A gambler’s den of the Vertical City’s greatest bettors, Club Vertica is a casino reserved for the wealthiest of Nar Shaddaa. Cardshark droids are used exclusively to deal hands to those willing to risk their credits at the sabacc tables. Cheating is rendered near impossible under the surveillance of the droid's six photoreceptors. That, of course, does not stop the downtrodden from accusing others of being a fraud, which can often happen before someone receives a blaster bolt between the eyes. The few that have been able to use skiffers undetected are counted as some of the best swindlers in the Galaxy.

Cerulean lights illuminate the tables, making concealment during a game difficult. Seated around most of the oval tables are a mix of gamblers from different species, succumbing to their addiction for the ultimate prize—the sabacc pot. Credits are tossed onto the tables forming mountains that draw in fierce competitors with deeper pockets and faster wit than the usual patrons.

Behind the games of sabacc, drinks are being served from the alcove of a small bar. Most of these are a shade of blue in color, expertly mixed to dull the senses of all but the hardiest individuals. Onstage, a local band sets the mood of the venue with an upbeat number that deafens out most conversations. The stakes are always high at Club Vertica.

Beats droned and cobalt light flashed.

Scudi Ferria wove through a dense crowd of nobles, entrepreneurs, criminals, debtors, creditors, and everything in between that could afford to be among them. Her slicked black hair shone sapphire under the luminescence of intense neon blue lighting, and she hummed along to the music that penetrated every particle of space in the room. She hadn't heard it before, some band on the top charts for Nar Shadda this season, probably, but it was music and so she liked it.

The Chiss woman continued making her leisurely way through the infamous nightclub, her security vest making it only a little less graceful. While her armor was light and close fit over her clothes, most of the people around her were some degree of exorbitantly wealthy and wore it so. Others did have armor and the like though, so she wasn't standing out, which was acceptable.

The new Plagueian resident eyed her target as she drew nearer, arriving on the main games floor and looking out over the many booths and chance tables. Her job was to slice into the cardshark droids to obtain certain information. For once, she wasn't just providing a skiffer for some player to use — though any skiffer she programmed had always been able to beat any code or encryption.

The Chiss surveyed her options. She had to get closer to one of the dealer droids if she was going to slice directly into it, but all the tables were full and most had spectators to boot. Waiting for a seat at sabacc it was, then.

Repressing a slight grimace, Scudi walked casually to the closest bar as the Bastion of Raxulon followed her, carrying her larger equipment like a proper servant droid might be expected to despite its being her protection for the night. As she took a seat, the mechanic prepared to wait out her evening in tense boredom. She really didn't enjoy being in more high stakes environments like these, especially ones where she didn't have an easy escape route. Nar Shadda was a mess to navigate, and Club Vertica was a nightmare of private security forces.

There wasn't much a choice, though. Dread Lord Arden Karn expected her to be useful somehow if she was going to stay in his territory, and so obtaining data on his enemies, whoever they were, was to her benefit. At least until she'd established herself a little more…

"Heya."

The greeting was accompanied by a tap on her shoulder, drawing the Chiss from her thoughts and her gaze from the exit locations she'd been memorizing. She turned in her stool expecting a stranger only to find a familiar face looking back at her.

"Ruka?" questioned Scudi, brows furrowing in confusion. The Mirialan man stared back at her with a sheepish smirk and a nod, his long, tied-back dreadlocks shifting with the movement.

"What's up, Scudi?" he replied.

At least it was someone familiar amidst the stress of noise and bodies. "What are you doing here?"

"Andi commed, said you could use some backup on a mission. Wasn't about to leave a friend hanging."

"Andi, did you do that?" the Chiss asked her droid, turning to him. She only remembered a moment later that she was speaking to her Bastion, which merely growled a few beeps indicating it had done no such thing. A pang of longing for her short robotic comrade ached in her chest.

"Ah, it — he, whatever, gave me a message for your too actually. Said it thought you should have a friend there since you wouldn't have him. And, ay, heh, something about a short list of contacts making it easy to pick. I guess I'm flattered. Unless you'd rather I beat it?"

He looked almost as blue as she did under the glow of the club lights, skin deep emerald-aquamarine like ocean foam off of the Isle of New Raxulon on Aliso. His casual smile was radiant bright, white gone ultraviolet. It reminded her of Jaraxxo, one of her only other...friends, and pulled at her stomach.

