Chapter 45
The Descent
Paying no heed to the bickering of his surrounding sub-commanders, Admiral Karath carefully studied the intelligence report map displayed on the console before him. The Leviathan's command bridge was filled with frantic noises of communications to and from the various Sith fleets spread all across the galaxy, in stark contrast to the near deathly silence that would fill the area whenever the Dark Lord was present.
Despite the success on all fronts up to this point, the Sith momentum had seemingly ground to an utter halt in the past few days. Vice Admiral Krieg's aggressive push to Corellia had only resulted in him fighting himself into a pocket and struggling to keep hold of his gains, with Rear Admiral Daelin's supporting diversionary assault on Bellassa now having proved to be a fruitless endeavor. With so many Sith vessels having been lost during the great offensive and the Republic now having the advantage of being able to make surgical and concentrated strikes against any of the overstretched Sith fleets, the burden now fell on Karath and the main force to decide the outcome of the campaign.
"Admiral," a lieutenant called out to him from his right, drawing the steely gaze of his grey eyes, "a message from the Star Forge, sir – orders from Lord Malak."
"Speak, lieutenant," he said, making his way past several junior officers as he walked through the lower deck of the command bridge, beneath the viewing platform. Despite now serving the Sith Empire, his old habits from his days in the Republic Navy had persisted, earning him the respect and trust of the lower ranks who appreciated his more approachable and straightforward persona in contrast to many other Sith officers.
"He orders you to begin an all-out assault on Commenor at once without delay, then send a detachment to secure Cato Neimoidia and create a route to relieve Vice Admiral Krieg's pocket based in Corellia. Reinforcements from the Star Forge will be able to link up with Corellia in twelve days, then commence the general push towards Coruscant."
"An all-out assault? On Commenor? With our numbers?" Karath replied incredulously with a tense frown written on his face, having been greatly stressed by the Republic's stubborn fighting retreat which became all the more irritating the closer his fleet drew to the planet which effectively served as a gateway to the Core Worlds. Then, reminding himself of just how Malak would act if he refused, he relaxed his expression and regained his composure. "Very well. Return to your duties, lieutenant."
"Yes, sir."
Having studied the map in front of him long enough, Karath ascended the steps to the top of the viewing platform to look out to the stars. Despite the nagging feeling of impending failure, he couldn't help but smile and feel a sense of pride at the accomplishments of one of his most capable former subordinates.
'You continue to impress me, Forn,' he thought to himself, recalling the days when Admiral Dodonna served under him during the Mandalorian Wars. 'I'm proud to see what you've become. Many doubted your abilities, and yet here you are, having risen from being a Captain during the Mandalorian Wars, all the way to Admiral of the Republic Navy today.'
He turned once again to the officers in charge of communications below. "Relay a new order to the fleets in all surrounding systems: maintain what forces are necessary in each respective system; any and all vessels surplus to requirements are to converge on our location in preparation for a general assault towards Commenor."
-o-
Her heartbeat increasing in pace with each passing second, Bastila blinked impatiently as the party stood in the great hall of Rwookrrorro, awaiting the entrance of the Chieftain. Glimpses of the massacre of the Tuskens still came to mind while she fought to restrain herself from any brash action, unwilling to let Mission experience the grief which almost consumed her after the death of her father.
The chamber was filled with a handful of Czerka guards, along with many Wookiees who shot disdainful glares at Zaalbar who was bound by rope, with Wookiee guards gripping against both of his arms. Meanwhile, a chorus of murmurs could be heard from outside, as a large crowd had gathered upon seeing the return of the 'madclaw'. Separated from her best friend by two rows of Wookiees who formed a wall between the party and Zaalbar, Mission could only look on and pray that the worst would not come to pass.
At last, the great double-doors at the end of the hall opened, revealing a dark-haired Wookiee. A pendent made out of the fangs of beasts hung around his neck, and in his hand lay a great double-bladed sword with an elaborate hilt encrusted with red and green gems. As he stepped forth, the two guards standing behind Zaalbar each kicked him in the back of the knee in a bid to force him to kneel, only to fail as he refused to budge out of pride.
"Brother Zaalbar," said the Chieftain, "I did not expect to see you ever again. Why have you returned to Kashyyyk? Has your exile broken you so, that you now yearn for death?"
"You are no brother of mine, Chuundar! No longer!" Zaalbar roared defiantly. Mission marveled as she saw her shy, reserved and quiet companion suddenly show a side to himself that she had never seen before. "You sold our people into slavery and untold suffering! Why do you wear the pendent of the Chieftain? Where is Father?"
"He is gone, brother," Chuundar explained. "Your exile has broken him – he vanished two years after you were sent away, and hasn't been seen since. No-one knows what became of him."
"You lie! Tell me where he is! What have you done to him?!"
