The huge forests concealed a sizeable shield generator, designed to protect the imposing and unfinished framework of the second Death Star. This secret base, however well funded, still wasn't entirely safe, as the forest moon of Endor was home to all nature of dangerous beasts.

"Hey, SK-439." A scout trooper called out, emerging from the base's doors with a pouch. "Fixed it yet?"

"Fix it yourself, I'm not touching your bike." 439 shook his head.

"I'm messin' with ya." SK-553 said, walking up to her speeder bike and fastening the pouch to the side. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"So much. There were some trees, I found a tree, and I can't remember, I think the captain told me to tell you about something else..."

"Ah, they found a tree?" 553 played along.

"That was it, almost forgot." 439 nodded.

"What's got your plastoid in a pickle?"

"Nothing. Assigned to guard duty on a forest moon with nothing to do but patrol and ride speeder bikes? I'd rather be doing something fun."

"Ah, but you'd rather stand around doin' nothin' than run about fighting Rebels." 553 shrugged, grabbing some tools to fix the speeder bike's stabilizer.

"I actually did recon on a rebel stronghold, you know." 439 mentioned.

"No way, you're karkin'."

"It's the truth. Preceded a big attack, had a whole AT-AT designated. I counted twelve heads with my 19x."

"And now I know you're takin' the piss. You can't aim to save your life, you fool."

"I'm a great shot. You haven't seen me in my element." He shook his head.

"Sure sure, baye." She twisted a bolt into place, slapping the side. "All done, fixed right up."

SK-439 nodded absentmindedly and shifted his weight, scanning the treeline.

"You catch any of those furry ones? The little kriffers?"

"The Ewoks? No, and I hope not to. They eat people like us."

"I tought they were cute at first. Not in the slightest." 553 stood up, placing a hand on her hip. "Beady little eyes, and their little spears..."

"Dangerous to no end. I hope the empire lets us requisition actual armor, to defend against physical projectiles."

"They'll never do it. They see them like I used to, just a bunch of fuzzy lettle creatures." 553 gestured openly to the forest. "Pen Lobbers like them don't have to worry about a spear shoved through their neck."

"True." 439 nodded. "Hey, what planet are you from, anyways?"

"It's the accent, isn't it?" 553 glanced over. "My father and I were spacers, we'd freight. Traded with Maridun all the time."

"I see. I'm Coruscant-born, myself."

"Ah, there's the prim and proper 439 I know." 553 nudged his shoulder. "High society, is that it?"

"No, the slums." 439 shook his head. "Joined up to eat, you know how it is."

"No shame in that atall."

"Hey." 439 said after a minute of silence. "You ever see a Gorax?"

"Gorax? What're those?"

"Tree sized, semi-sentient. Giants."

"A what now?" 553 turned her head to look at him.

"You know how Ewoks have those tree villages? It's to hide out of Gorax reach. They're like, natural enemies."

"That so? Can we blast 'em?"

"They're the size of a scoutwalker, so it'd probably need equivalent firepower."

"No way? Hey, 8686, over there!" 553 yelled and waved. The stormtrooper approached at her call. "You were out a whole night on patrol, right? You heard'a the Gorax?"

"Oh definitely. Didn't see one, but we felt the rumbling all night. Captain told us to dim the light way down, just in case, and to stay quiet." TK-8686 explained. "What, did it come up in conversation?"

"She didn't know about them." 439 said. "Hardly believed me."

"Yeah, they're real alright. We saw some hanging logs, held up with ropes, totally for smashing Gorax." 8686 said.

"Logs? Like tree logs?" 553 asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, probably tied to a tripwire. Buddy of mine suggested it was for the AT-STs, but it looked old enough to be for something of about the same size, here before us."

"See? Told you." 439 gestured.

"No way. Tha's wild, I wouldn't want to get on its bad side." 553 shook her head in amazement. "Do they eat imperials?"

"Look, I don't know what they eat, but if even the Ewoks are scared of them, then I'm with them." 8686 shrugged. "I need to get back to work."

"Aye, sure, tell 7134 that he owes me creds!" 553 yelled after him. "Still in awe at the thought of giants in the trees."

"Used to scare me, but these bikes could probably outrun them." 439 tapped his.

"Ain't that the truth." 553 glanced over, before taking a breath and looking up. "How long you think it'll be before they finish the old girl?"

"The Death Star? I don't know, few years, give or take?"

"Want 'ta bet on it?" 553 glanced over.

"Hell no. You have a problem."

"Hahah! What a baby! I'll give it a half a year, they've got pressure from the rebellion, they can't take long."

"Well, with odds like that you might as well give me the credits now. Half a year to get it finished?"

"Finished enough to fire, sure. After some of the recent skirmishes, they'll surely find out about the station one way or another."

"Here's hoping. It needs to be finished ASAP."

"Aye, but I'm not helping."

"Carry around durasteel in space-gear? Hell no, I'll take being Ewok stew over that any day."

"For sure." 553 reached out and fist-bumped 439.