Chapter 6
Duel in the Shadowlands
2 YEARS AGO
The Resolute
"Grrrrrraaaahhhhh-rraaaahh." Leo said as he sat across from Ahsoka in the hanger, the two padawans were sitting on the Twilight's large wing as Ahsoka held a holopad in her fingerless gloves hands. Leo tried to sound the vowels out his red eye brows and red hair furrowed. He coughed as Ahsoka had her chin resting on her other hand, elbow on her knee "How was that?" Leo asked as she coked her tattooed brow.
Ahsoka shook her head "Nope, you see that last grrr you gave was off, you insulted my wookiee heritage to the point where I'm in my rights to kill you." Ahsoka said back to him.
Leo gapped "What, again."
She rolled her blue eyes "We've been at it for hours, I was over exaggerating if anything it be a simple outlanders accent." She said as Leo shook his head.
"I have to learn it, General Krell wasn't very focused on learning other worlds cultures unless it was how to beat them." Leo said as the clone troopers walked by them helping move cargo around.
Ahsoka nodded "Yeah, he seems more like 'Padawan, how dare you disobey me, guuuuurrrrrr." Ahsoka held up her arms and bared her teeth trying to do her best Pong Krell impersonation, Leo burst out laughing when she did so. Ahsoka smiled at the sound of his laughter "So you can laugh Rusty."
"Well you're better off Master Obi-Wan teaching you, I don't think there's a language he doesn't speak or understand." She confided as Ahsoka set the pad down "We'll continue later but you have to answer me first, say the Separatists get the wookiees to join them, and that's a big if since they're neutral how would we beat them?" She asked.
Leo thought for a second looking at the holopad on the jedi field of Kashyyyk and the wookiees who lived there "General Krell always had a great respect for the Wookiee warriors, he trained with a Wookiee Jedi Master and your know big General Krell is." Leo said before he put the tablet down thinking "The trees." Leo said.
She crossed her arms as she sat there "Trees?"
"The wookiees need their wroshyr trees, they make everything out of it, their ships, weapons, even their homes. We cut them down, we take out everything the wookiees have." Leo said.
"That's pretty brutal." Ahsoka said back to him, Leo shrugged "I was always taught the most effective path was the most straightforward, or yeah brutal." Leo said shortly, a bit embarrassed.
Ahsoka held up the holopad "Well we won't have to worry about that, nobody in their right mind would challenge a wookiee to a fight let alone an entire planet full of them." She nodded in agreement.
"That makes two of us, have you ever been to Kayshyyyk?" He asked.
Ahsoka swung her legs off the edge of the wing and leaned back on her hands. Leo sung leg over no propped his arm up on his knee "No, but I'd love to, see the forests, the beaches." She said daydreaming about it.
"What about you, what planet have you always wanted to see?" She asked, Leo smirked, "That's easy, I already did."
She stared at him confused "Coruscant, ever since I was a youngling I always wanted to see it.
KAYSHYYYK, PRESENT DAY
Shadowlands
The elevator lowered ever more into the shadowlands, deeper than the sun's light could reach them, Leo stood hands behind his back thinking of distant memories while everyone else marveled at the chasms they were going into "How deep does this go?" Maris asked, Chewbacca answered her in a growl where Jinx translated "To the bottom he says." Maris rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark. Gungi stuck his head out from the railing looking down before letting out a loogie down into the blackness. Embo rolled his eyes as he held his bow caster across from Turok. The two of them crossed their eyes and Turok held up two claws to his own eyes before pointing both at Embo.
Jinx walked over to Leo who had been silent and stoic the whole ride down "I know that face." Jinx said next to him.
"What face?" Leo asked him.
Jinx's hairless brow raised, "That face, the one when you're thinking about a certain someone."
Leo glanced at his friend before he looked forward at the twisting and winding wroshyr trees. "When we get back to the ship, which still needs a name I might add-" "We are not calling it the Ethereal Swallow." Leo said quickly before Jinx could say it
"Oh come on." Jinx leaned in smiling.
He pushed him away "That's a smuggler's freighter's name." Leo retorted.
"Fine…" Jinx sighed, leaning on the railing "I was thinking, maybe after this we go find her?" Jinx asked, turning around and leaning on the railing.
Leo knew who the 'she' Jinx was talking about "No."
"Why not?" Jinx asked standing up "What's stopping us?" Jinx pushed, opening his mouth to give an explanation Leo never got the chance because something on one of the nearby branches moved faster than Leo had time to react pouncing at them. It tackled Jinx on the back and coiled long arachnid legs coiling around them. It was a pale yellowish creature with six eyes hissing and trying to bite at Jinx "Get if off, Get it off, get it off." Jinx shouted running around the elevator that started to shake at his stomping while the creature hissed and wailed.
Chewbacca shouted at Jinx to stop moving but that did little as Maris turned on her lightsabers about to cut it off "Kill til." Turok shouted.
"I can't, I might hit Jinx." Maris said
Jinx slammed into the railing trying to knock the beast off but Embo sprung into action grabbing whatever was on Jinx and prying it off before tossing it off of him. "W-what was that?"
Chewbacca answered with a disgusted bark "Kinrath, nasty spiders did it bite you they're venomous?" Turok said walking over to Jinx checking over him "Scratched me up pretty good."
"No teeth marks, you'll be fine." Turok said, patting him on the shoulder when he walked back over to his spot but heard something, rope starting to snap. Everyone looked up at the rope above them, Jinx scrambling to get the kinrath off him had melted up the elevator mane line as it was starting to come undone around the elevator "That's not good." With a final snap the elevator rope broke and they went into a free fall. Everyone grabbed onto the railing and screamed "HOLD ON!" Leo shouted at everyone, the elevator swung left smashing into a wroshyr tree branch flipping and sending everyone flying off into the drop. The elevator smashed into another branch shattering on impact. Leo could see through the mist the ground starting to appear "Jinx, Maris!" Leo said, pressing his arms and legs to their sides so they fell faster. The other two padawans followed him and went to the ground faster; they somersaulted in the air before cushioning their landings with the force.