"It is the truth. Father was always too gentle in spirit. His heart was not strong enough to bring himself to do what was necessary for the good of Kashyyyk. I still remember the last time I saw him, Zaalbar. He was kneeling all by his lonesome in this hall, just where you're standing right now, weeping over what he saw happening to our world. But he did not understand just what we stood to gain in the future. Did you not see just how much Kashyyyk had changed when you landed? How much we have advanced in strength? It is all because of me. As Father fell to despair and vanished, I rose up to take his mantle and lead our people in his place. The other tribes resisted me at first, but now many of them pay tribute while only a few fools continue their pettiness and refuse to join me. The old tribal ways of squabbling, decentralized factions are dead, brother. We must modernize, centralize and expand. That is the way of life, and that is what any smart leader would do."
Zaalbar shook his head. "You are no leader, Chuundar. No big speeches can hide the fact that you are a coward and a traitor. No 'leader' would ever consent to our people being sold into slavery, let alone be skinned to satiate outsiders' greed!"
"And what would you and Father have done?" Chuundar shot back. "You would have sat on your hands and done nothing. You would have been satisfied for our people to wallow in this backwater and try to resist potential invasions with little more than sticks and stones. And what is this?" he looked beyond his guards straight at Canderous who was outfitted in his Mandalorian armor. "You even travel with one of those marauders! Do you not remember how their ships passed by our world like an unstoppable sea that had us completely at their mercy? Do you forget that you yourself once agreed with me when I said that we needed to modernize and grow stronger? There may be other Mandalorians on this world, brother – that I admit. But they all work for Czerka. For me."
"How have things changed to Kashyyyk's benefit, then?" Zaalbar retorted. "All I saw ever since setting foot on our world again was slaves, whether they be those who are being loaded onto Czerka ships, or those who follow you right now. How many starships have you built? How many vehicles? I saw not a single one, Chuundar. Not only are you consumed by your own greed, you are too foolish to even know when you are being used. You are nothing more than a puppet, and a puppet is only useful so long as he willingly keeps himself attached to his strings."
All of a sudden, the entire room seemed to die down to a deathly hush as Chuundar's eyes narrowed into a vicious glare. He walked up to Zaalbar, blade in hand, as the two of them stared at each other separated by mere inches.
Seconds later, Chuundar savagely punched his brother in the gut, finally sending him onto his knees as Zaalbar yelped and recoiled in pain. "That is the punishment for insulting the Chieftain of Rwookrrorro."
"Big Z!" Mission cried as she rushed forward, causing the Wookiee guard in front of her to instinctively raise the butt of his bowcaster to meet her advance.
"Mission!" Audrey yelled the moment she felt the young child slip from her grasp, her eyes wide with panic as she saw the Wookiee prepare to strike her with brute force in a diagonal swing. Then, at the last second, Carth pulled Mission aside and out of harm's way, only to receive the impact himself straight to the head.
"Dad!" Mission shrieked as she fell to her hands and knees before his unconscious body. "Dad, wake up!"
"Carth!" Audrey shouted and lifted his head up onto her knee. Trickles of blood began to seep from the side of Carth's head which had met the blow from the edges of the bowcaster. As Mission and Audrey crouched over the Republic pilot, Zaalbar's rage only worsened, leading to his captors forcefully shoving him in the back and pinning him to the floor.
The situation suddenly escalated tenfold, with dozens of Wookiees drawing their bowcasters against each member of the Ebon Hawk crew, leading to an immediate response in kind from Canderous and HK-47. While Bastila and Juhani drew their lightsabers and were teetering on igniting them for combat, Elena boldly stepped forward.
"Everyone, stop," she held up her right hand to bring attention to herself. "There is no need for bloodshed here. We didn't come here to make demands – we came here to negotiate."
Taking advantage of the brief lull in tension, Revan presented himself. "Chieftain Chuundar, I wish to speak with you myself on behalf of my friends."
"Do not presume to have any business here, outsider," Chuundar dismissed. "You should be grateful that my guards did not kill you where you stood the moment you brought the madclaw back to set foot on our world. His life is forfeit, and as Chieftain I have the right to do with him as I please."
"You will do nothing to him," Bastila hissed, her eyes glaring at him in a way that deeply shook Elena who had never before seen such a reaction out of her former Padawan. "Familial bonds may mean nothing to the likes of you, but we will never forsake one of our own. He will leave with us when we depart this world, whether you like it or not."
"What insolence," Chuundar replied, his darkened expression signifying that Bastila's words had struck a nerve. "Before you and Zaalbar had tested my patience with your insults, I was willing to offer you not only a choice, but a way out for all of you, Zaalbar included. Now that my patience is wearing thin, I'm instead leaning towards ordering all of you to be executed."
"You will do no such thing," she growled, her right hand raised to point at him.
