Chapter 44

Homecoming

"The Star Forge," said the apprentice as the four solid arms of the Star Map groaned and protracted, giving way to the central sphere which burned in a blaze of light before splitting apart to form the innumerable planets of the galaxy. "We are drawing closer to it – I feel it in my bones."

"You sound…different, Malak. What changed?" Revan's eyes glanced sideways behind his mask as he continued to look forward at the map, unshaken by the bone-chilling cold of the almost pitch-dark forest around them.

"What do you mean by that, Revan?" Malak asked, stepping forth and standing beside him. "Do I not speak the truth?"

"Yes, Malak, you do. But you spoke with tact – too much tact for yourself, given your actions on Tatooine." He turned to face his apprentice with an inquisitive stare, having picked up on Malak's change in behavior. "And moreover, you're growing ever keener on finding the Star Forge. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Why shouldn't I? How much more of this worthless charade must we endure? Our men are waiting for us, Revan. Waiting to finally show their faces to the Republic which has forsaken them and stands ready to reward them only with a court-martial. Once we have found the Star Forge, we'll finally be able to remake this galaxy as we see fit. Right all wrongs. Make things the way they should be."

Disturbed by his apprentice's motivation, Revan stepped towards him. "At what cost? To make the Republic into something we don't even recognize? To turn it into the very thing we were fighting to prevent?"

"There is nothing that the Republic can offer me, Revan," Malak glared. "And yet…there is everything to take. You must realize this by now. Surely after the hell we endured on Dxun, you knew deep down in your heart that the Republic abandoned us to die? What did you expect would happen? That after you've opened declared yourself to the galaxy once more, that they'll welcome your rule and direction with open arms? And what of the ones we loved? After all my efforts to protect her, Jarael in the end showed her true colors. And once you re-emerge as the Dark Lord of the Sith…so will she."

"Elena…," he murmured the name of his beloved, turning his head to stare at the co-ordinates of her homeworld of Naboo.

"She will never take you back, Revan. None of us who followed you to the depths will be accepted back. There is only one way forward for us, and you know it."

Revan peered down at the ground, reflecting on all that he had lost by embarking on his crusade against the Mandalorians so long ago. It felt like yesterday that he proposed to Elena, his thoughts that evening fixed on the bright future they would share together even as he was preparing to embark on what would turn out to be a long and gruesome conflict. The picture of a quiet, peaceful life with children of their own now felt like nothing but a naïve fool's dream.

Above all, he felt torn apart as he realized that Malak spoke the truth: he had betrayed the promise he made to Elena, her words echoing in his ears.

"Promise me that you'll return to me one day, just the way you are now… Promise me that the Revan who returns from that war will be the same man who has proposed to me today."

'I'm sorry, my love,' he thought inwardly. 'I've changed. Irrevocably.'

"You're right. There is only one way forward," he sighed and brought his head back up to look at what remained of the man who was once called Alek. "And that way has not changed: my original plan will proceed."

Exasperated by his Master's stubbornness, Malak could only bare his teeth and shout. "Why, Revan? Why do you insist on this path that will earn you nothing? Why?!"

Revan merely turned and proceeded to walk away as the Star Map sealed behind him. "You wouldn't understand."

'I couldn't keep my promise…but I'll never stop fighting to keep you safe.'

-o-

With the deathly cold suddenly making way for warmth, Revan opened his eyes in his bed in the starboard dorm. The sound of Elena's soft breathing could be heard past the headboard which separated their beds, causing him to rise. Walking over to her side, he saw that her bedsheet had drooped down the side of the bed, leaving the right half of her body exposed. He lifted the sheet and properly covered her once again, a smile slowly etching across his face as he did so.

Stirred by his movements, Elena's eyes drearily blinked open. "Darling?"

"Sorry for waking you," he smiled, kneeling by her bedside as she sat up to speak to him. "It seems like you kicked your bedsheet off of you while you were asleep."

"Wouldn't be the first time," she grinned. "I still remember the night I caught a cold on Coruscant a few years back, after the same thing happened. Gave it to you, too, by the time the next morning came about."

Revan couldn't help but laugh softly at the thought, though he yearned to properly remember those happy times. His smile soon died down, however, as his focus reverted to his latest vision.

"You saw it too, I'm sure," she remarked, her expression growing neutral once she recalled those last few words which echoed in Revan's mind on Kashyyyk.

"I did, yeah," he nodded. "It looks like we'll have to descend to the depths of the woods. It was so dark that I couldn't make out my surroundings. With luck, Zaalbar might be able to give us pointers. He can lead the way down, then afterwards we'll need HK-47, T3 and Canderous to—" He was cut off by two gentle fingers which lay softly against his lips.

"Darling, remember what I told you," she said, then slid her fingers across to caress the side of his face.

"One thing at a time," he repeated the words she spoke to him a few days prior, drawing another smile from her. "But…I also have to ask you something."

"What would that be?"

"Malak spoke of a woman, do you recall? Her name was Jarael. Just who is she?"

Elena shook her head. "I don't know. Whoever she is, there's no question that Malak must have had strong feelings for her at some point."

"All things reveal themselves in due course, I guess. Though I wish that that was the case for Zaalbar opening up just a little bit about his homeworld." The Wookiee had not spoken another word about his past to even Mission over the past week they had traveled through hyperspace, going silent every time he was pressed with questions. He had grown increasingly agitated with each passing day, opting to distract himself by working almost obsessively on his gear at the workbench to the point where he was even depriving HK-47 and Canderous of the opportunity.

