Disclaimer: Lucasfilm, Bioware, Disney, et al. and whoever they sell the rights to next own Star Wars and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I write this for fun and not for any monetary gain.
Chapter 21: The Sword of Bacca
After half an hour of walking through the Shadowlands, they found a lone Wookiee who looked like he hadn't seen the sun in years. He did not look friendly.
The Wookiee growled threateningly, "More of you Czerka core-rats? Is even the heart of Kashyyyk not free from your kind?"
"He is almost feral after all this time," Jolee remarked to his fellow humans. He then called out to the Wookiee, "Calm yourself, Freyyr. We are friends. Don't you remember me?"
The Wookiee apparently known as Freyyr growled with hatred. "After years in the Shadowlands, I remember only that outsiders are not to be trusted! I'll see you dead!"
"Well, this may be difficult," the old man muttered to himself.
Freyyr took out a vibroblade and charged at the trio. Seeing the attack, Bastila sent a bolt of Force Lightning at the sword, forcing him to let go from the sudden jolt, with hopes of discouraging him. Needless to say, none of them wanted to kill a Wookiee that opposed Chuundar and his slaving operations. However, Freyyr was instead enraged by his disarmament and raised his paws to attack.
Not wanting the Wookiee dead, Revan reached out and immobilized him with the Force, despite Freyyr's desperate struggles taxing the Sith Lord's strength. Nevertheless, he persisted and held the Wookiee in place for a solid minute, showing him that he stood no chance in battle.
After a minute, Freyyr admitted defeat. "I... I am beaten. Take my head, Czerka filth. You won't get another chance. So swears Freyyr of Kashyyyk."
"I am not here to kill you! Just listen!" the Sith Lord shouted at the crazed Wookiee, his voice filled with frustration.
"The words of outsiders are tainted with lies," the Wookiee declared. "You can't convince me otherwise."
Revan stood silent for a moment, wondering what he could say to the almost insane Wookiee. Finally, he asked, "Do you know anything about Zaalbar and Chuundar?"
"What?" Freyyr reacted with shock. "Those are the names of my sons! But they are lost to me now: one exiled, the other a traitor!" After a brief pause, the Wookiee growled angrily, "Why do you speak the names of my sons? How do you know of them? Tell me!"
"I came to Kashyyyk with Zaalbar," the Sith explained. Before he could say more, he was cut off.
"To my shame, Zaalbar was exiled and enslaved. Do you dare claim to be my son's owner, outsider?" Freyyr asked with a challenge.
What? Did I hear that right? He allowed his own son to be enslaved? Bastila asked with shock. What kind of father does that?
It is possible he only did the exile part and the slavery part came after, outside of his control, but I don't know… Revan noted. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised though, given that Chuundar is his son. But at least he regrets it now… years too late. To Freyyr, he said out loud, "No, he follows because of a life-debt."
"Does he?" The Wookiee's tone changed. "Then he sees something of worth in you. I will listen... cautiously. Gullibility has harmed me in the past." He started lamenting, "If I had seen the lies of Chuundar, he would have been exposed as a slaver. Zaalbar would not have been exiled... I did not believe Zaalbar's claims; I believed the elder boy, as tradition dictated. The shame of Zaalbar's attack blinded me."
The pair of Sith exchanged a look. Believing the elder boy, as tradition dictated, instead of using his brain? What kind of logic is that? They resisted shaking their heads.
"Tell me exactly what happened with Zaalbar…" Revan suggested.
"Zaalbar saw it first. He learned that Chuundar was dealing with the Czerka, leading them to our hunting parties," Freyyr explained. "Chuundar would blame disappearances on the dangers of the Shadowlands. Zaalbar was crazed when he found out. He attacked Chuundar with his claws. I thought he had gone mad... shed his honour. I was bound by the old ways."
"And you exiled him," the Sith stated. "When did you find out the truth?"
The Wookiee looked mournful. "A year later. By then, Chuundar had spread lies of my own madness. I had no allies when I confronted him… He and his Czerka guards attacked me. I had to retreat to the deepest Shadowlands, but even there they followed."
"That's when I first saw him," Jolee continued, picking up the story. "I helped his pursuers lose him for a moment. Do you remember me now, Freyyr?"
"Yes, I think I do. I am sorry about attacking," the Wookiee said shamefully. "It's been so long since I have offered my trust, or accepted that of someone else."
"What are you going to do now?" Bastila asked.
"That would depend on you… You can either kill me or decide I might benefit my people. There is a way I might challenge Chuundar, but it will take a lot to convince people they have been lied to…" stated Freyyr.
"How?" the Dark Lord asked.
