Previously: Jaran returns to the enclave to a hero's welcome for the redemption of Juhani. Jaran and Bastila investigate the ruins, learning of the Builders and the existence of the Star Forge. The council decides that they must seek out the rest of the Star Maps to determine the location of the Star Forge. They meet with the rest of the Ebon Hawk's crew to discuss the upcoming mission.
Chapter 14 – Wookiee Trouble
A deep, dark forest path. Thick foliage, draped heavily over the landscape. Stillness. A complete absence of movement. Shadow. Little light penetrates through the undergrowth. Silence. Not even the sounds of the forest break the utter lack of sound.
Something begins to stir, a stranger in this shadowy landscape. Machinery. Incongruous in the undergrowth. Ancient and filthy from the passage of time and disuse. An inverted tripod; three arms separate and lower outward toward the floor. A small, black ball rises from the center and hovers in the air, beginning to spin, to emit an eerie glow.
Darkness.
Exhausted, Jaran staggered from the dorm on the Ebon Hawk to the fresher, scrubbing at his face while grumbling about Force induced visions and ancient artifacts. These visions and dreams were becoming more than a little annoying, and the fact that they confirmed the accuracy of their suppositions and their path did nothing to inspire Jaran to appreciate their appearance. He had always done fine without visions from the Force, and was certain he could manage without them in this instance as well.
Standing in the cleaning unit, Jaran bowed his head and leaned forward until he rested against the wall with a sigh, wishing that the Hawk had been equipped with a more soothing water fresher, regardless of the extravagance. Sonic freshers simply did not impart the feeling of cleanliness that water did. It was one of the primary drawbacks of most space travel, in his opinion.
Once he had cleaned and refreshed himself as much as possible, he strode down the passageway toward the cockpit, intent upon seeing how close they were to their destination. Given the dream he had just experienced, it was likely they were very close.
The sight of Bastila seated in the common room was not a surprise. Given that they had shared the dreams on Dantooine, it was not exactly a stretch to assume that the one he had just had the previous night was a shared vision as well.
Feeling a certain camaraderie with the young woman—Force dreams and bonds had a tendency to do that, he thought ruefully—he sank down onto one of the benches next to her, prompting her to raise an eyebrow at him. "Tough night?"
"You should know. I assume you saw the same thing I did."
Bastila's frown deepened. "I did, but the dream was very short, after all. Other than that, I actually slept quite well."
"Lucky you," Jaran groused. "The entire night was pretty much a bust for me."
Peering at him—somewhat suspiciously, Jaran thought—Bastila motioned for him to continue. Though he would have preferred to defer for now, Jaran shrugged his shoulders and responded, knowing she would drag it out of him regardless of his demurral.
"It was nothing in particular—at least not anything I can remember. I did have the dream, but I was restless the entire night. It was almost as though I had too many dreams which were demanding my attention; they all seemed to be trying to get out at once, if that makes any sense."
"Not exactly," Bastila said with a frown. "I don't know that I've ever had that experience, so I don't really have a frame of reference."
Jaran waved her off. He stood, went to the small galley, and poured himself a steaming cup of caf. "I'm not sure I'm explaining it right. It's probably nothing more than an overactive mind and some anxiety about the mission. I won't start worrying about it unless it continues."
Bastila appeared as though she wanted to dispute his unconcerned attitude, but she merely nodded after a moment's hesitation. They sat in companionable silence, Jaran sipping on his caf while Bastila nibbled on a ration bar. It was comfortable and familiar, though still somewhat new to Jaran, and not at all unpleasant to sit there in that manner with Bastila. When Bastila finally spoke again, she almost startled Jaran with her voice, relaxed as he had become.
"What were your impressions?"
Jaran sighed and once more massaged his temples. "It looked like the Star Map was somewhere in the middle of a forest."
"That's what I thought too."
"And if we're right," continued Jaran, "that means somewhere in the Shadowlands."
Bastila made no response—none was necessary. They both knew what that meant, and it certainly was not pleasant.
Kashyyyk was not a well-known planet, and there was much about it which was not understood. What was known was that it was home to the huge Wroshyr Trees—gigantic trees which grew several kilometers into the Kashyyyk sky—and that of Wookiees who made their homes high in their branches. It was a dangerous planet, inhospitable to the unwary, or those who took its dangers lightly.
Upon informing Zaalbar that their first destination would be his home planet, he had not been excited as Jaran had expected. Rather he seemed to greet the news with a certain measure of sad acceptance. Prompting him to talk about his past or the matter which seemed to concern him had done nothing—he remained as uncommunicative as he had ever been, and Jaran had not pressed.
Regardless of his refusal of talking about his past, Zaalbar had been very open in talking about Kashyyyk—a veritable wealth of information. The Wookiees were perhaps the best suited to discuss the nature of their planet, having evolved and lived there since time immemorial, but even they did not know all there was to know. Kashyyyk was an enigma, even considering the technology and tools which existed in the modern galaxy, which allowed greater insight into the past. It was, for one, devoid of most of the different types of terrain which existed on most active and hospitable planets. On Kashyyyk there existed two types of terrain—ocean, which covered the bulk of her surface, and the massive Wroshyr forests, though now that Jaran thought on it, he supposed that its poles were likely as cold and frozen as any other planet.
The forests were, in the words of Zaalbar, a layered deathtrap, and one into which most Wookiees did not descend. Normally, the Wookiees stuck to the topmost, or seventh, layer, which had its own dangers aplenty. It was considered a badge of honor and bravery to descend even down to the fourth layer, below which most Wookiees would not venture. There were, however, a few hardy souls who would descend all the way to the Shadowlands to prove their bravery and their skill. Whether it was bravery or foolhardiness could almost be measured directly by the result of such a journey—survival indicated bravery, while death indicated stupidity. The Shadowlands was truly an inhospitable place.
