Alright, so maybe prison isn’t the most fun place in the galaxy. I really don’t understand why they had to put me into the highest security compound in the Milky Way though. I went willingly. Shouldn’t that be a sign that I wasn’t about to just break out? I wasn’t even allowed visitors!

I didn’t realise that until Brett tried to visit for some reason beyond me. He claimed to the guards that he was returning my ship. I think he just annoyed that I kept my end of the bargain. Why else would he have left my ship in perfect condition? He clearly tried to repay the favour. I didn’t even see him when I got released yesterday. I could’ve sworn he would have at least left something in my ship to gloat about me ‘getting what I deserved’.

Well, it doesn’t matter now. I’ve just got to sit back and wait for the job requests to come through. It’s odd that I haven’t had any yet. I made it pretty clear at my trial that I’d be back at it by today. Maybe there’s just a shortage of mercenary jobs at the moment. I’m due to arrive at Cardoc Station in three hours. My usual contacts are bound to still be hiding out there. They should have a job for me.

*

“Tina, what are you doing here?”

“Lovely to see you too, Rel.”

She fidgets. “I thought you were in prison.”

“Well, I’m obviously out now.”

Rel yanks me down a side corridor. “You can’t just announce that so loudly. The enforcers here will be on you before-.”

“They released me,” I point out. “What’s got you so nervous?”

“They released you after everything you did?”

“Well, I didn’t get rid of the galaxy’s slave problem just to have a life sentence for the other crimes.”

Rel frowns. “Stop kidding around, Tina. Everyone knows TIE took out that network.”

“They what?”

I have lasted twenty-four hours without breaking one of their ridiculous laws and now they’re claiming my accomplishments?

“TIE have been telling everyone that you only got off easy because you helped out a bit on Calitrexia. I didn’t know your sentence was this short though.”

“They lied,” I growl. “Those corrupt sons of bit-.”

“Get down!” Rel shoves me to the ground.

I whip my head up to tell her off, but freeze as two heavily armoured bounty hunters stride past. Rel stays very still, with her eyes downcast. Her hand is trembling. What is going on here? I ask as much when they leave.

Rel avoids eye contact. “Let’s just say, you’re going to find it a little hard to get a job.”

“Why?”

She sighs. “There’s a very angry crime lord with your name at the top of their bounty list.”

“Let me guess. They made a fortune of the slave trade and now that TIE’s claimed to destroy that, they can’t get away with blatantly having enforcers in their back pocket anymore.”

“Pretty much.”

I tap my wristband and lower my base rate. “Maybe I should’ve opted for a longer holiday.”

“I hear Deziet International Prison is nice this time of year.”

“Nah, I’ve broken out of that place five times. The guards are too cheap.” I roll my shoulders. “I’m going to have to go dark until I run out of credits.”

“You’ll last three days,” Rel says, grinning.

I smile. “I can manage a bit longer.”