Seeing this silver-clad planet again, Amir was a little excited. The temple wouldn't escape him this time; he had to go in and see.
A call came in. Amir answered, and Ahsoka's image appeared. She was wearing heavy winter clothing.
"I've arrived. I'm at the foot of the mountain," Ahsoka said.
Ahsoka and Amir had long agreed to explore these ruins together. This was decided from the start. By finding the entrance, Amir had actually already fulfilled Ahsoka's original request.
"I've exited hyperspace. I'll be there soon," Amir said.
"I'm all changed, Amir!" Just then, a white ball rolled into the cockpit.
Looking at Milisen, who was bundled up tightly, Amir smiled and asked, "Aren't you hot?"
The ship was climate-controlled. Wearing so much now, she'd probably die of heat. And even when they got off the ship, she wouldn't need to wear that much.
"Hot!" Milisen declared, completely unjustified but with full confidence.
"Take off two of those three sweaters underneath!" Amir said helplessly.
"Fine... I just like these clothes and wanted to wear them all." Milisen, as if finally realizing one could wear too many clothes, trotted back to her bedroom.
32 only wore a basic thermal jacket, just enough to retain the heat from his internal heating system. Of course, he also wore a hat on his shiny, bald head.
The Traveler officially entered the atmosphere, descended, and flew along the familiar fissure. Milisen, having changed, ran back to the cockpit to look at the scenery.
"What's that?!" Milisen suddenly pointed at the ground.
On the white snow, there was a dark trench. At the end of the trench was a strange lump.
"What is that?" Amir stared, his eyes wide.
"Es... cape pod," 32 suddenly said. He held up his study datapad, which happened to be displaying the interface for an escape pod.
"Wow, you're talking! Great job!" Milisen patted 32's arm, praising him like a parent, only to be met with an eye-roll.
"An escape pod?" With the prompt, Amir looked closely and realized it was true.
No large ships passed through here. How could there be an escape pod? Wait... a large ship... Amir suddenly thought of something and immediately turned the ship toward the crashed pod.
The Traveler landed next to the escape pod. Amir and the other two disembarked and walked toward it.
"There's no shelter out here. It's foolish to leave the pod. So if someone's here, they're probably still inside." Amir couldn't be sure who was in the pod. He walked slowly, his hand moving toward his lightsaber.
Just then, the escape pod door burst open, and a person rushed out.
"Someone's finally here! I'm saved!!!"
Along with the hysterical shout, a familiar person appeared before Amir.
"Eh? A-Amir! Hahaha, long time no see! How have you been?" Hondo laughed awkwardly. His half-bent body froze, and he shivered as the cold wind blew past.
"Thanks to you, I've been doing just fine," Amir said, gripping his lightsaber and walking forward, but without igniting the blade.
"Wait! Wait!" Hondo held his hands up, waving them frantically, his body unconsciously backing away.
"What else is there to say?" Amir continued walking.
"There is, there is!" Hondo was clearly much thinner and completely sapped of energy. He had evidently suffered a lot these past few days. The escape pod's food and water must have been consumed. This desolate, icy land was continuously grinding down his will. He must have thought he was going to die here.
"Talk."
"I left you your weapon! You know lightsabers are very valuable. I left it for you because I knew you could save yourself!" Hondo said.
"I'm so grateful," Amir said, continuing toward him.
"Wait, I have stuff! Good stuff, I'll split it with you! Remember that box I took from the pirate base? It's the pirates' entire fortune! It's right behind me!" Hondo added.
"Good. The stuff is all mine. You can get lost." Amir hadn't expected this bonus.
At this point, Amir was sure this escape pod was from the cruiser where the lab was located. After betraying him, Hondo must have run into people who didn't play by the rules.
Even a legitimate Imperial military unit might not have paid him a bounty. Gideon certainly wouldn't have cared. So there was no way he got paid. Hondo must have been captured, too. But the fact that he managed to escape in a pod, and even brought his loot... truly an old fox.
"This..." Hondo hesitated, as if reluctant to part with his property.
"Mm? Any objections?"
"...None!" Hondo finally made up his mind. "Hehe, you take all of it, and you just get me off this godforsaken rock. How about it?"
"Oh? Tell me, where do you want to be buried? If the money's good, I might consider it."
"Don't joke, my friend. No grudge can't be settled. Besides, I left you your weapon... you got out, didn't you? And all this wealth behind me..." Hondo shivered, trying to ingratiate himself.
"How about this, this! I know a huge secret! It's the reason I was in that dangerous asteroid belt pirate den in the first place!"
"A secret!" Milisen edged closer, curious.
"Speak!" Amir was also curious about what this old fox was doing here.
"I... why don't we get on the ship first? It's too, too, too cold here." Hondo was about to freeze in this near -60°C environment.
"Fine. You'd better behave," Amir said, then walked toward the escape pod.
Just as they passed each other, Hondo suddenly burst into action. His body, which seemed hunched from the cold, lunged at Amir. His hand, hidden under his clothes, was gripping a scimitar.
But Amir had already seen his intention. He had even walked forward to give him the chance. Why? Because Amir wanted a legitimate excuse to beat him up.
Amir's lowered hand gave a gentle push as Hondo lunged. Hondo's entire body, still in its original posture, flew backward uncontrollably and landed hard in the snow.
Waving his hand again, the scimitar by Hondo's side flew away, far from his reach.
Amir smiled and walked toward the stunned old fox. "Don't say I don't respect my elders. I didn't start it."
"Agh! Don't hit! Don't hit! Not the face! Gently!!" Hondo's miserable screams echoed in the snow.
"Ah! Hitting people is bad!" Milisen said quietly, but the excitement in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
After a "friendly exchange" and reaching an "understanding," Amir had 32 search Hondo for all his possessions and lock him in the ship's storeroom. He himself walked toward the escape pod.
Time to see what "gift" his old friend had brought him.
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