Elya opened her eyes expecting the indifferent greeting of a sterile bunk aboard an imperial vessel, instead a moment of brief confusion set in when the colours of her cluttered room aboard the River's Run smiled out at her instead. Elya laid back in her bed, she must have fallen asleep. Her helmet looked over at her from atop some boxes. Her uniform was getting gross she wasn't sure how to wash it though, she had never done her own washing up as an inquisitor maybe one of the crew could help her, she mused. Elya rose from her bed and exited her room. The hum of the engine couldn't be heard they must have landed somewhere. Elya was drawn towards sounds of movement in the cargo hold, there she found Kaza, Skrelp, Vekki, Thess and LL3 shifting the boxes that they had loaded on Saleucami. Skrelp noticed her first 'hello Elya, good morning' his voice was rough and shrill.

Kaza looked up from the box she was digging through. 'Oh, Elya, good to see you.'

'Yes… good to see you too, have we reached the rebellion yet?' Elya responded with an awkward raising of her hand in a half-hearted wave motion.

'Well. No, we have a slight errand we need to deal with before we take you to the rebellion' Kaza walked up and wrapped her mechanical arm around Elya and led her back into the ship. Elya looked up at Kaza deeply concerned.

'It's just a little time sensitive delivery. Rach our buyer, is a bit paranoid and if we didn't show up to the drop on time, he's likely not to pay us. And I don't think anyone else is looking for this many military grade air filters. So we need to make this deal, Just wait in your room we'll be back on our way in a couple of minutes.' Kaza had walked Elya all the way back to her room and opened the door for her.

Elya stepped in she was unhappy about the delay but wasn't sure what to say about it. The door shut and she was left in the room on her own again.

Elya was alone for only a handful of minutes before the door opened again, but instead of a member of the crew a mean looking human with thinning hair and a wild beard wielding a blaster appeared behind the door. With him was an assassin droid. Elya jumped up from her bed and went for her lightsabre, but her hand slapped her side fruitlessly looking for her weapon.

'In 'ere we got another one' the man shouted back down the hallway; he raised his pistol at Elya. 'Ight little missy just step out nice and slowly and nobody will be hurt, Rach just wants to see everybody outside the ship.' A mix of fear and fury whirled inside Elya. She was a fool to trust her safety to pirates.

She exited the ship the crew of the River's Run had all been lined up across the cargo ramp LL3 was powered down beside them. The boxes sat out in the middle of a dusty hanger in a pile. The lighting was pale blue and a chilly nip in the air gave the empty hanger an almost ghostly quality. A fat Twi'lik with pale yellow skin stood between the boxes and the ship he was flanked by two other droids and three more goons. The man and the bot who had escorted Elya out of her room walked down past the crew to join the Twi'lek and his men. As she took her position next to the rest of the River's Run crew Elya noted that both Kaza and Skrelp still had their blasters holstered by their hips and on Kaza's belt next to her weapon was Elya's lightsabre.

'AND NOW AN IMPERIAL!' The Twi'lek roared with a wet guttural flem to his voice.

'Rach mate we can discuss this, we brought the boxes they didn't even know our ship had ever been in the system, she's just some defector we're transporting she didn't even know this was happening until your men brought her out here' Kaza kept the same kind of cool Elya saw when she first encountered her. But judging by the angry veins on Rach's forehead Elya assumed the captain's level headedness hadn't won him over.

'SILENCE' he roared again like a storm drain in a downpour. 'There was a shootout in Kapo station on Salucumi in hanger 5, an entire squad of troopers and an inquisitor gunned down and another missing. Inquisitors if you couldn't judge by the name, Kaza, go around and enquire! YOU' he dramatically thrusted his flabby arm out towards the captain 'got sloppy and used a pseudonym that you have used before to register for the hanger! If I can make the connections, then so can they!'

'But Rach we never had registered a ship there, we brought the Run in quietly always had the cloak up every time we came and went from the planet, nobody knows we were there.'

Rach turned away no wanting to hear Kaza's excuse 'Your ship is an amazing asset' Rach pleaded at her 'but you are simply too reckless, I can't trust your or your crew to be discreet I have decided to find a new shipping associate!'

Kaza snorted 'Come on Rach, I'm sorry for the shootout sometimes these things happen. I'll tell you what I'll knock 10% off the payment for causing emotional distress.'

'No, I've made up my mind the River's Run needs a new crew and captain, I will be taking your fantastic ship into my possession to facilitate the change in staff' The blubbery Twi'lik sneered and raised his blaster his associates did the same.

The crew of the River's Run all flinched, Skrelp hissed an angry sound and tried to step forward. As Rach and his mean began to squeeze their triggers Elya rushed ahead of Kaza. She threw her hands out and the force followed her motions, a great irresistible wave exploded outwards from her. Rach, his men, his droids, and the boxes were all blown over. Elya grabbed her lightsabre from Kaza's belt and ignited the blade preparing to parry any incoming fire. Most of the River's Run crew hurried back onto the ship while Skrelp and Kaza drew their own sidearms. Rach looked up at the three figures standing on the ramp and yelped out 'Jedi!?' In a surprised panic he scrambled up and began to haphazardly fire his weapon towards Elya, the clumsy shots were easy to deflect back at Rach's posy. Kaza and Skrelp ducked for cover in the mouth of the cargo hold and began to return fire. Exposed as they were the gangsters were struggling only the droids kept their advantage being tough enough to continue fighting when they were hit.

Thess and Veki both reappeared in the open cargo hold of the River's Run. Veki was struggling to wield the machine blaster LL3 had used to cut down Elya's Stormtroopers. While Thess was competently wielding a rifle.

