Art Credits-
"Tasha'Vel Versea" Commission by KaRolding on DeviantArt
Eye color edited by Sister_of_SHIELD

Song Credits-
"Mamacita" by Lil Yachty, feat. Rico Nasty
Recommended to listen to as background music, but certainly not necessary.
   

    "You don't strike me as the high-roller kind."
   
    He chuckled in his low, raspy voice before bringing a freshly-lit cigarra to his lips. While he tilted his head away to avoid puffing smoke in her face, his eyes never broke contact with the Twi'lek. A body-hugging mulberry dress displayed her tempting figure, also contrasting brilliantly with her striking blue eyes. It was those mesmerizing eyes that he couldn't get his gaze off of.

    A coquettish smile graced her lips before she slightly dipped her head. The blinding lights of the Canto Bight's casino danced across her peripheral vision, slowly pulling her back to her senses, though her focus remained trained on the affluent man.

    "Then tell me, Mr. Ryashu, what do I strike you as?"

    She lifted a delicate hand and laid it across his shoulder, gently trailing her fingers towards his neck and pulling him in. Her powder-blue and black lekku swayed gently at her waist, emulating the grace that her aura emitted.

    "How about a fine broad that belongs somewhere more... secluded?" Intoxication was heavily laced into his tone. Whether it was from the Gamorrean Ale or her heady presence, his senses were too blurred to think coherently. He was bound to make decisions he would regret tomorrow... if he could even remember them.

    Perhaps, if he hadn't obtained such a muddled intuition, then he might've noticed her sour reaction to his words. It was only slight; her lips puckering in distaste and her eyebrows furrowing, but in mere moments it was gone. Her flirtatious demeanor settled back into her movements, only now she was tugging him towards a card table.

    "With any luck, I might prove you wrong," she smirked. "Deal me in."

    Ryashu leaned against the table and nodded to the card dealer to do the same. "This table's stakes are high, pretty lady. Are you sure about this?"

    Without breaking eye contact, the Twi-Lek withdrew a pouch mounding with chips and slammed it onto the table. Her voice was flooded with confidence as she countered, "Are you?"

    He chortled at her cocky response, shaking his head as he added his share of chips. The other players that occupied the table weren't hard to read; the human to his right side was the kind that couldn't roll higher than a four at any given time, so made charisma his best quality. The Chiss across the table was uninterested in the profitable side of the game, seeing that his wealth wouldn't even be dented if he lost a couple thousand credits. The being that would prove to be the most difficult was certainly the Keshiri. She needed the money, possessed the skill, and would only need luck on her side to gain a strong hand.

    So, the only undetermined variable was the Twi'lek. Normally he could judge anyone as if they were an open book, but she was proving to be quite difficult. Of course, that could've just been the excessive Gamorrean Ale coming into play...

    "Seems like you've played a time or two," he noted aloud, observing as she studied her hand closely while bearing no emotion.

    "You might say I'm a bit of a casino chick."

    The corner of her lip twitched in amusement at his intrigued reaction. She knew exactly what game she was playing, and she wasn't talking about poker. Ryashu, given the exception of his poker face, was a transparent and simple man. His youth was spent in luxurious penthouses, yachts, and posh starships, which then transformed into an adulthood of taking over the family's business. Not a day in his life had ever gone by when he held concern for his future, which wasn't unlike the other citizens of Canto Bight. He was also a man of guilty pleasures, which was an angle she was trying to expose.

    Without warning, the Twi'lek's posture slumped and her free hand flew to her temple. Her breaths grew a bit shallow before she darted her gaze to Ryashu.

    "Are you feeling unwell?" He asked, leaning over and supporting her with his arm. An unsavory scowl settled on her face as his hand ventured a bit further than necessary, complete with her wiggling out of his grasp and waving him off.

    "I'm quite alright," she assured him, shifting her weight off of the poker table. "Just a touch dehydrated from the alcohol. Be a dear and watch my cards, will you?"

With a wink, she laid her cards face-down on the table and sashayed off to a nearby refresher. He would be lying if he said he hadn't watched her leave as intently as he had, lust written on his features.