When the other two landed seconds after Leo they had less time to react, "Together." Leo shouted at them, Jinx and Maris held up their hands up with Leo to create a force bubble just as Chewbacca, Embo, Turok and Gungi came falling down into it catching all four of them.
Letting the rest of the party get their footing Embo was breathing hard looking for his hat, it was lying over on the edge of some thick fog, cursing as he walked over to pick it up "C'est pourquoi je ne travaille jamais avec les Jedi, bien sûr, Sugi, nous les laisserons aider à protéger les agriculteurs, nous faciliteront la tâche ... oh baise-moi." Embo said as he picked it up.
As everyone else checked to see if they were okay they all started to hear a loud hissing and clicking noise "Uh Chewbacca, kinraths hunt alone right?" Leo asked as he reached for his lightsaber and slipped on his mask for battle. Chewbacca gave a negative growl as out from the shadows of the shadowlands and from the top of trees a swarm of kinraths started to appear. Lightsabers and blasters came out as they formed a circle with the kinrath multiplying all around them "Great, we're about to be eaten." Maris said as the jedi surrounded the arachnids.
CORUSCANT
Jedi Temple
Far away back in the sacred capital of the Republic, Obi-Wan was walking across the halls of the jedi temple. He had his arms at his side, his loose robes edged around his finger tips. It was mid day at the temple light flooding in from the great windows next to him he moved more into the interior to a lesser populated part of the temple's halls then he stopped hearing something. Weeping, Obi-Wan followed the noise into a secluded corridor where he found Jedi Master Luminara sitting on a bench, her face in her hands wiping away her tears when she sensed his presence. He saw a holopad next to her where there was a message on it "Master Unduli?" Obi-Wan asked.
"What is it?" He said coming up to her she picked up the holopad, Luminara drying her eyes scratching off the blended makeup around her eyes "They've done it." Luminara said as she handed him the holopad.
Skimming over it he saw it was an execution report with a series of names Volfe Karkko was on it, along with a handful of other war criminals and murders and then he saw it Barriss Offee, executed by firing squad, and the seal of the Supreme Chancellor and signature of Admiral Tarkin "Why wasn't the Council been told about this?"
"Barriss gave up her right as a jedi when she betrayed us." Luminara said standing up straight, she started to walk past him.
"Even so, how are you holding up?" He asked, following her.
Luminara took a deep breath. "I will trust in my training, and overcome my grief." She said as he walked next to her "I know you will, but you don't need to do it alone." Obi-Wan said, taking her hand.
The second she felt his skin touch hers she stopped, she bowed her head slightly, eyes closed "Master Kenobi, please I must do this alone."
"No jedi should face grief alone, what happened to Barriss wasn't your fault." She turned around pulling away from him.
"Isn't it, as much as Leo's actions are your own?" She asked him, Obi-Wan looked surprised at the sudden accusations "Forgive me, you voiced your skepticism about this war many times and I steeped Barriss in the traditions of our order, our history and what we were taught as padawans, we should have foreseen our padawans would have taken a more radical view."
Obi-Wan squeezed the holopad in his hand, "I agree, but we cannot change the past I'm afraid, we should never expose children to this war."
"You miss him, even now don't you?" Luminara asked him.
Obi-wan closed his eyes clutching the holopad with both hands now "Everyday I hear the Council speak about him, every time a rumor or sighting, this news about Malastare I can't help but feel…" "Pride." Luminara said.
"... yes, would any other jedi have done less, well Anakin would have had a more dramatic flare then turning the Doge over to us." Obi-Wan said.
"How is Skywalker, he's been away for months in the outer rim sieges?" Luminara asked him.
Obi-Wan fell silent as he stood there "I barely had a chance to talk to him after he came back from Ruul, the loss of Ahsoka and… Leo, it's taken toll on him more than he shows but he knows he's better served out there then here, I'm actually petitioning the Council to let me join him on Anaxes the Separatist fleet led by Admiral Trench has put up stiffer resistance then we've ever seen." Obi-Wan said changing the subject.
"Good, I think it will do you both some good to be together again." Luminara said while the two of them walked together.
"Thank you for your support… Luminara, about what happened in the gardens?" Obi-Wan asked.
She stopped again. "It was a mistake, yes?" She asked looking at him with pleading and confused eyes "I'm not sure." Obi-Wan replied offering her holopad back, she took it back "I wish you well in the Outer Rim, Master Keno- Obi-Wan." She replied using before she walked off.
KAYSHYYYK
Shadowlands
Maris was panting over a pile of dead kinraths, there was an entire slaughter of the beasts spread out around the area they had landed "Is that…" she panted "is that all of them?" She asked, looking back at the others. Jinx, Leo; the two young men were covered in bits of torn web and Kinrath blood. Gungi had sat down on his furry but letting out an annoyed roar "I think so." Leo said as he looked around the woods. Chewbacca kicked one over looking at it before he barked at them a few times.
"Must have." Leo said, turning off his lightsaber.
"Must have what?" Maris asked.
He peeled off his mask pulling back his hood "Went by a nest on our way down, it's why they attacked, they were defending their territory." Leo said as he looked one of them over.
"Yeah, well they can keep it. How do we get back up without the lift?" Jinx asked.
Chewbacca had an answer and Leo shook his head "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, for now we need to find Tarfful." Leo said, looking at the two bounty hunters. The two of them looked at one another then Turok stepped forward "You looking at us?"
