Patrol Captain Dehno pranced towards us with his head so far up in the trees that I could see the disgusting hairs up his nose. He was that old man from before who shouted at Zaalbar over the comm. Behind him, a pack of sentinel droids and five more Czerka hirelings mingled about.

After a lengthy introduction, Dehno sniffed, then spoke with his haughty accent. "And you are the rabble-rousers who interrupted our operations this morning."

Before I insisted that the only rabble being roused around here were the Wookiees they were enslaving, Bastila cut in.

"You are to lead us to the Wookiee village?"

"Yes and no." Dehno nodded to the droids. "We are here for protection."

"We don't need babysitters," I hissed.

Dehno's wrinkled face twisted as he chuckled. "I'm sure you'll disagree after you witness your first Edean-native kinrath spider. They're bigger and meaner here. All lifeforms are."

Canderous snorted. "Your mechanical brigade is going to protect us? Give me a break."

I had to agree with the Mando. The Czerka drone and his team barely looked capable enough to sharpen a dull knife never mind fight off the local wildlife. Actually, we'd probably be more of a protection to them.

Captain Dehno twitched. "We're not here to protect you, Mandalorian. We're here to protect our assets from being tampered with. You lot have a precedent of doing that already. We cannot trust you to walk our planet alone." He twisted around and lead us towards a silver gatehouse fitted with blaster shields and turrets. More of those disgusting cages with chained-up Wookiees sat by the steel walls of the Czerka buildings. As we passed under the gate, Dehno's annoying voice pierced the cacophony of the jungle. "The village and the lift down to the Shadowlands is a few hours away. Follow us and do not trail behind. Any unauthorized wandering of our walkway will result in trespassing charges and a fine. I doubt spacers like you could afford it."

Mission's cheeks puffed. "How do you know that, core slime! We could be filthy rich!"

He glanced over at me in particular. For some reason.

"Oh, I have my way of knowing...the smell, for example."

I really want to throw this guy over the railing. It would save us so much trouble...

Bastila shot a look at me over her shoulder.

We will not murder someone because they are annoying!

I flinched.

Wait, you heard that?

Of course! I can only hear thoughts you send directly over to me, remember?

Yes, but I didn't send that on purpose.

Despite both of our attempts at blocking the bond, it seems to have only gotten worse. So much so, my incidental thoughts were slipping through the cracks. Great. What had been the point of those "lessons" even?

Bastila turned away. Even if it wasn't on purpose, I cannot believe you'd callously think about ending someone's life. Is this how you think on a day-to-day basis?

I smirked with a raised brow. No, my thoughts are way more...revealing. Would you like an example?

Her shoulders flinched. Force, no! Don't you dare—!

If not over the railing...could I just make him slip? If he happens to break his neck, then that wouldn't technically be murder, right?

No, that would technically be manslaughter —

As Captain Czerka walked away, the man tripped on his own feet and fell flat on his face. We all stopped and stared as he tried to stand once more. The Czerka guards looked at each other at their leader's sudden clumsiness.

I smirked. Lucky him.

Bastila rubbed her forehead and sighed.

A humid breeze perforated the air and sweat began dripping off my forehead as we traveled on the wooden platforms haphazardly put together by Czerka. Occasionally, I shot glances at Bastila's head...not her rear, I swear. Kriff, I had to be more careful with my thoughts now. And to think I'd been worried about my emotions being revealed to the meddlesome Jedi.

Dehno mentioned it would take a few hours to walk to the Wookiee settlement. Many creatures made their nests around the manmade structures from the lizard-like katarns to the web-spinning kinraths. Carth asked why Czerka hadn't exterminated the dangerous creatures but, apparently, staving off the wilds of Kashyyyk was next to impossible.

Carth stayed close to Dehno. Probably was paranoid of the old man. I highly doubt Dehno had enough brain cells to betray us in any way. Bastila walked close to the pack of droids and Czerka drones. I distanced myself from her after the incidental thought incident. Though...doubt that four meters would make a difference. What I really needed to do was reign in my emotions and thoughts before they got out of control again. Otherwise, I'd reveal all my dirty little secrets. Again, this was easier said than done.

Canderous and Verena marched in front of me, arguing over the shields they carried. Echani shields last longer. Oh, but the Mando variants are stronger. I wanted to butt in and say they both sucked ass but I did not want to die a painful death. Mission sighed while gazing out into the jungle. Probably still upset over what happened with Zaalbar...and I didn't want to continue that argument again.

Juhani had been quiet. Her yellow eyes didn't show anger or heat that they did before. Which was quite unlike her.

I walked by the young Cathar's side. "Hey, you doing alright?"

It wasn't the best conversation starter, but the last time we spoke...it didn't end well.