~

"It's been a rather lively night," the Twi'lek announced very pointedly as she walked into the 'fresher. Her strides flowed like silk, gracefully carrying her body with poise as prideful as royalty. Heels held virtually no insubordination to her steps. Responding to her cue, a brunette woman emerged from the shadows on the opposite side of the room.

"I'm sure it has been," the human mused. "You've got the all-clear, sir."

"Already?" She observed her image in the mirror keenly, readjusting her mulberry dress before applying a new layer of lipstick. "They're becoming quite efficient. It seemed like just yesterday when I was having to finish their job for them."

The brunette pursed her lips in a grimace. Oftentimes agents assigned to their missions were so inexperienced and unskilled that it was easier for the Twi'lek to complete the task single-handedly.

"Well, if you'd excuse me, I have a lovely game of poker to finish." She flashed the human a knowing smirk, then chasséd out of the refresher with oozing confidence. Once again, she was enveloped in the flashing lights and swinging music. Hoards of filthy rich stumbled around to her left, completely drunk out of their mind while a group of female Twi'leks and Togrutas dressed in skimpy clothing danced on a stage. The entire scene was revolting to her, but a job was a job. And, unfortunately, she was one of the few that could carry it out incredibly well.

"Feeling better?" Ryashu inquired, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. It took all of her willpower to not shimmy her way away from him and punch his face in. Instead, she pushed down her disgust and displayed a flirtatious facade, allowing her frame to remain pressed against his.

"Good enough to sweep the floor clean with you all," she bloviated to the players, her eyes sparkling in amusement as she plucked her cards off of the table and fanned them out in her hands. They remained unchanged from before, assuring her that no one had tampered with her hand.

"All this talk, but you've got nothing to show," the Chiss from across the table hissed in annoyance. Ryashu shot him a spiteful glare for disrespecting the woman he was so deeply infatuated with, but the Twi'lek merely let out a sharp 'tsk tsk tsk'.

"Do hold your breath," she said in a reprimanding tone. "People consider me to be a... woman of surprises."

An uncomfortable tension settled across the sentients as the game ensued. Prying glances were thrown back and forth, but the Twi'lek's deadpanned-expression didn't clue them in on anything. Finally, clearing her throat, she turned to Ryashu and asked, "Have you heard the tale of the Dead Man's Hand?"

    Ryashu chortled at her comment, though couldn't help but flicker his glance down at his hand. Even if it was subtle, the Twi'lek could still feel the muscles in his arms twitch. A small smirk grew on her lips as she studied the reflection of a passing man's sunglasses, confirming her suspicions.

    "Indeed. I've heard the fable before."

    She innocently looked up from her cards and into his eyes before rebutting, "If I recall correctly, Mr. Ryashu, there was no fallacy to it. Two aces, two eights, and a queen of hearts," she paused, leaning in towards him and whispering in his ear, "with a drop of the dead man's blood on it."

    The bewildered expression was never given the chance to leave his face. The seconds passed no faster than honey on ice, prolonging the Twi'lek's outstandingly limber movements that followed. Her muscles rippled underneath her dress in a supple manner, highlighting the beauty of her figure as she sprung from the floor and onto the table.

    Displaying acrobatic skills one wouldn't expect from a lady of such poise and serenity, she pushed off of the surface, forming her back into a perfect arch. Her fingers relinquished their grip on her cards, causing them to flutter delicately to the ground in her wake. As soon as her hand was free, she allowed it to trail down her leg and unsheathe her hidden blade. The hollow ring of metal echoed throughout the casino as it left its holder and sliced through the air.

    She tucked her legs in and allowed the momentum to complete her flip, then precisely brought her weapon down upon Ryashu. A fine stream of blood misted the vicinity when the sharp edge lacerated the skin on his chest, barely missing vital organs and arteries. Her heels, also seemingly razor-sharp, dug into his gut as she landed on him. His body crashed to the ground with a sickening crack.

    Despite the drunken stupor of their peers, several security guards emerged from the crowds, reacting upon their quick reflexes and firing rounds of blaster fire at the Twi'lek. She used the blade to reflect several shots before overturning the poker table and ducking behind it. While it shielded her from further blaster fire, several guards that were near her had begun to approach.