The Wookiee told them about Bacca's blade, which traditionally symbolized Wookiee independence and leadership. He explained that with the blade, he might be able to appeal to tradition and challenge Chuundar's rule.
"Where might we find this… blade?" Revan asked.
Freyyr explained that a past chieftain named Rothrrrawr challenged "the Great Beast." He survived the battle, but had lost the blade in the hide of the creature. The hilt still remained with the village's chieftain, and thus currently in Chuundar's possession. In the minds of the Wookiees, it was believed that the blade was taken because they had become undeserving. If the blade could be found, it would form an argument that its holder had become worthy, and would thus be able to challenge Chuundar's rule.
"And you think you are still worthy of becoming the chieftain?" the Sith Lord asked skeptically, finding Freyyr's treatment of Zaalbar abhorrent.
"No, I don't, but better me than Chuundar. He sells his own people for power. Please help," he pleaded. "You bring hope to us all. I swear I won't make the same mistakes as before."
"Very well, I will take the opportunity to hurt Czerka and their slaving operation," Revan agreed despite his personal dislike of Freyyr. Out of the solutions to deal with Chuundar and freeing Zaalbar available to us, this is probably as good as it gets… And perhaps I don't need the Star Forge to make Janos eat his words… "Can you describe the beast and give direction?" he asked.
Freyyr explained that the beast was very dangerous, and that a few decades ago, a proud and boastful Jedi once came to hunt the creature, and did not return. He also described a ritual to lure the beast out, and told them of the ritual site to the south.
"I will stay here and try to think of what I will say to Zaalbar. I have wronged him. I hope he can forgive me," he said sadly. "I will be here. Please, find the blade of Bacca's sword. I must make things right," he pleaded.
"Yes, we'll see what we can do," Revan agreed. The party soon ventured forth towards the ritual site.
"I don't know if I should be impressed that Freyyr was humbled enough to admit that he stood no chance against the beast, or disappointed that he didn't at least offer to help us," Revan remarked as they walked towards the ritual site.
"Still, it sounded like the beast is very dangerous… if it could kill a Jedi," Bastila pointed out. "Do you know what it could be?"
"Let's see… a lone Jedi explicitly wanted to hunt this beast, and it is great and terrible… What great and terrible beasts are in the Shadowlands?" the Sith Lord thought out loud. "I see, it has to be a terentatek," he deduced in about five seconds.
"Why?" his apprentice asked automatically.
"Have you heard about the disappearance of Guun Han Saresh, Duron Qel-Droma, and Shaela Nur?" he asked.
"I heard talks about them being on a mission to hunt down terentatek… but I don't know the details…" she answered. "They were quite before our time."
"You youngsters," Jolee interjected. "I've met them. They were some of the best in the Jedi Order. What happened to them?"
"It's a tragedy," the Dark Lord recounted. "Duron and Shaela fell in love during their mission together. Guun Han did not approve of their relationship," he retold darkly, "and lectured the two about how Jedi should not fall in love, and all that stuff."
Those damned Jedi and their insane dislike of love, Bastila mentally cursed, thinking about her own romantic relationship with Revan. "What happened then?" she asked.
"Guun Han walked out on them, deciding that Duron and Shaela were doomed to 'fall to the Dark Side,'" the Sith Lord continued with disgust. "And I think he was the lone arrogant Jedi that Freyyr spoke of."
"Why is that?" she wondered.
"Because I found Duron's journal on Korriban," he explained. "He and Shaela decided to continue to hunt terentateks there, and he perished in a cave. That's how I got most of the story."
"Why can't it be Shaela?"
"Because I found her journal in the tomb of Naga Sadow…" the Sith Lord recounted ominously. "Her journal spoke of how she hated Guun Han for leaving them and how she hated the terentateks even more. And so, she went into the tomb seeking her vengeance against the latter."
"And she died?" she guessed. She sympathized with Shaela somewhat, finding her behaviour perfectly understandable. If she could not go on without her love, then dying while eliminating such dangerous beasts was the most fitting end. The Order would have called it "giving into the Dark Side in a quest for vengeance," but Bastila preferred to think of it as public service. She knew in her heart she would have done the same if she ever lost her Master, now that they were reunited after almost losing him. She could not handle losing him again.
"Yes, slain by the terentateks she sought to kill as revenge for Duron's death…" Revan finished the dark tale, interrupting her thoughts. "And that is why it must be Guun Han who perished here," he concluded.
"What a tragic fate for three good Jedi…" Jolee sighed sadly.
"I don't know about this Guun Han," Bastila noted skeptically, her dislike of the Jedi evident in her tone. "It seemed like it was his fault that all three of them died… Well, we have a more pressing issue…" she noted, deciding to get back on topic, not wanting to sink into a debate with Jolee about his idols. "If these terentateks could easily kill Jedi, what are we going to do?"
