Renall made eye contact with one of his security officers who nodded at him and cut his eyes at the rubes.
The rubes were the ones to watch, for the most part. They drank too much and got too happy with their credits at the tables and other games. They occasionally wanted more from a Gurley than what they had paid for and then tried to get rough with them. They often fought each other, either on the floor or in the chambers above where they’d taken sleeping rates and rights.
Renall strolled past the tables. All of his dealers were indentured, but all of them got a small cut of their daily profits. He was nothing if not fair. He knew that when indentureship ended, far too many former indentureds ended up with nothing but a small bag of clothes and a thank you and see you later. It was cheaper to take on more indentureds than it was to keep skilled workers in most of the galaxy, and so that system continued unabated. He wanted his to have a chance at starting a life outside of that. A few of his former indentureds were still there, and he had the logic to realize that they needed to have more than one skill. Several former dealers were now security. Several former security indentureds now ran the upper rooms, making sure that the chambers were kept clean and fresh and the furnishings unbroken. It was a good setup, and he enjoyed it, even if he did not care for Orbitary itself.
The planet was too restrictive and controlling for his liking, not to mention expensive.
Clara’s table was packed. Renall stood some distance behind the table, watching closely. She dealt fair. That was the first thing that drew the crowd in. She was a challenge, which also drew a crowd. She had been there for a matter of weeks and already had a reputation as being an incredible player. The few who beat her were happy to brag that they had won a hand against the steeliest carder in the system.
His lips twitched as he considered that. It was a high compliment and that she had earned it so easily and quickly was a huge testament to her skill level.
His eyes went to her bare shoulders gleaming around the colorful dress she wore. He had to blank his mind or risk being spotted with a telltale bulge in his suit.
A shout at the other end of the hall caught his attention. Sure enough, two rubes were fighting. Security quickly moved in and stopped it. Renall’s attention went back to Clara.
His eyes landed on the face of the Borgite who had been at her table the night before when she had won that large pot. Borgites were the most rational of all creatures, and he wondered why the creature even played the game. Logic stated it was not the best game to win. Maybe that was the reason why. The Borgites played for the sheer pleasure of it and only after assessing all the odds.
Clara lost a hand to the Borgite a few minutes later. She did it with a genuine smile of pleasure too. In fact, her eyes glowed as she cried out, “You caught me!” and slid over the credits.
The Borgite stood, and then it doffed its hat and bowed its head. Renall’s mouth fell open. Borgites rarely, if ever, showed respect for anyone or anything. That this one had spoke volumes.
He drew closer. The other players drifted off to seek fresh amusements while Clara and the Borgite settled out the credits. As Renall reached the table, the Borgite took a hundred credit chip from the vast pile.
The Borgite spoke. “This is for the pleasure of the game.” He set it on the table. Clara smiled up at the creature. “Thank you very much. I appreciate that.”
The Borgite tucked away the credits and strolled off. Renall drew the walls and spoke. “Very good game.”
Her eyes met his. “I lost the last hand.”
“One out of three is not bad.”
Clara’s eyes danced. “True. Those are pretty good odds. But the earlier pots were very small. I am afraid he took off with all the profits from the first two games, so I am exactly at zero.’
“The day’s young.” His eyes ran over her again. The dress emphasized the creamy swell of her breasts and the glistening black silk of her hair. He spoke again. “You do know you have already gained quite the reputation here.”
“Have I?” She tucked the hundred-credit chip into the small bag she kept for the tips she earned at the table, and which she was not obligated to share.
“Oh yes. I almost hate to see you go when your time is done.”
Her shoulders drew down a little. “I have to admit I have not given too much thought to what happens when I am no longer in your debt.”
The walls provided soundproofing as well as invisibility. That emboldened him. “No?”
“No.” Her eyes met his. He read uncertainty there. “I don’t think I could go back, even if I were in possession of my file and without the chip. My face is too well known. I also don’t have a single clue what else is out there. But you said eventually you will sell this hall, and I am also not sure I want to work for anyone else.”
Her eyes fell to the cards in her hands. She fanned them neatly then stacked them with quick, sure movement. “This planet of yours, is that—I mean, that’s your future?”
He didn’t talk about that planet too often, not unless he was speaking to his allies or brothers. He took a seat at the table. “Yes. I…we grew up on the ship after our home planet, Revant, was destroyed by a warp suck. After our ship was taken, we were taken to the mines in Sonagis, so we never had much in the way of a home.”
Her brow wrinkled. “I don’t know where that is.”
“It’s nowhere.” The past was always there, just waiting to trap him into its misery. He drew a breath. “My family was captured by Gorlites and the cargo ship they owned seized.”
Her frown grew deeper. “Gorlites?”
“They’re without a homeland. Parasites. They capture ships and ride them until they are junked then take another. They took my father’s ship and killed him, my mother, and most of the crew. Those of us who survived were left in the outlying world. Sonagis.”
Clara’s mouth hung open. “They just…they just dumped you?”
