"I hope Zaalbar and Mission are doing ok," Venar said as they walked through the dense jungle.

"I'm sure they'll be just fine," Bastila said. "They're both strong."

Jolee swung his lightsaber back and forth in front of him, carving a path through the jungle. They had to admit after the mushbloom stew Jolee had made, they hadn't had high hopes for the roasted tach. They had been pleasantly surprised even if it tasted a little gamey.

After the argument of the morning, things had been relatively quiet between the three Jedi. Well, mainly Venar and Bastila. Jolee either didn't get the hint that there was still some awkwardness or he didn't care. Venar wasn't sure whether he should be annoyed or grateful that Jolee could fill the silence.

"You know, these Wookiees deserve better," Jolee said. "It's a really unfortunate situation they've been put into."

"Yes. It's heartbreaking what Czerka is doing to them," Bastila said.

"And the Jedi," Jolee said, raising an eyebrow and looking over his shoulder at them.

"The Jedi? What have the Jedi possibly done to the Wookiees," Bastila asked.

"Nothing..." Venar mused.

"Exactly," Jolee said snapping his fingers.

"The Jedi sent us here to find an important artifact, one that could end the war."

"Yes, and I don't doubt that your mission is important," Jolee retorted. "But the Jedi have the power to intervene here. Why don't you ask yourself why they don't?"

"That's not our mission," Bastila countered.

"Perhaps not," he conceded, "but there are other Jedi that could be working here to help the Wookiees. They're aware of the situation. Why haven't they sent anyone else?"

"Unfortunately, Kashyyyk is not a Republic world."

"And that means they can't help? No, the Jedi have helped unaligned worlds before. The reason lies much deeper."

"Because of Czerka," Venar suggested.

"Ah! And what of Czerka?"

"The Republic has trade deals with Czerka," Venar said.

"Not only that, but Czerka also provides much of the weapons and military hardware the Republic uses in their fight against the Sith."

"You're saying that the Jedi won't intervene because they risk jeopardizing the Republic military contracts with Czerka?" Bastila asked incredulously.

"Exactly that," Jolee confirmed.

"I refuse to believe that," Bastila said. "There must be more to it than that."

"Believe what you like," Jolee huffed. "Makes no difference to me. I'm just a crazy old man in the woods after all. But I'll tell you one thing, you'd do yourself a lot of favors if you start questioning what the Jedi tell you."

"And why are you so critical of the Jedi," Bastila asked. "What did they do to you that gave you this grudge?"

"That's my business."

"Yet you seem pretty intent on poking your nose in the business of others," she said flatly.

"I don't think we need to-" Venar started to say.

"No that's a fair shot," Jolee said, stopping and turning to face them. "If you must know, the Jedi abandoned me. They left me, when I needed them the most, and that's all you're going to get out of me on this." He eyed them for a moment, then turned and swung his lightsaber, cutting through a thick tangle of vines.

The group fell silent as they continued on through the jungle. Lost in his own thoughts, Jolee carried on, swinging his weapon back and forth carving a path. Even as he travelled forward, his mind travelled backwards, dwelling on his time a young rebellious Jedi.

He was back in the cockpit of a small frieghter, one so old and so worn out, he wasn't even sure what model it was. So many parts had been replaced and swapped out over the years it looked someone took three different ships and smashed them together.

The ship rattled as he entered the atmosphere of Ukatis. He steadied the ship as much as he could as the deflector shields came online and carved it's way through the atmosphere. He tightened his safety harness as the ship shuddered.

"Please hold together," he muttered to himself.

He glanced down at the lightsaber hanging from his belt. Hopefully, he wouldn't need that. That would only complicate matters, and the less he had to explain to the Jedi Council, the better.

The Ukatis system had been blockaded by the planet's own king. King Thylonious Pharoagon had been oppressing the people for years. He had become a tyrant, squeezing everything he could out of his own people and intentionally starving them to make them even easier to dictate. All efforts by the Galactic Senate had been fruitless.

