Kyp stayed close as the two X-wings entered the atmosphere. With his fighter nearly touching hers, it was a perfect example of precision flying made stronger by the Force-meld the Jedi pilots had perfected.
The trip through Ansion's atmosphere had to be one of the worst flights Phaelon had ever witnessed, let alone flown. The sheered off s-foil made the fighter shake and rattle violently, and more little red lights came on the longer they flew.
Halfway down, Drifter, her astromech, tootled a warning that the whole port wing array was likely to rip lose if the shaking was not stopped soon. A cold knot of dread settled itself in the pit of Phaelon's stomach. This had been a stupid idea. Why didn't she think to find a spacedock? Even if she survived re-entry, the landing might still kill her.
Suddenly she felt a calming presence enter her mind. Kyp. Get outta there, she rebuked him.
Hey, came his voice in her head, I was only trying to help.
Instead of choosing to respond, Phaelon concentrated on her instruments, willing them to stay green until she'd made it to the ground.
After what seemed like eternities, the X-wings broke through the final layer of cloud cover. The pilots were greeted by the sight of sprawling plains, meandering rivers, and rolling hills. Several small villages flashed past, and then they were approaching the only city they had yet seen. The tallest buildings were only a few stories tall and the streets were gravel. It reminded Phaelon of what Tatooine would look like covered in grass.
The X-wings skirted the city as per their instructions, taking a longer but safer route. The controller must have had enough brains to not send a broken fighter through a large metropolitan area.
OO
The landing was anything but graceful. Phaelon tried to set the X-wing down on the landing pad as carefully as possible, but the damaged repulsorlifts gave out with a dying sputter and the fighter dropped the last few meters to the ground with a sickening crunch.
Off balance, the X-wing tipped precariously on its landing struts. Phaelon sent her mind out and gently nudged the fighter back upright. It landed with a final bang and the sound of something ripping loose. With a sigh, she popped the canopy and allowed the warm air to swirl around her.
Kyp landed perfectly beside her, and she could feel his smug grin. She scowled and, removing her helmet and gloves, slid off the edge of the cockpit to the ground. He joined her a moment later, and they walked towards the hanger. It felt good to be on solid ground again after the cramped little cockpit.
Two natives rushed towards them from where they had been sheltering behind a sheet of transparisteel as though the X-wing was about to explode. In their dark-blue flightsuits and plain robes, the two Jedi looked particularly drab and washed-out compared to their flamboyant coloration. Both were completely hairless except for a short brush of thick hair running down their backs, and watched the Jedi with large, protuberant, red eyes. Their hands ended in three long fingers and, at the moment, carried no weapons.
"Welcome to Cuipernam, Captain," said the male, inclining his head towards Phaelon. "If you would follow us, please."
Phaelon exchanged a worried glance with Kyp as they fell into step behind the him, the female walking behind.
This can't be good, she thought to him.
He nodded.