"The ones on Korriban had very strong Force resistance, but I am not sure if this is common for all terentateks," the Sith Lord stated.
"You fought these before?" Bastila asked with some concern.
"With Malak, yes, right before the war with the Republic, when we sought the Star Forge for the first time. The hide is somewhat resistant to lightsabers. But if we blasted it with enough Force Lightning, it should just die." Turning to Jolee, he asked, "Can you use Force Lightning?"
"Unfortunately not," the old man replied. "I suppose I could try to slow the beast?"
"Well, it's better than nothing," the Dark Lord decided. "Very well, when the terentatek appears, Bastila and I will blast it with Force Lightning until it dies. If it comes too close despite Jolee's efforts, we dodge and retreat, and we'll use lightsabers and plasma grenades." Of course, they could have used mines instead, but littering the forest floor with unused mines for other sentients to step on in the distant future was not an appealing option.
It was not long before the party stood at the ritual marker, with a viper kinrath sacrifice hanging on a vine that appeared to be specifically prepared for such a ritual. They backed away. Soon, rumbling noises were heard, and a vague shape that appeared to be a terentatek charged through the dense jungle into the clearing. As it approached, the three humans raised their arms in preparation.
Once within striking distance, the Sith couple fired Force Lightning at the highest power they could manage simultaneously at the beast. The light from the Lightning was almost blinding, and the beast roared in pain. It tried to charge at the party, but soon its muscles went into uncontrollable spasm, causing it to fall over. The slowness inflicted by Jolee might have played a role also. The potent Lightning continued to pour out of the fingers of the two Sith, and soon, the beast could only manage to whimper. They only stopped the Lightning when the beast finally became silent and its death could be felt through the Force.
The two Sith took a few deep breaths to unwind while Jolee sat down on the forest floor, panting from exhaustion.
"Where is the blade?" Bastila asked. "I don't see it."
"I hope this is the right terentatek…" Revan muttered. "Fighting another one of these isn't exactly my idea of fun, especially since I'd have to move this corpse away first…"
He walked a circle around the beast, and found the blade pressed against the ground, under the weight of the giant beast who had fallen on its side. "Lightsabers!" he cursed. "I see the blade, but it's under the beast."
His apprentice winced. "Still, you could lift a krayt dragon, so why not a terentatek?" she asked.
"The krayt dragon did not have Force resistant hide," he noted. "This will be really annoying…"
The Sith Lord thought about his options carefully. Suddenly, he threw out a few carefully timed and aimed Force waves, causing the beast to flip over. With a giant thud, it fell on its other side. With the Force, he pulled the blade out and let it hover in front of him. He had no desire to touch a blade without a hilt, especially given where it had been. No need to get an infection… he thought.
"There is something… strong in the Force… inside that beast," Jolee said as he walked over.
Revan dropped the Wookiee blade on the forest floor and concentrated. He found the object the old man spoke of. He floated his lightsaber with the Force to slice open the beast's belly and winced at the smell. He was careful to avoid letting the hilt touch the guts of the beast. Thank the Force for lightsabers. The blades don't need cleaning, he thought. Slowly, he pulled out a disgusting piece of jewellery and an equally disgusting datapad.
Bastila covered her nose. "What are these?"
"The jewellery is the object I sensed," Jolee replied with a smile.
"That's not what I meant," she almost snapped.
"That looked like the circlet that Guun Han always wore," the old man answered. "It was said to only be wearable by those who embraced the Light Side of the Force and the Jedi ideal, and would boost the wearer's Force powers."
In the meantime, Revan scanned through the datapad. "This is Guun Han Saresh's journal alright. How long do these terentateks take to digest?" he asked with disgust. Reading through the last entry, he remarked, "Wow, Guun Han is really an arrogant piece of shit."
"What did he write?" his apprentice asked.
"Have a look for yourself," he replied, floating the datapad over to her and letting it hover in front of her.
She read the entry. "He actually called Duron and Shaela fools for having the 'audacity' to love each other and outright abandoned them to prove he didn't need their help?" she summarized with outrage and revulsion. "He's even worse than I imagined. And that piece of jewellery thinks that's a part of the 'Light Side' and the Jedi ideal? It says a lot about what the Jedi consider important. It's a good thing that I renounced my membership of the Jedi Order, because I don't want to be equated with him."