With respect to the Star Map in particular, it had been too much to hope that its location was easy to find, such as the archipelago where the Wroshyr trees grew to a much more modest four hundred meters, rather than the kilometers in height their deep forest cousins attained. And a construction such as the one on Dantooine similarly could not be built high in the branches of the great trees. No, it would almost certainly have to be located in the deep Shadowlands as the dream suggested, otherwise it would have been discovered, and knowledge of the Builders and their Infinite Empire, come to light long ago.
The one silver lining was that the Star Map was likely located fairly close to one of the few Wookiee settlements. If the Builders had used the Wookiees as slave labor to build this Star Map as they had done with the Selkath and other slave races on Dantooine—and Jaran had no reason to believe that they had strayed from their modus operandi—then it would make sense that it was built in a location which was close to their source of workers. At least Jaran hoped that was the case. Otherwise, they could spend years searching the Shadowlands for the mysterious Star Map and never come within a hundred kilometers of its location.
"Good morning," said a new voice, interrupting Jaran's reverie.
Jaran looked up and saw Juhani enter the room, and greeted her in a friendly yet reserved manner. The final surprise upon leaving Dantooine was the council's decision to grant permission for Juhani to come with them. Still just a Padawan—as Bastila and Jaran himself were—and fresh off her brush with the dark side, Jaran would have expected the council to keep her close to home so they could assist her in her recovery. That had not been the case however, and the council showed no overt concern in allowing her to go with them on what amounted to a dangerous mission.
Jaran was admittedly a newcomer to the Jedi order, but the whole situation felt suspicious. Indeed it was suspicious enough to rouse the concern of their local conspiracy theorist. Carth, upon being informed of Juhani's inclusion in the mission, had reacted with his usual distrustful glare and a rhetorical, "Three Padawans on a critical and dangerous mission. Don't they need to train you or something?"
The masters, however, had simply informed him that she would be travelling with them, insisting that she would be an asset to their mission. Master Vrook had even gone so far as to say that, "Perhaps her recent fall will be a reminder to you of the dangers of the dark side." Jaran did not think he needed any such reminder, but knowing he could not do anything about it, he had taken the option of saying nothing, beyond welcoming Juhani on board the Hawk.
And it was not as though he did not want her there or felt that she would not be an asset—nothing could be further from the truth. But there were warning bells going off in his head that something was happening here, and he had learned long ago to trust his instincts. He would keep a very close eye on things.
After few moments of conversation with the two female Jedi, Jaran excused himself to go to the cockpit to check on their progress.
As usual, Carth could be found sitting in the pilot's chair, and while the ship was still in hyperspace, he was busily checking over instruments and going over the ship's systems. Whether he merely appeared to be busy, or was trying to give himself some occupation so that he could avoid thinking about his discontent, Jaran was uncertain. At least he was making an effort.
Jaran greeted him and approached, which the Republic pilot returned with an even, if not friendly, manner.
"How close are we to Kashyyyk?"
"Less than three quarters of an hour," was the pilot's reply.
"Good. Before we land, let's take a sensor sweep of as much of the planet as we can. That may give us a lead as to where to find this Star Map."
Carth said nothing, merely nodding his head and returning to his previous activities.
Things with Carth had improved to a certain extent in the nearly two days they had been in hyperspace, though the pilot remained aloof from the rest of the group. To a certain extent, their meeting after departing Dantooine to explain what they were trying to accomplish had lessened the sting of being kept in the dark. They had not explained everything—and Jaran suspected that Carth knew they had not been fully upfront—simply telling the company that they were following a path Revan and Malak had taken, which they hoped would explain the secret of why Malak seemed to have such unlimited resources at his disposal. Carth was still slow to trust and Jaran still had no idea what had happened to make him behave in the manner he did, but the overt displays of mistrust were gone. Jaran expected that Carth would eventually confide in him as they became more comfortable. If he did not, then that was the pilot's business. As long as Carth contributed to the mission, it would not be an issue.
True to the pilot's statement, they were streaking down toward the planet's surface less than an hour later. They had lingered in the upper atmosphere for several moments conducting the sensor sweep, but the results were not promising. They had detected the main spaceport—if it could be called that—readily enough, along with a settlement of Wookiees nearby. Several other villages were also detected at greater distances from the spaceport. But though they were able to pick up several hints of technology in various locations, there was nothing to suggest that one of them would be the map they needed to find. It would likely end up becoming a tedious search. As for life forms, the planet was teeming with them, and knowing what little he did about the ecosystem, Jaran was not surprised.
After Carth set the ship down on a large platform nestled high in the trees, the company gathered in the ship's common area for a quick strategy session.
"All right now, everyone," Jaran began, "you all know what we are looking for."
A murmur of agreement ran through the group. "Very well, let's approach this logically. First, Zaalbar—I'd like you to check with the local Wookiees and find out if they know anything about ancient alien technological sites on the planet's surface."
Zaalbar nodded passively, and though Jaran could see he still had some of the melancholy he had carried since learning of their destination, nothing else appeared out of the ordinary. Jaran put the matter out of his mind.
"Mission, I assume you'd like to go with Zaalbar." It was not a question, and Mission readily agreed. "Juhani, you can go with them and help them stay out of trouble."
"Hey!" Mission protested, but the Juhani just nodded, while the Wookiee remained impassive.
"Carth, Canderous," Jaran continued, turning toward the soldiers, "I'd like you to check out the local spacers for any information they can give us."
"You really think space scum will be able to tell us anything?" Carth asked.
"In a word—no," Jaran responded. "But we can't afford to ignore the possibility. I don't know that there will be much in the way of cantinas on this planet, but they have to have somewhere for spacers to go while they are here, or they'll cause problems. Check them out for anything they know.
"Bastila and I will speak with the local Czerka authorities to see if they can tell us anything."