Chuundar scoffed. "What's this? One of your Jedi Mind Tricks? You fool! You think that such a paltry act would faze me?"
Bastila shook her head, as the storm in her eyes refused to abate. "No, not a Mind Trick – just a glimpse of what will come if you don't listen."
As Elena was on the verge of speaking up again in order to defuse the situation, she suddenly felt paralyzed and froze where she stood. Her pounding heart seemed to slow to a crawl, and the beads of sweat which had formed upon her brow became as cold as ice. The entire room, which was illuminated by bright hanging lanterns, seemed to dim rapidly, and an unsettling chill shot up through her bones.
Then, darkness and deathly cold were replaced by searing flames, with all of the chamber's walls and doors lit ablaze. Every current inhabitant within was now trapped and hopeless, moments away from incineration and death. The floor turned into a lake of blood that rose to her ankles, and even her own hands were smeared crimson as she held them up to her face in horror.
No prisoners. No survivors. No mercy on either side. Death was the only option available for all.
"Bastila, that's enough!" Revan demanded, gripping her by the wrist and forcing her to back down. In a blinding flash, everything returned to normal, and a stunned silence ensued throughout the entire room, as Elena could only turn her head to look at her old Padawan with a blank stare. "Chieftain Chuundar," Revan continued, looking at the dazed Wookiee, "my name is Kael Deren, and I speak on behalf of all of my friends here, including Zaalbar. I say we both back off and diffuse this situation right now. What is this 'way out' that you speak of?"
"First thing's first," Chuundar replied, glaring at Bastila. "What on earth did you do, woman?"
"It was a taste of the powers I wield," she hissed back, her eyes fixed on him while Elena behind her shifted across to use the Force to heal the cut on Carth's head. "It is a vision of what might follow should you decide to harm Zaalbar, let alone any of us here, any further than what you've already done. Despite my appearance, I assure you that I am no Jedi. Choose wisely."
"Chieftain Chuundar," Revan took back his attention, "your terms?"
The fire still burned in Chuundar's eyes, so insulted was he that Bastila had dared to defy his will as Chieftain. Still, seeing that the group was of some use to him, he doused his inner rage and spoke. "There is a renegade group of Wookiees who stubbornly fight against my rule, located deep in the lower parts of the Shadowlands. They believe themselves to be freedom fighters, but they are little more than petty terrorists who disturb Czerka's operations. Kill them all, take their heads and present them to the Czerka hunting parties as proof of your deed, then return to me. Do this before the blood moon of Kashyyyk has fully waned, and Zaalbar will be officially pardoned and released."
"And if we fail?" Mission puffed, still holding on to her unconscious stepfather.
"Tradition dictates that should a madclaw break his exile and return, he voluntarily forfeits his life. However, despite his deeds, I cannot bring myself to order Zaalbar's execution. Instead, he will remain as a prisoner indefinitely until I deem him worthy of a second chance. There is much I wish to teach him."
Bastila took a breath in and leaned forward, only to be stopped by Revan whose hand quickly rose to grab her back by the forearm as Zaalbar roared once again. "I will not listen to your poisonous words! It is you who terrorizes your own people!" He looked back over his shoulder. "Kael! If you do this, if you kill my kin, you are no different from Chuundar! I would rather die than to trade my people's lives for personal freedom!"
"You have your instructions," Chuundar growled, then turned to leave. "Return before the blood moon has faded, or not at all. Take them to the lift at once!"
Before anyone else among the Ebon Hawk's crew had a chance to speak, the wall of Wookiee guards moved as one against them. With Audrey unable to speedily bear away Carth and the gear he carried, Canderous and HK-47 stepped in to haul him along, while Revan had to forcefully pull away a broken and tearful Mission who still futilely reached out to Zaalbar. Defiant to the end, he was dragged away by the guards who followed after Chuundar, and the doors slammed shut behind them.
-o-
The chilling air, dark surroundings and eerie noises which echoed throughout the trees of the Shadowlands were enough to make half of the Ebon Hawk's crew start to miss the punishing heat of Tatooine's endless desert. Carth had fortunately regained consciousness at some point before the group reached the Czerka elevator, upon which they quickly put on their insulated gear to shield themselves from the biting cold. Hardly a word was spoken among the crew during the march to the lift nor the long descent, besides Audrey who tended to Carth and filled him in on the task before them. Chuundar's Wookiee guards stayed close to them all the way until they finally stepped off the platform and entered the Czerka-run sector of the Shadowlands.
Fortunately for them, a short walk away was a spherical dome with a holoprojector atop a steel column, installed by Czerka. Mapped out on the display was a large radius of the surrounding area, with various points of interest marked in different colors and symbols. T3 wheeled forward and carried out a detailed scan of the data, subsequently transmitting the information to each party member's datapad for reference.