While they debated, and held countless sessions of Congress trying to figure out what to do, Jolee, with the help of a few old friends had obtained a large quantity of rations. He had purchased the cheapest (and likely the flimsiest) frieghter he could and set course for Ukatis to help the starving people. He had done this without the approval of the Council, however.

He had set a course for a small clearing on the outskirts of the main city. There he would meet a local contact who would unload the rations and discreetly portion them out to the people. So far, everything was going according to plan. The prototype stealth generator he had installed had allowed him to slip past the blockade and begin his descent.

Now, all he had to do was guide the ship down to the rendezvous and hope his contact was on time. If only this piece of junk would hold together long enough...

An alarm began chiming and a light flashed on the ship's display. He glanced down at the center console and cursed under his breath. The stealth field generator had just gone offline. He was now detectable by planetary scanners.

Not even a moment later, an incoming transmission chimed from the console. He keyed it through.

"This is Nayama Solari of the Ukatis Royal Military to unidentified vessel. Please respond."

"Uh... yes. Uh hi! Can I help you?" He responded weakly. He cursed himself. Surely he could've come up with something better than that.

"You are trespassing in a restricted system. I don't know how you got past the blockade but you either need to turn around right now, or be shot down."

Ok, she was serious, he thought. He kept on his current trajectory as he thought over his options. He couldn't surrender to them, they'd likely confiscate the supplies and keep them for themselves. Going to the planned dropoff point would likely be risking his contact's exposure. He was likely being tracked by now. He could also leave while he still could and try to reenter the atmosphere later. He doubt they'd fall for this trick twice though.

He decided to continue towards the planned dropoff area. That was the best option. He closed his eyes and focused himself in the Force, preparing to take evasive manuevers from the laser fire that was surely to come.

He sensed it far below. A turbolaser tower was powering up on the edge of the city's defenses.

He kept his eyes closed, focusing his senses, ready to react.

"Very well," came the woman's voice over the comm again. "You've made your decision."

The turbolaser tower opened fire. He reacted, pulling hard on the throttle. The ship was struck in the rear, lurching the freighter forward and sending it spiraling downward.

"Impossible!" Jolee shouted to himself. Whoever had taken that shot was strong in the Force.

A dozen alarms began blaring in his ears as he lost control of the ship. He could see the green of the forest coming up quick in the forward viewport. He needed to act fast.

He unbuckled himself from the pilot's seat and began making his way as quickly as he could to the boarding ramp. He had to brace himself against the walls of the freighter several times as the ship shuddered and groaned as it began to crumble.

He hit the button to lower the boarding ramp. Pistons and gears began to churn as the ramp slowly started to open...

There was a grinding sound and the ramp's motion ground to a halt. It was stuck with no room for him to squeeze himself through.

"Blast it!"

He desperately clung to a sturdy grouping of wires on the wall and stretched his hand out towards the ramp. With a sharp, focused blast, he pushed the ramp forward. There was a squeel and a grinding sound and the ramp wrenched free from it's housing and tumbled downward to the forest below.

He could see the tops of the trees through the opening at the back of the ship now. He was out of time. He jumped...

He saw the branches and leaves of the trees coming to meet him fast. He curled himself into a ball as he flew downwards through the canopy, cocooning himself in the Force. He felt the impact of a small branch against his ribs, heard the snap of the branch as it broke.

He hit the ground rolling, stirring up dust in his wake. The momentum of his fall sent him skipping across the ground like a flat stone thrown over the surface of a calm lake. He was anything but calm though. He was eventually stopped by the bow of a large tree.

He coughed as the dust settled around him. Seconds later, he heard the boom of the freighter impacting into the forest not very far away. He saw the ball of fire and plume of smoke in the distance.

He began taking stock of himself after the shock wore off. His clothes were torn in a few spots and he had suffered some minor scrapes and cuts. He, by his quick thinking and the power of the Force, seemed to have escaped mostly unscathed.

