"So Natalie," Rey said as they walked through the halls of the spaceship the younger woman had led them to. The ship had looked a lot different than the spaceships she had seen previously (just one: the Milano), and like all the other ships in the yard it had none of the bird-like sleekness she attributed to Peter Quill's ride. The so-called "Millenium Falcon" looked like a giant metal space brick.

Rey assured her it was completely safe. Except for the occasional toxic gas, but she shouldn't worry because it only happened twice, and the second time was on purpose.

Lovely.

"This is the crew's quarter, and over here in this room is the hyperdrive," instructed Rey. "Do you know how to do maintenance on those? If you're going to travel with us we'll need your help."

"Uh no," Natasha replied. I don't even know what that is.

"Do you know anything about circuitry?"

Quick, Natasha, She thought, Find something you can do so you don't seem out of place. She found herself suddenly grateful for the training the Red Room had given her. Natalia scored top marks in adaptation to foreign situations.

"Enough," she said.

"Good, that's good." Rey turned into another room. "This can be your bunk for now. We'll reach D'Qar in a couple days. Where did you say you were headed?"

"I didn't," Natasha said. "I don't really know where I'm going. I guess I just wanted to get off Vormir."

"Well - " Rey was cut off by the sound of an explosion. Immediately, the two stood, and Natasha followed the other to the cockpit.

"What was that?" Rey yelled. Chewie moaned and growled in response.

"What was that?" Natasha hissed. She gripped the back of one of the chairs as the craft shook.

"Apparently we're getting boarded by pirates (again) and someone," she turned pointedly to stare at Chewie, "didn't notice!" Chewie moaned apologetically in response.

"Pirates?" Natasha wondered. "What kind of pirates?"

"Are you going to question everything I say? I don't know what kind of pirates! Just-" Rey snapped. She turned towards Natasha sharply. "Look, you can fight, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I know how to throw a few punches."

"Well then get out there and punch them!"

"Right." Natasha leapt from her seat and ran down the passageway. Alarms wailed and lights flashed as she hurried towards the entrance hatch. The walls shuddered and clanged. Soon enough, the pirates would be able to enter. Unfortunately for them, Natasha would be waiting.

She pulled a crate in front of the door as a temporary barricade, and unclasped her handgun from her holster. The gun was more primitive than the tech she had seen so far, but hopefully it would do the job.

She waited, and her mind raced.

While Natasha would prefer to be on the attack, she couldn't leave the ship, because one - she might get sucked into space, which was always a possibility, and two - better to fight in a (more) familiar territory than go in blind. The pirates would have to come to her.

Soon enough she could hear a faint whine behind the door. Beams of light shone through the thick metal, seeming to melt it. The pirates were cutting their way through - the door fell to the floor with a bang.

Seven hostiles, all armed. Strong, fast, with tentacles. Natasha decided to take out the strongest first. She leapt up from her cover, and quickly fired a bullet towards the pirate in the front - he went down. If she had more time, she would have ruminated on how human dimorphisms seemed to apply to many of the species she had seen so far, but then she was leaping onto the second. She flipped around his back, wrapped her arms around his neck and twisted. With a crack the second went down.

The third raised his weapon, but Natasha was faster - she drew her pistol and hit his weapon hand. He roared in pain.

The next three ran toward her, but she dispatched them all with a quick shot to the head. The last pirate turned towards her, and she aimed her gun, but it clicked. Empty. No matter. Her hand shifted to hold the barrel, and the handle cracked into the pirate's head. He staggered back, and raised his fists.

Hand-to-hand, then. Alright.

A kick to the knee, followed by two sharp crosses to the stomach. She ducked under his fists to upper cut his tentacle-face, and flipped around his kick. He grabbed her arm, but she twisted and rolled his body over her back.

This was fun, easy, simple. She allowed her mind to lose herself in the fight, to trade blows with the pirate. Her thoughts worries flew from her head - all that mattered was the where the next blow was coming from and what she would do with it.

Soon enough her mind cleared, and the last pirate was groaning on the floor. Of the seven, five dead, two incapacitated. Not her best, not her worst.

She bent down to inspect one of the bodies when somebody coughed behind her.

"I was going to see if you needed any help, but it seems like you did alright by yourself," Rey said. Natasha turned around.

"A few punches?" said Rey incredulously. Natasha laughed without humor.

"Yeah... What should we do with the bodies?"

"Bodies?" questioned Rey.

"Yes," Natasha said. "That one has a bullet in his forehead."

"Right," Rey massaged her forehead with her palm. "I'm not even going to get into what a bullet is. We really weren't supposed to kill them. That's not what the Resistance tries to do."

"Well they are already dead," stated Natasha.

Rey sighed. "We're in space, and this is war. We can't pretend these sorts of things don't happen… Chewie can take care of this. Come to the cockpit. We're almost at D'Qar."

Behind the windshield loomed the green image of the planet; large and round.

"It's a beautiful planet," Natasha said.

"Yes." Rey replied. "Very green." Together the two of them watched D'Qar and the Resistance spin slowly towards them.

I don't know about this chapter - the characters are very ooc. But whatever. This is unbeta'd, like the rest of my stories. Please let me know what you think! I take and value all your criticism. THANKS