Kashyyyk, Years Ago
The man kissed his daughters hairy head desperately hugging her tight, "Daddy loves you very much. Now go." With one final squeeze, he stepped back from the child who reached out whining for him. The big grey Wookiee picked her up gently eyes gleaming in fire from their shuttle. He warbled a question.
The man shook his head grimacing as he placed a hand on the piece of metal sticking out of his gut. The tattered prison jumpsuit was red with blood.
"Just get her safe. They'll be coming soon go, now!"
The large Wookiee placed a fist to his heart in silent salute as he held the young crying human in the other. With a growl, he gestured to his hunting party balancing the girl on his hip. Nodding the half-dozen Wookiees dashed off into the darkness of the Shadowlands their leader last of all.
The man tears running down his face watched his daughter and her new family till they were nought but shapes in the nighttime forest before they faded away. The man gave a choked sob as the last good thing in his life left, forever. Breathing heavily the exertion of the past few days in truth caught up with him.
Stumbling closer to the shuttle wreck he found a long fallen trunk and rested his back against it sliding down leaving a smear of blood on the dead wood. Feeling the length of metal as he watched the flames he gave a small smile. He'd done it. She was free now in so many ways. His smile faded as he realized she wasn't quite free not yet.
The Inquisitor was still out there and needed to be thrown off the scent. Reaching for a makeshift sheath on his leg the man drew forth a blood-crusted knife the kind used for autopsies. Or torture.
He considered it in the flickering light of the crash before setting it aside. The work of that knife was done now and would solve nothing now. It was time to bluff.
Reaching into his pocket on the side of his body not weeping blood he removed a tattered burned garment. Still visible on its shoulder was the mark of the Galactic Empire. The man lips curled in ager but he pushed it aside. Now was not the time for that sort of sentiment now was the time to act.
Ensuring the cloth was in his hand the man reached into his breast pocket and removed an old-fashioned holoprojector. Flipping it on the blue light illuminated his bruised bloody and soot-stained face. As the first image appeared it was almost like the pain fell away leaving a far younger joyful man in its place.
The first image was that of a young boy and a burly teen arms wrapped around one another. The teen face discoloured by a shiner was ruffling the brown hair of the young boy yelling something. The kid was screaming writhing in his grip.
Now the boy was older rougher looking as was the elder brother. They stood in front of a factory with a girl with her arms crossed jaw jutting out defiantly. The boy had a look of both fascination and anger as he stared sideways at the girl.
The man sobbed banging his head against the tree as he flipped to the next image. The boy was now a teen with a fresh haircut and fine clothes standing outside an academy. His brother had filled out into a burly man face already marked with old scars as he seemed to bulge out of the police uniform he wore. The girl had matured into a teen and while she'd worn a dress her face still held it's cockiness especially as she gave the boys cheek a kiss.
Faster now. Graduating. A wedding. His brother in an Imperial uniform. A team of scientists with the man at the front. The girl, now a woman, pregnant. A baby girl.
With a shudder, the man paused it on the final image. He stood arms around his wife nuzzling her neck. In her arms, she held a wriggling toddler who was grinning at the camera bushy brown hair framing her face. A face he had just seen for the last time.
He wouldn't need to fake the tears at least. His sobbing quieted even the buzz and chatter of the wildlife and deterred and would be scavengers from investigating the smell of gore.
The scream of a TIE in low orbit snapped his attention upwards. An Inquisitor Interceptor banked low as it circled the crash site beginning a landing pattern. Smiling through the tears at his family the man dropped the projector and clutched the burnt rag sobbing.
With a crunch, the starfighter landed stirring up dust and dead leaves. Moments later it's cockpit hissed disgorging a being wrapped in darkness. The man gazed levelly at the figure as it approached face obscured by a mask one of those fearsome if ridiculous copter sabres in hand.
The figure stopped three feet away gazing upon him. He met her gaze, tears on his face, as her distorted voice asked, "Where is the child?"
"Somewhere you'll never find her." He rasped the pain in his side throbbing like cold fire.
The Inquisitor raised a hand, "You know what I can do so spare us both the trouble."