"The southern and eastern sectors are largely uncharted, it seems," Canderous observed. "If my line of thinking is correct, then that's where we need to be heading. These Czerka boys are just like the wimps that Davik had me leading on Taris, called his 'search patrols'. Give 'em a sniff of real danger and they'll go running away like frightened children. Speaking of which," he turned to look at Mission, "you're braver than all those Exchange wimps put together, kid – I can say that much. But are you sure you want to do this? You know what's on the line, right? I've had more than my fair share of experiences fighting monsters on worlds like these. Those kath hounds that almost killed you on Dantooine are probably nothing compared to what you'll face here."
"I'm not afraid," Mission shook her head and swallowed hard, fighting back against her own fears. "I want to do this. It's not only Zaalbar's, but my idiot brother's life on the line. I can't just sit alone on the Ebon Hawk and leave you guys to do all the fighting for me."
"So what's the plan, then?" Audrey crossed her arms and looked at Revan. "You said we should split up, didn't you?"
Carth chimed in. "I know it's imperative that we cover as much ground as possible in the shortest amount of time since we're racing against the clock here, but too few of us in any one group is asking for trouble."
After looking around and studying his companions, Canderous quipped. "Four Jedi, two soldiers, two gals specializing in stealth, and two droids. It's a no-brainer that we should split in two groups, if you ask me – just a question of who goes where."
Audrey refused outright. "What? You're going to split me apart from Mission? Are you insane? No. I'm her guardian, and I'm staying with her."
"Audrey," Bastila said in a rather cold way, unsettling the woman with her straight and almost soulless gaze. "Canderous speaks the truth. Right now, we can't be choosing favorites – we need to split ourselves up based on our skills, not based on our affections."
After pondering to himself during the others' brief argument, Revan came up with a solution. "How about this? One group will consist of Bastila, Carth, Mission, HK and myself; the other will consist of Canderous, Elena, Juhani, Audrey and T3."
Despite the Mandalorian's face being concealed under his helmet, Revan could sense that Canderous had been moved emotionally by the suggestion, as his head turned slightly to look at Juhani. Elena, meanwhile, looked at Revan with mild shock and dismay in her eyes. "That's…interesting. What makes you suggest that?"
"You heard what Bastila said. I know you can hold your own, Elly, but that won't stop me from slipping into my old habits of being protective of you. We can't afford distractions like that right now; there may be a time when it's inevitable, but this is not it."
"He makes sense," Juhani agreed. "Mission will be safe with Carth, and Audrey and I worked well for the most part together when we combined our skills on Tatooine. I may have preferred different arrangements if it were up to me, but…I will trust Revan's judgement."
"I'll lead my party with HK-47 by my side; his sensors will be a great help in alerting us in advance of any danger," Revan continued. "Canderous, I want you to lead your party; you're a natural leader, and you have ample experience when it comes to fighting in terrain similar to this, like Dxun. T3 may not have HK's firepower, but his combat sensors are more than sufficient to help out."
HK-47 couldn't help but rub it in. "Petty boast: Master, do not be so harsh on the little one. He has his uses, as limited as they may be compared to this unit."
Irritated by the remark, T3 could only give a few toots and beeps in rebuttal.
"You won't regret this," Canderous smiled under his helmet, feeling a deep sense of pride again for the first time in a long while.
Audrey's eyes reflected worry as they were fixed briefly on Mission, before she glanced over to Revan and begrudgingly accepted his decision. "If you insist. In return, you'd better know what you're doing."
The group decided to travel as one to the farthest eastern perimeter of Czerka's area of operations, then split up as planned to carry on east and south. The long walk through the upper Shadowlands was uneventful, with several markers illuminated by lights planted every few dozen yards. Czerka crews and droids worked in rotation day and night, albeit defeating their own purpose as their noisy activities scared away all fauna from their surroundings.
Growing more anxious and desperate with every group of poachers and base camp they passed along the way, Mission's hopes for finding tach glands for her brother diminished rapidly. Security was tight and efficient, with every single Czerka force being accompanied by several surveillance and combat droids which would undoubtedly pick up on and report any suspicious activity via immediate signal transmissions back to their headquarters and Chuundar.
"You know," Canderous said as he walked on Revan's right, with HK-47 to Revan's left and the other party members following behind in a scattered formation, "it was interesting to hear you bring up memories of Dxun. Compared to what happened during those long, grueling months on that planet, this world doesn't seem to be all that bad. For now, at least."
"I've seen what happened there in my dreams. I wish I hadn't, I really do," Revan sighed. He honestly dreaded closing his eyes every night; he would always yearn for visions which would give him hope for the future, only to be often wracked with nightmares of his past misdeeds and tragic failures – the countless lives lost on Dxun being one of them. For all of his renown as a brilliant tactician, he had allowed himself to be goaded by Mandalore the Ultimate, who had used himself as bait, into committing his forces into a severely costly siege.
