Chapter 16
21 years before the Battle of Yavin, BBY
The boy sits against a fallen super battle droid, using its burly torso as cover. Both pieces of his broken rifle lay across his legs. Only dozens of Clones remain; the boy is the last villager. They retreated deep into the forest, using the closely rooted trees to slow the Separatists. Hit and fade, surprise ambushes, and explosives took the droids by surprise. Unable to bring the weight of their legions to bear, the woods forced the droids to disperse and enter slowly by squads and platoons. Once isolated, the clones picked them off from a distance.
They built cairns of battle droids for a full day, decimating the Separatists until another wave came from behind them. The battle descended into chaos. The clones and the villagers fought back to back and often hand-to-hand. The boy snapped his rifle over a B1, but the fight wasn't over or even at its peak. They became savages, embracing the violence as losses mounted. The Jedi General moved in a blur, jumping here, there, and everywhere the fight was fiercest.
Then suddenly, the droids withdrew. The boy didn't see his father die; he found out afterward. Hills of white-armored dead mingle unceremoniously in mass graves. He knows his father lies in one of them. He knows he should grieve or scream, but the boy feels muted, hollow, and cold. When the battle reached its peak, with the tension and the fear choking him, something snapped. He stopped feeling the mountain of pressure or anything else.
"Commander," a big Clone calls, pointing at him. "Maybe we should let the boy go."
"Where? We're surrounded," the commander motions to the claustrophobic woods.
"He knows the land, and maybe he can hide or sneak out," the big clone insists.
"The boy stays," the Jedi General opens his eyes, interrupting his medication. He speaks evenly to them, "His survival until now, his presence is the will of the force."
The clone commander shrugs, then motions at the general. The big clone scowls, "General, the boy is going to die. It's a miracle, pure LUCK that he's still alive."
"There's no such thing as luck," the Jedi concludes, ending their conversation.
The Clone commander scowls, motioning sharply with military sign language: 'GO!' The big clone sighs before walking over to the boy, "Hey, kid. You need another rifle."
"I-I-it was my father's. He'll be mad that it's broken," the boy knows his father is dead. Still, residual customs remain strong in him, even dulled by death and exhaustion.
The clone moves it beside the boy, "After the battle, we'll fix it, but we need you ready to fight. Take this rifle, it was my brother's, so you need to take good care of it. Understood?"
The boy takes the DC-15A absentmindedly and studies it. It's clunkier than his sporting blaster, heavier too, but almost as long. He checks the magazine, still full, then he nods.
"Good. They call me Bull, and I'm going to take care of you now, understand?" The boy nods again, but Bull corrects him. "Don't nod. You're a trooper now. I need to KNOW you understand. When a superior asks a question, you respond, 'yes, sir.' Got it, trooper?"
The boy blinks in surprise, then nods before stopping himself. He whispers, "Yes, sir."
"Good," Bull declares before picking up a discarded helmet. "One more thing, you never take off your helmet. It does more than protect your head; it allows you to communicate with your brothers and see in the dark. Don't forget to switch it on, do you see it?"
"Yes, sir."
A pitched whistle cuts through their conversation, and Bull screams, "Incoming!"
Endor, thirteen hours since the commander's promise for EVAC.
"We don't want you," the dark-furred Ewok declares. "We want the stormtrooper."
Growling, King Gorneesh brazenly steps forward. The commander motions sharply, "No!" His fighters rally until two blasts strike the cave's mouth. Instantly, the king retreats but motions his people onward. The commander curses, "They've caught us at this bottleneck, the narrow, intentionally. Only a few can leave at once, and they'll have the exit surrounded. They'll shoot us, and the bodies will block the cave. If we rush, they'll toss grenades and butcher us."
"Isn't there another exit?" Hera asks.
"We cannot lose the village," King Gorneesh tells her in a growl.
"Villages can be rebuilt or retaken," Gary says.
"He's right," Hera agrees. "Your people's lives must come first."
"Each life is a mouth to feed," Urgah argues. "Come winter or storms, without shelter, we all die. We cannot lose our home. This was our parents' village and their parents."
"The other exit," the commander reminds them. "Can we send warriors to flank them?"
"It is some distance," Gorneesh admits. "Not far but longer than Misti will wait."
"Then send your hunters and sneakiest," the commander tells him. "We're facing East, correct? Have them come from the south. When they're ready, have them signal us."
"Why not behind them?" Gorneesh asks, and Urgah nods.