He sat up and a sharp pain struck him where he had been hit by that branch on the way down. His breath caught in his chest and he sank back down.

"Ok, that's not good..." he muttered to himself.

He carefully lifted up his tunic and looked at source of the pain. The skin was already bruised and tender to the touch. He wasn't sure how bad it was but it was bad enough he couldn't yet stand.

He sank back against the tree and let out a deep sigh that caused another wave of pain around his ribs. This mission had been a complete debacle. He chided himself for having bungled it so badly. The ship was gone, the supplies were gone, and now he was badly injured trapped on a hostile planet. He might very well die right here in this spot.

Maybe, he thought, maybe he should've just listened to the Jedi Council for once. Maybe this was inevitable. Maybe this was the result of a pattern of repeated disobedience to the Jedi Masters. Could he really have been that foolish? No, he thought, he'd only ever done what he thought was right, no matter what.

He was beginning to fade into unconsciousness when he heard the sound of several footsteps coming his way and he knew without a doubt they would find him. And find him they did. Six uniformed soldiers in the green and gold colors of the Ukatis Military surrounded him. His hands were bound and he was loaded onto a stretcher and brought back to their shuttle.

Most of it was a blur to him, repeatedly in and out consciousness until he was jolted awake in what seemed to be a crude infirmary of some sort. It wasn't a hospital, that was for sure. The walls were a drab gray made of permacrete. The light fixtures were old and some flickered occasionally. Various machinery lined the wall with an assortment of medical instruments. Just to his right, was a console that showed his vital signs.

"You're awake," came a familiar voice. He looked up to see a green-skinned twi'lek woman standing in the doorway to the small room. She was wearing an officer's uniform.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"That isn't your concern," she said with steel in her voice.

"Fine. You are?"

"Nayama Sumari, Ukatis Defense Force," she said firmly. "Care to explain what you were doing trespassing on my planet?"

"I was... sightseeing."

"I find that unlikely... Jedi." She held up the hilt of his lightsaber in her hand. "Wanna tell me what the Jedi are doing involving themselves in the affairs of an independent world?"

"The Jedi aren't involved at all."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I acted alone," he said pausing to cough. "The Jedi Council has no knowledge that I'm here."

"That was not a smart move," she said.

"What was?"

"Telling me nobody knows you're here," she said eyeing him suspiciously. "What's to stop me from killing you?"

"Nothing, I suppose," he admitted with a shrug. "I was only trying to help deliver supplies to your starving subjects."

"Weapons?"

"No. Food, medicine, that sort of thing."

"Why do you care what happens to my people?"

"I'm a Jedi," he said with a weak smile. "it's what we do. Why do you obey a king who is intentionally starving his own people?"

"I do not condone what he is doing," she said in a softer tone, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening.

"Then why shoot me down?"

"I'm a soldier defending her planet. It's what we do."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Zaalbar stood leaning over the edge of the window from his quarters in what used to be his family home. His room hadn't changed much since he'd left all those years ago, since he'd been banished.

He listened to the sounds of the forest. It was early morning now, and many of the predators were returning to their burrows and dens. He listened to the sounds of the birds beginning to chirp. It brought him a familiar sense of peace and calm, though at the same time left him with a somewhat bitter feeling. He had missed this. His home. His people. All of that had been robbed of him when he was cast out.

He looked down at his giant hands, and unsheathed his retractable claws. He stared at them, remembering why he had been cast out. He had broken a sacred rule to his people. Even if he felt justified, he couldn't ignore that he was in fact guilty of using his claws to cause harm.

"Z? You ok?"

He turned to see his small Twi'lek friend standing in the doorway.

"I'm trying to be," he said back to her. "It's not easy being back here after so long."

"I can imagine," she said. She walked over and stood beside him and gazed out the window with him. "I wish I could go back..."

"We're going to get through this," he said.

"I know. I hope things work out with you and your brother. I know things haven't been great but, like, he's still family... right?"