Indeed, Guun Han had behaved in the exact same way the Jedi Council would have, the way all Jedi were taught to behave. Expressing romantic love openly was deemed a flagrant violation of the Jedi Code, the punishment being expulsion from the Jedi Order. If Duron and Shaela ever were to return with their deed known, they would be dragged in front of the Council and unceremoniously expelled and forced into exile for the rest of their lives, their lightsabers confiscated. As far as the Jedi Council were concerned, they were no longer Jedi and Guun Han was in the right to abandon them.
Bastila shook her head at the madness of the cult that was the Jedi. Turning to Revan, she asked, "Can we destroy that disgusting circlet?"
"I get that you don't like Guun Han," Jolee interrupted. "I certainly don't approve of the person he'd become. But it is a powerful piece of jewellery that might prove useful. Are you sure about destroying it?"
"Power may be useful, yes, but is it really worth the price?" Bastila argued. "I certainly would not want to embrace that insane Jedi ideal just to be able to wear that… thing." She rubbed her neck, feeling the presence of her slave collar and its enchantments that boosted her Force powers. I already have a nice piece of empowering jewellery… she told her boyfriend mentally. Thank you, Master.
Meanwhile, Revan thought about who could even make use of such an item. His mind went to Juhani. He remembered what she was like before they convinced her of the flaws of the Jedi, the person who wanted to let the slavers and genociders go free out of some perverse sense of Jedi "justice." That was someone who counted herself among Jedi, who'd be able to wear the circlet. The Juhani who killed Xor and avenged her people wouldn't be able to wear it. He shook his head. Bastila was right—the power of the circlet was not worth it. Anyone who could wear it wasn't someone he'd want on his side—which gave him an idea. "If you want to keep it, Jolee, feel free to take it I suppose," he suggested, floating the object towards the old man.
The former Jedi Padawan reached out with his right hand and took the item. "Ow!" he shouted and dropped the circlet to the forest floor. He took his right hand in his left and started nursing it. "That hurt."
"I suppose none of us can use it then," the Dark Lord surmised. "What's the point of keeping it around? Even if you could wear it, that kind of thing isn't reliable either. When I found Shaela's body, her legendary Solari crystal with a similar enchantment wasn't in her lightsaber, but in her robes."
"So the crystal must have rejected her at the worst possible time…" his apprentice concluded. It said a lot when an object locked to the Jedi's idea of "good" was the reason why "evil" creatures like terentateks survived. "Imagine getting burned by the circlet while you are in the middle of a fight and have to do what's necessary…"
"Exactly! And it's far worse than that. I studied the enchantment on the Solari crystal. If the user doubted they were acting in a Jedi-like manner, it would reject them. Shaela's knowledge that she was chasing down the terentateks in anger and the Jedi wouldn't approve broke her lightsaber…"
"I suppose the circlet must have burned Guun Han every time his Jedi Master reprimanded him then…" she observed. "Is that so different from a shock collar?" The contrast with the slave collar that she wore wasn't lost on her. Her collar had no ability to hurt her and she freely chose to wear it, while Guun Han was tormented by his circlet and removing it would undoubtedly lead to accusations that he was "turning to the Dark Side," especially if the burnt skin underneath became visible.
"And unlike the Solari crystal, the circlet was made specifically for Guun Han by his super-rich father, from what I gathered, so it doesn't even have any historical value," the Dark Lord added. "Destroy it!"
Yes, Master, she affirmed in his mind. She blasted the circlet of Saresh with Force Lightning. The tarnished piece of jewellery slowly glowed red under the heat, deforming, until it turned into a blob of liquid metal. She let it drop to the forest floor, where it would be forgotten, its powers long gone.
"And the datapad?" Revan asked.
"How about we keep it as a reminder of the sort of behaviour the Jedi consider acceptable?" she suggested.
Jolee frowned at that, but didn't say anything.
The Dark Lord of the Sith shrugged and handed her a resealable bag. She floated the bag up to the datapad and closed it around the device, then placed the bag inside her backpack. At least it won't smell anymore… she thought as she walked away as fast as possible.
It was an interesting sight that met Freyyr's eyes a while later. The three humans returned, with what appeared to be Bacca's blade floating in front of them.
"I am afraid to hope, but is that Bacca's lost blade?" the Wookiee found himself asking.
"It matched your description," the human leader said. "Here, take a look." He floated the blade over and dropped it into Freyyr's hands. It was too unceremonious for Freyyr's liking, but he decided to overlook this as it meant he was the first Wookiee in living memory to lay hands on such a sacred object.
"It… it is," the Wookiee said emotionally, holding the blade reverently in his hand. "It may not look like much... but it is a very important relic of my people. Tradition dictates that it be respected. I didn't think I was worthy to search for it, but I realized that was selfish despair. I should have helped you, at least," he apologized. "And I should have challenged Chuundar long ago. I will make amends now. I humbly thank you for what you have done for me." He growled softly to himself, "Imagine... Chieftain Freyyr... humble."
