Rat-Pack-meets-Star-Wars stuff and it was an absolute delight. I loved how you made Doran and Raissa "sync" in the first part (and I think I see what you did in terms of foreshadowing there ) but what had me really whooping was Raissa's Force-nudge towards the other players in the second part, and her "I overdid it" comment had me howling with laughter -- and that's not to mention the myriad little starwarsisms that you keep coming up with, and, of course, our very own, very dear Frugly By the way, you forgot to mention, did Doran's boots survive?

I sense that Raissa's reputation in Merkesh city will have gone up a notch or two (or three or four) after this fine display of skill on multiple levels, but at the same time Verraro is definitely the type to keep a grudge. Hmmm... maybe joking about Jedi mind tricks wasn't such a good idea after all.

 

Thank you so much! It was a challenge figuring out all the rules of sabacc and making the tournament fit with them. I haven't played cards, other than "go fish", in a very long time and I was quite bad at it even then.

He gets progressively less charming and more profane as the night wears on. I owe his impressive streak of swearing to
"A Mouth Like an Intergalactic Princess", an extremely useful resource for curse words in the GFFA. Most of the insults are from the insults are from the section on Huttese.

She certainly has demonstrated a wide variety of skills. Whether Doran will deem her a Jedi, since he doesn't really consider himself one....? It will probably be a turning point in their relationship, becoming more collegial than strictly master/padawan.

Thank you! It's good to have you back at Doran's place

I think your evaluation of Raissa and Doran's sync is probably correct

Raissa's a quick learner, isn't she? Of course, she didn't really overdo it; these gamblers are all to ready to pull guns, knives and other sharp, pointy implements in the pursuit of credits. But she wouldn't know that, not being the kind of officer whose office annex is the casino (Looking at you, Renau)

Doran's boots survived, albeit somewhat worse for wear after all that drool.

The answer to this may be found below.

And now, ladies and gentles, the final chapter....

Chapter 10: Three of Sabers

The lightsabers were beautiful, each one unique, each one a work of art. One was decorated with intricate silver filigree, while the second was made of dark, almost black, wood accented with bronzium, and the last was silver with a graceful golden swirl. Looking at them arrayed on the table in front of her, Raissa wondered about their owners, who they had been and what had happened to them. The fact that the lightsabers weren't in Palpatine's collection suggested that these Jedi had escaped the initial slaughter; the fact that they were here meant that escape had been short-lived.

Across from her, Doran seemed to be thinking similarly melancholy thoughts. The familiar glass of whiskey in his hand remained untouched as he contemplated the sabers. Though he hadn't recognized any of them, Doran had touched each one reverently when Raissa took them out of their strong box. He could appreciate even more than she did how much of a treasure they were, the legacy of a colleague lost and a life cut short, worth far more than mere credits.

And he'd given them to her without a second thought. "Thank you," Raissa said, running a finger over the silver and gold lightsaber. "I don't know what else to say. You didn't have to do this for me."

"Yes, I did." Doran swirled his whiskey and stared down into the vortex. "I was a real nerf's backside to you about everything with Haaz. I should have listened to you, but I guess I was only thinking about myself. You see, you were right..." He looked up, his expression unexpectedly vulnerable in the empty Café's dim light. "I do care what people think. Whatever Master Odin Urr says, a Jedi should be a being of morals, and the thought that people were going to be saying those kinds of things about me...about us...." His words ran out, and Doran hunched his shoulders uncomfortably, turning back to his whiskey.

A tiny thread of the awareness they'd shared during the sabacc game must have remained; Raissa could sense the emotions behind his halting confession. Underneath all his cynicism, Doran Blayne was an idealist, raised to be an example of the Jedi's righteousness, yet in constant conflict with his elders about what that really meant. Thrust into a Galaxy that considered his order traitors, all he had left was his personal integrity, and even that didn't seem to matter much. She laid her hand over his. "I understand. But you know, a simple apology would have sufficed."

"Maybe," he conceded, and the wicked spark returned to his eyes. "But not nearly as much fun."

"Fun!" Raissa laughed in spite of herself. "You have a perverse sense of fun, Doran Blayne; you could have lost the Café Alderaan or we could both have been beaten or killed..."

"True. But none of that happened. The Force was with us, we won, and you showed Verraro for the great slobbery liar he is. I call that a night well spent!" Doran's smile faded. "I'm only sorry it's going to set off a new crop of rumors about us."

