Skirmish Greetings from the Binayre

[Lyra Scarlet]

Binayre Raiders versus Black Sun

Location: Near an asteroid field
Tags: Qrgyl Ud
Gear: piloting Crimson Shadow
Accompanied by: Three marines in her ship and two escorting Z-95s
Mask: on
Callsign: Binayre One

Spoiler: NOTE TO PEOPLE JOINING

The game is an introduction for Lyra as an indebted affiliate by accidently targetting someone under BS protection. So please don't defend the target too hard or do anything too drastic that will make her realise her mistake and bail before she can make those connections.

And if you want to join on her side as a Binayre pirate member, be aware of the fact that the BS will be hostile at least for a while.

Lyra watched patiently from the asteroid field waiting to see if anyone else would be joining Qrgyl Ud at this location. Her sources had placed him here on a small rendezvous mission. The details were a little unclear as to who he was meeting, but not long ago a small single seater courier ship had entered the system, exchanged a highly encrypted data burst with the spice hauler and then left the system. Her crew on her home base was trying to decrypt it but it wasn't looking much hope on that. Either way, what she wanted was already in the cargo vessel and Lyra felt herself licking her teeth with anticipation of the engagement to come, several crates of spice would provide one hell of a payday for the Binayre band and she felt herself running her fingers down her neck and check imagining that first hit of fresh spice she would enjoy to celebrate.

"I think we've waited long enough" she said to her herself and flashed a light several times out of her cockpit at her wingmen, maintaining radio silence until the last possible moment. There didn't seem to be anyone else coming and if they waited too long, then the other ship would leave into hyperspace and the payday would be gone with it.

Objective one would be to disable the opposing craft, not destroy, that would be a complete waste, but once rendered incapable of escape she might be able to convince the captain to jettison his cargo and they could leave in peace. If not, it would be a boarding activity and Qrgyl Ud might end up feeling the icy vacuum of space for his insolence. Maybe. She smirked, it had been a while since she had spaced someone, noone had the balls to go out the door defiant and stood to attention any more.

She flipped the switch on the Shadow's comm desk and felt the engines kick her forward as they activated moments before the internal dampening systems did. Her two Z-95 buddies also lit up like Christmas trees and followed suit. Before she had even taken two breaths a pair of missiles streaked away towards their for in order to target the engines of the enemy craft and prevent his escape.

 

[Qrgyl Ud]

Q R G Y L
THE LORD OF SPICE
BLACK SUN SYNDICATE
PIRATES | Lyra Scarlet
BLACK SUN | OPEN​

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MELTDOWN​

The Brayl-class which Qrgyl had taken up as his Spicer haulcraft was a ship that had seen better days to say the least. Its weapons had been stripped over time, making it easier passage of the vessel when he had to brave through more strenuous clearance codes checks. Qrgyl had been running spice...alone, for a good while. For a myriad of reasons. Many within the Black Sun found him difficult to interact with, the Crime Syndicate over time replacing his crew compliment of sentient security, pilots and navigators with a mostly droid run crew who had to brave his psychedelic fueled ramblings. Though, for this run- one of the largest he'd ever captained, a more preimier cast was detailed to him by the Underbosses to escort the spice to its destination.

The Gand sat in the pilot's seat of the freighter, having to take manual control in order to brave the cluttered asteroid belt. A well needed stop in the far-less-traveled route he was taking enroute to deliver his product. Several tonnes of spice tightly packed in durasteel crates, seperated by the various strains each of which offered an array of various effects. Stimulants, depressants, psychedelics and adrenaline thrills all on offer. The recipe of each product carefully crafted and engineered by the Gand. Though, the cargo bay was where much of the ship's cleanliness and organization ended, the aft hold being the only area the buyer might see.

Otherwise, Qrgyl was content to live in squallor. To-go boxes, remnant trash, open maintenance panels and strewn parts made it a cluttered mess in the ships living quarters. To those accompanying Qrgyl for this particularly lucrative run, the circumstances were less than ideal. But this was the reality of dealing with the eccentric characters in the Galactic Spice Trade, a far from the dealers of death that most in the Black Sun preferred to style themselves as.