She sighed. "This place...is an ugly reminder of my childhood. Some of it feels like how I used to walk down the streets of Taris—chained. They looked at me in disgust; like an animal. Because I was an 'alien'. Because I was different from them. That was their excuse to persecute me...like Czerka persecutes the Wookiees."

I nodded slowly. "I know how you feel. If I could, I'd put a stop to this whole thing. But...can't always get my way, I guess."

"You are human...you could not possibly know what it's like to be ostracized as I have."

"Humans could be just as cruel to each other."

If not worse.

"Yes, that's true, but to be cast aside for traits you were born with? No, that is something you will never understand." She searched the wroshyr branches. "I...I'm still wrestling with my feelings. About Taris. Trying to come to terms with what happened. But even after meditating, reminding myself of the Jedi Code, I find that I...cannot." The heat of anger returned. "Bastila should have turned herself in before billions of people died."

Bitterness coated my tongue at the mere thought of that happening.

"You do realize if Bastila did that, Malak would have used her Battle Meditation against us, right? More planets other than Taris would have suffered if that happened."

"Oh yes, I have been told all about her vaunted powers with the Force. Her Battle Meditation can turn the tide of any conflict. Well if it could, then why was Taris not saved?"

I scoffed. "We were ambushed. Her meditation is nothing without a fleet behind her. A fleet that was destroyed. And it's not only her meditation that is important now. Without our bond and the visions, we'd never have learned about the Star Forge."

"But was it worth it? One life? Over billions?"

I stared down at my dirty boots. Asking all the hard questions now, wasn't she?

"Sometimes, yes, you need to make sacrifices like that. Sacrifices for the greater good."

"For the greater good?" She sneered at me. "Easy for you to say!"

I tilted my head. "Am I wrong?"

"What makes which 'good' greater in your eyes? How could you even consider making that decision? The sacrifice of an entire world is too much for any cause! How would you feel if your homeworld was destroyed in Taris' place? Would you be so callous then?"

"Callous? " I chuckled. "No, Juhani, it's just the ugly truth."

"It's callous to me the way you just reasoned away the deaths of billions of people."

Instead of feeling frustrated by her moral preaching, numbness flooded my mind. And I felt a strange, clinical, detachment. It was the emotionless state I'd strived so hard to achieve. Should have celebrated my success, really.

Yet...

"Let me ask you something." The Cathar's face froze at my lowered voice. "Would Malak have left Taris alone after he captured Bastila? Or would he have destroyed the planet anyway?"

"I…" She breathed in. "No, of course not, he would have had no reason to—"

"But do you know that for sure?"

"Well...no, but—"

"Do you know what I think?" Juhani flinched at my interruption. "I think Malak wanted to see your world burn no matter what. And after he destroyed Taris...captured Bastila...billions more would have died. So, really, what happened was probably the best-case scenario."

She blinked a few times at my words. Her lips flinched as if she was trying to come up with a rebuttal, but eventually, she gave up with a sigh.

"You're...right. I suppose you did what you had to…and it could not have been avoided. The Republic needs you and Bastila. Maybe needed you both more than it needed Taris." I felt a sharp depression through the Force. "I'm such a fool."

I smiled—the strange numbness disbursed. "No, you're not. It's fine. Just...can you apologize to Mission? She's had it rough since her idiotic brother betrayed her."

"Of course, I didn't mean to hurt the girl." She shook her head. "Once again, you've shown me the error of my ways."

I shrugged. "We all make mistakes. The first step in correcting them is by admitting it."

"Yes, but it seems that I just keep making mistakes. How you continue to have such wisdom—" Then, before she could gush on about me again, Juhani stopped. "Do you sense that?"

I stopped with the Cathar and glanced at the surrounding jungle. We'd split off a bit from the group. They continued along without us—not realizing that we'd stopped. Well, except Bastila who had sensed it too. It was the sensation of a million patterings crawling across my skin.

A hiss and hum. Juhani unleashed her blue lightsaber and barely cleaved the unknown attacker in half before its pale body tackled her to the ground. It had fallen from above—above the wroshyr branches.

Hundreds of beady eyes peered at us from the darkness.

"Oh, kriff."

That idiot of a captain somehow led us to a damn kinrath nest!

Another four-legged pale form rained down from above. I managed to predict and dodge the arachnid while unleashing my own blue blade. The dipped expression of the kinrath twisted as it snapped at me with its conical head. I spun away before it could bite down. A reeking green fluid sizzled as it hit the wooden boards. Force...what the hell was that?

Another kinrath fell—this one behind me. Juhani took care of that one while I focused on the spitting one. Waving a hand, feeling a faint tingle of the Force, the first kinrath slammed over the side of the railing. The green fluid trailed after it.

