Star Wars Rebels - Lost

Chapter Six: Chasing Leads

The planet Pillio, an aquatic world covered in great cyan oceans, filled with billions of fish and fossils. According to its file on the holo-net, it was home to over three million different species of animals, and that wasn't counting the remnants of all those who had become one with the force. Huge rocky cliffs divided the seas, home to vast coral caves which were filled with age old secrets. The surface of the planet was covered in red and orange fauna, with a multitude of geysers spitting up steam on a regular basis. Sabine had never seen anywhere like it, and that was exactly the thought running through her head as the Gauntlet entered its atmosphere. Her friend was focused on flying, which gave the Mandalorian the rare chance to stare out of the window, and she utilised it. At one point during their landing sequence, she even openly gasped at the landscape, aware of the noise she'd made and not caring. This place was amazing.
"We're landing now" Ahsoka reported, and the ship rocked a little as its landing gear collided with the surface.

The togruta then stood up and moved to the back of the cockpit, fumbling with something on the floor. Sabine, meanwhile, was still engrossed with the view in front of her. In her life, she had seen no small number of planets; Lothal, Garel, Dathomir and Yavin 4, just to name a few. But she maintained that she'd never seen a planet like this, it was like something straight out of the Unknown Regions. While Ahsoka was busy with something behind her, Sabine watched closely out of the window as a group of some form of insect ran along the surface of the rock beneath her. She observed them shamble along, before squeezing themselves through a tight crack in a nearby cliff.
"I wouldn't get too comfortable with them" Ahsoka said suddenly, having moved right behind the Mandalorian and scaring her slightly "they're called Scritters and they'll have your foot off if you give them chance". Sabine nodded, returning her attention to the moment at hand and standing up, it was time to get to work. After briefly ensuring that she was properly armed and armoured, she followed Ahsoka to the extended docking ramp and together they walked down it and took their first steps on Pillio. In the distance, they could hear the gushing of a nearby waterfall as its torrents collapsed into a lake. As the pair continued to take slow steps across the rocks, the Scritters at their feet all seemed to run and hide, making their way into tight little crevices. They reached a small cliff, several feet tall, and Ahsoka leapt down first before raising her hands to help Sabine follow her down.
"Do you know where this mysterious observatory thing is?" the Mandalorian asked as she stood back up to her full height.
"I had a brief conversation with General Skywalker again last night, while you were sleeping, and he gave me some vague co-ordinates. It ought to be through those caves over there" Ahsoka answered, pointing to a dark and gloomy cave entrance in the distance.

The two of them nodded at one another, before setting off towards the cave. Sabine couldn't help but smile under her helmet at the little splashing noise that her boots made with every step in the shallow rock pools, this entire planet was so delightfully mysterious. She took a glance up at the bright blue sky and tried to imagine what this place would look like in the rain. She was one of the sorts of people who found rain enjoyable to watch, and since she had been so amazed by this planet so far, she could only dare to imagine what it would like with water flurrying down on it. But, as she found herself in a pleasant trance, in awe at her surroundings, a firm hand on her shoulder quickly snapped her back into reality. She looked towards Ahsoka with slight shock, but the togruta wore a serious face. Sabine followed her gaze down to a nest of Scritters below them, but all of the creatures there had been murdered. The Mandalorian raised her eyebrows, and while she didn't wish to approach them and inspect their bodies, she plainly see already that the cause of their deaths was that of accurate laser blasts. Someone had been here, recently.
"Something tells me we're not alone here. It's been months since General Skywalker visited this place, these burn marks look like they formed in the last few hours" Ahsoka commented, deep in thought.
"Then we'd better get a move on, hadn't we?" Sabine answered, causing Ahsoka to nod. The pair of them entered into a small jog as they headed towards the cave, but little did either of them know that they were being watched from a nearby clifftop.