But what really caught her amaranthine-eyed attention was his weapons and armored robes. They gleamed deadly under the lights, and they didn't look like the sort that the guards and bouncers and other mercenaries here wore. They looked like what she saw around the Plagueians. And that was definitely a lightsaber. She'd been dying to take one apart and learn all its pieces and parts and how they ticked inside and out. But, no one would let her touch theirs, even when she asked and promised to return it in working order eventually. There was only the staff she had to fuss with.

Ruka was here. Ruka was obviously combat-prepared. And, Ruka was likely a Force-User, not that she had proof without a demonstration of power. That meant caution, since she could only guess what sort of creature he was or what lengths he'd go to for personal power, but…

He was here. To be her friend and support, supposedly. That was worth considering. She hadn't had more than really one of those in over a decade.

"You don't have to go," Scudi said at last, waving for a drink she had no intent of imbibing. Everyone else here was drinking; it would help them blend in to have them.

"Well, good. I'd have hated to waste a trip," the Mirialan replied, smiling wider in an undeniably endearing way and reminding Scudi of their first awkward encounter when she'd attempted to flirt. She wondered briefly if she'd get to watch any other women fail the same way by the time they left the bar, and chuckled.

Ruka seemed pleased by her response and carefully sat next to her on a bar stool. But as soon as his easy expression shifted from her, it went tight and hateful. His lip and nose curled, and he kept glaring around, arms crossing and uncrossing. He scoffed the bartender away when she came with Scudi's drink. Scudi nudged him in what she hoped was in a sociable manner.

"You look more uncomfortable than I do."

"I really, really hate gambling. And drinking. And drunks, and gangs. So, yeah, totally my kind of place." The young man's voice was tight with disgusted seething, and Scudi spied a flicker of unnatural gold poisoning his irises. She felt mild alarm.

"I'm not really a big partier either," the Chiss offered. "Not on my own. Did Andi tell you where you were going?"

"Yeah. Being in here makes me want to peel my skin off, you know? But we stick together."

"Well then, I appreciate the willingness even more. Thanks."

He waved her off with a shrug and what might have been a blush, not that she could really discern the colors in here. Well, at least they were both a bit stunted.

"S'what friends do, right?"

"Not really. You must be one of those Jedi I always hear about then, to be so nice."

Her cherry eyes were watching him with a true engineer's unrelenting precision, and so she saw exactly how his face flickered in surprise then settled into reconciliation. Apparently it wasn't too odd to him to be recognized or to hear Jedi spoken of freely. Was he in the Brotherhood?

"Pft. Ay, ay, no. Kinda the opposite actually. I did start with them though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

Time to test the hypothesis. "So which Clan are you with now?"

"None," Ruka answered, surprising her, but his immediate response confirmed her Brotherhood theory. "You could say I'm Arconan or Odanite though, if you had to. Those are the Clans me and my husband run around with. I've met some others too. Don't agree with them all."

His voice grew dark, foreboding. Scudi shrugged her elegant, straight shoulders as she twirled her straw.

"You'd judge everyone just based on where they live or come from instead of their work? Seems harsh."

"Not everyone," protested the man. "And I'd judge based on their work. Like if they're kriffing slavers or tyrants or killers."

"What, you haven't killed?" Scudi questioned, curious.

Ruka looked away, mouth thinning.

They were silent — not that the club was — for a long time after that. The Mirialan seemed angry or upset and lost in thought, and the Chiss was willing to bet it was something to do with all the scars.

It was interesting to learn more. They really didn't know each other, besides one awkward conversation. She hadn't tried to message him since she'd suggested they exchange comm codes, and he hadn't reached out either. They weren't friends. He said as much, but they logically weren't.

And yet, seemingly without question, he'd come all the way from who knew where in the Galaxy at one call from her droid. That suggested a deep kind of loyalty she could appreciate. As long as he'd talk to her again, maybe they could be friendly.

After a few minutes of stilted looks and quiet, she just sighed and shifted her attention back to the sabaac tables. She did have something important to actually do here, and would have to reexamine where she'd gone wrong in the conversation later.

