"Let's collect these for now. There's no way to unlock the seal yet. We'll have to find more Massassi crystals." Amir put all the crystals into his backpack.
Maybe Hoth will have an unexpected reward, Amir thought. If the ruins there were similar to this temple, he could go back to that sealed door. Perhaps there would be a surprise waiting for him.
"There's no road ahead. Let's head back," Ahsoka said.
The two walked out of the Temple. On a flat piece of ground directly opposite the entrance, they used lightsabers to clear dense vegetation and the Force to move rubble, creating a decent-sized clearing. Afterward, they climbed the peak again, went to Yunyin's side, and chatted about recent events.
Before long, they saw a fleet of transport ships fly over. This must be the team Hak had called in to establish the base.
The ships landed in the newly cleared space. A group of people and droids walked out, carrying equipment crates.
After nodding to Ahsoka, they began to organize and build the base under Hak's leadership.
"One base isn't enough. We will continue to explore and establish more safe houses. We've contacted many like-minded people over the years, and the number is still growing. They all need to be settled. The war is about to begin, Amir," Ahsoka said calmly.
But Amir sensed the suppressed tension in her heart.
"If I find any good locations, I'll recommend them to you," Amir said after a thought.
"That would be best. Where are you heading next?" Ahsoka asked.
"Get a check-up, and make a trip back to Tatooine." Amir stated his plan. He wouldn't return to Hoth for now, to avoid a potential Imperial ambush. After all, the disturbance there wasn't small, and Gideon and the others were still alive.
"The data you stole should contain the coordinates of their core research facility. If we successfully decrypt it, we will launch an attack. We need to save those children," Ahsoka said firmly.
"I'll help you then." Amir had long wanted to destroy that base. Those people had been chasing him for so long; it was time they suffered the consequences.
"Over here!" Hak suddenly shouted from not far away.
"I'll go see."
Amir walked down from the summit to where Hak was standing.
At the back of the clearing, near the foot of the mountain, there was a stone structure. It was very well hidden, obscured by ancient trees and thick mist.
Hak was clearing the path to this house.
"This structure must have been empty for hundreds of years. The tree blocking the door is massive," Hak said, panting slightly.
Amir stepped forward and began cutting the dense vegetation with his lightsaber.
When it was mostly cleared, Hak stepped over a mossy rock, walked to the door of the house, and slowly stuck his head in to look.
"It doesn't look too bad inside. Let me turn on a light... Huh?" Hak said, confused.
In a corner of the room, a gray figure suddenly lunged at him. Before he could react, he was tackled to the ground by a great force.
Amir was also greatly surprised. He hadn't expected a creature to be lurking in this dilapidated house. Looking closely, it was a mud-gray crawling beast with sharp claws and a huge maw.
Seeing the jaws about to snap onto Hak's head, Amir quickly threw his lightsaber. The green blade spun through the air, easily slicing through the beast's neck, severing its head.
"Phew! That was close!" Hak stood up slowly, clutching his scratched shoulder.
Amir caught his returning lightsaber, walked over to support Hak, and casually swept the room with the Force.
Instantly, the hairs on his arms stood on end.
Shoving Hak back, Amir reactivated his lightsaber and blocked just in time. A beast twice as large as the first one pounced from the shadows, catching the lightsaber hilt with its claws and pressing its other claw against Amir's left hand.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Hak reacted quickly this time, drawing his pistol and firing.
BD-4 also jumped onto the creature's back, kicking its massive head with his short mechanical legs.
But this beast was surprisingly tough. The blaster bolts only left small scorch marks on its thick hide.
Human strength, in the end, was no match for this beast's raw power. Under its forceful push, Amir was thrown backward.
The beast seemed to want to pursue, but at that moment, an ethereal cry echoed from the sky. Yunyin was circling overhead.
The beast let out an unwilling roar and turned to flee into the distance.
How could I let it go so easily? Both of them, big and small, had launched dishonorable sneak attacks.
Watching the mud-gray figure disappear into the mist, Amir silently stretched out his right hand.
In an instant, as if seized by a giant, invisible hand, the beast's body slowly lifted off the ground. The creature, not understanding what was happening, thrashed its limbs wildly in mid-air, trying to run on nothing.
Yunyin did not miss this opportunity. Its huge figure descended rapidly through the valley, cutting through the wind, its talons flashing with cold light.
With a loud crash of breaking branches, the talons cleared the canopy blocking its view, then continued their descent without losing momentum. Like a dragonfly touching water, its body abruptly stopped in mid-air just before hitting the ground. The talons contracted instantly, piercing the beast's hide and hooking its entire body!
With a powerful beat of its four wings, Yunyin took flight, carrying its prey into the mist.
Amir smiled slightly, watching this satisfying hunt.
Hak was very resilient in areas other than his fear of heights. Seeing the danger was gone, he applied some bacta spray to his wound and continued to walk into the room.
"Go rest first. We'll get you to a medical pod in a bit," Amir tried to stop him.
"It's fine, just a scratch. A little medicine is all it needs." Hak had already walked into the interior of the room. BD-4 once again acted as a flashlight.
"There are some murals here too. They look like they're by the same artist as the one by Yunyin's nest." Amir also walked in.
The house was very simple, built entirely of stacked stones without mortar. It looked more like a temporary shelter for meditation than a permanent home.
Following BD-4's beam, Amir looked up and suddenly discovered a familiar image carved into the center of the wall: a circular crest with stylized wings spreading from a central blade of light.
"The symbol of the Jedi Order!" Amir blurted out.
And below this image, on a protruding stone ledge, lay a severely worn lightsaber hilt.
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