"Yes," the human leader agreed, "it is time to take the fight to Chuundar himself."
"My people will no longer be slaves!" Freyyr shouted to the forest.
Bastila shook her head. Loudly screaming news of his impending rebellion into the jungle where Chuundar's agents lurked was a foolish decision, but she supposed she couldn't expect better from someone who had "believed the elder boy, as tradition dictated."
Beside her, Revan also shook his head. What is done is done. If Wookiees died because Chuundar found out, their blood shall be on the hands of their chieftain, he told her mentally. The party left for the basket that would bring them back to the tree canopy, followed by Freyyr. On the way, they encountered the Wookiee Bastila had healed earlier.
"The Mandalorian hunters are dead. We killed them all," the Sith Lord announced.
"I can smell their blood on you," the Wookiee commented gruesomely. "Their bodies will not last long in the Shadowlands. I am glad. The taint of them, their cowardice... the forest will consume it all. I hope this gives my hunting brethren peace."
"Yes, I hope it does, though I would have killed them anyway," the Sith remarked.
"Yes, they attacked you as well, didn't they?" the Kashyyyk native remarked rhetorically. "I never thought I would be on the same side as an outsider. It is a strange feeling." After a moment, he declared, "Outsider, you have acted as a fellow Wookiee would have. Here, take this. It is the symbol of my hunting clan. You served them, so you deserve it. When you look at it, remember that we reward respect, even from outsiders." He handed Revan an Echani vibroblade.
The Sith thanked him. Now what do I do with an Echani vibroblade? he wondered.
Give it to Canderous? He could use a good sword, Bastila suggested.
He'll be offended by this, actually. Mandalorians always had a disdain for Echani weapons, thinking that they are too small and better suited for children. I don't think he would even be impressed by Yusanis' legendary ritual brand.
So bigger is better for Mandalorians? His apprentice almost giggled at that. Perhaps Mission then? She's actually a kid.
"And what's this madclaw doing?" the Wookiee roared when Freyyr finally caught up, having fallen behind while thinking what he might do.
"I am no madclaw, Grrrwahrr! I am Freyyr, your rightful chieftain!" the supposed madclaw declared.
"You truly are a madclaw," Grrrwahrr stated. "Freyyr died fighting the Czerka slavers. You'd have to truly lose your mind to believe you are a dead Wookiee."
"And who told you that? Chuundar? He's a liar," Freyyr argued. "He lied to us all and now sells our people to the Czerka. By the grace of Bacca, I have recovered the lost blade. I am the rightful chieftain." He brandished the ancient blade of Bacca for Grrrwahrr to see.
"It does match the legends…" Grrrwahrr muttered to himself. "Who do I believe now? Chuundar protects us, but he also lets slavers set up shop nearby… Old Freyyr wouldn't have tolerated them, but this might be a delusional madclaw…"
"Czerka has admitted to me that Chuundar has a deal with them," Revan interjected, sensing this was going nowhere. "He allows your people to be enslaved in exchange for weapons. Would you let your people be sold to Czerka for outsider weapons? Or would you fight?"
"I believe you, outsider. You treated us with honour and respect," Grrrwahrr decided. "I suppose this is indeed Freyyr. The legends are true then—Bacca's spirit lives on in true chieftains and his sword is the sign. I will fight for you."
The three humans and two Wookiees continued their journey towards the basket out of the Shadowlands. At the fork between the basket and Jolee's hut, Revan stopped.
"Thank you for your help," he said to Jolee. "It was nice meeting you."
"What are you doing?" the old man asked.
"Are you not going back to your hut?" the Sith Lord asked back in confusion.
"Didn't you agree to let me join you on your journey?" Jolee asked back, grinning.
"I thought you meant joining us to bypass the barrier!" Revan exclaimed.
"No, I am sick of this place. I have been here for decades after I crash landed. I've seen everything I wanted to here. How many kilometre-high trees can you find an interest in before you've had enough? I have no desire to rot on this planet," the old man explained. "I would rather go on one last adventure before I die. Whatever your destiny is, I want to see it."
Jedi-damned Padawans, the Sith Lord cursed. We should have clarified with him. He tricked us…
Why do you think he did it, Master? she wondered. I hope it's just for a free ride off the planet and not some other reason…
We can hope so… he replied. I'm not so sure it's just for the ride, as otherwise he wouldn't just say he wanted to see my destiny.
I mean, it's not a big deal if he doesn't try to interfere with our mission… but it may not be worth the risk if he does. Perhaps we should refuse? she suggested.
