The next day, when Amir emerged from the spaceship, BD-4 ran up to him quickly and displayed the holographic message that Amir had received.
"Listen to me, Amir!" Han Solo's head appeared before him. "I can't believe what you're saying is true! I... I really saw Qi'ra."
Han Solo's eyes lit up, and he spoke excitedly.
"Thank you, my friend. I've found a way to survive. Now, we just need to find a ship. The Mandalorian left me behind and took the money."
"I was going to bring you along, but I know you have other things to do."
"I have to go now, Amir. I'll pay you back once I finish this job. Wait for my good news."
The communication was cut off, and Amir rolled his eyes.
"Tell him to enjoy his honeymoon, BD-4."
This was likely his last one.
Wolf also sent a message. He hadn't decided where to go yet. Tatooine was nice, but too chaotic for his liking. He said he would contact Amir once he made up his mind.
Lango gave him some finished ore. Wolf had enough money to get by.
As he walked to the hut, Amir said goodbye to Obi-Wan.
He had learned a lot in the past few days, and he had enjoyed the peace and quiet for long enough. He didn't want to wait any longer for what Ahsoka had told him.
He boarded the Traveler, started the ship, and departed the planet.
This time, he brought BD-4 along so the ship wouldn't be lonely. However, the small robot couldn't help him operate the ship.
BD-4 was strapped to the passenger seat, watching Amir's every move.
Amir set the course and pushed the hyperdrive activation lever. The Traveler vanished from the star system.
Their destination was a planet called Hoth, located on the opposite side of the outer ring galaxy.
"I need to put on some warmer clothes, BD-4."
"Beep-beep!"
"What kind of clothes do you need? I'll switch you to low-viscosity lubricant later."
"Beep-beep!"
"What could be wrong with the circuits? The cold will make you more alert."
. . .
Some time later, the spacecraft exited hyperspace prematurely and couldn't reach the outskirts of the Hoth planet directly.
This star system is filled with chaotic asteroid belts. Colliding with these asteroids directly from hyperspace would likely result in complete destruction.
Billions of years ago, it is said that two rocky planets collided here, leading to the destruction of both worlds and forming the rudimentary structure of this asteroid belt.
Even now, the remnants of the planets can be seen colliding and shattering endlessly.
Within these asteroid belts, there are extremely dangerous creatures. In an environment with no gravity and filled with space radiation, anything could exist.
Ahsoka told him a legend about this place. According to the legend, a gigantic space slug roams the Hoth asteroid belt, rivaling the size of some smaller planets. It hunts like a predator, camouflaging itself among larger debris and preying on nearby spacecraft.
"We need to bypass this area."
Directly traversing the asteroid belt would be extremely dangerous, and encountering a space slug was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Amir decided to spend more time searching for a safer route.
The extreme conditions on Hoth are barely tolerable for most life forms in the galaxy. Even during the day, temperatures hover around -30°C, and at night, they can drop below -60°C.
Anyone camping out in the open would undoubtedly freeze into an ice sculpture.
Only local organisms with fur and fat layers far exceeding those of ordinary creatures could adapt to life here.
The dangerous asteroid belt and extreme environment make this place virtually uninhabited; thus, no one travels here.
Consequently, few knew of a safe passage; Ahsoka had only accidentally discovered a relatively safe asteroid belt.
Amir could only rely on himself to search slowly.
After some time, he finally maneuvered the spacecraft to the edge of the asteroid belt, where only small fragments of rock remained. However, in space, these small fragments are far more dangerous than larger asteroids.
High-speed debris colliding with the spacecraft could easily breach its shields and tear chunks of material away from the hull.
If he was unlucky, the debris could pierce the reactor and turn the spacecraft into a hunk of debris.
Larger asteroids, however, could be avoided in advance.
Along the way, Amir had spotted numerous spacecraft wrecks embedded in the debris.
After leaving the dangerous area, Amir steered the spacecraft steadily toward the silver-white planet, which was now visible.
Although the area was now safe, scattered debris occasionally appeared near the spacecraft.
As he approached Hoth, he even saw a rock twice the size of Traveler break through its atmosphere as a meteorite, trailing a red tail as it hurtled toward the snow-white land.
Suppressing the urge to make a wish, Amir followed the coordinates Ahsoka had given him and finally entered the planet's atmosphere.
The blue-white sunlight made the snow even brighter.
Amir gradually approached Hoth's equator, and a deep fissure gradually came into view.
It was a massive crack that cut through the ice and extended hundreds of meters underground. The depths of the crack were pitch black, with no end in sight.
The goal of this journey was a snow-capped mountain beside the ravine.
"Thankfully, the spacecraft has a good insulation system." Amir felt a chill just looking out at the icy landscape.
"Beep, beep, beep!" BD-4 seemed to have spotted something and alerted Amir in its own language.
Following BD-4's lead, Amir saw the tip of a snow-capped mountain gradually emerge from the white line formed by the distant terrain.
"Let's land there." Amir spotted a flat plateau on the snowy ground not far ahead with faint traces of activity as if a spacecraft had landed there long ago.
Judging by the continuous snowfall around them, the traces must have been made recently.
They were most likely left by Ahsoka.
. . .
After landing in the same spot, Amir found a brand-new, dark, cotton coat filled with high-quality animal fur in his bedroom.
There were also matching pants and snow boots, as well as a thick woolen hat that covered his ears.
After changing into the full outfit, Amir slung his backpack over his shoulders and had BD-4 grip the backpack straps. With that done, Amir lowered the hatch and peered outside.
A sudden chill hit him.
"It's freezing! BD-4, how do you feel?" Amir could clearly feel the harshness of the environment on his exposed face.
"Beep, beep, beep!" BD-4 seemed to indicate that everything was fine.
The thick clothing made Amir's movements a bit sluggish but didn't cause too much trouble.
He had specially ordered all the clothes from a tailor on Tatooine because such thick garments were hard to find locally.
He had paid extra for lighter, more insulating materials to avoid looking bulky.
At least normal movement was not hindered.
When traveling across the galaxy, it's essential to pack several sets of clothing because you might find yourself in a scorching desert, a freezing ice field, and a warm, humid jungle within days.
Unless, of course, you have a suit of temperature-regulating armor.
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