Welcome to chapter 5! Yeah I know, I didn't expect to be posting this as quickly either but, after releasing chapter 4, I was reminded of how much I missed writing this story. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy it and as always, remember to Favorite, Follow, and Review.

-W.P.

It was nearly dawn by the time the two companions approached the furthest edges of the compound. The scattered rubble and shattered crystal formations provided a modicum of cover as they drew nearer to the looming structure. The blue translucent stones cast eerie, ethereal shadows on the ground around them as well as the low wall ahead of them. The dancing forms of which were not unlike the reflecting glow of a pool of water. The compound was an enormous metallic structure set deep into the surface of a grand crystal spire. The dark iron walls stood out like an inkblot against the translucent blue forest around them. In Jinn's mind, the place radiated with the dark side and forced invasive questions and worries on his attention. It was distracting, but he clung to the knowledge that Master Tophta needed them. He wasn't about to back down because of a few walls and blaster cannons.

Much of the pain in Jinn's body had subsided to a dull but ever-present ache by this point. Uadda had refused to let him go, ignoring his protests and calling him various alternate names for "stupid" all the while. It took longer than usual for him to realize she was insisting on helping him, less out of worry for his wellbeing and more for her own needs. Once he did, he stopped pushing the issue. This is not to say Uadda was weak or dependent in any way. She was far from either of those things and made a habit of proving it on a day-to-day basis. But in those moments as they walked by the light of a million stars and the glittering, shifting reflections of the crystal planet, Jinn understood what it meant to be vulnerable for the sake of healing. A concept he hadn't considered in any literal or philosophical sense ever before. Uadda knew her limits. She knew when her mind was reaching a breaking point. In just one day, the pair of them had been through a lot.

They had arrived on an outer reach planet hardly understood beyond name and rumor, encountered an old friend and in the same moment witnessed a triple homicide, captured a thief working for what they could only assume was a sadist who also happen to be in possession of Master Tophta, flew themselves right into an anti-airfield, decapitated and killed the aforementioned thief in the process, crash-landed, and finally were forced to leave their only friend for millions of lightyears behind for dead. Needless to say, helping an injured companion to walk was a fine distraction from it all. In the near distance only about three kilometers away, Jinn spotted the high walls of the compound, hidden among the crystal formations.

"Those cannons must be manually operated. There is no way they could shoot us out of the sky but let us get this close on foot otherwise." He remarked. Uadda nodded in agreement. The both of them stopped to rest on a fallen crystal spire. At this distance in such low light, they did not fear being seen. It also gave Jinn the opportunity to return the helping hand to the Twi'lek. He took her face in his hands and inspected the gash over her brow. The blood had coagulated and hardened into the beginnings of a scab, but without treatment, he would end up carrying her the rest of the way. Reaching into a pouch on his belt, he cracked open a small cylinder of bacta patches. The patches were too large for the injury and at the end of it all, he had to stifle a laugh behind a cough so as not to laugh in her face.

"What?" She asked. Jinn shook his head.

"Nothing. I inhaled wrong."

"Don't lie to me." She demanded firmly. Jinn said nothing. He only smiled since it was all he could do to control his laughter.

"Jinn Kreed, you tell me what's so funny right now." Her face was a mix of worry and anxiety now. Jinn broke into laughter finally. After catching his breath, he replied,

"You look like someone sealed the inside of a helmet to your face."

Uadda paled, then smacked him in the chest which turned his laughter into alternating chuckles and gasps in pain.

"You know you can be a real pain sometimes." It wasn't a question. Jinn finally regained control of himself and pulled her to his chest in a careful hug. She didn't resist. The best part about their friendship was that they never stayed angry or upset with each other for long. The longest they had ever managed was a whole two hours, and that was over a true misunderstanding that ended with no one really at fault. The Twi'lek pulled away first and patted his face.

"C'mon. Let's get inside and find Master Tophta. The sun is nearly up and we still have a ways to go before we reach the wall." she explained and stood, helping him to his feet.

"You're right. It'll be easier if we can get inside while it's still dark."

The two of them had only taken a single step when they heard the noise. A loud, resonating, sound that confused them more than anything.

"Tak-Tak-Tak-Tak-Tak!" The sound echoed off the tall crystal spires and wound around the two Jedi. The rhythm of the sound was disorienting in the crystal forest. Then, Uadda spotted the source.
"Run!" She shouted. Her companion didn't stop to ask why because at that moment, he saw it too. With an enormous beetle-like body and spined, bladed legs, they poured through the crystals like a wave of glistening black carapaces. Too numerous to count, Jinn and Uadda didn't bother to try and fight back. The sound of their legs clicking together was overwhelming.

"Tak-Tak-Tak-Tak-Tak!" Their pincered jaws and multi-faceted eyes were now visible in the dim horizon light. They continued to run.

Jinn couldn't keep up with Uadda any longer. His exhausted strides fell shorter with each step. He turned to face the insects and activated his lightsaber. Only, nothing happened. The luminous yellow blade refused to ignite. The creatures were right on top of him now and he was helpless to fight. Just then, he felt the familiar grasp of the force around his torso. It hoisted him in the air and tossed him backward. With a hard and excruciatingly painful thud, he landed on his back atop the low wall of the compound. A moment later, Uadda landed feet first beside him. Looking over the edge, they watched as the creatures altered their course and followed along the base of the wall, never attempting to climb or continue the chase.

"Kyaddak." Uadda said.
"What?" Jinn grunted, peeling himself off of his back to look down after the vanishing distant creatures.
"Those are Kyaddak. A force-sensitive carnivore native to Christophsis." She explained breathlessly.
"My lightsaber wouldn't activate," Jinn remarked. His breathing was just as ragged as hers.

"As I said, they are force sensitive. They probably recognized your lightsaber for what it was and disrupted its connection with the kyber crystal."

Jinn shook his head and activated his lightsaber again. This time, the bright yellow blade hummed to life without incident. Satisfied, he deactivated it and hung it back on his belt.
"How do you know all of this?" He asked her. She smirked and helped him to his feet and lead him down the jagged hillside on the other side of the wall.

"Not everyone uses their time in the archives for napping, Jinn." She made a good point and he silently vowed to spend more time reading when they got back to Zonama Sekot.

"Wait, how would they be able to recognize a lightsaber?" He asked. Uadda stopped walking and looked at him.

"Probably because it wasn't the first one they've encountered." She said matter-of-factly. "Which means, we are definitely on the right track."