A series of beeps and whistles signaled T3's entrance to the conversation, but though Jaran knew the little droid wanted to be of use, the forests of Kashyyyk was not exactly suitable for a being who depended upon wheels to make its way about.
"Sorry, T3—Kashyyyk wasn't really designed with droids in mind, especially astromechs. I'm afraid you will have to wait here and guard the ship."
The little droid warbled mournfully before he turned and left the room, no doubt to begin locking down the ship.
Turning his attention back to the rest of the company, Jaran gave his final set of instructions. "Remember, everyone, if you get in trouble or lost, make sure you signal the rest of us. We will all meet back at the ship this evening to discuss what we've found. Now, let's go. And may the Force be with us all."
While the rest of the group trooped out of the ship, Jaran paused and performed a last minute check on his equipment and his lightsabers, making certain that everything was in place and easily accessible.
When he looked up, he saw Bastila regarding him with some amusement.
"What?" Jaran asked.
"You're a bit of a perfectionist, aren't you?" said Bastila.
Jaran shrugged. "I've always found it better to be prepared than to wish that I had prepared."
"Sage advice," Bastila murmured.
Grinning, Jaran ushered her from the ship. "Let's get on with this—it's not like we have all the time in the galaxy."
Up close, Kashyyyk was even more impressive than Jaran had always thought it would be. The trees which towered above them in all directions were not only massive, they were on a scale which was completely incomprehensible without actually seeing them. The platform on which the ship sat was anchored in between three of the trees, whose massive trunks all appeared to be larger around than the diameter of the ship. Off in the distance a walkway led away from the docking bay, branching off at intervals to other platforms, no doubt containing other ships, while several others ended at doors cut literally into the sides of the great trees, which were more than large enough to support large rooms in their interior.
Several beings walked along the paths and their composition appeared to be mixed—Rodians mixed with humans, Twi'leks, and a smattering of other aliens sprinkled in for good measure. It seemed like a fairly busy little operation, and if most of the humans were dressed in the gray uniforms of the Czerka Corporation, Jaran was willing to overlook his distaste for the corporation in favor of focusing on their mission.
A quick discussion with a nearby Rodian and Jaran had the directions to the local Czerka authority headquarters. Thanking the alien, Jaran and Bastila left the platform following the indicated walkway away from the ship.
"Have you ever dealt with Czerka?" Bastila asked.
"Unfortunately I have on occasion," Jaran responded. "You?"
"On one or two occasions when I was training with my master. I found them to be… distasteful."
"What you don't appreciate self-righteousness, a complete disregard for the rights of others, and their corporate culture of selling their own mothers to make a profit? Isn't that the very soul of big business?"
Chuckling, Bastila shook her head. "I'd really like to dispute your characterization, but I cannot. They are all that and more."
"Well, I'm sure some of them are decent people," deadpanned Jaran. "Though I'm sure that it's part of the job interview to make sure they take only the greediest and most immoral of the galaxy."
Bastila nodded in commiseration and fell silent. Czerka was all they had said and more, unfortunately, and Jaran did not feel like either of them had exaggerated much at all. His experiences with them had in general not been pleasant or productive, and he held a deep seated mistrust for the entire operation.
As a company they had a reputation for ruthlessness and dishonesty, doing anything, stepping over anyone in order to make a profit. And though it had not been proven, it was suspected that they dabbled in extremely unsavory practices, not limited to slavery and playing both sides of the current Republic/Sith conflict. Jaran was not looking forward to dealing with them in the slightest.
It took them only moments to find the offices they were searching for, as they were located only a short distance from the spaceport, nestled in between—and to a certain extent inside—two closely growing Wroshyr trees. It was clean and utilitarian, yet sparse and sterile, like the company it represented. Czerka workers were heavily in evidence here, going about their business, running the company's office on this out of the way corner of the galaxy.
And, in a corner of the room lying under a forcefield, lay a Wookiee, seemingly tranquilized as it was not moving. Immediately Jaran's hackles rose at the sight, and he glared toward the Wookiee, considering his options—he could not in good conscience allow this to continue.
Stopping in surprise at the hand on his arm, Jaran peered at Bastila, noting the expression of alarm and concern she directed at him. She pulled him back out of the office and leaned close to him, speaking urgently.
"Jaran, now is not the time for your righteous fury. We have a mission to complete, and though we consider the practice repugnant and morally barbaric, now is not the time for us to exercise that distaste—we can't exactly fight every Czerka employee on the planet."
Letting out a large sigh, Jaran focused his gaze on his companion. "I know, Bastila, but it's still difficult to turn a blind eye."
"Jaran," she said affectionately, "that's one of the things I appreciate the most about you—your sense of what is right and your indignation over the injustices of the galaxy are truly noble. But you don't even know that Wookiee is a slave. For all you know he could be a dangerous criminal that they have apprehended."
"You really believe that?" Jaran demanded incredulously.
"No," Bastila admitted. "But we can't discount the possibility. Either way, our mission is larger than one captive Wookiee, whatever the reason for his incarceration."
"I know," Jaran said after a moment. "But there may be some way we can make a difference, and I will not pass it up if it presents itself."
"I would not expect you to. It is part of who you are."
Jaran smiled warmly at his companion and without another word, they re-entered the office. The denizens of the place regarded them both with some suspicion, given Jaran's glare of a moment ago, but Jaran and Bastila ignored them. A quick question and they found the Czerka representative in charge of Kashyyyk, an Ithorian who stood at the back in front of a desk covered with datapads and important looking documents.
At their approach, the alien turned to them. "Welcome to Edean," it intoned in its own language.
"Edean?" Jaran asked. "I had understood that the planet's name was Kashyyyk."
"Czerka named the planet G5-623 when it was initially discovered. A subsequent poll and corporate ballot of the investors was held and the name Edean was designated. Any other names have little meaning, as Czerka now owns controlling interest here."
