A Wookiee, trained in Force techniques and wielding a lightsaber, travels the galaxy and participates in exciting adventures... At least, that's how Rograz, his grandfather, presented the story to Rorgru when Revan asked the shaggy companion to tell him about his ancestor. And it seemed to fit. The heroic adventures were clearly embellished to amuse young Wookiees, but much sounded quite plausible. For example, the moments when Rorgru's grandfather avoided encounters with the Jedi Order, which after Ruusan was still rebuilding and reacted very sharply to reports of restless Force-users, fearing that someone from the Brotherhood of Darkness had survived. But mostly, Rograz told his grandson amusing stories about the peculiarities of other peoples and short... as if edited, tales of clashes with pirates and slavers.
A suitable collection of tall tales for an old man who decided to amuse the children and reminisce about his youth.
Only Revan paid attention not so much to the stories themselves, but to the planets mentioned in the tales: Manaan, Dantooine, Tatooine, Nar Shaddaa. Mentally, the former Sith added to this list Kashyyyk, Korriban, and Lehon. It turned out to be an almost complete list of planets connected simultaneously to Revan and the Star Forge. Too much for a mere coincidence.
Unfortunately, Rorgru did not know the details of Rograz's life, except for what the grandfather himself had told, and could not explain the origin of the symbol that was on the wall of their home. Revan's Empire emblem was scratched on the wall by Rograz long before Rorgru's father was born, and presumably, even before he set off on his wanderings. It would be impossible to find out the details, alas, because the old man disappeared somewhere in the Shadowlands three hundred years ago. Wookiees live long, but at that time Rograz had already passed his sixth century and was unlikely to have lived to this day amidst the dangers of Kashyyyk's lower tier.
Did the old man know what the symbol he drew meant? Did he visit the same worlds as Revan by chance? The former ruler of the Empire, whose emblem the old Wookiee had so loved, did not believe in such coincidences. And wasn't Rorgru's father the very Padawan that Yoda had spoken of? He fit the timeline, and this would explain where Wookiees trained in Force techniques and lightsaber combat came from in Rorgru's lineage.
"Old green schemer," Revan muttered quietly, pondering how little information the Grand Master had actually conveyed to him.
"Hopefully: Do you order to interrogate the insolent bag of meat who dared to lie to you, Master?" HK-47 suddenly said, who had fallen silent next to his creator.
The droid had been translating the Wookiee's speech for the Padawans all evening, and judging by his behavior over the last hour, during which HK had moved closer to Revan and stubbornly pretended to be in power-saving mode, the mechanical killer was already tired of the translator role.
"Yoda did not lie, HK, but he omitted much. And no, we will not capture him, interrogate him, or eliminate him," Revan said, waving him away, lost in his thoughts, not paying much attention to the habitually bloodthirsty droid's words.
"Regrettably: Understood," the assassin droid replied.
By this time, Chewbacca had returned, and Rorgru left the house to meet the chieftain's son... However, the Wookiee probably just needed to discuss something away from the ears of his guests. At least, that's what Revan thought... And he was not mistaken.
As it turned out, Chewbacca could not accompany the group of guests because he urgently needed to attend to the settlement's affairs. From a brief explanation, Revan understood that four residents had disappeared from the settlement, presumably captured by Trandoshan raiders who had been engaged in kidnapping and slave trading in this sector for years. Revan even offered his help and ship, but Chewbacca refused, citing that it was an internal matter for the Wookiees and their relationship with the Trandoshans. The Jedi also mentally suggested that the chieftain's son was simply avoiding situations where he would have to admit a life debt, and therefore refused help from strangers. The ancient tradition of "Life Debt," like other peculiarities of Wookiee culture, had survived for millennia and remained in its pristine form. Such adherence to traditions commanded respect.
Be that as it may, Rorgru was the only escort left for the group. This was more than enough in Revan's opinion, as a large group would attract more attention. On the other hand, a small number made the squad an attractive prey for local fauna. And Revan was not eager to encounter Katharns or Terentateks.
"Time to go," Rorgru said, checking his energy crossbow and belt with supplies.
(Author's note: I will highlight the Wookiee's speech in italics, otherwise HK will get tired of voicing everything... and he won't be able to keep up everywhere.)
The group was already ready and waiting only for the command, so after a few minutes, the squad set out. Their path lay to the Tree of Life - a sacred place for the Wookiees. But the problem was not in the significance of the place for the people of Kashyyyk, but in its size. The tree was enormous even by Wookiee standards, and Revan sincerely hoped for the Force's help in finding clues, otherwise their visit to Kashyyyk threatened to drag on for a very long time.
Rorgru suggested starting with the place where the "Day of Life" festival was held, where thousands of Wookiees gathered for the ceremony. Those who couldn't find space in the trampled area over the past millennia celebrated this day in their settlements and homes near a symbolic image of the Tree of Life. This reminded Revan of how on some planets they celebrated the arrival of the next orbit of the planet around its star, using plants, sculptures, or animals as symbols. If he were more interested in the culture of the galaxy's peoples, he would probably have pestered his guide with questions about Wookiee traditions. But now there was a more important matter.
