Private You Can Never Go Home Again

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

On the morning of their arrival, Kass found Oukranos leaning against the side of the ship, his blue eyes fixed upon the lake where the Silver Rest had once stood. Tall and majestic trees transplanted from elsewhere on Kashyyyk grew along the water’s edge. The landscaping was so well done, if they hadn’t memorized the exact coordinates they wouldn’t have been able to find it among the rest of the forest.

Seeing it like this had been something of a shock—when the Cthyllas left for Coruscant, the Rest had been partially destroyed in a terrorist attack, but a few buildings had remained standing amid the rubble and there were plans to rebuild. But with the dissolution of the Silver Concord, not a trace of the original campus remained. It had been completely filled in, as if it had never been there in the first place.

“Nothing ever lasts, does it,” Kass murmured, eyes blinking slowly and tentacles curling and uncurling. “This is where I grew up, where I learned how to be a Jedi. And now it’s just gone.”

Oukranos didn’t speak, but she felt his gaze shift to her as he brushed against her in the Force, soothing her. He turned around and headed up the ship’s ramp, returning a minute later carrying a backpack full of supplies. “Ready when you are,” he said.

Right. They were here to check on the various villages and facilities in the surrounding area, many of which had been established by the Jedi decades ago. The Silver Rest may have been gone, but its roots in the rest of Kashyyyk ran deep. “I’m all right,” Kass said, before turning to find the third member of their little party: Master Amani Serys, the Chief Healer.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani stepped off the ship behind Kass and Oukranos, taken aback by the sight that awaited them. Where an entire temple once stood was now just a tract of natural land. It was nicely grown and unspoiled, but even Amani felt a bit off-put by the results. She voiced her ambivalence more bluntly, "Really? They just… got rid of the whole thing?"

The mirialan sighed, and hoisted her pack higher up on her back, "Not the nostalgic types anymore, I guess." So much history just uprooted, for reasons she hadn't fully kept up with. Perhaps Amani was feeling too sentimental herself, but it felt odd to simply pack up and leave Kashyyyk behind, "Well… where do we start?"

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"Really? They just… got rid of the whole thing?"

"Well, it was moved," Kass said. "To a space station, the High Plane of the Jedi. Not the first time something like this has happened—the original SJO headquarters were on Voss." It was still wild and perhaps overkill, but better than simply throwing in the towel. Destroying all that had been built up over the years would be inexcusable.

Still, it had left behind a complicated legacy. That was what they would be dealing with today.

"Not the nostalgic types anymore, I guess."

Oukranos raised an eyebrow, silently pointing to his chest as if to say Who, me?

"The closest settlement is, I believe, a Xaro nest," Kass answered Amani's question. "The rest are spread out over the area surrounding the R—Er, the lake."

"You're forgetting the lake itself," a new voice said from somewhere overhead. "Nature won't just leave a perfectly good space alone."

Kass' multitude of eyes slid toward the forest canopy towering above them. There was a rustling of leaves, then a winged creature flew down, alighting on the tip of a fallen log near the trio of Jedi. To all outward appearances, the creature looked like an owl. Colloquially, these sentient birds were known as Songwings.

"Who are you?" Kass asked.

"I am Azio," the Songbird replied, fluffing his feathers. "This lake belongs to the Songwings. We laid claim to it after the Jedi left. It's a good hunting ground and clean water source. Unfortunately, everyone else around here thinks the same."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Yeah, I get that. Still just— seems excessive." Oh well. Amani wasn't a Silver anymore. She had no say in what they chose to do, but in recent years in became increasingly clear her interests and theirs deviated quite noticeably. Hence why she and the Cthyllas were here today, while they were not.

The species in question today were ones that Amani was at least passingly familiar with, but truth be told her experiences with them face-to-face were rather limited. She was, even by Silver standards, a rather traditional and cloistered padawan back in her day. And beside the Wookiees, most of the other sentients on Kashyyyk were a bit more reclusive themselves.

Not a moment after Oukranos noted the lake as an important landmark in its own right, a Songwing flew down from the forest canopy on cue to introduce himself; And, to reveal the source of present woes. Amani glanced to her two companions, and sighed, "Is there a reason this lake can't be… shared?"

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

It occurred to Kass that Amani’s breaking with the Kashyyyk-based Jedi was likely a very different affair than theirs had been. To satisfy her curiosity, she asked, “Why did you leave the Silvers?” The arrival of Azio put further discussion of the matter on hold, however.

"Is there a reason this lake can't be… shared?"