"I suppose that can't be helped." She'd heard the gamblers whispering and sensed their crass interest in the details of her and Doran's...personal affairs. Now that Doran had not only barged his way into an exclusive sabacc tournament but wagered his entire livelihood to get the lightsabers for her, no one was going to believe they were only friends. Raissa sighed. "Maybe you were right; maybe it's time I stopped worrying so much about what other people think. They're going to believe what they want, no matter what we say. We know the truth and that's all that matters."

Doran stared at her. "Who are you and what have done with my padawan?"

She smiled wryly. "I guess I've learned wisdom from my master. It would make things easier, at least. No more skulking around after hours. You could even come to my house for training." She was an adult, after all, and allowed to have male guests if she wanted. A stray and strangely uncomfortable thought nagged at the back of her mind. "Of course, I suppose that will make things difficult for you when you meet someone..."

"Me?" Doran barked a short, bitter laugh. "First of all, Jedi are officially discouraged from forming 'attachments.' All those emotions might cloud our judgement, you know. Second... I broke that rule once. It seems romance is not a pastime at which I excel."

Old, aching pain tinged his words and haunted his eyes. Doran Blayne was very good at hiding at hiding his true self, Raissa thought. He wasn't just an idealist, he was a romantic. She wished very much that she could get her hands on the woman who broke his heart, whose ethereal shadow still hung over him. "Alyse."

"How..?" He shook his head, and took a long swallow of whiskey. "Yes, Alyse. So you understand when I say you don't have to worry about me finding someone. The better question is what happens when you find someone. You're not technically a Jedi, so there's no reason you shouldn't, but you may have to decide which is more important to you: love or the Force."

She started to protest that she'd managed to be both an Imperial officer and a Jedi padawan, but realized he was right. It was possible to keep her life separate from her job. But if she was in love, really in love, how could she ever hide that much of herself? It was her turn to shrug uneasily. "I doubt it will come to that. You may not have noticed, but there's a shortage of decent men on Merkesh."

"You wound me deeply, Baiard." Doran clapped a hand over his heart theatrically.

"Present company excluded, of course," she said, making a face at him. "See, this is why I can't believe any one thinks we're lovers. Most men don't call their girlfriends by their last name"

"Well then, I guess I'll have to start calling you Raissa, to make things more convincing for Merkesh's busy-bodies." He leaned towards her, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Underneath the table, Frugly her nudged her leg sharply and grumbled a complaint at her. She sighed again. "You're right, Frug. We should get going. It's been a long day and we have to be at work in the morning." She picked up the silver and gold saber and carefully placed back into the strong box. Doran handed her the black hilted saber and the filigreed saber. He held the door open for her and Frugly. "Good night, Doran." Impulsively, she took his hand and squeezed it. "And thank you again."

Doran returned the gesture. "Good night, Bai... Good night, Raissa."


Epilogue:
The events of Verraro the Hutt's exclusive Benduday were the talk of the bazaar the next day. It was an incredible story, with something for everyone: romance, danger, and best of all, a triumphant underdog who made a fool of the powerful Hutt. Prefect Baiard already had the regard of the common citizens for her integrity, but now even those on Merkesh City's fringe were forced to admit a grudging respect. She would have been well within her rights to take the entire sabacc pot, they said, and no one could have blamed her if shut down the Kroyie's casino for good. That she'd only taken the lightsabers she came for showed that she might be tough, but she was fair. And, they muttered, Verraro's scheme showed that the Hutt was getting above himself. He was getting too greedy and too powerful, and maybe it would be a good thing if Baiard took him down a few notches.

Everyone loved Prefect Raissa Baiard, it seemed.

Everyone except Verraro. He bit the head off a wriggling gorg and gulped it down. Even here in his own manor, his servants were whispering her name. He hadn't thought much of her when she'd been Renau's assistant; the girl had no real ambition, content to fetch and carry for the depraved Prefect, to do all the real work while Renau drank and smoked and gambled his way deeper into Verraro's debt. Then Renau, that spineless schutta-spawn had double-crossed him, taking his shipment of Jedi artifacts, the equally loathsome Pter Lorr had killed Renau, and suddenly Renau's office girl showed her true colors. She defeated a pair of rogue Jedi and saved Moff Cassius's life, securing her promotion to prefect. She'd even managed to turn Doran Blayne, who'd been a thorn in Verraro's side since he bought the Café Alderaan, from a cynical loner into her champion. Clearly, Verraro had underestimated her.