<"Captain Qrgyl. I estimate a 30.73% chance of successfully navigating this asteroid fie-"> The protocol droid co-pilot began to speak in its masculine yet high pitched and elequent voice only for the Gand to pat his three fingered hand on the durasteel skull of the droid to which the servos of its neck joint hissed faintly as it snapped its gaze in the direction of the Gand who grasped at a respirator cannister with that hand, the other loosely holding the controls of the freighter before he inhaled deeply on the cannister, taking in a draw of Mind Spiral before he nodded.

<"Qrgyl understands...Qrgyl doesn't agree. Qgryl thinks easily 100% chance."> He replied, his beady bug eyes holding the navigational computer and canopy in view all at once to which the Droid looked into the latter in disbelief.

<"Captain Qrgyl...you may very well be the least receptive to my advice than any starpilot I have ever had the...pleasure of working with."> He remarked, his head swaying back and forth in disapproval to which the Gand nodded.

<"Qrgyl doesn't need to does he? Ship is fine..."> He said, the potent psychedelic now coursing through his veins turning the black starfield littered with asteroids turn into a watercolored canvas, the path of each asteroid leaving a trail that streaked across the vantablack space with a psychedelic color way as he did his best to position the ship where the space was still bare, an errant rock clattering against the tough hull of the freighter to which the protocol droid exclaimed in dismay.

<"17.78%, Captain Qrg- oh goodness...oh no. Captain Qrgyl our scanners are detecting one- two...three starships approaching us...and they are not Black Sun."> The Protocol droid said to which Qrgyl grasped at the cannister again, taking a deep inhale of the cannister only for a violent crack of the two missiles smashing into the engines sent his face into the control panel of the freighter, the droid's stiff and metallic stature able to keep him better in place as the Gand let out a pained note.

<"Oh...oh heavens. The engines are offline, I- I believe we're about to be boarded!"> The protocol droid said to which Qrgyl offered up an amused cackle.

<"Wh- this is funny to you?! We're being attacked and you're laughing...and- oh goodness it's a Firespray! They may be Mandalorians! Captain Qrgyl, I suggest-"> The Gand was already turning his seat to pull up and away from it, grasping a scatter gun which he left behind the seat before patted the droid on the head again with the other hand, only to course it for the door's activation.

<"Qrgyl will handle this..."> He said in reassurance to which the protocol droid's photoreceptor's glowed brighter in suprised.

<"Ohhh we are doomed.">

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Jerec watched all of the above on long-range scanners because, conveniently, he'd been stalking that Brayl. A classic, really. It would look fantastic on his lot under the maroon sunlight of Springheel.

It was sadly under Black Sun protection and he was sufficiently Black Sun to stay hands-off. But still. Jobs ended, ships changed hands...and if the Brokawl Raiders or whoeverthefeth took it, nobody could blame him if he took it from them.

For the moment, he and his nasty old bulk freighter just lurked among the asteroids.

Lyra Scarlet Qrgyl Ud

 

[Parvati]

Spice was a dirty trade. Even the most elegant kingpin had to get their hands dirty every now and then.

That's how Parvati found herself aboard a rusting freighter helmed by Qrgyl, the drug-fueled Gand whose spice blends had made waves from the Mid Rim to Hutt Space. She had personally brokered this sale on behalf of the latest iteration of the Black Sun. The leadership changed, but the outcome rarely did—too many egos and too many blades under too many tables. Criminal syndicates were easy to ignite and hard to hold together. But Parvati? She didn't care who sat on top, as long as she was paid. Information was her currency: priceless to most, but she always had a number in mind.

She had heard of Qrgyl's reputation: eccentric, chemically enthusiastic, unpredictable. With her credits, and her reputation on the line, she made the choice to escort the shipment herself. Quietly. Discreetly. She didn't announce her presence to the crew, especially not to the Gand. With minds like his, paranoia was a side effect of both ego and spice. So she manipulated the logistics.

The ship had once belonged to her, a broken-down Brayl-class freighter she had left for parts in one of her ports. Its hidden chamber was missed by most scans, fully sealed with its own lavatory and enough comfort to ride out the short flight. She conveniently had it wind up in the hands of someone who knew Qrgyl and his need for a starship, selling it to him for a fraction of the price. She had planned to stay out of sight, catch up on holodramas, and reveal herself upon landing—just long enough to verify the quantity, quality, and delivery.

But Parvati was never naive.

She brought insurance. Two powered-down Sable droids—her signature killers—sat dormant at her feet, ready to activate with a single touch to her earpiece. Their elegant frames were death wrapped in chrome, and the mistress never traveled without them, especially when spice was involved.

