Topic: Ace Of Spades
[size=2]Chapter One: Pazaak[/size]
“Game!” I shouted.
This was about my twentieth game of the day, and I still held the title of 'undefeated pazaak champion'. The Duros across the table was obviously furious, his dark blue skin turned bright purple within seconds. He jumped from his seat and created a scene in the cantina, accusing me of cheating. Every time I win a damned match at pazaak, I always hear the same excuse for failure; “You cheated!” or, “That was all a fluke!”. When is someone just going to accept the fact that I'm better than them?
“Don't get mad because you don't have the skills to beat me.” I taunted as I rested my feat on the pazaak table.
The Duros grew a little huffy, but he decided not to push the argument. A wise choice, since there were plenty of guards watching the scene. He simply walked away with a glare, which didn't bother me. I watched as he stormed out of the cantina, and then piled the cards in a neat stack.
“Any more challengers?” I asked as I shuffled the cards. A middle-aged man came over to the empty seat across from me, and took a seat.
“I'm up for a game, sure.” he said.
“How many credits do you want to bet?” I asked.
He crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling to think. “How about 100?” he offered.
“Sounds good to me.” I replied. “Do you want to add any cards to your bet?”.
“No no, just credits.”.
I finished shuffling the deck and set it neatly on the center of the table. With that being done I took out all of the cards from my pocket, and began to ponder on which cards to use for my side deck. I had a pretty good collection of cards, I've been saving the rare ones ever since I first played the addictive game. I had from the default card of +1 to the unique and airy card such as +2/-2T. My deck seemed unbeatable. After a while of thinking, I decided to use the following cards:
+5/-5
D (double)
+1/-1T
-7
My deck was unbeatable. I picked out my lucky side deck, same four cards nearly all the time. I laid my cards facing down, and waited for the opponent to ready. By the look of his face he was choosing his cards with care, thinking of all the results and consequences of his selections. After a minute or two, he was ready to play. He set his cards face down and looked up to my eyes.
“Your move.” he said. “What's your name by the way?” he asked friendly.
“I'm Ace Ren,” I introduced. “and you are?”.
“I'm Reche, and I'm not one who gives out my last name to strangers.”.
I smiled and drew a card from the deck. I picked up a +10 card, a rather lucky draw. I set the card face up above my side deck, and awaited for him to continue the game. He reached for the stack, and removed the top card from the deck. When he looked at it, he frowned, and I smiled. Reche laid the card down, revealing a +1. I chuckled slightly, shaking my head. I picked up my face down D (double) card from the side deck, and added it to the +10 card I received earlier. My total was now 20, just the right amount.
Reche sighed loudly as he brushed his hair back with his hand. “Not the best luck I'm having.” he said.
“Guess not.” my reply had a little bit of mockery in it, but I don't think he noticed.
Reche grabbed another card from the main deck, and laid it down next to his +1. It was a +9 card, giving him the total of 10. He looked at his face down side deck, trying to remember what was available for use. After a short moment, he once again pulled another card from the deck. He looked a little happier. He showed me another +9 card in his hand, making his total 19.
He looked back down at his side deck, and showed a little grin on his face. He put his hand on the third card from the left, and flipped it over to show a +1T. My jaw partly dropped. Both of our totals were 20, but since he used the +1T card, he won the round.
“Guess I am getting some luck today!” Reche said delighted.
All I could say was, “Guess so.”.
Both Reche and I collected all of the cards used in that round and moved them off to the side. Both of us remained with only three cards from our side deck left, and the score was 0-1. By this time a small audience has gathered around our table to watch what remained of the match.
Being slightly nervous I drew a card from the deck, it was a +8. As I set the card on the table, Reche had already grabbed a card from the deck. He showed the audience, and then me. It was a +20, which was the only one placed inside the main deck. The small crowd applauded slightly.
“Damn.” I snorted out loud.
“There isn't any need for profanity, son. It's only a game.” Reche said.
“Yeah, okay.” I pretended to care.
As the old geezer lay back in his chair, I continued the game. My next card came out to be a +7, making my total 15. I remembered the +5/-5 card I had in my side deck, but I didn't want to waste that card just to tie. I decided to take a risk, and drew another card. Luckily, it came out to be a +4, leaving me with 19. I then adjoined my admirable +1/-1T card, making the total 20, which gave me the win. The assemblage of people cheered for the intense game of pazaak.
“Damn...” Reche lightly whispered.
“There's no reason for profanity. It's just a game.” I mocked. Reche glared at me, but had no reply. I felt proud of myself for making him feel stupid.
Now my side deck only had two cards left in it, and Reche had three. But at least we were even in the score, which was 1-1. Once again we cleared up the used cards, and set them aside.
“I'll start the round this time.” Reche winked at me.
“Fine.”.
Reche reached for a card, and looked at the +10 font engraved in the middle of the card. He laid the card down, to show me and the crowd of people, what he drew. As I extended my arm out for a card, a woman in the small crowd shouted, “He's cheating!”. I stopped moving, freezing my arm in the air hovering above the main deck of pazaak cards.
I looked at the woman in the audience, she was pointing at Reche. Suddenly guardsmen came rushing to the pazaak table, grabbing him by his arms. They lifted him up out of his chair, which showed him pulling a D (double) card out from his sleeve.
“This is outrageous, put me down!” Reche shouted. The uniformed guards had no reply for Reche, they simply carried him out of the cantina. “Serves him right!” words could be heard. “Disgraceful, pitiful!”.
After a few moments, everyone had departed from the pazaak table I was seated at, and went away to do something else enjoyable in the cantina. I let out a huge sigh of relief, I thought I had been caught. After looking around to check if anyone was looking, I hurried to take the +2/-2T card out from my sleeve, and neatly piled it with my deck.
Yeah, the Duros and everyone else was right, I cheat. But at least I'm good at it, and I don't get caught. Once my deck of cards was placed inside my jacket pocket, I got out from my seat, pushed the chair into the table, and walked outside of the cantina. A rodian guard, one of the guards who helped escort Reche out, came up to me as I exited.
“Your credits, for winning the match.” he spoke in galactic basic. He reached his hand out holding one hundred credits. I didn't hesitate to accept the credits from his hand.
“Thanks.” I said as he turned and walked back into the cantina.
I looked around Nar Shaddaa, it was a horrible sight to see, but it was home. I grew tired, and decided that the day was at it's end. I slowly walked down the ramps that hovered a thousand levels above the surface, and headed for home.