"You're the people who make a profession of tracking people?" Leo asked them.
"Yeah, but the kid has the vision." Turok said, glancing at Gungi.
Leo turned his sights on the young wookiee "Gungi, do you remember anything about your vision about Tarfful where he was, any specific sights?" Leo asked.
Gungi shook his head, answering him "Moving too fast to see anything, what about smell?" Leo asked
The wookiee thought for a few seconds, but shook his shaggy haired face "Alright, I have an idea, Maris, Jinx come here." Leo said as he walked over to Gungi and sat down, legs crossed in front of him "Sit."
The Jedi sat in a circle around one another while Embo groaned "C'est tellement foireux." "Shhh." Turok hushed him.
The four jedi sat there in their circle, hands on their knees, "Now focus, we can find Tarfful through force that showed Gungi his vision, I want you to try and recall it Gungi can you do that?" Leo asked him, the wookiee boy gave an unsure knod as Chewbacca watched them.
"Good, close yours eyes everyone." Leo said to Jinx and Maris "Breathe, focus on the living force here, all of it, on the animals, the planets, the dark and the light…. focus…." Leo said while the Jedi entered their meditation. Jinx, Maris, Leo and Gungi all focused on one thing: Tarfful finding Tarfful. Across the shadowlands the force flowing up the trees with lines of ants marching to their nest. Rushing rivers carrying out into the seas. The buzz of can-cell dragonflies fluttering around the air, or the salon crawl of the ram horned slyyygs creeping upside down on a wroshyr tree. The fall of broken branches or the violence of flame beetles incinerating their prey. The rebirth of left over animal carcasses becoming fertilizer in a circle of life.
The balance came to them "I hear rushing water…." Jinx said.
"I can smell something, sulfur I think- no fires burning torches?" Maris said.
Leo felt the vision come into view "I see trandoshan, not hunters, no mercenaries well armed Tarfful is their prisoner…" Jinx said
Gungi said something too, but Leo was sensing something else, something darker that was on the world, looking for them.
Far away from the jedi, on the wroshyr tree waiting for their probe units to return, Barris felt Leo's presence before it snapped. "No." Leo said, raising his head snapping the other jedi out of their trance, the other jedi grabbed their heads.
"What was that?" Jinx asked, his head throbbing.
"I'm not sure, something dark and it's looking for us." Leo said.
Turok and Chewbacca exchanged worried looks, "What was what?" Turok asked for some clarification "There's something else down here, something violent and full of anger." Leo said, getting up.
"But did you find out where Tarfful is?" Turok asked him.
Gungi jumped up nodding pointing into the jungle, "Good job Gungi, lead the way." Leo said over the wookiee boy. They followed the youngling as he ran into the woods.
The jedi followed the youngling and the hunters behind them, as they walked they passed under some slyyygs and down in the shadowlands could see predators fighting over the remains of something. "That thing we felt back there, any ideas?" Jinx asked.
"No, I'm not sure if it wasn't the planet itself?" Leo said back to Jinx.
"What do you mean?" Maris asked.
Leo glanced over at her "I'm no jedi master, and even then I don't think they know everything."
"Really, I couldn't tell?" Maris said sarcastically "What I mean is, the jedi have narrowed their view of the force ever since the sith and the jedi split into two sides, light, dark, the schisms always came back to the same thing." Leo said.
The two young jedi looked at him waiting for him to say the answer "Who understands the will of the force better?" Leo asked rhetorically "And you do?" Maris asked.
Leo stopped turning around "Hell no, but I think it's more than just light and dark, life and death are natural right?" Leo asked.
"Right?" Jinx asked him "So is feeling joy, peace or anger and sadness right?" Leo asked.
"Uhhh, I guess, where are you going with this?" Maris asked him coming up to speak next to him Jinx did to "Look, you can believe whatever you want to about the Jedi teachings, I just think they've numbed the current Order as it stands, the Masters made us warriors and told us to find peace." Leo explained to her.
Maris grunted behind her teeth "I heard when you were on Ruul, the rogue jedi there, guess us, wanted the Council to withdraw all padawans from the war?" She asked.
"That was Bulq, but it made sense. He played us all like instruments in his sharade." Leo said back to her.
She continued "What about disbanding the Council, do you still want that?" Leo glanced at her without saying anything at first "... Yes, if the Council were disbanded tomorrow and a new elected, I'd return to Coruscant immediately."
"To join it?" Jinx asked with a smirk "I'm not a Master, you can't be a Jedi and sit on the Council unless you're a Master."
Jinx shoved him in the back "Then take one of the younglings as a padawan, that Dray kid already calls you Master." Jinx said.
Maris eyes wandered away from them thinking of the kid "That kids been through enough." She said sorrowfully.
Both men focused on her "How do you mean?" Leo asked.
"Ever notice his hands are always tucked into his sleeves?" She asked, pointing to her wrists "The day he lost his Master, he had his hands sliced off but they reattached them, just before the other Jedi Master who was with them died."
Leo felt there was more to the story, "The one who cut his hands off, do you know who it was?" Leo asked.
"Never found out, more stuff the Council hid from us am I right?" She asked, he gave a firm nod "They do love their secrets."
Meanwhile, up the Wookie Council chamber, above Kachirho two more jedi had shown up with their Clone counterpart Ganch. Master Reus and Tyzen were standing in front of the wookiee Council "Again we are only investigating the sightings of the wanted fugitive Leo Rock elders, the Republic has no intention of imposing on your worlds sovereignty." Reus said up to the wookiees
Jakkababa answered back in a low tone "The Councilman wishes to know why Jedi are hunting jedi?"