The ship shuddered violently. A missile strike.

Her holoscreen cut to static and slammed into the wall. Mag-locks in her heeled boots kept her upright as alarms screamed through the ship. Parvati didn't flinch. With a calm press to her ear, the droids whirred to life—neon optics flaring. It seemed a boarding party was imminent. "This is why I fly private," she muttered under her breath.

One touch to the panel on her wrist, and the concealed door hissed open, revealing the cluttered disaster of the living quarters. Even now, Parvati wasn't sure whether the mess had been caused by the impact or if the Gand simply lived like this. She wouldn't be surprised either way. She stepped out just as Qrgyl stumbled by, likely startled by the emergence of a tall woman in a sleek, matte-black bodysuit, the insignia of Black Sun emblazoned like a threat across her chest. Her jet-black bob remained pristine, her expression unreadable.

"Qrgyl, dear," she said, voice like smoke and silk. "Please tell me you didn't lead them to us." Parvati didn't wait for a reply.

With a sharp motion of her hand, the Sable droids took up defensive flanks at the threshold of the compartment. Their needle-like fingers flexed in anticipation of blood.

"This shipment needs to make it," she snapped coldly. "In one piece." The ship rocked again as another explosion rattled the hull. Parvati didn't blink. She sipped calmly from the same crystal tumbler she'd stashed before launch, now plucked from a secured case beneath the wall panel.

"Let's try not to die before we get paid."

Jerec Asyr Lyra Scarlet Qrgyl Ud

 

[Jek Raynar]

It was supposed to be a blue milk run. Hired to baby sit a damn Brayl-class hauler, unload the package and call it a day. The only issue with large freighters was one thing, they're so fething slow. Not just their sub-light engines, but the hyperdrives too.

For Jek Raynar, a madman with a taste for speed, it was more than reasonable to give the escort freighter a head start and then catch up and resume as normal. What else do they expect a modified Kihraxz "Vaksai" light fighter and two Ixiyen-class fast attack craft to do? Play dejarik over comms? All three starfighters patrolled loosely in the area. Perhaps too loose. Thought was, if any trouble came around they would just triangulate and blast the targets to dust before any real damage could be done.

At the least call it arrogance or negligence at its worse. When a distress beacon was triggered and came hailing through Jek's Black Sun Ace helmet, the Callian did his best not to think immediately about what his superiors would think of this. They're not gonna find out! Immediately his hands shifted over the controls and his Vaksai's boosters engaged, a sudden shift that always caused him to jerk back and become glued to his chair. Close behind the two Ixiyen-class attack craft followed suite.

<<" Feth! I told you not to go too far ahead!!">> His cybernetic vocoded voice screamed over comm's to Qrgyl Ud freighter. Only problem was...he did tell him to go ahead of him earlier. The three starfighters approached fast on attack vectors!

<<" You karked with the wrong cargo today, scum!">> He broadcasted into open comm's in hopes that the Z-95 headhunters would take bait and break off from the KSE firespray.

Allies: Parvati Qrgyl Ud
Neutral: Jerec Asyr
Enemies?: Lyra Scarlet

 

[Lyra Scarlet]

Binayre Raiders versus Black Sun

Location: Near an asteroid field
Tags: Qrgyl Ud Parvati Jerec Asyr Jek Raynar
Gear: piloting Crimson Shadow
Accompanied by: Three marines in her ship and two escorting Z-95s
Mask: on
Callsign: Binayre One

Spoiler: NOTE TO PEOPLE JOINING

The game is an introduction for Lyra as an indebted affiliate by accidently targetting someone under BS protection. So please don't defend the target too hard or do anything too drastic that will make her realise her mistake and bail before she can make those connections.

And if you want to join on her side as a Binayre pirate member, be aware of the fact that the BS will be hostile at least for a while.

The missiles did their job and by the fuel leaking into space it wouldn't be a quick repair so she had time to go in and do a little shopping. Her ship cruised over to the spice runner and her target locks pinged active all over her hud just in case the ship tried anything funny she could very rapidly give it a bad day.

She came close enough to smell the paint work of the old freighter and the marines made their work of breaching into the hull of opponent. They were highly trained and well equipped pirates who would go in, clear a space for her to join them. But just as she got the all clear something else came through her comm.

