"Are you sure you know how to use this thing?" asked a golden-haired man, examining it closely. Upon closer inspection, he bore a resemblance to Gulina.
"This thing will explode easily once it's removed from its pressure-matched environment," Lango said, staring at the control panel in front of him. "All it takes is a tiny spark."
"Hurry up! Hurry up! They're about to finish their shift. If they discover us, we're finished," the blond-haired man said.
"Don't rush me."
Lango repeatedly pressed and adjusted the control panel of the detonator, which he had found in the corner of the mine shaft. Surprisingly, it still worked.
As he adjusted the signal frequency repeatedly, Lango began to feel anxious.
"Roar!!!" Chewbacca bellowed at the entrance.
"It's over! They've finished their shift. We're too late..."
Before he could finish, a deafening explosion echoed from outside, causing the entire mine shaft to tremble.
"The mine is collapsing! I don't want to be buried alive here!" the blond youth shouted.
"Click, click, click, click, click, click!" A series of crisp sounds echoed around them, and suddenly, all the chains binding the enslaved miners were unlocked.
They had blown up the control room of the mine.
"Well done, Lango! Now it's time for us to strike back," a burly man said. His skin was red, and he had two sharp horns on his head, making him look like a demon. He was a middle-aged Devaronian, currently swinging the chains that had bound him like a toy. The chains alone weighed at least half his body weight.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!" Chewbacca shouted excitedly as he picked up a mining pickaxe.
The people in the mine shaft gathered together.
Finally, they charged toward the exit with a loud roar.
The sound of blaster guns echoed, and several people fell to the ground in an instant.
But no one backed down. They raised anti-gravity boards, mine carts, and anything else they could find to use as shields. They knocked down the guards one by one and seized their blasters.
The situation quickly became tense.
"We need to act fast, Lango," the Red Devil shouted from behind cover, tossing a blaster to Lango. "Their army is nearby, and reinforcements will be here soon."
Gripping the blaster rifle, Lango took a deep breath. Suddenly, he spotted a dense fleet of ships approaching from the distant sky.
Those ships were all too familiar to him. They were shown on TV every day as the Empire constantly showcased its might to the people.
"Why is the Imperial fleet here?" someone shouted.
Everyone looked toward the distant sky, and the intense battle came to a halt.
The nearby military base launched a counterattack against the approaching Imperial Navy fleet, firing countless laser cannons and missiles into the sky.
Several troop transport ships were hit in an instant, turning into fireballs before crashing to the ground.
However, more troop transport ships landed, and assault teams successfully disembarked and divided into squads. They advanced toward the base on foot.
Another wave of spacecraft poured in, deploying walkers one after another onto the ground. They immediately joined the aerial battle.
TIE fighters swarmed toward the base's anti-aircraft turrets, and the walking machines and countless Imperial assault troops swept the ground of enemies.
Deep in the sky, a massive Star Destroyer hovered motionless; its presence alone struck fear into all who beheld it.
This was a surprise assault. They aimed to capture this planet as the starting point for their conquest of the star system.
"We won't get caught in the crossfire, will we?!" the blond youth cried.
"Then grab the ships at the mine and get out of here," Lango said calmly.
At that moment, several missiles flew in from the distance and landed precisely on the ships at the mine. The three ships exploded with a loud bang.
The blond youth was about to cry.
. . .
Amir suddenly noticed that the guards around him were becoming restless. They seemed to have received some news and were moving toward the exit in a slight panic.
Amir sensed that something was wrong, feeling danger lurking in his heart.
Without bothering to find out what was happening, he put on a panicked expression and slowly made his way toward the control center amid the chaos.
No one noticed that a guard had sat down at the control console.
Amir connected to the port and began copying the data, busily manipulating the mining field's systems with his hands.
First, he shut down most of the communications, cut off the power to the mining devices, and turned off the lights to cause more chaos.
During this time, he also activated the alarm system. As a result, the pitch-black mine shaft was illuminated by flashing red warning lights accompanied by a piercing alarm.
Suddenly, a fat, middle-aged man grabbed Amir's shoulder and shouted, "What are you doing here? Get out immediately!"
Amir was startled but had an idea.
He extended his right hand and gently waved it in front of the man's face. "You need to go outside and check the situation," he said.
The man froze.
"When did it become your turn to give me orders?! Get away from the control panel!"
Amir silently pulled out his blaster pistol and fired a disorienting beam, knocking the man to the ground.
"In the end, I still have to use this barbaric weapon."
The data copy was complete, so Amir immediately disconnected and ran outside amid the chaos.
At this point, no one was paying attention to the intruder. The area was filled with shouts, alarms, and the crashing sounds of machines gone haywire after the power outage.
. . .
"What's going on outside?!" Amir asked into the communicator.
The Mandalorian was still on the other side with his sniper rifle. "Nothing. The Imperial fleet has attacked."
"What do you mean 'nothing'? Why is it suddenly so chaotic?" Amir couldn't process it for a moment. "What? The Imperial fleet?"
"Stop asking questions! Get out here quickly."
Amir could tell the Mandalorian was panicking too.
As he burst out of the mine shaft, the sudden brightness made him squint. He also saw the Star Destroyer hanging in the sky.
The guards around him didn't care about the mine anymore. Everyone with a ship rushed to board it and escape.
"Save me!" A gaunt young man in a shabby miner's uniform with handcuffs on his wrists stretched his hands toward Amir.
He mistook Amir for a guard.
The guards were leaving and fantasized that these people would free them before they departed.
Amir looked at the young man's handcuffs and shackles, which were simple mechanical locks.
He closed his eyes and reached out his hand.
"Click! Click!" The two locks opened effortlessly. The emaciated young man stared in disbelief at Amir's face.
Amir said nothing.
Though it might not increase their chances of survival, at least it gave them freedom, Amir thought.
He closed his eyes and walked slowly toward the exit. Any chains touching the nearby slaves opened on their own.
Some of the freed prisoners rushed out in joy, while others turned to help their companions.
After finally reaching the door, Amir pushed aside his dizziness and hurried toward the spaceship on the platform.
----------------------
You can read +100 advance chapters on my Patreon
Patreon(.)com/izan24
TIER 1 you'll get +15 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
TIER 2 you'll get +40 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
TIER 3 you'll get +60 ADVANCE CHAPTERS
TIER 4 you'll get +100 ADVANCE CHAPTERS