SWRPF Archive Casino Royale

IC: Halon,
Shinkai Abyss

Stepping aside, Halon lowered his weapon and tried the door.

Tag: LW

 

Shinkai Abyss

The door was, in fact, locked, rendering the interior of the ship inaccessible unless he figured out some way to get past it.

 

IC: Halon,
Shinkai Abyss

Halon found the door locked. Frowning behind his mask, the Ubese agent extended his hand and wrapped his knuckles against its surface before swiftly drawing back again.

Tag: Light

 

IC: Ryn Solass
Shinkai Abyss

Checking the monitors again he was able to find what looked like their quary down below. Why was he still down below? Hadn't he seen another ship come up to his own?

Then it hit, a sinking feeling, luckily one that was only in his stomach as he wondered whether or not a harpoon gun could pierce a ships hull. "What's the hold-up!" he shouted to his fellow agent as he kept his eyes peeled on the monitor. He wasn't about to loose the target again.

TAG: Halon, Light.

 

Stent Kannat
Aspre Plunge Casino

Stent was getting better at this game, or so he thought. The stars were certainly shining brightly above for him. As long as was not blinded by them, he might actually come on top at the end of this game.

Still sounding as chipper as usual, he responded to Mirana. "Claw your way?" He gave his fingers a scrutinizing look. "It looks like I would have to kick the bad habit of biting my nails. Maybe I could take up cigarras like my colleague here. It would at least give me a new scent." He simpered at Markus, not particularly caring if he invoked his wrath or not.

At last, only one-non agent at the table: The sullustan. Stent would hold his course concerning strategy. With only one real "threat" - as long as his colleagues or he won it was a victory - it should be easier to concentrate on the sullustan and discern his motives and deliver the final and winning blow.

TAG: poker face kids, lightwarden

OOC: Stupid high rolling indeed. Boom shakalaka.

 

OOC: Two things:

1) JANGO, are you sure that knocking on the cabin door was the smartest thing you could have done?

2) sprint, Stent might have noticed by now that Markus hasn't smoked a single cigarra for the entire trip. In fact, he's given up the stuff. So while he still may have a questionable odour, his smoking habit is no longer anything to do with it.

 

OOC: That's my poor memory for a game that's run as long as this. LightWarden, can we strike Stent's comment and interaction directed at Markus in my last post?

 

OOGM: Consider it struck. Much like the door on Salek Zaron's yacht.

---

[b]Shinkai Abyss[/b]

In a surprisingly bold move, Halon reached out and knocked on the locked door. He waited. Nothing happened.

...at least, not from his perspective.

As he kept an eye on the sensors, whatever was down there seemed to have made up its mind. The submersible was heading for Zaron's yacht, and it was heading there [i]quickly[/i].

 

IC: Ryn Solass

"Halon! It's coming up towards Zaron's boat, and quick!" he shouted over to his team member. "What did he do now." he grumbled as he picked up the harpoon gun aimed to the sky as he watched the monitor.

TAG: Halon, Light

 

IC: Halon,
Shinkai Abyss

If anything was stirring on the other side of the door, Halon did not hear it. He did hear Ryn shouting something, though.

"What's the hold-up!"

He also found himself wishing Agent Solass would use his comlink.

Still wanting to confirm that the yacht was empty, Halon began to snake around to the forward windshield in order to peer inside the ship's interior.

"Halon! It's coming up towards Zaron's boat, and quick!"

Blast it all, we're out of time...

Activating his own comlink, Halon contacted his partner, speaking quickly.

"Ryn, collect the supplies and get over here. Set the Crystal Wake on autopilot and let it out to sea."

Tag: Ryn, Light

OOC: Maybe not, but Halon starts taking risks when he is armed.

 

Markus Carfax
Aspere Plunge Casino

Lighting, it seemed, did not strike in the same place twice. True to form, the moment Markus started actually concentrating was the moment he started losing. The miserly agent watched in dismay as his acquired winnings slowly moved to Boz and Stent. He gritted his teeth. This whole gambling thing had been a terrible idea from the start. He couldn't believe he'd followed along with it. And to cap it all, Mirana was fiddling with that fragging pendant again.

"That pendant." he blurted out, just concealing his annoyance in time. "You seem awfully fond of it. A-A family heirloom, perhaps?"

[TAG Any]

---

[b]OOC:[/b] Markus is continuing with his regular strategy in the next game, only a bit more carefully as he's starting to lose.

[b]JANGO[/b], there's taking risks and then there's... what you're doing. I just hope you're prepared for the consequences, is all.