<<" You karked with the wrong cargo today, scum!">>

Three ships, was this a trap? They were coming in fast. She signalled to escorts who quickly peeled off to engage the incoming foes.

"Prepare for vacuum, grab what you can and be ready for void extraction." she signalled to her marines. If she dealt with this interloper quickly she could come back for a more leisurely mission but for now the new plan was for the marines to grab a few crates and jump into space for her to collect and bail. The Crimson Shadow blew the emergency release on the boarding umbilical briefly exposing both ships to the vacuum of space before the door on her ship closed and, well, she didn't really care how the other ship handled having a hole cut in its hull, it wasnt her problem and if her marines couldn't handle void combat by this point ther deserved to have their eyeballs boil.

The Z's engaged the other snub fighters and Lyra engaged the larger more agressive looking fighter, she activated her sensor mask. It would be impossible to vanish into nothing now combat was active and with her weapons hot but it would make a proper lock on for her enemy nearly impossible.

"Kark off, this doesnt concern you!" she replied on the comm, her voice was modulated to make it deeper than might be expected for a petite nineteen year old, but it was still a woman's voice. She punctuated her comm by unleashing fire at the foe, her twin chin mounted rotary cannons and a pair of proton torpedoes to be exact.

Aboard the spice ship the marines had entered directly into the now airless cargo bay and were right now marvelling at just how much spice was on board.

 

[U40a]

Apropos of nothing, Black Sun's music droid, U40a, commenced piping appropriate music into local comm networks. Also through aural sensors, a neat trick ensuring that everyone got to hear this crucial thematic contribution.


Lyra Scarlet Qrgyl Ud Parvati Jek Raynar

 

[Jek Raynar]

he Z's engaged the other snub fighters and Lyra engaged the larger more agressive looking fighter, she activated her sensor mask. It would be impossible to vanish into nothing now combat was active and with her weapons hot but it would make a proper lock on for her enemy nearly impossible.

"Kark off, this doesnt concern you!" she replied on the comm, her voice was modulated to make it deeper than might be expected for a petite nineteen year old, but it was still a woman's voice. She punctuated her comm by unleashing fire at the foe, her twin chin mounted rotary cannons and a pair of proton torpedoes to be exact.

The cockpit rattled like a coin in a tin cup.

Twin rotary cannon fire tore past the Vaksai's starboard wing, screaming hatred in red bolts and sparingly making brief contact before rippling across a bright blue-green energetic field. His HUD, triggered by his internal flight computer, blared codes that just about screamed at him. Shield's at 73%! Torpedo lock! Torpedo lock! He didn't waste time cursing. Instead, Jek yanked the yoke hard left, diving into the crowded void of the asteroid field with another thrust from his booster engines. Taking on a fething Firespray head on is suicide. I ain't that dumb. KSE Firesprays were the equivalent of flying tanks in Jek's view. Heavily armored, moderately shielded and equipped with an arsenal for combat, granted that was just a stock version of the fighter.

This one was obviously modified to some degree, judging how his targeting system was having a difficult time honing in and his KSE was faster than he liked. Aggressive too. But it lacked two things. Maneuverability and speed. Something a Vaksai had in spades. He didn't try to outgun em. Not yet. That wasn't the game.

Jek toggled his IFF scrambler, fuzzing his ships profile across local channels and targeting systems like a ghosted signal in a thunderstorm. Two can play this game! Then another click. Press of a button kicked loose a copycat pod midst spare parts. The pod continuing forward as Jek's Vaksai drifted meters above the curvature of a adjacent asteroids lumpy hole ridden surface. Hoping to loose his tails and sending the pod rocketing ahead and banking wide around a cratered asteroid chunk. The torpedoes bit the bait, and a second later, a bloom of light filled the field BOOM! White and angry and hot.

He let the wreckage settle and let his ships engine go into low standby to hopefully give the illusion of a hit and... " Give me their ion emissions. Stat," He winced under under the guise of his ace helmet. Ears flooded by music. " Who the-? Whose playing this!" The beat of the song naturally finding his body in a slow nod of his head. Meanwhile a momentary pause acting as camouflage, hugging the jagged curve of the asteroid's surface until his flight computer was done with its diagnostic. <<" Shan'ki. Vernon. Cause some chaos! C'mon!">> He chimed through Black Sun comms. Almost on que the two Ixiyen-class fast attack crafts began to fire off four ion missiles and a spray of yellow laser cannon fire. All for each Z-95.