Everyone in front finally noticed what was happening. Canderous, Mission, and Carth grabbed their blasters and aimed for the nest. The Czerka goons followed their lead. But, before they fired, I waved.

"No, wait!" They lowered their weapons, fortunately. The kinrath mass above moved in a disgusting, fleshy wave. I met Bastila's gaze from across the walkway. "I don't think they've all seen us down here yet."

The best move would be to get the hell out of there before the entire nest realized there was a snack waiting for them. If we started shooting...

"Scanning ...target acquired."

Czerka's sentinel droid sprung to life and aimed. Dehno rushed towards his droid, shouting expletives, but it was too late. Multiple rounds were shot from the idiotic machine up into the kinrath nest.

Screeching. Terrible, terrible, screeching.

Many pale forms either collided with the walkway or crawled down the side of the Wroshyr tree. Unorganized blaster fire erupted where the Czerka employees stood. The rest of our team was obscured by the mass of kinraths.

Juhani sent a wave through the Force to subdue some of the creatures. She cut them down to help clear a path to everyone else. Bastila beat off some of the crawlers on the other side. I continued to throw the spiders with the Force to the jungle below—occasionally using my lightsaber to cleave them in half. Somehow, after killing all of the kinrath in our way, Juhani and I made it to everyone else.

We put our backs together, facing the mass of crawlers. Completely surrounded. Kinraths hissed more of that green fluid near our boots. They slowly, and carefully, approached.

To my right, Carth held up his blasters. "Now would be a good time for a plan, Wes!" he shouted over the hissing.

"Does 'run away screaming' sound like a good plan to you?"

"No, in fact, I was thinking you'd think of something that was actually possible!"

"Why don't you think of something for once, Orangy?"

"Ewegh...why did it have to be spiders…" Mission shivered, clenching her blaster tight. "I hate spiders."

"Quit your whining, kid," Canderous muttered.

Mission re-gripped her blaster. "I am not a kid, old fart!"

"Where is our 'protection?'" Verena interrupted from behind me.

I glanced over to the last place I'd seen the Czerka idiots. Some yellow and black dressed corpses were being dragged up into the tree. It explained why the kinraths weren't immediately attacking. They were busy...feasting. All of the droids had been destroyed. But Dehno—the bastard—was running off in the distance with his surviving crew.

"Why don't you guess?" I twirled my lightsaber so that I held it underhanded. The heat brushed near my forearm. "So much for their precious 'assets.'"

The creatures hissed with caution then pounced. I slashed the first one that tried tackling Carth to the ground. The pilot shot a few rounds with his blasters at one trying to take advantage of my exposed back. Juhani focused and used more of her calming ability on the creatures. They were mowed down by Canderous. Guess controlling those kath hounds came in handy. Mission made noises of disgust as kinrath after kinrath fell by her own blaster shots. Verena used her weapons—both her body and Yusanis' blade—to cleave kinrath's in half—their green guts spilled to the wooden boards. Bastila stabbed into one that tried spitting at the Echani.

Chaos. Complete, utter, chaos.

A burning sensation. Some of the kinrath's fluids splashed on my right arm and soaked through my sleeve to the skin. Before I dropped my lightsaber, I threw it to my left hand and cut the head from the offending spider.

Carth cursed, dropping one of his blasters. He also got sprayed by the kinrath—though more directly. He staggered back while holding his arm. I used a blast of the Force on the kinrath before it bit down onto the pilot.

"Careful there, orange meatbag!"

The pilot didn't make comment back for once and continued shooting with his remaining pistol. Pain from the green toxin slowly burned my right arm. I tried to block it out as I mowed down kinrath after kinrath…

A shout that wasn't my own rang from within my mind. Bastila. I hissed due to a burning sensation on my shoulder and risked a glance back.

She'd gotten herself separated. Bastila had taken out more than her fair share, but there were just too many for one person to handle on her own. Well, honestly, there were too many for all of us to handle at all. A kinrath spat more of that venom onto her shoulder.

I'm fine. Keep going.

Those words, Bastila's voice, rang through my mind. And I, foolishly, listened to her. She could take care of herself after all. Right? A few more spiders fell—Canderous punched the conical heads in, Verena sliced pale legs, Mission remained protected by us all in the center, Carth and Juhani worked together using the Force and blaster fire to wean down the numbers.

A blast of pain erupted on the nerves of my leg as if something punctured the skin. Yet, when I looked down, nothing was there. I twisted around again and paused. One of the kinrath's had bitten down on Bastila's leg.

Focus on the battle, Wes. There is no emotion…

Kriff that.

Breaking away from defending our non-Jedi companions, I flipped around and used a blast of the Force to clear a path to Bastila. The wind whipped my hair as I thundered towards the kinrath—all that mattered really was that it died a painful death. The creature shrieked when my lightsaber punctured its chest and Bastila staggered back—the pain didn't go away though.