“Technically, no. At least, there are no material barriers to sharing the water. It’s the clash of personalities and emotions that’s causing problems. A lot of talon-pointing, grudge-nursing, and just plain prejudice.” Azio tilted his head to the side. “You’re Jedi, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Kass answered, nervously twisting her tentacles together. “We used to be part of the Silver Order. We’re here to check up on things, actually…”

Azio spread his wings. “When the Silvers cleared out of here, they left behind a lot of unfinished business. It was for the best, since hosting the Jedi here painted a giant target on Kashyyyk, but you know. I’ve heard some strange rumors, too, that might explain what’s going on here.”

“Strange rumors?”

“Extradimensional beings called Precepts who feed on pure thought, brought here by accident, wreaking havoc. The Silvers were supposed to deal with them, but things fell apart before they had the chance.”

Oukranos glowered, his expression souring. “From the sound of it, this isn’t going to be a simple check-in,” he muttered.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

“Why did you leave the Silvers?”

Amani turned to Kass, contemplation stretching across her features. It's not that she couldn't talk about it, it was just… where to start? "It's a bit of a long story. But-" Before she could regale the Cthyllas with her tale of tragedy and redemption, they were interrutped by the arrival of the songwing, who introduced himself as Azio. He answered her question, albeit a bit more literally than she was looking for. Oh, and also there were extra dimensional entities that eat thoughts lurking around. Allegedly.

"Just rumors huh," Amani doubted that, "What exactly is it that's going on here?" There had to be some reason they suspected Precepts as being the current source of their woes.

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"What exactly is it that's going on here?"

’

“A water dispute that’s gotten a lot more heated than it ought,” Azio said. “I’ve suspected for a while that the Precepts are stoking the fires of people’s emotions in order to feed upon them. Too many of the players involved haven’t been acting rational.”

“I see.” Kass’ tentacles stroked beneath her many mouths. “But water is vital to the survival of most sentient life forms. It can become a source of violent conflict… just not usually on a planet like this, where freshwater is so plentiful.”

Azio nodded as if this were an obvious observation. “There are three major players involved: the Songbirds, the Urko, and those fething fairies.”

“You mean the As-Aki?”

“Whatever. They’re not native to Kashyyyk. They were brought here by the Jedi.” Azio shielded his head behind one wing. “They’re small flying things; we sometimes confuse them for small birds or insects and hunt them by mistake. In return, they’ve declared war, knocking our eggs out of our nests. The Urko… well, I’m sure you know about them. Dumb, warlike brutes.”

“It wouldn’t take much to provoke them into fighting,” Kass agreed. “What about the Wookiees?”

“They don’t want to get involved. I can’t blame them.” Azio peered at them. "I assume you Jedi are going to do something about it."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Azio was insightful enough to theorize that the current parties weren't quite acting themselves, although Amani found it humorous that he still couldn't help but describe the others as 'the fething fairies' and 'dumb warlike brutes'. Accuracies or inaccuracies aside, it was clear this dispute was bit atypical on a world like Kashyyyk all the same. The Wookiees at least were staying out of it.

"I assume you Jedi are going to do something about it."

Amani scratched her head, and shrugged, "I suppose we are," She looked around at the landscape, then turned to both Kass and Oukranos, "Maybe we start by checking in with the As-Aki? They might be a little easier to negotiate with than the Urko." Their culture didn't have a history of receptive diplomacy, admittedly, and whatever excaberations were being played up by the Precepts wouldn't help. Amani preferred to work her way up to that little issue if they could. "Anything else we need to know?" She turned back to the Songbird.

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

“Sure. But good luck finding the little buggers,” Azio replied. “They don’t exactly advertise their whereabouts.”

“I remember the old paths,” Kass said. “I was friends with an As-Aki when I was a girl. She showed me where to go.”

The Songwing hummed in acknowledgment. “That’s all. I better get a move on. I have six owlets at home to feed.” With that, he flapped his wings and flew away.

Oukranos turned to Kass. “It’s been a long time, and As-Aki lives are short. Are you sure the pathways are the same?”

“I’m sure of nothing. But I can’t think of what else to do.”

He smiled gently. “We could just use the Force.”

All of her eyes flicked toward him, then her mouths pursed into several smirks. Yeah, she would’ve thought of that. Eventually. “Well, if we’re ready to set out…”

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Azio excused himself to deal with family matters, leaving the three Jedi to their duties. Kass had some familiarity with As-Aki pathways. That would prove useful, provided they hadn't changed. Of course Oukranos suggested they also just use they force to divine their destination. Amani chuckled, and checked her bag a final time, "Ready when you two are."

The trek led them through thick jungle foliage, the density and diversity of which was rivaled by few other planets. Being back on Kashyyyk was a simultaneously exotic and familiar experience. "I really haven't interacted with much of these peoples before," Amani asked, pushing an old branch out of her face. "How long are these old paths, exactly?"