Allies: Parvati Parvati Qrgyl Ud Qrgyl Ud
Neutral: Jerec Asyr Jerec Asyr U40a
Enemies?: Lyra Scarlet Lyra Scarlet

 

[Qrgyl Ud]

Q R G Y L
THE LORD OF SPICE
BLACK SUN SYNDICATE
PIRATES | Lyra Scarlet
BLACK SUN | Parvati | Jek Raynar
TRUSTWORTHY SALESMAN | Jerec Asyr
​

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UNCLE QRGYL​

<"Ah- Mister Raynar this is GL-04 I was very expedient in informing Captain Qrgyl of the...improvidence of his chosen route and piloting but he offered countless reassurances...'Qrgyl is fine...Qrgyl will handle it...I am in most astute agreeance with you Mister Raynar. Astute. Agreeance."> The p

He stepped over the large swathe of an access panel strewn over the floor, he caught the edge of the panel with his backfoot, sending him stumbling forward a weary note before he grasped the pump of the scatter gun with his off hand. His beady insectoid eyes snapped in the direction of the woman clad in glossy black. Upon realizing who it was, he waved a dismissive hand before he continued toward the cargo bay, where...not only the payload of the ship was located but so too was its docking bay.

For the easy transfer of product of course. Not that it couldn't be a less ideal placement in this context. <"Qrgyl will handle this, Qrgyl will handle this."> He said in dismissive reassurance to the woman. He then pressed the palm of his three digit hand against the activation of the cargo bay door.

<"aAAAAAAH ohhhhh-"> He let out before he slammed the button again, pumping his scattergun before he turned back toward Parvati.

<"Qrgyl....Qrgyl may very well lack the facilities to handle it. Heh."> He said, letting out a little chuckle, as if he had a bright epiphany before he slung the scattergun over his back and began to clammor for the cockpit again, tripping but quickly recovering over the same strewn access panel.

<"Captain Qrgyl! Cap- Captain Qrgyl! What is the status of our uninvited guests- oh you're here...I anticipated a 13.42% chance of your survival once you've left the canopy but I must say you've seem to have- what are you doing?"> The Protocol droid said, a holdout blaster clutched in its metallic fingers, watching as the Gand pulled open a storage compartment above the left shoulder of the pilot's seat, rummaging through it, tossing and discarding unneeded items. Spent Mind Spiral cannisters, empty beverage containers, what was most definitely...a lightsaber hilt before he made a note of exertion, producing a hefty satchel. He then grasped for a handheld commlink and began to scamper toward the cargo bay.

<"Zero...point three five chance of survival...for Captain Qrgyl. Ohhhh no."> The protocol droid said before soon enough, Qrgyl pressed the door activation to the cargo bay again, satchel of thermal detonators strewn over his shoulder with his scatter gun in one hand and the commlink in the other.

<"Ahh- Qrgyl has a bomb! Qrgyl says leave...or no one gets spice..."> He said, snapping the scattergun between the various boarders.

​

 

[Parvati]

Parvati watched the Gand work like a wind-up toy with a bad attitude and worse judgment. The scattergun in his grip wobbled as he muttered and stumbled through the ship's chaos, followed, as always, by his neurotic protocol droid, who seemed intent on narrating his death in real time.

She didn't care. Let them spiral.

This was her ship.

Not on paper, of course, Parvati was smarter than that. But the manifest, the encryption, the silent command hooks in the droid matrix? All hers. The Gand, and its spice, were hand selected by her to be delivered. She wouldn't let anything happen to them.

Her sharp whistle cracked through the corridor like a whip. The two Sable units at the door turned in perfect sync.

"Patch me in," she said. "All channels. Every ship in system."

They obeyed immediately, her creations were elegant, not talkative. In seconds, her voice was being piped into cockpits, helmets, and bridge comms across the sector. Parvati adjusted her earpiece with manicured precision and stepped to the sealed cargo hold. The lights flickered. Sirens howled. Her reflection gleamed in the durasteel wall, tall, calm, lethal.

The Sables' eyes flared blue. "Mistress. You are live."

She smiled like a knife being unsheathed.

"Let's all take a moment, shall we?" Her voice oozed through the comms, velvet and venom.

"If this goes sideways, no one gets the spice. No one walks away. I'll see to it personally."

