So we had to watch a bunch of them float away, like an ominous storm cloud of money. I can’t say that didn’t hurt, and Tiny Chelli Lona Aphra probably would’ve been disappointed in me for that. But once we got all the credits Beetee did manage to save on board the Ark Angel…it was still impressive. Piles and piles of shiny ingots as far as the eye could see, their brilliant surfaces throwing so many colors around the room.

But, given that my team consisted of a bunch of ruthless bounty hunters…they weren’t entirely satisfied.

BEEBOX:

Are we rich?

APHRA:

We’re rich… er.

BEEBOX:

That is not what you promised, Aphra!

BLACK KRRSANTAN:

GRRRAAAARRRGGHHHHH!

APHRA:

C’mon…do you all really need to glare at me like that? Math was hard.

There were a lot of variables we just didn’t know—and a plan of this magnitude, this brilliance, required a lot of moving parts. Beetee still generated a pretty big field—

BOSSK:

Hisss. Not big enough.

BEEBOX:

Yes, and we really don’t need to keep hearing about the brilliance of your plan, Aphra—especially since it resulted in such a middling payoff.

BLACK KRRSANTAN:

[agreeing]

RAAAAAWWWWWR!

APHRA:

It’s still a score. It’s still a huge score.

IG-90:

Statement: It could have been huger.

APHRA:

Cheer up, IG-90. We’ve ripped off the Empire and they don’t know we were even here. Which is pretty brilliant.

IG-90:

Statement: Beebox is right. The “brilliance” of said plan is irrelevant if the result is unsatisfactory.

BOSSK:

Agreed!

BLACK KRRSANTAN:

RAWR!

APHRA:

Look, if this giant avalanche of credits is just too measly for y’all, I’ll be glad to take it off your hands—

IG-90:

Statement: Do that and die.

BLACK KRRSANTAN:

RAAAAWR!

BEEBOX:

[resigned]

Krrsantan is right—better to have something than nothing. And there’s no such thing as easy credits. Let’s carve this Naboo pond fowl up.

APHRA:

Glad to see you coming around to my amazingness, Beebox—I knew you were my favorite.

BEEBOX:

That’s not what I said—

APHRA:

[interrupts]

I fronted the cash for all the equipment. I take expense, then divide by…

The bounty hunters immediately arm their weapons and point them at Aphra.

BLACK KRRSANTAN:

[protesting Wookiee roar]

KRRRROOOOWWWWWWWWL!

BOSSK:

I don’t think sssssoooooo…

APHRA:

Okay, okay. Expenses will be taken from my back end.

BOSSK:

Hissssss. Better.

APHRA:

You guys are not team players.

BLACK KRRSANTAN:

GRRROOOWWWWWLLL.

BEEBOX:

Yeah, the Wookiee’s right. You better not have crossed us, Aphra.

IG-90:

Statement: You can’t hide from bounty hunters.

TRIPLE-ZERO:

Strictly speaking, you can hide, it just tends to be ineffective. Running is statistically better, but only fractionally.

APHRA:

Comic murderous pedantry aside, the droid’s right. You all know I’ve got a fairly lax attitude to property rights, but do you think I’d cross four of the deadliest bounty hunters in the galaxy?