Tales from Wild Space: Look Before You Leap

Aboard the Star Herald, which was located in Wild Space, the droid CR-8R, nicknamed "Crater," found himself in a disagreement with BB-00, known as "Boo." Boo was eager to explore the planet situated below their current position. Crater insisted that Boo must exercise patience while he conducted scans to identify any potentially dangerous life forms. Emil Graf sided with Crater, prompting him to inquire if Boo was familiar with the expression, "Look before you leap." This saying triggered a memory of a tale he had once encountered.

Approximately 30 years prior, Nien Nunb and Shriv Suurgav were tasked with safeguarding a refugee starship. Upon landing on a planet, their mission involved tracking two TIE fighters that were actively searching for the ship's location. Suddenly, a vessel, compressed into a spherical shape, hurtled past the Sullustan and the Duros. Upon investigating the crash site, they discovered that the crashed ship was indeed one of the TIE fighters. The ground beneath them began to tremble, prompting the duo to hastily retreat towards their ship. As the ship started sinking into the earth, both Nunb and Suurgav were violently tossed around. Ultimately, the ship plunged into a green colored river. They plummeted over a green waterfall, descended into a tunnel, and came to rest on a small piece of land surrounded by the green liquid. Nien Nunb and Shriv donned breath masks and ventured outside to address the engine filters, which were heavily clogged with the green substance.

Upon exiting the ship, they observed that the second TIE fighter had crashed on the opposite bank of the river. Subsequently, numerous worm like creatures emerged from cracks in the tunnel walls, enveloping the TIE fighter until it succumbed to the green liquid. A vine descended from the tunnel's ceiling, seizing the wrecked cockpit of the TIE fighter. The creatures then turned their attention to Nunb and Suurgav, initiating a swim towards them. Nien swiftly retreated inside the ship, while Shriv remained outside to clear the engine filter. The creatures began attaching themselves to the ship, causing alarm for Nien Nunb. Shriv instructed Nien Nunb to pilot the ship out of the cave, despite Shriv still being on top of the ship, occupied with cleaning. The Sullustan directed the ship upwards, towards the tunnel's exit, causing the creatures to be thrown off. Shriv frantically signaled to be let back into the ship. As they successfully exited the tunnel, Shriv revealed to Nien Nunb that the islands were "alive" and that they had been inside a stomach. Nien Nunb considered the mission a success.

Returning to the Star Herald, Boo displayed a newfound willingness to allow Crater to scan the planet for hostile life forms, influenced by Emil Graf's story. Boo even revised his request, now desiring the planet to be scanned twice as a precautionary measure. Crater proceeded to scan the planet, jokingly suggesting the possibility of a third scan.