BY ANOTHER NAME
Smoke and haze of battle shrouded the fading, dying sounds of blasters as Chewbacca peered through low tree branches, his keen senses of smell and eyesight observing the area. He saw a few retreating soldiers, who'd come from surrounding planets to help the Wookiees defend their homeland from slavers who came to kidnap as many Wookiees as possible - it was an obscene trade, but sadly there was a black market that dealt with the supply of many species. He glanced across the way at several of his fellow Wookiees; they'd lowered their bowcasters; this battle over, the slavers were gone. Broken limbs scattered the ground and smoke from laser-charred trees spiraled skyward. As streaks of late afternoon sunlight began filtering through the smoke, two slavers lay dead on the distant ground. Chewbacca knew his people would bury them. He hoped slavers would never again attempt to invade Kashyyyk. Lowering his own bowcaster he turned and started toward home; anxious to see Malla and his baby son, Lumpy. In spite of the horrors of battle, Itchy, Malla's father and an old defender himself, would be anxious to hear the details.
The Wookiee's long strides quickly took him through a lush, slightly hilly meadow. He passed a slow moving stream; breathing deeply of the fresh air, then something in the distance caught his eye…SLAVERS…two of them were leaning over a body - going through pockets-robbing the dead. Chewbacca quickly fired his bowcaster. One of the slavers grabbed his left arm as the shot found it's mark. They looked up and seeing the Wookiee loping toward them, quickly scattered and ran, followed by another shot from the bowcaster and a loud, furious roar.
As Chewbacca neared the body, he saw it was a young man who wore a partial military uniform; dark, blood-stripe lined pants and a gray jacket. His blaster just inches from his hand. There were no insignia on the jacket, which was soaked by blood at the left shoulder. Chewbacca also noticed a wide, bleeding gash on the side of his head from where he had fallen against a rock. Lowering his shaggy head to the man's chest… he heard a steady, but weakening heartbeat. The Wookiee looked up, scanning the area,…looking in all directions…..without help, the young man would die out here. Shoving the blaster back into the holster the man wore, he looped the bowcaster strap around his arm and hefted the man over his shoulder.
Wending his way through thick brush, undergrowth and vines, it wasn't long before the Wookiee reached his hut. Giving a sharp rap on the door before entering, letting Malla know it was her partner.
She met him at the door and recoiled somewhat at the sight of a body perched on his shoulder.
(THE WOOKIEE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN TRANSLATED TO HELP THE READERS)
"It's alright, Malla. I think he's one of the soldiers from a unit that came to help us fight the slave traders." Malla relaxed and pointed to Itchy's bedroom. Chewbacca shuffled to the room and gently placed the limp body on the rough-hewn bed. A curious Itchy followed, peaking into the room.
"I'll get some water and clean him up." Malla said.
"I'll check him over for any more wounds." Chewbacca told her removing the jacket and unbuttoning
the shirt.
Malla shooed Itchy from the door and checked on her sleeping baby in the crib before returning with
some clean rags, a pan of warm water and a small wooden box filled with herbs.
"Chewie, you gonna keep that soldier in my bed?" Itchy growled.
"You can sleep in the common room." Malla told him. "The young man helped us, now it is our time to help him." She noticed the man was now under the cover; his clothes draped over a chair, boots and holstered blaster on the floor. "There weren't any other injuries." Chewbacca told her as she began to wipe away the blood around the head gash and down his face. "The laser hit in his shoulder isn't too deep. it won't need to be sewn up." Chewbacca told her.
"I'll dress them with some herbs that will help healing." She finished washing the wounded areas and dampened the herbal leaves before placing them on the wounds. "Go get me cup of cool water and a spoon." Malla asked her mate.