 

IC: Ryn Solass
Shinkai Abyss

Daft, simply daft! But he would follow this daft daft man and hope they didn't all die from exposure to the wildlife.

First he attempted to lock in a spot where the boat would settle by auto-pilot not too far out incase this went south with a few seconds delay for him to jump ship, then locked the controls before grabbing the gear and jumping over to the other boat. He most likely looked very foolish with his filled arms holding the gear and his loud print clothing.

Most foolish indeed. Either way one sliced this his gut was rumbling with a sensation that normaly warned of idiocy of the highest degree by his part.

TAG: Halon, Light

 

IC: Halon,
Shinkai Abyss

Halon had made it to the bow of the yacht when he heard the thump! signifying his partner's arrival. He needed the agent's skills right now, intent as he was on not leaving any obvious signs of their presence here behind. Forcing the door would only be a last resort.

"Pick the lock to that cabin, Ryn. I will stand watch," he said, gazing past the windshield and into the helm, attempting to see what was inside.

Tag: Ryn, Light

 

Aspere Plunge Casino

"That pendant... You seem awfully fond of it. A-A family heirloom, perhaps?"

"Something like that," said Mirana with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's a story for a later time."

With only a single opponent remaining, there wasn't much of a challenge. The old Sullustan seemed to be continuing to play more out of a sense of duty rather than any belief in his ability to turn the game around. Once again, Stent's luck was holding strong, as he managed to take the next few hands with remarkably strong cards.

"If this thing is randomized, then I'm the prince of Kuat," stated Shran Don, as he watched the proceeds with both eyebrows raised.

Even Markus and Boz were having a difficult time competing, as Boz was slowly reduced to his last thousand credits, an almost certain sign of impending defeat.

Yet... it didn't happen. Though Markus may have been having his worst streak of luck in the entire game, Boz's luck had turned around. But it wasn't simply luck, as Stent's next few hands would prove to be almost as strong, but rather Boz's skill that allowed him to make the most of things despite his highly disadvantageous state.

And then, it was over, the agents were the last ones at the table. Admittedly they could still play amongst themselves to see which of them triumphed, but as far as the other guests were concerned, they had clearly met their match.

"A finely played game, gentlemen" said the SoroSuub executive as he extended a pudgy hand in congratulations.

"I think I may have learned a thing or two from watching you play. I'll consider my losses the price of the lesson" said Eelysa.

"An insightful match indeed. But Ri requires nourishment, and is in the mood for a struggle," added the Amara. "So please excuse her."

"With folks like you around, it's a good thing I don't make my living as a gambler" said Shran Don with a laugh. "Another time, maybe."

"Right, right. I have more important things to take care of, so have a nice day." Urias Rishek headed for the exit, attempting to salvage what remained of his pride. The other players soon dispersed as well, drawn to the whatever various attractions this watery world or perhaps the vessel waiting in orbit above it offered. Only Mirana remained.

"So," she asked, "what do you plan on doing with your winnings?"

OOGM:
Stent- 25. I really don't get this. Stent gains 4000 credits, putting him at 21000 credits.
Markus- 20. Loses 1000 credits, putting him at 8000.
Boz- 18. Loses 1000 credits, putting him at 1000 credits. He's in trouble.
Hiem Neva- 8. Loses 2000 credits, putting him at 1000 credits. He's in trouble.

And since it's pretty much a forgone conclusion at this point, let's push through the last round.

Boz- 23. Finally manages to win one, even though he could be pushed out by high bets. Gains 4000 credits, putting him at 5000.
Stent- 18. Loses 1000 credits, putting him at 20000.
Markus- 10. Loses 2000 credits, putting him at 6000.
Hiem Neva- 6. Loses his remaining 1000 credits, knocking him out of the match.

---

[b]Shinkai Abyss[/b]

Carrying an impressive collection of stuff, Ryn headed for the bow of the [i]Crystal Wake[/i]. If he had managed to set the autopilot correctly, the vessel should cruise to about a short distance away and wait with its controls locked. He leaped, and despite the unwieldy nature of his current armful of possessions, he managed to land aboard the yacht, dropping the supplies on the deck as the [i]Wake[/i] roared to life and pulled away.

Halon worked his way to the bow of the yacht, trying to figure out who, if anyone, remained aboard. The windows of the vessel were heavily tinted, it was difficult to see if anyone was at the helm. He leaned closer, pressing his visored helm against the transparisteel...

