Kashyyyk: 19 BBY
Imperial Compound
Lesia Mirri

    They dropped into a dim hallway. There were no stormtroopers in sight. Les raised her blaster and quickly took out the security cameras. "Where are the Wookiees?" Nakoa wondered aloud.

    "Maybe the hologram was wrong. The cells could be another level beneath us." Lesia brushed past him and activated a control panel. She typed up something quickly and another hologram appeared. "Here they are." She pointed to the detention level beneath them. "Your schematics are outdated. You might grab these ones while we're here," Les added, looking to Trergi.

    The black furred Wookiee nodded and transferred the files onto his holodisk, before shutting down the console. "Let's hurry. Oni will be getting close soon," Nakoa said.

    Les took the lead and entered a lift. Everyone piled in behind her. She drew her blaster as they went down one level. The lift opened up and they charged into the detention level. Les blasted at the nearest stormtroopers. They didn't have time to scream.

    The remaining troopers rushed around, firing back and attempting to activate alarms. Nakoa jetted across the hall and blasted two troopers before they could reach the alarm. Trergi roared and smashed his metal staff into the head of a stormtrooper. Plastoid shattered and the trooper fell. Trergi whirled to the next and stabbed the pole through his helmet, driving it into the wall. Les stifled a gasp as blood slicked the pole. She turned away and set to work unlocking the cells.

    Nakoa landed next to her and began unlocking another cell. He spied Trergi's artwork, still stuck to a wall. "Wow. Remind me to never get on a Wookiee's bad side."

    "Don't ever get on a Wookiee's bad side," Les replied. The cell hissed open and several Wookiees stepped out. Les pulled a small tool from her satchel and quickly used it to deactivate their wrist binders. The Wookiees gave growls and grunts of thanks.

    Trergi appeared beside her, anxiously scanning the sea of faces. Two Wookiees stepped out of another cell and gave excited barks. Trergi ran over to them and hugged them tightly. He pulled away after a moment and gestured to Les and Nakoa.

    "What's he saying?" Nakoa asked.

    "He's telling his family who we are." Lesia listened for a moment. "The smaller one is his older sister and the big one is his father."

    Trergi's father stomped over to them and gathered Nakoa into his arms in a crushing hug. Les grimaced out of sympathy. Nakoa gave a small cough and the Wookiee finally set him down. "You're welcome," Nakoa rasped. "We should get moving. Reinforcements will be coming."

    "Trergi, lead everyone back onto the roof," Les ordered. "Nakoa and I can keep the stormtroopers held back until everyone is on the Mythos."

    Trergi nodded and roared a command. The Wookiees followed him back towards the lift. Les drew her blasters and crouched behind a wall support. Nakoa took up another position and aimed his blasters at the door.

    "As soon as everyone is on the Mythos, we need to close those blast doors," he pointed to the ones behind them, "and get to the roof."

    Les nodded her agreement. Footsteps pounded down the hallway. A second later, the doors opened and stormtroopers flooded the hall. Les opened fire, blasting as they appeared. A few troopers tripped over their fallen comrades. Nakoa stunned them quickly. He tossed another shock grenade into the throng, taking down several stormtroopers.

    "Nakoa, the Wookiees are boarding," Oni's voice crackled through their comms. "Where are you?"

    "On our way." Nakoa fired over his shoulder and sprinted down the hall.

    Les leaped to her feet and ran after him. A shot hit the wall next to her. She instinctively ducked. Pain split through her ankles as she made a wrong step. Les hit the ground with a grunt. She glanced back and saw the stormtroopers quickly closing in. With barely a moment's thought, Lesia shoved a hand towards them. The Force sent the stormtroopers crashing backwards as she managed to get back on her feet. Les ran through the doorway and blasted its control panel, activating the blast doors.

    "Lesia, hurry." Nakoa stopped inside the lift and held the door open. She ducked in beside him and tried to catch her breath. "Are you all right?"

    She nodded and rubbed one of her ankles with a grimace. "I took a bad step."

    Nakoa sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you'd fallen behind."

    Lesia shook her head, rather annoyed at herself. "It's fine. It happens all the time."

    The lift stopped and they jumped out. Les eyed the open hatch in the ceiling. I could easily jump up there myself, she thought. She knew it wasn't an option though, and let Nakoa fly them out. The Mythos hovered close to the roof. Trergi hung onto the ramp frame and roared at them. Lesia kicked the hatch shut and ran towards the edge of the compound.

    "You first," Nakoa ordered. He kept a blaster aimed at the hatch. Les took a running leap and flung herself towards the Mythos' ramp. The Force propelled her forward, although she tried to keep the added momentum under check. Trergi leaned out and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto the ramp. Nakoa activated his jetpack and joined them on the ramp, just as the hatch burst open. Stormtroopers opened fire, to no avail. Nakoa sealed the boarding ramp behind them and they joined Oni in the cockpit.