Elena motioned outward, receiving a helping hand from Revan who pulled her out of bed and onto her feet. After a quick kiss, she spoke again. "We should talk with the others. I have a feeling we're drawing close now."

-o-

With the entire crew of the Ebon Hawk gathered in the main hold, all eyes were focused on the central navigation console, as the green arrow representing the ship homed in on the shining blue light that pinpointed their destination of Kashyyyk. Zaalbar breathed uneasily, his anxiety increasing with each passing second, leading to Mission laying a gentle hand on his arm to calm his nerves.

"We'll be arriving on Kashyyyk in a little under three hours," Carth announced, standing opposite to Revan and Elena. "It may have taken longer than expected, but it sure beats the possibility of running into an entire Sith battle fleet had we taken the direct approach." The journey spanned just over seven days, taking the Ebon Hawk through the perimeter of Bothan and Hutt space before cutting inwards and heading past Sneeve and making for the Wookiee homeworld. With Sith fleets patrolling Daalang to protect their southern flank from potential Republic surprise attacks, plotting a straight course from Tatooine to Kashyyyk was equivalent to suicide.

"Thanks, Carth," Revan acknowledged. "We couldn't have gotten here without you." The pilot nodded but stopped short of giving a smile as he normally would, still having not quite come to terms with Revan's identity.

"The Star Map," Juhani asked from Revan's left. "Have you received another vision? Did you see where it is?"

"We have," Bastila spoke almost at a hush, her hands placed over her crossed arms as if she was shivering in the cold. "The Star Map is situated in the depths of the planet, surrounded by dark woods. There was not a spark of daylight to be seen."

Canderous quipped. "If what you say – and your body language after experiencing that vision of yours – is true, then we should all keep in mind that it's going to be cold. Stupid cold. So dress appropriately with extra layers as needed – that means you, blondie." He looked at Audrey, receiving a roll of the eyes from the woman who so far had always dressed in practical, yet alluring outfits which hugged her figure.

"Hey, um…Big Z?" Mission tugged as she looked up at him. "I know that it must give you a lot of pain to have to talk about it – I could read that much whenever I looked at your face. But we really need you to tell us all that you can about your homeworld; if you know where we might be able to find the Star Map, what we can expect, and if there's anything we should be on the lookout for. Please?"

Audrey stepped forward, seeing that Zaalbar still refused to budge. "Zaalbar…please. For Mission. If there's danger out there – and it's clear that there will be – I need to know. I have to keep her safe."

After what felt like an eternity, Zaalbar finally relented. "I cannot help you with the Star Map, for I do not know where it is located. As for me…I cannot return to Kashyyyk. I am forever banished under pain of death."

"Banished? You? What do you mean, big Z?" Mission asked.

"My Father is the Chieftain of Rwookrrorro, the village where I was born and raised. Seven years ago, Kashyyyk was barely spared from the flame, as the Mandalorians passed by our home. Whereas Father and I were dedicated to upholding our traditions, my brother Chuundar had other ideas. He began to reach out to outsiders without Father's prior knowledge, and soon the people of Czerka came and put up a settlement of their own."

Seeing that Zaalbar needed a moment to compose himself again before continuing, Revan turned to the Mandalorian. "Canderous, why was that, exactly? What made you simply pass over Kashyyyk?"

"Long story short, it was because of Cathar," Canderous explained, as Juhani's eyelids twitched at the mention. "Many of the Clans remembered the disgraceful slaughter and pillaging that happened on that planet, and so it was a near unanimous choice when we decided against launching an invasion against Kashyyyk – you can guess which Clan was still eager to go ahead. As much as we knew of the strength of the Wookiees and wanted to test ourselves in battle against them, it made no strategic sense for us to invade – after all, they had no fleet to pose a threat to us; the lack of infrastructure meant that there would be nothing to gain; and it was of greater strategic importance to continue the rapid push on to Commenor and Corellia, thus crippling the Republic war effort."

Zaalbar continued. "When Father pressed him on why he had done so, my brother argued that it was for the good of Kashyyyk; that we would be powerless to stop future invasions if we failed to modernize and grow in strength and influence with Czerka's help. Abiding by tradition, Father trusted Chuundar as he was the elder son. From then on, Kashyyyk as we knew it began to change forever.

"Trees were felled, and in their place rose machines and steel structures. The wild beasts fled in fear as Czerka hunted them to sell for profit. My Father and I, as well as many of our fellow kin, were devastated to see it, but still believed in the merit of Chuundar's words. Then came the ultimate betrayal.

"Young Wookiees would go missing frequently after they embarked on the hrrtayyk – our coming-of-age ceremony where they would test their survival skills in the Shadowlands. It was never without danger, and it was accepted that tragedy would sometimes be inevitable, but it was out of the ordinary for our young to fail to return at a rate never seen before. I pressed Father and Chuundar about it, and Chuundar dismissed it as being the fault of the young who had supposedly grown complacent with the new technology brought by Czerka, causing their survival skills to wane. I did not believe it, and so one day I decided to head down to the Shadowlands myself to investigate.

"To my horror, I saw from atop a tree Chuundar himself with Czerka hunters, standing over the bound and tranquilized body of a Wookiee. I quickly returned to the surface and confronted him afterwards with the truth in front of our father. My own brother lied to my face and was intent on continuing down his path of selling our people into slavery, and so I broke. I attacked him with my claws – the ultimate disgrace among our kind, as they are only to be used as tools, and I was branded a madclaw. My father was heartbroken, but our laws dictated that madclaws were to be banished, and so I was forever exiled under pain of death. That was now five years ago."

