The Mnenchei replied first.
"I have an old Y-Wing at my disposal. However... I am not at liberty to announce my specialty. You will see... in due time. As for payment... I expect nothing less than two metric tons of Stygium. I will make it worth your time. Are we agreed...?"
"No," I replied simply, sparing her the barest of glances, matching the face to the Force signature. The datapad, and the entity that called itself 'Orion', commanded the bulk of my attention. If what it said was true, I could possibly use it to shut down the mine's security. That would make our task all the more simple.
"We are not 'agreed'. Your 'specialty' leaves much to be desired, and you have no cargo-ship of your own; how could you possibly transport two tons of Stygium?" I tried to keep the disdain out of my voice, but I wasn't sure how successful I was. Her 'specialty' meant next to nothing to me.
One of the spacers went next.
This one's mind was clouded with dark thoughts -- he especially had need for the payment I'd proposed. If he performed well, I'd give him the Mnenchei's cut.
"I've got a ship, a fast lil' number that can get in and out of just about anywhere. She's good for fifty tons of Stygium on the way out and whatever equipment we'll need on the way in."
"Good, good." The stim-head was the third to speak up.
"I'm a slicer," he began, "I can build explosives, localized E.M.P.s, sensor jammers -- anything, really, and I can hack into anything with wires. I also have a ship... good for 150 tons."
That was even better. I could use him to reprogram the labor droid's coding and have
them load the Stygium onto the ships. One freighter could actually haul the goods, and the other -- whichever was faster -- could act as a decoy to draw away the Mandalorian forces we would inevitably face. At that thought, my eyes flickered to the man armored in beskar, a Mandalorian if I'd ever seen one. Would he have an issue with robbing his own people? I dropped a palm the silver lightsaber hidden on my person.
For his sake, I hoped not. I wanted to avoid any unnecessary killing.
The cyborg was fourth. "I just shoot things. Don't you folks mind me."
I felt my lips tighten, brow furrowing
just so. So far, only two of them had given me viable, useable skills. Three, if I included the A.I./virus occupying my datapad. Any idiot could 'shoot things'. I wasn't paying 200,000 credits for common thugs -- I needed
professionals. An assault on a mining planet in Mandalorian territory required nothing less than the best. My eyes fell upon the last to enter, who, if going by his earlier speech,
also hoped to be paid with Stygium.
"I know my way around a saber quite well, and have other unique skills for eliminating opposition."
That was better. Still frustratingly vague, but better. I knew enough to form a loose plan, but without more specific information, I couldn't say whether or not the plan would succeed. Before I went so far as to discuss my plan, however, I needed to address two issues. One was the Mnenchei's demands.
"If one of our captains," I told the Mnenchei, gesturing to the stim-head and the other older, more humble gentleman,
"is willing to smuggle two tons of Stygium for you, then we are in agreement. I suspect, as smuggling is a job, they would expect some sort of payment for their efforts."
And the other was the Mandalorian. I put the datapad down and focused on him entirely.
"We are conducting a raid in Mandalorian space. If you feel that you will be unable to assist in the raid because of your... loyalties, I advise you to leave now." To the others, I said,
"I need names to refer to you by. You may call me Marcus." As I spoke, I issued an inquiry to Orion.
How powerful are you? If I get you near enough to the control station that governs Aeten II's security protocols,
could you overwrite them? Shutting down the power wouldn't do any good, but if he was powerful enough to overwrite the entire system, I wouldn't
need any of the outlaws, save the two smugglers. And maybe the last two, the cyborg and 'Asha', to serve as the 'just-in-case' force. Their connection to the Force would serve them well, despite their relatively unrefined signatures.
The verdict was still out on the Mnenchei and the Mandalorian.