SithLore

Tatooine – Mos Eisley
Outer Rim Territories
Tatoo System
Arkanis Sector

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Silver eyes squinted from under the hood of his robe, attempting not to let the passing sand blur his vision. He peered out from behind the crowd at the colorful hologram that barked announcements of the upcoming heats. The vibrant hologram of a female Twi’lek glowed every shade of blue. She announced the different heats and what times they would be plus the participating swoop racers and what their rankings are throughout the professional circuit. Raphael listened closely as the crowd bickered between themselves on who was the best and whom they were betting for in what heat.

Shades of blue reset and the hologram continued to bark out the same announcements, allowing for the group to disperse and a new group to form. Sandy boots followed the old group as they headed towards the start of the track, walking slowly and continuing to argue. Silence around the group finally came when they stopped in front of an open garage. The excited fans were able to peer in at their favorite racers before they continued on to the track.

A quick smirk came from behind a cloth mask that prevented sand from being inhaled. The Sith eyed one of the racers that was had an excellent reputation, one of the favorites for this open. That specific Bothan was the favorite for every heat he would race today, and it would make some individuals a lot of credits. Though, Raphael had other plans for the skilled Bothan.

Entering the garage, the pale skinned man watched as the Bothan worked on his swoop tirelessly. Raphael stalked the room waiting for his opportunity to arise. He marveled at the adjustments the skilled man had made to his swoop to accommodate his size. It was a magnificent vehicle he had put together, too bad there would have to be some malfunctions.

As if right on cue, the Bothan was called out of the garage to receive some parts he had ordered. Raphael moved in for his chance, silver irises eying his holowatch that contained schematics. He was no expert mechanic but he could easily follow directions on how to sabotage this swoop. Quick tampering was done before the Bothan returned to the garage with a box bigger than him. He hadn’t seen the Sith nor would he detect him with this type of schematic.

To seem less suspicious, Raphael continued to move around the giant garage. Another smirk snuck out at a male Gran named Rhiag examined his swoop in the corner of the garage. A lesser-known competitor, Rhiag would soon be an individual that Raphael would greatly appreciate. The Gran had the backing of the Sith, as the furnished him with the best equipment and modifications that they could purchase. He was a pawn in the grand scheme of the Sith Empire that would further their cause by bringing in more income on this day. If they were to succeed on the day, it would further their revenue to keep the Sith investing in multiple business interests around the galaxy.

Eyes adjusted back to the glaring light of Tatooine’s outside environment as Raphael moved to place a very large bet on a very dramatic long shot. The race was an open one designed by a group based on the planet to allow amateur racers a chance at professional races. Unlike most swoop races, this one would be in five heats of about ten racers. They would race against each other rather than a clock, adding a little bit of drama to the race. The top three racers from each heat move on to race in a winner take all showdown. Regardless of the participants of the last heat, Raphael would make sure this would be a very prosperous day for the Sith.

The sun was blindingly bright that day. The hot air of the desert brought clouds of dust to the crowded street, but everyone was used to it. A lot of hooded figures iddled around or moved around being generally busy, so no one paid any attention to a young woman taking a drink in a stall. Those who noticed she was there knew very well to mind their own business instead of bothering a hutt enforcer. Very few things made people less interested in being in your way than being armed and armored in the hutt space. It could mean either that you were working for someone with enough rep to protect you or that you were looking for serious trouble.

Jade's eyes pierced the crowd, locking themselves in the suspicious youth's back. She sighed, the dathomiri hated to stomp the young ones on their first clumsy attempts at doing dirty work. It only made the talent pool smaller and no one won anything out of it. She finished the glass and got up, already knowing where the saboteur wannabe was going to go next.

The betting house was busy, with the race nearing and all, but a quick exchange in huttesse sealed the deal. She watched as the young man entered the place and made his bet. Then, a quick signal closed the trap around the poor lamb. The customers quickly left the place, and the barman hid in the backside. She sat on his table nonchalantly, putting her feet on the table and starting to sharpen one of her knifes, her carbine set just by her side in plain view.

-So, what do we have here? I don't care who paid you to do this, but I must warn you it wasn't a good idea at all. You can't just walk up and do this kinda thing in someone's territory, you know? You must at least present yourself before entering the game, you fool. Now, take it easy and you may come out of this walking on your own feet.

Raphael moved through the masses, dodging every bump and nudge from the filthy individuals on this planet. He usually didn’t mind the lesser individuals skulking around his business interests, but this planet seemed slimier than the others. He pushed passed this, focusing on the massive payday he was about to have. The heats would be starting within the next hour, and he wanted to make sure his bets were already received.

The betting house was jammed packed with people attempting to solidify last minute deals and stealing mind bending drinks from the waitresses. Raphael thought he had enough of an eye on every individual in this building before he finally made his way to the betting counter. He wanted to make sure he did his recon before completing a risky transaction.

Arriving at the counter, Raphael held out a datapad. This datapad included the specific bets on the specific heats, racers who he KNEW would win. Along with the bets included a transaction request of the betting house to be completed. His pale hands slid the pad across the counter as the barman moved closer, looking a bit disturbed.

His heart began to beat faster and faster as he saw a trickle of sweat run from the head of the barman, a simple look of the eye was hard to manage for him. He drew the datapad closer and looked to exit the building as the barman ducked behind the bar. The man quickly scurried on his hand and knees to the back room of the bar as Raphael looked over the countertop.

A quick turn revealed the customers as well scurrying from the betting house as some sort of signal had been triggered. Silver eyes watched as they funneled out of the few exits of the building. Raphael turned back to the bar, placing the datapad within his robe and grabbing a drink. He awaited a greeting from the mastermind behind this apparent trap.

His interest was peaked as he turned around to meet the voice of a woman sitting very comfortably at a table. She was not a shy one to present her evident toughness to the young Sith. Glass met his lips as he took a few sips of the fruity drink. His elbow met the bar top as he leaned back to match her posture.

“You speak to me as if you know my business upon this planet. There is no game, only a simple bet to gain a little more pocket change.”

Raphael stood up from the bar top and began to move towards the exit. He figured if he could slip out without confrontation, then he could find another betting house willing to accept his bet.

“Now, If you will excuse me from whatever game you are trying to play.” Raphael attempted the leave the building.