Ash scanned the room as they stood back to back, too many people to properly anticipate she'd have to be careful. The Jakal like creatures were the most imminent threat but also clearly not in control and she would need to take out those who were, she'd have to be careful from there it could go any way.

With a grin she lunged towards the first of three Jakals stopping it's claw and pushing it back down, she threw it to the side and focussed on the real threat spinning around to see a burly human with a pike and controller. She grabbed the knife from her belt throwing it towards the man it was met with a block as those around him took note turning towards Ash. Ash scanned each of them there were six none looking too scrappy either she'd have to brute force this, she let out a volley of blaster fire and ran towards them. She seemed to have knocked two of them back as she punched a third in the gut followed by a swift knee to the face, she felt herself grabbed from behind by the burly man but smiled knowing the mistake he'd made. Ash concentrated using the mans weight and momentum against him throwing him over his head and down to the floor, she glanced back over to the jackals and noticed Gacen reeling back from one bearing down on him. She snatched the controller out of the mans hands turning the collars off, before she could check if Gacen was ok she felt a crash as one of the remaining goons hit her with a chair. She took the force of the impact turning to the man, seeing she took the blow his confident demeanour dropped as he began to try and scurry away. Before he could Ash used the butt of her rifle to trip him to the floor stomping on his leg, she scanned the room while she fought off the remaining two thugs.

The room was still full to the brim with people many still looking ready for a fight, she saw Gacen now dodging the advances from a Trandoshan if she left him alone it probably would not go well. After dropping the two goons to the floor she lined up her rifle shooting the Trandoshan in the knee just between his scrap armour plates, they roared back in pain and Gacen quickly took advantage giving them a swift kick between the legs.

Ash made her way around the room taking out thug after thug as she went many seemed to lack blasters or much complex tech so she was able to take out many just through unarmed strikes.

Ash turned towards the end of the room where was that Neimoidian? she saw him scurrying away from the fray behind a bunch more thugs, Ash clicked her neck running towards them. The first held an electro pike and was clearly ready to use it Ash assessed the attack the only way to overpower him would be to disarm him of the pike. Ash tensed up grabbing the shocking end of the pike ripping it out of the thugs hand, the thug was caught off guard as Ash shrugged off the shock she gave him a swift punch to the gut and moved on to the next guys. She turned to three more thugs each looking ready for a fist fight, they surrounded her as the first threw a fist towards her. She caught the fist effortlessly and twisted the thugs hand unnaturally, she heard a snapping as the thug cried out dropping to the floor, there were still two more to deal with. She felt as one tried to clock her in the back of the head ducking and sweeping the legs of the now off balance individual, he crashed to the floor with a thud. As she rose up she used her momentum to throw a powerful kick into the remaining thugs face, she scanned in front of her there were still thugs left but they were seeming to switch to blasters for their own safety. Ash smiled whipping out her rifle within a second each thug fell to the floor a scorch mark embedded in their forehead, two left now they had been smart enough to take cover Ash slid behind a table ready to advance. She smiled battles like this were rare nowadays, she noticed as Gacen fought off the remaining guards his style much more arbitrary than Ash's calculated plan. She threw a flashbang towards the remaining goons and in the confusion vaulted over the cover running towards the thugs, one was still dazed allowing her to incapacitate him with a quick fist to the back of the head. The other however was on the edge of the flashbang and managed to line up a shot, Ash felt as the plasma seared into her shoulder but she kept running forward. She snatched the blaster out the thugs hand and slammed it against the thugs head, turning around looking to see if there was anyone else left.

Ash let out a deep breath seeing the room was now empty Gacen appeared to have handled a few of the goons left and now stood catching his breath. Ash spun around her attention still on the Neimoidian she quickly noticed him cowering in the corner.

Ash smiled as she walked up to him "told you I liked those odds" the Neimoidian recoiled back clutching the ledger tightly

he spoke shakily "I'm sorry I'm sorry you can have whatever you want I'm sorry" Ash rolled her eyes they all were like this when she kicked their guards ass, she snatched the ledger from him and began looking through it. It seemed rather than names it just had descriptions luckily 'orange fish person' was still pretty clear.

Ash read through it but when she looked for departure she frowned "this says they didn't leave the system?" she showed the Neimoidian the ledger as Gacen arrived

he squinted at it "um uh yes I remember them they bought the little shield contraption and uh said to just forget they were here then they just disappeared" Ash let out a long sigh god damn it Gacen was right

Gacen seemed to still be putting it together "wait so they're still in the system? with the shield contraption?" Ash put her fingers to her nose come on catch up

Ash sighed "they used the shield thing you bought to enter the nebula" Gacen's eyes widened his face broadening into a wide smile

he raised his eyebrow "soooo what you're saying is this wasn't an impulse purchase and actually useful" Ash let out a heavy sigh nodding. Gacen's eyes widened "oh, oh my god we're really close Ash we have to go right now" Ash had to admit being this close was exciting

she looked back to the Neimoidian "what about this guy" Gacen took a second to realise still clearly excited

Gacen frowned "oh I was just gonna leave him to those Jakal people they're just outside" Ash smiled she liked that idea

she chuckled "I suppose they will be able to come up with a more fitting punishment than us" Gacen chuckled back as they left the longhouse

They made their way back to the landing pad in the now quiet town, Gacen yawned "so what are the chances they eat him?" Ash narrowed her eyes she didn't think they'd be so barbaric

Ash held her chin "I think they're a little more advanced than that I hope they put him in the collar" Gacen nodded smiling

"yeah that's much smarter" Ash noticed Gacen was a lot more serious in there than usual she wondered if he'd been a slave once after all he was an alien and the empire had never been so kind to them.

She thought it best not to ask making her way back on board their ship "so Risha's somewhere in Gabredor" Gacen nodded clearly excited

He chuckled "you know when we arrived I had a hunch we may need to investigate the nebula, it is very Risha to hide inside a literal space storm" Ash nodded it was still weird to see him this happy instead of barely conscious.

Ash chuckled "well I guess we're going into that storm" Gacen smiled jumping into the pilots chair

he raised an eyebrow at Ash "do you mean Risha or the nebula" he held a cocky grin for far too long as he waited for Ash to laugh, Ash just let out a sigh and sat down next to him this shield contraption better work…