Under the Beskar

Bloody Sands

The Jundland Wastes
The Old Salara Outpost

Preparations for the assault started early in the morning, because they did not know what they were truly going up against. Certain death is a promise for anyone who attempts to brave the open sands without supplies and a plan of attack. Ch'Vigg, the Tusken tribe leader, suggested they ride on dewbacks for the journey.

"I know these canyons can get as narrow as a few inches in some areas. There are places within the Jundland Wastes that I've caught bounties in by counting on that fact. And if this outpost is located in the center of those ridges, then I'd bet a lot of it will be impassable on a landspeeder," Din says as he prepares a dewback with weapons and supplies.

Leaving Fett's landspeeder at the Tusken village, the team head out on dewbacks into the harsh terrain. The early-dawn twin suns had just begun their trek into the sky by the time they left, which they were hoping for as they began their journey into the wastes. Everyone rode on dewbacks in a single file line into the west. It was Din and Nia on one dewback, next it was Boba and Fennec on another, then finally it was Bossk and Cobb on a third one. As well as ten of the best Tusken warriors of the tribe following behind them.

Problems came about as soon as they got closer to the location of the outpost at the center of the mountain range, just as everyone predicted. When the two suns had fully risen into the sky directly above them, the trail narrowed. There was a mild scuffling between Din and Boba as each struggled for position in front of the other, which almost drowned out the tumbling noises of small rocks falling down along the slides of the canyons.

"Hey! I'm the one who should be leading this, Djarin! I've been hunting bounties since I was eleven years old," Boba grits out with frustration.

"And I say, that you haven't hunted a bounty in like...seven years!" Din snapped back.

"Guys..." Nia says softly as she hears the sounds of starships rapidly approaching their position.

"Aren't you riled up today! Are you trying to show me up in front of her?" Boba sneered, tilting his head to gesture to Nia.

"Guys?" Nia says again, a bit louder this time. Yet it didn't seem to get their attention as the two men continue to argue about who's going first.

"Perhaps if I removed your head from your..." Din gritted between clenched teeth.

"Perhaps if you removed the hot air from your..." Boba yelped back, interrupting Din's threat.

"Guys!" Nia yelled out, which echoed the rocks around them and causing everyone to stop dead on their tracks.

"You hear that?" Nia whispers once Boba and Din finally stop arguing and focus their attention on the unsettling screeching sounds, which are getting louder and louder by the second. Suddenly an Imperial Lambda-class shuttle, along with two TIE-fighters, fly over their heads towards the direction of the Red Key outpost.

"Oh that's not good," Boba huffs out with irritation.

"Why are the Imperials here?" Fennec asked.

Just then, Nia senses a presence in the Force. It is coming from the base ahead of them.

***

"Come for me, I knew he would," the voice of a child rings in her ear, which sounds like a former Jedi Master she once knew.

"Who are you?" Nia asked the child.

"Grogu, I am Grogu. With my buir, you are."

"You are supposed to be with the Jedi," Nia says, feeling quite confused.