There was a hiss, then a stabbing pain erupted beneath Halon's shoulder blades as something cold and metal slammed into him. Before he turned around, he heard the searing report of a blaster rifle, accompanied by a burning sensation in his side. Behind him,

 

IC: Ryn Solass

He no sooner landed, and disgorged himself of his load than he head sounds. A blaster shot was definately one of them!

Dropping all the gear except a spear gun and one of the concussion grenades he crouched down heading toward Halon, keeping his eyes and spear gun trained on the water. Should anything come up he wanted to be ready to fire instead of getting shot. If that was the case.

"You alright?" he called as he moved forward.

TAG: Halon, Light

 

IC: Halon,
Shinkai Abyss

"You alright?", Halon heard Ryn call out somewhere close by. By now, the Ubese had sunk to his knees, supporting himself with one hand while he gripped his wounded side with the other.

An odd stray thought occurred to him at the moment: Detective Dravaal was no liar. Pushing it aside, he responded to Ryn.

"I am just...stellar," he managed to spit out as picked the slugthrower up off the deck. The by now familiar sting of a blaster rifle was helping to distract him from the novel horror that was being speared. "I think I'll survive, anyway."

Raising himself with a stifled grunt, he joined the Balosar's effort, watching the waters around the yacht for any signs of Zaron.

He knew if he ever got his hands on the man, he wouldn't be gentle...

Tag: Ryn

 

Shinkai Abyss

Leaving a small crimson trail on the deck, Halon moved to join his fellow agent as the two trained their weapons on the water, ready to open fire on Zaron as soon as he surfaced.

The stun grenade was almost a complete surprise, arcing over the railing from somewhere near the water line. Zaron must have been almost flat against the hull of the ship, taking advantage of the dead angle that couldn't really be removed short of leaning over the railing. But fortunately, their inability to see him meant that he couldn't aim accurately at them either; the two agents were able to avoid the brunt of the blast.

OOGM: Halon bleeds for 2 more points of damage. Salek gets the drop on you two this time, but at least you dodge enough not to get a direct hit. Halon takes 5 points of damage from the grenade, putting him at 74/124, Ryn takes 5 damage putting him at 85/90.

 

Markus Carfax
Aspere Plunge Casino

Markus stared at the pile of chips in front of him glumly. Not even his curiosity had been satisfied. Truly, gambling had been a terrible idea. He blamed Boz and Stent entirely for this ridiculous idea.

"So," Mirana asked, "what do you plan on doing with your winnings?"

"They will be distributed amongst the group, of course." Replied Markus, looking pointedly at Stent. "My colleague's remarkable luck must do some good. After all, it's not his own money he's gambling with."

[TAG Any]

 

IC: Ryn Solass
Shinkai Abyss

Diving out of the way he felt the air leave him as the blast hit, he would be most sore by most acounts. "This...won't do." he grunted as he stood up tossing the small bomb to Halon and ran.

Without another word he ran to the back of the boat to scoop up a rebreather and another bomb, and to jump in the water backwards.

With any luck he would be able to use the rebreather and shoot the man responsible. Not that he had high hopes, but maybe in reality the man would at least be flushed out for Halon to deal with.

TAG: Halon, Light

 

Stent Kannat
Aspere Plunge Casino

Stent met Markus's look and curiously found himself feeling guilty for... winning?

"That is true," Stent managed to draw out slowly, a slightly defensive tone in his voice. He wondered if Markus was putting on a display of the protective accountant or if he was truly expressing his feelings. He was thinking the latter. How odd. Stent had thought that Markus would have been the gambling type.

"Which is why we are going to set aside a small amount meant only for entry into and use in the tournament, and leave the rest safe under your control." Stent smiled. "It will be the official 'vacation' part of our excursion. Think of the people that we will meet during the process. We have already met lovely Mirana here! We are bound to meet others just as interesting as her."

His smile became a little more mischievous as he directed it towards Markus. "You may even find the love of your life."

Stent hoped that Markus and Boz would catch on to his idea. Enrolling in a tournament would be a surefire way to meet many more people, and perhaps those associated with a particular criminal syndicate.

TAG: any

 

IC: Halon,
Shinkai Abyss

Shaking off the last effects of the stun grenade, Halon witnessed Ryn's bold dive over the side of the yacht. Good luck, comrade.

It was the height of bravery, to be sure, but extremely risky. In an attempt to buy his partner some precious seconds, he activated his own grenade, and, based off the trajectory of Zaron's own weapon, dropped it over the spot where Zaron must have been hiding. At the very least, Halon reasoned it would keep their enemy guessing just a bit longer.

