FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y-T H R E E

FERN'S POV

Hunter carefully hoisted me up by my waist on the Malaya steed, then mounted in between me and our Wookie escort. I tightly wrapped my arms around his snatched torso and braced my whole body into his back as the creature began its bound through the trees. The warm breeze wildly whipped through my messy braid and soothed my bandaged legs. The short journey through the beautiful terrain was an exciting sigh of relief. When we arrived at a small village, my awe did not diminished at the sight of exquisite cone-shaped huts built either within the roots of a colassal tree — its circumference must have been thirty paces or more — or suspended in its low-hanging, thick branches and strong trunk.

We were greeted by the Wookie chief, a female named Yanna who stood no taller than me. She carried a thin staff decorated with leather and wore a beautiful cloak draped over her grayed head and shoulders. She was a gentle soul, welcoming her warriors by connecting their foreheads and bowing to us, even though we were strangers. She believed our story when we explained our intentions and presented Gungi to her. For the elder Wookie, it did not matter that the padawan could not remember which village he came from originally; she was more than happy to adopt him into her sanctuary.

"Ir. Irrr. Ir." Yanna purred at us.

"We were soldiers of the Republic." Hunter responded without the need of Tech's translation. He removed his helmet and smiled at her. "But let's just say we don't see eye-to-eye with the Empire."

"That's the understatement of the year." I chuckled.

Yanna chirped and growled again. It seemed Hunter was remembering more and more of the language as he calmly said, "We came here because Gungi was in trouble. Jedi or not, he's still a child. He needs his people."

My whole body relaxed as Hunter revealed his feelings — his paternal instincts were showing...It made me fall in love with him all over again.

"Grr. Ir. Ir. Grrr." Yanna pointed at my bandages.

"She is inviting us to stay, and that her healers can help you." Hunter interpreted. I bowed to her in gratitude.

Night fell quickly. The squad gathered with other Wookies including Yanna in the main bungalow, conversing and preparing food. Meanwhile, the village's best physician checked and treated my burns — my hands were in worse shape than we realized. When the gauze was removed, my palms were raw and covered in many tiny blisters. "That would explain all the irritating throbbing..." I joked to get through the itching pain. My doctor used mushed-up native herbs to create a salve and gently rubbed it across the entire surface of my hands. The healing properties of the medicene shocked my wounds with a piercing, yet soothing sensation. It prickled at first, but once he finished off coating my hands with tight leaves and bandages, I was reassured there would be not one scar. As for my legs, I wouldn't be running for another day or two, but at least I wouldn't need assistance getting around.

I joined the table just as Hunter addressed what he had learned from Yanna about the Trandoshan problem from earlier. "The Empire's been using them to strip the planet's resources. Many of the villagers have fled deeper into the jungle."

"Yanna's scouts are reporting a large convoy headed in this direction." Tech chimed in from behind. "She says, to leave."

"Hunter," Echo immediately protested. "the Wookies were our allies for years. We have to do something." I could hear the desperation to help in his deep voice.

"Grrowll!" Gungi pounded his small fists on the wooden table in determination to stop the enemy.

"We'll stay and help you fight them." Hunter did not need any convincing. At first, Yanna was hesitant in her purring response. The sergeant nodded to her in consolation, "You don't have to do this alone."