With fire pouring out now from her allies Elya took her chance to dart forward again. She slashed the droids to pieces with her blade of molten light. Rach and his men's resolve melted away with the loss of their robotic warriors but as the fat ringleader attempted to flee Elya tripped him up with the force and pinned him with her blade.

She was at a loss now. Usually when a cowering victim was caught between her bright red blade and the floor it was to get something out of them. But Elya only really wanted the gangster to stop shooting at her. After a brief pause, she drew back her blade. But before she could bring down execution on Rach, Kaza ran up beside her.

'So now that your tantrum is done with, I'll be taking our payment for the filters.'

Rach gulped and snapped his fingers at one of his men they took a satchel of their side and threw it over to Kaza.

She caught it in her robotic arm and quickly peaked through the bag. 'Okay' Kaza said, she leaned down and took Rach's wallet out from his pocket along with a keyring and a data card. 'We're cool now, Elya let him go' Kaza waved her hand dismissively and started back towards the River's Run.

Elya didn't move she kept her blade alight and asked back to Kaza. 'We are just going to let him go?' With confusion heavy in her voice.

'I mean, if you really want to murder him knock yourself out but I got my money so I'm happy. Although Rach' she turned back towards the squirming mess 'I'll be sure to give everyone I can the details of how you ambushed us after a job' She turned again and resumed her stride to the River's Run.

Rach looked up at Elya pleading 'I…. I'm a very powerful man, let me go and you can have anything you want!' His quivering only annoyed Elya. She shrugged at him, deactivated her blade and followed behind Kaza.

'That was amazing!' Veki cheered as Elya walked up.

Thess grimaced but paused to say 'Thank you for the rescue that was far to close' before turning back into the ship. Skrelp nodded his head towards Elya 'You are very good in a fight, thank you for your aid.' He followed Thess close after.

Kaza eyed Elya up before heading in herself.

That night hurtling through hyperspace dinner was nice. Veki and Skrelp recounted the daring shootout with the gangster too those who had fled inside before the bolts began to fly. Veki doing her best to vocalise her amazement with Elya's abilities and her own experience wielding "The big gun". Thess mostly clarified or finished off for Veki when she did get caught up trying to find the right word. Elya remained mostly quite again only answering the occasional question about how she can use the force, or what is the biggest thing she's ever fought.

After a few hours everyone grew tired and began to leave for their rooms Elya started to rise but paused when Kaza spoke to her.

'Hold up Elya. Skrelp and I wanted to talk quickly.'

'Oh no, Jedi's in trouble. Whatever they ask you just say yes it'll be easier in the long run.' Veki taunted and she left.

Elya sat down across the table from Kaza and Skrelp looking between them nervously. Skrelp seemed almost meditative breathing rhythmically, Elya swirled her drink contemplatively.

'Your damn good in a fight' Kaza smiled at Elya.

'It's a lot easier when they line up in front of you like that' Elya spoke bluntly, she still felt very awkward around Kaza and her crew. Her presence was uncomfortable almost every interaction left unsure if what she said was right.

'I'm assuming as an officer? commando? Whatever inquisitors count as, you have had a lot of combat training' Kaza said casually.

'Yes, inquisitors learn how to fight and how to command others in a fight' Elya's unsureness was only deepening now. Were they evaluating if they could detain or kill her. Perhaps they saw her as a threat or maybe a bounty had been posted by the empire too large for them to resist. Elya's hand glided down from the table to her belt. Her lightsabre was still there Kaza never asked her to return it after the skirmish.

Kaza placed her drink down and clasped her hands on the table.

'Why do you want to join up with the rebellion?' Kaza tilted her head slightly as she spoke.

'I don't care about the rebellion all I want is to hide from the empire.'

'Ah well I doubt the rebellion will help you much there' Kaza abruptly leaned back into her chair.

Elya panicked slightly 'You said they would help me disappear' Elya's eyes pleaded between both Kaza and Skrelp.

'No, we can help you disappear in fact we already have. Now given your body was missing from the hanger in Kapo station it won't be hard to deduce that you are still alive somewhere. But the River's Run was never logged leaving or entering the system at any point. They probably still think you are hiding there. At least until Rach and his goons start talking about the scary jedi dressed like an imperial with the red-light blades.'

Skrelp looked over at Elya 'a bounty will most assuredly follow, although as a deserter functionally you do already have one on your head.'

Elya was left dejected; the empire was everywhere she thought the rebellion would be a safe place. but where else could she go if not there?

'Of course, though there is the option to continue running from the empire' Kaza said smiling at Elya. 'It's not easy, it's a hard life always on the run moving from place to place, taking work where you can. But just about everyone on this ship is wanted for one reason or another and the lifestyle suites us well' Kaza relaxed further into her chair as she spoke.

'What are you saying?' Elya was getting confused.

'Skrelp and I are in agreement that we have been sorely missing a proper fighter on our crew. So what would you say to becoming the River Run's new security chief?'

'Oh…. I…. don't know'.' Elya thoughts went still she tried to process through the request but kept stalling. Was this the best option for her? Why would they want her around? The swirl of thought proved fruitless, so she quieted her mind instead. The moment of silence allowed the force to creep in. Elya felt Kaza and Skrelp's impressions of her they really did think she would be an excellent crew member. Elya snapped back to her present moment and with a tentative smile nodded her head towards Kaza.

'Alright I'll stay here, you have your new security chief.'

Kaza brought her in with her natural arm wrapping it around her shoulder. 'That's what I wanted to hear! You'll find being on the run with friends is a lot better than just hiding on your own!'