Jaren sauntered over to assist. 

He tried a few buttons, and then, when that gave nothing in the way of results, he banged a closed fist against the top of the pod. The door slid open. “Huh.” He tossed his bag into the humming escape pod. “Good enough,” he said. “After you.” He offered her a hand and helped her clamor into the pod. It was a comfortable three-seater, from the look of it. Cramped and confining, but they weren’t going for luxury with this escape, as it were. With only the two of them there would be room enough anyway. 

As soon as she was safely in the pod, Jaren stepped a foot in, aiming for the ladder down. 

“Commander Jast, freeze where you are,” a muffled, but smooth, voice ordered from behind him. Jaren turned to look and found himself staring down a tall Mandalorian warrior emerging from the stairwell a little under ten meters away. He held a heavy blaster pistol in his hand. Jaren could see down the shadowed muzzle, even at this distance. “Step out of the escape pod.” Jaren did so, raising his hands. 

“I haven’t been Commander Jast in a long time,” Jaren replied easily, but he grit his teeth as he spoke. “Deklen Ordo, I take it.” He assessed the bounty hunter. The voice had been familiar, but now, off the screen, in person, and fully in the light, he realized he recognized that armor. “You’re the bounty hunter from Nar Shaddaa. One of 10's men. How did you find me?” 

“The Empire has spies everywhere,” Ordo said, gesturing ever so slightly with the gun. Jaren narrowed his eyes. His trigger finger twitched. “My superiors knew you were taking this ship off-world before you did. Now, the datapad.”

“Or what? You’ll kill me?” Jast asked, tempting the bounty hunter to continue talking.

“I will, yes, just like your partner—” Ordo gestured with the gun again, and Jaren moved with fluid motion and lightning speed. He drew the ivory, black, and gold blaster and fired. His aim was true, and the bounty hunter's sentence was cut short by the sharp crack of blaster fire and a flash of azure light. The blue bolt caught the bounty hunter on the right. Ordo went to the wall with a shout, but the armor absorbed much of the damage and he was still on his feet. Seemingly paralyzed on his right side, propped up against the wall on his shoulder, he extended his left arm. A jet of flame issued from his wrist.

Jaren dove into the pod headfirst to avoid the flamethrower, crashing shoulder first on one of the chairs inside. Orienting himself, he slammed a fist against the launch button, which sounded with a heavy [i]chunk[/i]. The door slammed shut, and the pod jettisoned away from the [i]Arkanis Sailer[/i] and hurtled into space with a tremendous burst of speed, throwing him across the tiny vessel with wild force. 

As he finally managed to take his seat, bruised and battered, and begin working on the pod’s controls, he took a moment to introduce himself. 

“Jaren Jast, by the way," he said, extending a hand to the young woman. “Pleasure to meet you.”