The day was long and hard as usual Gungi and his once proud people were used to such days now. For the past 40 years Gungi and his Wookiee clan had been forced into slavery by the Empire, around 20 years during it's main rule of the galaxy and even the last 20 during the Empires exile to the outer rim planets and constant back and forth battling with the New Republic. During the Empires exile Gungi and his tribe had been exchanged between different High Admirals, and Major Galactic Generals, all who claimed the rule of the Empire since it's fall, but also willing to work out trades of parts and soldiers for exchange of a set of what was considered the best species for forced labor.

Gungi stepped into his cell, standing smaller than the average males of his age at just two meters tall. Even though he was young by Wookiee standards, at just 46 years young, he was already showing signs of grey tips on his fur like most of his kind held too long in captivity, and like the others, the years of constant mistreatment had left him weaker and more malnourished than he should have been.

Once inside his cell, Gungi helped in his Uncle Perktic, the last of his known living relatives. Perktic had been a tribal leader of his village and a Commander of Wookiee troops during the Seraratist invasion of their home planet of Kashyyyk. The once proud Wookiee who was once famous for bending up the barrel of a Separatist tank with his bare hands now stood slouched, weak, and sick from constant mistreatment from Imperial Guards over his years of captivity.

Gungi spent most of his short nights in his cell thinking about his past. He had watched his father killed for disobeying orders, his brother cyber whipped to death for stealing food. He had seen his mother and aunt burned to death in their home before being taken captive. The only other relative Gungi knew about that he hadn't seen die or captured was a distant cousin by the name of Chewbacka, Captain to one of the bravest Wookiee companies during the war and personal friend to one of Gungi's old Jedi Masters, Yoda.

You see Gungi was something very rare in the histroy of the Galexy. He was a Jedi Knight. Gungi found his own lightsaber crystal under the watch of Master Yoda who that day taught him the one tribute that had kept Gungi alive this long. Patience For you see, while Wookiees are considered to be a very force sensitive race, it is very rare for a Wookiee to be so force sensitive as to be taken in for training as a Jedi. This fact had kept Gungi alive after the betrayal of Anikan Skywalker and the surrender Kashyyyk.

While Yoda escaped Kashyyyk with the help of Gungi's cousin Chewbacka, Gungi was on the other side of the planet as second in command of Imperial Troops there. When order 66 was given, Gungi was in mid assault with a group of his men and a group of Wookiees from his village. A close cousin was charging right next to Gungi and during the attempted assassination, which pitted the Imperial troops against Gungi's own people, his cousin was killed. Knowing that Imperial troops would keep up their search, Gungi placed his belt and saber on his cousin while hiding his crystal in a nearby hiding place. He knew that there was no real way to leave the planet and that at that point, protecting his family should be his number one priority.

Between the time of Order 66 and the eventual fall of Kashyyyk to the Empire, there were several Exiled Jedi who found their way to the planet of Kashyyyk. Even though Gungi yearned to go and fight with his Jedi brothers, especially after Darth Vader landed on the planet, Gungi stayed in hiding with his family. He watched from a nearby whoshry tree while several Jedi were killed, some of which he had trained with at the academy with only a few years before. Over the course of Gungi's enslavement he fought the thought that he had disgraced the order and his title as Knight that he had only been given a only a few months before the Kashyyyk invasion.

Perktic's coughing brought the young Wookiee out of his depressing thoughts. Gungi picked up a tin, filling it with water for his sick uncle.

"Drink now Uncle. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"No Nephew. I over heard the guards talking while working in the west hanger. We are being traded to Grand Marshal Trakon two systems over for a company of Storm Troopers and a hand full of Tie fighters."

"This will end some time Uncle. What remains of the Empire is random taters of War Lords claiming to be the rightful rulers. The only time they seem willing to work together is when they want our services. The New Republic will one day finish them and free us."

"Nephew, did training with those religious jokesters really make you so naive. No one is going to come and help some enslaved Wookiees, especially when the enslavement of our people went mostly unlooked well before the Empire."

"Trust me uncle. We will make it out of here before long."

A guard stepped up by the bars of the cell and smacked the butt of his blaster against the door. "Quit your growling you hair covers vermin!"

As the guard moved away Perktic whispered to Gungi, "We have been prisoners for 40 years. We are the only two from our original group of captives to still be alive. That is all do to you and your abilities I am sure. But your father is dead, and so is your brother and from no small part to us excepting our fate and hoping that one day we will be set free. Mark my words by young nephew and remember your time of the Hrrtayyk. The only way we will find ourselves free is by fighting or by dying."

"Never worry about it Uncle. We must rest. They will not be kind to us on our trip tomorrow"

Gungi only slept lightly that night. Thinking about what his Uncle said he could not help but feel he was a coward, a characteristic very uncommon for a Wookiee. He had watched so many friends and family die and he was certain that the Jedi Order was all but extinguished. He heard how Darth Vader hunted down and killed all known Jedi and news of the successes of the New Republic only came in the form of few words. Never any mentions of how they had done it and who had fought with them.

During one of his moments of tormented awakeness, Gungi over heard two of the guards talking.

"12 Wookiees for that many men and equipment. I just don't see the point."

"Are you kidding me. Those monsters can put out 5 Tie fighters a day. If you ask me were getting hosed."

"Maybe, but the Grand Marshal is only going to be getting 11 of them. Words coming down to dump the old beast in transit. Their afraid his sickness might spread to the Wookiees already on planet and it'll be easier to do when they're all in their own separate cells."