He recalled a part of a dream where he was questioning two of his Republic engineers during the night before the decisive morning charge which finally sealed the victory.
"What are you men doing?" he asked, observing how they along with a handful of other soldiers were busy digging in a long line behind the Republic military's headquarters.
"Preparing trenches, sir," one answered, grimacing as he struggled in ankle-deep gunk, a putrid mixture which ran down from the nearby hill consisting of mud as well as the blood of the soldiers who lost their lives assaulting the Mandalorian position day after day with minimal success. A complex system of bunkers and murder holes was set up and down the entire elevation, mowing down any Republic soldier who charged uphill.
"Trenches for what? Did you not receive my orders?" Revan reminded them. "We attack at dawn tomorrow morning. No-one stays still, no-one pauses or retreats. We need to get this done tomorrow, no further extensions."
"No sir, we know already," the other replied. "These trenches aren't for taking cover in."
"What are they for, then?" Revan asked.
The first man sheepishly spoke. "Well, there will inevitably be horrendous casualties tomorrow, and we'll be moving out as soon as possible once the battle is over, so…"
His companion finished for him. "Best to have all preparations for the burials completed tonight."
"Thinking of those nightmares again, huh?" Canderous snorted, dissipating Revan's visions in his mind. "I'm surprised you're still keeping it together. Whenever I'd see you up and about after waking up every day during our journey, you'd walk around with a face that looked like you'd seen a ghost."
"Yeah," Revan hoarsely whispered. "People I've lost. People I've killed. People I couldn't save. Then again, what would've happened if I didn't return? If I left you all for good on Tatooine? At least I can do something now to make amends, with Elena by my side to support me."
"Hah! Talk about funny. You come back because you can't see yourself living without her, and now you've told her to stay apart. Bah, never mind that, it's a smart decision you made for the time being. Although," he turned his head as much as his helmet allowed, "I definitely think you should check on Bastila. I always knew she had a temper and a mouth on her when really pushed, but…she's changed. She's worth watching closely from now on, if you ask me."
Revan looked back over his shoulder to see Bastila following behind him, noticeably splitting herself apart from Elena by several yards. Her eyes were fixed downward in a cold glare, staring only at Revan's feet to guide her while seemingly paying little heed to anything else. She continued on absent-mindedly until Revan who temporarily halted was suddenly right next to her, upon which she brought her gaze up to look him in the eye.
"I want to talk about what happened back there in the hall," Revan said, surprising Bastila who was expecting a subtler approach to the topic.
"There's no need. I know what you're going to say," she replied stubbornly, eyes fixed forward as they walked side by side.
"What was that, exactly? I understand that your Battle Meditation goes two ways – you empower your allies, while demoralizing your enemies. It's obvious that you were focusing more on that second part, but…it was horrific. Twisted. Even Elena said to me a short time ago that she's never seen anything like it."
"I did what was necessary, Revan," she defended herself. "I understand your concern, but I stand by my decision. Chuundar may have said that he had plans for Zaalbar which involved keeping him alive, but there's no telling what he may have done had he thought there would be no consequences."
"On the face of it, yes, you were correct in doing what you did, Bastila. Showing weakness and a willingness to concede to demands in front of someone like Chuundar is no different to outright submission. But you have to be careful; there's a fine line between standing your ground and falling down a path that you don't want to follow."
"Are you afraid?" she asked, her voice inflecting upward with an unhealthy mixture of incredulity and pride. "Afraid of what, exactly?"
"I've been in these situations before, Bastila; it's what eventually led to my fall. My self-confidence which eventually turned into arrogance and excessive pride. The fear I felt when it came to situations that I feared would fall out of my control, leading to the desire to outright dominate others to keep everything in line. The sense of fighting injustice which morphed into vengeance towards my enemies. I've relived all of those horrible moments again in my dreams. I'm trying my best to avoid making those mistakes again, but I fear for you. Elena fears for you even more. You haven't been the same ever since Tatooine, Bastila. You've…changed."
Bastila gently exhaled and hung her head. "Of all people, I thought you would understand me best, Revan. Maybe I was wrong."
He turned his head to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"What would have happened had you and I simply abided by the Jedi teachings? There are beings in this world who only respond to power…and fear. If it means avoiding death, if it means saving the life of the people closest to me, I would make the same choice a thousand times over."
"That doesn't change the fact that we're concerned for you, Bastila," Revan insisted. "We can't change who you are. You've always possessed passion and a strong will, and we've seen time and time again how that has allowed you to achieve incredible things – Elena told me about all of the great things you did as a Padawan. Your Battle Meditation saved me during my trials in the caves of Dantooine, but today…I had never experienced you use it in that way. Not even Elena had ever seen you do something like that."