The man cackled before spitting, "Last time you practically eviscerated my mind! I keep seeing her you know, her face ohh by the force..." His voice took on a maniacal tone as he rocked to and fro before his eyes sharpened and lanced through her, "You try those mind tricks again you may well leave us both quite mad! Besides I'll save you the trouble, she's dead."
"What?!" The female figure growled.
"Your parting volley did a real number on our vessel. We crashed and she was… dragged under into the flames. I- I tried to save her…" The man wept hand unclenching from the burnt garment.
Using the force the woman ripped the tattered cloth from his hand. Studying the Imperial sigil her shoulders shook before with a distorted scream she thrust out her hand sending the scrap of cloth into the wreckage. With a boom, the last of the fuels cell ignited causing the flames to burn anew.
"You couldn't protect her, Inquisitor. Just like you won't be able to protect him! You saw what I was willing to do for my daughter, what monster I became. Will you be any better?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For showing me what true will is," Her head tilted studying him, "With will even a weak pathetic traitorous scientist like you was capable of so much for that which he loved. It's an invaluable lesson."
The man coughed blood gleaming on his teeth, "Look where it got me, kid."
She nodded igniting her blade, "Indeed. The difference between us is I will NEVER fail."
"You say that.." He chuckled as he stared down the red blade unafraid. She was safe her perfect existence was assured. There were no regrets. He screamed wildly all the same as with a scream of her own she thrust the blade into his mouth.
The big Wookiee growled as the human girl pulled on his beard. The youngling had been fighting him for almost ten minutes as their speeder barge zoomed away sending up spray upon the river they followed. They were heading deeper into the woods away from any pursuers to his tribes' homeland.
With a feral snarl, the girl twisted in his arm and bit into his shoulder. With a roar the Wookiee let her go cursing in Shiriwook. Leaping to the barge the girl scrambled to the back evading the other hunters as she went. The big grey Wookiee warbled at them as pelted past in her wake.
He found her staring tears flowing back the way they'd come. Falling to her knees she gave a wail burying her head in her hands. The Wookiee gazed at her solemnly as she punched the ground. He reached out a hand to the crying girl before withdrawing as she stilled.
The girl rose face blank tears drying on her cheeks. Moving as if in a trance she grabbed shift she was wearing and pulled it off. The Wookiee was silent and still watching her carefully. In all his years of life, he'd seen few humans without their coverings. They always seemed reluctant to remove them.
Body pale in the moonlight the girl walked to the railing and held the bundle of cloth overhead. In her eyes, the Wookiee saw sadness loss and something more. With a growl, she tossed the clothes away into the river.
A change came over her face like the sun breaking in the morning. The tears were gone. Her blue eyes sparkled not with lifelessness but with curiosity. Her emotionless face broke into a smile as she turned eyes lighting up as if beholding the Wookiee for the first time.
With a giggle, she rushed over and hugged his kneeling form running her hands through his fur. The big Wookiee grunted and held her at arm's length studying her intently. There seemed no trace of anger or bitterness merely happiness.
His brow furrowed. He'd seen this in his comrades during the war. Clones would block out memories to function but he'd never seen something this fast or this complete…
"Hi, there!" The girl chirped, "You're fuzzy! What's your name?"
The big Wookiee made a decision then and there. He'd promised her father to protect her and that is what he would do… even it was from her past. Growling in Shiriwook he answered.
"I little one am Chieftain Garook," At her blank, if happy stare he chuckled tapping his chest as he repeated himself in broken basic, "Garook."
"Nice to meet ya Garook my names Kara!" The girl beamed as they travelled deeper into the forest.
"Welcome to the Nyydrial Clan, Kara." The big Wookiee rumbled flashing his white canines. The young girl merely returned the smile bouncing happily on the balls of her feet.
The Wookiee ship disappeared into the darkness of the trees moments before in the distance the light dot of a TIE Fighter rose above the tree level. The Inquisitor's starship hovered for a moment there before with a scream lost in the chatter of the mighty forest arched its way into the stars leaving Kashyyk's newest resident far behind…