"Do you really know how to use that thing?" asked a blond-haired man. On closer inspection, his features bore some resemblance to Guri'kena'
"Do you really know how to use that thing?" asked a blond-haired man. On closer inspection, his features bore some resemblance to Guri'kena's.
"This kind of device will explode easily once removed from its matched pressure environment," Rango replied, his eyes locked on the detonator's control panel. "All I need is a tiny spark."
"Hurry up! They're almost done switching shifts. If we get caught, we're screwed!" the blond man urged.
"Stop rushing me."
Rango kept pressing and adjusting the control board—an old detonator he'd dug out of a corner in the mine. Miraculously, it still worked.
He fine-tuned the signal frequency again and again, anxiety building.
"Rrrraaagh!" Chewbacca roared from the doorway.
"Oh no! The shift change is over—we're out of time..."
Before he could finish, a massive explosion thundered from outside. The entire mine shook.
"This place isn't gonna collapse, is it? I don't wanna be buried alive!" the blond youth shouted.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
All around them, the chains binding the enslaved miners snapped open with a sharp series of clicks.
They'd successfully destroyed the mine's main control room.
"Well done, kid! Now it's our turn to strike back!" shouted a burly man with crimson skin and two horns sprouting from his forehead. He looked like a demon—a middle-aged Devaronian—swinging his broken chains like toys. Each one was easily half his weight.
"Rrraaah!" Chewbacca bellowed, grabbing a mining pick in both hands.
The miners rallied and, with a final cry, surged toward the exit.
Blaster fire erupted—several dropped instantly—but no one hesitated. They lifted anti-grav pallets, ore carts, and whatever else they could find as makeshift shields, barreling into guards and seizing their weapons.
The mine exploded into chaos.
"We've gotta end this fast, kid!" the Devaronian shouted from behind cover, tossing Rango a blaster rifle. "The army's nearby—they'll be here any minute!"
Rango caught the weapon and took a deep breath—just as the sky darkened with the arrival of a vast fleet.
He recognized those ships instantly. He'd seen them on every news broadcast. The Empire never missed a chance to display its power.
"Why the hell is the Imperial fleet here?!" someone cried.
The fighting froze. Everyone turned their eyes to the heavens.
The nearby military base launched a barrage at the incoming Imperial fleet—lasers and missiles lit up the sky.
Some troop transports were hit, bursting into fireballs and crashing to the ground in flaming wreckage.
But many more made it through.
Stormtroopers deployed in squads, advancing on foot toward the base.
More transports arrived, dropping walkers from their undersides before veering off to join the dogfight above.
TIE fighters swarmed like flies, hammering the anti-air batteries. Walkers stomped across the terrain, while wave after wave of stormtroopers wiped out resistance.
And in the far reaches of the sky hovered a Star Destroyer, massive and motionless, yet radiating menace.
This was a full-scale assault. The Empire was here to take this planet—and use it as a foothold to conquer the entire sector.
"We're not gonna get caught in this, are we?!" the blond youth cried, face pale.
"Then we steal a ship from the yard and get the hell out," Rango said flatly.
But just then, several missiles screamed in from the distance and struck the mine's landing pads.
The only three ships stationed there exploded into flaming wrecks.
The blond looked like he was about to cry.
Meanwhile, Amir noticed the guards nearby growing restless. They'd clearly received a warning—many looked nervous as they moved toward the exit.
A sense of danger crept over Amir.
He mirrored their panic and, under cover of the confusion, crept toward the central control hub.
No one noticed a lone "guard" taking a seat at the terminal.
Amir plugged in and started copying the mine's data. With one hand, he manipulated the systems.
He disabled most communications, cut power to the mining equipment, and shut down the lights to stir up more chaos.
Then he found the alarm system and triggered it.
The darkened mine was now bathed in flickering red light, sirens wailing in all directions.
Suddenly, a fat, middle-aged man clapped a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here? Get out now!"
Amir jumped, but then smirked slightly.
He raised his right hand and waved it calmly in front of the man's face. "You need to go outside and check what's going on."
The man blinked.
"Since when do you give orders?! Leave the control room!"
Amir sighed and pulled out his blaster pistol, stunning the man with a single shot.
"Still gotta rely on barbaric weapons in the end."
The data transfer completed. Amir disconnected and bolted from the control room amid the growing chaos.
No one was paying attention to infiltrators anymore. The mine was in full-blown panic—alarms blaring, machines crashing, people screaming.
"What the hell's happening out there?!" Amir barked into his commlink.
The Mandalorian's voice crackled in his ear. "Nothing much. Just the Imperial fleet landing."
"'Nothing much'?! What do you mean—wait, the Imperial fleet?!"
"Save the questions. Get out. Now."
Even the Mandalorian sounded uneasy.
Amir burst from the mine, squinting against the sudden daylight—and then he saw the Star Destroyer looming on the horizon.
The guards had abandoned their posts. Anyone with a ship was trying to flee.
"Please! Help me!" cried a gaunt young man in tattered miner's clothes, holding up shackled wrists. He thought Amir was a guard.
The guards were gone. The prisoners hoped—foolishly—that someone would free them before leaving.
Amir looked at the handcuffs and leg irons—simple mechanical locks.
He closed his eyes and reached out his hand.
Clack! Clack! Both locks popped open.
The emaciated youth stared in awe at Amir's young face.
Amir said nothing.
It might not increase their chances of survival, but at least he'd given them freedom, Amir thought.
He walked forward, eyes closed. Any slave who approached had their chains fall off as if unlocked by an invisible hand.
Some wept with joy and ran for freedom. Others turned back to free their companions.
Reaching the exit, Amir shook off the dizziness creeping in and sprinted toward the Traveler, waiting on the ridge.
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🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
📢 A Galaxy Far, Far Away Just Got Closer! 📢
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