Phasma opened both of her eyes when she felt herself floating. Looking at the sky, she found herself in a desert, the foggy shape of a mountain in front of her. She tilted her head slightly before remembering the fact that she had been shot on the shoulder. She went to check on the wound but found no mark of a blaster bolt hitting its target. That confused her even more, especially since she was wearing her armor instead of the resistance clothing.
She jumped back when small birds flew towards the sky and the ground shook beneath her. Instinctively, she reached for her blaster but her weapon wasn't there either. A roar caused her to turn around and see a Krayt dragon, not too far from her. The dragon was brown in color with a yellowish-white underbelly and its head was riddled with horns, some looking devastatingly terrifying. The dragon narrowed its yellow eyes at her and she immediately started running the opposite direction, to the mountains.
She heard the dragon coming after her and started wondering where Trihorn was. She started wishing that the Admiral would be an ex machina and save her from this dragon. However, she slid to a stop when a feline pounced on her, knocking her back into the sand. She let out a hiss when the back of her head hit her helmet then let out a cry at the scratch mark the feline gave. It didn't penetrate her armor though which she was thankful for.
She noticed that the feline was a Corellian Sand Panther which made her question where she actually was in the galaxy. The Krayt dragon from before roared and attacked the Sand Panther, allowing Phasma to stand back up and run. Although, she didn't get far as she fell back onto the sand, the Panther having returned with a vengeance and the Krayt Dragon had run away. She waited for the inevitable when the Panther bit her helmet, a soft wheeze was heard from the crushing force of its jaws.
Stay as strong as a dragon. She reopened both her eyes at Trihorn's voice and looked forward to see a different winged Dragon, twice as large as the Canyon Krayt Dragon.
It let out an ear-piercing roar while the Panther hissed back. It hopped off of Phasma though, scattering away when the dragon started dashing towards them and Phasma wanted to run with the Panther but something told her that it was safe. She sat still and didn't dare move when the dragon curled its long tail around her in an almost protective manner. The dragon was white in color with certain light blue twirls along its wings and neck. Its electric blue eyes reminded her to Trihorn and she was quite surprised when it let out a purr.
She reached her right hand out, to touch the dragon's snout and at first, it moved away, letting out a hiss. A second later, it made contact and rubbed its head on her hand, giving content purrs. Then, it moved and rested on its belly, telling Phasma to get on its back which she did. The dragon then stretched its wings and let out a roar before taking off towards the mountains. Phasma started to believe that this dragon was an Arkanian Dragon which was thought to be extinct a long time ago.
As they flew higher, Phasma noticed that wherever she was, had different climates all centered around the mountain in a triangle formation. After leaving the desert, it was a snowy biome where she could see several creatures roaming. To the North-East of the mountain was a forest followed by a grassland or plains. To the North-West of the mountain was a river that had a town built around it followed by a vast ocean, a strip of the ocean looked like a swamp but it was hard to tell from up in the sky.
The dragon landed in a cave in the mountain and it allowed Phasma to hop off. She did so and took a look around, taking in all the details that she could get before looking at the dragon. It tilted its head at her and Phasma realized that she needed to light source so she grabbed a nearby stick and held it out towards the dragon. A rumble was heard before the dragon breathed fire at the stick, lighting it up nice and bright.
Phasma then turned around and started walking deeper into the cave, the dragon following behind her.
##
Where am I? Hux narrowed his eyes at the town in front of him before scanning the ocean behind him.
This place was odd and it wasn't like anywhere he had ever been. Being a dictator, Hux had been to every planet and none of them were like this. He looked up at the mountain when an impulse told him to go there and felt his lips curl into a frown at the thought of climbing. He still wondered where his fatal injury went and why he was here in the first place but that didn't matter when he saw something scurry in the town.
The thought of getting eaten alive alone in an abandoned town crossed his mind but he pushed it away and started making his way towards the mountain. He had to have a sense of what's going on so being elevated will help his current predicament. He stopped in front of an alley when the something rustled within a trash can in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and reached for his blaster before realizing that he didn't have one on him.
He looked around for a weapon but let out a surprised yelp instead when the creature in the trash cans leapt out. He let out a sigh when he noticed that it was just a Tooka, a certain species of feline cats. He narrowed his eyes at the color combination of the cat which was red and black in color, similar to Lynx's Mandalorian armor. He looked at its eyes but couldn't see the same scar mark that Lynx has so he shook that thought away.