Along with the water, Chewbacca brought some clean strips of cloth to use as bandages. Together, he and Malla wrapped the wounded places, then Malla dampened the man's dry lips with a moistened towel before spooning water to his mouth. The first spoonful dribbled down to his chest, but the swallowing reflex took hold and he downed several spoonsful of the cool, refreshing liquid. "That's a good sign." Malla told Chewbacca. "All we can do now is wait. Not knowing his species I don't know what to watch for if his condition worsens." Chewbacca patted her shoulder as she passed. "I'll sit with him. You have the evening meal with Itchy and feed Lumpy." Malla looked back at the young man…he was so still…..
"I'll make some mokfe broth for him."
The young man slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few time to focus his blurred vision. Moving his head slightly, he groaned at an aching pain. Shifting on the bed, he gazed around the dawn-light filled room, his eyes coming to rest on the massive, hairy being sitting beside him. With a sharp intake of breath, he shrank back in surprise.
Chewbacca put out his arms in a universal "It's alright…I won't hurt you. You are safe." And the man relaxed.
Chewbacca grunted a question, wondering if the young man understood Wookese. A knit brow from the
bed's occupant gave him his answer. The soldier didn't understand.
Malla entered with a steaming bowl of mokfe. "Good." She greeted. "You're awake." The young man's eyes followed Malla to his bedside; the aroma from the bowl made him realize he was hungry. Malla set the bowl on the small bedside table. "Let's see how you're doing today." She woofed. Patting the young man's shoulder, she lifted the bandage on his head and was pleased with what she saw. Then she did the same with the bandage covering his shoulder and saw there was improvement there as well.
She handed him the wooden bowl and spoon and urged him to eat. He cautiously took a first spoonful and found it to be very good and in no time at all he'd finished the broth and handed the bowl back to Malla.
"I'll see to his personal needs." Chewbacca told her as she left the room. After all was taken care of, Chewbacca determined that despite the language barrier he was going to try to communicate with the young man. He started by shaking the bed and made a sound….the young man shook his head, not understanding….Chewbacca repeated the process and the young man responded by saying "Bed."
The Wookiee excitedly shook his head in agreement. "You want me to get up?" The man questioned.
Chewbacca shook his head….and pointed to a chair, emitting another sound. "Chair?" The Wookiee was elated…again he gruffed the sound for 'bed' and the response was the same…they were beginning to understand each other. He tried a few more examples with good results.
"Malla, come here." Chewbacca called for his mate. She entered the bedroom followed by Itchy. "Name something in this room." Chewbacca suggested to her. Malla complied and barked a word. "Window." The bed-fast man replied. She couldn't hide the surprised look on her face. "Name something else." Her mate instructed. "Blanket." She growled. The young man lifted the cover and replied 'blanket."
"Oh, Chewbacca!" Malla exclaimed.
"What's your name?" Itchy growled. The young man frowned, not responding.
Chewbacca took a piece of food from the tray Malla had brought for him earlier, took a bite and began chewing. The young man watched, realizing the being wanted him to understand something. "You're eating." He said. The Wookiee shook his head no and pointed to his eye, then his mouth.
"I eat." The young man said. Again a head shake indicating no.
"I chew." An affirmative head shake encouraged the man.
Then, the Wookiee turned slightly and patted his own back…. "Hit." was the response from the bed.
Again, he pointed to his back…. "Back." The Wookiee then pointed to his eye, his mouth and back…..
"I …chew…back.." The man said. Chewbacca put his powerful paws together and stretched them out…
"Ah…." The man began, struggling to comprehend. "I….chew…back…ah…" Light dawned and he
said "Chew…back…ah…You're Chewbacca!" The Wookiee let out a howl of joy and hugged the young man.
Then Chewbacca pointed to Itchy who began scratching his graying fur…."Scratchy." Was the young man's response. Both heads shook no. "Tickly"….again a shake of no….then….. "Itchy." Another nod of yes. Even Itchy smiled. Malla was excited, they were all learning to communicate.
"Now." Chewbacca growled slowly, pointing to the young man…."What's your name?"
