Chapter 4:
Echobe, Makaashyya, and L7 left a day after he had spoken to Mon Mothma. Bilebelch was left behind in case something happened on their way to Kashyyyk, or if they were intercepted by Imperial's while trying to make it through the blockade. The trip to Kashyyyk was a tense one for both Echobe and Makaashyya. Echobe quickly undid her bindings after they left Mon Calamari, but neither of them talked to one another. L7's beeping and whistling was the only noise most the time.
Both of the Wookiee's memories were of a Kashyyyk filled with pain and sorrow, but both of them still felt a longing to return and to see the place of their birth again. The only city with some semblance of a Wookiee government, and not some Imperial installation, or Trandoshan tyranny, was the very city Echobe had left. Echobe was amazed to see that the city had been rebuilt to some degree. The bombing raids had lessened allowing reconstruction to commence. Though, Makaashyya's village could no longer be found. As far as she knew she was the only survivor.
Echobe flew the Starscream towards the planet, and with one of the many security clearances the Alliance had stolen they were allowed access to the planet through the Imperial blockade, prisoner transport was the ironic and official business Echobe stated. They landed deep into the forests very near to were Burmar had hidden the tiny battered A-wing-like shuttle when he tried to pick up the elder, Ulchewbuk, and take him to safety, the day Echobe found Ulchewbuk dead and took his place instead, the fateful day Echobe joined Burmar and left Kashyyyk.
The memories started flooding back into Echobe's mind when the Starscream touched the soft, moist soil of Kashyyyk. Makaashyya was also forced to remember, once again, all the terrifying moments she experienced. Echobe led Makaashyya out of the Starscream, and L7 remained behind to provide some kind security for the ship.
The two Wookiees walked along side one another, watching the forest floor passing beneath their feet. They were both silent at first. Echobe took mental inventory. Echobe subconsciously felt for the lightsaber at his side. He had his blaster and Ryyk Blade. The fleeting thoughts came into his mind of giving it to her to make for a quick escape if necessary. He tried to remember the layout of the city since he was last there, hoping it hadn't changed too much. Then that old feeling he had all but forgotten, that pulsating energy of life buzzed in his mind like electricity, and clouded Echobe's thoughts. He then reveled in it, not realizing until that moment how much he had missed home.
Makaashyya was silent as well. Her head hung low, but her eyes were closed. She listened to Echobe's footfalls, and a picture emerged easily in her mind of the Wookiee beside her and the path he walked. She followed willingly. She embraced the memories, bad and good alike. She realized as well how much she missed home, as horrible as was her last experience there was, she still desired to see it again, and experience the feeling of life that she once felt when she was just a child. The dreams she had, the dreams that had tormented her waking hours like a specter hanging within her mind day and night was losing its grip. The feelings she had for the tall Wookiee walking along side her that brought her from the darkness was the tenuous connection she had to the light. Now she had to face the reality of what she had done.
Echobe could have killed her, Makaashyya realized. He could have left her to the fate desired by his Alliance allies, for her imprisoning of Alliance and civilians in that prison. She gave herself freely to the fate as she thought of her family, and was comforted by them, though they had long since faded away into dust and her dreams. Her dear brother Syymbacca met similar fate on Dathomir at her expense. She tried to flee from that pain, but it found her and consumed her that day, and she welcomed the retribution that had found her. She felt afire inside, she felt alive, but her body trembled in fear as if it was preparing for the final act. She could see on the horizon the end, the blissful end to the pain, she welcomed it.
The two Wookiees made their uneventful way to the city where Echobe had once lived. According to reports from Alliance operatives that traveled regularly to Kashyyyk, the bombings had been eased. The blockade remained and prisoners were still being gathered, but the ferocity that once threatened to destroy the Wookiee people had subsided somewhat. They reached the lift, and Echobe could feel Burmar's presence, an echo of the past, or something else, Echobe wasn't sure. It was the very lift that Echobe and Burmar had used, as Echobe hoped it still would be there and it was, just as it was. Still rusting, still struggling to take passengers up into and down from the city. It had seen far more use that it was ever designed to. Echobe activated the control pad and they waited as the lift hidden in the canopy above descended towards them.
