Chapter 9

Drake's jaw dropped as he exited the Ebon Hawk. The landing pad, the personnel, the equipment it was all Czerka's design. He looked around in angered shock at the numerous Czerka employees walking around the dock, as if the planet was their property.

"You've got to be kidding me…" he muttered, Falcan had a similar look on his face but his was more controlled. Zaalbar had a look of sad rage mingled on his wookie face, as he snarled at a Czerka employee, who hurried away, looking like he'd had an accident within his clothes.

(They have been here a long time…)Zaalbar barked in Shyriiwook (They were here when I left my home…)Mission gazed up at her furry friend as he growled and moaned again in Shyriiwook and Drake looked at him.

"What do you mean you have bad feeling about this Zaalbar?" Drake replied. Canderous and Carth both looked at him jaws slightly open.

"You understood all that?" Canderous asked.

"Shyriiwook is meant to be difficult for humans to learn, but once you understand it, its just as intelligent as Galactic Basic or any other language" Drake replied then turned back to Zaalbar "What did you mean?"

(Kashyyyk is my home, but I should have prepared you for what was happening here… but I don't think I have prepared myself…) Zaalbar replied

"Prepared me for what?" Drake replied.

(I didn't leave Kashyyyk by my own will, Mission must have told, but even she doesn't know the full of it…… just before I was forced to leave, I found out my brother had been making deals with the Czerka slaves, I flew into a rage and attacked him, when the fight was stopped I tried to explain what happened, but my father didn't listen and exiled me from my home…) Drake frowned, it sounded perfectly reasonable to him for Zaalbar to attack his brother for selling out his people, but to be exiled for it?

"Why didn't your father listen to you?" Drake pressed as the rest of the party gazed in awe at the trees of Kashyyyk.

(When I attacked my brother, I was so mad I used my claws…you don't understand what this means for a wookie…our claws are tools not weapons, to use them in battle is to become an animal, it is madness without honour) Zaalbar barked.

(I am forever a madclaw in the eyes of my people, they were right to cast me out…I shouldn't have returned hereDrake shook his head and placed his hand on the wookie's much taller shoulder

"If you want to stay on the ship you can…" Drake offered

(I think that would be best…thank you Drake) Drake nodded, Zaalbar hummed softly in shyriiwook placing his very large paw on Drake's shoulder in a friendly manner before returning to the ship. Juhani watched him sadly.

"It's a shame…" she stated sadly.

"Yes it is…" Drake sighed "Bastila any ideas?" his bond-mate shook her head.

"None I'm sorry I don't know the first place to look…" Drake nodded Falcan took a step forward observing his surroundings.

"Ok Drake…first move?" The bounty hunter asked.

"Well you Bastila, and Juhani will come with me…the rest of you stay here and keep an eye on the ship…I don't trust the Czerka animals with it…" Bastila looked at Drake feeling his disappointed anger through the bond.

"You said it…" Carth replied "all right then just don't take too long…" Drake nodded and he, Juhani, Falcan and Bastila wandered down the walkway.

"Do you think it was wise to leave Zaalbar on the ship?" Bastila inquired of Drake.

"Zaalbar obviously has some of his own demons to overcome before he confronts his past…" Bastila nodded.

"Which reminds me…you still haven't discussed the origin of your tattoo…" Bastila remarked.

"I know…I will do soon I promise…" Bastila felt a strange warm feeling course through her when she heard this. She felt accepted by him and smiled softly to herself as they reached the gates to the landing pad.

"Hold here spacer!" a particularly rude Czerka guard commanded gruffly "you shouldn't go any farther, the kinrath packs are roaming the walkway, wookie hunters usually keep the numbers down, but leave a few probably hoping to pick off some of our patrols…"

"Couldn't blame them if they did…" Drake growled.

"You should watch your mouth…" the guard made to step forward, but Falcan reached down to grip the handle of one his Zabrak heavy pistols

"Your call old man…but it's your life on the line…" Falcan warned. The guard snarled and stepped aside "smart" Falcan brushed past him roughly and walked out onto the walkway, with the three Jedi close behind him. The second they came through the gate a group of kinrath attacked them. The fight was short. Falcan took the first one down, with a well blaster shot, Bastila quickly cleaved the second ones legs off, and Juhani finished it by ramming her blue sabre through its heart. Drake knocked the final one down with the force and then drove his sabre into its body and it writhed for a few seconds before dying.

