On your map there is an option to display the 'exploration' missions, (top right), check that and a number of the non-essential missions are displayed on the map and over the NPCs heads
The first is unlikely (ISPs being what they are) but the second not just gets rid of the OTP but gives you 100 CC a month too, & you dont need a smartphone to use something like Winauth
There is a hint at downtime in
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=9134248#edit9134248
So yes I expect maintenance sometime around midday or 1pm UTC, even though they have yet to post anything concrete
put companion on passive (get aggro on the Fish)
move until Fish is under the flames
send companion to attack
With good gear and rotation you can win this fight by brute force but the flames make it so much easier