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

As they made their way through the foliage, Oukranos tended to take the lead, whether because he was impatient or simply had the longest legs between him and Amani (Kass’ slithering wasn’t especially fast). Every now and then he’d go too far ahead, realize he had no idea where he was going, and stop to wait.

He didn’t talk much, but Kass made up for it by being quite chatty. “Well, I wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t been friends with Rani. She was about the same age as me, but she became a Knight and then a Master before I had completed my training. They only live for about twenty years, so everything has to happen much quicker. She more than proved herself worthy of promotion.”

“I remember Rani,” Oukranos remarked, the first time he had uttered a word in nearly thirty minutes. He didn’t say much else on the subject, but his respectful, almost solemn tone spoke volumes.

“I wonder what became of her,” Kass murmured. “I doubt she’s still alive, it’s simply been too long… But I’d like to hear how her story ended.” She snapped out of her reverie at Amani’s question. “Oh, not much farther. In fact, we should be coming up on it—“

A wyyyschockk suddenly sprang down from the forest canopy, pinning Kass down. The attack happened so fast, there was hardly any warning from the Force. Oukranos ignited his lightsaber, only for a second giant spider to pounce on him.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Oukranos kept ahead while the ladies chatted, his occasional stops and awkward waiting earned a few small chuckles from Amani. It was interesting to hear about a sentient species that lived such a short lifespan. The majority lived at roughly the same standard with a few outliers, but it usually swung to the opposite extreme. To experience so much in that brief a time, it was simultaneously exciting and melancholic. The topic even got a comment out of Oukranos.

Just as they neared the end of the trail, the group was beset by a pair of wyyyschockks. The spiders were swift, and well hidden, obscuring their surprise attack from the Force. Amani was the only one not being assailed by one of the arachnids, which gave her an opportunity to strike. She went for the one on Kass first, severing one of its legs with her lightsaber and forcing it to back off. The creature shrieked angrily, and though initially warded off by the pike, it lunged again, forcing Amani to put it down. With its auxiliary eyes, the spider saw its victims free, and sought to retake control by pining them down with webbing. One of the shots hit Amani as she tried to check on Kass, stricking the Mirialan to a tree.

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

Kass’ tentacles strained to hold off the spider’s pinching maw until Amani managed to cut off one of its legs. It released the Pylantian and went after the Mirialan, who finished it off in quick fashion.

Oukranos kicked the wyyyschockk off of him, leaped behind it, then swung his lightsaber at its belly. The blade sliced through its hairy flesh, blood guts and dozens of baby wyyyschockks spilling out. Oukranos leaped up into the nearest tree in an effort to get away from them.

“Oh, yuck!” Kass exclaimed at the sight. She threw one of her lightsabers at the disemboweled spider, putting it out of its misery. Avoiding the baby spiders, she quickly made her way over to Amani and sliced her out of the web bindings.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani typically wasn't one grossed out by matters biological, but watching a swarm of baby spiders spill out of their mother's gut and scatter across the forest floor gave her some particularly unpleasant shivers. She wriggled tensley as a few got close to her, immediately tearing away the moment Kassogtha let her free. "Eughhh," The mirialan shook her whole body as if to get rid of any possible creepy crawlies, brushing off her arms and legs and checking her hair, "That sucked." Nothing was on her, aside from some stray webs, but it felt like there were a bunch of little wyyyschockks covering her skin.

"We'll be lucky if that's the only interruption Kashyyyk gives us today," The primeval forestland was brimming with megafauna of unpleasant disposition. And the further in they delved, the more attention they'd attract. "Anything I should know about dealing with the As-Aki when we get there?"

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

Kass made an effort to gently push the spiderlings out of their general radius with the Force, but the phantom sense of little legs crawling over her lingered nonetheless. “Oukranos?” she called out, her eyes darting around before they finally looked up.

Her husband was perched in the branches of a tree. All the color had drained from his face, leaving him pale as marble. He looked even more statuesque than usual.

“You can come down now,” Kass said, gesturing to the absence of baby spiders around them. More worriedly, she added, “Darling, this is saava country. I don’t want you getting eaten…”

Oukranos immediately dropped down to the ground near the two ladies, using the Force to cushion his fall. Clearing his throat, he glanced at Amani, then pointed to a piece of spiderweb still clinging to her hair.

“So, is this why you decided to leave the Silvers?” Kass jokingly asked Amani, double-checking herself for any wyyyschockk residue. "I can't say I miss the wildlife."

"Anything I should know about dealing with the As-Aki when we get there?"

Kass grew thoughtful. “All of them are Force Sensitive—they couldn’t fly without the Force to help them get off the ground. They can’t use most modern technology, but they are master craftsmen of wood and bone. They’re very territorial and community driven, which might explain how they got caught up in the water dispute. Oh, and they love sweets. It’s like a drug to them…”

While she rambled on, Oukranos wordlessly offered Amani his datapad, which was open to a Holopedia article about the As-Aki.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani immediately began pulling at her hair to remove the web Oukranos pointed out, doing so but taking a bit longer to get the rest of it off her hands.

