It was a milk run, easy money. Take Kestrel to meet an old friend in the Golden Way. Examine some ancient artifact he and his emplyees found stuck to an asteroid. Advise him on who might want to buy it and what to ask for it. Transport him and the artifact to a rendezvous to make the sale.
That's exactly how it went, at first. Then Kestrel made rendezvous with the dreadnought Solomon, Captain Rayleigh set up a meeting with a buyer, and everything went to hell.
Some jokers shot their way aboard Kestrel and killed Captain Rayleigh, two of the crew, and the customer.
To make matters worse, they killed the buyer, too, and ran off with the dingus.
The only thing worse than being murdered on the job is being robbed at the same time.