Tag: Yacht people

 

Aspere Plunge Casino

"They will be distributed amongst the group, of course. My colleague's remarkable luck must do some good. After all, it's not his own money he's gambling with."

"It wasn't my money I was gambling with, but that didn't stop you gentlemen from taking it," said Mirana with a smile, as the agents moved to the cashier station to cash in their chips. "Besides, anyone here has credits to spare."

"That is true... Which is why we are going to set aside a small amount meant only for entry into and use in the tournament, and leave the rest safe under your control. It will be the official 'vacation' part of our excursion. Think of the people that we will meet during the process. We have already met lovely Mirana here! We are bound to meet others just as interesting as her... You may even find the love of your life."

"That would be an astonishingly bad bet," said Mirana. "Never fall in love with a gambler. She'll leave you for Lady Luck at the first sign of her embrace."

OOGM: Not counting the 9000 credits they started with, the agents gain a total of 22,000 credits. I assume it's to be going back into the account run by Markus, putting it at 142,000 credits?

---

[b]Shinkai Abyss[/b]

For a few seconds there was relative silence as Ryn moved to the back of the ship and grabbed a rebreather before jumping into the ocean.

Rebreather in hand, he sank into the ocean, a blaster bolt sizzling over his sinking head. He barely had time to register the presence of the humanoid in the thinsuit before Halon took action, dropping a grenade over the spot where Zaron must have been hiding. Unfortunately, that spot happened to be right next to the hull of the ship. The shockwave from the weapon shook the boat violently, blasting back up through the water to hit the Ubese agent before he could get out of the burst he had practically dropped at his feet.

Below the surface and safely out of the blast radius, Ryn spotted something moving... on the other side of the ship.

[b]OOGM:[/b] Nice critical hit by Halon, dealing 30 points of damage to both himself and the ship. Well, the ship's hull means it only takes 20 points of damage, putting it at 80/100, while also providing Halon cover so he only takes 15 points of damage, putting him at 59/124.

Also, Ryn didn't need to toss a grenade to Halon or scoop one up, since there were only two to begin with and each agent had one.

 

IC: Ryn Solass
Shinkai Abyss

As he reoriented himself he barely registered that a blast had nearly hit him, or that there was something else nearby.

When he finally got his sea-bearings after a 'rocking of the boat', he noticed a figure on the other side of the vessel. Surfacing he threw his weapon as best he could where he thought the figure was moving to before dropping back under the water with both hands on the spear gun.

TAG: Halon, Light

 

Shinkai Abyss

Following Halon's lead, Ryn releases his own grenade, lobbing it towards where he last saw their target. The throw was nearly dead on. The concussion grenade detonates, the shockwave slamming Zaron into the hull with a satisfying thud as the vessel once again shook violently.

OOGM: Yet another critical. I'm surprised. This time, Ryn actually catches Zaron in the blast radius for 30 points of damage. Unfortunately, Zaron was using the ship's hull for cover, so it takes another 20 damage, putting it at 60/100 HP.

Where is everyone else?

 

Markus Carfax
Aspere Plunge Casino

"It wasn't my money I was gambling with, but that didn't stop you gentlemen from taking it," Mirana replied, remarkably calmly for someone who had just lost. They moved together to the cashier station. "Besides, anyone here has credits to spare."

Before Markus could say anything, Stent spoke up.

"That is true... Which is why we are going to set aside a small amount meant only for entry into and use in the tournament, and leave the rest safe under your control. It will be the official 'vacation' part of our excursion. Think of the people that we will meet during the process. We have already met lovely Mirana here! We are bound to meet others just as interesting as her... You may even find the love of your life."

Markus scowled at Stent. Honestly, what was it about him that was so funny to the other agent? He was reminded of school back on Baar, and the children who'd found the way he kept to himself an invitation for all sorts of taunting. The agent had hoped that the world had gotten different as you grew up. It hadn't.

"That would be an astonishingly bad bet," said Mirana, as Markus downloaded the winnings into the group account, setting aside a small portion for the tournament, just as Stent had suggested. "Never fall in love with a gambler. She'll leave you for Lady Luck at the first sign of her embrace."

"Love is... outside of my purview for this trip." Carfax said stiffly, thinking of Sounil. "It is certainly not something I was hired to discuss with you, Kannat."

Something Mirana had said had caught his attention. He turned to her.

"You said you weren't using your own money- are you here on behalf of someone too?"

[TAG Any]

---

[b]OOC:[/b] Apologies for my absence, I'm currently preparing for an exam. Things should be back to normal on Tuesday, but until then, please bear with me!