Besides, it didn't make any sense.
The cat gave a meow before it started running forward, towards the mountains. Hux thought about going the other way but at the sight of a larger creature, whizzing past, he decided to follow the cat. The cat seemed to stop every once in a while, to see if Hux was following and he was slightly grateful for that because it was moving at a fast pace. A few minutes later, the cat let out a meow and Hux noted that it had led him to a cave that led deeper into the mountains. The cat then gave a hiss before running away so he turned around to find a bird, perched on one of the nearby poles.
The bird was made out of fire as its movement portray a fire licking the air.
The Firebird, - he remembered Lynx had muttered something about it before he fell unconscious – tilted its head before it opened its beak and sang… The song was similar to the one he had heard as a child and the one Lynx had sung to her father's grave. Hux tilted his head in confusion because he thought the song didn't have any lyrics to it. However, he couldn't think about it as he had to move away when the Firebird stretched its wings and flew into the cave, lighting up the walls as it goes. Hux thought about it before deciding to throw caution out the window and follow the bird.
##
Ren cautiously trekked through the unknown forest and headed towards the mountain. The last thing he remembered was Mia touching her forehead on his before he found himself in between a grassy plain and a forest. He had seen some creatures in the plains but ignored them and moved towards the one thing beckoning for him to come. This place was powerful in the force but the pinnacle was within the mountain.
The many presences in the forest however, made it difficult for him to stay on track.
For the fifth time in the hour, he found himself passing by the same tree he had marked for the first time and it was getting infuriating. It didn't help that he could feel something tracking him and he knew that it was only a matter of time before they caught up… Actually, they already did. Stalking behind several tree lines was a pack of Vornskrs, their yellow eyes glowing brightly in the dark forest. Ren ignited his lightsaber, thankful that he had it as the creatures started charging, snarling and growling as they attacked.
He dodged and struck down several Vornskrs before one of them managed to pin him to a tree, trying to bite his helmet while its tail was stuck on the tree itself. Force pushing didn't affect these creatures at all and he looked around for a way out when a different feline tackled the Vornskr off of him. Ren nearly hit the Vornskr's poisonous tail but managed to balance himself to see a pack of feline, the Redcrested Cougar, attacking the pack of Vornskrs. Roars and growls echoed as the fight went on before the Vornskrs were forced to flee as their numbers dwindled.
The alpha of the feline pack had a bright red crest which was slightly bigger than the rest of the pack. It was hard to tell the difference but Ren knew because the force told him so. The alpha sniffed Ren before it let out a growl and started walking in a direction. The rest of the pack followed and a smaller Cougar gently pushed Ren in the direction the pack was heading. Ren decided to follow, seeing as he was lost and the pack was probably helping him.
They arrived at a cave close to the mountain but not actually so. The rest of the pack rested outside while the Alpha went in leaving Ren to wonder whether he should follow. The little cougar nudged him gently again, prompting him to move forward and he did follow the Alpha, deeper into the cave. He activated his lightsaber when he could no longer see two feet in front of him to find himself in a large cavern. A light in front of him caused him to stand at the ready for an attack only to find Phasma appearing with a torch in her hand and a white and light blue dragon behind her.
"Phasma?" Ren queried. "I thought-"
"That I was dying? I thought so too but this place… It's weird." She replied before they heard singing echoing in the dark cave.
Ren had to look away when a blinding light lit up the room before it slowly dimmed. He deactivated his lightsaber when he noticed that it was a Firebird, perched on top of a rock and standing beside the Firebird was Hux, his red hair somewhat brighter with the light the bird was giving off. Phasma put away the torch and Ren kept his lightsaber when he noticed that there was a symbol in the middle of the room.
"What is this?" Hux questioned and the Firebird opened its beak once again.
"We represent the bonds you've created. This is the final step to complete the deal." The bird said, its voice flowing with confidence.
"What deal? I don't remember making one." Phasma questioned and the Dragon nudged her.
"When you followed the Grand Admiral after he protected you, it was the beginning. A trust that could not be broken no matter what he said." It said and Ren could feel the Captain being conflicted.
"So, the deal is trust?" Ren asked, looking at the Cougar who was seated on its hind legs beside him.
