Shhh... It's Plot exposition, It has to go somewhere.

A pair of six sided dice bounced across a green felt table, as Lone Starr grinned wildly, before grimacing.

"Ah SHIT! I Crapped." The sandy haired man brushed his hair back from his face and looked at me with a distracted stare.

"Not now, Barf, I'm down fifty thousand Spacebucks, and do you know where the pink slip for the Winnebago is?"

"The Eagle Five? Boss, you gotta be kidding me, the Princess said..." I grimaced, thinking about how Vespa was waiting for me back in the hotel room. Much as I really didn't want to hurt my buddy again, his wife had some serious needs. She had said to get him away from the tables in any way possible, and so far neither the suggestion of a topless floor show or group of rich dumb Ulvarians had worked. Which was kinda bugging me because there was nothing the boss used to like more than fleecing Ulvarians. It didn't hurt them any, because there were always more Ulvarians on the next ship, at least that's how the boss explained it to me.

"No, no it's fine, my credit's good here. Perks of being a Prince." Lone Starr announced again loudly, his white jacket with epaulets sparkling as he flashed his new, gaudier Schwartz ring at the cashier.

"You know Monsieur... I don't think that last roll counted." The croupier hastily commented. "Would Monsieur care to roll again?"

"Hey Boss, why is he speaking with a Octavian accent?" I asked the my boss, who merely smiled and kissed his ring.

"Just my winning personality." He grinned again, and scooped up the dice. "So... As I said. Pink Slip, check the glove compartment."

"Boss, come on... That's my home too." I argued, thinking about my personal hydrant, all my tools, and my spare jumpsuits. He wouldn't have put those up for collateral, would he? I would really hate to have to go back to sleeping on the floor. A Mawg has his needs, after all.

"Oh, it's fine, we'll just ask the King for a bigger one." Lone Starr grinned madly as the dice came up a perfect seven in response to the wave of his hand. "See... see, that's what I'm talking about. You just get me that pink slip, and we'll be back in the black in NO time here... Come on... baby needs a new set... Uh... Hey Barf, what does the kid need?"

"Well, uh... you know you should really go see the Princess... speaking about that."

Vespa's message to me had been that she would be fucking the first cock to walk through her bedroom door, and it was up to me to make certain it was her husband. Part of the problem with the loyal retainer job is that you sometimes have to make certain that things happen for people. As it was, I knew for a fact that the boss considered spending time with Vespa to be a chore left best to appliances.

"Oooh, aren't you lucky tonight..." A brilliant redhead in a green dress sidled up to the table, smiling madly at Lone Starr, who nodded in response before throwing the dice again.

"All in the wrist. What's your hourly rate, gorgeous?" He smiled at the woman, appraising her like he would a piece of meat.

For a second the woman looked shocked and offended, before her demeanor became more professional.

"Five Hundred Spacebucks an Hour, and if you want to kiss me it's an extra fifty Spacebucks." She snorted roughly, looking over at me with a softer expression. "Any kinky shit costs double."

"Oh, I never pay that much for pussy." Lone Starr argued, throwing the dice again to a cheer from the crowd. "Unless you're a virgin, but I gotta tell you, that's way overrated."

The two of them continued to dicker over the price as the game continued, and I beat a hasty retreat towards the exit of the blacklit room complete with the garish star patterns on the floor. I was a bit nervous, still thinking about the Winnebago. He wouldn't just sell it, would he? It wasn't like the last time when he'd put up collateral to Pizza the Hutt and had the luck to have the asshole drop dead before the bill came due. I still was terrified of the thought of that disgusting oozed cheese in my fur, and my ears twitched involuntarily at the thought.

"Ok..." I stood in the hotel hallway and looked back at the casino. "I'll go in there... and I'll say... Hey! Buddy! Go Home! Go See your Wife! No... that's no good, I just did that... Uh..." I looked back and forth for a moment before looking at the elevator. "I'll go up to Vespa and I'll say, Hey, bad news... he's.... busy... with charity work... and helping out with single mothers..."

I winced and covered my face with my hands for a moment.

"Noooo... that won't work." I racked my brain, tilting my head to the side as I tried not to think about Vespa, all tied up and waiting for her husband in the royal suite. It had been a simple spread eagle job, and she'd told me that I had better do it right this time, because the last time, apparently her hand had come free during a particularly delightful moment and she'd nearly decapitated Lone Starr. Apparently she's really into it when guys mess with her hair, but needs some precautions. Not that he'd pay any attention to that. "Ok, let's see... I just go in, and say, Hey, We... need to have an intervention. Yeah, that's the ticket! I say, hey, Vespa, we all know your husband is..."

I rapidly patted at the lower portion of my jumpsuit. Vespa, all tied up and in the mood. With her husband down in the casino hitting on another woman. My tongue lolled from my mouth for a moment and I shook my head to clear it.

"Ok, Yeah, That's what I'm gonna do. Yup. Just go in there, and help her get untied, and we'll try it again another time. Ok, all set there..." I nodded, punching the elevator button as the doors closed.