"Our blasters might hit them by accident, but they'll be safe if they flank from the south. All we need is a distraction so we can get out of the cave and push them out of your village."
Gorneesh looks at a shaman, who nods, and selects a group of hunters.
"Hold on," Hera pleads. "Let me speak with them. Maybe, I can end this peacefully."
"NO!" Gorneesh says forcefully. "Ewoks are thieves and liars."
"They'll kill you," Urgah motions for her to stop. "Ewoks are evil!"
"I have to try," she says, then looks at the commander for support.
"We can do both," he insists. "If you convince them to leave, then it won't matter that the Duloks crept out. If they don't, it will buy time for the Duloks to flank them."
"I need a serious answer," Hera says. "Will you surrender if they'll leave us alive?"
"No!" Gary says fiercely.
"No!" Gorneesh adds. "They will eat you!"
"Yes," the commander replies quietly. "But can you trust them to follow through?"
Hera gives Misti a long look before saying, "I don't know, but I have to try."
She calls out to the Ewoks before exiting with her hands up. Misti's eyes narrow, examining her and the protocol droid beside her. Then he spots her two guards. He motions suddenly, snarling and growling in his language. Dozens of Ewoks shift forward, revealing themselves. Then many more appear on top of huts and from concealed positions.
"Oh! Oh! He says not a step further," the protocol droid cries. "He says, 'no tricks.'"
"I just want to talk," Hera assures him with her hands up. The droid conveys it in grunts and growls. Hera turns and motions for the rebels to stop. Neither wants to, but they position themselves at the cave mouth. Misti moves closer to Hera and the droid, whispering.
"It's a trick!" Goreesh insists, clenching his hands around his club.
"She'll betray us," Urgah says. "She'll turn on us and save herself."
"She's a lot of things, but not that," the commander replies. He crawls forward a little and counts the Ewoks before whispering. "Rebels, unsnap your blasters, just in case."
Deftly, with only the slightest movement of their hands, the big human and the Sullustin remove the strap holding their blasters in their holsters.
"The general is trustworthy," Gary motions for the Duloks to remain calm.
"You trust her?" Urgah demands warily. "She is your enemy."
"Chief Misti," Hera raises her voice, regaining their attention. "This is no trick. I didn't come here to betray the Ewoks; I came to…to end the conflict, peacefully."
Misti's eyes narrow before a smile crosses his face. The expression holds no warmth; it only reveals his rotten and missing teeth. Hera tenses, her posture changing, and her hand brushes her blaster. Then the Ewok declares loudly, "I want to end the conflict too."
Misti dodges behind a hut; simultaneously, his warriors unleash a flight of arrows. The bodyguards draw their pistols, and Hera ducks, pulling her own.
"Mistress!" The protocol droid cries before throwing itself in front of her. Many arrows bounce off his plating, but some pierce the joints. A bolt of energy blows it to pieces. The droid's torso falls on her, knocking Hera down. The Ewoks unleash another volley that arcs through the air. Even destroyed, the droid continues protecting Hera. She shields herself as her bodyguards advance. An arrow slices the big rebel, stalling him, and the Sullustin reaches her first. The commander and Gary push forward, unable to shoot without risking the rebels' lives.
An Ewok with a spear jumps from a nearby hut; the Sullustan catches the spear and kicks the Ewok. He blasts another and the first. He hurls the spear at a third but misses, forcing him to club it with his pistol. Then an arrow catches him in the side; he falters for only a heartbeat.
Hera rolls over, dumping the droid, and retreats. The big man steps in front of her, ducking one arrow, but another pierces his calf. When the commander reaches the edge of the cave, he blasts the archer. Gary moves next to him, but a bolt whizzes by, causing him to flinch.
From the bathing cave's mouth, the commander sees the devastation wrought by debris. While much of the village suffered only mild fires, the entrance sustained a direct hit, creating a bowl-shaped depression. The chunk of Death Star didn't stop there, and the commander can only imagine what the village looks like from behind his position.
The Sullustan recovers enough to retreat a few steps before an arrow hits him in the back. He falls hard, still for a moment, before he begins crawling. The Ewok he knocked down grabs his leg, rising with a knife in its paw. Gary blasts it in the face. Free again, the Sullustan crawls until the big man grabs his shoulder. Abruptly, three arrows plunge into the Sullustan's back.
"No!" Hera cries, shooting back. The Human drops him and retreats before an arrow hits him in the chest. His armor absorbs it, but he grimaces with pain. The commander unleashes a burst into the trees, forcing the Ewoks to take cover. Then he grabs Hera and drags her behind a nearby hut. She kneels, and he points to his eyes before motioning at the other path.