Before I could return to our defense, a heavy body collided with me. My lightsaber skidded out of my hand. Flailing, I tried to use the Force on the attacking creature, but my concentration wavered both due to Bastila's pain and the chaos around us.

And I probably would have died too.

But many growls blasted from the wroshyr trees. Thumps rang from above, below, around. From what I could make out, the growls were...a warcry. A warcry of the hunt.

The weight on my back disappeared. A spear lodged itself into the flesh of the kinrath that almost gutted me. And replacing that were the shrieks of Wookiee warriors and the hissing of lizards. I used the Force to pull my lightsaber back into my left hand while staggering to my feet.

Wookiees riding the lizard-like katarns slithered on the wroshyr trunk and branches. The katarns bit down on the offending kinraths and the Wookiees threw and stabbed their spears into more of them. Their leader, or at least he looked like the leader, rode on a katarn decorated with leaves of strange colors.

Something thumped behind me. Bastila got to one knee then fell to her back. For once, I broke away from the action. The Wookiees could handle it.

I rushed to Bastila's side. "Bondy, you alright?"

She winced. "I'm fine. Why did you…you shouldn't..."

"No talking."

I shrugged my light pack to the side and grabbed a few kolto strips. Her trouser leg had already been ripped. A yellow-pus congealed where the kinrath bit down. I ignored the smell and ripped away the remaining cloth so that I could wrap the strip. She cursed as I slapped the kolto on her wound.

"Careful."

"My, my, didn't know you had a potty mouth."

"That is...not important...at all..."

Before I could make another quip, the Wookiee leader approached me on his decorated katarn. Another Wookiee, an underling, led his katarn forward. He growled down at me.

"More outsiders have been caught in our hunt, Chieftain Chorrawl."

The Wookiee leader, Chorrawl, shook his spear at me. "Kill them. Their kind only takes or destroys."

The muted screeching finally ceased. The rest of Chorrawl's hunters began to slither to their leader. Towards us. I hooked my lightsaber then raised my hands.

"Wait, we're not here to take or destroy anything."

The underling growled in surprise. "He...I think this outsider understands us."

Chorrawl watched me with dark beady eyes. Eventually, the Wookiee waved at his warriors to stop.

"Who are you, outsider? How do you know our tongue?"

"Uh…"

I swerved around in order to take stock of everyone else's welfare.

Carth leaned against the rail, holding his burnt arm. Canderous and Verena sustained similar burns from the kinraths but were still able to hold their weapons. Juhani had fallen and it looked as if she'd sprained or broken her ankle. Mission held her chest while staggering towards us. We could not fight off these Wookiees even if we wanted to.

I finally answered. "We're...researchers who are searching for an ancient machine on the jungle floor."

The underling dropped from his katarn and stomped towards me.

"Liar! You are with Czerka. You use those cursed devices!"

The Wookiee waved at the destroyed droids. Oh, great. I laughed nervously

"No!" I laughed. "No, no, those were already there. We are not with Czerka. We hate them. Yup. Detest them even—"

"Statement: Master, there has been some suspicious activity near the Czerka—"

I yanked the comm out of my pocket and shut it off. HK could wait. Before I put the comm away again, a paw grabbed the device from my hand.

The underling threw the comm to the Shadowlands. "They're trying to signal for rescue!"

"No! That's... ugh—"

Before I could come up with an excuse, there was a rustle behind the pack. Dehno and his surviving team of goons were dragged by a few more of those wild-looking Wookiees.

The old man scoffed. "You! We had a deal, fleabags! Release us!"

"Deal?" The underling whimpered. "No, you have a deal with Chuundar. Not with Chorrawl."

Since Dehno couldn't understand, the idiot continued to struggle. "Bring me a translator. I cannot—"

"These outsiders are not to be trusted!" Chorrawl waved his trunk arm. "Throw them all down to the Shadowlands!"

We all flinched at the roaring—though in my case, I flinched because I understood the threat.

"Now, hold on just a second. Let's talk about this—"

"We don't care if you can understand us, outsider," the underling growled. "There can be no mercy for the enslavers."

"But we're not—! "

Before they attacked us, a soft whistle rustled in the trees. The leader, Chorrawl, gazed up. "Chuundar's clan approaches…" His beady eyes narrowed. "You are very lucky we do not wish to fight them, outsiders." The Wookiee hunters released Dehno and his Czerka idiots. The old man fixed his collar then grabbed a blaster. Fortunately, that idiot didn't let out a shot. The underling mounted his katarn and the warriors behind us began to disperse up the wroshyr.

Below, Bastila coughed. "Why did they leave?"

"Well…" I sighed. "I think we're going to have more company."

