mismanagement | Open RP

"Smart man," Harper murmured, eyes bright. He stepped over Krennic's unfortunate Death Trooper without looking, smiling all the while. Oh, it was good he'd answered Maketh's call. The credits aside, he hadn't had this much fun in years. And to think he'd called the assignment boring.

Things could change so quickly. Harper rather liked that about his business.

"Tarkin has generous amenities," Harper said, one hand on his hip. His eyes never left Krennic. Such a fun little game this was. It might go wrong at any moment. There was already a body on the floor. But it might also get interesting. He had a feeling Krennic was the type who could ignore a little blood when it suited him. "It would be a shame not to use them. Do show me the brandy, Krennic. I'm in a celebrating mood."

Things were going according to plan, after all. Very soon, Harper would have what he wanted. His niece would find herself in a precarious position quite soon and with only one ally left to turn to. No doubt she'd lose a great deal in the undertaking, but it was important to suffer a little in order to achieve greatness.

Besides, she was the daughter of Maize Rosen. She would endure and make her family proud.

He was still aware of Harper's every move. He could drink a lot more before his judgment was compromised, a talent which had stuck with him his entire life. He tapped a few buttons on the console and it wasn't long before a protocol droid entered with three bottles- two bottles of brandy and a bottle of red wine.

The droid excused itself after setting the bottles down on the desk between them, bowing slightly before existing the room.

He is indeed generous and it would be a pity not to take advantage of that," Krennic pointed out as he opened the bottle of brandy. This time he didn't bother with the glass, enjoying reverting to his wilder younger days for a moment as he drank from the bottle before passing it to Harper.

No doubt his own men would disapprove of this outing, though Harper knew they'd stand guard no matter what happened. They were hidden close by and if Krennic's Death Troopers had noticed them, the man had been polite enough to keep the information to himself.

Besides, there was always someone watching. It was part of the game.

Harper accepted the bottle with a wicked grin. No glass for Krennic this time. Someone knew how this went. "And here I thought I would hate everything you are. But for an honorless bastard, you have good taste."

He raised the bottle in salute and drank, though not as deeply as it might have appeared. There was always a game. Always a trick that might be played, and though Harper might look like he was going to be wasted soon, that would have let things end far too quickly. Better to see what Krennic would try next.

"Let's make this more interesting. There was game I invented many years ago that made the night more interesting," he said as he looked around Tarkin's desk. The man was entirely too neat, but he finally found an Imperial credit coin.

"It's a simple game. We take turns flipping the coin and before it lands the other person calls heads or tails. If you lose you have the option of taking a drink or taking off a piece of clothing. However, you cannot make the same choice more than once," he explained as he flipped the coin up before catching it.

"Do you accept the challenge?"

Harper laughed, delighted. "Wicked man. I like your game. And I accept."

Happily, even. If he couldn't kill Krennic in a decent fight, then why not make things interesting? Harper abhorred boredom, after all.

"I knew you wouldn't back down from such a challenge," Krennic remarked with a grin as he played with the coin between his fingers.

"I'll let you call first then," he said as he flipped the coin up high, catching it and placing it on the back of his hand without looking at it yet. "Your call."

"How generous of you," Harper murmured, eyes wide and very bright. He wasn't yet drunk, but getting there. That was part of the risk. How far could this go?

Either way, it would certainly be interesting.

"Heads, I think."

Harper smiled. "Now play."

Krennic uncovered his hand to reveal the coin on his palm which sat with the Imperial symbol showing instead of the image of the Emperor. He had a feeling the evening had just begun.

"Tails. So you have a choice. Either an article of clothing comes off or take a shot," he said as he watched Harper intently

Decisions, decisions.

Harper only smiled, and began unclipping his gauntlets.

"Your turn, Krennic. Do make it interesting."

He rolled the coin over to Harper with a grin.

"Flip then," he said as he leaned back in his chair. He played to win, after all.

Free of his gauntlets, Harper let them fall carelessly onto the desk. Tarkin's desk. Let the man wonder what had been done there and by whom. Small acts of disrespect left Harper with a cheerful feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He walked the coin over his knuckles, another trick he'd learned in disreputable cantinas, and smiled. Then he flipped it up in the air and let it land, hiding it with his hands. "Call it, friend."

