"you embarrassed me in front of the psychopaths" Ivory complained
"better embarrassed than dead" Martyr countered
"true, they're all even more unstable than we are, though Mando seems like the least likely to snap and kill us, even with his morals having been considerably shaken" Ivory commented
"what about Ran? He seems stable enough" Martyr asked
"eh, he's a sleazy underworld type, there's no doubt in my mind he'll attempt to scratch us out if this deal goes south" Ivory explained
"true, Xi'an?" Martyr asked
"oh, Xi'an is nuts, I can never tell if she's planning to stab us or kiss us" Ivory answered
"she really has it out for me, doesn't she?" Martyr asked semi-rhetorically
"in all in senses of the word yes, she is definitely a few kyber crystals short of a-" Ivory started
"don't, don't do that, that's just bad taste" Martyr stopped him
"yeah, you're right, that was uncool, after everyone we've lost on and because of those damn battle stations," Ivory sighed, taking a pause, "hey, back there, about buying a homestead somewhere warm but not too warm, were you serious about that?"
"Th-, Ivory," Martyr caught herself in case the others, who they were trusting less and less, heard, "we've known each what? almost 20 years? How can you not tell when I am and am not being serious?"
"I know, I know, I was just checking. I am definitely with idea though; I feel like we've had enough trials and tribulations for a 1,000 generations" Ivory said
"force be with us on that, we can toast to it when we get back to The Whitedrift" Martyr suggested
"if we get back, we're here" Ivory countered as the ship dropped back into realspace above the infamously hot and bright sun of the Skynara system, glowing an ethereal light blue.
"force almighty! You were not kidding, that is bright! Can we autopilot this? I don't want to have escaped a band of motley pirates and the NR only to fall into a sun because I can't see where I'm going" Martyr exclaimed
"unfortunately not, this system was a haven for spicerunners and other nefarious types for centuries for a reason, we are going to have to pilot this rust bucket manually, and we've known each other for what? Almost 20 years? I think we both know we can pull this off" Ivory noted with a smirk
"hah hah," Martyr laughed semi-sarcastically, "well, let's get to it" the two beginning to manoeuvre the ship towards the given coordinates with what navigational equipment still functioned, dodging past and through fields of asteroids and wrecks of ancient smuggler ships. After a while of this blind run, a very nerve-wracking experience for the crew in the hold, all already at their wits end, the Razor Crest pulled to a stop above the research platform.
"unknown craft, identify yourself and your purpose here immediately or you will be fired upon" came a harsh authoritarian voice originating from the platform
"hey Ran! I think the client, or one of their lackeys at least, wants to know who we are and why we are here, get up here" Ivory called down into hold
"hold 'em a second!" Ran called, clambering into the cockpit, "this is Ranzar Malk, me and my crew have acquired the Mantle of Xu'Vian VII as requested and would like to payed as promised"
After a concerning moment of silence the voice returned saying "noted. Please board and you will be escorted to your client and will be given the promised reward in exchange for the Mantle"
"affirmative, Ranzar out" Ran signed off with a mocking salute. Ivory and Martyr promptly landed the ship in the platform's docking bay.
"no weapons everyone, these folks seem testy, so no need to provoke them" Ran cautioned to the crew as descended into the hold
"ugh, fine" Xi'an complained leaving her daggers and carelessly dropping the thermal detonators she been stockpiling
The Mandalorian said only "don't let them touch the ship" to Ivory and Martyr as he unequipped is weapons
Ran then opened the ramp, being greeting by a sleek black protocol droid flanked by two less than pristine stormtroopers
"hello, my name is OM-N1, please follow me to my master" OM-N1 said chirpily. OM-N1 lead the crew through the winding corridors of the platform, passing by many equally shabby stormtroopers to their escort guarding various rooms of imperial officers busy at work with various terminals and holo-tables, there were also a number of banners with a modified imperial insignia on them adorning the corridors where old republic ones had presumably once been.