We didn't have to wait long for that company to arrive. Down the walkway, Wookiees armed with vibroblades and blasters marched towards us in an orderly unit. Unlike the wild group that almost killed us, these Wookiees walked as if they owned the trees. The one in front carried a heavy bowcaster and wore leathers that were obviously synthesized off-world.

The leader of the "civilized" Wookiees stopped before the Czerka goons.

"Outsiders." The civilized leader sniffed. "The Mad Claws have dispersed."

I helped Bastila to her feet and let her lean on my shoulder. Carth helped Juhani get onto her feet as well though they both looked like they were going to topple over.

Canderous shoved his blaster rifle onto his shoulder. "How many kriffing Wookiees are on this damn planet?"

"Too many," Carth muttered.

The leader studied us with his marble eyes then froze when he spotted me. Before I could help Bastila limp away, the civilized Wookiee's shadow cast over me.

"You." The Wookiee pointed. "Chuundar wishes to speak to you."

"Wait, what?"

Bastila's gray eyes met mine. "What did he say?"

"Chuundar wants to speak to us?" I sneered. "Why?"

"No questions, outsider. Follow us, or don't. But you will want to hear what our great leader has to say."

The rest of the group's tired bodies tightened. Sure, we needed to speak to the Wookiee leader, and it was nice that we didn't have to wait, but how did Chuundar already know about us?

This is a trap, isn't it?

I sighed. "Just a moment, furball. Need to catch our breath."

And, fortunately, the civilized Wookiee nodded. "When you are ready, outsider, we will lead you to Rwookrrorro."

Walls upon walls of brown tangled fur blocked our sight of both the path ahead and the jungle below. The Czerka goons were still following us for some reason. Probably because they were working with Chuundar's clan. After fifteen minutes of being smushed between Wookiees, Bastila shrugged away from me. The kolto must be working finally, though her limping and brief spurts of pain indicated she still suffered from the kinrath bite.

The rest of the team hadn't faired well from that fight either. We'd used most of the kolto strips on the numerous kinrath venom burns. Juhani's sprained ankle meant she had to be carried by one of the Wookiees. My right arm was still too sore to move from the small sling I'd scrounged together.

After walking in silence for miles, Bastila limped to my side.

"You shouldn't have done that."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"You risked the mission. Again ."

I scratched my wounded arm. "Doing what, sunshine? You're going to have to be a bit more specific."

"You risked it by helping me."

Ah. I see. We were back to that again.

"So, I should have just let the kinrath spiders eat you for breakfast?"

"Are you... no, that isn't—I can handle it, Wes. I'm a Jedi, not some damsel."

"I didn't say that you were. But you'd gotten separated from us. If I did nothing to help you then, well—"

"Well, nothing." She huffed. "Look, I understand that there was a lapse in your judgment. But from now on, promise me—"

"No."

"I...I didn't finish."

"You didn't have to." I met her gray stare. "I will never abandon you. Ever. For any reason."

Bastila waved an arm. "You see, this is exactly what I was talking about on the Ebon Hawk. The way you are reacting to the bond will put our mission in jeopardy. When you helped me, you were also attacked. What good did that do for anyone? If those Wookiees didn't show up, we would both be dead and all of this would have been for nothing."

I pursed my lips—an argument hung on my breath. Yet, the words never came to mind. Nor the will to speak them. Maybe it was because I knew, deep down, that Bastila was right. We would have died if those Wookiees hadn't shown up.

This bond is both a gift and a curse.

Bastila's face tightened with intensity. "So, just promise me, Wes, please, that if I am ever hurt or in danger again that you will ignore the bond and not put yourself at risk for my sake. Please."

I bit the side of my cheek then stared up into the wroshyr branches.

"Fine."

Bastila sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"But..." I smirked at her waving pigtails. "That logic also applies to you, sunshine. If I'm ever hurt or in danger, don't you dare risk yourself for me."

The Jedi blinked as if processing what I said.

"That…" She sighed. "Yes, of course."

I flinched. "Wow! No hesitation! So, you're saying that if I was in your place, you'd just let the kinrath eat me? I mean...I knew you hated my guts, but you'd really just let me die like that?"

"No! I…" While she still glared at me, a smirk of her own drifted onto her face. "There is a major difference."

"Oh, is there?"

"I wouldn't have risked myself like an idiot."

"But what if that wasn't possible?"

"What, not being an idiot? Completely possible for normal, well-adjusted people."

"Maybe in a perfect galaxy, sunshine."

"Well, no one is as impulsively arrogant as you!"

"So, what you're saying is if there was the tiniest, nanoscopic possibility that you'd get hurt then I'd be spider chow? Hmm…" I rubbed my chin while staring down my nose at her. "Maybe you are a damsel!"