Makaashyya then broke the silence between them.
"Everything's going to be ok now isn't it?" She asked as not so much as the Wookiee she now was, but more as the child she had left behind in her village. Echobe turned and looked at her with guilt and compassion. He wanted to free her, but he had made a promise and had to keep it, but he also swore to be with her as long as she needed, to help her as much as he could. He was just as familiar with her betrayal as anyone. Only Bilebelch helped him escape the fate that Makaashyya had planned for him, but he found no pleasure in what he was taking Makaashyya to face. Echobe gently nodded his head and wished she would look into his eyes, but she kept them closed.
"Everything will be fine…one way or another." He felt strangely confident in those words. One way or another, he thought.
After a long wait for the aging platform, it finally reached the forest floor with a moist thud, matching the memory in Echobe's mind. They stepped onto it, and the whirring, squealing motor lifted them up into the trees with the press of a button. When they reached the city floor in the trees, Echobe looked out over his old home. The city was war ravaged that was clear, but the fires did not burn as they once did. TIE fighters did not scream overhead. Wookiees, though far more sparse than he remembered, walked about, not with smiles, but with a grim look of determination to survive. There was sporadic construction. Wookiees carried materials this way and that, and each one looked at Echobe and Makaashyya as if they themselves were Imperials, their eyes were wide with disbelief. And so too did Echobe's eyes widen when he saw his foster Mother and Father rebuilding a small home that had been charred by fire. They saw Echobe out of the corners of their eyes and climbed down from the building, their claws scraping against the wood as they descended. It reminded Makaashyya of her horrible crime, the one that started her downward spiral, what brought her home for judgment. She kept her hands hidden in her robe.
Echobe's foster parents looked stricken. He did not know what to expect, and did not expect what happened next. They ran to him with open arms. Both shorter than he, they hugged him and asked him where he had been, if he was ok, and for forgiveness for the way they had treated him. It was an unusual turn of events, for the acceptance he once desired before he left Kashyyyk, to come beckoning to him with open arms. Ironically, back among his people, he no longer desired and longed for that acceptance, he didn't feel worthy of it. The reasons for returning cast a shadow over everything.
After a teary-eyed reunion, Echobe briefly summed up what had happened the night Ulchewbuk died as he hugged his foster family, and leading up to Makaashyya's capture. He left out the all too gory details of the fate of his birth parents, his foster parents were horrified enough to know that they were truly dead. They lavished him in pity, and bereavement, and care, which they once denied him.
Echobe explained that he was reluctantly returning a criminal, and that he must see whatever governing council was left. His foster parents told him that a small council existed made up of the only two village elders that remained. The rest had been killed, or died of famine or disease, or were taken. His two foster parents were on the small council as well. They called for a meeting that same day to begin to discuss Makaashyya's crimes. She decided she would speak for herself.
**********
Makaashyya stood before the small council, surrounded by dozens of spectators undoubtedly all that remained of the once large city's population, hidden away in one of the tallest buildings that still stood. The war torn faces of the Wookiee people were oppressive, angry, and tired. Each one had lost loved ones, and their freedoms, some even their sanity. They were vengeful, and seeing a Wookiee criminal stand before them sent ripples of hatred through the air that Makaashyya and Echobe could easily feel.
Makaashyya began to feel sick to her stomach as she began her story.
"I was taken by Imperial Stormtroopers from my village that I can no longer locate. My brother," Makaashyya almost spoke his name, but the pain was still too great, the name choked in her throat, "me, and several other children from the village were taken as slave labor, the rest were deemed unfit," she told the council.
"The Stormtroopers killed all who remained and decimated the village. We were taken to a planet called Dathomir where several other Wookiee slaves were being kept. We were assigned to build a prison there. Punishment for tardiness, or mistakes, was the random killing of a Wookiee. Several were killed while I was there. My brother suffered the consequences of my clumsiness with a beating." Makaashyya explained with starts and stops as she tried to tell her story with clarity, but each sentence struck her like a laser bolt.