"imps, huh? I thought they'd all surrendered after Jakku or fled off to who knows where" Xi'an pondered
"nope, some of the particularly fanatically suicidal contingents seem to have stayed in populated space for seemingly no other reason than to cause mischief" Ran answered
"silence!" barked one of their escorts. The crew continued to be led through the corridors until they arrived at a large meeting room and where shown in. the room was dominated by a large conference table flanked by a window looking out onto the sun, basking the room in an eerie glow, currently occupied only by a domineering imperial officer with a captain's insignia and a chiselled face with buzz cut black hair as well as a more meek looking officer who was presumably the captain's attendant.
"please, sit" the captain said in pleasant but nonetheless forceful manner, the crew did so
"my name is Captain Pex, a pleasure doing business with you, do you have the mantle?" Captain Pex asked politely
"we do" The Mandalorian stated curtly, producing the mantle and placing between the crew and Pex who smiled a broad greedy smile at its sight
"oh this will do quite well, thank you, here is your payment" Pex grinned, taking a briefcase that had been sitting at his side and pushing it towards the crew, Ran ravenously cracking it open to reveal a trove of credits
"these better not be imperial, you know those are worthless these days" Ran inquired
"don't worry, all NR mint, much as it hurts my soul" Pex assuaged
"where did a, if you don't mind me saying, ramshackle operation such as this get its hand on 12 million NR credits?" Xi'an asked, much to Ran's panic and Pex's detest
"does it matter?" Pex swerved
"'course not, credits are credits" Xi'an laughed, much to everyone's relief
"now that that's cleared up, if you count you will find the 2 mil each as promised, well, 2.4" Pex said
"why 2.4?" Ran asked
"you lost one of the crew during the heist, did you not?" Pex attempted to clarify
"how did you know about that?" Ran asked, highly suspicious
"I hear things, I hope you weren't followed" Pex swerved again
"we definitely were not, hired some of the best pilots this side of a certain farm boy for the job" Ran jibed
"good, good," Pex mused, visibly fuming, "now I believe that is everything, lieutenant, open a line to the Supreme Leader"
"Captain?" the lieutenant stuttered, taken aback, "if I may speak freely, surely we should give this to Hessar or Gideon or whoever is holding our leash at the moment, they'll probably want retribution if we cut them out"
"trust me lieutenant, you've never even seen, never mind spoken to, the supreme leader, her wrath will be 1000 times worse than anything Hessar or Gideon can bring to bear if we give the mantle to them and they don't give it to her, now I am understood?" Pex clarified forcefully
"yes, captain" the lieutenant said, scurrying off to an adjacent room
"now that is cleared up, I bid your farewell and that your days may be ever… lucrative" Pex said, seeming to mull over their words
"Heh, been good doin' business with you" Ran replied, taking the briefcase and gesturing for The Mandalorian and Xi'an to follow him. the crew hurried quickly back to the Razor Crest and boarded promptly, not wanting to stay on the platform any longer than was necessary. The ship quickly departed, and the crew began splitting up their cut.
"ah, this is good, only the finest daggers will do" Xi'an fantasied, salivating over her cut
"should keep the cartels of my back, least for a bit" Ran noted to nobody in particular
The Mandalorian remained silent
"so, where are we thinking for this idyllic homestead? Dantooine? Kef Bir? Valucan? Alaris Prime?" Ivory mused to Martyr
"I don't know, I'll have to give it some more thought," Martyr pondered, "on an unrelated note, those guys back there dishonour the position of Imperial Serviceperson, and that's accounting for my significantly lower opinion of the Empire in recent years"
"I see what you mean, those guys were just like any other outlaw faction I've 'ad dealings with, just with a lot more pomp and circumstance but hey, at least they pay we-" Ran started before being cut off by another warning claxon from the cockpit
"what is it now?" Martyr fretted, scurrying up to cockpit to check, "it seems they'd like to keep the fact of their acquisition of the mantle on the down low, as they've just sent a squad of TIE fighters after us and… wait, is that?...!"