I have a feeling he wouldn't just take no for an answer, he noted. I'm not sure there is much we could do in response. Forcing him to stay would likely end in violence…
And the new Wookiee chieftain would owe his life to Jolee… she observed. Yeah, that's going to completely ruin the plan to deal with Czerka. We have no choice except to make sure Jolee stays on our side…
That's the best we can do in this situation, he agreed. He's at least open-minded enough to understand that we are not Exar Kun despite being Sith, so there's hope in that regard… "Very well, as long as you promise to not hinder us, you can come with us," he told Jolee, hoping the silence wasn't too suspicious. Luckily for the couple, mental speech did not truly require words to be uttered and was therefore much faster.
"Yes, of course," the old man agreed. "I won't be judging you or tell you what you should do, but I will offer you my help, should you need it," he promised.
"Very well, come with us," the Sith Lord acquiesced.
After a few minutes, they reached the basket that would bring them back to the forest canopy.
"You!" the Wookiee Gorwooken, who had operated the basket, growled in rage at the humans, pointing his bowcaster at them. "How dare you bring the madclaw you were supposed to kill here?"
"This is no madclaw," the Sith Lord announced, seeing that he had better luck than Freyyr earlier. "This is Freyyr, your rightful chieftain, whose throne was usurped by Chuundar. He comes with the lost blade of Bacca to overthrow his treacherous son and free you all from Czerka."
Seeing what he was doing, Freyyr held up the ancient weapon. "Chuundar works with the Czerka, selling our people in exchange for arms. This outsider heard it from the Czerka themselves."
"These are outsider lies! How dare they slander our chieftain?" another Wookiee shouted.
"Don't be so hasty, Rawrwarrror," Gorwooken argued. "These outsiders fought alongside Rorworr during his last battle and avenged his death. They are better than the Czerka."
"Then the Czerka lied to these outsiders," the other Wookiee argued. "We don't trust them."
"What about the sword of Bacca then?" Gorwooken asked. "The old legends say only the true chieftains can have it."
"That's just a story," Rawrwarrror stated. "No one alive has seen the sword anyway…"
"It does match the descriptions in the legends…" Gorwooken noted. "How did you get it?"
"It was lodged in the hide of a terentatek. The one you call 'the Great Beast.' We slew it and recovered the blade," Revan explained.
"So you speak the truth then," Gorwooken decided. "Everything you said matches the legends."
"Will you join us then?" Freyyr asked. "Will you help me end Chuundar's rule and drive Czerka out of Kashyyyk?"
"Yes," Gorwooken and Rawrwarrror declared. With that, the two Wookiees led the rest into the basket and raised it to the treetops.
The band of Wookiees and humans continued down the Great Walkway, slowly approaching the village. Suddenly, they ran into a band of Wookiees. Emboldened by their earlier success, Freyyr approached them first, raising the sword of Bacca. "I am Freyyr! I come with the lost blade of Bacca to overthrow Chuundar and free our people from the Czerka!"
"You madclaw!" the band leader shouted, drawing his bowcaster. "Freyyr is dead! How dare you impersonate our old chieftain? Have you no honour?" He fired a bolt straight at Freyyr. Fortunately for him, Bastila blocked it with the Force.
"Stop!" she shouted. "This is indeed Freyyr."
"We will not listen to outsider lies!" the leader shouted, interrupting her. "Kill these traitors who came with the madclaw!"
Heeding his call, the other six Wookiees raised their bowcasters and started firing at those who'd come with the madclaw. Seeing no other choice, Gorwooken, Grrrwahrr, and Rawrwarrror fired back while Freyyr charged at their attackers. Since battle was inevitable at this point, Revan and Bastila placed Force shields around the friendly Wookiees, hoping they'd have an effect against the bowcaster bolts, before each blasting two Chuundar loyalists with a storm of Force Lightning. The four friendly Wookiees took down the remaining three, suffering no casualties as the returning fire splashed uselessly against the invisible barrier.
"I am sorry it's come to this, fellow hunters," Gorwooken said to the bodies. "Great Bacca, let this end with as little blood as possible." They continued on their journey.
Near the village, the party of seven encountered the Wookiee who had once blocked the Sith couple's path to the Shadowlands, leading another band. Having learned their lesson, Grrrwahrr, Gorwooken, and Rawrwarrror spoke to the leader instead, whose name was Chorrawl, vouching for Freyyr. After a long exchange, Chorrawl and his followers eventually relented and let them through, hoping Freyyr could sort things out with Chuundar instead of causing a civil war.
