Grandmaster Yoda sat still as a statue, listening.
There were the immediate sounds that pricked at his ears; The brushing of leaves high up in the canopy of the wroshyr trees. The shuffle of Wookiee feet as they walked across the wooden walkways that hung high above the dense darkness of the deadly Shadowlands. The chatting of Gray Jedi consult Sahrea Shan to the three younglings who accompanied them.
He could hear Captain Zak directing orders to his small squadron of troops. The song of an Agr as it perched itself in a tree above the hut he was meditating in. All this he knew. He needed to go deeper.
He took a breath and blocked all of these sounds out. He stretched out his consciousness farther and lower, into the depths of the forest floor, into the dreaded Shadowlands.
The Shadowlands was a place of darkness and untamed nature, where only the mightiest Wookiee would dare venture, but even he did not tread alone. It was full of dangers beyond one's imagination.
Yoda could sense all the life that filled the region. It was constantly shifting, abuzz with energy, yet Yoda sensed something dark down there, something... ancient.
He sensed the fear that surrounded it, the adrenaline as everything in its path fled away for dear life. The way it skirted around trees like they were twigs. The vibrations in the ground as its massive body slunk along in the foliage. This must be the creature that had been terrorizing the nearby Wookiee villages. What was it though? He cleared his mind, trying to get a good sense of what this creature might be. His brows drew together as he concentrated.
He focused, each second more intensely than the last, making his ears wiggle slightly. He relaxed his mind after a moment.
It was of no use. With all those lifeforms roaming about, it was impossible to get a clear view of what they were dealing with. The elderly Jedi rose stiffly to his feet. He stretched his old bones before walking out of the hut, his cane clicking on the wooden panels.
"Hello Master Yoda." Sahrea Shan said pleasantly as he joined them. The Gray was in her usual Echani-like armor. Behind her stood two younglings and a padawan. The pair of initiates were close to becoming padawans and Master Yoda wanted to see how they would act outside of the Jedi Temple. This seemed like an easy and relatively safe first mission for the blossoming Jedi.
One was Ura Nahzalem, a young Twi'Lek with pale purple skin and a big smile. She wore brown and white robes and blue bladed lightsaber hung at her waist. She was an excitable young one, always eager to dive in to the next topic even if she hadn't mastered the first. She was happy and optimistic, never failing to have a good outlook on the situation, her masters have noticed.
The second, the padawan, was Caleb Dume, dressed in dark blue and white. The oldest of the three, he was a human male with light skin and dark hair. He was a hard worker and loved to study. He was prideful though, something they hoped he would outgrow. He would make a good Jedi teacher one day, that Yoda was sure of. Now that he was a padawan, he would need a master. The best way to see who would be a good fit for him would be seeing Dume in action.
The final youngling was the one Yoda was most interested in seeing today. He was a Wookiee named Gungi. Yoda chose him for this mission because he felt that seeing his own people would be a good learning experience for him. So far Gungi seemed excited to experience how his people lived. In return, they received him warmly, proud to have one of their own as a member of the Jedi Order.
"Good evening consult. Children." he greeted to them with a grin. "Anything new to report?" Shan asked him.
"Not quite yet. Mysterious, this creature is. Moves unlike anything I've seen before, it does." Yoda said.
"What are we going to do when we find it master?" Nahzalem asked, curious.
"Deal with that when it is found, we will. Understand why it is attacking, we must." he explained to them, gesturing at Ura with his cane. Dume made a grumpy face.
"It's a giant monster from a scary forest! It's probably hunting for a Wookiee snack." he joked, poking an uneasy Gungi in the ribs. He growled angrily back at him. "You are too afraid!" Dume replied.
"Stop that, both of you." Shan chided. They quieted down immediately. "Now we do not have all the facts. This creature could be attacking for any number of reasons. We will decide what to do once it is found and we know what we are dealing with." she stated.
The group looked up as a massive Wookiee with tan and brown two toned fur walked up to greet them. He gave a loud roar and put a hairy fist to his chest. He had a belt and a metal chest plate on that wrapped around to his back in the shape of an X. Behind him, a second thinner, but just as tall Wookiee, approached them. He was all brown with a munition belt that hung from his left shoulder to his right hip. He gave a small roar as he stopped besides his companion.
"Good to see you, it is, General Tarfful and Commander Chewbacca." The Grandmaster said. Gungi made some excited Wookiee noises and hopped up and down at the legendary warriors. The thinner one, Chewbacca, gave an amused laugh.
"Would you accompany us to the hut of the council to discuss the situation?" Tarfful asked in Shyriiwook. The Jedi nodded his head.
"Honored, I would be. Follow along Younglings." Yoda replied as they began slowly making their way to the council's chambers.
"There have been many sightings of the creature from here all the way Kachirho Beach. I have our historian, Chakhoro, researching what it could possibly be. She has ruled out many possible creatures so far." Tarfful explained. Behind them, Shan hushed the whispering children. Yoda thought for a moment.
"Going into the Shadowlands, our best move is. To discover what this creature may be, find it, we must." he replied. Chewbacca shook his great head.