Spying an open few seats, Scudi moved to get up. Her droid and new organic ally instantly reacted, following after. However, the impressively tall Chiss had only made it halfway across the room before a body intercepted her path with the thrust of a meaty arm.

She looked slightly down to find herself face to face with a Twi'lek man of some indiscernible shade between blue and red. He was grizzled and glared at her, stepping right into her path. She took an automatic step back when he got so close as to breathe on her skin.

"And what do you think you're doing?" asked the interloper, and Scudi thought quickly. She hadn't noticed any of the other patrons being accosted yet this evening. Most were just under tight but polite scrutiny as they bet and drank.

"Going to play?" Scudi tried, hedging around the man. He blocked her again, and again she retreated. "Can you back up?"

"I don't think so," hissed the Twi'lek. "I recognize you. I've seen your face before somewhere. We're paid to know the cheaters out there."

Scudi grimaced. She did have a reputation, but she hadn't expected to be noted for any reason. Of course, maybe she should have, at someplace as high-status as Club Vertica.

"I don't know what you mean," the Chiss tried to lie, but to no obvious use. Her voice even strained. Oh, no. The mercenary shifted.

Flashes — memories — played through her mind. A Sephi raising his hand, the strike falling towards her over and over. She flinched in anticipation, all her senses ready to flee and body ready to run for the exits she'd memorized earlier.

But then Ruka was there, pushing her gently behind him and pushing at the Twi'lek too.

"The lady said back off. So. Back. Off," Ruka said loudly but firmly over the music.

The other mercenary laughed. "Or what, punk? Get out of my way or I'll have your kneecaps broken too. This isn't some damsel you're impressing, kid. It's business between businessmen. Dangerous businessmen."

"I said, back off," growled the Mirialan, and his hand shot out in a blur, snatching the other man's. He twisted it viciously, squeezing their aggressor's wrist with what had to be supernatural strength given the crack that sounded. The Twi'lek cried out sharply in sudden pain, pitch increasing to a scream as Ruka leaned forward, leveraging hard enough to force the Twi'lek's knees to buckle. Heads turned their way.

The merc's apparent fellows, two women and another armored figure in a full helmet, descended from the edges of the club. One waiter yelled and another ran to set off some alarm or another, probably. The nearest guests edged away. However, for all that, the endlessly blaring band's music seemed to contain the ruckus to only their small area. Games went on merrily around them.

With a vicious swing of his arm, the Mirialan punched the Twi'lek in the face, sending him to the floor. He looked up then to see the others approaching and cursed.

"Kriff! Get outta here!" Ruka snapped, and Scudi shot him a look.

"I have to access the consoles first. There's data I need. I'm here on a job, didn't Andi tell you?"

Ruka made a disbelieving noise but, for some reason, didn't run off and abandon her just then. Instead he cracked his neck and knuckles and groaned, "Well hurry up then! And stay behind cover! They might start shooting!"

"Happily," replied Scudi, turning and hurrying to the sabaac table on their right that had been abandoned, hearing her droid buzz in anticipation of violence. She crouched and pulled out her datapad, then applied a restraining bolt to the cardshark droid before opening its main panel. The gambling unit whirred but stilled, and she peered into its innards with curiosity. It would be incredibly easy for her to access its databanks, and then she'd have the surveillance feed her client wanted; that fact that the droid would be searched and scrapped very quickly didn't much matter. She'd have the information.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted some intent-looking bouncers in suits approaching.

This was about to get worse.

"Hey, Bastion! I think those guys would like you to give them a hand." Scudi called out to her droid as she nodded in the direction of the fancily dressed thugs making their way towards her Mirialan accomplice. Ducking once more to avoid blaster fire, the Chiss returned to inspecting the inner workings of the droid. It was a pretty standard droid, nothing too out of the ordinary. It wouldn't take her long to get the data she needed, and Bastion would do a good job protecting her, Ruka was an unknown variable and difficult to plan around. Though if afforded extra time, she could really please Arden by directing the heat away from Plagueis.