"That's horrible! How could your dad not believe you?" Mission shook her head. "First thing we do when we step off that platform, we're heading right back over there and setting things right!"

"Mission, honey, that's not how the world works," Audrey pulled her back by the shoulder. "I know how you feel, but you can't afford to be brash with this. You heard Zaalbar say it himself: if he sets foot in his village again, he's dead."

"But it's wrong!" she cried as she spun around to look at Audrey, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Can't you imagine how he feels? Having nowhere to call home? Having nowhere to belong? To be abandoned by your own family?"

Seeing that Mission was in no state to carry on with the broader conversation, Audrey pulled her in for a hug, kissing her on the top of her head as the Twi'lek began to cry into her chest. She put her arm around Mission and walked her to the medical bay to sit her down and talk to her one-on-one, as Carth looked at them with concern. Bastila could only look on as her heart began to sink, thoughts of her own mother re-emerging in her head.

"I'm sorry to hear about your past, Zaalbar," Revan said. "Given the circumstances, we'll understand perfectly if you can't leave the ship while we're on Kashyyyk. But since we're bound to descend into the Shadowlands, we'd be very grateful if you could tell us what we can expect to come across down there."

Zaalbar waggled his head. "Many wild katarns make their lairs among the trees and between large rocks. They appear as half-rodent, half-reptile, and are not afraid to attack larger prey. The kath hounds on Dantooine are slightly more dangerous beasts. There are greater dangers still which lurk in the Lower Shadowlands, but they are large, lumbering beasts – you will be able to hear their presence most of the time."

"The animals will be the least of our worries," Canderous commented. "If you ask me, the greatest danger is us getting lost down there, possibly never to return."

HK-47 spoke up. "Statement: Perhaps the T3 unit and I can be of assistance, Master. Our memories are flawless, and our navigation and communications systems will allow us to maintain co-ordination across great distances."

Carth agreed. "The droid's right. We'll just be stumbling in the dark if we don't bring both of them along."

"It's settled, then," Revan declared. "T3, you'll be coming along with us down to the Shadowlands once we arrive. We'll work out how to split ourselves once we've landed, if needed. Zaalbar…," he sighed with regret, "will stay on the ship."

-o-

Unwilling to even look out the cockpit at his homeworld as the Ebon Hawk descended to the Czerka platform, Zaalbar sat alone facing the wall inside the cargo hold. All at once, nostalgic memories of his youth came flooding back into his mind: his own hrrtayyk undertaken so many years ago, the hunts he would embark on with his father and brother, the stories and fables his mother would tell him under the moon. He yearned to experience those days once more, to traverse along the great walkways of his village and to be with his kin.

Such a day would never come again. He often had dreams of home, sometimes of the happier days with his family amidst the great trees and wildlife of the forest, but also many times of what he feared would come. Now, even as he dared not walk down the loading ramp of the ship, he could hear well enough that his old predictions were true: Kashyyyk had changed, with the melodious whistles and chirping of birds replaced by the boisterous sound of machines, droids and outsiders' voices yelling orders.

Then came the scream of a Wookiee.

Another.

And another…

Tachs screeching in fear.

The rattling of steel.

No longer able to compose himself, Zaalbar leapt up onto his feet and ran to the exit, drawing the gleeful attention of many Czerka employees who saw him while stationed around the platform. To his dismay, Zaalbar saw that the majestic spiraling branches of the grand wroshyr trees were all hacked away to make way for machinery, and the natural wooden platforms replaced by stark steel.

After running down the loading ramp, Zaalbar could see that the others had barely even moved as they all still stood together just a few dozen yards away from the ship. Revan was holding Juhani's left hand while Elena put her arm around the shoulder of the Cathar who had broken down in tears, her right hand covering her mouth.

As he brought his head up to look around him, Zaalbar could see for himself just why.

Endless mounds of lumber from felled sacred trees were carted off in a long line of containers, while the stench of smoke filled the air; wildlife both dead and alive were stocked in crates and cages, with mykals, katarn and even the innocent herbivorous ro-roos and tachs thrashing in vain in their confines.

But most heartbreaking of all, many Wookiees were lying motionless on the floor, helplessly bound in chains and shock collars – and those were the lucky ones. Zaalbar wailed the moment he saw, outside a large illuminated structure which was surely the Czerka headquarters, several racks lined with fur pelts. The pelts were not those of wild beasts…but his own kind.

"RAAAAAARRRGGHHHH!" he bellowed so loudly that surely all of Kashyyyk must have heard, and charged straight towards a Czerka employee who was busy inspecting the furs just a few feet past Revan and his other companions. Alarmed by the commotion, all Czerka employees in the vicinity withdrew in fear at the sight of the enraged Zaalbar who bounded down the walkway, his heavy feet pounding upon the steel platform.

Immediately, Revan, Carth and Canderous moved to combine their strength to stop and restrain Zaalbar, whose momentum was akin to that of a freight train, necessitating the use of the Force by Revan to aid in halting his advance. They recoiled and almost buckled upon impact, the large and heavy rucksacks carried by the three men containing the camping gear and extra warm layers for the party causing them to lose balance. Bastila, Audrey and Mission soon joined in to help, pushing against Zaalbar's chest as the rattled Czerka employee had fallen on his behind and backed himself up against the wall.

"Calm down, Zaalbar! This isn't helping anyone!" Audrey begged, struggling against his sheer power despite Revan's efforts with the Force. Put off balance by their combined effort, Zaalbar stumbled and fell onto his knees, still thrashing about with his arms that were held firmly by Carth and Canderous.

