Dathomir [Saturday afternoon, Fandom time]

[momslilassassin]

The trip to Dathomir had gone quietly. The planet had fit Ben's criteria: off the beaten path but still livable (so no Hoths, thanks), temperate, and largely unexplored.

He hefted the backpack he was carrying into a more comfortable position on his back, and glanced over at Ender before beginning to walk through the forest in front of them, leaving the shuttle parked behind. "This is the planet my uncle won in a card game decades ago," he said. "Singing Mountain is a few klicks that way."

Well, Ben's definition of "a few" was closer to fifteen. "Is this what you had in mind?"

[OOC: For the bff. NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[endsthegame]

"It's new," was Ender's only reply.

That was what he'd asked for. He'd give Ben a longer answer later, but right now, he was busy looking around. He wasn't used to having to watch for where he walked as much as he did here, nearly tripping over the occasional branch.

[momslilassassin]

"We're not the top of the food chain on this planet," Ben said casually, though his hand twitched toward the hilt of his lightsaber in a way that was anything but casual. "Did Granddad ever mention rancors?"

[endsthegame]

Ender noticed the twitch; it told him more than Ben's lie, which was mostly tonal in nature anyway. "In passing," he said. "Danger?"

[momslilassassin]

"Mmm-hmm," Ben said, reaching out into the Force. "Especially on this planet because the gravity's not quite standard. They get to be up to four meters tall. And they're smart. They're a bit like your planet's dinosaurs, only very much not extinct."

[endsthegame]

He nodded, absorbing the information. Ender's foot nearly got caught under another root, but he caught it this time, stepping over with care. "So what is our issue with the gravity?"

[momslilassassin]

"It's about 90 percent of what Earth's at," Ben said. "Or Coruscant. So people and rancors get tall."

[endsthegame]

"But not enough to make much of an actual difference," Ender said, thoughtfully.

It didn't keep him from bouncing on his feet once, to adjust for the difference.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "Fun, huh?"

[endsthegame]

"Interesting," he corrected. "It reminds me a little of Eros, although the measures were off in a different way."

[momslilassassin]

"More gravity?" Ben guessed, moving a branch out of his eyeline as he walked.

[endsthegame]

"Different," he said, not exactly evasively; it was hard to put Eros into words. "It was bugger architecture. Everything was... different."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Did it help you understand them?" he asked.

[endsthegame]

"Not particularly," he said, shaking his head. "Just low ceilings and the creeping idea that it wasn't made for mankind to roam around in. Which is ironic, considering our colonies now."

[momslilassassin]

"A good reason to stay away from them, then," Ben said.

He thought he was subtle.

[endsthegame]

He really wasn't, but Ender wasn't going to argue with him on the topic. It'd stir up too much conflict.

Ender thought he was healthy. Ish. "This is a lot more lush," he said instead.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "When people think of the Outer Rim, they mostly imagine really desolate planets like Tatooine," he said. "Dathomir is really pretty. The rancors keep it pretty unexplored, though. 'We're pretty sure you won't be eaten' isn't a great tourism slogan."

[endsthegame]

"Sounds a little like Australia," Ender opined. "How many clicks did you say it was?"

[momslilassassin]

"A few," Ben said with a tiny smile. "Like...fifteen?"

[endsthegame]

That was quite a bit, but Ender kept himself trained down enough to manage something like it. "You just really enjoy making me hike," he said, with the slightest laugh.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's smile grew wider. "Maybe a little," he said. "Got to work off the ice cream somehow. Besides, when you get to a mountain, all there is to do is go 'yeah, that's a mountain' and turn around. Might as well delay that for a bit."

[endsthegame]

"You're the one with the ice cream addiction," Ender pointed out, sensibly, "Don't pin your own failings on me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben wrinkled his nose up at him. "It's not a failing. It's a quirk. And I do enough running that you can't tell. I'm not getting pudgy or anything."

[endsthegame]

"I don't know about that," Ender said, picking up a steady walk now that he was getting the hang of the branches and the unpredictable forest environment. "Maybe I should ask Tahiri."

[momslilassassin]

"That would be an interesting conversation," Ben said dryly. "You two deciding my diet and exercise regime like I'm nine or something."

[endsthegame]

"We'll also judge everyone you're friends with," Ender informed him, "And you'll be stuck with us all day and all night, just to make sure you're doing it right."

He had no idea that that sounded in any way dirty.