When they reached the village entrance, Freyyr started shouting, "I am Freyyr. I return with Bacca's blade to drive the Czerka out! Would you follow me? Or would you follow Chuundar into the arms of the slavers?" His actions drew the attention of the entire village, who started coming out of their homes to look at the growing commotion. Fortunately, with Chorrawl escorting the party, three Wookiees by Freyyr's side vouching for him, and what appeared to be the blade of Bacca in his hand, no one thought to treat their rightful chieftain as another madclaw. Freyyr kept repeating the same words as more and more Wookiees joined the commotion.
"Oh, that's just great! Everyone is here now! It's a reunion!" Chuundar shouted angrily when he showed up with a bunch of Czerka guards.
"Yes, son," Freyyr growled back. With determination, he proclaimed, "By the blade of Bacca's sword, I've come to end your treachery! No more will you sell your own people!"
"You have Bacca's blade? So what!" the traitorous son retorted. "I have the hilt, held by each true Chieftain in recent memory! Even you claimed it was all-important! We both have our ancient trinkets, so who will the people follow now?" He held up the hilt and laughed. "You? You are old and weak!"
Zaalbar moved in between them and shouted, "Shut up! Both of you! This ends today! I... I will not see Rwookrrorro suffer any more!"
"Yes, this ends today," Revan echoed.
"I don't know what to do…" Zaalbar admitted. "Chuundar has been telling me things... He says he's giving the Czerka some concessions to buy us time to build up strength. He says we have no hope without using the Czerka's own weapons against them, which we can only get by cooperating with them. He says this will save more Wookiee lives in the long run. He makes sense... I think. I don't know."
"What?" Bastila looked outraged. "You would believe a slaver, Zaalbar?"
"I don't know… that's why I am asking!" the Wookiee protested. "And the people… they all seem to approve of Chuundar. And he's convincing them that I am not a madclaw and it's all just a big misunderstanding… I don't know what to believe!"
At that, a smug look appeared on Chuundar's face—or at least, what passed for a smug look for a Wookiee. It was time to nip this in the bud.
"The Czerka are few while you are many," the Dark Lord of the Sith stated, his tone clearly conveying his authority. Chuundar had trained his whole village to understand Galactic Basic, so they all listened to the voice that rallied so many against impossible odds—a fact the usurper undoubtedly regretted now. It didn't help that Revan chose his words to better match the grammar of the Wookiee language. "We stand in your ancient home, on your ancient ground. Since time immemorial, your ancestors have lived on Kashyyyk. This is your land. You know it better than anyone else. The Czerka are outsiders! They know not even the true name of this world. What hope do they stand when you can hide anywhere, strike anytime? The longer the Czerka are here, the more they learn about this land, the more they defile it for their purposes, the less advantage you have." As he spoke, he paralyzed the traitorous chieftain with Bastila's help, ensuring his speech went uninterrupted.
"By giving the Czerka a foothold, Chuundar enabled them to exploit your home," he continued. "He allowed your people to be shipped off world in chains, weakening your numbers. For what? So that the Czerka would help him usurp the throne? So that he could lie to you all that Freyyr is dead, when he lives on right here? So he could enslave you all to enrich himself? No more! It's not too late! You are still strong enough to throw off the Czerka yoke. Your bowcasters are just as powerful as their blasters! Together, we can push Czerka out today!" He paused here, giving the gathered Wookiees time to reflect.
"Zaalbar! You have been under the tender mercies of slavers multiple times," he continued moments later. In the background, Freyyr winced. "Do you still doubt that slavery is evil and must be destroyed?"
"Then there is no other way," Zaalbar agreed. Turning to his brother, he yelled, "Chuundar! You have betrayed our people! You must pay!"
"That's my boy," Freyyr declared proudly.
"You're too weak to fight, old wook, and I still have Czerka support!" the usurper taunted when Revan let go of him. "We'll see who dies today!"
Freyyr took out a vibroblade and charged at his treacherous son, who blocked with his own blade. The two soon engaged in a death match. Zaalbar joined in, attacking Chuundar as well.
As the former chieftain duelled the current chieftain, Czerka paramilitary fighters and a few Chuundar loyalists fired at the remaining humans and those who joined Freyyr's rebellion. Fortunately, most of the Wookiees were content to watch, not willing to fight their chieftain, but also not willing to fight on the same side as Czerka fighters, averting the dreaded civil war. Revan and Bastila ignited their lightsabers, deflecting bowcaster and blaster shots back with deadly accuracy. Within moments, the Czerka fighters all fell. They turned their attention to the Wookiees on Chuundar's side, who only sustained mild injuries from the reflected shots due to their thick fur.