"Leo Rock is no longer a jedi, he was exiled and then shortly excommunicated from the Order, he has no rank or status in our order other than a traitor and a heretic, reports have reached us that he was involved in an altercation with a bounty hunter here in your city." Reus said, the dark haired green lipped jedi master spoke with assertiveness.
Ruushal answered her next, and before the protocol droid could translate, Reus who was fluent in wookiee spoke "It is our business when one of our own goes rogue, he's become a threat and has kidnapped and corrupted other Jedi, where is Chief Tarfful let me speak with him?" She asked.
The Wookiee Council fell silent "So that's why he's here, to see Tarfful?"
Jakkababa rose from his seat biding the other Council members to rise, Reus and Tyzen stood up straight with Ganch clutching his helmet tight, resisting the urge to go for his blaster. Jakkababa explained the situation and Reus gapped "A debt of honor you say, yes we are grateful for your Chiefs aid in recovering the lost padawans, but that doesn't excuse Rock's crimes against the Jedi and the Republic."
"Please, let us apprehend the criminal and keep your world safe from him, your Chief may already be in danger." Reus insisted.
Jakkababa spoke again, this time taking the three republic agents by surprise "Missing, why haven't you contacted us sooner, the Council would have gladly sent true jedi knights to assist you."
Ruushal spoke again, roaring at her "There is a chance the war will already spread here, Kayshyyyk's neutrality has long been respected by the Republic but maybe not the Separatists." Reus said.
Jakkabba raised his arms and the wookie guards approached the jedi and clone, weapons raised "As you wish." Reus said bowing before Tyzen did so, Ganch also made an attempt to bow before they left the Council Chamber. Outside walking toward a Jedi transport Tyzen grunted behind his closed mouth "Why won't the wookiees help us?"
"This war has tested the people's faith in the Jedi, all people. Kayshyyyk had remained out of the war and for good reason, Kashyyyks natural resources are some of the most sought after in the galaxy, if one side tries to take it the other will surely intervene." Reus said to him.
"But if Rock is here, doesn't that set a precedent?" He asked.
"It does, so we shall remain until or if Rock returns from the Shadowlands." Reus said standing on the landing pad looking over the beach below "I sense the storm is growing ever larger."
Down in the Shadowlands the jedi, hunters and Chewbacca were walking across a large root as a land bridge over a rushing river. Using their lightsabers to show the way Leo was in front with Gungi, Maris behind him, Jinx standing next to Chewbacca as Turok and Embo walked side by side "Alors j'ai une dette de vie, pourquoi es-tu toujours là?" Embo asked Turok.
"Does it matter?" Turok asked him.
"Vous vous demandez juste ce qu'un vieux chasseur comme vous a commencé à travailler avec les Jedi?" Embo asked the lizard again.
Turok snarled at him "It's business not yours." Turok looked forward again when he saw something glinting off the reflection of the lightsabers, with quick action he raised his rifle and blasted, the laser flew slicing through whatever it was and it caught fire plummeting down toward the river. Before it could make its splash Jinx caught it with the force pulling it back up dropping it at their feet. What remained was a broken probe droid with a searing holde right through its one eye. The probe droid was strange looking ball shaped with a long antenna sticking out if and black as the shadows around them "A probe?" Maris said.
"But who's the trandoshan mercs?" Jinx asked.
Turok knelt down and held it up "No, not any mercs this thing is brand new or it was." The trandoshan said tossing it over to Leo, he looked at the orb the size of his head "Chewbacca?" Leo asked, tossing it to the wookiee.
Chewbacca held it in his hand and tossed it around before sniffing it. "Yep, it doesn't smell like trandoshans, no dry skin and bad breath stench, no offense Turok." Jinx said, waving his hand over his nose.
"Some taken." Turok said standing back up "but if those mercs are close they probably heard the shot." Turok said.
"Then we keep moving, which way is Gungi?" Leo asked the young wookiee. Gungi walked out ahead and held up his paw reaching out with his fingers, eyes closed, his finger pointed out left then right before settling on a direction toward a part of the root that went up higher into the trees. The jedi followed Gungi's directions making their way through thick brush to find a set of vines that had claw marks on them. Chewbacca walked up to the vines and sniffed them saying something affirming "Tarfful's scent?" Leo said.
"We're heading in the right direction." Leo added before they started to climb them. They climbed the vines all the way up to a young wroshyr tree before they found something up on the top branch. It was the remains of a camp, there was a tent surrounded by broken traps and a fire pit on the top of the branch. Rotting pelts, leftover meat and tools were lying around. The jedi and hunters examined the ruined camp walking into the tent, Chewbacca went into the tent and came out holding Tarfful wroshyr metal lined helmet.
Chewbacca squeezed the helmet shaking his head "He says Tarfful wouldn't go anywhere without his helmet, he earned it when he became Chief." Leo translated to Maris.
Behind Maris, Leo saw Turok knelt over something "What did you find?" Leo asked.
He came up behind the hunter, the lizard was holding up a curved knife "Trandoshan knife." He sniffed it "Still fresh, they were here recently."
He tossed the knife to Chewbacca to sniff it "Wish Master Vos was here." Jinx said.
"Better, we got two bounty hunters and two wookiees." Leo said, patting him on the arm before Gungi sniffed the helmet "Got the scent?"
The three of them sniffers nodded "Alright, let's go find Tarfful."
Turok, Gungi and Chewbacca took the lead leading them across the branch and down, they jumped off the low branch onto another one each of them sniffing the air. Vaulting over gaps before coming down into the jungle floor where the mist was thick and ground uneven after a short while of running they found another river, this one they had to ford wading through it. When they got out the wookiees shook their fur dry while the others poured out water from their boots. Embo having to ring out robe before they continued passing over some higher rocks, finishing their rinse they continued on passing through some thick grass with small flecks of light floating over them climbing up rocky hills Turok held up his hand.
