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]

"Only if you feel artistically inclined, or you want to laugh at me."

He took the cues with ease, his own body shifting subtly closer towards Ben's.

It wasn't that Ender couldn't defend himself; it was that Ben was better at it, in this environment, and he didn't really want to.

[momslilassassin]

"I only laugh at you if you're gremlin bit," Ben declared as his eyes flickered around, looking for a way out. "We're being tracked."

[endsthegame]

"I noticed," Ender said, clipped.

Not because of the actual tracking, but because of Ben's reaction. "Which way?"

[momslilassassin]

"Two to the right, one behind," Ben replied. "They're trying to herd us."

[endsthegame]

Ender nodded once, taking that for fact. He spied the area up ahead. "They're driving us that way," he surmised, "We'll need something fortified."

He hadn't gotten where he was by panicking in a crisis.

[momslilassassin]

"And not in that direction," Ben agreed. "Whatever they want, I'm not going to be a fan of."

[endsthegame]

"One behind," he repeated. "They're not in front of us yet-- North with a bent to north-east."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "They don't know we know yet," he added, "but you'll be able to hear them soon. Rancors aren't subtle."

[endsthegame]

"That's a relief," Ender said, idly, glancing in that direction from the corners of his eyes. "Let's not speed up too much-- it'll give them ideas."

[momslilassassin]

"Exactly," Ben said, reaching into the Force for help. An empty cave, a rock wall, anything to make sure nothing could sneak up on him as he tried to figure out what to do about--Force help him--three rancors.

"How do you feel about caves?" he asked.

[endsthegame]

"Depends on how narrow the entrance is."

There was nothing else that needed any concern about caves. He felt some anxiety setting in.

[momslilassassin]

Ben felt the anxiety and empathized. "Big enough for us, small enough to block something three meters tall," he said. "Plenty of wiggle room."

[endsthegame]

"What are you waiting for?" Ender asked, rather than acknowledge any emotions he knew Ben had picked up on by now. "How long until they get here?" His steps sped up as much as he thought could be allowed for at a normal, brisk walk.

[momslilassassin]

Ben was quiet for a moment as he considered it. "Move faster," he advised, starting to run. "They've figured it out."

On cue, crashing could be heard from the forest behind and beside them.

[endsthegame]

Ender didn't mince words on the topic; the noise and Ben's advice meant enough. He felt the adrenaline coursing through his body as he picked up a run, disciplined, fast, like he'd been taught.

None of that had been in a situation like this, but as much as he knew about Ben's skills, the old adage held: no one will ever save you.

So he relied on his own eyes to find the cave up ahead, and adjusted his trajectory accordingly.

[momslilassassin]

Ben sprinted along, keeping a few steps behind Ender, just in case and launched himself to jump on top of the cave's mouth as they got close enough. If he could get set up in time, he might be able to hit at least one of the rancors with the blaster instead of having to rely on the lightsaber.

[endsthegame]

Ender had already hurled himself inside at that point. He was unarmed, it'd be stupid to stick to the outside. It meant he was dependent on Ben's skills, though. He'd leave that for what it was. "See anything?"

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben said as he pulled out his folding rifle and snapped it together. "I'm going to need to be pretty good. I don't suppose there's anything in there to block the entrance up a bit?"

[endsthegame]

"Already on it."

He had some rocks. That would have to do; he jammed the first in the lower part of the entrance, figuring Ben could still get over that.

[momslilassassin]

Ben took a deep breath as the first rancor came roaring out of the forest. He'd heard his father's story about Jabba's Palace so often he could repeat it word for word. It still hadn't prepared him for how scary these things were.

He aimed right between the creature's eyes, offered up a silent apology to it, then fired.

[endsthegame]

Ender wasn't happy at the sight, either, but he forced himself not to think about it as he worked. All in all, he'd rather have just turtled in here until the creatures left, but he didn't know the environment or their behaviour as well as Ben did.

So he kept stacking, and didn't look.

[momslilassassin]

The rancor fell with a roar, slamming into the ground hard enough to cause trees to sway. The rancor that had been with it skidded to a halt and let out a shriek.

"I'm sorry," Ben said as the emotions slammed into him. "I didn't want to be eaten."

He swung through the hole Ender had left for him and landed easily. "Let's see if the other two take the hint," he said. "They're pretty smart."

[endsthegame]

Without a word, Ender shoved the rock in that would finally functionally close the entrance but for a small circle, good to watch through, but not to climb. "We'll see," was his only response. He sat back on another rock.

He had expected something; he supposed he should be grateful it was something this mundane.

[momslilassassin]

"It's a good a time as any to break for food," Ben said with a tiny shrug, reaching into his backpack.

[endsthegame]

Middle of a Rancor attack, and Ben wanted to eat: it was that normal. Ender took his cues from that, shooting a slight glance towards the cave entrance - Ben was a risk-taking adrenaline junkie - but left it at that.

"Might as well replace some of the calories we just burned," he said, embracing the Wiggin tradition of making light of bad situations, and pulled his own backpack off.