"During one of the routine punishments, I was chosen from the line, but my brother attacked the Stormtroopers to save me. They beat him, and killed him. He died to save me, and like a coward I ran. I had to get away, and I could not watch as Syym," She accidentally started to speak his name, but stopped herself again.
"I couldn't stand to watch my brother fall, so I ran into the jungle as they shot at me. I ran until I collapsed." Makaashyya paused to catch her breath as if winded from running through the course of memory. The Wookiees surrounding her in the crowd, and sitting before her in the council, whispered and gasped, whether in horror or sorrow Makaashyya could not tell, nor could Echobe. He feared it was the former. Makaashyya continued her sorry tale.
"I woke to some human females prodding me with spears. They took me before their leader and she took pity on me. She had powers, strange powers I didn't understand. She seemed to know my very thoughts and desires, she also knew of what happened to my brother. She taught me how to use these powers."
More whispers. The words force and darkside could be heard rippling through the crowd like raindrops. The council called for order and the whispering slowly died down. Makaashyya continued.
"This leader taught me to use a lightsaber." Echobe stepped forward from Makaashyya's side and put the ancient lightsaber, once belonging to Gethzerion, preceded by Allya, an exiled Jedi Knight from long ago, on the table before the council. The whispering began again, but was quickly silenced by the council.
"She taught me how to use the force, the darkside of the force, all in her planning to raid the prison we had built, and secure her passage from Dathomir. She hated the Emperor, and spoke of revenge."
Makaashyya took a calming breath, still keeping her hands low and close to her body.
"Her plan went forward several years later after telling me that my training was near enough complete. She said she wished to release the prisoners to save them and to punish the Imperials, and in my desire for revenge I willingly obeyed. We assaulted the prison shortly after."
Makaashyya stopped for a moment to let her words settle into those around her while doing her best to not let her sorrow overwhelm her.
"When we entered the prisoner yard an alarm was sounded. Gethzerion ordered her Nightsisters to release the prisoners to cause confusion, and she told me she would leave me behind if I did not follow her orders. I obeyed. Stormtroopers poured out of the prison and fired upon the Nightsisters and the prisoners, killing many of them. I was scared and confused. Gethzerion paid no attention to her dying sisters, she would have let them all die for her own safety. We got inside the prison and started to make our way for the hangar where we saw a shuttle waiting."
Makaashyya paused again. Echobe could see that she was in anguish, he could hear it in her mind, but she continued on to the apex of her crimes and her downfall.
"That's when two Wookiee's, a male and a female, came upon us. I do not know their names."
Makaashyya shook her head with closed eyes in shame.
"They approached us carrying Imperial issue E-11 blasters. They said that they were allowed their freedom for their service and then they ordered us back to cells."
Makaashyya looked down at her hands palm up in her lap. No one spoke as they waited for Makaashyya to continue, a hush permeated the area and all sound seemed to be silenced. Echobe knew that she was being overtaken with the memories and was desperately trying to focus. The council grew impatient and demanded that she continue. Makaashyya drew in her breath, looked back up at the council and spoke the horrible truth she wished she could bury, that only Gethzerion, Echobe and herself knew up until that moment, and now her people would know, and her fate would be sealed, she knew.
"I lost myself. I lashed out at them as if they were the ones who killed my brother. I slashed them with my claws." Tears started streaming down her eyes, her voice became more and more distressed as she spoke. The council and all of the surrounding Wookiees save for Echobe gasped, whispering turned into yells of outrage and astonishment. The council themselves couldn't hide their contempt. All but Echobe glared and scowled at her, and the council did nothing to restore order. Echobe kept his head low and stood by Makaashyya. The horrible name of Madclaw started rippling through the crowd, Makaashyya cried into her hands.
"I killed them," she continued, as if pleading to an angry god for forgiveness. "I killed them in the most unimaginable way possible, and I left them there to bleed onto the floor as we escaped the prison." Makaashyya paused again, swallowed hard and continued despite everyone's raised, angered voices. The rest of her testimony was almost drowned out by the crowd and council alike. Whatever else she said did not matter. Their judgment had already been made.