He pointed one claw up above, the others looked skyward and started to listen.
Up above them, they could hear the sound of talking, laughing, and trandoshans.
"We climb." Leo said using the force to jump up and bounce off the bark and use the vines to climb, the other jedi followed suit with Jinx giving Gungi a ride. Turok started to climb with his claws and Chewbacca looked over at Embo and the hunter let out a groan.
When everyone but the last two were up on a higher branch, Chewbacca came up the rear with Embo hanging onto his shoulders before he got off. Grumbling he pointed at Leo with a sneer "Parlez-en à n'importe qui, je vais vous désintercaler."
Leo held up his finger over his mask to pretend he was zipping his lips shut. They looked over from their branch and saw the trandoshans had set up a camp on the top of one of the taller wroshyr trees. There were two dozen trandoshans in the camp, gathered around a fire all holding bottles drinking and laughing at their success. The branch was so big and tied up on the ground at the base of a tree on their knees tied behind their back with chains on their neck and legs was Tarfful. The trandoshans took turns smacking and hitting him with their massive fists or rifle butts; one even walked up and cut a braid "Their torturing him." Leo said.
Jinx tapped Leo on the shoulder and pointed up to a spot of Worshyr branches that had red sparks coming out of them. It was a dozen trandoshans all with flaming splicers sawing through the branches.
"What are they doing?" He asked.
Maris reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of pocket sized binoculars "How'd you even fit those in your pants?" Jinx asked, commenting on Maris wardrobe, a subject that seemed to fascinate and annoy everyone.
"Shut up, looks as if they're cutting the branches." She said handing the binoculars to Leo "Big enough for a ship, they're going to take Tarfful off world." Leo said as they heard the snapping of wood. They watched the trandoshan loggers scramble back down to the main stem where the other trandoshans watched the branch they were cutting crack and bend before snapping off falling into the abyss below sunlight flowing in from above and just behind it came a ship. It was a gray and blue Sheathipede-class transport shuttle, separatist colors and when it landed on the edge they watched the ramp lower and eight droid commandos walked out one of which was carrying a sword showing it was the commanding droid. Nalash, the lead Trandoshan hunter, got up from the fire, tossing away the bottle before he approached them. One of the droids stabbed something into the bark beneath their feet and everyone watched a hologram of Count Dooku appear before them.
"Captain Nalash, well done." Count Dooku said.
"Where's my bonus fee?" He barked at him.
One of the commando droids walked up and held up a crate that the lead hunter opened seeing glittering credits stacked on top of one another. "Ahahaha, he's all yours and To Trandosha's alliance with the Separatists." Nalash said.
"Yes my lord, without Tarfful the Wookiee Militia will crumble beneath our combined might." Nalash said, holding up a claw and curling it into a fist as his trandoshans dragged Tarfful toward the droid's ship.
The jedi's heads snapped back and forth between one another "Trandosha is planning an invasion, without Tarfful the wookiees don't stand a chance." Leo said as Tarfful was thrown at the holographic feet of the Count.
"Chieftain Tarfful, you are honored among your people as a great warrior, please I invite you to be my guest on Serenno. My associate General Grievous is eager to ask you about your world." Count Dooku asked him if the others were overhearing it.
"We need to get him out of here before they leave, but if they do." Leo held up his comlink "Proxy, get the Rogue Shadow to these coordinates." Leo said as he grabbed his lightsaber.
Everyone got ready taking out their weapons "You have a plan?" Jinx asked him.
Leo nodded "Half of one, get Tarfful out of there alive…"
"And the rest?" Maris asked.
"Ummm, Embo, Chewbacca, Turok cover fire, Jinx and Maris flank them. I'll take them head on." Leo said before Gungi let out a curious growl wondering whatever his part was in the plan.
Leo turned to him "You stay here, no heroics." He told him. Gungi looked disappointed but gave a nod showing he understood. Everyone nodded and broke off Jinx and Maris went left up the branch and jumped up onto some vines swinging around the shooters all got into position and Leo took one deep breath before he jumped off the branch leaping over the air he was directly above the trandoshans when he turned on his lightsaber. The ignition sent both trandoshan and droid skyward before they saw the purple blade come down on them in one swipe. Leo took out a commando droid before he cut down another as Nalaash screamed "Jedi!"
Knocking over the holodevice that was projecting Dooku, Leo used the force to knock most of the trandoshans off their feet and into the others as the Commando droids sprung into action. Two of their numbers already down they opened fire jumping and spinning around Leo, as he cut another one down. The lead commando droid drew their vibro sword and swung at Leo, he blocked as the trandoshans got up "Shoot him, shoot him!" Nalaash said just as Turok shot him in the face, knocking him down.
"Sniper!" One of them shouted before Embo shot him, followed by Chewbacca shooting one with his bowcaster, the blast so powerful that it sent the trandoshan flying off the branch entirely.
"Frimer." Embo said.
Before the trandoshans could rally, Jinx and Maris landed behind them lightsabers drawn "More of them." One snapped before Jinx let out a yell drawing both a green and blue lightsaber, Maris unsheathed her mid grip shotos. Jinx ran into the full crowd of trandoshans spinning and cutting a swath of severed limbs and implements against them. One raised their blaster to shoot him but he kicked the blaster out of his hands and sliced his head off. Maris jumped over two of them and force pushed them off the ledge sending them screaming off the branch. Back with Leo he used force repulse to blast the remaining commando droids off the tree but three of them climb back up.