Leaving the bodies, they moved on. However round the next bend they ran into a group of Czerka poachers. The three of them were standing around the fallen body of a wookie. Drake's eyes narrowed very dangerously, his cyan coloured eyes almost glowing now with a fierce, intensity of anger. Bastila felt this through the bond, and sent a soothing pulse through the bond. Drake's anger diminished slightly, and she received his gratitude through their link.

"I can't afford this, this is too much…" one of them was saying.

"You think I can? Do know what they pay for a healthy on of those things?" one of his partners answered.

"We'll work it out later boys…we've got company" the leader stated "What do you want spacer? I'm Captain Dehno…I'm leading a patrol so be quick…" Drake scoffed

"What happened here?" he asked keeping a careful leash on his temper.

"This wookie got a little too rebellious for its own good…so we had to put it down" Dehno replied Drakes eyes narrowed even further, his anger slowly returning.

"Put it down?! You mean murdered!" Bastila spat also now rather angry herself.

"Now that's a rather harsh word, it attacked us we only defended ourselves" one of the other two defended.

"Just shut up you trigger happy idiot!" Dehno replied.

"I won't allow you to enslave another wookie" Dehno froze and turned to look at Falcan who looked just about ready to kill all three of them.

"What did you just say? Was that joke? You should realise who you're dealing with!" Dehno snapped.

"He's right we won't allow you to enslave another wookie" Drake replied.

"What?! Blasters ready men! These fools want to die!" Drake scoffed and thrust he hand out to the left. All three men suddenly hurtled through fencing of the walkway and their screams as they fell into the depths of Kashyyyk echoed for a few seconds. Falcan approached the edge and looked down the edge. None of the party looked particularly bothered about what just happened.

"Dead, gone, forgotten and good riddance!" Falcan growled.

"Lets move" Drake muttered as he and Bastila continued on. Juhani looked at Falcan.

"Do you hate Czerka that much?" she asked.

"I'm not sure hate is the right word, I'm ashamed that humans can be so prejudiced and hateful of other species that they would drive them to slavery…"

"Like Taris" Juhani breathed. Falcan looked at her.

"Yes…this is on a far larger scale but you are right just like Taris" Falcan agreed "Come on lets go…" the cathar nodded and they hurried to catch up with the other two Jedi who were a little ways ahead

The journey towards the wookie village was somewhat uneventful until they reached just aside the gates. As they rounded the bend, Drake felt the presence of another party of Dark Jedi.

"Oh not again…" he muttered. As the party four saw the group Drake had mentioned. The lead Dark Jedi cleared his throat.

""Lord Malak was most displeased when he heard you escaped Taris alive…he has offered a great reward to whoever destroys you…" Drake seemed to just look his hand over, one hand on his waist.

"And that's the entire Dark Jedi vocabulary…" he add on at the end. His friend snorted smothering a laugh. The first Dark Jedi leapt at him drawing a doubled lightsabre, only to be caught in the air by Drake's use of the force and slammed to the ground. The dark jedi snarled getting to his feet, as Drake's blue blade sprang to life and two became engaged in a duel. The other two dark siders engaged Bastila and Juhani while Falcan stayed back only to get involved if needed.

Drake brought his sabre vertically down his back to block the first blade, and then back in front of his face to intercept the second. He shoved the blade away and brought his sabre down viscously to split the sabre staff in two and kicked the leader back. To Drake's surprise his opponent switched too the Jar'kai form blended with Makashi form II. Drake however still had the advantage. Drake attacked striking with heavy force empowered blows keeping his opponent on the defensive. Eventually seizing his chance he caught his opponent's arm and severed it, as the Dark Jedi went to cry out, Drake cleaved him between the shoulders, and the body feel and the head rolled off the edge into the shadow lands.

Juhani was using Form III Soresu against her opponent, in contrast to the Form IV Ataru she had used against Drake. She carefully and calmly deflected the blows thrown at her by her opponent, keeping herself firmly positioned not giving in ground. A downward strike from the cathar's opponent was her opening. She blocked the blow then spun round to his back and plunged her sabre into his back severing his spine. The dark-sider fell twitching to the ground before falling still.

Bastila leapt over her opponent in a masterful display of Ataru connected twice with him, first blocking his blow and second catching his eye with one of her golden blades. He yelled in pain but it served the purpose she wanted as he charged in a blind rage at her when she landed. Bastila simply waved her hand to the left and the man flew head first in to the tree the walkway was built on. A sickening crack signalled the end of his life.

