Be careful making allied NPCs too competent, lest they dominate the game as the players let them do all the dangerous things. Competent NPCs are best saved for enemies, or non-adventurers such as political leaders or the village blacksmith who strangely has 16 levels in Sword and Battleaxe (as well as the mandatory 20 levels in Ripping Off Adventurers Who Need New Weapons).

Transcript

R2-D2: These NPCs are surprisingly competent. That's weird.
Nik Sant: We've had decades of experience evading persistent hunters.
Nik Sant: Hell, you don't know who we are. And you should.
R2-D2: Wha...?
Delevar: After we trained the Ewocs, their attrition rate to predators dropped to zero.
Leia: Wow. Hasn't anyone ever caught you?
Nik Sant: They got close once. We jammed our weapons so they couldn't use them, torched our own compound, and left decoy bodies.
Delevar: The Black Alpha chatter tripled for a week. The First Order was furious. But we stayed hidden.
Nik Sant: She's also a master of disguise.
R2-D2: Oh my god! I know who you are!
[SFX]: < eefloo deep squee >
C-3PO: But let's not tell anyone, Artoo.
Delevar: If you do, you'll die.