Kashyyyk: 19 BBY
"Mythos"
Nakoa Sen

    Oni scooted into her own seat and Nakoa grabbed the controls. He quickly maneuvered them away from the compound. Trergi appeared in the cockpit doorway and barked something.

    "Don't go to their camp," Les translated. "We need to drop them off near the Origin Tree and hide the Mythos."

    "Can he direct us there?" Nakoa asked, flipping switches and bringing their shields online. The monitors had picked up several inbound TIEs.

    Trergi nodded and sat down behind him. He spoke again and Les quickly translated. "Keep going in this direction. The Origin Tree is massive and surrounded by a lake. He says it's impossible to miss. If we can, we need to drop them off at the base of the tree."

    "I'll scan it for cleared areas as soon as we're in range," Oni replied.

    "Tell the Wookiees to hang on. We're about to have company." Nakoa brought the forward cannons online as alarms began to blare. The Mythos rocked and several TIEs soared past before coming back around. "Les, man the top cannon. Trergi, can you handle the lower ones?" They both nodded and left the cockpit. Moments later, both gun turrets came online.

    Nakoa urged the Mythos on faster. He swung them around a cluster of trees at an angle. Trergi fired, taking down two TIEs with a single shot. Lesia gave a whoop and fired her own cannon. Another TIE disappeared from the scanners. Nakoa grinned to himself and leveled the ship again.

    Oni shook her head with half a laugh. "I've got to say, she's got some moves for a hunk of junk."

    "She's Corellian. That shouldn't surprise you." Nakoa pushed the Mythos into a spin, dodging Imperial fire.

    "Have you made any modifications on her yet?" Oni diverted auxiliary power to their rear shields as the TIEs closed in once more.

    "Not yet. I will when we get some spare time."

    "We're wanderers. We don't get spare time."

    In the distance, Nakoa spied a large water formation. A massive tree rose from the lake. "That must be the Origin Tree. Start looking for a place to land." Oni turned to the scanners. "Les, Trergi, can you take care of those remaining TIEs before we land?"

    "We're on it. Just get us lined up," Lesia replied.

    Nakoa brought them around another tree. They rocketed up and the TIEs followed. Nakoa cut the engines and they plummeted back to the ground. Trergi blasted the TIE beneath them. Oni braced her hands against the control panel.

    "Nakoa," she called nervously. His hand hovered over a lever. He narrowed his eyes, watching the ground approach. There was still one TIE following them. It was going to try to cut them off. "Nakoa!"

    He thrust the lever forward and the Mythos leveled out, soaring over the ground. Lesia opened fire, destroying the TIE as it appeared above them. Nakoa slowed their speed and gave a sigh of relief. Oni loosened her grip on the control panel.

    "We can land just up ahead," she croaked. "Don't do that again."

    "Don't worry," Nakoa smiled to himself. "I was just showing off."

    "To who?"

    "Those Imperial pilots."

    "Right." Oni's tone sounded unconvinced. They reached a clearing near the base of the Origin Tree. Nakoa landed and the group stepped off the ship.

    Lesia stood near Trergi and his family, speaking with them. Trergi gave her a firm hug, before she turned back. "Are you sure none of them will come with us?" Nakoa asked.

    She shook her head. "They don't want to leave Kashyyyk like this. It's their home. They want to defend it and free their people." Les knit her brows for a moment. "Besides, not everyone can live beneath so many rules."

    Nakoa waved to the Wookiees as they headed off in another direction. He faced Les again. "What do you mean?"

    "No offense, but I did some research on the Mandalorian Creed. You have a lot of rules to follow and many consequences if you don't. I know I couldn't live like that. I don't think those Wookiees could have either."

    Nakoa narrowed his eyes. "There are a lot of rules, yes, but they're honorable. They make us the proud warriors that we are."

    "And they make you blind followers."

    "That's not true."

    Les shook her head. "I'm merely saying what I've seen. If it's not true, then tell me why you can't show your face. Why must you give everything to the Clan first, and never take anything for yourself? Why must you marry another Mandalorian or make your spouse become one?"

    Nakoa opened his mouth, but the words didn't come. I didn't know about that last one, he thought. In fact, I don't really know much about the Creed. I only know what Ketei taught me and what is written in the Code. He shook his head. "I don't know the exact reason. I imagine it's to preserve our way of life and make sure the Clan survives."

    "Hm." Les gave him an appraising look. "I suggest you learn more about your Creed. It's hard to dedicate your life to something you don't understand or truly desire to be a part of." She stepped around him and returned to the Mythos.

    Nakoa stayed put for a moment, thinking. Her words made sense, although it felt wrong to think so. "I'll ask Ketei," he decided. "Maybe she can explain it to me." He returned to the Mythos as well and sealed the boarding ramp behind him.