Tarfful roared behind Leo to cut him free, and with one spin and slash the bindings shattered, Tarfful getting up and roaring at the trandoshans as the other three commando droids jumped up to attack Leo, one of them still the commander. Leo dodged their fire before he took the commander head on, engaging the droid in a barrage of parrying before he stabbed the droid in the chest. Coming back around he grabbed the two other commando droids, shattering them with the force before he looked back to see Maris and Jinx with Tarfful taking on the trandoshans. Maris kicked another trandoshan away before Tarfful grabbed the trandoshan and smashed him on the branch.
"Run, run-" One of the trandoshans shouted, causing others to flee, but the closest one to Jinx wasn't so lucky he cut him down before he grabbed another Trandoshan with the force and dragged him toward him "Filthy stinking murdering hunters…" Jinx snarled, drawing back his lightsaber about to stab the trandoshan where he lay.
The trandoshan hunter held up his claws in terror before "JINX!" Leo appeared grabbing his arm before he could kill him. Jinx's head spun toward his eyes filled with rage but when he saw Leo's green eyes he froze "Breath, breath." Jinx took one deep breath before another and turned off his lightsaber.
"... I'm sorry." Jinx said, stepping back before the trandoshan hunter ran away with the others.
Leo let him go "Just breathe, in and out like we practiced." Leo said to him. Continuing to breath in and out, Leo walked up to Tarfful who took a step back before Leo removed his mask "Chief Tarfful do you remember us?" Leo asked him, and he gestured to Jinx.
Tarfful only needed to take one look before he replied yes in wookiee "It was Wasskah, we owed our lives we came to repay it." Leo said next to Jinx.
Tarfful then asked how they knew he was here "That honor belongs to this young one." Leo said as Embo, Chewbacca, Turok and Gungi came walking over having found a way across the wroshyr branches.
The two older wookiees embraced in a friendly strong grip, when they finished Tarfful knelt down to Gungi and said some stuff in wookiee "Yeesh, soon everyone's going to owe each other debts." Jinx said, smirking. Gungi said some stuff back to Tarfful before the young wookiee looked back at Turok smiling. The last trandoshan standing smiled back while Embo rolled his yellow eyes, folding arms over his chest, annoyed.
"Pouvons-nous y aller maintenant?" Embo asked.
Leo sighed "He's right, Proxy what's your eta?" Leo asked into his comlink.
"Master, I will be there soon, but I am having some difficulty finding your location in the dense jungle." Proxy replied as the Rogue Shadow flew over the trees toward them "Look for the opening in the trees, in our sector if wee see you we'll…." Leo felt something then, something dark, familiar, vengeful "...signal you." Leo said, raising his head. One by one the other jedi felt it too "Did it just get colder?" Turok asked, looking around. Leo looked into the shadowy parts of the trees, twice as dark now while they stood in the ray of light from above the treeline. He focused on a spot dark as night staring into it and he could feel something was staring back, that's when three red blades appeared and holding them were two Sith.
The young jedi all drew their lightsabers "Looks like Dooku has some new apprentices." Jinx said as the two dark sliders walked toward him.
Leo slid his mask over his face looking at the one with the two lightsabers focusing on him "Stay with Tarfful till the Rogue Shadow gets here, I'll hold them off." Leo walked forward.
"No way I'm letting you face them alone." Jinx said.
Pausing he glanced at him "Fine, Jinx with me."
The two young men walked forward on the branch as the two Sith jumped over the branches to land on one with them, "We take them together." Leo said to Jinx.
"I'll take them now!" Jinx said leaping over and running at the Sith, "Jinx wait!" Leo said before the one holding one sword held up his hand, Karkko, unleashed force lightning on him knocking him off his feet and off the branch. Leo grabbed him with the force pulling him back up onto the bark. Jinx had changed a shade of green before he got back to his feet "My bad." He said.
"It's f- Look out!" Leo said as the sith attacked, Karkko attacked Jinx and Barriss took Leo. Karkko forces on form II, Makashi using a fencing method against Jinx's two lightsabers blocking and parrying as Jinx swung at him with everything he had. Karkko dodged to the left and then the right before he got behind him "Sloppy, a novice at jar'kai." He taunted before Jinx spun around with fury in his eyes "Is this a novice?" He asked to send his own force lightning into Karkko. The fallen jedi blocked the lightning with his lightsaber sending it back at him "An acolyte to the dark side well well, that'll make this intresting."
Across from them Leo and Barriss were locked in a far more savage duel, Barriss slashed and cut in form Juyo at Leo while he deflected with a Shien grip, she swung her left arm at him thrusting the left before he jumped over her and landed on the edge of the branch almost falling off. She force blasted him but he jumped out of the way at the last second switching into Vapaad going on the offensive swinging at her from every direction pushing her back "I've been waiting for this for so long." She said.
"I know…." Leo crossed swords with her "Barriss." Leo said. She broke it off and jumped out of the way "Guess I can take this stupid thing off then." She said reaching up and removing her helmet with the earpiece making it rise over her face.
When the Jedi saw Barriss Offee standing before them, red lightsabers in hand, alive they all gapped "Barriss…" jinx whispered.
"Never take out the eyes of your opponent!" Karkko pounced like a tiger at Jinx who barely had time to doge before he too took of his helmet and tossed it over the side "Volffe Karkko but you two- the two of you were in prison?" Jinx said.
"Let's just say we have a common friend who has a common intrest, your death Leo." Barriss said pulling the mask back on at the last second so when she said death it was darker and mechanical. The two on two duel resumed with Leo coming at Barriss head on, Jinx moved over to them as Karkko chased the two young jedi fighting back to back against the sith who encircled them with fierce strikes looking for an opening.
Leo parried "Switch." He snapped before Jinx rolled over on his back to face Barriss, and Leo against Karkko, "You should have killed me when you had the chance." Karkko said as Leo and Karkko both summoned force lightning at the same time smashing their left hands into one another and crossing their rights with their lightsabers.
