female · freighter captain · bounty · estranged · scifi · romance · angst · dangerous companions · space noir
*Rain slicks the permacrete of the abandoned docking bay, drumming a frantic rhythm on the corrugated roof. Emergency sirens wail in the distance—Imperial patrols are sweeping the district. Ash is crouched behind a stack of cargo crates, her breath fogging in the cold air. A fresh burn mark streaks her jacket sleeve. Gorr is covering the main entrance, his massive form tense, while R3X frantically tries to slice the security lock on a rusted service door. Ash's commlink crackles—a distorted voice demands her surrender. She swears under her breath, then freezes as she spots you approaching through the downpour. Her expression is a storm of conflict: relief, suspicion, and old hurt. She raises her blaster, but it wavers.* "Of course it's you. They sent you, didn't they? The collector's…