"We made it to the hangar, but we were fired upon. Gethzerion was injured, and I alone made it onto the shuttle after killing one Imperial officer, and knocking another unconscious. I left Gethzerion behind after a laser cannon had struck her, throwing her against the wall, leaving her bloodied and unmoving, and then the cannon turned on the shuttle. The Imperial pilot still sitting in his seat started screaming at me that the ship was going to be destroyed, so I made the Imperial pilot take us off planet. I left Gethzerion there to die. We were the last ones to leave. The planet was quarantined. The Imperial pilot's superior ordered him to Tatooine and to forget that the prison ever existed, so we went to Tatooine. I didn't know what else to do. When we arrived, I killed him and his unconscious friend. I left them there as well."
Makaashyya recounted the details of the deal she made with Nes, of Nes' betrayal, and when she first met Echobe, their escape, and Echobe taking her in. She told them of her betrayal of Echobe and the Alliance, and the murders she committed at the tavern, and of her siding with the Empire secretly, in order to capture Echobe and those under his command. Makaashyya hesitated to speak any words that may have given her sympathy. She stopped trying to plead with the council to make them understand, she only recounted the facts, coldly. Makaashyya could feel the anger of the council and the spectators seething at her. She could also feel it coming from Echobe who did his best to bury it.
"I betrayed him," she said over and over as her voice died away. She looked up at Echobe who looked back at her with pity and love, hiding his anger, abstract of what was flowing throughout the building. "Echobe escaped my attack upon his base, but many of his personnel did not, and those who didn't were sent to a secret prison. All the prisoners I captured were taken to this secret prison."
Everyone finally went silent again as Makaashyya recounted the sorry ledger of her fall to the darkside. They were even more astonished at the sight of her eyes, and how they had changed. It was evil and unnatural, and served as physical evidence of the darkside with her.
"Echobe brought me back into the light. He saved me," Makaashyya plead to everyone surrounding. "He risked everything to bring me back from the abyss, so I agreed to help him find and destroy this prison. We did, and I agreed to come here and face trial as I am now. I am at your mercy." Makaashyya held her bound hands up before her in. Echobe took her hands in his. Everyone gasped and was repulsed by Echobe's compassion for the evil Madclaw sitting before them. The council leaned into each other and whispered, each looking in turns upon Echobe and Makaashyya. Makaashyya and Echobe's eyes were locked as they prepared for their fate.
The wait seemed as forever. It was not how Echobe wished to return to Kashyyyk. He wished to come back with the destruction of the Empire, to help rebuild his world, he hoped to be received as a true Wookiee of Kashyyyk. Finding Makaashyya had turned everything on its head, but Echobe accepted it nonetheless. He was all that she had left, Echobe knew, and he would risk nothing to take that away from her after all that she had lost. The wait for the verdict gave the critical moment in time to help the two Wookiees realize how much they cared for each other. Feelings they had both ignored and pushed aside and fought against came clearly into view.
The council quickly finished delegating.
"Makaashyya," began the leader of the council, an elder Wookiee, who paused for a moment to consider. Echobe's parents sitting at the council table held hands, and looked upon their foster child with sadness. The pained expressions on their faces told him what was coming. Echobe lifted his head and braced himself. Makaashyya did not look at the council. She instead stared at the floor. She stood, releasing Echobe's hand.
"Makaashyya." The Wookiee council leader said again. "By your own admission, you are guilty of the crimes of a Madclaw, of murder, betrayal, and of consorting with the Oppressors against your own people. Through Echobe's desire to suffer a part of your fate for his support of you, the council will be lenient for Echobe's sake." The council leader paused as if his throat tried to fight back the words he had to speak. "You will be forever known as Madclaw. Sparing you the penalty of death simply because of Echobe's support of you. Therefore you both are banished from Kashyyyk forevermore. Even upon your deaths you will not be honored among Wookiee dead. You are banished in life and death from Kashyyyk. Go back to your ship, and be gone from this place." The leader of the council slammed his fist onto the table before him.