"What! "

"I mean, only a damsel would sit back and let the strong man take care of all the fearsome kinrath spiders. And if he was ever in danger, she wouldn't save him—no—she'd stand there like a plank of wood, hoping some random Wookiees would swoop in to save the day!"

As I spoke, her face turned red, her body quaked, and her nose wrinkled.

"You are...completely...utterly impossible! "

And she stormed away, bowling over both Canderous and Verena aside with the Force. They both shot me a look.

"What the hell did you do?" Verena's glare was made of lightsabers

I smiled back with a shrug. "Don't worry, it's just Bastila being Bastila. Shouting, arguing, and huffing around like a nerf. You get used to it."

Verena narrowed her eyes as if she didn't believe me. Canderous crossed his arms and his gaze sparkled as he snickered. For some reason.

We walked for ten more minutes in silence. The Wookiees...were about as quiet as Zaalbar. Though, that was probably because they didn't trust us at all. The feeling was mutual, really.

The "civilized" leader approached my side. "The name is Jaarak of Chuundar clan, outsider. I am a scout of our village. You?"

I pursed my lips. These Wookiees were nicer than the lot that almost killed us. But they were also being led by Zaalbar's evil brother, so I was having trouble believing the act.

"Wes."

"Wes of?"

"Of...Deralia?"

The Wookiee hummed. "You come from the stars like Czerka, but you understand us without a machine. Did you learn from one of us? Or are you what they call a 'scholar?'"

"What does Chuundar want?" I asked. "He shouldn't even know who we are."

Jaarak growled. "I was only told to watch for strange outsiders being led by Czerka and to bring them to the village, Wes of Deralia clan. We do not question the orders of Chieftain Chuundar."

"Oh, but you might want to question him more given that he sells your people into slavery."

The Wookiee snorted. "Ah, so you believe the lies of Clan Chorrawl? Why? Those untamed beasts were going to kill you, outsider."

"Yes, because they thought we were Czerka slavers."

Jaarak blinked a few times, giving me a look that could be read as condescending on a human face. A moment passed of this confusion before the Wookiee sighed.

"Those Mad Claws put us all at risk."

Before I could ask him to clarify, the largest wroshyr tree I'd seen so far appeared around the next bend.

The Wookiee village of Rwookrrorro.

A ricketty, yet intricate, wooden hexagonal structure balanced at the top of the thick tree. Below that, hundreds upon hundreds of conical-shaped roofs covered wicker-basket-type homes. Those homes hugged or sat upon the thick branches. And from these homes, Wookiees of all sizes and of all furs mingled on woven rope walkways. Lanterns hung from the doorways that were carved directly into the tree itself. An entire society formed within that tree.

It was nothing like I'd ever seen before, honestly.

Katarns fell into the closest fat branch and slithered towards a tower-like structure hewn into the wroshyr tree. Jaarak and his troop stopped beneath the shelter of the wicker roof that leaned onto the wooden walls of the tower. Inside, grenades, mines, and turret guns sat in metal boxes stamped with a Czerka insignia. Wonder what those were being used for...

As we walked through the fragile gate, the Wookiee scouts all disbursed—the one holding Juhani dropped her. The poor Jedi yelped but Carth grabbed her before she fell. Jaarak led us up the great tree using tilted vine bridges and stairs carved into the wood of the tree. Numerous Wookiees peered at us with worry in their marble eyes. Younglings hugged the tangled hair of their parent's legs. After our brief excursion through the village, we stopped before one of the doors carved into the tree.

"You will have to wait here," Jaarak said. "The village...they are not comfortable with outsiders staying for too long."

I shook my head. "Why not bring us to Chuundar now?"

The Wookiee snarled and stabbed a claw in my direction while pushing open the door.

"No questions. You wait for the chieftain."

Jaarak left us once we were siphoned into the warm cottage.

A cooking fire blazed in the center of the room, and a smoke trail drifted up into a woven hole in the bark. The living space was sparse yet homely. Chairs that were Wookiee size encircled the fire and narrow stairs twirled around a pole—possibly up to some bedrooms.

Juhani winced as Carth helped her sit on one of the chairs in the corner. The pilot chose one of the chairs against the wall then sighed, leaning forward. The Echani and Mando took the opposite corners of the small cabin and began to meddle with their blaster and vibroblade respectively. Mission stole a chair near the fire.

I explored the living space. In the back, there was a mix of supplies. I opened one of the wicker baskets to some odd fruits or vegetables that appeared free for the taking. Hopefully. I grabbed a yellow one and took a spot in front of Mission. And Bastila sat next to me, watching the door.

I tossed the fruit and caught it.

More waiting...

The warmth from the flames and the boredom caused me to pass into a half-slumber. Hours...and hours...of waiting. In the darkness, many voices (that were for once not a part of any vision) cascaded around me.

"How many did you kill, Echani?"