However, there were those in the group who were clearly interested in Rorgru's stories about the Day of Life. And if Anakin and Rina's interest was explained by the curiosity inherent in any children, then Tira's interest became a surprise for Revan. Moreover, it was the Mandalorian woman who was interested, while Bastila passively observed her "neighbor." Revan had already learned to distinguish well when Nomad and Shan "handed over control" to each other.
Noticing that she was being watched, Tira became a little embarrassed and explained her behavior by saying that in the main branch of the family that had taken them in with her mother back in the Dominion, there was a Chiss who loved to study the culture of the galaxy's peoples. Tira liked talking to him because he was one of the few who never commented on the half-blood origin of the future Nomad, even though he knew about it.
Revan understood Tira's feelings, though not fully. After all, being a Jedi who had known the path of the Dark Side, in an Order where such narrow-minded fanatics as Etriis were accepted into the Council, was difficult... difficult to hold back.
"We're here," Rorgru growled when, after several hours of walking and a long descent on a lift in the form of a giant basket with ropes made of strong vines, having fended off a pack of small predators and a couple of shyracks, the group emerged onto a wide square in front of... a huge tree-colored wall.
In reality, it was not a wall, but the trunk of the Tree of Life, literally polished to smoothness by generations of Wookiees who wished to touch the sacred site. Revan did not know how the Day of Life celebration ceremony actually took place, but judging by the smooth bark of the tree, it seemed that physical contact with this sacred place was important to the Wookiees. However, the impression could be deceptive... as could the smoothness of the bark. Upon closer inspection, Revan saw that the surface was covered with drawings, claw marks, and intricate carved patterns that miraculously blended into the overall pattern of the wood grain, as if symbolizing the unity of the Wookiees, their culture, and the nature of Kashyyyk.
"Is this what we need?" the Mandalorian's voice pulled the Jedi out of his thoughts.
A moment later, the mercenary's movements changed slightly, betraying a shift in personality controlling the body.
"Doesn't look like it... It's too... empty here," Bastila voiced her observations.
Revan agreed with her. Despite the fact that the place was shrouded in mist, the Force helped to carefully study the surroundings, noticing the smallest details. And it was indeed empty here. Or rather, empty for Force-users. Although even this definition would be incorrect. Revan felt a raging ocean of the Force with immense emotional intensity and the echo of Wookiee thoughts that had come here for generations. In this hurricane, it would be easy to hide something important... but traces should have remained. Especially since whoever hid the data about the "Forge" must have left clues! Here, no matter how much the former Jedi concentrated, there was nothing that attracted attention... on this tier.
"Below," Revan said, looking somewhere under his feet.
"What?" Anakin asked, busy with unsuccessful attempts to find clues on the bark of the tree with his eyes.
"Beneath us, far below, I feel... something... some concentration of the Force. Or rather, a tangle of intertwined Force threads, as if someone performed many simple and identical actions in this place, leaving an eternal trace," Bastila tried to describe her sensations, reaching out with the Force to where Revan was pointing.
"A trace that doesn't disappear with time. Isn't that a definition of a clue?" the former Jedi chuckled.
"Agreed," Shan nodded.
"How can we go down?" Revan asked Rorgru.
The Wookiee's question worried him.
"It's dangerous. Below begin the lands of the 'Otherworld.' Without the escort of hunters, you could be harmed," the guide replied.
"We can take care of ourselves," Tira replied, patting the blasters on her belt, regaining control.
"And the cubs?" the Wookiee shifted his gaze to Skywalker and Od'Barr.
"We're not children!" the Padawans retorted almost in unison when HK translated Rorgru's words for them.
"I am their mentor, I am responsible for them. I am confident in their abilities, otherwise I would not have taken them with me initially," Revan reassured the Wookiee and his students.
Clearly reluctantly, Rorgru agreed.
"Stay close to me and don't go near the plants. Many of them are predatory, and some also possess a semblance of intelligence," the Wookiee warned.
Revan instructed his students and their mechanical overseer on safety measures, and the group moved on, descending deeper into the dark depths of Kashyyyk's green sea.
To reach the lower tiers of the Shadowlands, they had to use another lift, which, unlike the first, was guarded by a squad of hunters who, according to Rorgru, were supposed to ward off overly confident young Wookiees rushing to undergo the rite of passage into adulthood - the Khrrtaik ceremony - earlier than scheduled, or those fools who risked descending into the "Otherworld" alone.
Outsiders, of course, were also not readily allowed through, but Rorgru hoped that his authority as Tarfful's assistant would be enough to convince the guards to let Revan's squad pass. The former Jedi was not going to risk the success of the entire expedition, so he used a mind trick, making the guards much more willing and calmer to accept Rorgru's explanations. Revan spared no Force power, so he doubted that the hunters would even remember the fact that someone had passed there that day.
"Do they use this lift often?" Tira asked, examining the dilapidated basket.