"My name?" The man was quiet…searching his mind…nothing came. "I don't know." He shook his head.
"We have to call you something." Malla interjected….she looked into the young face, the hazel eyes,
the shaggy brown hair, strong jaw…."You're handsome…we'll call you handsome until you remember." Chewbacca quirked his head at Malla…."Then how about just Han." She offered.
Chewbacca took the man's hand and woofed….
"My hand." He responded. The Wookiee shook his head and placed his paws apart in front of
himself and gradually drew them closer together.
"Han….." Chewbacca placed his paw on the man's mouth to stop the rest of the word and woofed the name…. "Han…Han…." The man repeated and shook his head in acceptance of the name. "I like that." He said with a playful wink to Malla.
Malla approached his bedside and pulled on his arm, indicating she wanted him to get up.
Chewbacca barked a question. "What are you doing?
"I think he's strong enough to sit up a while and later walk to the table for the evening meal."
She gruffed a reply to her mate.
'Han' slowly rose from the bed and took the chair Chewbacca had occupied earlier.
Malla left the room to care for Lumpy and make preparations for the evening meal.
Itchy and Chewbacca stayed for some time with 'Han' and continued to talk and learn more words in each others language.
The Wookiee family; Itchy, Chewbacca, Malla and Lumpy, in the crib next to Malla, were seated around
around the big table in the common room. Han looked down with a cautious eye at the food that was on
the wooden plate; strips of meat, some green pods, and slices of something yellow. Reaching beside his plate, searching for an eating utensil, found none. He watch the Wookiees take food from their plates with their paws to eat and he followed their example, finding the food quite tasty. They talked in low tones and 'Han' looked at each one…Malla, who'd cared for and nurtured him…a gentle, sweet soul.
Chewbacca, who'd saved his life and was teaching him how to communicate with his species…
he owed him something…..and Itchy… who was quite a character.
For the next seven sunrises and sunsets on Kashyyyk, as 'Han' recovered, gaining back his strength, he became quite fluent in understanding and interpreting the Wookiee 'language'…and in turn teaching Chewbacca to understand his language.
Those days passed quickly and 'Han' learned about the Wookiee culture…watched as Malla worked around her home, making it cozy and comfortable…even holding Lumpy and listening to Itchy's
'war stories'.
At one of the evening meals…'Han' experienced a strong wave of dizziness and all of his memory came rushing back to him; his home planet Corelle, he was a Corellian, his family, his real name, school and military service, the betrayal and fleeing from Corelle, his ship the MILLENNIUM FALCON, set down near the meadow valley where Chewbacca found him and the reason he was here….needed repair work on the FALCON. He would tell them more about himself, but not all, he decided, not now.
Chewbacca saw him musing and said "You're completely recovered now."
"Thanks you to all." 'Han' expressed. "I'll be leaving with tomorrow's sunrise. Need to get back to work."
"Work?" Malla questioned, "I thought you were with the soldiers that came to help us."
"I'm not with any military any more." He told her. The Wookiees looked at him in surprise and
confusion. "It's a long story…a telling for another time." He promised. "Now, I haul cargo."
"A loner." Itchy confirmed. "Going solo."
"Solo." Chewbacca said. "Han Solo." We ever hear that name, we'll know its you.
"Han Solo." 'Han' liked that. It would be quite a benefit to his 'cover' as he plied his trade.
"Ever think of taking on a partner?" Chewbacca asked.
"No." 'Han' answered honestly…never found anyone I could trust…until now, he looked up at
Chewbacca then smiled at Malla. "I owe you, Chewie….how about coming along with me?"
"Then you wouldn't be alone." Malla said.
Chewbacca looked at his life mate….and she shook her head yes. She knew they would be back many
here many times…
"Then, it's settled." 'Han' smiled as he took a drink from his cup. His previous life was behind him now, he could start a new life….found a new family in the Wookiees. A new partner and friend in Chewbacca,
a new name and now, new adventures awaiting him.