"And what is the nature of Czerka's business here?" Jaran challenged.
A soft noise at his side alerted him to Bastila's concern, but though Jaran knew of the importance of keeping Czerka away from their mission, he was not about to completely let go of this.
The alien appeared to take no notice of Jaran's slight note of belligerence. "Wroshyr wood is useful for building many items, and of course there are some who collect tach glands for the making of Tarisian Ale. In fact, with the destruction of Taris, I understand the value of tach glands has risen dramatically. Among other things, the denizens themselves provide… unique opportunities for business."
Reading between the lines, Jaran felt that the Ithorian's words were an admission of Czerka's involvement in the slave trade, but keeping his ire in check, Jaran kept his mind on the task at hand.
"Tell me about it," Jaran responded, drawing on the Force to compel him to answer.
The alien's mind was not equipped to defend against Jaran's abilities and he immediately began to speak. "The local Wookiee population is… harvested—very delicately, of course—and Wookiee thralls provided to other outposts, and whomever wishes to purchase one. That is the true source of Edean's value."
"And the Wookiees tolerate you doing this?"
"They allow the Czerka Corporation."
"Why?"
The alien glanced furtively about the room, and noting that no one else was close enough to overhear them, he stepped forward and continued in a lower tone. "Because we provide arms in exchange for a steady supply of healthy Wookiees. The local leader has been very accommodating."
"Would that not erode the base of his followers?"
"That is not my concern. We provide him weapons, he provides us access to some of his underlings, and I suspect, the ones he provides are ones who would most likely challenge his position. As you can see, it benefits us both."
"Does this Wookiee have a name?"
"Chuundar is his name. Of course, I do not deal with him directly."
"Of course," Jaran murmured, controlling his temper with an iron will.
The slave trade was never pleasant, and hearing a being discuss it and the betrayal of a leader who was sworn to protect his people was sickening. If there was any opportunity, Jaran would see this practice ended and the Czerka presence on the planet eradicated. Now, however, was the time to change to other topics.
"How much has Czerka explored the planet?"
"Only as much as it was necessary to discern the best way to make a profit from our presence. The topmost level is, of course, familiar. The lower levels, unfortunately, are much more dangerous for our employees. We do have some patrols which descend down as far as the Shadowlands. Tachs, especially, can be harvested only from the forest floor. Beyond that, we confine our activities to those locations which allow us to maximize our business effort here."
"Can you tell us anything else?" Bastila pressed.
The alien seemed to think about it for a moment before responding. "That is all that Czerka is truly concerned about. The planet shows a distinct lack of civilization except for the locals, if you can call what they have civilization. There have been times when we have actually detected anomalous readings from the planet's surface, but our patrols have not found anything to explain them, when they return at all."
Exchanging a glance with Bastila, Jaran pressed a little further. "That may be exactly what we are looking for. My companion and I are interested in various archeological sites which can be found on planets around the galaxy, and we recently discovered something on another planet which led us to believe that a similar site exists on Kashyyyk. Has Czerka explored the Shadowlands enough to have come across archeological relics of any type?"
The Ithorian regarded them for several moments in silence before speaking. "Your dress and weapons mark you as Jedi. Why would the Jedi be interested in archeology?"
Prevaricating, Jaran responded, "The Jedi order has an interest in many things. Knowledge of the past helps us understand how we have all evolved, and can help us to avoid repeating the mistakes of other, older, civilizations."
"The Jedi Order's business is not something we normally explain to others," Bastila spoke up. "This particular endeavor is a joint effort between the order and the Republic, and we would appreciate any assistance you could impart."
"Should you not be out fighting the Sith?" the Ithorian asked bluntly.
"Perhaps this is part of that effort," Jaran responded.
"Perhaps," the alien responded in the equivalent of a verbal shrug. "It matters not, as Czerka officially does not support either of the warring factions. Beyond that, I must tell you that I cannot help you any further. As I have previously stated, our exploration of the surface is minimal at best. Czerka has not come across any archeological sites of any kind on the surface of Edean. I apologize that I could not be more help."
"Is there any way to get down to the surface?"
The Ithorian stopped and thought for a moment before responding. "Though I do not have much traffic with the elements of the company that visit the surface, I understand that the Wookiees operate a lift somewhere in the vicinity of the nearby village. I suggest you ask them."
"My thanks," Jaran responded, before leading Bastila out of the offices.
"Perhaps we should take Zaalbar with us?" Bastila asked as they departed.
"It would seem to make sense," replied Jaran. "He'll know where the village is and the best way to approach the Wookiees."
They were just about to head back toward the ship when Jaran heard his name called.
"Jaran!" a voice called, and the two Jedi turned to see Juhani and Mission approaching them at a dead run.
"Jaran, Zaalbar has been kidnapped!"
In exasperation, Jaran turned his full attention to the young Twi'lek. "Mission, this is becoming a bit of a habit, don't you think?"
Blushing slightly, Mission nevertheless returned Jaran's stare defiantly. It fell to Juhani to explain what had happened.
"We ran into some Wookiees soon after we left the ship. They seemed to recognize Zaalbar, and they demanded he go with them to their village."
"We would have fought for him, but Zaalbar told us not to," Mission chimed in. "He told us that he had something to do at their village, and that we should go and find you."
The Wookiee, it appeared, had a talent for running afoul of those who had a score to settle with him.
"They went to the village?" Jaran queried.
"Yeah. We can't leave him, Jaran. Big Z's my friend."
"Mission, I have no intention of leaving him," Jaran responded kindly. "Even if I didn't understand my obligations toward Zaalbar due to his swearing of a lifedebt, I would never leave a companion behind. We were heading toward the village anyway."
"Then let's get going, already!"