They were not friends. It was quite possible they'd get drunk and fuck, to the horror of his niece and whoever Tarkin had watching the place, but they were not friends. Not that it mattered one way or another. Harper liked this game.

"Tails." He was more than happy to give Tarkin something to watch just to make the grand moff suffer a little bit more. He had no doubt that Tarkin had the place recorded at all times so this would give him something interesting. It was the least he could do.

Krennic had no delusions either. He lived his life as someone with no attachments to anyone, except perhaps Galen. Anything else was just fun, an amusing diversion for a long night.

"Ohh," Harper murmured, revealing the coin. "Such a shame."

The Emperor's head gleamed back up at them.

Harper smiled and walked the coin across his bare knuckles. "Whatever will you do?"

"Hmm, I believe I have a solution." He paused with a smirk on his lips before standing slightly to unclasp his cape, never taking his eyes off of Harper. He gathered the fabric into his arms before placing the cape over the chair and settling back down in his seat.

"I believe it's my turn now." He held out his hand for the coin, pleased.

Such a proud man, Harper thought. Under any other circumstance he would have sneered at the arrogance.

In this one, he rather liked it.

"A shame I came in armored," Harper murmured, flicking the coin into Krennic's palm. It would take far longer for him to get out of his clothes than it would Krennic. "How ever will you catch up?"

"I believe I'll find a way," he assured him as he caught the coin and flipped it. He was confident that he could get the Mandalorian to shed his clothes before he got drunk. It would be close, though.

"Alright, call." The coin was smacked on the palm of his hand as he met Harper's gaze.

Harper laughed, flicking a nail against his teeth. "I usually do."

Of course. He was almost fifty and still alive. Scarred and perhaps a bit weathered, but still fighting.

"Tails this time, I think."

"I have no doubt of that."

Krennic lifted his hand to show the Imperial symbol looking up at them. "Well, now that was a lucky call," he chuckled as he flipped the coin back to Harper easily. He was starting to get drunk but his hand was still steady.

Harper caught it lazily. "Perhaps we ought to make it more challenging, hmm? Double the odds. What do you say?"

"Oh? How so?" He loved a good challenge and it had been far too long since he had been able to have an evening like this with anyone who could keep up with him. He had learned to function while hungover so he wasn't worried about the consequences of this night.

"Hmm." Harper smiled, tipping his head to the side. Once his hair had been quite long. In those days, he'd had a habit of braiding it with colorful beads and string, and fussing with them in order to draw the attention of whatever mark he happened to be focused on. It had made them focus on his face and not where his free hand was, which - more often than not - had left him free to snatch a weapon. Alas, he'd gotten set on fire a few months back and the resulting nonsense had ruined his braids.

Such a shame. They would have come in handy here.

"It's not complicated." Harper smiled, flipping the coin into the air and catching it. Just for something to do. He hated holding still. "The rules hardly change at all. But if you win...well."

Harper leaned in close, teeth bared. It might have counted as a threat in certain circles.

"I'll let you pick what I do next."

"Hmm I suppose it's only fair to return the favor. You win, you choose what I do. Same rules, you can't choose the same thing more than twice," he agreed with a wave of his hand. He was aware of every move Harper made, his education had been more extensive than just formal instruction.

"And I call tails."

"Good man."

Whether or not Krennic truly intended to play fairly remained to be seen. Either way, Harper found himself enjoying the game. Regardless of outcome, the night had proven unexpected.

He flipped the coin into the air and caught it, baring it against his arm. "Hmm. You chose wisely, Krennic."

Tails it was.

Harper tipped his head to the side. "What ever shall you pick?"

"Breastplate. That armor can't be comfortable at all," Krennic said with a gesture. "And I have to try to even things out a little, don't I?"

He had no intention of getting too drunk, he liked to remember most of his evenings if he could.

Harper laughed softly. "How considerate of you."

Not that he was complaining.

He set the coin down between them and began unbuckling his armor. Underneath he had a compression shirt on, nondescript but snug. Harper had a feeling he'd be losing that soon enough.

Carefully, he shrugged out of the chest plate. He wasn't nearly so careful letting it hit the ground. It was tough armor. It would survive.

Tarkin's carpet, probably not.

Harper lifted his chin. Part of him wondered what Krennic would do if Harper just reached out and pinned him against the desk. Probably shoot him. "You I like, Imperial."

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