Too Fancy For This Joint [ISHTAR-V]

"How did we lose to these guys, Tightie?"

"Because they invented ships that don't care about hull breaches, mostly."

"Yeah, but..." Alistar thumped the banister lightly with his palm. He winced, the impact aggravating the wound on his arm. "Empire has the nanotech to make ships look like anything they want to and they chose to make 'em look like... this. Decorate the insides all fancy 'n shit."

Tight smirked. "I don't know if you're the one to criticise the Empire for having fruity tastes."

Alistar shot her an icy look over his shoulder. "Don't compare me to them."

"The birdy doth protest too much." She stuck out her tongue, which did nothing to help his glower. "A lady could be forgiven for reading a little into what you mean by 'we' and 'lose'. I didn't fight in no war."

"Forget it," he hissed, slumping back over the banister. He watched the ships on the docks, with their more traditional bulky fuselages and batteries of thrusters and engines, through the atmospheric net around the Imperial corvette. Tight looked over the room, from the chandelier, to the scattered contents of the dresser, to the open balcony, to the splintered wardrobe.

"Gonna have a hard time fencing this thing."

"Well it's probably gonna be worth a bit less with the bullet holes."

"I'd apologise, but this thing is probably only good for scrap anyway. Without an Imperial seal, ain't nobody gonna be able to use it. Not even the matter synthesisers."

Alistar groaned. "I don't even want to think about going to all that trouble for nothing."

"I'll give you that, you managed to tow it out here with less damage than we did to the place in the last hour. You can't keep it here though. Thing's gonna attract unwanted attention."

Alistar smirked, touching his brow and checking the graze there. "So you told me. With buckshot. Multiple times."

"The velocity limiters did you a massive favour, bird."

"Both ways, Berry."

Tight's brow furrowed. "You ain't allowed to call me that."

He looked back over his shoulder with a smirk. "You weren't saying that half an hour ago."

Her mouth curled. "Folks say all sorts of things in the heat of passion."

He chuckled, and turned, baring his ass to the world rather than his dick, as he rested his elbows on the handrail. "So. You're an information kinda woman. Know anyone who might be interested in an emerald-class corvette fresh out of the drydock?"

"Only folks who can pay what it's worth are gonna be border barons, and they won't wanna touch stolen goods. Rogues or remnants would want it, but you'd need to get somebody to forge a seal, or else they're only gonna give you scrap value."

Alistar clicked his tongue. "Who the fuck would be able to forge a seal... Maybe-"

"Vitruvia won't be able to. Not unless you got a few years for her to tear the whole thing inside out learning how the new shit works. Though don't get me wrong, I'm sure she'd love the opportunity."

"Yeah no, this isn't an educational vessel. Zeno maybe?"

"I thought the noodle hated you."

"They tolerate my presence."

"Maybe if it meant getting you to fuck off for good."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Tight blew into her palm as she thought. Her back stung a little bit from scratchmarks. "Oh, you know who definitely could?"

"Who?" Alistar's brow scrunched, before they rebounded in alarm. "No!"