He nodded, and wrapped one of his massive arms around her and pulled her in close. He wasn't sure a reconciliation with Chuundar was possible, not after everything that happened. Mission was right, after all. Chuundar was family, which made his error all the more unforgivable. Yet... he knew that what his brother was doing was equally unforgivable.

Moments later, there was a knock at the front door. Zaalbar and Mission looked at each other before going to answer it. They warily made their way through the humble family home.

Like most of the homes in the village, it was carved into the one of the massive trees that also supported the elevated walkways and structures. There were intricate designs carved by hand into the walls and supporting arches. Zaalbar felt a pang of guilt. That was what their claws were meant for. To build, to harvest, to create. To use them as weapons was considered a perversion of something good, something wholesome.

That's not to say that Wookiees were completely pacifist, or were against using weapons. That was what weapons were meant for, after all. They had their warriors, trained in combat and taught to fire their bowcasters. Everything had an assigned purpose, everything serving a function. To use a tool as a weapon was a perverse action, contrary to it's very nature.

To be labelled as a "madclaw" was to be branded as someone twisted and corrupted. To be a madclaw was often likened to being a maladjusted hydrospanner, not only useless, but potentially dangerous.

That weight now rested heavily on Zaalbar's shoulders.

He opened the door to see two of Zaalbar's enforcers, one a large Wookie with beige and graying fur, and a human clad in a Czerka jumpsuit.

"Chuundar is requesting your presence in the Chieftain's Hall," the Wookiee said.

"What for? What could my brother possibly want now?"

"It is not my place to question our chieftain."

"Well maybe you should start," Zaalbar countered, casting an accusatory glance at the human next to him. "Fine. Let's go."

They were lead across to the other side of the village. Zaalbar and Mission were flanked on either side by the two guards. They passed many of his people as they were lead through the winding walkways. He could feel the accusatory and judgemental stares coming from many of them. Just as much, though, he noticed the beaten and dejected appearance of many of the villagers.

Many, once proud foragers, builders, warriors even, now hung their heads low, avoiding eye contact with them or the guards that escorted them. Especially the one in the Czerka uniform.

They were brought back into the same room they had been brought to when they had first arrived. Waiting for them, on the throne, was Chuundar. He stared at them with a cold regard as they were brought before him. Zaalbar felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, anticipating a what would inevitably be a difficult and heated confrontation.

"Leave us," Chuundar said to his guards. "The Twi'lek is not needed either."

"Wait! But Zaalbar needs me!"

"It's ok, Mission," he said. "I will be ok. Just wait for me outside."

"O-ok. If you're sure..."

"I'm sure. It would do me and my brother some good to speak alone."

Mission nodded, still seemingly unsure about leaving her friend behind. Nevertheless, she was escorted out of the hall, leaving Zaalbar alone to face his brother.

"The years have not been kind to you," Chuundar said, rising from his seat to stand face to face with his brother.

"They've been far worse to you," Z responded. Chuundar snorted.

"Same old little brother. Always thinking you know better. You're so blinded by your own ego and self-righteousness that you can't see what I'm doing for our people. You can't see the big picture."

"What I see is you allowing Czerka to kidnap and enslave our people! What I see is you selling your own people for what?! So you can have power, play king?"

"What I do I do for the good of all of us! Do you think I enjoy Czerka's presence here?! Do you think I want them coming to our planet and taking what they want?!"

Chuundar was right in Zaalbar's face now. His expression was a harsh scowl and anger oozed from his tongue.

"The problem is we can't fight them! They have superior weapons, more resources, they have machines that can clear away while sections of forest! What are we supposed to do against that?!"

"So what? You just give up? You say 'we can't win so might as well bow to them?'"

"No," Chuundar explained. "What I am doing is protecting our people. If we were to fight back how many would die? How many lives would be lost before they ultimately defeat us and exterminate our way of life? This way, with this deal I've made with them, I'm the one who decides who they take. The women, the children, they're safe as long as I deliver them some of the older stronger men of our village. What I am doing is making sure our way of life is preserved!"