Bastila deactivated her sabre as Drake looked at her in surprise.

"What?" she asked innocently, she admitted she'd stolen that move from Drake, when he'd used on Tatooine against Nord's thugs.

"That's my move Bas," he said with a hint of monk-insult

"Didn't you ever learn to share?" she purred as she moved away with a slight swing of her very attractive hips. Drake looked back at Falcan who had a smirk on his face and he shrugged. Juhani had an amused look on her face, as the party moved towards the wookie guard.

(Outsider, you poison this planet with your presence, already you brought the one without honour back here! The mad claw was escorted from your ship by our patrol. The only reason you are tolerated is so our Chieftain Chuunder can speak to you!)The wookie roared as Drake approached.

"You were on my ship!" Drake asked incredulously.

Only the madclaw interested us, everything else was left alone)The wookie stated

"Very well take me to see this Chuunder" Drake replied

(That I will do follow me) with that the wookie led them into the village to meet the chieftain.

(Step forward and greet mighty and wise Chuunder) The dark grey manned wookie greeted them when the guard entered the chieftain's hall with the party (I do not usually allow visitors of your kind)

(You're flanked by Czerka guards are they not outsiders too?!) To the party's surprise Zaalbar was standing next to Chuunder. Chuunder growled softly to Zaalbar something Drake couldn't make out.

(You chieftain? You were the runt!) Zaalbar roared

(I am no runt! As I said Zaalbar things have changed since you left)

"Why are we here?" Drake asked already losing patience with Chuunder.

(I have not killed Zaalbar simply because he is my brother, I wish to speak to him, you on the other hand I have a task for)Chuunder barked

"I'm listening…" Drake growled.

(It is a simple thing, there was one other who followed Zaalbar's path and has become madclaw recently he has been causing trouble for my Czerka allies…I need him dealt with. You will travel to the Shadowlands to deal with him, my Wookies will have no problem communicating with you, they believe in learning their language it makes Czerka easier to fight, in truth it makes them easier to obey) Chuunder finished evilly.

"Very nice nest of lies you've created" Drake stated his voice ripe with venom and disgust,

(You may talk but no one will follow you, I have had a long to mould to what my people think)

(You're wrong there is someone who would oppose you!)Zaalbar growled

Drake remained silent, mostly to keep himself from skewering Chuunder for selling out his own people.

(Do you mean Freyyr? Our father…he went as mad as you did when he learned the truth he did approve of my…tactics it seems. Now) Chuunder turned back to the party (Gorwooken operates the lift to the Shadowlands, he can take you down speak to him, I have instructed him to allow you passage…I will await your return") "Don't listen to him Zaalbar it's not worth it" Drake said to his wookie friend

(Enough words Outsider!) Chuunder roared (I have given the task now perform it! do not return until the deed is done!)

The party regrouped at the Ebon Hawk and informed the others of the situation.

"So now we're running errands for the corrupt wookie chieftain huh? Canderous asked.

"No exactly…but it's the only way we can guarantee Zaalbar's freedom, and quite frankly I'd much rather not leave Zaalbar here…" Drake replied.

"That's something we can agree on" Carth added.

"So what now?" Mission asked

"Well whether like it or not we'd have to go into the Shadowlands anyway so that's we're going" Drake answered.

"I'm coming!" Mission said immediately Drake looked hesitant.

" We all are." Carth added Drake looked at Carth and groaned.

"I'm gonna regret this …alright…but no heroics unless I say so that's go double for you Mission…" he turned to the young twi'lik "I know how much Zaalbar means to you, but I don't you getting yourself hurt" Mission.

"Query: What of the ship Master?" Hk asked.

"I assume T3 will want to stay with the ship as usual" he got a couple chirps as an affirmative "Alright lets go…the Star Map isn't gonna find itself"

"And Zaalbar needs our help!" Mission added indignantly.

"And that…" Mission grinned and hurried on ahead. "Carth, Falcan" the two mention individuals approached Drake "If we need to split up down in the Shadowlands you two keep an extra close eye on Mission…she's young and impulsive and wants to free to Zaalbar, make sure she stays safe"

"Got it," Carth answered setting off after Mission.

"Will do" Falcan replied following Carth.

"Lets move…" Drake commanded and the entire headed from the landing pads heading to the depths and darkness of the Wookies sacred world known as the Shadowlands.

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