Stellan met the Nihil at a run, the Alzarian unleashing a torrent of fire from a bulky flamer. Stellan somersaulted over the gushing flame and came down in front of the raider, severing the weapon’s barrel before bringing the pommel of his hilt up into the Alzarian’s already damaged jaw.

The reptilian stumbled back, his place in the skirmish taken by the Twi’lek wielding the plasmaul, the weapon’s energized hammer bouncing off Rana Kant’s blade. The targons were already on two of her cohorts—Matari knocking the thug of a human to the ground while Voru tackled the Weequay. Neither pirate would last long, their armor little use against a targon’s claws. That didn’t stop the human from punching Matari in the face, a decision he soon regretted as the chancellor’s protector closed his jaws around the Nihil’s throat.

The Twi’lek, however, was a different proposition. While the others were little more than brutes, she fought with skill and precision, the heel of her plasmaul slamming repeatedly against Stellan’s twin blades.

He had no time to check on the animals, but the scream that issued from beneath Voru told him that their enemy’s number had been reduced by one more. He spun and blocked, kicked and jumped back, fighting two Nihil at once, as the Alzarian rejoined the fray, snatching up a blaster from his fallen comrade. Neither would give ground, fighting with supernatural strength. Was it the Nihil’s cocktail of drugs running through their veins?

The Alzarian got too near and Stellan punched him with the fist that wielded Kant’s blade. A dirty move, but Stellan was exhausted. The reptilian staggered back, his finger locked around his trigger. Blaster shots raked the ground, Stellan avoiding losing his feet solely by jumping back. Recovering, the Alzarian brought up his weapon, only to holler in pain as Voru sank her claws into his wide back.