"You should have stayed in your hole." Leo said back their lighting charring the bark around leaving searing cracks, across from them Jinx and Barriss were in a duel vs duel lightsaber battle, their lightsabers bouncing off one another the two spinning around in a tornado of red, blue and green.
Jinx slashed at her left, she blocked with both so he swung down on her with the right, she kicked him in the gut and tried to stab down on him. Rolling out of the way Jinx got to his feet "Traitor." He snapped.
"The Jedi are the traitors, all of you." She howled.
"And you're the one holding the red lightsabers." He said back, Barriss screamed at him and the others watched the skill, grace and rage between the fighters.
Maris squeezed her lightsaber as she watched them "We have to help them."
"No." Turok snapped, grabbing her arm before she could run off. "We'll get in the way, we'll stay here and wait for the ship." Turok told her, and she looked back but he wasn't looking at the jedi and sith, he wasn't even looking he was listening. Tarfful was too, so was Gungi, Embo and Maris were both in the dark and while literally something other than sith was too. It started as a whisper, then it grew louder and louder, not just one but the sounds of thousands of insect legs scurrying up the bark. Gungi, looked over the edge of the branch and saw what could only be described as every single kinrath on this side of the planet heading straight for them. Gungi hollering back at them before Turok said "Run, run for the edge!" He said pointing in the opening in the trees. On the separate branch Leo and Jinx were still fighting their assassins when they heard the kinraths screech beneath them.
Turok and Embo opened fire on them below, tossing a blaster pistol to Tarfful shooting at the kinrath while they crawled up for what little good it did them. "LEO WE NEED TO GO, WHERE'S THAT SHIP!" Turok shouted as they kept blasting.
Jinx and Leo jumped up back to the main wroshyr tree branch landing in a sea of kinrath to cut their way toward the others who where at the very edge trying to fight them off, starred down against Barriss and Volfe "Another time." Volffe said to Barriss. The kinrath started to climb up around the higher parts of the trees and onto their branch
"NO, I WON'T WAIT ANY LONGER!" She screamed chasing after them "Leo, Leo I'm going to kill you!" She screamed as Karkko shook his head "Stupid girl." He said before he retreated.
Just then they heard the roar of an engine, the Rogue Shadow lowered into the gap in the trees opening fire on the kinrath and lowering its ramp. "Get on, get on, get on unless you want to be kinrath Pooda." Turok said everyone was racing to get on board. Leo and Jinx made their way to the ramp getting on "LEO!" Barriss shouted at him, he turned around and saw Barriss was surrounded by Kinrath, swarming over her. Spitting their venomous webs, she cut herself free but was surrounded by insects starting to get closer to her. "Leo, come on!" Jinx shouted while everyone was getting on board Leo started to follow hearing Barris fighting the Kinrath behind him.
Down on the branch of webs she cut one kinrath in two before she blasted a dozen more off the nest, followed by more spitting their webbing at her. She burned the spit with her lightsaber, her black hair coming undone "Get off me you insects!" Her rage was intoxicating as she screamed in defiance against the kinrath trying to kill her.
"Come on then, I'm right here, come and get me!" She screamed at them as she cut them down one after another but one pounced on her back she threw it off before one bit her in the leg the poison hitting her instantly she stabbed it in the head between its six eyes before she tore its fangs out. As she saw the kinrath surrounding her she held up her lightsabers to defend herself but her hands shook from the fear, the rage was gone now there was only fear. Two shots of the webbing hit her hands pinning her onto the bark she was trapped in. Barriss looked over at trandoshan mercenaries already being devoured, soon that would be her fate to die here in the shadowlands the scurried around her one leaped at her from above fangs dripping with poison ready to sink its teeth into her face, a purple lightsaber took its head off.
Leo had jumped down cut the beast in two before he landed on the branch suddenly attacking the kinrath, he used the force to repulse all of them but more kept coming Leo swung his lightsaber around Barriss keeping the kinrath off her he cut the webbing on her hands letting one of her lightsaber hands free to cut the other free next. Getting to her one good leg "What are you doing?" She snapped
"Shut up and fight." Leo said back.
"I didn't need your help." She snapped.
Leo looked back under his mask "Is that why your leg isn't working?" Barris managed to get to one leg before she collapsed with one knee "Well at least you'll die too." She said as the kinrath surrounded them on both sides, underneath and from above waiting for one to pounce so they could overwhelm him.
"Maybe not…" Leo said sucking in, Barriss felt something, a presence she hadn't felt since the battle of Geonosis. It was the thing Leo only ever let out when he needed to win or die, the berserker. With that Leo opened his eyes in tune with the dark side Leo let out the loudest monumental roar. It echoed up across the branches stopping the kinrath in their tracks echoing up above the branches of the shadowlands to make birds fly away. It carried up to the rogue shadow where the others heard it "What was that?" Maris asked.
Jinx looked over his shoulder from the pilot seat. "That was the Berserker."
Down in the web covered branches, Leo looked at the Kinrath all frozen before he gave one snarl and they scattered like vermin into the shadowlands retreating from the far more dangerous animal they didn't have any chance of stopping. Leo looked back at Barriss, she'd fallen unconscious from the poison, standing over the fallen Jedi just as the Rogue Shadow descended down toward them. Leo knelt down and picked Barriss up and carried her aboard his ship as it flew back to Kachirho. Leo walked in with Barriss in his arms to the shock of everyone aboard.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jinx said while he walked past him "I know, I know but I couldn't just leave her." Leo said heading toward the medical room. Laying her down in it he tore open the part of her trousers that had the bite on it "What are our medical stores at?" Leo asked, running over to the cabinet.
When he opened it he saw it was empty. "We can always cut her leg off?" Maris suggested.