"Graaargh! Slavers! Murderers! I'll tear them apart!" he shouted, sending the Czerka employee scurrying far away into the distance.

"Big Z!" Mission begged, falling to her knees and placing her hands on his face. "Please, don't do this! I know how angry you are – I feel the same way. But this isn't it! We'll find a way to fix this, buddy. I promise. Please…calm down." Her words began to take effect, much to the others' relief. Years of sticking by each other through thick and thin made Zaalbar trust her implicitly as she whispered. "We'll set things right. We have to…" She looked up at Revan with tearful eyes.

"I…I trust you, Mission," he replied, now completely calm as he slowly rose to his feet and the others backed away. "But my heart cannot take this. To see my homeworld sold bit by bit until nothing but ash and metal remains. I must come with you. I must speak with Father."

"But your laws," Bastila remarked. "You said that should you return, the penalty will be death."

"Then so be it. I cannot stand by and watch my home be consumed by outsiders' greed. My place is here. I will see my people free and my land flourish again, or I will die with it."

"His mind is made up, and I can perfectly understand why," Canderous stated, then tapped T3 on the head with his hand. "Since we're all in this together now, you should shut the loading ramp before any of those Czerka rats get any bright ideas."

T3 followed Canderous's instruction and used his remote access to the Ebon Hawk's control room terminal, closing up the ramp. He then turned and moved in the direction of the Czerka headquarters, beeping at the others as a sign to follow.

As Zaalbar tagged along behind him, Revan could feel his Wookiee companion giving death stares to every Czerka employee who passed by. With the situation now having been calmed, he walked over to Elena and Juhani and stood in front of his grief-stricken friend. "Juhani, are you going to be ok?"

"I—yes," she stammered, doing her best to ward away the images of her homeworld ablaze from her mind. "Thank you for worrying about me. When I see what has happened to this place, it…it brings back memories of Cathar. When the trees were burned and my people were either killed or taken into slavery, I…I…"

"Revan," Mission said, looking at him with pleading eyes as she comforted the weeping Juhani with a hug. "I know we're here to find the Star Map and that it's our number one priority in this war against Malak, but please…you have to stop this. You have to at least try. This is wrong. This is what we're fighting to put an end to, not just the Sith. Even if we defeat Malak and I finally get to live a peaceful life with a loving mom and dad again…I'll regret it for as long as I live if this is allowed to go on."

As Revan looked around at his companions, he saw that they were all in silent agreement. Although his face was concealed under his helmet, Canderous looked slightly down and away, almost as if he was ashamed. Bastila's expression was hardened and scarred, the pain of losing her father to a preventable death being a permanent thorn in her heart.

"Alright, Mission. I promise I'll try." He stepped forth to take the lead, heading towards the Czerka office.

The front reception, despite its clear purpose and the numerous seats which were lined up on either flank of the entrance, was little more than an adjoining space between the several warehouses and storage rooms that were connected to it. The reception desk was completely unmanned, while Czerka employees continued to enter and leave the room from all directions while handling crates of cargo, all the while shooting curious and discreet glances at Zaalbar and Juhani.

"Heh. Profits above all else. Not unexpected of Czerka, if you ask me," Carth scoffed, shaking his head.

"Excuse me," Revan raised his hand and waved at an employee, having decided not to pointlessly wait any further.

"Sorry, I'm busy right now. You'll have to find someone else," the man muttered as he busily pushed along a trolley of goods. As if on cue, the others around him instinctively picked up their pace to avoid the hassle of conversation.

Seeing that Revan's effort were yielding no results, HK-47 stepped forward. "Statement: Master, I must inform you that assassinations and combat are not the only proficiencies I possess. I've also been programmed with advanced interrogation techniques for when the need arises. Query: Shall I employ such techniques at this time, Master?"

The request was quickly shot down. "No, HK. We're not risking getting kicked out of this port as quickly as we arrived. That's out of the question."

"Why don't you use that Mind Trick of yours? It always works on feeble-minded rats like these," Canderous said. "Once we get the information we need, we can get movi—what the!" He was surprised when Mission slid through between him and Zaalbar, pushing her way out to the front of the party.

"Griff! Griff, where are you? Griff!" she called out loudly, receiving perplexed raises of the eyebrow and grimaces from several staff who continued on with their duties. She became emboldened by their response – knowing her own brother, it was a sure sign that they undoubtedly had experience putting up with him.

"He's here, alright," Audrey sighed and put her hand on her hip. "I know that expression when I see it."

"Griff?" Mission continued. "Has anybody seen Gri—"

"Damn it, Vao! How many times do I have to tell you this?!" yelled the voice of a woman, muffled behind the closed door a few yards northeast of where Mission stood. "Seriously, how many times? Flora and fauna are to be stocked in separate containers! Who the hell told you to just dump all this shit together into one crate?"

A sheepish male voice grovelled in response. "I'm sorry, miss, I wasn't—"

"Just fix this mess and hurry up and load the next scheduled shipment. Good god, this is an absolute fucking shitshow." The woman stormed off, her boots clanking heavily upon the floor. Mission couldn't help but be slightly fearful herself, the woman's seething scolding reminiscent of those she'd receive from time to time from Zaerdra, minus the cursing.

Then he emerged. A scrawny, thin blue Twi'lek male opened the cargo door and shuffled his way out pushing a trolley along with him, his dejected gaze fixed upon the floor. The word 'VAO' was unmistakably written on the left breast pocket of his Czerka uniform, causing Mission to go up to him at once.