Meanwhile, Ruka was pleased to have the support of Bastion in his protection of his friend. She'd unknowingly strayed into some areas that Ruka was uncomfortable with, but his main priority was making sure she was safe. The Mirialan moved his hands out in front of his face, raised no higher than his chin. He was ready for the trio approaching him. One of the two women leapt onto a table and charged Ruka, aiming to kick his dome off. The other woman and the armoured figure favoured more conventional attack vectors, assaulting the young man. Ruka had to react quickly. He thrust his hand in the armoured figure's face and kicked his leg into the woman's sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Unfortunately for the Sith, that left him with little time to duck to avoid a boot right to his face. Ruka's head jolted backwards, and he'd have fallen to his back if not for the table behind him. Luckily for Ruka, the drinks that had previously been there had been taken, or he'd have failed there and then. Ruka's assailant then moved herself to the floor, wanting to avoid her face meeting the table. Bastion had turned his attention towards Ruka's struggle, and as a result, the club was filling up with more armed goons. The droid couldn't help Ruka, doing so would lead to them both getting overwhelmed. The logical decision was to fire on the crowd of miscreants headed in their direction to delay their arrival. Several of the figures were able to take cover, but Bastion managed to hit a couple of targets, their bodies dropping to the ground like flies.

"How are you boys doing over there?" Scudi called out to her companions as she was finishing up on extracting the data she needed from the droid. Once she was done, she removed the restraining bolt from the droid and scurried behind it. As much as the rapscallions wanted her for scurrilous accusations of skulduggery, they wouldn't risk destroying their employer's property. There had to be more to this. She'd never personally visited Club Vertica before. That would suggest either one of her clients had sold her out or there was someone with a grudge against her out there. She'd have to think about that later though. Peeking out from behind the droid, Scudi fired off a few shots from her blaster. Distance and her lack of skill meant she failed to hit anyone, though it at least helped Ruka and Bastion maintain their position. "Bastion, take some extra firepower," Scudi called out to the droid as she threw the blaster in the droid's direction. It crashed into the top of the droid's shoulder and bounced up high enough for the droid to adjust its arm to pluck it out of the air. Happy she was adequately protected, Scudi ventured back into the datapad, hoping to be able to clumsily insert the program Plagueis had recovered from some sort of 'Collective' into the club's security system, leading the owners to suspect that the mercenary was working for them.

Ruka had to steel himself, the woman who'd kicked him in the head hadn't stopped attempting to attack him. He'd been somewhat lucky, only taking a few minor blows but he'd have to put aside his dislike for violence against women and pacify her. Scudi came first, the Mirialan coiled the mysterious energy around him into a tight coil around his open hand before slamming it into the ground. A few close tables were overturned, and the woman collapsed onto her back, having been ready to hit Ruka with a knee as he'd lowered his head. Bastion had been slightly unbalanced, but the only side effect was a shot or two hitting the ceiling instead of their intended targets. Realising that all he'd done is delay the problem, Ruka took his lightsaber from his hip and ignited its blue blade. Anyone who came for Scudi was going to regret it. It was clear to the Mirialan that he'd have to get to know this woman more, there was much he didn't know about her. But that could wait until they were safely away from this hive of scum and villainy.

"Uh, guys, I think they figured out coming from one direction wasn't working," Scudi informed the Sith and the droid as she saw men approaching from the opposite direction. "I'll have to finish up remotely, we have to get out of here soon, or we won't be making it out of here at all." She added. Now all she had for self-defence was the staff she'd barely used. Still, the idea of fighting two Sith instead of just one had the potential to thin the opposition's numbers. Taking the weapon out, she held it vertically in front of her and pushed the activation button. Two purple blades shot out, the upper blade running through the gambling droid's head. While a mistake, it certainly caught the attention of the thugs sent after her. Moving away from the now inactive droid, Scudi had to figure out which path would offer the least resistance and be the most effective in their escape.

She determined it would be easier to join Ruka and Bastion and go out the front. It'd be easier to blend into a busy Nar Shaddaa crowd than to navigate a tight back alley. "We're gonna go out the front, start pushing, and I'll catch up when it's safe." Scudi knew she could keep up with Bastion, but figured that if he was using the Force, Ruka could outpace her. She saw blaster bolts firing from Bastion and the security. She couldn't quite see where Ruka was, the droid was obstructing her view slightly, but hoped he was safe. She'd probably be dead already if it weren't for him. Though the escalation was arguably his fault, she could analyse the costs and the benefits if she made it out alive. For now, she was pinned until one of her protectors did something special.