The Negotiator and the Fire Fang

Hunt on Kashyyyk: Attacked

"Ahh!" Shan screamed as she flipped out of her mesh hammock. She fell onto Chewbacca, who had made the now bad choice of sleeping below her. The commander was very startled at first, but found it funny after a moment.

"I'm glad you find this amusing." she told him snarkily through a mountain of Wookiee hair. She heard the three younglings trying to suppress their laughter from the other side of the room.

"Now what the hell was that for?" the Gray yelled angrily at Rworarcc. She had been sleeping peacefully a moment before when the warrior had come bursting in, letting in the morning sunlight. He had slammed the door against the wall and roared at the top of his lungs.

This scared the life out of Sahrea and caused her to jump awake and flip her hammock, thus explaining why she was now had a face full of Wookiee. She pushed herself off of Chewbacca's hairy being and flopped ungracefully onto the floor. She swiped her long blonde locks out of her eyes. Rworarcc looked terrified.

"There has been another attack. At Kachirho Beach." They got ready to move immediately.

---

"Well whatever this creature is, it certainly did a number on this village." Zak said as he gazed at the carnage before him as he followed Master Yoda and a female Wookiee to the water's edge.

There were huts with varying degrees of damage, from a few scratches to leveled to the ground. Soft dirt was turned over, creating a large wound in the center of the water side village. Trees had been snapped in two. Broken wood and ripped up grasses created a thick layer over the mud. It looked like a battalion of droids had ransacked through here.

"There." the female Wookiee said, pointing down at the murky waves lapping onto the sand. There were giant footprints like the ones coming out of the sinkhole that led into the bay.

"That's where the monster disappeared to." she explained. "So it's aquatic and lives underground?" Zak mused. Yoda pulled his cane out of the mud.

"More mysterious, this creature becomes, with each new piece of information, hmm?" Master Yoda remarked. Zak was becoming concerned. If the general, who had been alive for almost nine hundred years, found this creature interesting, well, Force help them.

"General Yoda!" an unfamiliar Wookiee roar said behind them. The clone and Jedi turned to see an unknown female with gold and black fur running to greet them. She had an ancient in her hands, written on some kind of papyrus. She slowed to a stop.

"I am Chakhoro, the High Historian." she introduced. "I think I may know what this creature is." Chakhoro began flipping through the text. She stopped about halfway through the middle.

A reprint of a graphite drawing was there. It was of a large, serpent like creature. It had legs that it could fold into its body so it could slither through woods or water effortlessly. Two bent antennae topped its head. It had six eyes and large, toothy mouth. Its back was made up of hard rings which shrunk into a finned tail. From the scales on the drawing, it was roughly the size of an LAAT gunship, maybe even larger.

"I believe the creature is the Nwarak Serpent. It is believed to be extinct. The last known sighting of one was four hundred years ago." Chakhoro told them in Shyriiwook. Yoda rubbed his chin.

"Complicates things, this does. Speak with Consult Shan, I must." the elderly general muttered. Zak followed him to where the Gray Jedi was standing. She was with the Jedi learners and an important looking Wookiee over by a comms tower.

Gungi was with them, his torso wrapped in gauze. The scratches hadn't been too severe and some bacta cleared them right up. They asked him to stay behind and rest, but the little Wookiee was insistent that he was fine and able to help. The historian excused herself to go speak with a group of Wookiees near the water's edge. The remaining two made their way slowly over to the group.

"We think we know what has been ravaging the forest." Zak said as they came to a stop.

"Something called the Nwarak Serpent. Hasn't been seen in hundreds of years, the historian said." This took the important looking Wookiee by surprise. As for Shan, she put a hand to her chin.

"If it's endangered, there is no way we can kill it. It's unethical. It could be the last of its kind." she stated. The Wookiee cut in.

"I am Shoriwook, the leader of this village." he announced, putting a hand to his chest. "There is no way this creature can be left alive. It has attacked our homes, killed our wildlife, and endangered our people. As we speak, many citizens of Kachirho are being treated for injuries. This can not stand." he spat, anger lacing his voice. Shan opened her mouth sharply to respond, but a lift of Yoda's hand cut her off.

"Against the Jedi Code, that is. To protect all life, our job is, especially if endangered." he explained. Shoriwook growled back angrily.

"I do not care what your code states. I want that creature's head." Shan tapped her fingers on her forearms irritably. She took a deep breath through her nose before responding.

"Why should we kill it when removing may be the solution?" she replied, keeping the edge in her voice as dull as possible. Shoriwook fixed her with a dangerous stare. Shan held his gaze. "My word is final."

"But your word is not the one that matters." The group turned to see Tarfful striding up behind them. "It is mine. Have a good day Shoriwook." he replied shortly. Shoriwook moved to open his mouth, but what cut off by Tarfful again. "Have a good day." Shoriwook bit back words and stomped off.

"He does have a point though." Dume said once the angry Wookiee was out of earshot. Shan turned to him.

"Excuse me?" she asked back instantly with a raised brow. "It's attacking villages and killing the wildlife!" Dume rebutled. Shan gave him a look that immediately made the padawan back down.

"We don't know why though. It lives underground. Perhaps it's just lost and confused and doesn't mean to cause any harm. We will know when we find it." Shan said, shutting him down immediately. Master Yoda cut in. "Prepare yourselves, young ones. Off to find the Nwarak, we are."

---

"May I ask you a question?" Shan asked as they walked along. They had returned Shadowlands to search for the Nwarak. They were in the thickest part of the forest. The light from their sabers barely made a dent in darkness beyond. Master Yoda gave her a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Bothering you, something is consult?" She gripped her right wrist, looking apprehensive.

"Why did you ask me to come along?" she asked meekly. Yoda gave a little chuckle through his nose. The Gray may have been confident and self-assured in her own abilities, but she was still self-conscious when it came to the opinions of others.

"Speaks highly of you, Master Kenobi does. Choose you, I did, because curious about how you moved in the field, I was. " Her cheeks turned a little pink at that first comment.

"A very long time it has been, since a Gray Jedi I have seen in combat." She opened her mouth to respond, but something caught both of their attention. They, along with Nahzalem, Dume, and Gungi, all snapped their heads in the same direction.

"Do you guys sense that too?" Ura asked, her voice small. "Yes, we do." Shan replied softly. Her voice was dreamlike and faraway. Sahrea offered her arm to Master Yoda without tearing her eyes away from the trees. He hopped up onto her shoulder as she took off running.

Yoda held on tightly as she waded through the brush, the twigs and thorns catching at her clothes. He could hear the footsteps of the rest of her crew behind them. The creature was close.

Shan skidded to a stop as an ancient tree cracked in front of the two. It fell, slowly at first, before picking up speed. It was so large that when it hit the dirt, the entire area rumbled like a miniature earthquake.

Shan stutter stepped to keep her balance. Yoda's footing on her armor slipped and he almost fell into the brush below. He looked up at the dark, moving mass in front of them. The Jedi Master was grim. "Found the creature, we have." Yoda said. They both immediately ignited their sabers.