Thu May 10, 2012 8:58 pm by The Gambler
Gentlemen, I think you all know why we are here.
*The Gambler sat at the head of a long black table in one of the back rooms of the Smuggler's Den Cantina. He looked around the table to see all of the other Men of Mayhem, the members of the criminal organization he had built. These men were ruthless, unforgiving, and very dangerous. What did that say about The Gambler? It said that above all those things, he was smart, and he knew how to lead a group of dangerous men.
He leaned back in his chair, and sighed as he spoke, introducing the other men at the table to an idea that some if not most of them would not be happy about.*
There is a new Hutt organization in town. From what I hear, they are growing bigger every day, and they are already double our size. If they start throwing their weight around, it will be hard for us to keep our foothold in Bilbousa. To put it simply, we have two choices. We can stay and defend our ground, which will a hard fight. Or... We could join with the new Cartel.
*The Gambler looked over to his VP, Jackson, with a look that told the man that this was going to be rough. The two men had already met with Vobba at the Hutt's request, and he had made the situation simple. Vobba had guaranteed that if the Men of Mayhem had joined his organization, they would be safe under the Cartel's control. But if they didn't join, the Cartel wasn't going to take it easy on them.*
*The Gambler sighed, knowing that this was going to happen. These men had spent their lives devoted to this club, and it would be hard to convince them to join an entirely new organization. The Gambler was going to speak up, but it was his Vice President that did it for him.*
*As the men at the table started arguing among themselves, The Gambler just took a deep breath. His eyes scanned the room again, and time seemed to slow in front of him. Men on both sides of the table were screaming at each other, shaking their heads, and waving their arms around in anger. This is what The Gambler had expected to happen. With a decision like this, it was natural for the group to be split into two sides. But this wasn't just any decision. This was a decision that would affect the lives of these men unlike anything before. This was a decision that had to be made, one way or the other.
Without a word, The Gambler raised his hand up off the table, and he waited. Finally after a few moments, the rest of the room quieted, and The Gambler spoke up.*
Alright, we know what we are dealing with. Lets put it to a vote. Yay for joining the cartel, Nay for staying as we are. Chibs?
*The man sitting to The Gamblers right, Chibs, was the club's Master at Arms. He had been one of The Gambler's most trusted friends. Chibs looked at The Gambler, and nodded before he spoke.*
*The man next to Chibs, Tony, was shaking his head when his turn came.*
*Clay, the man who was sitting to Tony's right, maintained the skepticism that he had shown earlier. After a moment, he too had an answer.*
*With another sigh, The Gambler looked to the man at the other end of the table, who was the next to cast his vote.*
*After he answered, Otto looked to the other man at the end of the table. John was one of the founding members of the Men of Mayhem, and he had always done what was best for the group.*
*Next was Winston, another original member and a man so old, he didn't actively participate in club criminal activities anymore. But he was a wise man, and was kept around as an adviser to the rest of the group. With a gruff voice, the old man spoke up.*
*Winston was staring into The Gambler's eyes, and it was obvious that the man was mad. But before the tension could grow any more, Trager spoke up.*
*The Gambler could tell how difficult it was for Trager to decide. The man had always tried to be the moral compass of the group, and he always managed to keep a level head. With his vote, the vote was almost even. Now, it was Jackson's turn.*
*And now, the final vote was down to The Gambler. So far, the vote was dead even at four votes Nay, and four votes Yay. The entire weight of this decision boiled down to him, and him alone. The Gambler looked up at all of the men at the table in front of him, locking eyes with each one.
None of these men knew how hard this was for him. He loved every person at this table like a brother, and he would do anything he could to protect them all. As he held the gavel in his hand, he hesitated still. Was he making the right choice here? Would what he was about to say really do more good than harm? With one last sigh, he spoke only one word as the rest of the room looked on in suspense.*
Yay.
*As the word left his lips, The Gambler hit the gavel against the table. With one loud clack of wood against wood, the fate of the Men of Mayhem was sealed.*