I know we were in a high-stress situation here, but communing with that big shiny vault forced my mind to completely relax. It was like the rest of the room—in all its shoot-’em-up glory—disappeared and it was just me and the vault, that special mechanical language passing between us until it agreed to open up to me.

There’s just something about that moment when you hear the telltale click. Maybe because it feels like…the vault is trusting me with its deepest, darkest secrets.

Or maybe, in this case, it was because there was a truly disgusting amount of credits on the other side.

Anyway, tempting as it was, my goal this time actually wasn’t to crack the vault open.

Oh, what? You’re confused by that? “Chelli,” you’re saying. “What…is this plan? And exactly how many parts of it are secret? Is this all some sort of elaborate ploy for you to keep all those credits for yourself? But then…why wouldn’t you crack the safe?”

Jeez, what’s with all the super-nosy questions? Don’t you trust me to—

actually, scratch that, you totally shouldn’t trust me. You shouldn’t even trust me to tell my own story right. You should, however, know that I’m not a dirty double-crosser set on using a bunch of willing suckers to steal all that cash and then keep it for myself. Shame on you for even thinking that! I mean, when working with bounty hunters, you have to uphold at least some aspects of the Code.

Anyway…this part, the bit with the vault, I really only kept a secret from you, dear listener. And that was only so I could tell you what I was up to at the most dramatic moment possible! When things are going crash-bang-boom!

But rest assured: The boys knew what I was doing.

My heart was beating a zillion miles a minute as I planted a homing beacon—another one of my special creations, with just a little extra juice—on the vault. That prepared it for the next step of my brilliant plan…

APHRA:

And now with the homer set, let’s run for our lives.

Triple-Zero—tell that big hairy lump he can start his run.

TRIPLE-ZERO (on comm):

Very good, Mistress Aphra.

Mr. Krrsantan—Mistress Aphra informs me you can begin…

BLACK KRRSANTAN (on comm):

GRRROWWWWLLLLLLL!

APHRA (narration):

Oh, I didn’t tell you about this part, either! But don’t worry, the boys all knew about this, too. Can you please stop thinking the absolute worst of me? I do have some honor.

See, here’s where Santy came in. As the rest of us skedaddled back to the Ark Angel, he piloted his gunship through my incredible fake asteroid belt, shooting out a cable to lasso one of the asteroids. Then—

boom!—he rammed that asteroid into the Imperial cruiser, cracking open the vault.