"Going into the Shadowlands is forbidden and dangerous. We must get approval from the council before moving forward." Chewbacca roared.
"See the council, we will. Know more about the Shadowlands than I, they do. Know the best strategy, will they." The grandmaster stated as they approached the council chambers.
Above them, the sun was beginning to peak over the tips of the wroshyr trees. When they were close enough, a silver and black Wookiee opened the door to welcome them. Chewbacca, Tarfful, Yoda, Gungi, and Nahzalem passed through without a problem. However, both Shan and Dume were stopped.
"Your kind is not welcome here." The sentry told them. Dume brushed off the comment and tried to walk in anyway. The guard stepped in his way.
"I said, you are not welcome here." he repeated. "Come on Caleb. We'll go help Zak." Shan said, trying to tug him away.
"But that's not fair! I want to watch!" he replied grumpily. Sahrea sighed.
"Caleb, drop it. Come with me." She tugged him away from the door. As they got farther away, Dume's protests were drowned out by the noises of the forest.
Yoda inched his way up through the crowd of ill at ease Wookiees to the council table in the back of the room.
The room was packed. The walls were made of wood and there were antique lighting fixtures in the walls. A worn red carpet lined the floor. The council had provided a cushion and a tall chair for Yoda to sit on on the right side of the chamber. After all, the small Jedi only came up to their knees.
"Where is Consult Shan and Caleb, Master Yoda?" Nahzalem asked him as Yoda climbed onto the chair. "Explain to you later, I will. Now, silence is needed."
---
"I still don't see why everyone else got to go in and we didn't!" Dume whined. Shan let a puff of air through her nose.
"You are still on this?" she asked as she moved to assist a trooper with a crate. She stuck her fingers under the one side and lifted it.
"Yes I am!" he replied indignantly. Shan moved carefully towards the edge of the LAAT. She took a tentative step down onto the landing platform.
"How much do... you know... about... the Wookiees?" she asked him through gritted teeth. It was a little heavier than she expected. Ok, a lot heavier. But she wasn't going to let Sergeant Marsh know that. So she sucked up the soreness in her fingers and the tension in her shoulders and toughed it out.
"They're big, hairy, and have bad tempers." Dume replied matter-of-factly. Shan mustered up a little more strength to raise the crate up slightly to put it on top of the others. It landed cleanly and the two of them slid it into place.
"Thank you consult." Marsh said. "Anytime." she replied, rubbing her tender fingers.
"See, that is why you can't judge things at first glance Caleb." Shan stretched out her arm muscles. "The Wookiees don't like humans. Well, they don't like outsiders at all really, but they especially despise people like us." she explained.
"Why? I didn't do anything to them." he countered, throwing his arms into the air.
"You're right. You and I didn't do anything. However, the Wookiees have been brutalized for millennia. They have been enslaved more times than I can count, all by offworlders. Why should they trust us?" Shan asked him. Dume made a face.
"I didn't know that." he muttered. "There are reasons why people do what they do Caleb. It's deeper than the surface. If someone believes something is wrong, if they are scared or untrustful, if they feel a certain way about something, there is a reason." she explained.
"Now go help Lieutenant Ersh finish up." Dume gave her a defiant look. "Go!" she said, pointing towards the clone that was setting up a portable comms tower. He muttered under his breath as he stalked away.
"Kids." Marsh said, shaking his head. Shan chuckled. "It's not his fault. He's at that age where you think you know everything, thus causing irritability and general grumpiness when told what to do."
"Sounds like General Skywalker." Sahrea snorted out her nose, causing both to have a long bout of laughter.
"What's so funny?" Nahzalem's voice came from behind them. Far behind her, Yoda, Chewbacca, Gungi, and Tarfful were strolling along, chatting.
"Nothing Ura. How was the meeting?" Shan asked. "It was... enlightening." she replied slowly. "You had no idea what was going on did you?" "Nope, not a clue." Ura admitted. Shan gave the youngling a smile. She leaned down beside her.
"Between you and me, I can never pay attention in senate meetings either." she shared. The girl chuckled as Master Yoda and the others joined them. She composed herself as she noticed the Grandmaster. He was serious.
"Prepare yourself, you must, consult and Younglings, for into the Shadowlands, we are headed."
---
"I have a bad feeling about this." Dume said as they lowered down into the Shadowlands via rope and pulley.
The basket they were in was worn, but still solid. As they descended, it got darker and darker, the air cooling significantly. By the time they reached the floor, it was like night, even though the morning had just begun in the village.
"It'll be fine." Shan replied as they stepped out into the overgrown clearing, hoping the statement was true. Sergeant Marsh, Chewbacca, another Wookiee warrior named Rworarcc, and a squad of five clone troopers had gone first.
Zak, Ersh, and a few other clones had stayed behind in the village to monitor their progress. Tarfful also stayed behind, for he could not leave the village unprotected.
The search party congregated in the center of the clearing before them. Two Wookiees sentries stood at attention next to the basket in front of some antique lighting fixtures.