Canderous' boisterous voice called to the other corner.

"Thirty-eight," Verena responded.

"Wait, you actually kept count?"

"Why bother asking if you didn't think I did?" A sniff. "You?"

"Fifty-two."

"Impossible. You counted some of the Jedi's kills as your own."

A sigh. Carth, I think. "Who gives two flying mynocks."

"Oh, it's alright, flyboy," Verena said, mockingly. "We didn't bother asking you because we didn't want you to feel bad about your seven kills."

"Seven! What! No way. I know I shot down way more than seven!"

Canderous interrupted with a warm chuckle. "With pipsqueak's help, sure."

"Oh, I'm supposed to compete with a Jedi now?"

Verena snorted. "I thought you said you didn't give two flying mynocks?"

Over Carth, Canderous, and Verena's petty argument in the corner, Mission groaned. "Ugh... what is taking them so long."

Something kicked my boot.

Bastila huffed. "Patience, Mission."

"What do you do to pass the time, Bas?"

"Pass the time?"

"You know, what do you do when you're bored?"

There was a pause as if she was actually thinking about it. I thought she'd say something along the lines of boredom not being the Jedi way or something stuck up like that, but she actually had an answer.

"I review my studies. Sometimes I read up more techniques or practice my Battle Meditation. Other times I meditate to hone my inner self and reflect on—"

"Boo—ring ."

"Boring? It may seem that way, Mission, but enriching the mind is entertaining in many circumstances. For example—"

Something kicked my boot again. "Wes, please wake up, Bas is killing me over here."

I pretended to stir awake. Stretching and yawning, I blinked lazily at the two.

"What's that? Who's dying?"

Mission crossed her arms. "Do Jedi ever use the Force for fun?"

I smirked. "All the time."

"No, only he does. And he shouldn't." Bastila narrowed her eyes at me. "We aren't supposed to use the Force in such petty ways."

"That sucks. You know, if I was a Jedi," Mission started, "the first thing I would do is use the Force to pull pranks on people that annoy me. Something fell off the counter onto your foot? Just the wind. Trip? Whoops! What a clutz! Blasters start floating? You must be going crazy!" Mission laughed. "No one would ever suspect me!"

I rubbed my chin. "Should I be taking notes?"

"No! The Force isn't meant for stupid pranks," Bastila insisted, again. "Not to mention that pranks, especially harmful ones, are very lazy attempts at humor."

Mission scoffed. "You're talking as if you've never played pranks on people before."

I raised a brow at the Jedi who crossed her arms. Bastila's face flinched then tightened at my prodding look.

"I haven't."

Mission puffed her lips. "Ah, come on. There's got to be times when you've thought about getting back at someone by sticking rancor sauce on their nerfsteak. Or replace their speeder fuel with compactor slime. Don't be so stuck up—you can tell me."

"I am not stuck up. I merely have the years of Jedi training along with experience dealing with Wes' antics to see how childish your pranks would be."

"Hey!" I shouted.

Mission interrupted before I could argue. "Childish? My pranks aren't childish! Oh, is that another crack about my age? Just 'cause you're some Jedi doesn't mean you can be a prissy little—" A burst of Force. Mission's chair leg gave out, causing her to tumble to the floor. She hissed in slight pain then shot a sharp look at Bastila. "Hey! That isn't funny!"

Bastila shrugged though there was a glint of something evil in her eyes.

"Whatever do you mean, Mission? Maybe the chair leg is rotten."

"Oh, ha, ha."

Before I could comment on the situation, the door to the cabin opened.

A bunch of Wookiees entered, each holding cortosis blades and blasters. The Wookiee from before, Jaarak, pushed past the group and met my gaze.

"Chieftan Chuundar will see you now."

Jaarak led all of us, except for Juhani who stayed behind due to her injury, through the tangled weave of the Wookiee village. As we marched by, the villagers shot us familiar curious looks—similar to the looks the young Jedi gave us on Dantooine. Eventually, we arrived at a grand staircase carved around the wood of the tree.

At the very top, a grand hall fit with tables of exotic foods and Wookiee art spread about. Guards fitted with more of the advanced technology watched us with suspicion. Near those guards was another tower—this one fit with a crude pulley system and lift. Jaarak led us to the very end of the hall. On a branch throne sat a gray, scarred Wookiee who wore an intricate necklace fitted with what looked like the hilt of a sword. This must have been Chuundar.

Some people were already before the Wookiee chieftain when we arrived. Dehno's crew. The old man smirked at me as we stopped next to them. I glared back.

Chuundar leaned on his claw as if bored and moaned. "So...you are the outsiders who disturbed Czerka's operation."

The Chieftain waved at the guards near some steps leading down into the depths of the tree. Growls erupted from below as a prisoner was being led up to the grand hall.