    The first was athletic and skilled in martial arts... though her wits weren't as quick as her feet. She spun herself into a solid kick that would inflict serious damage if delivered correctly, but didn't have the foresight to predict the Twi'lek simply ducking and lifting her sword enough to slice open the skin of her leg. She groaned in agony and dropped to the floor, though any sympathy that the Twi'lek held for her was either not displayed or nonexistent.

    Next came the use of a close-ranged pistol. The proximity of the shots made it difficult for her simply dodge them, so she opted to hastily retrieve the blaster from the first guard's belt and blew a hole through the man's chest.

    She almost wasn't prepared for the third one to advance on her. This time a taser wand was being used, which elevated the game she'd need to play to make it out alive. His strikes were quick, calculated, and impossibly efficient. While she made no errors with her evasive techniques and self-defense, it was apparent what the outcome of the dual would be. The Twi'lek's breaths were growing rapid and shallow as the pair continued to fight, and overall sloppiness of her moves ensued.

    It wasn't until she barely leaned her head enough to avoid being tased when an idea finally struck her. She shifted her sword to her left hand, lowering herself to the ground and grazing her fingertips across the floor until they encounter a few playing cards. With astounding accuracy, she powerfully flicked it at her attacker's eyes.

    His reflexes enabled him to deflect the card, but the distraction was enough for her to swing her sword up and sever the hand that gripped the taser. His bloodcurdling scream was enough to send chills up her spine, though it was silenced after she slammed the hilt of her sword harshly upon his head.

    "Stop!" She said with an annoyed growl, defiantly standing up from her position. "This is matters of the New Republic, and frankly out of your jurisdiction. Continue about your business."

    Whether it was due to her declaration or the sight of the three defeated guards, she wasn't completely sure, but the others tentatively obeyed her and awkwardly shuffled off. The majority of the citizens had already fled out of the building, but the ones that had been drunk or nosy enough to remain simply continued their conversations, passing her a wary glance from time to time.

    While correcting her posture and dusting off her dress, a particular card strewn across the ground attracted her attention. She lowered to the floor and retrieved it, gently sliding her thumb across it as she strode to a bleeding Ryashu.

    "Help me!" He croaked, coughing up drops of blood before allowing his body to go slack once more. "I'm dying..."

    The Twi'lek rolled her eyes. He was most certainly not dying and would be perfectly fine if his mouth remained shut.

    "Tell me, what does this card look like to you?"

    He opened his eyes enough to observe the slip of paper between her finger, tensing in fear as the reality began to settle in.

    "Ironic," she chortled. "A queen of hearts, no? And, oh my, look at this," she held up the card and gestured to a deep burgundy stain on it, "a drop of your blood."

    He squirmed as she stepped closer, desperately trying to escape the Twi'lek while not inflicting further pain upon himself, but it was useless. She extracted a syringe from the side of her boot, carefully removing the cap and readying the injection.

    "Don't kill me! Please! I have lots of money, just name your price..."

    "Such a coward." She shook her head in annoyance, then administered the mere sedative before standing up. Truth be told, it wasn't in the mission description, but dragging away idiots was much easier when they were unconscious.

    "You see," she began, side-eying Ryashu as he tried to fight off the sedative. "I honestly suck at gambling. I believe the highest card in my hand was a six..."

    She halted mid-stride, reaching up to rub her palm across her cheek. Much to his alarm, the previous blue tint of her skin faded away to reveal a neutral, human tone. An amused chuckle reverberated in her throat as her fingers trailed up to her forehead, then stopped and began prying.

    People amongst the crowd gasped as her 'lekku' inanimately dropped to the floor, allowing beautiful, jet-black hair to cascade down her back.

    "But you'll never see a poker face as kriffing fine as mine."

   
Chapter 1 will be released shortly. I'd like to give a special thanks to all of my followers and friends on Wattpad, given that they've helped me through a recent period of time where I seriously considered to stop writing. I might've not been active much on the app recently, but the comments and notifications meant more to me than I can explain.