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// Chapter Twenty-One: Empire over Cards and Brandy 
// Story: STAR WARS / FiM: Realms of the Heavens 
// by Tathem_Relag 
//------------------------------//

Location: Everfree Imperial Garrison
Local Time: 09:01
Coruscant Standard Time: 21:00

“Why do I keep playing with you?”
Aerin grinned at his Navy counterpart. “Because you’re drunk and have more credits than you know what to do with.”
“Smart-arse.”
Aerin’s smile grew.
“Just deal us in, ya thief,” Gavrisom muttered.
“Yessir!”
Aerin passed the cards out to himself, Gavrisom, and their seconds-in-command, High Colonel Marl Himner and Captain of the Line Ulan Cortess. Throughout the base’s cantina, the troops and lower-ranking officers left their own games and drinks to watch. The weekly sabacc match held by the task force’s commanding officers was always drew a big crowd, largely because they often talked openly about classified operations in their drunkenness.
The first three hands passed mostly in silence, discounting occasional curses as Aerin’s pile of credit chips grew. Finally, Gavrisom spoke up. “Alright, Dav. Say it.”
“Say what?”
“That we shouldn’t be appeasing the ponies. That we should slaughter them wholesale, publically execute their leaders, and mount their heads on pikes.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to say that, but yeah, that just about sums up my feelings on the matter.”
Gavrisom sighed. “Look, I don’t like it either. We all know that the whole idea of the Empire is that we don’t have to concede to the demands of pissant factions. But do you really want to challenge the Emperor on this?”
“Ha! I’m furious, not suicidal!”
“Well, then, play along. Think of it as delayed gratification. Just think about how satisfying the baradium blast will be.”
Aerin chuckled darkly. “Oh, now that will be a sight to see. Do you think Engineering’s made the place convincing enough?”
“I can’t imagine otherwise. Even he isn’t omniscient, and the boys have really thrown their all into this one. Negative twenty-one.” He showed his hand. Queen of Air and Darkness, Endurance, and Balance. The other players groaned, and Gavrisom scooped over the pile of chips in the center of the table. “You know, I think I might actually win the sabacc pot this time.”
“Whoa, there, old man!” Cortess laughed. “I think you might’ve had a bit too much brandy!”
“Heh. Probably. Say, usually Zem’s the one to burst my bubble. Where is that silver-tongued scoundrel?”
Himner snorted in disgust. “Getting ready for his lunch date with the bolt sponge. I realize that he has to get on aliens’ good sides to do his job, but does he really have to enjoy it so much?”
“Says the man who spent his last leave on Zeltros,” Aerin snapped.
“Hey! At least Zeltrons are Near-Human! Not like these ugly schuttas.”
“I don’t know, I think they’re kinda cute.” All traces of sound in the cantina suddenly cut off as everyone turned to stare at Major Tannis Regnuff, who was standing in the front of the crowd. Aerin’s right hand slipped off his wineglass and below the table. “Not like that!” Regnuff hastily clarified. “I mean, cute in the sense that I think my daughter would love to have one as a pet!” The atmosphere in the room relaxed. Aerin’s hand came back up to his glass, which he emptied in a single gulp.
“Oh, yeah!” Himner exclaimed. “How is Sera, anyways? Oh, twenty, gentlemen. I’ll take those credits, thank you very much. She turns seven in, what, a month and a half?”
Regnuff beamed. “One month, two weeks, three days…” he checked his chrono. “Eight hours, and twelve minutes. And she’s doing well, according to Suyin’s last message. She’s started writing things other than her own name. She misses daddy, of course. I can’t believe it’s been over four years since I’ve seen her in person.”
Gavrisom got a wistful look on his face. “Ah, to be a young father again. I’ll make sure you get enough bandwidth priority on her birthday to give her a holocall.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t mention it. Got to keep up with the family, after all. Erai’s graduating in two months, you know. Damn. I hope this mess is cleared up by then. I’m supposed to give his commencement speech!”
“Yeah, we know, sir.”
“I’ve got to make it! He never even knew Tam! I’ve got to be a good father figure for him!”
Aerin reached across the table and placed his hand on Gavrisom’s shoulder. “Sturm, you’re like a father to all of us. You’re the best damned grandfather that kid could have. Relax. It’ll be fine. We’ll whip these vermin into line, and then you’ll have plenty of time to spend back on Anaxes.”
Gavrisom gave the general a skeptical look. “You’re never sentimental, Dav. What cards are you hiding?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Right, kark that. I’m folding.” The other two players quickly did the same. With a smile, Aerin showed his hand. Negative one. Everyone in the cantina shouted, either in outrage or mirth, as he raked in the pot with the second-worst score he could possibly have.
“Oh, you are so dead,” Himner snarled.
Aerin raised his solitary eyebrow. “Literally, or metaphorically? Not that it really matters. You know I could beat you just as easily in a fight as I can in cards.”
“No, you karking can’t! You’re a karkin’ cripple for the Emperor’s sake! I’d beat you so bad, people would think you were a Wroonian!”
“Care to put that theory to the test?”
Gavrisom sighed. “Gentlemen, please…”
“You’re damned right, I would!”
“Very well.”
The two Army officers stood up, and Himner lunged. Aerin merely stepped to the side and held out his left arm, clotheslining his adversary. “Medic,” he said calmly, sitting back down.
Gavrisom gestured to two troopers, who pulled the gagging Colonel to his feet and carried him out of the cantina. “Seeing as we’re down a player, would you care to join us, Major?”
Regnuff chuckled. “Ah, why the hell not.”
“That’s the spirit!” Aerin cheered, slapping him on the back as he sat down. “We could use some fresh blood in this game.”
Cortess smiled. “I believe what you meant to say was ‘fresh credits,’ General.”
“That too.” Aerin dealt the cards again. “So, Sturm. How’re things going on Lun?”
“Well enough. Any construction in an environment without an atmosphere takes longer than usual, of course. I’m just glad we didn’t have to invent all that stuff ourselves. That would’ve added at least a decade to the project. As it is, we should be done in about a month. Frankly, I’m sort of relieved I don’t have the security clearance to know what those things were originally designed for. I mean, what the hell other sort of project could possibly require them?”
“Like you said, probably best not to ask.”
“Heh, right. Any progress from the ISB?”
“You expect me to know? You know how cagey those schut– err, guys are.”
“Worth a shot. I suppose I probably know better than you do. They had an Exploration team brought in, plus a big shipment of nova crystals. Bribes, you think?”
“What else? Emperor’s black bones! First aurodium, then millions of credits, now nova crystals? At this rate, we’ll bankrupt the entire Empire! No idea what they could want an Exploration team for, though. I wish we got all that intel from the informant, not just ISB. What’s happened with that creature, anyways?”
“Dropped off the face of the galaxy, presumably out of shame over causing a massacre. Zem’s trying to reestablish contact.”
“Karking aliens.” The cards randomized, and Aerin’s face brightened. “Well, my friends, it looks like I win again.” He showed his hand. Six of Sabres, Commander of Staves, Five of Sabres.