Verraro picked another gorg out of his snackquarim and swallowed it whole before reaching for his comlink. "Wilmot, come here. We need to make some plans regarding our beloved Prefect Baiard."

 

Frugly: "No one ever listens to me! Look at these silly Humans! Ugh."

Excellent ending (and yes, I should make it back to the tournament at some point ), with Raissa and Doran setting the basis for their team going forward. Okay, I'm already thinking of them in your recent OTP Challenge story, but for lack of a better name, they are a team on more even footing than before. Also very nearly oblivious emotionally speaking, but what else is new?

Verraro is a sore loser -- shocking! But that does mean a lot of trouble on the horizon...

Very much enjoyed the whole story, congrats on finishing it.

 

What a fantastic ending to this story! I love how Doran's and Baiard's... ehm, Raissa's relationship is evolving ("what have you done to my padawan?" ) and I love how all this is changing Raissa's perception in the local community. And then, Verraro is of course already scheming. You're going to have to deal with me badgering you for the sequel, but before I start I'll catch up on your OTP challenge entry, since it's apparently connected to all this.

 

Yes, poor Frugly. Those Humans don't realize the superior intellect of the roba...at least he's more emotionally in tune than them.

In some ways, they've been a team since the end of "Doran's Place," when they worked together to get Alyse and Paolo to safety. Doran's never been really comfortable being an instructor, so redefining their relationship as a team is all for the best. And yes, they're so very obtuse when it comes to how they feel; at least their daughter seems to be doing better in that regard; she's quick enough to pick up on--and act on!--Ezra's attraction

I know; who would have thought a Hutt gangster would hold grudges? Not Raissa...though perhaps she should have.
Thank you!

You'll be happy to know the sequel is in the works, at least in outline form, though right now, I'm trying to finish the OTP challenge story--which could be considered a sequel or companion to this, since it concerns a certain red headed teenager living in Merkesh City

 

Chapter 10

A more than satisfying ending to a more than a satisfying story.

At the beginning of the last chapter, it looks like nothing has changed - Raissa is keeping her cool the best way she knows how, though one can see that her empathy towards the Jedi long gone is strong, and Doran is drinking again. But theeeen...he calls her by her actual first name. Now, what does it mean? And was he using her last name up to this very moment because he wanted to keep a certain distance after all of his disappointments, was she so formal that he felt obliged to do so...or, perhaps, both? Hmmm...

And then we see what he calls...fun. OMG. Being in a life-threatening situation is fun, while people assuming that the two of you have something going on is scandallous. You can get the Jedi away from the Order, but you can't get all of the Order's contradictions out of his psyche. Also, we tend to be concerned about things that are true. *snort*

Raissa herself is slowly showing the person who is more than just orderly and reliable - there's a fierce woman ready to do anything for her ideals, which she didn't know she had; and - how conveniently - it involves the man she didn't how she loved. He's coming from a morally bankrupt side that was not always morally bankrupt, she is coming from the squeaky clean side that is not squeaky clean at all - playing the roles they play, with their sabacc faces, they're closer than ever to the moment where those masks go down and the cards are on the table. That said, the actual match may or may not have provoked them to think about it.

Epilogue

Hmmm...

What Raissa could not win with her authority, she won with her boldness and that is - apparently - the only thing that truly counts on a world like Merskesh AND the only thing that could make Verraro worried that he is, imagine this, not the perceived leader of the planet's everything. He sounds determined to deal with it. Which is bad.

P.S. That's a cliffie there at the end. I HATE YOU AND I WILL HATE YOU ALL THROUGHOUT 2017...

...until you give us the sequel, that is.

 

Finally had a chance to read this. More of the wonderful setting, and it was fun to see the Rat Pack. Some I recognized; others not, but that didn't detract from the overall. I love how Raissa was able to win in the end, expose the scam, get the lightsabers, and walk away with her head in the air. Smart, too, to leave the money. No accusations of Imperial Corruption AND some much-needed good will with the 'usual suspects'!

Really loved this.

 

A very nice conclusion. They are comfortable and candid with one another. They can also tease.