"Big Z!"

Mission shoved some of the Wookiees aside. Zaalbar barred his teeth as he was tugged forward in chains by his own kind.

Chuundar sighed while waving his clawed hand lazily about. "As you can see, outsider, I have taken the Mad Claw off of your hands."

Heat gathered on my face and I placed a hand on my lightsaber. "What the hell are you doing? Let him go!"

"No...when I heard from my climbers about what happened this morning, I had to take action. Fortunately, Janos assisted me with the Mad Claw's capture." Chuundar stood and approached Zaalbar. "You really thought you could hide from me on a ship? Use your new friends as a shield? You forget I have my own friends in high places."

Zaalbar hissed. "Friends who destroy our way of life!"

Canderous sighed behind me. "Kriff...what are these furballs saying?"

"Who knows…" Carth muttered.

"They broke onto our ship, that's what he's kriffing saying!" Force, was that what HK was trying to warn me about before? Then...where was the droid? He disappeared again! "How the hell did you get onto the Ebon Hawk?"

—without also running into the murder droid?

Dehno answered for the chieftain. "Czerka has complete authorization to search or seize any ships that land in our private spaceports. If you had actually read the trade handbook—"

"We get it, you're greedy slimeballs!" Mission snapped.

"Where is Father?" Zaalbar growled. "How is Czerka able to walk around like this? What happened?"

"Ah, brother, you've been exiled a long time. Twenty years now, I believe. Things have changed. Our people have become more...accepting." Chuundar walked back towards his branchy throne and sat. "They now see the benefits of working with Czerka as I have."

"Why did you betray our people?" Zaalbar asked. "How could you?"

Chuundar's wide shoulders lifted and his scar twisted. "I betray no one, brother. You are the betrayer. Imagine the destruction if Czerka Corporation had come in with blasters firing all those years ago? Not only that but we were pinned down by two rival factions. The clan would have fallen the next season. You and Father believed peace with the outsiders could be achieved through pitiful talk and trade. But Czerka never liked what you were selling."

"So you sold our people instead?"

The Chieftain sighed. "I didn't sell our people. I protect them. Father refused to see that my deal saved many lives."

Zaalbar gave a sad whimper. "How? How does it save anyone?"

"For you to even wonder that means you are just as blind and foolish." Chuundar sat back on his throne. "Once Father discovered our deal, he became mad, took some warriors, and started a rebellion against me and the outsiders. All that achieved was more bloodshed. Fortunately, with Czerka's aid, we were able to stop his war before it took more lives. For his betrayal, the Council voted to exile him to the Shadowlands. I am now Mighty Chuundar—chieftain of our great clan."

"'Mighty Chuundar?' You're the runt!"

"Shut it!" Chuundar nodded at the guards. They dragged Zaalbar to the wooden lift. "I wish I did not have to do this again, brother, but you give me no choice. The law of our people must be upheld."

"Hey, wait a second." I finally interrupted and walked between both Zaalbar and the Wookiee leader. "He's my slave. You can't just take him."

Chuundar's teeth bared down at me. "Do not pretend like you are his owner. Janos told me about the life debt. My brother would never give one to his slaver."

Damn. I'd thought that bluff would work. I took another step forward. "Then why have you brought us here? Why bother?"

"I heard from Janos that you need to go down to the Shadowlands. Only Wookiees going on hunts or the exiled are allowed down there. And I would have agreed to your request, per Czerka's orders, but Dehno had told me that you wield lightsabers. You are Jedi."

I narrowed my eyes at the Czerka fiends again. As if this couldn't get worse.

"What about it?"

"I know you do not care for Czerka or Janos. But I know what you do care for." He paused for a moment then waved a hand at his guards. The lift began to descend, taking Zaalbar and his entrusted guards with it.

"No!" Mission cried out.

I glared at the Wookiee leader. Before I could attempt to get the poor Wookiee back, Chuundar leaned forward.

"Here is the deal, Jedi. Recently, Clan Chorrawl was able to successfully attack our Czerka supply lines. Only those on the Council know where and when we transport goods." He waved. "I've heard of your esteemed Jedi powers. You are able to read minds. Find the spy amongst us and I will allow you to go to the Shadowlands after my brother."

I passed another glance back at our remaining team.

"What if we refuse?"

"Then Zaalbar will remain banished forever. Czerka will force you to leave our planet." Chuundar shrugged. "Either way, I win."

He did. And we really didn't have a choice here. I sighed.

"Alright, fine." I leaned forward. "But if you don't hold up your end of the deal, we know where you live."

And Chuundar answered me with a muted chuckle.

"Oh, but I always keep my promises, Jedi."

Lots of set up in this chapter! I hope you like the changes I made to the Kashyyyk storyline! See you next time!