Her footpaws touched the sand, and Ndonsa gave the rope a quick tug and stepped backward, letting the tether fall down from the height of the ship into a haphazard pile. She could see the girl slowly making her way down, and was considering calling up to her, but a sound - falling sand - made her turn around. Five cloaked and armed scavengers, all wearing metallic coolie hats, were crouched around the bundle of rifles she'd dropped to the dunes.

As she turned to look at them they sprang into action, two leaping toward her as the other three tried to grab all the blaster rifles they could carry. "No!" Ndonsa shouted, holding out her paw to the side. Her metal staff flicked through the air, slamming into her palm from where she'd left it in the shade, and she spun it forcefully, knocking the two attackers off their feet.