The ship's speakers chose that moment to blare some a song she had never heard before, something that didn't really match her tone.

Parvati didn't miss a beat. "And no, before you ask, I didn't pick the music. I'd have gone for something with a bit more bite."

Her eyes slid toward the cargo bay's blinking alert panel. Her voice turned to smoke and steel. "I'm here with a suicidal Gand with a bag of thermal detonators and a zero percent bluff rate. So unless you came here to turn your men's lungs inside out, I suggest we start talking, immediately."

She let the words settle like ash. Then she whispered, for anyone still listening:

"Try me."

Lyra Scarlet Jerec Asyr Qrgyl Ud Jek Raynar

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Those of Jerec's bridge-area crew with more Black Sun experience flinched at that voice coming over the comms. Jerec asked questions. The title he now held, Vigo, Advisor, she'd had years ago before a serious prison stint. Her name was Parvati and she ranked among Black Sun's more...strategically frightening people. Black Sun had lots of tactically frightening people, but that was different. He knew her by reputation only. The freighter was now officially off his menu. That tasty Firespray, though...

He un-lurked his ship from the asteroids and toggled the comms.

"This is Vigo Jerec Asyr." He never identified himself as a Vigo over open channels. Anyone Black Sun would know a current Vigo's name. But half the fight wasn't Black Sun, and shutting this down fast was the best way to preserve some unusually valuable spaceframes, inter alia. "Anyone in range needs to put some respect on that last transmission. Shut it all down, get ready to make right. Playtime is up."

Lyra Scarlet Qrgyl Ud Jek Raynar Parvati

 

[U40a]

And no, before you ask, I didn't pick the music. I'd have gone for something with a bit more bite."

U40a, rebuked but unconvinced, reconsidered the evolving context. The next track sought to deescalate the situation in a statistically useful direction: the nearest affiliated cantina.

 

[Lyra Scarlet]

Binayre Raiders versus Black Sun

Location: Near an asteroid field
Tags: Qrgyl Ud Parvati Jerec Asyr Jek Raynar U40a
Gear: piloting Crimson Shadow
Accompanied by: Three marines in her ship and two escorting Z-95s
Mask: on
Callsign: Binayre One

Lyra was a good pilot and she flew low over the asteroid watching her missiles strike and a blossoming explosion filled her view finder before she passed through the debris and her scanners took stock, not enough debris for a star fighter, he was still out there but in the explosion she had lost him and now her targeters were not finding him again. Her Z's were also not fairing brilliantly, she used them because they were cheap and one of the little red and grey ships was hit hard with an Ion torpedoes before blowing hard into the surface of a large asteroid leaving a streak on the surface and its pilot frantically trying to deionize his engines and take off, if they had survived the crash landing.

A woman's voice came through the comm repeating the captain's threat to blow his ship up and sacrifice the spice rather than lose it. She made a few calculations in her head based on the current tactical situation. She wasn't getting what she wanted today with way, too much heat for such a ship, it wasnt right. She didn't mind the music though, it was actually quite fun.

"I'm here with a suicidal Gand with a bag of thermal detonators and a zero percent bluff rate.

"Then fucking do it, we both know you wont." she fired off a couple of smaller missiles targetting the cargo ship, not targettinf anything vital but enough to cause some damage and shake the occupants around a little as another small explosion blossomed from the rear of the vessel as if something internally had detonated against the inner skin of the ship. Her marines were busy making their own doorway to prepare for extraction.

"This is Vigo Jerec Asyr."

Lyra's eyebrows raised behind her mask as she heard the the next voice come through. So thats why this prey was fighting back harder than it should... shit. She had to make plans to leave here as soon as possible. She spotted something leaving the target, a marine, wrapped so tightly around a spice crate like his life depended on it. "Smart lad" she said to herself as her tractor beam locked on. He knew that case was likely worth fifty times what he was so if Lyra wanted it, she was picking him up too.

Her other Z-95 was now outnumbered but flying well to avoid being taken down too fast, it was firing off its own ordnance at its foes but its defeat was inevitable. Lyra had a crate, a smallish one which would cover the cost of the raid and just enough profit that she could get a good night's sleep but perhaps she needed to call it quits before the bigger fish took too many more bites.

She wouldnt stop moving while she talked as as much as she wanted to buy time, they too would probably like an easier target. "Alright, you've got my attention, talk. But make it quick, I've got places to be."