"Ha, that old gray bastard won't see that coming. Dumped off into space like a piece of trash."

Gungi's heart just about stopped. It took every fibber of his being to not force choke those guards until they dropped. He fought of the powerful dark feelings. He knew he would not watch his Uncle die, he would not sit by any longer. His Uncle had been right. Their only way out was to fight or die. Gungi had less than 24 hours, but he would have to wait for the right moment. He would have to do as Master Yoda taught him. He would have to remain patient.

Chapter 2

Gungi searched his feelings for the rest of the night, meditating for the first time in years. He fell into his thoughts and connected himself with the force. He could feel everything in his cell, from his Uncle's shallow breaths to insects crawling in his mattress One with his mind and his body he searched his soul. He knew that when the time came he would know, but he also knew that he would have to act alone, at least initially.

When the guards came for the Wookiees in the morning, they found Gungi sitting with his large furry legs folded together. His coat had lost most of it's grey tip and shown a more dark brown. He looked invigorating, not that the guards cared in the slightest.

Gungi helped his Uncle to his feet and they walked out of the cell with 10 other Wookiees to the eastern hanger of the manufacturing base. Gungi brought up the rear of the group. When they all entered the large hanger they were escorted to a large cargo ship.

Before entering the ship, two guards stepped between Gungi and his Uncle. "Send the grey one to quarantine on the ship, we'll deal with him later." The rest of the platoon of troopers moved Gungi and his remaining 10 Wookiee brethren to separate cells. Gungi remained calm, waiting for his moment to strike. Before his cell was closed and locked his Uncle passed by.

"Remain stead fast nephew. You will see our home some day."

"And you will see our home from the heights of the whoshry with me Uncle."

With that the lock fell in place and the ship lifted off of the ground. Gungi could feel it slowly start to pull out of the planets gravitational hold, then the still nothingness of space. From listening to the guards the night before he knew that the planet they were going to was on the edge of Imperialist controlled space, so he would have to make his move right before they exited hyperspace.

Gungi sat in his still thought and meditated more. He knew the force would tell him when it was the right time to strike. He thought back to his short time with Yoda, when he first found his crystal and constructed his first and only lightsaber.

"Your patience has served you well it has." The voice seemed to have come from his past memories but it seemed cemented in the present. "Alive within you knowledge there is. Knowledge share with others you will. A great undertaking you will have, but not alone you are."

"Master? How? Where are you?"

"Gone I am. Long ago, but one more trained I did, and defeated Vader and Palpitine so did he."

"I am not alone then. How shall I find him master?"

"Find yourself first you must. Great confusion I see. Too many years away from the force you were. When ready, Master Jedi you will find, train others you will."

"Master when?"… "WHEN?"

From the cell next to Gungi a Wookiee responded, "Who are you talking to my short friend?"

"No one… pay attention and be ready."

"For what? This trip will not be a long one."

"For this."

Gungi rang out a large roar, catching the attention of one of the guards. He came up next to the cell and waved over another guard.

"This damn thing won't shut his trap."

"Stun him then."

When the trooper raised his weapon, Gungi pulled with the force. The blaster flew through the bars and into his hands. Quickly spinning the weapon around, Gungi let out a wide stun blast, knocking out both guards. Using the force, Gungi then pulled the key card key off of the guard and unlocked his cell. After stepping out he shot the card down the length of cells, unlocking each one.

When his cell neighbor stepped out, Gungi tossed him the other assault blaster.

"We are going home."

Chapter 3

Gungi lead the way down the length of the ship followed by his cell neighbor by the name of Shearpuz and then the rest of the captives. Both armed Wookiees entered the main mess area where the majority of the Storm Troopers were waiting. With a wave of Gungi's arm he had knocked them all flat over before they could reach for their weapons.

Gungi and Shearpuz opened up on the group of 15 soldiers, killing most before their other Wookiees captives could enter and tear the rest to pieces. At this point the rest of the Wookiees themselves were armed and ready to take the rest of the ship.

Gungi split them into two groups. He sent the separate group to overtake the armory and secure it before what remained of the guards got around to it. Shearpuz, him, and the rest ran towards the cargo hold where he knew his Uncle would be.

By the time they reached the cargo hold, the doors had been sealed. Alarms rang through the whole ship. Gungi pounded on the door, using all of his physical might, but it would not budge. Gungi stepped back and cleared his mind. He swung again with the might of the force driving his paw. The steal door split where it met in the middle enough to let through one Wookiee at a time.

Gungi rushed in to see his Uncle in the air lock, waiting for the ship to exit hyperspace, two guards stood on each side of it. Both troopers began to open fire on the Jedi warrior, but before they could make contact Gungi let out a force push and knocked them both back against the hull, knocking them unconscious.

With murmurs coming from his fellow Wookiees, Gungi walked over to the airlock and released his Uncle. Perktic stepped out, standing straighter than he had in years.

"My nephew, my son."

Gungi picked up a blaster from the floor and handed it to Perktic, growling in happiness, "My Chieften, my father. We must take a hold of the bridge so that we can pull out of hyperspace before getting too close to our intended new planet. Afterward we can set course for our home."

Gungi turned to his fellow Wookiees and shouted, "We will be home! We will be free!"

To that the group growled and bared their teeth, but Shearpuz stepped forward.

"We feared the Jedi child dead for so long, but you were here. Why not escape before?"

"I was waiting for this moment, I was waiting for a larger purpose other than our freedom."

"What would be a greater purpose than our freedom?"

"The the freedom of the whole galaxy."