Salvation - The Mandalorian

Chapter 12

The Razor Crest II landed on Ilum's surface. Din made sure to land in the forest so no troopers would notice their arrival. As they flew over the planet, Din saw the base down below, so the forest was right nearby the destination. Once he landed, he climbed down from the cockpit and got the weapons he would need for this. It wasn't the first base he had broken into, but he still needed to be ready for any kind of fight.

"No matter what, you two are staying on the ship," Din ordered the two stowaways, Rey and Grogu. "Even if any Imps find the Crest here, you stay on board and do not engage. Keep the door locked and only open it if you know it's me and Luke."

Rey furrowed her eyebrows. "How am I supposed to know it's you?" She asked.

"Use the Force to reach out and make sure it's one of us," Luke told her. "Just like we practiced before. And hopefully, this won't take too long, so no troops will find the ship."

Din gave Grogu a pat on the head before leaving the ship with Luke. They made their way through the forest and in the direction of the base. They ducked by the edge of a cliff once they saw the base down below. Troops stood outside, guarding the place as transport vehicles went in and out. Din used the heat signature function in his helmet to see how many troopers there were. He noticed many inside the base, but there only seemed to be two inside each of the transports.

"I think we have our way in," Din told Luke. "We have to get inside one of those transports down there. Once we're in one, we can get inside the base."

"How do we get inside one of the transports?" Luke asked. "Troopers are watching everywhere."

Din looked around, scanning the transports with his helmet. "Looks like there's an entrance underneath," he said. "And room for someone to go under there without getting run over. I'll jet under there and take out the troopers, then let you in through the door."

Luke had no other choice but to agree with the plan. It was their best and only option as a way to get inside without being detected. Once a transport got close to them, Din took off in his jetpack and went under the vehicle. He grabbed it and pushed his way inside, getting the attention of the two Stormtroopers. As they got out their blasters, Din shot the both of them. He went over to the door and opened it before taking a seat at the driver's chair. Once he saw that Din was in, Luke rushed over and went inside.

"That was easier than expected," Luke said, taking a seat next to Din. "I wonder why they have those doors on the floor?"

"These things are probably used to move those crystals of yours around," Din answered. "It might be an easier way for them to drop them off."

"You're right," Luke replied. "I can feel their energy from when they were in this thing. Let's get in that base and get those crystals."

"Why does the Empire need your crystals anyway?" Din asked. "What use does it give them?"

Luke sighed and looked away. "They used them to create the laser for the Death Star," he explained. "You know what the Death Star is, right?"

Din tilted his helmet at the Jedi. "Yes, I know what the Death Star is," he replied, sounding exasperated even though the voice modulator. "The Empire used it to destroy Alderaan."

"I had to be sure," Luke said with a chuckle. "The Empire has been harvesting Kyber crystals ever since the Jedi fell. But now that it's only remnants remaining of the Empire... it worries me what they could be using the crystals for now. What could be worse than a Death Star?"

"Whatever they're planning, we'll shut down their operation," Din reassured him. "We'll take as many crystals as we can and destroy the base. They'll never see a Jedi and a Mandalorian coming for them."