There were some angered jeers and hushed cheers from the crowd. The council all stood at once and slowly filed out of the building. Echobe's foster parents went to walk towards him, but Echobe halted them by putting his hand up to stop them. He smiled at them with love and grasped Makaashyya's hand. Makaashyya's eyes seemed empty and she continued to stare at the floor. The fate that was given to her was far more painful than the death she expected and partly hoped for. She had gotten Echobe banished for his compassion, betraying him again. Her own banishment she could have lived with, but what was decided was far too painful. She collapsed to the ground, begging the council to reconsider their decision for Echobe, but they ignored her, everyone ignored her. She may as well have been a ghost calling out to the living for help. She was shunned, as Echobe was. They were both effectively Madclaws, and dead in the eyes of Wookiees, though Makaashyya carried the true title.
Echobe grabbed the lightsaber and picked Makaashyya up from the floor, but she crumpled in his arms. Echobe forced her to walk. Makaashyya sobbed. Her heart broken again the same as the day Syymbacca died. She hollered back at the council and the leaving crowd, "Forgive him! Forgiveness! Please!"
All went ignored.
Echobe took one last glance back at his foster parents and smiled at them, and then drug Makaashyya from the building forcing her to walk back the way they came and back to the lift.
The walk was done in silence. Echobe had not yet grasped what he was sentenced to. Makaashyya cried and cried as she walked behind Echobe, too ashamed to be in his line of sight. Her face was streaked in tears again. She could not imagine feeling so much pain and not be numb to it yet. When they arrived back at the lift, they used it to descend again to the forest floor. Echobe later regretted not taking in each sensation, each smell and sight in as his last, he was almost delirious, and wished he could have spent more time at home.
Makaashyya crumpled at his feet grasping onto his legs, begging for his forgiveness.
"I didn't know," she cried. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Her pleas came in sob-choked gasps. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Echobe knelt to her and lifted her face to meet his. He looked her in the eyes, and spoke to her as much with his voice as with his mind.
"This is how things must be. This place is not my home, and it's not yours either. Everything is going to be ok." Echobe said with robotic seriousness, cold and matter-of-factly, but doing his best to make Makaashyya believe in spite of himself. Makaashyya stood and wiped her eyes, doing her best to halt her heaving chest, and sobbing cries.
The lift hit the forest floor and they stepped off. Makaashyya walked behind Echobe. She could hear the thoughts racing through his mind. He was taking in, for memory, the pulse of life around them, taking one last picture, as if for his mind to see when he desired.
As they approached the ship, L7 lowered the platform and they stepped in. Small jungle rodents scurried away from the ship as it came alive. Makaashyya waited at the bottom of the ship's platform hesitant to step inside, unsure if she was welcome. She wanted to run into the jungle and let the wilderness take her. She wanted to die for what she had done to Echobe.
"It's time to stop running, Makaashyya." Echobe said to her before the thought could run its course through her mind. "Let's go, we have work to do still." Echobe beckoned for Makaashyya to board the ship. She reluctantly walked inside and closed the platform behind her. Makaashyya followed behind Echobe into the cockpit where L7 waited. Echobe, not wanting to linger and allow regret to take hold, powered up the thrusters, and they blasted off, lifting up and away from the jungle floor, over the canopy, into the atmosphere, towards the blockade, and away from Kashyyyk, and into exile. Echobe used the same clearance codes that he used to enter to escape the planet one final time back to Mon Calamari.
**********
The trip back to Mon Calamari was as quiet as their walk through the jungle to the Starscream. After landing, Alliance guards were standing by. Echobe could see Bilebelch from the cockpit sleeping in a pit he had dug for himself on the beach. Echobe escorted Makaashyya out. Her wrists were already bound of her own doing. Mon Mothma arrived as Echobe was walking off the ship. The Alliance leader halted the guards for a brief moment to speak with the Wookiee.