"Hold on a second, Mission," replied Jaran with a laugh. He turned towards Bastila. "I think our best opportunity to find the Star Map with a minimum of fuss is through the Wookiees."
"It would seem to be so. But I think there are other things going on here which require our attention as Jedi."
Jaran nodded, turning to Juhani, who was listening closely to what was happening. "Juhani, we'll head out to the Wookiee village for Zaalbar, and try to find something about the Star Map from them. In the meantime, I'd like you to head back to the platform and try to find Carth and Canderous. Czerka is trafficking in Wookiee slaves, and we are going to need to do something about it before we leave."
Juhani's nostrils flared in response—Cathar were more than familiar with the slave trade practice, having been subjected to it themselves at times in their history. Jaran knew that Juhani would look upon the practice as a personal affront. Together with Carth and Canderous, they should be able to find out something about what was happening on the planet, including weaknesses to exploit in the Czerka operation here.
"See what you can find out about their operation, how they get them off planet, who buys them—anything we can use at all. We think the Wookiees are most likely to have information about the Star Map; we will ask them while we go and rescue Zaalbar."
Nodding, the Cathar turned and left to go back toward the spaceport, leaving the two Jedi with the blue-skinned Twi'lek who was looking at them with some suspicion.
"You're not thinking of leaving me behind, are you? Because if you are, you've got another think coming, buster."
Chuckling, Jaran motioned for his companions to precede him. "Believe me, Mission; knowing your protective instinct toward Zaalbar, I'd never even consider it."
"Good."
It was the work of a few moments to determine the direction in which the village was located. The upper levels of Kashyyyk were connected by a network of platforms built into the sides of the trees, and though the platforms were extensive, they were relatively simple to navigate. The Czerka operation had taken over one section of the walkway and converted it into a spaceport and headquarters for their operations there. While the upper most regions of the forest were not considered to be excessively dangerous—at least in comparison with the lower levels—still, Czerka had built strong gates, shutting themselves off from the rest of the network. It was to the nearby gate that they were directed and told that the Wookiee village could be found some thirty minutes walk down the pathway.
The guard captain at the gate had some choice words to say to them as they exited the Czerka compound, the chief among them seeming to be that the company would not waste any resources coming to rescue them if they got into any trouble. Jaran barely spared the officious man a glance before directing them to open the gate, a service they provided, though not without a certain amount of grumbling. Truly it seemed as though every minor official of every government or company thought higher of themselves than they warranted, a situation Jaran felt was largely due to the phenomenon of small, unimportant people being given visible, yet unimportant positions. It seemed to bring out the worst hubris in all beings.
The Great Walkway on Kashyyyk was long and twisting, winding its way around the gargantuan trees, sometimes the distance around a tree trunk taking them several minutes to transverse before they would exit around the other side. It was constructed of the wood of the Wroshyr trees, and was a strange mixture of wide thoroughfares—sometimes widening into great wide open platforms—while in other places narrowing to passes which were barely wider than Jaran's two lightsabers spread out at arm's length on either side. Clearly it was meant as a way for the local denizens to traverse the distances in comfort, and not to transport large shipments of goods. There were no speeders or any other methods of transportation—the only others they saw along the pathways were afoot, and though there were a few Wookiees here and there, they mostly met other Czerka workers, most of whom ignored them, or at most, greeted them with a nod before quickly going about their business.
About halfway into their journey to the village, they came across a troop of four Czerka workers all standing over the body of a Wookiee—a body which bore fresh blaster wounds. They had narrowly missed saving a Wookiee from slavery and death.
As they strode up, the captain turned and regarded them, half suspicious and half fearful. "Move along, move along!" he commanded imperiously. "This is Czerka business."
"What's going on here?" Jaran demanded.
"Nothing," the captain blustered. "This captive became rebellious and had to be put down. We can always get another one, so nothing lost."
Incensed by the casual manner in which this captain treated the loss of a life, Jaran glared at him imperiously. "Perhaps you and your crew had best go off planet and find something else to do," Jaran told him, infusing his voice with a compulsion to obey. "There is nothing but trouble here. Get out while you can."
The captain's eyes glazed slightly, and he nodded his head vigorously. "We should go off planet and find something else to do."
His subordinates were watching him with some worry and Jaran with some awe. "We'll take him and go," one of them promised fervently.
Jaran nodded impatiently to the man, watching impassively as they gathered their things and set off down the path. He sighed and glanced down at the dead Wookiee, wishing that they had been just a few minutes earlier, knowing that they could have saved him with little difficulty.
"That was… that was pretty impressive, Jaran," stuttered a wide-eyed Mission.
"I've learned a thing or two since Taris," Jaran quipped in response, prompting a jerky nod from the Twi'lek. "Come on, Mission, I'm still the same Jaran—I just have a few more skills than I did before."
Bastila was following the conversation and broke in at that point. "Why did you send them off the planet?"
"Because I knew that you wouldn't let me do what I really wanted to do to them," Jaran quipped, earning a roll of the eyes from Bastila. "It seemed like the best choice," he continued. "I get them off the planet where they can't kidnap any other Wookiees, and they survive my wrath."
Jaran was only half joking, a situation which Bastila appeared to understand. She said nothing in response to his words—instead she nodded and raised another question. "Well, what do we do with the body?"
"Nothing," said Jaran shortly. "I have no idea at all regarding Wookiee burial customs. We'll tell the Wookiees in the village and let them handle it. For now, let's just move him out of the middle of the path."
Using the Force, Jaran levitated the body to the side of the pathway, arranging the limbs in what he hoped was a natural position. The three companions moved away from the body, now travelling in complete silence. Another fifteen minutes walking and a few forks in the pathway brought them to another large gate set in the path, guarded by a large brown Wookiee—large even by Wookiee standards.
Growling, the Wookiee confronted them, demanding to know what they wanted.