"Marginally so. There are more factors but…" The Cougar leapt onto table, taking a sit. "This is basically it."
"But, I thought I already sealed the deal…" Hux muttered as he remembered the time on Mandalore.
"That deal was with Lynx. This is a deal with the force." The Firebird perched on the edge of the table. "The bond with the ones you love."
"Once you complete it, there is no turning back." The Dragon added, standing beside Phasma who was now standing in front of the table. "We will be freed from our curse and are free to roam our planets."
"Be warned however." The Cougar hissed, wrapping its tail around Ren's waist. "Anything that happens to us will be reflected in your bond. Therefore, you must keep watch of us."
"Alright…" Hux looked at Ren and Phasma before looking at the table, "How do we complete it?"
"The song that you know. Sing it." The Firebird said then raised its head, beak opened.
"I don't know the lyrics." Hux muttered but he was also embarrassed to sing it in front of Ren and Phasma.
"They will have to sing it as well. Do not be afraid, General." The Dragon assured and Hux gulped before closing his eyes.
(Phasma - Bold
Hux- Italics
Ren - Underline)
"All our times have come, here but now they're gone." Ren looked at Phasma as she took over.
"Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, (we can be like they are)
Come on baby, (don't fear the reaper)
Baby take my hand, (don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly, (don't fear the reaper)
Baby I'm your man.
Laa, la laa~, la laa...
Laa, la laa~, la laa." Ren took a step back when a symbol glowed on the table and howls were heard outside, echoing into the cave.
He was almost certain that the other creatures were trying to break in or something was going on out there, like it was a riot. He didn't focus on that though when the Firebird shined brighter for a second before going dimmer. Whatever that was going on, it was almost complete.
"Ren, your turn." Hux said and Ren released a breath, a strange feeling entering his heart.
"All our times have come, here but now they're gone.
Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind, the sun or the rain (we can be like they are)
Come on baby, (don't fear the reaper)
Don't fear the reaper, (don't fear the reaper)
Don't fear the reaper, (baby I'm your man.)" They finished, the symbol pulsing in a rhythmic heart beat.
"Laa, la laa~, la laa." The Firebird sang while flapping its wings, glowing brighter.
"Laa, la laa~, la laa." Ren looked away and closed his eyes when a blinding white light filled the dark room.
The last thing he saw in the light was the same symbol of a Trinity.
##
"Clan mother, the beast has awoken." Jun Vain informed Numri who stood in front of the sacred caves.
"Release it." Numri ordered and watched Vain give a salute before he entered the caves.
Numri gave a smile when she saw a bright fire, moving towards her before said fire flapped its wings and pushed itself into the sky. It then started to sing in while gliding around in the bright sky, joy filling up everyone's hearts at the sight of the Firebird, free to roam. Numri looked back inside the cave when a loud roar was heard before a giant beast ran out, four times the height of an average human. Numri watched the Mythosaur, a legend of Mandalore, follow the Firebird out into the plains and disappear from their view. The Mythosaur would protect the Firebird until its time comes and she closed her eyes, hoping it doesn't.
##
A loud roar in the distance caused Thrawn and Eli to look in that direction, pausing in their work. They noticed a large beast flying into the sky and after staring at it for a few more minutes, they concluded it was a dragon. It was odd because never once had they seen a dragon on Csilla much less was it recorded in any way shape or form.
"Should we inform the Ascendancy?" Eli asked but Thrawn shook his head.
"No, they will only want to hunt the beast and capture it. If it has survived this long alone, we should not disturb it." Thrawn replied.
"As long as it doesn't disturb us." Eli muttered, returning to his work.
"I doubt so for I believe it is much smarter than it is perceived to be."
##
"Ay boss, what's that in the forest?" A Weequay asked, pointing at said creature in the forest.
"That, my friend, is nothing. Get back to work!" The other Weequay yelled, shoving his subordinate into the building before he looked out into the forest to spot the creature.
The Couger looked at the Weequay before it started running away, deeper into the forest. The Weequay put both of his hands together and rubbed it as a thought crossed his mind. The cougar would make a great pet if he could tame it and that was a chance he was willing to take.
"Boys! Looks like we are going hunting tonight!"
A.N. A little bit of an inside look to the sequel. ;)