Braze smirked at Loomi's description of her gourd-sword.
"Well, if it acts like a sword and you can use it like a sword, I'd say it counts. Plus, having something unique is pretty cool."
When Loomi questioned the purpose of an umbrella in the desert, Braze chuckled.
"Ah, this isn't just any umbrella. It's made of Song Steel, perfect for what I need. I suppose it could be used to keep the sun off? But your point is taken. An umbrella in the desert sounds pretty strange doesn't it?"
Turning his attention to Kaleleon, Braze nodded as he listened, clearly fascinated by the hologram system that Kaleleon was using.
"Wow, imaging systems? That'll definitely make our trip easier. And I totally agree, teaching someone about their own lightsaber and the Crystal Code can be just as educationally fulfilling as making your own weapon. So do you remember the Crystal Code Kale?"
Hearing the roar of the approaching Speeder, "Blue Blur," he clenched his fists in anticipation.
"Ah, here comes our ride!"
Finally, Aliris voiced her concern about fighting, her tone heavy.
"Do we really have to fight?"
Braze looked at her with a thoughtful expression.
"You know, the lightsaber is often seen as a weapon, but it's also a tool. A tool for defense, for problem-solving, and sometimes even for negotiation. Fighting is always the last resort. At least it's supposed to be. Sometimes having a lightsaber is just about being prepared for whatever comes your way. If you don't want to fight, that's okay. We all have our own paths to follow, and not all of them involve combat. Jedi are peace keepers. "
As the group climbed aboard the "Blue Blur," the speeder hummed to life, cutting through the air with a mechanical roar. They began their journey, moving rapidly across Tatooine's sea of sand and arid expanses. The dunes rolled like a turbulent ocean frozen in time—waves of golden sand stretching out as far as the eye could see. The scorching sun blazed overhead, casting elongated shadows that danced and flickered over the sand's undulating surface.
Slowly but surely, the landscape began to change. The soft, shifting sands gave way to firmer ground. Ahead, a rocky crag emerged from the desert like the ancient skeleton of some colossal beast. Its jagged features were a stark contrast to the smooth dunes they had left behind. Nestled within these harsh rocks, a vast stone plateau loomed, anchoring the crag to the earth as if it were a fortress carved by nature herself.
And there, at the heart of the plateau, was a cavernous maw—dark, gaping, and ominous. The entrance was a jagged slash across the rock face, as if inflicted by some colossal talon. Even from a distance, they could see markings that adorned the stone around the cave's entrance: a series of deep, almost geometric grooves that seemed too intentional to be mere natural formations but too mysterious to easily decipher. They hinted at an unsettling majesty, an awe-inspiring terror that only the desert's oldest and most fearsome residents could inspire.
"I guess this is it." Braze chirped spotting the entrance.
"Doesn't look like a house though does it?"
As they approached the cavern's entrance, signs of humanoid activity became subtly apparent. A series of weathered crates and barrels were stacked to one side, half-buried in the desert sand but still intact. Nearby, a makeshift campfire lay dormant, with the charred remnants of logs and a ring of stones outlining its perimeter. A few pieces of simple, rugged furniture—an aged stool, a rickety table—were scattered about. Ropes and climbing equipment dangled from pegs driven into the rocky walls.
Even more telling were the scattered pieces of machinery, some primitive and others relatively sophisticated: gears, solar panels in various states of disrepair, and even a dilapidated moisture vaporator. Strands of colorful cloth—perhaps talismans or markers of some kind—were tied to spindly desert plants and flapped gently in the wind.
Several sets of footprints led into the cave, mingling with other, less identifiable tracks that meandered through the sand and disappeared into the dark maw of the cavern. It was as if a small community had claimed this desolate spot as a haven, finding a way to eke out an existence on the very edge of hospitable life.
These subtle signs reassured the group, dispelling some of the initial apprehension they had felt upon seeing the intimidating marks near the cavern's entrance. It was clear that they were not the first to venture here, and likely not the last.