"We understand that a friend of ours, Zaalbar, was brought here a short time ago. We would like to see him."
The Wookiee regarded them suspiciously before answering. "So you are the one who soiled our world by bringing the mad-claw here on your ship. He is here—he was brought to the village a few minutes ago by the order of Chuundar. You are fortunate that Chuundar has allowed you access to our village, otherwise you would never be allowed to enter."
The Wookiee turned from them and opened the gate, motioning to a Wookiee inside and speaking to him in a low tone of voice. "Chordaar will guide you to mighty Chuundar's presence. Follow him closely and do not stray."
Jaran nodded in agreement, but before they left he motioned to the Wookiee and in a low tone, explained the scene they had come across on the walkway. The Wookiee growled dangerously in reply and in short, clipped tones gave Jaran to understand that the matter would be taken care of. Jaran wisely left it alone at that point.
At first glance the village appeared to be nothing more than an extension of the Great Walkway. However, moments after they entered, the pathway sloped down and to the right, before leveling off and opening up into a large square, which appeared to function as a village gathering area, and a place for the inhabitants to gather and socialize at other times. Branching off from this main square at various intervals, Jaran could see several other walkways, some of which continued for a ways before branching off themselves, moving up and down, meandering around trees and, from what Jaran could tell, many ending at a door set into the massive trunk of one of the trees. It was evident that the Wookiees, for the most part, carved their homes in the trees, rather than construct them and set them in the branches. There were certainly advantages to that policy, though Jaran could think of several disadvantages as well.
The Wookiee population was, as was to be expected, quite in evidence in this corner of the forest. There were many of the large aliens moving about in their daily tasks, or talking softly in small groups here and there. The passage of Jaran and his companions did cause a bit of a stir, though for the most part, the Wookiees did nothing more than regard them as they passed, equal parts suspicion and curiosity, if Jaran were to judge.
They were taken to a tree on the far side of the square which appeared to be even more massive than its fellows. Into the side of the tree was carved a large and ornate door. The Wookiee spoke briefly with another who stood guard, and then the door was immediately opened and the companions ushered inside.
As Jaran had expected, the inside of the tree turned out to be the chieftain's hall, though it was perhaps a little more understated than other such domains Jaran had seen. Unlike Davik's ostentatious throne on a lifted dais, there was no such ornament in the Wookiee hall, and there were only a scattering of chairs sitting in various corners of the massive room. Wookiees, Jaran noted, were not big on creature comforts, tending more towards the utilitarian, not to mention displays which emphasized their great size and strength. A chair—even what other species would consider a throne, or a symbol of a leader's authority—would likely be considered to be a needless comfort which would denote softness. Jaran could not imagine a Wookiee would wish to portray such an image.
Immediately upon entering the room, Jaran's eyes found the form of his Wookiee friend. He was standing on the far side of the room confronting another Wookiee, who stood where the throne would have stood, had it been present. They approached and sized this other alien up, noting the darker, almost black, fur, and the fact that though most of the Wookiees towered over Jaran, this one only topped his height by a few centimeters at best. He regarded them, however, with all the air of arrogance and disdain one would expect from a ruler—no doubt this was Chuundar. What he wanted with them—and more specifically with Zaalbar—was much more difficult to divine.
"I see your… friends are here," the Wookiee roared in what Jaran considered to be as close to a sneer as he had ever heard from one of the great aliens. Understanding Shyriiwook was one thing, but it was almost impossible to completely understand their inflections and tones if one was not a Wookiee himself. The disdain in Chuundar's voice at that statement, though, was unmistakable. At Chuundar's motion, the various Wookiee guards withdrew a distance away; close enough to assist at a moment's notice, but far enough away that they would not be overheard.
"Well then, don't skulk," he continued, peering at Jaran intently. "Come closer. You have been given leave to supplicate yourself before the mighty and wise Chuundar. Your kind is not often allowed in these hallowed grounds."
He may be a chieftain, but he was also a braggart, far too impressed with himself and his own power. In the grand cosmic scheme of things, this Wookiee chieftain was a mere speck on the fabric of the galaxy, and Jaran longed to tell him. Pulling down pompous blowhards was becoming somewhat of a hobby, it seemed.
"I am honored to be admitted to your presence," Jaran responded, diametrically opposite to his thoughts of the moment.
"I am sure you are," wuffed the Wookiee. "I understand I have you to thank for bringing my wayward brother back to my side."
That piece of information nearly caused Jaran to do a double take. Zaalbar was brother to a chieftain? If so, why had he left Kashyyyk at all? And why had he not told them?
"Ah, I see you are surprised," Chuundar continued. "Zaalbar has not told you much of his home or his past and his people. At least in that, he has kept to Wookiee ways."
Zaalbar's growl was menacing. "I have kept to the traditions of my people. Perhaps it is not I who should have reason to be ashamed."
"I have done nothing more than to protect my people when you and my father would not."
"You work with the slavers, betraying our people, our very way of life to them. You are no better than they are."
The Wookiee shook his head. "I had hoped that you could be brought to reason, Zaalbar, but my faith in such a happy outcome is waning quickly."
"What outcome is there, other than to see you removed from your position and reviled as a traitor?"
A barking laugh issued from Chuundar's mouth. "You don't really think that anyone will believe you or follow you, do you? You've been gone for a long time, Zaalbar, and things are different now. When you left you were exiled as a mad-claw without honor. You have no voice here, while I am the Chieftain of our people.
"You are nothing more than a runt!"
Chuundar bared his teeth, his fury visible for even non-Wookiees to see clearly. "I'll thank you not to address me in such a tone, Zaalbar," Chuundar snarled. "I am in charge here!"
The sounds of several other roars from the nearby guards punctuated Chuundar's threat. It seemed as though calling a Wookiee a runt was a heavy insult. And while Zaalbar was not intimidated in the slightest, Jaran felt it prudent to defuse the situation and seek an amicable solution to the standoff.
