The Ace of Sabres was an upscale resort on the planet of Kluistar, located in the Colonies. It was located in the middle of a dense woodland on a continent also owned by the Ace Entertainment Corporation.
Head of security Dunan Par'Ell investigates a cheater at the Ace.
Known as a gambler's paradise and a masterpiece of architecture and modern entertainment, the Ace of Sabres consisted of a hotel boasting ninety-nine levels and one thousand and one different amusements that, according to the holo-brochure, would take a standard month to fully experience. It included seven themed restaurants, hundreds of leisure activities facilities, three nightclubs, two dance halls and a dozen separate casinos and gambling halls. There was also an exclusive thirteenth casino—the galaxy-renowned Sabre Club—that catered only to VIPs including royalty and Imperial nobility.
Hotel rooms ranged in price from an economy stay at twenty credits a night to a penthouse suite costing one hundred credits. Four-star meals could set a diner back thirty credits, while drinks ranged from anything currently on tap to imports and costly vintages. High-ranking Imperials, royals and corporate officers were offered free getaways, under the unspoken agreement that these indebted VIPs would do favors in turn for the Ace Entertainment Corporation.
The gambling halls offered a variety of card games, including Liar's Cut, Double-Down and Death Star Bluff, with an entire wing devoted to sabacc tables. High-tech gaming machines provided games of electronic chance such as StarSlot Machines Blinkodes, Warp-top, Spatz, the Jubilee Wheel and the Orbiter. Games like Holo-Wing, Shockball 3 and Rancor Hunter could be played against live or computer-simulated opponents. The tables of the median, comfort-oriented halls were fitted with adjustable dampener fields to eliminate background noise, and localized, voice-operated lighting could be dimmed or brightened to suit individual players. Smoke-filled areas could be purified in nanoseconds with miniature air processors. Despite these technological advancements, some casinos eschewed creature comforts for more traditional atmosphere, although their clientèle tended towards the rowdy.
Boredom was forbidden at the Ace, and the company offered free vacation planning for its guests, as well as opportunity to camp in the surrounding woodland with rental equipment including backpacks, maps and personal transport. However, some of the more attractive campers were at risk of being sold into slavery to the notorious Aubro Ahntanda as part of a black-market deal by the Ace's shadowy owners. At any given time the pots in the gambling halls were filled with credits, jewels, data disks containing military or scientific information, and even holodeeds to droids, starships, corporations and entire planets. Jhyarra was one of the most popular entertainers to perform at the Ace of Sabres.
During the Imperial Period, Gandin T'Noull was the manager of the Ace, although the Ace Entertainment Corporation itself was secretly managed by Sibarra the Hutt, who installed holocameras and audio eavesdroppers throughout the resort to steal sensitive information from the rich clientèle from within his fortified control room in the resort's underground levels. Dunan Par'Ell and Universal Guardians, Inc. provided the resort's minimal but top-quality security. No droids, datapads or weapons were allowed in the casinos, nor were personal cards or die permitted. The door featured top-of-the-line contraband detectors, and violators were immediately removed from the premises with no refund. Rumors suggested that certain individuals were quietly disposed of by those behind the scenes, perhaps by becoming permanently lost while walking in the woods. Robbery, assassinations and thievery were not uncommon, although said to be carried out only by the Ace's staff upon careless clients. The ex–bounty hunter Cha-Val Sha-Vak was among those hired to carry out Sibarra's dirty work, and often picked up assignments that Par'Ell could not undertake.
As of this era, millions visited the Ace of Sabres every year. The Corellian scoundrel Cohden K'Reye gave the resort a rating of "three supernovas" while compiling his tour guide to the cantinas of the galaxy. Tovric attempted to assassinate Ambassador Kollrin after a game of Liar's Cut, but was apprehended by Par'Ell before his hidden blade could touch the Sullustan dignitary. Herglic information broker and compulsive gambler Johzan B'oh could almost always be found at the establishment. Other notable regulars included Karrison Lee, Solimon Dambrizi, Lady Eriann Strathmore, Moff Ariss Lyjan and Udo Broxin.
The Ace of Sabres was named for a sabacc card.
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