"Do you mind?" he muttered, groggily bringing his head up to look at her face. "I'm trying to get on with my—!"

"Griff?" Mission gasped, her grey eyes staring back at his as if looking into a mirror.

"M—Mission? Is that really you?" he gasped, releasing the trolley at once as his entire face lit up with newfound energy. He surged forward and touched her face, as if he was convinced that it was a dream.

"Griff, it is me," she confirmed, the joy having quickly dissipated the moment she saw him in his sorry state.

"Mission! Holy hell, my sister is alive!" he laughed, wrapping his arms tightly around her and lifting her off her feet. After putting her down again, he continued. "This is great! Things are finally looking up for me! Things are—"

An ear-piercing slap echoed throughout the entire room. Seconds later, a stunned and very sore Griff brought his hand up to nurse his red cheek before slowly turning his head back to look at his little sister who glared at him, exhaling furiously.

"Heh. Not gonna lie…I definitely deserved that, sis," he chuckled, then froze up once more when he saw who had stepped forward to stand beside Mission while he was recovering. "Ice? What in the—" As soon as he spoke, his face went right back to staring at the wall, doubling his pain as his former Hidden Bek superior greeted him.

"Bastard…," Audrey sighed, memories of suffering suddenly coming back to haunt her as she stepped back to be with Carth.

"Yup, yup…deserved that one, too," Griff groaned and rubbed his cheek. "So I take it that this is the line?" He jokingly glanced at the party, although his expression quickly went blank the moment he saw Zaalbar.

"You abandoned me, Griff," Mission said, her usually cheerful demeanor completely overshadowed by a pained scowl. "We ran into Lena on Dantooine. She told me it was your idea to leave me behind. How could you do this to me? You left a twelve year old all alone to fend for herself while you ran off with a no-good skank!"

The grovelling started immediately as he bowed his head, too ashamed to even properly hold eye contact with her. "Mission, you have to understand, I thought it was for the best! It was only going to be temporary! Once I finally struck it big time, I was going to come back and pick you up so that we could properly start living instead of scrounging by day by day!"

"Oh yeah, and how did that go?" Mission crossed her arms and took a step backwards, distancing herself from her brother in favor of Revan who stood a few feet behind her. "I can't believe this…how stupid you are, Griff. I may be fourteen, but I've learned a whole lot over the past two years you were gone. More like I was forced to. I was too naïve to see the red flags and warn you back then when you fell for her, but you should have seen it coming."

"But she trusted me, Mission! She believed me when I told her that I could be successful! Sure, it didn't work out in the end and she left me, but I can't tell you how hard I tried!"

"You should have at least been wise enough to think with your head instead of what's below your belt when you decided to leave me. What the hell was going through that head of yours? You were nineteen, she was twenty-five. Did you honestly believe that you could ever satisfy such a materialistic girl like Lena? Seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if she just thought of you as nothing but her boy-toy."

"But I thought…I…we…" He could only shake his head as he realized that he had spent two years of his life chasing empty dreams. "I'm sorry. That's all I can say. I have no idea how I can ever make it up to you, Mission."

Feeling overwhelmed by disappointment and sorrow, Mission turned around and walked back a few steps. "Kael," she called, tilting her head towards Griff. Once Revan stepped forward to speak to him, Mission shifted beside Carth and leaned against him, her guardian comforting her by holding her close.

"You can make it up to her by helping us," Revan said. "We're in need of information on Kashyyyk, specifically the Shadowlands."

Griff shrugged. "Yeah, no problem with that at all. Ask away anything you want. But first of all, do you mind if we take this outside? It's uhh…quite damn crowded in here." He subtly eyed the cameras that were fixed on the corners of the room.

Taking the hint, Revan obliged. "Sure thing…"

The group exited the Czerka headquarters and dispersed a short distance along the great walkway. Still not wanting to speak further with her brother, Mission instead stood with Carth beside Zaalbar and Juhani who looked somberly out over the handrail to the depths below. Vast swaths of trees and bushland were cleared out, and several small droids scoured through the air carrying all types specimens. Standing guard in front of them were Canderous and HK-47 who shot death stares at any Czerka employee who looked at the Cathar or Wookiee for more than a fleeting moment. Meanwhile, Bastila and Elena stood somewhat apart from the others, their full attention fixed on Revan and Audrey whom Griff requested to speak to alone.

The two conversed at length with him, covering everything from their escape from Taris up to the present moment and also what had happened on Kashyyyk over the past few years. After receiving the information that the group needed, Revan returned to Mission. "Your brother wants one more word with you, if you'll allow him."

"Do I have a choice?" Mission muttered, intentionally closing her eyes.

"Please, Mission. For me," he whispered, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.

After much thought, Mission sighed and raised her right hand to squeeze his. "Okay, Revan. For you, I will. Not necessarily for him." Her eyes were fixed on the floor the whole time she walked towards Griff, too disgusted to even look at him until they came face to face. "Was there something more you wanted? What, are you feeling too tired to do your own damn work?"

"Mission, I…," he took a deep breath, "I want to set things right. I know I've screwed up just about everything that I've ever tried, but…you just gotta keep going, y'know?"

"So that's why you're here, of all places?" she fumed, placing her hands on her hips. "Stuffing little animals into cages, hacking and burning down every tree and plant you can find, and skinning my best friend's species to sell off as carpets? You should've just married a credit chip and have been done with it. If you were willing to sink this low, why don't you seek out the Exchange instead? I'm sure they'd pay you more than Czerka ever will to do tasks that are simple enough for even a brain like yours."