Meanwhile, Jolee deflected blaster shots with his lightsaber, before slowly advancing on a Wookiee guard. He managed to freeze the angry Wookiee with the Force and stabbed him with his lightsaber through the heart.
At the same time, Revan used the Force to instill insanity into the Wookiees with bowcasters, forcing them to clutch at their heads and eliminating their ability to fight. His apprentice immediately seized the opportunity to blast them with Force Lightning, completely disabling them. She drained their lives with Death Field as her Master turned to repeat his attack on the Wookiees on the other side. He followed up his attack with a quick blast of Force Lightning and Death Field, completely stripping Chuundar of any support.
Despite Zaalbar and Freyyr's combined assault, Chuundar somehow still managed to stand his ground. In fact, Freyyr was at a disadvantage, forcing Zaalbar to protect his father instead of fighting back. Deciding to help a bit, the Sith Lord snuck in a Force push, knocking Chuundar off balance. He refrained from joining the combat himself, and ensured his human companions did not as well, to avoid the impression that any of them killed Chuundar and installed Freyyr onto the throne. The two Wookiees—unaware of anything untoward—quickly took advantage of the new opening and ended the life of the traitor.
"We have done it... I am saddened that it had to come to this, but I couldn't let it continue," Freyyr said as he looked upon the carnage. "Zaalbar, my son. I am truly sorry. You have suffered a great shame. I was blind. I have no excuse." He lowered his head in shame.
"I can forgive, father," Zaalbar replied calmly. "I have learned a lot over the years."
"What about the slavers?" the Sith Lord asked.
"We will fight them. It will be difficult, but I swear they won't take another one of my people without bloodshed," Freyyr promised. "I'll send quick-climbers to other villages and try to rally a defence. We must guard against this ever happening again. You will be the last outsider welcome here for a very long time. That is a change for the better, I think."
"Yes, that's the way to go. Just give me a bit of time to go back to the spaceport. There are innocents that need to be taken care of," Revan suggested, remembering the situation with the mechanic Matton. It would be rather incongruous for a victim of debt slavery to perish in a battle against slavery, after all.
"Very well, I'll rally the hunters and prepare for battle. There should be time before we are ready to take the fight to Czerka for you to do whatever you need to do," Freyyr agreed. "Now, because of you, I am reinstated as Chieftain. We will return to the old ways, when honour and trust of kin ruled above all else. I'm not sure there is a reward that accurately reflects the value of what you have done. Our world is changed because of you."
"I have a request, father. I have thought about it a great deal," Zaalbar interrupted. "I would like Bacca's Sword."
"Well... That is quite a request," his father looked a bit shocked. "I am tempted to say no but... perhaps I should consider it an investment." He paused, gauging Zaalbar. Finally he asked, "Zaalbar, do you understand what this will mean? It is the legacy of our people, held by chieftains... and future chieftains."
"I understand. I want this, father. I'll bring it back one day," his only remaining son promised.
"I have no doubt." Raising his voice, the new chieftain proclaimed, "Let the two halves of the blade be made one. My son shall hold Bacca's Sword."
Revan handed Zaalbar a communicator before bidding the village farewell. The future chieftain of the Wookiees would champion the battle against Czerka.
A/N: In game, the circlet of Saresh is meant as a reward for the "Light Side" path, providing a +5 wisdom boost, which is the highest of any wearable item and adds a significant boost to your Force powers. You are really going to need it when fighting Malak with those underpowered Light Side powers. Even if you choose to embrace the "Dark Side" though, Bastila could always wear it before she turns. Still, given how awful Guun Han was—and really, in KotOR he is that awful, the other stories about him were made up later because the Jedi can't be seen as evil—I can't help but see the item as a reward for wickedness, especially with the Jedi being hypocrites harming the galaxy in their madness.
Remember, to be able to use that item in the game means giving up on all your principles and choosing the LS option all the time regardless of whether it makes sense. Using it requires a complete sacrifice of your principles. This is the way the Dark Side is commonly portrayed, but the Jedi are hypocrites who do the same with their artifacts. That's why Bastila destroys it. Instead, her slave collar is meant to have the same Force power boosting abilities as the circlet, though naturally without the curse.
The whole idea of an item restricted to the Light Side is quite weird too, leading to questions like what actually happens if you wear it and gain Dark Side points? I thought about just removing the restrictions, but they aren't just a game mechanic, appearing in the later works, such as the canonical explanation of Shaela's death, with her lightsaber failing due to the Solari crystal rejecting her. So I decided instead to take it to its logical conclusion, and the result is the circlet of Saresh being a cursed shock collar.
Special thanks to Tracyn on AO3 and DeathRanger on FFN for reviewing this chapter! This was a hard one and there were a lot of details to get right.