"Why have you brought us here?" Jaran asked, focusing the Wookiee chieftain's attention back on him.
"You should listen to the human, Zaalbar," Chuundar said. "He seems to have more common sense than you ever had."
He then turned his attention to Jaran. "So, Jaran Kalind, you have come before me, seeking my brother, and now I must deal with you."
"You have informants among the Czerka, I see," said Jaran, not the least bit surprised that this Wookiee owned some information about them.
"It is merely good business," Chuundar declared. "But you did not truly think that you could walk the pathways of Kashyyyk and not be observed? I have had climbers watching you and your ship almost since you landed."
"Now that we've covered the fact that you know of us, can we get down to business? What is it that you want with us?"
"I did not bring you here," Chuundar responded. "You came to me on your own. I merely have something I wish to… discuss with Zaalbar. You are irrelevant."
"You must know that I will not leave without Zaalbar."
"You have no say here—I am in charge!" Chuundar retorted, his voice dripping with menace. "I suggest you do not make demands. It just so happens that I have a small matter I would have you attend to while I deal with my wayward brother."
Out of the corner of his eye Jaran surveyed the room, considering the odds arrayed against them. Chuundar was a smaller sized Wookiee to be certain, but Jaran could not imagine he did not possess the prodigious strength of his species, and there were another four Wookiees in easy calling distance. Between he and Bastila—along with judicious use of the Force—Jaran felt they could take down five Wookiees. However, Zaalbar appeared to have been relieved of his weapons, and they had Mission to consider as well. And this did not even take into account that they would almost certainly have to fight their way from the village should they take this course of action.
It was most certainly not prudent to turn the local population of the planet against them before they had even begun their search for the Star Map. It seemed that the only option available was to play along with Chuundar's game for the time being.
A quick glance at Bastila confirmed that she had come to the same determination.
It was Bastila who answered. "It appears that we have little choice in the matter. What would you have us do?"
"A very simple matter, actually," replied Chuundar with the Wookiee equivalent of a smirk. "Another Wookiee has suffered Zaalbar's fate and been exiled as a mad-claw. He fled and now skulks about in the Shadowlands."
"This cannot be all," Jaran protested. "Surely there are other exiled Wookiees in the Shadowlands."
"You are correct. But this Wookiee persists in attacking our Czerka allies during their expeditions to the Shadowlands, which I cannot allow."
"Why do you not send some of your warriors to deal with him then?" Bastila asked.
"It is a… delicate matter, and I cannot trust my people to deal with it properly. Jedi, on the other hand, have a reputation for being very handy with those light swords you carry. You could deal with him swiftly and quietly, and with a minimum of fuss, which is exactly what I am looking for.
"When you find him, you had best deal with him quickly. He has been down in the Shadowlands for a long time, and has become quite feral—there is no reasoning with him."
There was something more going on here, but Jaran could not see the Wookiee's game for the life of him. Whatever this exile was, it was obvious that Chuundar did not wish for his people to know anything of him, and there were only a few reasons why he would feel this way. The most likely reason was that the Wookiee was some kind of threat to Chuundar's continued rule, real or imagined. They would need to traverse carefully, as it was obvious that Chuundar's word could not be trusted merely on his word alone.
"And why would I do your dirty work for you?" Jaran asked, hoping to coax a little more information from Chuundar.
Unfortunately, the Wookiee was not in a giving mood. "Because I hold all the cards," he responded with a toothy grin. "You may leave if you want—I cannot stop you, and Czerka would almost certainly be unhappy if I tried. But Wookiees are my responsibility, and they would not care what I do with my one of own people."
Jaran again shared a glance with Bastila, but Zaalbar was not yet willing to be silent.
"Chuundar, where is my father?"
Chuundar bared his teeth. "Why do you care? He was the one who exiled you."
"He's my father, Chuundar. He's our father! You will tell me where he is!"
"I haven't seen Freyyr in many years," Chuundar said contemptuously. "He went mad and attacked me when he discovered the slavers. Then he went and challenged the slavers alone. He has not been seen by any of my people since. You would do well to forget him.
"I am the power here now!" Chuundar roared with an almost feral fervor. "The people follow me! I will continue to lead our people, but there are prices to pay."
The hint of insanity was there in Chuundar's eyes and Jaran felt it was best not to contradict him. They would go down to the Shadowlands and they would find this exile, and they would see why Chuundar wanted him dead so badly. Perhaps then they would unravel the mystery then.
"Very well, then," said Jaran. "We will seek out this exile for you. If we do so, you will release Zaalbar to accompany us when we leave?"
The Chieftain glanced between them, and nodded. "I will, assuming I have not been able to convince him of the wisdom of my course. You never know—he may actually decide to stay with us."
Jaran nodded before moving to the reason for their presence on Kashyyyk. "I am hoping that you can also help us with another matter."
"Yes, I have heard of your quest to find this alien technology," Chuundar growled in response. "I know of no such location on the surface, though that really does not mean anything. The undergrowth is so dense in places that you could be within only a few meters and never know it was there. You will have to find this device on your own."
Disappointed, Jaran nevertheless thanked the Wookiee for his assistance.
"You may stay the night in Rwookrrorro," Chuundar continued in what he must have thought was a very magnanimous gesture. "The day is getting late, and it would not do to enter the Shadowlands at night."
Chuundar then motioned to one of the Wookiees stationed nearby and commanded they be led to an empty hut. They were not able to leave before Mission, though clearly nervous with what had happened to that point, spoke up hesitantly.
"Umm… Mr. Chieftain, Sir, I was wondering… I think I'd rather stay with Zaalbar if that's all right. He's my friend, and I would be in my friends' way in the Shadowlands."