"I see my trust in you was not misplaced, Echobe. Please, come to my office so we may discuss what happened," said Mon Mothma and then turned away, seeming to glide with her gentle walk. The Alliance guards then stepped forward, and without harshness, took Makaashyya from Echobe's side. He smiled at the Wookiee girl, and she smiled back. Echobe reluctantly left Makaashyya to the Alliance guards and went to meet with Mon Mothma in her office.
The Alliance leader was a little surprised that Echobe had returned as promised from Kashyyyk, thinking Echobe may have allowed Makaashyya's escape, or that she would have been taken into custody by her own people. Echobe explained to the ever-patient Alliance leader about the council meeting, of Makaashyya's trial, and of the council's decision to exile them both as Madclaws. He explained that they were both considered dead to the Wookiee people, and they were never to set foot on Kashyyyk again. Echobe told his story with as little emotion as he could so as to hide his own pain.
Mon Mothma listened intently and silently, but the sympathy could be seen in her eyes. Echobe then quickly changed the subject not wanting to think of what had happened any longer, not wanting to hear any words of sympathy, just wanting to move on to the next objective.
"There is still one more laboratory out there that we know of," Echobe began, not letting Mon Mothma offer any words of hope, or condolence, "and Makaashyya is the best chance we have of finding it. I need her help to end this. Let me be done with it."
Mon Mothma hesitated, but she was fully trusting of Echobe's loyalties and commitment to his cause, and realizing that his very reason for leaving Kashyyyk had resulted in his exile from the home he wished to save.
After a few moments of contemplation, she decided.
"Very well, Echobe. She is under your direct supervision, but she will face an Alliance tribunal. Take what supplies and personnel you may need, be discreet and careful. We cannot afford such losses as with Desco and all of those aboard. The Empire will stop at nothing, even genocide. Be vigilant and may the force be with you."
Echobe, though stung by Mon Mothma's words of caution, bowed and thanked her. He wasted no time and went to the brig to gather Makaashyya. When Echobe arrived the same two Alliance guards were watching over her. Makaashyya was sitting on her cell bed, her head lowered. Echobe reached under his coat and pulled out Makaashyya's lightsaber. He then informed the Alliance guards of their orders, and they proceeded to unlock the cell to allow Echobe in. He brought the ancient lightsaber up before the recoiling Wookiee on the bed. Makaashyya looked at the lightsaber with desire. She let her feelings have control for a few moments, but watched over them like a sentry to see for herself if her impulse to kill, to turn back to the darkside, would overwhelm her again.
It didn't.
Makaashyya hesitated, almost scared to touch the weapon, fearing it would somehow make her revert to what she once was, but the look on Echobe's face of pride and compassion broke down her resistance. Echobe held it closer to her, and she reluctantly accepted it, rolled it around in her hands a few times, and attached it to her belt. In a strange way, she felt whole, like a missing piece of her body had been reattached. Despite the deaths that the weapon had assisted the young force user in, its presence was uplifting to her.
"We have to find the last prison. Mon Mothma has agreed to put you under my responsibility, and we may be able to win you sympathy with an Alliance tribunal."
Makaashyya nodded, but she didn't really believe, nor was she concerned for any possible sympathy for herself, she was worried for Echobe, who had sacrificed everything for her. Makaashyya stood at attention and faced Echobe with a weak but sincere smile, and nodded.
"Now we find Zav-halis Nij," said Echobe as he turned and started walking back towards the hangar. Makaashyya followed and slowly caught up to stand by Echobe's side, her hand brushing against his.
The two Wookiees walked out into the hangar and ignored any looks that were thrown at Makaashyya. Bilebelch was splashing around in the ocean surrounding the hangar and several Alliance personnel were standing at the shore, beckoning timidly for the creature to return to the Starscream, but the rancor ignored them blissfully. But when Bilebelch sensed Echobe's presence, the rancor ran out of the water towards Echobe with glee. Water sloshed off of the creature in buckets, drenching the Alliance personnel that tried in vain to rein the beast in. The rancor ran up to Echobe and skidded to a stop on all fours. Echobe petted the animal on its snout, spoke to him with his mind, and with a pat on his head, Bilebelch excitedly ran back into the Starscream almost knocking over various crates, droids, and Alliance personnel on the way.