The village is a warren of dirt paths between the huts, and the Ewoks came prepared. The big man takes two more arrows, but Gary blasts one of the archers. A bag hits the bodyguard; instantly, fireflies encircle and blind him. Gary grabs him before retreating behind to a hut too.
DOOT-doo-doo-DOO! The Ewok horn blares before it's answered. Ewoks appear from every direction, answering the call to attack. Hidden, they spring forth seemingly out of thin air. The commander blasts one, then another, and a third. Hera blasts one charging her, and another jumps from a nearby hut, landing on her back. Gary clubs one with his rifle before another grabs it. The big man punts an Ewok off the ground, shooting it when it lands, and then another.
In moments Ewoks swarm them. Hera kicks the charging Ewok back and throws the Ewok clinging to her. Then she says, "We need to retreat!"
"If we retreat, they'll butcher us," the commander replies. "Gorneesh! Attack!"
The tempo of violence rises as they resist the overwhelming numbers. A Dulok warrior reaches the cave mouth but immediately takes a spear in the gut. Another climbs over only to get blasted. The commander shoots an Ewok, and his rifle clicks empty. He smashes another with the stock before he's tripped. He lands hard and whacks his head. An Ewok howls in excitement, dagger in both hands as he jumps on the dazed commander. The stormtrooper blocks, barely keeping it away. Another Ewok wrestles the rifle away, pressing their advantage.
Hera blasts the one on top of him, but another Ewok slashes at her. The commander slams the dead Ewok into the second, but the creature stubbornly clings to his arm and bites his bracer. The commander punches it in the head and rises to his knees.
Then suddenly, he's holding the ax in both hands.
The Ewok's eyes widen in terror, screaming. It raises its hands, even as he chops it in half. Next, he hacks through a spear and the Ewok holding it. Nearby, Hera wrestles with a Lightfoot over a spear. The Ewok straddles her, pinning her against a hut. The commander chops the Ewok's head off, splashing her face with its blood.
Hera gasps, blinded by the splatter and desperately wipes her eyes clean.
A blast hits the commander in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The big rebel shoots the Ewok. Gritting his teeth, the commander unleashes his fury in a monstrous roar. He struggles back to his feet in spite of his pain. Another arrow sinks into his pauldron and gouges his shoulder. Even though he can't feel one hand, somehow, he clings to the ax.
His rise disturbs the Ewoks; they hesitate, slowing when they reach him. Then Misti appears with a spear to challenge him. The commander's anger throbs with his heartbeat. He blocks a thrust, then another, before he swings. The Ewok steps back beyond his reach and thrusts marking his chest plate. Charging, Misti stabs rapidly, striking his chest, missing, then whacking his helmet. His spear fails to penetrate but pushes the commander back.
As strong as he is, the commander is no match for the Ewok, even with his greater reach. Misti honed his skill with the spear over a lifetime. Misti knocks the ax from his hand, forcing him to grab the spear, then kicks his leg. The commander drops to a knee while Misti pulls a dagger and slashes the commander between his armor plates. Face to face now, the Ewok looks into his visor and smirks.
The commander headbutts the Ewok; then knocks the spear out of its hands. Misti rolls with the blow, smoothly flipping back to his feet, and grabs another spear from a Lightfoot. The commander struggles to stand and picks up his ax.
BOOOMMM, a thunderous GONG interrupts, then again BOOOMMMM! Gorneesh explodes from the cave and flattens an Ewok; his warriors right behind him. Only distantly, the commander remembers the arena's gong. Dulok hunters knock Ewoks off huts while Gary and the big rebel shoot them. The commander draws his pistol and shoots, but Misti darts between huts and disappears. More Dulok warriors and Urgah pursue them from the village.
The Ewoks don't break. Under pressure from two sides and enemy fire, they remain orderly. Their archers and shooters provide cover while the rest gather beyond the village, disappearing into the bushes. He's surprised and impressed with their discipline before spotting Misti in the distance. The Ewok gestures rudely then melts into the woods.
Her face still stained with blood, Hera kneels beside the Sullustan bodyguard. She asks, "How did this happen? What was this all for? Why did so many have to die?"
"Ewok and Dulok fight," King Gorneesh huffs before kicking a fallen Ewok body. "We always fight. Our fathers fought theirs, and our sons will fight theirs too."