I tightened the straps of my pack, ensuring the tools inside were secure. Alongside the basics—a small pickaxe, a shovel, and a coil of rope—were a few gadgets I had pieced together in my shop, just in case. Teya hadn’t even considered the possibility of needing to dig for a crystal. Typical.

  When midnight finally came, we slipped out of my shop and into the cool night air. The city lights cast long shadows, creating pockets of darkness that shrouded our movements.

  "Follow me," I whispered, glancing back at Teya as we ducked into an alley. "I've lived here for years. I know the patrol routes like the back of my hand."

  Teya nodded, signaling with her hand for me to take the lead. Her movements were tense, alert—like she was still getting used to trusting someone after all those years alone.

  We weaved through the alleys, moving like ghosts past the white-armored troopers who patrolled the town. Their footsteps echoed against the stone walls, but we stayed silent, slipping between shadows. It was like a twisted game of hide-and-seek, but with far higher stakes.

  Once we were outside the town's perimeter, Teya took over, leading us toward a rocky slope. As we approached an indented rock face, she raised her hand, signaling me to stop. The rocks cast deep shadows under the moonlight, creating a pocket of darkness where we crouched.

  "The entrance goes deep," she whispered. "The opening caved in earlier today when I was trying to sneak into town. There shouldn't be anyone around."

  "Why didn't you explore it then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  She shrugged sheepishly, pulling a lamp from her satchel. "I didn't have a torch."

  I shook my head, but I couldn't suppress a small smile. "You always did rush into things. Good thing I brought my own." I tapped the side of my pack, where my lamp and a few other spare light sources were secured. My other hand rested on a small pouch tied to my hip—inside were a dozen 1-inch steel ball bearings, my preferred tools for practicing Force manipulation. They were also my only means of self-defense, should things go wrong.

  Teya made a subtle motion with her hand, urging us forward again, but our stealth was shattered by a sharp, mechanical chirp.

  BEEP BOOP! A flying reconnaissance droid drifted above us, its spotlight sweeping the ground where we hid.

  "A reconnaissance droid?!" Teya hissed, panic flashing across her face as she swung at it wildly with a stick.

  Thinking quickly, I reached into my pouch and hurled two steel balls into the air, letting the Force flow through my hands. I focused on the weak points of the droid—the joints where its armor was thinnest. Guiding the balls with precise motions, I directed them to strike the droid from opposite sides.

  BOOM! The droid erupted in a shower of sparks, crashing to the ground in a smoking heap.

  Teya blinked at the wreckage, her mouth slightly open. "Damn, Roan, what did you do?"

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  I caught my breath, my hands trembling slightly from the effort. "An object hits with more force if its target is moving toward it. I struck it on both sides to double the impact while targeting its weak points." I tried to keep my explanation cool, but I couldn’t hide the small thrill of pride at pulling off the move.

  "You should teach basic manipulation," Teya said, her voice carrying a hint of awe.

  I snorted. "Only masters, full Jedi, and talented Padawans are allowed to teach, remember? And I don’t exactly qualify."

  A shadow crossed Teya’s face, her expression turning sad. "Roan... even Master Yoda would be impressed by what you just did."

  I scoffed, bitterness creeping back into my voice. "Yeah, well, he’d probably want me punished for continuing my training in secret."

  "They never hated you," Teya argued, but there was hesitation in her voice.

  "No, they were indifferent, which is worse. They tossed me aside because I meant nothing to them. If they had hated me, at least there would have been a reason. But I was just... invisible. What if I hadn't been good with machines? Where would I be now? Starving in some back alley?" My voice trembled, the years of pent-up resentment spilling out before I could stop it.

  Teya's eyes softened, and she reached out, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Roan, I don’t know what you went through, but... I’m sorry it brought you so much pain."

  I took a deep breath, forcing myself to steady. Her sincerity caught me off guard, but I managed a small, wry smile. "It's not your fault, Teya. We were just kids, caught up in something bigger than us."

  She nodded, her grip lingering on my shoulder for a moment before she pulled away. "Let’s keep moving. We’re almost there."

  As we neared the tunnel entrance, our luck ran out. Two Imperial troopers stood guard outside the collapsed entrance, their blasters resting in their hands.

  Teya furrowed her brow in concentration, raising her hand to focus on a nearby pile of loose rocks. With a subtle push, she sent a few stones tumbling down the slope a few yards away. One of the troopers turned, moving to investigate the noise.

  Before the other trooper could react, Teya leapt at him, her movements quick and precise. Meanwhile, I focused on the trooper still standing by the entrance. I released a flurry of my steel balls, guiding them with the Force. They struck the weak points in his armor with pinpoint accuracy, hitting his helmet and chest plate. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious before he even knew what hit him.

  Teya reappeared beside me, holding a blaster rifle she had taken from her opponent. With a small grunt, she snapped the weapon in half with the Force, tossing the pieces aside.

  "Was that really necessary?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  She shrugged. "I didn’t kill him, so... probably."

  I shook my head, smirking despite myself. "You Jedi and your damn rules."

  "You didn't kill yours either," she pointed out, gesturing to the trooper I’d taken down.

  I glanced at the unconscious form. "Yeah, well, he's not getting up anytime soon after that."

  Teya gave the fallen trooper a sympathetic look. "Poor guy."

  "Hey, it’s not like I was being cruel on purpose," I said defensively.

  She flashed me a mischievous grin, bowing mockingly. "My apologies, mighty Sith lord."

  I couldn’t help but play along, adopting an exaggerated, posh tone as I pretended to adjust an invisible mustache. "That’s right, peasant. Know your place."

  We both burst into laughter, the tension between us breaking. For a moment, the darkness of the night seemed lighter, less oppressive. Teya wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still smiling. "I missed you, Roan."

  I nodded, the warmth of our shared past washing over me. "I missed you too, dweeb."

  Teya’s smile widened, a hint of that old spark returning. "You should grow a mustache, you know."

  I grimaced. "You know that would look terrible on me."

  "Yep," she said, the playful glint in her eyes made my heart feel lighter than it had in years.

  "Who's the real Sith lord here?" I muttered as we turned back toward the tunnel, slipping into the shadows once more.

  As we moved deeper into the passage, a heavy silence settled between us. But this time, it wasn’t the awkward quiet of strangers reconnecting—it was the shared silence of old friends, united against the darkness that awaited us in the depths.