"Don't worry. It probably won't attack us," Amir said, trying to calm everyone down.
There wasn't much panic to begin with, and they quickly steadied themselves.
Amir had always been fascinated by alien life. As he brought the ship lower and searched for a landing spot, he also reached out through the Force and sent a gentle, friendly intent toward the huge presence above them.
As if it sensed Amir's goodwill, it let out another clear, lingering cry and began circling the Traveler, like a lonely child who'd just found a new playmate.
At last, Amir spotted a place that was barely usable for landing and eased the ship down.
Everyone let out a breath. A creature this large only had to graze the hull to throw the ship off-balance—and in these fog-choked spires, that could mean a crash.
Thankfully, their new "friend" seemed to understand restraint.
Amir was the first to step out. Deep-green trees grew here, their leaves stiff and needle-like.
He shivered without meaning to—the air was noticeably cooler.
As one, they all looked up.
On a rocky ledge jutting from a nearby cliff face, a pale creature—white with a faint green tint—was watching them.
And they were staring right back.
The massive flier was covered in feathers. A long neck supported a refined, almost delicate head, crowned by large, vivid green eyes. Two powerful talons dug into the rock with ease, gripping and scoring stone to keep its balance. But the most striking feature was its wings—two enormous pairs. With only a slight unfurling, its elegance and beauty became undeniable, like some sacred guardian hiding among layered peaks.
"So beautiful…" Ahsoka murmured, transfixed.
No one disagreed. Even BD-4 seemed to freeze for a moment.
Amir couldn't help trying to communicate with it. Anyone who saw something this magnificent would want to get closer.
And it seemed delighted that someone could "speak" to it. It gave a small flutter of its wings, tilted its head, and hesitated—debating whether to approach.
In the end, it couldn't resist Amir's warmth. It hopped down from the rock shelf with a beat of its wings—like a kid lured in by candy from a stranger who looked friendly.
Ahsoka could clearly tell Amir was communicating with the creature. Paks didn't look surprised at all. Veronica, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening—she just saw a gorgeous giant bird swooping toward them. Amir said it meant no harm, but… who wouldn't be scared?
She kept her face composed, but quietly edged behind Amir anyway.
The sacred-looking bird settled down in front of them.
It stretched out its long neck and brought its beak toward Amir.
Amir lifted a hand, touched it slowly, and let his emotions and impressions flow into it through the Force.
"Eee—" It threw its head back and cried happily. Then it lowered its gaze again, liking them even more. They were calling it pretty—ha!
It was still young—only a few hundred years old—but it already had a basic awareness.
Amir pulled a strip of jerky from his pack and offered it. Hondo hadn't taken Amir's pack—he'd left it aboard the ship. There was only food and explosives inside, and Amir had hidden his lightsaber after killing Charles anyway.
The bird opened its sharp beak, curled the jerky inside, and looked even happier.
"I've seen something like this in the records from Guri Ganna's tribe," Paks said, snapping back to himself as he pushed up his glasses. "The description's vague—'a green shadow in the clouds, a voice like song'—and it calls it a Mistwing."
"Sounds like Guri Ganna's ancestors left the plains and reached the spire-forests at some point," Amir said. The description fit perfectly. This planet was always wrapped in thick fog—high-flying birds would appear only as silhouettes, but their calls carried cleanly.
"No living thing can resist the pull of the unknown," Paks said, offering his usual take. "They lived in the jungle, but that doesn't mean they were trapped by it."
Amir strongly agreed.
"Mistwing," Veronica whispered.
As if it had heard her, the great bird tilted its head slightly toward her.
"Looks like it likes the name," Amir said, sensing the spike of pleased emotion through the Force.
"We still need to find that temple," Amir reminded them, remembering why they'd come.
As if it understood, the Mistwing gave a soft cry and lowered one side—laying two of its huge wings against the ground like a ramp, inviting them onto its back.
"You're going to take us there?" Amir asked, feeling for its intent through the Force.
"Ee-ya~"
"I think it knows where nearby structures are," Amir told the others.
Its body was enormous—its wingspan was nearly as wide as the Traveler—so when they climbed onto its back, there was plenty of room. They could've practically rolled around up there.
"Finding a path in fog like this is a nightmare. With its help, it'll be much easier," Ahsoka said, kneeling on the pale green feathers.
Veronica sat behind the neck, fingers constantly testing the smooth plumage.
Amir climbed up last with BD-4, grabbing firm feathers for a stable hold.
Even Paks—normally unflappable—looked visibly tense, inching closer to Amir.
"If I—if I fall, you have to use that Force thing and pull me back, okay…?" Paks said, anxiety written all over him.
"He's always been terrified of heights," Ahsoka said, enjoying this far too much. "He barely even sits in a cockpit."
Once Amir confirmed everyone was secure, the Mistwing slowly beat its four wings. It took off gently, clearly trying to accommodate its wingless passengers.
Air surged upward with each beat. With a push of its legs, the enormous bird lifted and glided into the fog.
It flew slowly, like it was giving them a tour—even though the fog made it impossible to see far.
For some reason, there was no violent shaking on its back, and barely any wind. It was surprisingly comfortable. Amir enjoyed the strange sensation of rising and falling in open air, his mood lifting.
The Mistwing seemed happy too. It didn't rush—just circled lazily.
That gave Amir time to observe the surroundings more carefully. And then he noticed something wrong: the Mistwing was heading toward a mountain peak, seemingly unaware of the danger hidden in the mist ahead. The peak was close enough to be deadly, yet almost invisible to the naked eye—Amir could only sense it faintly through the Force.
He immediately sent a warning through the Force.
The Mistwing turned its head toward him, puzzled. It trusted its own judgment, but it still listened and slowed down.
Sure enough, a mountain peak appeared out of nowhere in the fog.
The Mistwing snapped hard to one side, narrowly avoiding it.
"I NEED A SAFETY HARNESS—AAAH!" Paks screamed in terror.
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🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
📢 The Force Calls! 📢
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