Chuckling with some amusement, Chuundar nodded his head. "It is well that my brother has such a devoted friend. Of course you may stay in the village with Zaalbar, young Twi'lek. Perhaps you can aid me in talking some sense into my brother."
Mission bowed her head, and thanked him gratefully. The visitors were then shown to a nearby dwelling where they would spend the night. They quickly contacted their companions back at the ship, telling them what had happened, promising to contact them again if they learned anything. Carth and Canderous had not been able to find any mention of what they were looking for—unfortunate, yet not unexpected. Jaran closed their communication by agreeing to contact them if anything came up. They then settled in for the night.
The next day, they were brought again before Chuundar, who gave them instructions on how to find the platform which would take them to the surface, and sent on their way. After bidding farewell to Zaalbar and Mission, the two Jedi left the village and immediately made their way to the location specified by the Wookiee chieftain.
Though he was loathe to leave a companion behind, even in a village surrounded by his own people, Jaran had simply been unable to think of any way in which they could affect his release without bringing the wrath of the local population down on them. Until they were able to discover the secret of this exile, they were bound to continue this path which had been chosen for them. Whether it would lead them to the Star Map in the bargain was uncertain, but it would undoubtedly be a long search if it did not. Jaran was not looking forward to that in the slightest.
"Jaran?"
Turning, Jaran smiled at the young woman at his side. Bastila had been silent all morning, and more especially since their arrival at the village the previous day. The atmosphere at the village, the feeling of being observed, had not exactly been conducive to casual conversation or planning. Jaran, Mission and Zaalbar had largely been quiet as well.
"What do you think is his game?"
"Chuundar?"
At Bastila's nod he shrugged. "Obviously he considers this Wookiee in the Shadowlands to be a threat to his power, and not just some 'nuisance' like he said. Beyond that? It's difficult to tell."
Bastila regarded him closely. "I assume you have already considered the possibility that he won't let Zaalbar go at all."
"I have," Jaran confirmed. It was not difficult to come to such a conclusion. Chuundar had sent them on a quest to the most dangerous part of the planet to do away with a 'nuisance' who they suspected could be a threat to his rule. If some nameless Wookiee in the Shadowlands was a threat, how much more of a threat would his own brother be?
"The only choice we appear to have is to play his little game. He doesn't know us very well if he expects us to just kill this Wookiee without a second thought, though."
"But what if this Wookiee has gone feral like he said?"
"We'll deal with it when the time comes," said Jaran.
They walked in silence for several moments, Jaran surreptitiously studying his companion. Bastila was given off a faint sense of unease, as though something was bothering her. Reviewing his actions since they had arrived on Kashyyyk, Jaran could not think of anything he had done which would affect her or concern her about the state of his adherence to the light, but with her, anything could be possible. She was still uptight and focused on the quest and her Jedi ideals.
"Jaran?"
Startled, Jaran glanced over at Bastila to see her regarding him intently.
"I sensed you were thinking of something deep," Jaran responded with a chuckle.
Ruefully, Bastila shook her head at his weak attempt at a joke. "I did want to mention this afternoon in the Czerka office."
If anything would have gotten her back up, the incident with the Wookiee in the Czerka office would have been it. Knowing it was better for her to just have her say, Jaran motioned her to continue.
"I just wanted to remind you," she said with some hesitance, "that we need to be focused on our mission. Your desire to help those in unfortunate circumstances is commendable, but we have more important matters to consider."
"I hope you are not suggesting that we turn a blind eye to the needy."
Jaran's statement, while pointed, was not accusatory, and Bastila did not appear to take it as such. It was part of the Jedi ideals, after all, to fight for the rights of those who could not fight for themselves, and Bastila would never renounce such a basic tenet.
"Of course not," she said. "But we need to pick our fights and do our best to remain inconspicuous. Our mission is of paramount importance, after all. We simply do not have the capability to right all wrongs we come across, not matter how much we would like to become involved."
"Agreed. And I'd like you to know that I was not at the point of losing control yesterday."
"I know," was Bastila's reply. She said nothing further, turning her attention instead to the path in front of them. Jaran could not help but grin at her when she was not looking—it was a reversal of roles to be certain, and one he thought was highly ironic. But it would not do to have her discover the direction of his thoughts—she would not be impressed in the slightest.
The lift to the forest floor was only minutes away from the Wookiee village, though why it was not located in the village itself Jaran could not tell. It would seem to be much more convenient if it were. Perhaps, though, it was not there as it was too visible a reminder of the dangers of the planet, which only the bravest and fittest challenged.
The Wookiee at the lift said little to them. He merely motioned to a platform which was moored to the side of the walkway, secured by a series of cables all attached to a large one from which the platform hung. This cable wound around a winch which was so massive that it was almost thicker than Jaran was tall, coiled about the winch for kilometers, unless Jaran missed his guess. It was truly a long way down to the forest floor.
"Keep toward the center of the platform and be still while I am lowering you," the Wookiee growled at them as they entered the platform. "There are creatures whose attention you do not wish to attract."
With that ominous warning, the Wookiee started up the winch and the platform slipped from the walkway, beginning its descent into the depths.
It was truly a long way down to the forest floor. The descent appeared to be interminable, though their Wookiee guide was efficient and lowered them steadily and swiftly. However, it took above an hour for them to descend the entire distance and as they continued down, the air became closer and the light dimmer as the amount of foliage above them increased.
When they finally reached the bottom, they embarked into a dim world of shadows and darkness, not unlike the Undercity of Taris. The air was stuffy and close, and there was not a breeze to lessen the oppressive feeling of weight of the branches above them. The floor of the forest was littered with swampy puddles and clingy muck which oozed and stuck to their boots, making walking difficult and tedious. And other than the trees which towered above them, there was not much foliage to be had, other than a few straggling bushes, and a few strands of hardy weeds drooping limply in the gloom. It appeared that they had arrived in the Shadowlands.