"Umm…speaking of the Exchange, Mission," he spoke through gritted teeth, shyly rubbing the back of his head.

Mission's blood ran cold, and her expression went blank. "Don't. Don't you fucking tell me…"

"I…may have taken out a small loan from them in the past. Or two. After I heard that Taris was destroyed, I came out here, knowing that tach glands are the key ingredient to brewing Tarisian ale. If I could get my hands on a sample, I could work off the recipe I found and hopefully make a successful batch – then I can finally pay off my debts and start on a clean slate."

"You heard about Taris being destroyed…and your first reaction was to come here? You never thought to race back and search for Mission, even if you wound up only looking for a corpse?" Audrey glared.

"N-no, Ice, I-I mean, Audrey, it's not like that, I—! Look," he exhaled, grabbing his temple with both hands. "This is it for me – I'm at the end of my ropes here. If I don't pull this off, then I'm a dead man. I'm not blind, Mission, I can see what's going on around me, and it's eating into me day and night. I just…I just need to do this one thing, and then I'll be in the clear."

"Why haven't you simply used the ones in the warehouse? There were plenty lying around," Revan remarked.

"I already tried twice," Griff admitted, much to the deeper dismay of the three of them. "My supervisors are watching me like scavenger hawks after the inventory went missing during my shift. But I was close. So close. The taste was just a little bit off but I've pinpointed where I've gone wrong, and I just know that third time will be the charm. You gotta trust me on this."

Audrey crossed her arms, continuing the interrogation. "So why haven't you taken the lift down to the Shadowlands to look for some tach yourself? The Czerka lift is just a short walk down the walkway, like you said."

Griff stuttered, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you see, uhh…"

"Stop your mumbling, stop scratching your head, put your hands down by your sides and talk to me properly," Audrey demanded in a no-nonsense voice so stern that even Mission subconsciously followed, having become used to looking up to her as a parent. "Why haven't you gone down there yourself?"

"My job is to take care of loading the cargo in this section," he answered. "Going down there is the job of the actual scouting parties, plus they have Mandalorian mercenaries to fall back on for the more dangerous tasks."

"Just as I thought – you're afraid," Audrey shook her head. "You want us to go down there and find some for you."

"I'm not gonna fudge words this time. Yes. And I'd be very grateful if you did that for me."

She turned him down flat. "I've already adopted your baby sister. I don't need an overgrown manchild pestering me with his own selfish agenda. You're 21 years old, Griff. Get your shit together, face your damn fears and sort out your problems on your own."

"Please, you gotta help me!" Griff rubbed his hands towards Revan, seeing that asking Audrey was of no use. "If what you told me before turns out to be right, then you've saved Mom and set her on a better path, and for the love of hell she deserves it after what she's been through. Can't you do the same for me?"

Sensing Griff's desperation, Revan questioned him. "How much do you owe, exactly?"

After a brief pause for mental calculations, he answered. "Around thirty-six thousand credits."

Audrey clutched her chest with her right hand and held her left over her mouth the moment she heard those words, unwilling to face him as she turned around in disgust. Mission's head sunk low with disappointment.

"I'll see what I can do," Revan said. "You should probably get back to work now, seeing as we've held you up long enough."

"Thanks," Griff let out a sigh of relief. "And before you go…Audrey?" Despite him calling out to her, she didn't look back. "I'm…sorry about Robert. I truly am."

She spoke no words, walking away a few seconds after he spoke. Two droplets of tears could be seen glistening on the metallic floor where she just stood.

"Goodbye, Mission. Stay safe," he then said to his little sister who followed after her guardian, but not before silently narrowing her eyes at him in disdain. "Wow. Tough crowd, huh? Well, see you, I guess. Good luck out there."

"Goodbye, Griff," Revan said, then moved to catch up with Mission and Audrey who were on their way back to rejoin the group. "You alright, Audrey?" he asked once he was walking beside her.

"If you need to know," Audrey said, wiping away the remnants of her tears, "do you remember back on Taris, when I killed Zaerdra's cousin in the Black Vulkar base?"

Mission exhaled loudly, letting her head freefall as she stared at the floor once again. "Oh my god, Griff…"

"Griff was smitten by her as well for a brief time. One day, he connected the dots and came to the conclusion that he could outsmart her and gain some useful information by pretending to go along with her attempt to get him to defect to the Vulkars. Things went south quickly, so Robert, my boyfriend at the time, decided to get him out of the hole he dug himself into. After Griff came running back into the Hidden Bek base looking like he'd seen a ghost, I went out searching for myself. I found Robert's bled-out body slumped in an alleyway – brought him back and buried him."

"That was three years ago, wasn't it?" Mission recalled. "I still remember Griff's face when he came back. Looked like he was scared out of his mind. I guess that's part of the reason why he left Taris not long after that – he couldn't stand the shame of what he had done. But…why did you keep on looking out for me? After what he did, you had every reason to just leave me to face whatever came next all by myself."

Audrey reached out and squeezed her hand with assurance. "Because you're a good kid, Mission. I didn't want you to grow up without hope."

"And you?" Mission looked up at Revan. "Why did you agree to help him? Hell knows, he'll never truly learn his lesson until reality bites him in the ass."

"Because that reality will more than likely wind up killing him, Mission, and he doesn't deserve to die all because of a stupid mistake. Swindling money and racking up thirty-six thousand credits' worth of debt is like a drop in the ocean compared to the terrible things I've done. I was given a second chance to redeem myself because Elena loves me and stuck by me till the end in front of the Jedi Council, and look at where I am now. Don't you want to give your own brother that same opportunity?"