"I…I'm scared, Revan," she admitted, her stubborn exterior finally breaking down as she fell to a whimper. "If I let myself be guided by the Jedi Code, then others will suffer and die just like my father. If I follow my own heart, I may save more lives than I ever could as a Jedi, but in return I fear that it'll lead me down the path of no return.
"Ever since that night on Tatooine, I felt…different. More powerful than I had ever been, and all it took was the simple act of rejecting the shackles placed on me by the Jedi Order. But the more I urge myself to tap into that power, to harness it and make it grow so that I can protect others, the more fearful I am of what I may turn into. Something hideous. A monster. That's why I couldn't bring myself to kill Calo Nord, despite knowing that he would come back to hunt us endlessly until he was dead."
"You don't have to be scared, Bastila," he said, then reached out and held her hand. "Not while I'm here."
She gasped, still feeling uneasy despite his offer of help. "Revan, I…"
"The road ahead will become more difficult with every step we take; obstacles that seem impossible to overcome, enemies that push us to our limits, choices that make us question our morality, maybe even our sanity. But we won't face those things alone. You won't face those things alone. As long as we stick together, we can avoid making the same mistake I did so long ago. I know what it is that you want, Bastila. I'm not going to judge you; I'm going to help you."
"Yes," she replied after what felt like an eternity, peering up to meet his eyes as she squeezed his hand and whispered. "That's what I want. Thank you."
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Elena could only look on as she saw Revan connect almost effortlessly with her former Padawan who had virtually rejected her pleas and words of warning. Despite spending over half of her life under Elena's tutelage, Bastila had become almost like a stranger to her old friend and Master in the span of just a few days, growing more and more attached to Revan during the trip through hyperspace.
'She's changed. She's no longer the strong-willed, yet sweet and gentle-hearted girl I once knew. And something tells me…she'll never be the same ever again.'
-o-
Eventually, after a long trek of a little over an hour, they came to the edges of the eastern perimeter that had been scouted out by the Czerka patrols. Proving Canderous's initial suspicions wrong, they realized that there was a good reason why the area beyond was uncharted – they now stood at the edge of a cliff, with everything beyond a few feet below obscured by heavy fog.
"Heh, well I'll be damned," Canderous said, peering over the ledge. "Guess it wasn't just a simple matter of those Czerka boys being a bunch of wimps, after all."
"What do you think is…down there?" Mission asked, fear beginning to eat away at her as she instinctively reached up to place her hand against Audrey's back for reassurance.
"No idea," Audrey replied. "I know Zaalbar said that there are several large creatures to be found down there, but beasts don't have to be big to be dangerous. Even the smallest thing can kill if we're not careful."
"Now that we're looking down, it's no surprise at all that Czerka didn't manage to properly chart out the area below," Carth said. "There's no telling what's down there, and one small misstep can mean the end of you."
Bastila sighed. "Wondering what may lurk below is one thing; how on earth do we get down there to begin with?"
She was right. Looking left and right, there was no clear path or traversable slope; although the mossy undergrowth they stood on extended over the cliff in the form of vines, there was no telling if they would be strong enough to support a climb down, and gave no hope for T3 to make the descent.
After a short while of looking around from every party member, HK-47 came up with a suggestion after spotting a potentially useful feature. "Observation: There appears to be a great fallen tree which has collapsed into the cliffside, just south. If my estimates on the structural fortitude of these trees are correct, then we should be able to make a cautious walk down its surface until we reach the lower Shadowlands."
"Well, would you look at that," Audrey remarked as she came up to the large broken trunk which lay just below the cliff, its top section nowhere to be seen, presumably having fallen to the shadows after its initial crash against the cliffside which still bore the cracks from the impact. "We've got our way down sorted, as risky as it may seem. I'll be going first, then."
"Is this it? Is there really no other way we can get down there?" Carth asked, feeling concern for his love. The treacherous fog was so thick and high that barely twenty feet of the tree was visible.
"We could go searching further south, but nobody knows how long it'll take to find another way down, if there even is one," Revan said. "The fact stands that everything we're looking for lies in the lower Shadowlands, whether that be the Star Map, the renegade Wookiees, or tach glands for Griff. The more time we spend aimlessly searching, the lower the chance we have to avoid something horrible happening to Zaalbar."
The second Audrey stepped forth, Mission reached out and held her back by the wrist. "Are you sure about this?"
"Darling," Audrey smirked, "I've been going through dangerous obstacles since before you were born. I might be a shadow of my old self compared to when I was, say, twenty years old, but I think I can do something like walking down a fallen tree without much hassle. Like I said, I'll go first; HK-47 can follow after me, then the rest of you can follow in any way you want."
