I put a pack on that had several digging tools including a small pickaxe. Teya hadn't even thought that far ahead about the possibility of having to dig for a crystal.
Midnight finally came and we both snuck outside under the guise of darkness.
"Follow me, I've lived here for years and I know the patrol rounds," I whisper.
Teya nods in response and signals for me to lead the way with her hands.
Weaving through the alleys we avoid the trooper patrols throughout the town.
Once outside the town itself, Teya takes the lead. We approach an indented rock face just ahead when she signals to stop.
"The entrance goes deep and the opening caved in just this morning when I was trying to sneak into town, there should be no one there," She assures me.
"Why didn't you explore it then?" I question.
"I didn't have a torch," she says pulling a lamp out of her satchel.
I too brought a lamp and spare light sources. I had a pouch on my hip containing some 1-inch steel ballbearings I frequently used to train my powers. I would have them rotate and move about while I worked in the back of my shop with the door locked. Those were the only methods I had to defend myself.
Teya signals with her hand to let me know it is time to move forward.
"BEEP BOOP!" Sounding a flying droid nearby.
"A reconnaissance droid?!" Teya shouted trying to knock it down with a stick.
Using the force I took control of two metal balls I threw from my pouch. Being a mechanic I knew the droid's weak points. I focused all my attention on the two balls and struck the same weak points on opposite sides of the round floating droid.
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"BOOM!" Exploded the droid.
"Damn Roan, what did you do?" Teya asked.
"An object hits with more power if its target is moving towards it. So I struck it on both sides to double the impact while targeting its weak points," I explain.
"You should teach basic manipulation," Teya says.
"Only masters, full Jedi, and advanced talented Padawans are allowed to teach," I point out.
A pitiful look can be seen on Teya's face," Roan... Even Master Yoda would be impressed by what you just did".
"If he didn't want me punished for continuing my training with Jedi Force arts," I scoff.
"They never hated you..." she tries to object.
"No, they were indifferent to me and somehow that makes it worse. Throwing a child away because you hate them I could understand but because I was nothing to them, I was cast away. What if I hadn't had the talent in mechanics to get this apprenticeship? Where would I be? I would have probably starved on the streets," I rant.
"Roan, I don't know what you went through but I'm sorry it brings you pain," Teya says woefully.
"It is not your fault, you were just a fledgling just like me," I calmly assure her.
Outside the opening of the new tunnel were two troopers guarding the entrance.
Teya using the force causes some rocks to roll down the rock side a few yards away. Sure enough one of the troopers went to check it out while the other remained guarding the entrance.
Teya jumped the one who was looking for the cause of the small rock slide. Meanwhile, I dealt with the other trooper using a barrage of my metal balls. Their armor can protect from many things but a 5 oz steel ball moving at blazing speeds isn't one of them.
I didn't see what Teya did to the trooper but she came back holding his rifle before snapping it in half using the force.
"Was that necessary?" I ask.
"I didn't kill him so probably," she answers.
"You Jedi and your damn rules," I shake my head.
"You didn't kill your either," she complains.
I look down at my victim," Yeah, well he ain't getting up any time soon after this."
"Poor guy," Teya mumbles.
"Oi it's not like I was intentionally being cruel," I complain.
"My apologies mighty Sith lord," Teya mockingly bows.
"That's right peasant, at least you know your place," I say acting posh while pretending to tweak a mustache I don't have.
"Pfft, haha," we laugh in unison.
"I missed you, Roan," Teya says wiping a year away.
I nod, "I missed you too dweeb".
"You should grow a mustache," Teya says jokingly.
"You know that would look terrible on me," I reply seriously.
"Yep," she smiles.
"Whose really the Sith lord here?" I mock as we enter the tunnel.