"I…," Mission suddenly came to a halt and leaned against the barrier of the bridge they were crossing. She slumped against it, her knees partially giving way as she buried her face against her crossed arms.

"You should go and tell the others what we've learned from Griff," Audrey said to Revan as she rubbed Mission's back. "We'll catch up with you soon."

"I understand," he nodded then walked towards the main group who were all staring at Audrey and Mission from a distance.

Once she saw that Revan had their attention, Audrey leaned in and held Mission's shoulder. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I can't believe it," she murmured, bringing her head up slightly so that her words weren't muffled. "I spent so long convincing myself that maybe the things I heard about Griff weren't exactly true; that there would be more to the story that I could get from him personally, and that he was genuinely trying to come back to find me." She fixed her eyes on Carth, remembering his account of how hard he searched for Dustil after the devastation of Telos. "To hear from his own mouth that he didn't even try to look for me after Taris was destroyed…it hurts so much."

"So what will you do about him?"

"I…I don't know. Revan does have a point in arguing that I should give him a chance. If that really was Mom that he saved on Tatooine…I just have no idea whether Griff will really be able to have a fresh start like her, or if he'll spiral downwards until there's no return like Dad. I'm mad as hell at him but at the same time, I don't want him to die."

"Hmm…maybe I was wrong to put my foot down so forcefully on him," Audrey admitted. "I may be your guardian, but he's your brother by blood, and you're more than mature enough to make decisions like this on your own. This was a family matter between the two of you, and it should have been your choice alone as to whether or not to help him. I was worried about you possibly getting yourself in more danger than you could handle if you simply agreed to go along with what he asked."

Despite the overwhelming shroud of disappointment and uncertainty that filled her mind, Mission finally found a reason to give a tiny smile. "Isn't that your job as a parent? To worry?" It faded once she heard another cart being wheeled off behind them, carrying wildlife extracted from the depths of Kashyyyk. "Still, I'm not sure if…if I can really go ahead with this. Why did he have to ask us to get those damn tach glands?"

"I know what you're thinking, Mission, and I hope that it doesn't come down to us having to kill those things," Audrey said, picturing the frightened little beings trembling in their cages. "With luck, we'll be able to find a Czerka hunting party down in the Shadowlands. Maybe all it will take is a simple Mind Trick to get our hands on some without any hassle."

Mission leaned in until she was resting her head against Audrey's shoulder. "I didn't think it would be like this. Everything I imagined just yesterday turned out to be completely wrong. I thought Zaalbar was simply being too shy to return, but…look at what's going on around us.

"After that month on Dantooine, I was filled with so much hope. I've lived my whole life moving from one run-down urban place to another. Before we landed on that planet, I had never known the sound of birds chirping; the touch and smell of flowers and grass; the way it felt to step in the lake. Ever since then, I just knew that that was the kind of place I wanted to settle in. It breaks my heart to see what's happening right now, especially when it's Zaalbar's own home."

Audrey let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry you had to see this, sweetheart, but sadly it's the reality we have to face. For all we know, there are countless other worlds out there suffering just as much as Kashyyyk."

Mission looked over at Revan once more. "And there's only one person who can end it all." She reached over and held Audrey's hand. "Can you really not trust him to do the right thing?"

"Only time will tell, and I'm not holding my breath. Come," she said, pulling Mission gently along with her as she began to walk back to the others. They regrouped with their companions just as Revan had finished discussing a plan of his own, after much debate back and forth with Carth and Canderous.

"You okay, Mission?" Carth said, holding her by the shoulders. "Revan told us what your brother said. I can't imagine what must be going through your head right now."

"Frustration, confusion, pain, anything bad you can think of…that's what it is," Mission groaned. "But I've got time to deal with it when it comes along, eventually. So what are we gonna do? What's the plan?"

Canderous commented. "There are two ways we can go about this, seeing as we have to head down to the Shadowlands in any case: either split up now, with one group taking the Czerka lift and the other accompanying Zaalbar to the Wookiee village; or we all head to the village and face whatever happens there together."

"Mission," Zaalbar requested, "please take the lift now, along with Carth, Audrey and whoever else chooses to go with you. I…I will stand my ground against my accusers, but I feel that the outcome will be inevitable; the laws of my planet must stand. I don't want you to see what will happen."

"No way, Big Z! I'm coming with you!" Mission walked forward and grabbed hold of him. "Laws be damned, I'm not gonna just step aside and let them take you away!"

"I have a strange feeling," Juhani said. "Griff never mentioned just who exactly the Chieftain is; he merely stated that all of this activity is permitted by the 'Chieftain', whomever it may be. From what Zaalbar told us of him, it seems impossible that his father would fall so far as to allow this travesty to continue. I sense that something terrible may have happened – something we're not aware of."

"We should stick together, at least for the time being," Elena suggested. "We're walking into the unknown, and there's no guarantee that our own lives won't be at risk once we enter that village."

Mission smiled as she looked up at her friend. "You hear that, Big Z? We're all coming with you. We'll stand by you no matter what!"

"In that case," Zaalbar rummaged through a small pouch he kept clipped to the side on his utility belt, "take this." He handed her a small carved piece of wood. Upon close inspection, Mission could see that various shades of brown, tan and black were painted, distinguishing the features of a Wookiee's face.

"We've been together for so long, and yet this is the very first time I'm seeing this," she remarked. "What's this supposed to be, Zaalbar?"