"Wait," Juhani said, gently pulling Audrey back by the shoulder. "I will lead – I am best suited to this task. These trees are not too different from those of my homeworld of Cathar, and I will be able to see much better in the darkness."
"Ah, figures," Audrey accepted with a nod. "Makes sense to me. Have it your way, then."
"Alright everyone, the plan is set," Revan said. "We follow Juhani down the tree. Stick close and pay attention to where you need to place your feet as you climb; one wrong step, and nobody knows how far it is to the bottom. I'll be traveling right behind T3 in case he gets thrown off-balance by the uneven bumps along the way. Keep noise to a minimum, and try to always maintain a close distance to the person in front of you so that nobody gets lost. Let's go."
Despite the danger of the long descent down the rugged and bumpy tree, Mission couldn't help but worry all the more about Zaalbar and Griff. Her eyes would glance at the sky once every so often to behold the orange moon that served as a constant remind that time was ticking on her best friend's fate.
-o-
After roughly ten minutes, the ordeal began to take its toll on Mission. The lower Shadowlands, being hardly touched by Czerka, was an absolute wilderness, with many of the trees' branches and overhanging vines intertwining and looping over each other in a natural labyrinth. The path felt endless, requiring caution and second-guessing every step of the way as she walked down the slope while wading and weaving through the dense growth. She gripped for dear life against each small branch she could while weighed down by her gear and thick insulated clothing. Her breathing grew heavy, her knees were aching from constant bending and pressure, she could feel her head beginning to pound and spin, and she winced every time a loose splinter on the branches jabbed at her fingers through the gloves she wore.
She calmed herself again and again, thinking of her birth mother whom she was convinced was the woman Revan encountered on Tatooine – an example of how despite all the odds, things could turn out for the better – but it was in vain. The further she walked into the dark abyss, the more fearful she became, slowing her steps to a near-crawl.
"Come on, honey," Carth called out in a whisper from behind her, encouraging her to go forward. "I've got you. We can't slow down now."
"Mission? Mission, where are you? Keep up!" Audrey spoke under her breath from in front, although she couldn't be seen at all due to the fog and lack of light.
"I…I can't see anything! This is impossible!" she said exasperatedly. "Can't one of you activate your lightsabers or something? Hell, why can't I activate mine?" She reached around to the back of her belt where she kept one of the Sith lightsabers that was taken from the slain Dark Jedi on Tatooine as an emergency melee weapon, the other two being in Audrey and Carth's possession.
"No, Mission, don't!" Carth quickly and carefully paced forward, grabbing her by the wrist on time to stop her. "I know it's difficult, but we have to do this. There's no knowing what might happen if we give our position away right now."
"Okay…I can do this…I can do this…," she panted, heaving herself up to continue on. Not long after she summoned up the courage to move, the faint sound of a crashing waterfall came into hearing, providing much needed relief to her mind in that the bottom was not as far off as she thought.
"You're doing great, Mission, keep going!" Carth praised her. Despite her body and mind having previously been pushed to their limits, his words gave Mission a newfound strength. In a fleeting moment, she reflected on all that had happened in her life and also just how lucky she was to be in her current situation, as dangerous as it may be.
Just two years ago, she felt like the world was closing in and crumbling all around her: her parents and brother were gone, she didn't have a single friend among the Hidden Beks, and Zaerdra was far from being a nurturing mentor, more often than not being inclined to teach her harsh but necessary lessons instead. Now, she not only had a best friend, but also two guardians who would always support and protect her, even willing to sacrifice their own lives if it meant saving hers.
With a spark in her eyes, she continued onward, stepping over yet another set of vines which arched over and around the tree trunk.
A split second later, her heart sunk as she set foot in a damp patch of moss, losing her balance as she slipped and let out a yelp of fear.
"Mission!" Carth surged forward to grab her in time, wrapping his arm around her torso. They stood still for a short while, both panting as they realized that she was one perilous step away from falling to an unknown fate.
"Thanks, dad," she sighed, squeezing his hand which still held her secure. "Sorry if I gave you a little panic attack there."
"Don't sweat it," he replied, letting his hands fall to his sides once he made sure that she had a solid footing again. "Just be careful and watch every step you take, like I said, and—" He froze where he stood, a chill running up and down his spine the moment he looked around to be faced by a familiar sight which sent his heart plummeting.
One after another, pair upon pair of gleaming yellow eyes opened, filled with bloodlust and hunger. The horrifying memories of almost losing Mission to the kath hounds on Dantooine came flooding into Carth's mind as he readied his blaster in his right hand and his left hand hung over the lightsaber he kept on him for such moments of desperation.