Chewbacca came up and said something, Leo turned his head around slowly from the unconscious Barriss "And…. that works?" He asked, Tarfful nodded in agreement concussing with Chewbacca's medical suggestion to treat the wound.
"So-so, which one of you is going to do it?" Jinx asked Tarfful and Chewbacca looked at one another before.
Tarfful and Chewbacca held up their paw and started to play a hand contest with different signs, they did it three times before Chewbacca sighed in annoyance holding up his paw "Alright, everyone uh…. we should give Chewbacca some privacy, oh stars she's going to kill me for sure after this."
KACHIRHO
Kayshyyyk
The Rogue Shadow flew back around the towering wroshyr trees on the coast, landing in the same landing pad as the jedi transport that brought Reus, Tyzen and Ganch to the city when they saw the Rogue Shadow they also saw the Wookiee Council coming to greet. "Master?" Tyzen asked her, the jedi master held her hand up "Be ready, we may still be able to arrest him yet." Their ship landed and the ramp lowered, with Chief Tarfful walking down the ramp with rogue jedi and bounty hunters behind him, Leo had his mask off so they could see his face and hood down.
The wookiee elders and militia who saw Tarfful all breathed with a sigh of relief seeing the wookiee general in his shining helmet walk up to them. Tarfful approached the Council and greeted them warmly in his own tongue, he even gestured back to Gungi who looked up at Leo nodding to the youngling. Gungi stepped forward and Tarfful put a hand on his shoulder and seemed to ask him something, but Jinx tapped Leo on his shoulder pointing over to Reus and Tyzen who approached them hands on their lightsabers with Ganch about to draw his blaster. The rogue jedi turned to face Reus and Tyzen "Come quietly Rock." Reus told him.
Leo looked back at them then took his hand off his lightsaber "We have other thing to worry about." Leo said walking up to the Wookiee Council "I hate to interrupt but you need to see this."
The wookiees saw Leo toss a decapitated commando droid head at the Wookiee's large hairy feet "Your chief was kidnapped by trandoshan mercenaries hired by Count Dooku, the Separatists are planning an invasion." Jakkababa and the other elders all looked to Tarfful nodded at them to confirm what he said,
Leo looked over at the Republic jedi, "The war is coming to Kayshyyyk one way or another elders and you should go to the Republic for aid." Leo said.
Jakkababa asked Leo something pointing at Reus and Tyzen "Yes, they are hunting me, but do not begrudge them for that; they are simply doing what they think is right and so have I, please call on the Jedi Council, no one should fight alone."
The elders looked at one another before Tarfful said something to him "Thank you my friend." Leo said, holding out his hand shaking the wookiee's hand, Tarfful turned to Gungi and knelt down saying some things to him. This got every jedi who understood the wookiee looking very surprised.
"I don't believe it?" Turok said.
"What?" Maris asked.
Turok smirked "Gungi's been invited to join Tarfful uh… tribe, family, the word means a lot of things here?" He said doing his best to translate.
Maris looked at Gungi, seeing how happy the young wookiee was "... is there a difference?"
Maris looked at Gungi wide eyed, the young wookiee looked back and forth at the jedi then at Tarfful before he shook his head and walked over to Leo, "Brave kid." Turok said, walking back into the Rogue Shadow. Leo and Gungi bowed to the Wookiee Council one last time before they also started to walk toward the Rogue Shadow.
"Halt, you're still under arrest, Rock." Reus said walking up to them, but before she could make another move the wookiee guards that had come with the Council surrounded Reus, Tyzen and Ganch.
"Yeah, that's not happening." Jinx said crossing his arms smugly "Or your assas-" "Jinx." Leo hushed him, shaking his head, staring at him in disbelief Leo added "Get on the ship." He ordered till everyone was already getting on board leaving Leo alone in the stand off with Reus and Tyzen.
He stared at them "Will you carry a message to Coruscant for me?" Leo asked her.
"I don't think we have a choice?" Tyzen asked him.
Shrugging Leo walked up to her, looking her in the eye he leaned and whispered "Karkko has escaped, I met him here on Kayshyyyk he and Barriss Offee were here to kill me." He whispered so the wookiees wouldn't hear.
Reus' eyes nearly popped out of her head. "That's not possible, they were executed this morning, I read the report myself."
"Barriss is on my ship now, you can feel I'm telling the truth go ahead." Leo said, reaching around and holding up one of Barriss lightsabers, the curved hilt that once belonged to Asajj Ventress. Reus looked at the lightsaber in disbelief before she took it "In that case give her to us, so we can prove it."
Leo shook his head firmly "No." Leo said firmly.
Reus and Tyzen stared at him confused, he gave Tyzen one look over "How many Padawan's, how many Jedi have the Council sent to their deaths, or ruined like Barriss you're never hurting her again."
"You'll be harboring a fugitive, a terrorist and a traitor?" Tyzen hissed "Then she'll fit right in with me, carry my message, maybe the Council can do something useful for a change." before he headed back to the Rogue Shadow. "Or I'll do it for them." getting on the ramp.
Reus put the assassin's lightsaber on her belt "You say that like a threat?" Tyzen asked.
"A warning." Leo called back "If you want to save the light Tyzen Xebec, you must be willing to fight in the darkness." The Rogue Shadow started to take off as Leo walked up the ramp, before it flew off into the clouds. When it was out of sight they noticed Embo was standing hand outstretched waiting for payment.
Reus stared at him before Tyzen said "You want something bounty hunter?"
Embo snickered before he held up a small tracking device that had a soft red beep on its screen, showing a ship leaving Kayshyyyk going very fast "Comment dit-on… you're welcome." Embo said having hidden a tracking device on the Rogue Shadow.