"It is the face of my mother. It is my most treasured possession, handed to me by my father when I was a child, not long after she was taken from us by sickness. It will give me peace of mind knowing that it is safe with you, Mission."

"Why must we continue to act like we're helpless prisoners of fate?" Bastila spoke, finally having had enough of the group's willingness to accept whatever came their way. "If we just keep our focus, stay strong and stand our ground, I know that there's a path that'll allow us to achieve everything we wish to without losing anyone. Why must we be so accommodative towards people who will inevitably be hostile towards us, manipulating us at best and outright trying to kill us at worst?"

Elena interjected. "Bastila, we can't be reckless with this. We—"

"We can't afford to keep this up," she answered firmly. "I've had enough of seeing loved ones die. Zaalbar will walk out of there in the same way we will walk in, whether those in charge of that village like it or not."

"Bastila is…right," Revan said, to the unpleasant surprise of Elena who stared at him, mouth agape. Carth and Audrey had uneasy looks on their faces as well, compelling him to elaborate. "I know what you're thinking. It's true, there's always that option of simply using the Force to impose my will on others; I won't lie to you and say that I don't feel that temptation at all. That, however, is the absolute last resort, and I'll only consider it if all other options are out of the question. But that doesn't mean that we should bow to whatever demands that they make. Just as all of us are about to go there together, we'll all return the same way we came."

"Promise me that you'll return to me one day, just the way you are now…"

"At the end of the day, the only thing that could save us was our own resolve and power. Power is the only thing that'll allow me to protect you now."

The past words of Revan and herself came back to haunt Elena, whose eyes dimmed with concern. There was little doubt in her mind that Revan could succeed if he truly put his heart into it – the true question lay in whether he would work with Zaalbar to change Kashyyyk for the better, or impose a legacy that was far worse than what had preceded it.

"Elena?" he brushed his hand against hers, noticing that she had fallen silent.

"I have a bad feeling that it'll be impossible in the end to avoid bloodshed in solving this," she admitted, then wrapped her fingers over his. "But I believe in you. Please, make things right, but don't lose yourself in doing so."

"That's why I have you with me," he smiled at her. Bastila, on the other hand, held little faith in the direction that Elena wished for him to follow, merely glancing at her from the corner of her eye. "Are you ready, Zaalbar?" Revan asked, turning towards his companion.

"I am," he answered. "I will walk with you, Revan. Both my life and the fate of Kashyyyk lies in your hands."

The group walked through the Czerka sector as one, with Revan and Zaalbar at the head. A wave of somber nostalgia came over the Wookiee as the great wooden arched doors leading to his old village of Rwookrrorro came into view – the one thing so far that had luckily escaped the twisted transformation inflicted on his homeworld by the Czerka outsiders.

Looking to his left, he caught a glimpse of the west-facing viewing platform which he remembered loving so much as a child, fond memories of his five-year-old self perched atop his mother's shoulders to behold stunning sunsets over the faraway gorges and rivers coming into mind. Just like so much of his world, that natural beauty of timber entwined with lush leaves and sweet-smelling flowers was devoured by cold, lifeless steel.

Too preoccupied by the sights which tore away at his heart still, Zaalbar did not notice the approach of two Wookiee guards who had spotted them from the village entrance. Bowcasters at the ready and pointed squarely at him, their faces were contorted into menacing snarls with no sign of welcome or sympathy.

Zaalbar took a deep breath and closed his eyes to compose himself, but trembled as the darkness only served to feed his uncertainty for the fate of Kashyyyk. Judging by the guards' reactions, his heart plummeted when he realized that his people had not simply fallen into Czerka's clutches – rather, there were many who willingly gave themselves up into servitude, following in Chuundar's misguided path. He let out a low growl and sunk his head, feeling too pained to even look at his kin.

Then, he felt the grasp of two tender, small hands wrapping around his. Peering down to his right, he saw Mission smiling up at him, her lips doing their best to hide her own true fears which were given away by her teary, glistening eyes.

Finding his courage again, Zaalbar planted his feet, standing proudly in the face of his fellow Wookiees as he spoke.

"It is time."

A/N: Hope everyone's staying well. I'm happy that we've finally landed on Kashyyyk, as grim as the scene may be. Looking back at my documents list for this story, it feels amazing how getting through Tatooine alone had spanned 20 chapters and over six years to complete, during which so many other KotOR writers I've eagerly followed have sadly dropped out of view.

I had forgotten to include at the end of the previous chapter some small interesting notes regarding ideas that were drafted, but ultimately scrapped for Tatooine. These included: one of two outcomes; where 1) Mission's mother Nima sacrificed herself by shooting Calo Nord as a distraction to save her daughter when the party (I was originally going to have them rendezvous in the street) is surrounded. She is then buried by the party during a stopover on Ryloth; or 2) she survives, and Mission finally reunites with her and has the choice of leaving with her to start over again, but decides to stick with the group to see out the quest to defeat Malak. Both of these outcomes were turned down because the main focus should be on Bastila at that point, and it would've taken the attention away from her and onto Mission at the last second.

Another scrapped idea was to have Sasha the stowaway board the Ebon Hawk as it leaves Dantooine, and be an actual Sith spy who was blackmailed by the Sith to provide information on the party, on the threat of her family being killed. I decided on bringing Trask back to fill that purpose, since I didn't want to get into the excessively dark territory of dealing with a child in that situation when the scheme was inevitably found out.

I've got the vast majority of my plot for Kashyyyk planned out, so I'm excited to hopefully bring you the next chapter in a few weeks' time. Until then, stay safe everyone.