"We've got company!" Canderous shouted from the rear as the former silence of the forest turned into a symphony of ear-piercing shrieks and cackled cries from the beasts around them. He raised his heavy repeating blaster, pushing down against the base of the knife bayonet to ensure that it was stuck in place and ready for use. All four Jedi activated their lightsabers, revealing dozens upon dozens of six-legged predators. Their limbs and backs were covered with reddish hair, their snout extended upwards into a twisting spiral, their bodies appeared emaciated almost to the bone, and razor-sharp fangs and claws were primed and ready to strike at their prey.
Seconds later, the beasts were upon them. They darted side to side at alarming speed, feet bouncing off each tree branch with frightening precision while screeching maniacally all the way.
"Fight!" Revan yelled, raising and pointing his lightsaber at one which leapt down through their air straight at him. With a single thrust forward, he skewered through the monster's head, splitting its body right down the middle as its two halves crumpled to his feet. Soon, every single party member was swamped by the creatures which attacked in a co-ordinated manner, with some swooping in before withdrawing in feint attacks, diverting attention away so that others could strike unexpectedly.
"Fuck, we can't keep this up! There's too many!" Canderous cried out again. "Run for it! Get your asses down this tree now!"
With so many beasts swarming around them with no hope of respite, Revan couldn't help but feel it again despite his own warnings to Bastila: the urge to dominate, to brutally overwhelm and destroy all obstacles which hindered his path, to save those dear to him by any means necessary, to use the Force as what it…ought to be. Lightning begun to crackle at his fingertips once more, just as it had during the night of the slaughter of the Tuskens.
'Wait,' he thought, stopping himself before he could fully commit to the deed. 'I mustn't. Not here in the forest, amidst all these trees.'
He was right. Whilst Force Lightning served well in the fight against the Tusken as he could control his attacks' trajectory while facing one direction against the enemy, using his powers in an unfocused way in the maze of tree branches and vines would have meant facing the real risk of inadvertently sparking a fire from the intense heat, putting all of his friends in danger in the process.
"Juhani! Lead the way! Hurry!" he yelled. "Everyone, stick close! Spread apart and we're dead!"
All in unison, the group began to pace down the tree, T3 barely holding himself steady as Elena slashed at the branches that stood in his path, all the while defending herself from persistent attacks. Cries of pain could be heard intermittently from various companions whose insulated clothing, as thick as they were, did not have the benefit of Canderous, HK and T3's armor plating, as the beasts managed to land several cuts with their sharp claws.
Mission's heart pounded madly as she struggled to even see where she was going, continuing to slip and slide down the mossy tree while fighting off the shrieking monsters with her blaster pistol, lacking confidence to use her Sith lightsaber out of fear of accidentally swiping at one of her friends in the desperate close melee. Unable to focus her mind on anything but running as fast as possible, she did not spot in time one of the predators which lay in wait beneath a low leafy branch, opportunistically slashing at the back of her calf the moment she jumped over it.
"Agggh!" she screamed, her eyes shutting tightly as she winced from the pain, ironically in the very same spot where she was shot by Xor on Tatooine. Expecting a follow-up pounce, she spun around just in time to shoot the beast at the very moment it leapt through the air, landing a round squarely on its snout. Its momentum was unbroken, however, as its now dead body hurtled against her, knocking her backwards and causing her to collapse onto her back against an uneven slope. She lost her balance, crying out for help as she made an attempt to scramble to her feet, slipping down with uncontrollable speed and crashing against several obstacles along the way.
"Mission!" Audrey screamed, making an attempt to run at full pace to stop Mission's rapid descent the moment she saw the young Twi'lek slip past her to her left. She came to a sharp halt when she was cut off by three of the monsters which climbed out from the underside of the tree and snapped at her with their razor-sharp fangs. Out of desperation, she pulled out her own Sith lightsaber and activated it, lashing at them with a quick horizontal swing. Heads, arms, legs and teeth were severed from their hosts before falling in a gruesome heap in front of her as she rushed forward, pursuing her stepdaughter in a wild panic.
Surrounded, outnumbered and his strength faltering with every strike he dealt, Revan could hear Malak's haunting words from his visions echo in his mind.
Why do you do it, Revan? Futilely clinging to the light. Believing in the false hope that you can change things for the better, when your entire world is crumbling around you.
Devotion? Love? These things are dead to us now, and soon, the same will happen to her.
You will save no-one, and in the end, you will lose everything.
A/N: I hope that my take on Kashyyyk has been an interesting shake-up compared to the game so far. I thought there should be some nuance to the situation with Chuundar (as there should be for many other elements in the game) as well as more creatures other than the katarn and kinrath we'd see in the game.
The monsters that attacked the party are asyyyriaks. It was a challenge narrating the combat scene without mentioning them by name, since the party members aren't familiar with the planet and therefore would have no idea just what they are.
I'm very excited to write these Kashyyyk chapters, maybe more so than I was for Tatooine, which is a good sign. Hope to bring you the next chapter soon.
