𐋅𐌄𐌋𐌌 𐌵𐌍𐌃0𐌍𐌄//Mandalorian FF

Chapter 4: Below the Surface

He scurried over with his tiny legs to the drop off before carefully peering over the ledge. His eyes bulged at the unexpected sight before him.

Bhen's figure hovered in the air a couple feet down. With closed eyes she slowly levitated up and over making her way back to the safety of the mountain top. She plopped down face first with a loud thud. A modulated groan escaped her helmet.

"I told you not to help me." She grumbled into the dirt.

I didn't...

Bhen lifted her head off the ground to meet the kid's gaze before her.

"Wha-"

Before they had time to question what happened, metallic screeching and heavy machinery sounded from the distance.

Bhen quickly got to her feet and grabbed Grogu before hiding behind the trunk of a tree nearby.

The top of the mountain was immense enough to be its own country. It had it's own hills and forests and even a dirt path which led to whatever inhabited this mountain.

Bhen peaked around the tree and watched as a herd of vehicles road by. Most hovered above ground but the bigger ones had many wheels presumably hauling tons of cargo.

"We should follow them. They'll most likely lead us to him." Grogu nodded in response.

They waited until the vehicles had passed before following their tracks left in the dirt.

***

"I don't understand." Bhen blurted as the two of them came to a screeching halt in their pursuit.

She was grieving the tracks that stopped as if the vehicles disappeared into thin air.

"Where did they go?"

Maybe they entered into a time paradox or wormhole. Grogu theorized.

Bhen gave him an assessing stare.

It's possible. He trailed off.

"They probably got on a spacecraft and flew away from this forsaken planet." She began while kicking a patch off dirt off the ground. Grogu shrugged.

It's odd. I somehow feel life forces nearby still. Even his.

Bhen whined as she plopped to the ground in a childlike manner.

Her brows furrowed at the noise which the ground emitted when she fell. She looked over at Grogu with a curious expression.

Bhen lifted her bottom up with her hands by her sides before letting herself fall back on the grass below her. The ground sounded metallic.

Hollow.

"Search the area for a bottom or lever." Grogu caught on to Bhen's train of thought and did as he was told.

A familiar sound from the distance reverberated off the trees alarming the two that they had company.

More vehicles presumably with the same destination as the others.

"I have an idea."

***

Inside the mountain, handmade tunnels looped and spiraled throughout the deep cave system. Vintage technology that decorated the dirt walls beeped with life.

The hairless creatures which inhabited the mountain scurred around with purpose. Some squeaked in their alien language to each other while others dug new tunnels with their large frontal claws.