“So, is this why you decided to leave the Silvers?”

Amani chuckled awkwardly, "Not exactly." She paused to collect her thoughts, reminded that she never extrapolated on the question when it was posed earlier. "I uh… I left cause I lost my Force-sensitivity."

"After I brought Grandmaster Elise back from the Sith Empire, I subconsciously severed my Force connection. For a while I tried to get it back, but nothing worked. And… it didn't feel like there was anything here the Order could give me. And there wasn't anything I could give in turn. So I left to try and put my life together, I guess. Start a new chapter."

Amani gave the article a cursory glance, finding nothing of particular importance when it came to interactions. They eventually came across an open grove, the sunlight shining down on the patch of forest floor almost directly. A few flittering movements flew between the trees and foliage in Amani's peripheral. But nobody made their presence known yet. "Anyone else feel like they're being watched?" She muttered.

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

The movement of Kass’ tentacles noticeably stilled. Losing one’s connection to the Force was quite a serious matter, and she hadn’t been expecting that sort of answer. Why not, she wasn’t sure. But now it left them in a rather awkward moment.

“I would’ve done the same thing,” Oukranos said. “It’s no use sitting around waiting for things to change.”

Kass silently agreed, electing to keep her other thoughts to herself. But whatever was going on inside her head, it seemed her disposition toward Amani had changed.

The trio of Jedi Masters continued their trek through the forest, eventually coming across a grove. “The Home Tree should be just ahead,” Kass announced. Her eyes spotted the flitting movements in the trees—and the Force warned her of danger.

A pair of slyyygs came barrelling out of the undergrowth. They were being harassed by a horde of purple-clad As-Aki, who descended upon the creatures like a swarm of hornets armed with tiny weapons made from sharpened bone. The slyyygs fought back against the pricking of their miniature swords and spears, jerking their horned heads from side to side to shake them off. Dozens of fragile As-Aki were crushed in this manner, their broken bodies falling to the ground. But this did little to deter their comrades, who continued their relentless assault.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani nodded, her smile appreciative if a bit forced. It wasn't like she wanted to leave, but as Oukranos said, there was no use sitting around waiting. And frankly, she hadn't felt like she deserved to be there by that point. Amani might be Chief Healer now, but back then, she saw little possibility for a return to the Jedi.

“The Home Tree should be just ahead,”

Soon after they had entered the grove, a deep rumbling gave way to a sudden eruption out of slyyygs from the earth. They were engaged with a war band of As-Aki, some of who faired quite poorly with the beasts. One of the slyyygs sprayed a gout of acidic sludge that nearly hit the Jedi, "Hey!" Amani drew her lightsaber again, trying to ward off the creatures.

Kassogtha Cthylla​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

“Be careful!” Kass exclaimed. The Force was their ally, but there were so many of the tiny flying beings that it was nigh impossible to strike the slyyygs without their lightsabers hitting the As-Aki as well. “Out of the way!”

The command came with a telepathic impulse. Abruptly the cloud of As-Aki parted, many of them not knowing why they were moving but obeying nonetheless. Kass was able to throw her lightsaber and direct it to impale the beast closest to Amani.

Meanwhile the remaining slyyyg reared back, spewing acid. Several of the As-Aki were hit. Oukranos attempted to save them by freezing the acid solid with the Force, but the effort left him vulnerable. The slyyyg lunged at him with its sharp-horned head, knocking him flat.

Kass heard a strange yet familiar noise. It was unmistakably the sound of a lightsaber activating, but distorted. Her numerous eyes flicked toward the source of the sound. One of the As-Aki, wielding a miniature blue blade, dove down toward the back of the slyyyg's head, piercing the animal's skull and brain. It collapsed, dead.

The As-Aki went nuts, cheering and whooping victoriously. Kass slithered over to Oukranos. "Are you—"

"I'm fine," he muttered, standing up slowly and rubbing his backside. "Just bruised my ego."

"Amani?"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

One of the slyyygs was dispatched quickly. Amani approached the other to try and stab it, rather than swing and risk hitting the As-Aki. After the creature hit Oukranos, it swung back around and hit her as well. Her saber still made contact, cutting off one of its horns, but the hill fell away from her grasp in the process. Before it could wreak more havoc, one of the fairies finally slew it with a tiny lightsaber of its own.

Just like that, it was done, and the As-Aki began to celebrate. Amani stood up, rubbing her back, "Fine." She looked to the others, "Excuse me? Uh, we were hoping to speak with you all."

Kassogtha Cthylla​