To: Zoara

[VanDoornian]

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• User ID: Neville "Baron" Etheridge

• Target ID: Tobias G.

• Subject: New Contractors

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Mister Tobias,

It's good to meet you. You reached the right ship, sir, but Zoara's the name of the boat. Woman your man spoke with is Topeaka Bowman, goes by "Tazer". She's my chief engineer and first officer.

My only officer, actually. Between the two of us and one bot, we run this clipper on contract for people needing things moved safe. Before we ended up with this ship, we both had our own business. Me, I'm a Houston man. She's a New Yorker, though she's been working in space a damn sight longer than me. The details wouldn't interest you, but we aren't going to make trouble about politics. Whoever Liberty squares up with isn't up to us, but we've got the same thing every working Libertonian's got: bills that need paying.

I'm a pilot and a decent mechanic. Know my way around vehicles, sharp with a gun. Done some appraisal in my time. Bowman's the professional with our main drive and computers, and she handles comms and bookkeeping on-board.

Up until now, we've been running quick jobs found by a third associate of ours, finds us loads to pick up and drop off without much fuss. We're all freelance, so the job can change by the day.

Word of your new operation, though, got us thinking about a longer-term relationship.

We were originally just looking to pitch in on the iridium mining front for the takeaway, but since your man on the Tonga said you were looking to expand, we can help move that material on top of it. Our ship's got some teeth, too, so we can field as a light PT boat if harassment by fighters is on your list of concerns.

That's the whole of it, Mister Tobias. If you got a use for contractors, we're fighting fit.

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NEVILLE ETHERIDGE
CAPTAIN, FREE TRADER ZOARA

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