Yaminul saw the rancor rush into the Starscream and then spotted Echobe and approached him. L7 was with the weary Alliance soldier.
"You made it back safely," said Yaminul, not looking at Makaashyya as she stood behind Echobe.
"We still have the body of Banthsas?" Echobe asked.
"It's in the morgue, why?"
"We'll need it. We'll also need an Imperial shuttle. Banthsas feels the need to report in to Zav-Halis Nij." Echobe said sarcastically. Yaminul's eyes widened, knowing what plan was brewing in his friends head.
"And where is this Imp?" asked Yaminul with doubt.
Echobe knowingly looked to Makaashyya, and she then looked to Yaminul.
"He's on the Executor," she said.
Yaminul's eyes widened.
The Executor. The flagship of Darth Vader, and the last place anyone, Alliance or Imperial would want to go looking for trouble.
"You must kid. We will be captured, if not killed outright." Yaminul raised his voice in exasperation.
"That's possible." Echobe responded nonchalantly.
"And with two Wookiees on board, we will be arrested no matter what." Yaminul added.
"Yeah," Echobe said with indifference.
Yaminul looked Echobe in the eyes with exasperation.
"What do you plan?" Yaminul asked, unable to discern exactly what Echobe had in mind.
Echobe smiled.
"You'll use Banthsas' uniform to get in. You've gotten good at play-acting. Tell them that your orders are explicitly for Zav-halis Nij's ears only. If, and hopefully when, they take you to him, explain to him that the prison on Tatooine was ambushed and destroyed, and that you barely made it out alive.
"Gee, should be easy." Yaminul raised his hands in the air with frustration.
Echobe continued, ignoring Yaminul.
"Say that you found the body of a Wookiee inside the prison. Makaashyya," Echobe looked to the Wookiee girl, "will play dead. Are you capable of being dead?"
Makaashyya nodded and smiled back.
Echobe continued.
"We have some details of the Executor's schematics don't we? While you are speaking with Zav-Halis, Makaashyya will have a resurrection disable the radar, or hopefully the power for as long as she can."
Yaminul looked at Echobe with disbelief as Echobe expanded his plan, but he was unable to even mutter an argument against it.
"After she has done that, you will need to suppress Zav-Halis Nij and bring him to the hangar, and hopefully." Yaminul rolled his eyes, "there will be a fair amount of confusion by then. Makaashyya will find you via locator beacon. You two will go back to the hangar, program the Imperial shuttle to take off as a distraction, while I pick you up and take off. Bilebelch and I will create diversion if necessary. If all goes well, we'll be back to Mon Calamari before the day ends." Echobe smiled again, clearly satisfied with his idea.
Yaminul looked at Echobe, mouth agape, and speechless. Makaashyya stood behind Echobe with a confident nod and smirk.
"I hope you know what you do." Yaminul said after a few moments. Echobe smugly nodded with his eyes closed.
"Gather up the necessary supplies, get that Imperial uniform and ID. Requisition an Imperial shuttle. You'll have to batter yourself up a bit Yaminul, to make it look like you escaped." Echobe reached over and ruffled up Yaminul's blond hair, to which Echobe received a sharp slap to the hand and some cursing in Yaminul's native language that Echobe didn't understand.
Makaashyya stopped herself from laughing. Despite Yaminul's doubts, she was ready and willing to go along with any idea Echobe had, even if it was suicide, she thought it necessary.
Echobe left Yaminul to ponder what he was in for. A short while later, Yaminul delegated, and ordered up the necessary supplies. Yaminul found a battle worn, and just plain worn-out Imperial shuttle, and with L7 and Makaashyya in the shuttle, and Echobe with Bilebelch in the Starscream they wasted no time and took off towards the last known coordinates of the Executor, according to Alliance reports, within in the Hoth system.