"Let us go, shall we?" Yoda said as he motioned for the group to follow him into the thick. The Grandmaster hopped up onto Chewbacca's shoulder, an ancient, overgrown trail their only guide.
As they moved away from the clearing, the darkness deepened. The clones put on their headlamps and the Jedi ignited their sabers, turning the vicinity green, blue, and orange. The air was cold and heavy with humidity.
"Keep quiet, we must. Avoid attracting unwanted attention, it will." the elderly Jedi said as they came across a blockage in the road. It was a tree.
Yoda squatted and somersaulted over Chewbacca's head to the other side of the fallen trunk. It had to be multiple feet across.
Shan jumped up, but did not go over. She perched herself on the top to help the others climb up. She reached her saber out and released it. It hung in mid-air as if it were on a string, turning her armor a sunset color.
Shan reached her hand down to Marsh. He took it, found a foot hold, and she pulled him up. He flipped his legs around and slid down on his back, landing on his feet. The rest of the clones did the same.
Shan offered her hand to Rworarcc, but he gave a short bark and brushed her away, choosing to climb up awkwardly instead. Yoda could see her trying to cover her expression of hurt by dipping her head down. Her mouth was covered, but her eyes were what gave her away.
Chewbacca, however, was hesitant. Yoda could sense him going back and forth for a moment, but ultimately decided to take her hand. The Gray's foot began to slide under the Wookiee's weight, but she repositioned herself. Chewbacca lumbered over the log and landed unexpectedly soft on the opposite side. Rworarcc gave him an irritated look. They pulled off to the side and began to argue softly in Shyriiwook.
Shan squatted down and reached both of her hands out to help Nahzalem up. The young girl took them and Sahrea pulled her over easily.
Poor Gungi had a little more difficulty. He was going too fast and kept losing his foothold. After a few failed attempts, Shan wrapped her arms around the adolescent Wookiee and picked him up.
As for Dume, he shook his head disapproving before vaulting himself over in a Yoda style fashion. The consult gave him a grumpy look as Gungi finally made it to the top of the trunk. He gave a happy couple of yips that warmed Yoda's old heart before Chewbacca helped him down. Shan snatched her saber and they kept moving.
"Thanks for helping Gungi over the log, Dume." Shan noted simply behind Yoda. The elderly Jedi looked over his shoulder at her. She was looking straight ahead. Her tone was even, but it had an undercurrent of sarcasm.
"Gungi didn't need my help." Caleb replied simply, stealing a quick look at her out of the corner of his eye. Yoda was pleased. The fact she was correcting the padawan told him she was starting to take up the leadership role the council hoped she would.
"Not the point." Sahrea said, looking at him. "You should stop and help your fellow comrades. We are in a war. We need to help each other, you can't just-" Shan cut off as they all took up attack positions.
Everyone looked around, searching for the origin of the footsteps they had heard. The beams of the clones' headlamps flicked this way and that. The Force-users put both hands on their sabers. After a moment, a rustling in the brush came from their right.
They stood statuesque, everyone's hearts pounding. They all started as a strange reptilian creature flew out from behind a tree, aiming for the nearest clone.
It was huge, large enough for a Wookiee to ride on. It had a pointed snout and a narrow body. A long, thin, yet powerful tail was swishing back and forth. The trooper screamed as he hit the ground, his blaster flying from his hands. He reached up and grabbed its toothy muzzle. He struggled against the creature as it snapped at his neck.
"Ironside!" Marsh yelled. In unison, Yoda and Shan Force pushed the reptile off the clone, slamming the creature into a thick tree. Chewbacca and Rworarcc shot at his chest with their famed Bowcasters, while the troopers peppered it with their own laser bolts. Although they all bounced off without a scratch, the monster growled at them intensely, clearly irritated. It reared up on its hind legs and slammed the ground.
"Younglings, stay back!" Shan commanded, hopping in front of the children. Her comment was in response to Dume, who had lifted his blue saber and motioned like he was going to attack.
"I had it!" Dume complained as Master Yoda flipped off Chewbacca's shoulder and dashed forward.
"There will be plenty of time for you to be the hero, Caleb. Let us handle this for now." Shan told him. Yoda could sense that she was starting to get fed up with the padawan's impatient and reckless ways. The small Jedi jumped and cut upwards on the surface of its belly. The monster thrashed in pain before taking off into the safety of the forest.
"You ok Ironside?" Marsh asked, offering his brother his hand. Ironside took it and got to his feet, looking quite stiff.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Could be worse" he muttered as he brushed off his white and maroon painted armor the best he could.
"What was that?" another trooper asked. Chewbacca responded with a series of roars and barks.
"A katarn." he explained. "They were once feared by us Wookiees. We were hunted, as a leaflizard hunts wroshyr louse. Eventually, we fought back. We learned we were strong and mighty. We were no longer the hunted, but the hunters. Our rrackktor had been lit and has not dimmed since." As inspiring as that monologue was, it only served as a reminder that they weren't the only hunters in this forest.