Unlike the first lift that Revan's companions had used today, this one looked much older... even ancient, and reminded the former Jedi of the very basket in which he had been lowered to the lower levels during his last visit to Kashyyyk... four thousand years ago. Like that lift, this one was powered by a simple mechanism of blocks and vines, as well as a large winch driven by a pair of strong Wookiees.
"This is the only basket in the area that goes all the way to the surface. The others lead to the tier above, where young Wookiees undergo Khrrtaik," the guide replied.
"I thought Khrrtaik was held on the very lowest level..." the Mandalorian wondered.
"We are not savages to send cubs to be eaten by the monsters that live in the dark depths. The ceremony is held in specially prepared areas located one level above the surface. It is still the Shadowlands, and mortal danger still lurks there, but the chances of success are much higher," the Wookiee explained.
Revan, meanwhile, wondered if the place where he had descended during his last visit to Kashyyyk was truly the surface. He remembered the soil under his feet, the giant roots around, and the ubiquitous mist. Could it have been an illusion? Decaying leaves and humus, into which the fallen trunks of giant trees had turned over thousands of years, instead of the real surface. And the roots? Wroshyr roots are so large that they could occupy several tiers in a row. No, the Rakatan climate control system must have been located on the planet's surface, because before its malfunction, wroshyrs did not grow to such giants.
"And the hunters? They descend to the very lowest tier, don't they?" Tira's questions, directed at Rorgru, distracted Revan from his thoughts.
"Hunters use other baskets. Closer to the settlement, to get help faster if something goes wrong," the guide explained.
"Then why this lift? It's not exactly in good condition," the Nomad continued to inquire about details.
Rorgru paused for a moment, then finally answered.
"This basket is used by those who have decided to leave our society and go to the 'Otherworld' of their own free will."
"Like your great-grandfather?" Revan guessed.
"Yes. Grandfather said he saw him by this basket for the last time," the Wookiee replied with bitterness in his voice.
But something else saddened the guide. Something greatly disturbed him, and it was clearly felt in the Force around them.
"Is your father with Tarfful now?" Revan inquired again, giving in to his intuition.
Rorgru flinched as if struck by an electric shock, and the former Jedi clearly heard the scraping of claws on the stock of his bowcaster.
"I didn't mean to offend or insult you in any way. It's just that in your stories about your ancestors, you avoided moments where your father appeared. You didn't even mention his name..." Revan tried to calm his interlocutor.
"He had no name!" Rorgru roared.
The former Jedi instinctively recoiled and placed his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber. Tira did the same, and HK had already aimed two blasters at the Wookiee.
As if not noticing the weapon pointed at him, Rorgru continued in a calmer tone.
"He disgraced himself by attacking a fellow Wookiee and scratching him with his claws! Branded as the 'Mad Claw,' he was exiled to the Shadowlands, where he was to spend the rest of his days among the wild beasts, which he himself had become in the eyes of the tribe."
"Is he still down there?" Revan broke the silence that had hung for a few moments.
"I don't know if he's still alive. Although only a few decades have passed, such depths of the 'Otherworld' are not a place where a Wookiee can live for long," Rorgru replied sadly.
"Well, I knew one Wookiee who lived for many years. And I also knew a man who managed to settle in the Shadowlands with relative comfort. So anything is possible," Revan tried to encourage the guide.
"Fairy tales," the Wookiee dismissed.
"And does the name Freyyr mean anything to you?" the former Jedi clarified, not at all surprised by the answer.
After all, the small civil war and the expulsion of the "Zzerka" corporation from Kashyyyk were hardly described in detail by anyone.
"That's why they're fairy tales. The legend of Freyyr and Bakka's blade, supposedly found in the Shadowlands in a time of need. Ancestors loved to embellish everything," Rorgru growled.
"The blade was indeed found on the lower level, in the back of a Terentatek. The restored sword eventually helped unite the Wookiees and overthrow the chieftain who had made a deal with the slavers," Bastila supported Revan.
"I know the stories of our ancestors, Mandalorian. Bakka's blade, along with 'Zzerka,' left Kashyyyk for many years when it was given to Freyyr's son as a symbol of the future chieftain. Only another Wookiee returned it to his homeland - Zaalrev, Freyyr's grandson."
"Zaalbar never returned to Kashyyyk?" Revan asked, surprised by this turn of history.
"Although the 'Mad Claw' helped the Wookiee people in a difficult hour, his past actions did not justify it. In the eyes of many Wookiees, the chieftain's younger son remained a wild beast who attacked his brother, so he never dared to return. That's what they say, but don't believe everything based on rumors and stories. No records of those events have survived," Rorgru replied.
The conversation about the history of the Rvwkrr'rro tribe and village helped the guide distract himself from the heavy memories of his father and great-grandfather. Time passed unnoticed, and the descent, which had taken several hours, unexpectedly came to an end.
"We're here. This is the lowest tier of the Shadowlands... among the roots of the wroshyr," Rorgru said with fear and reverence in his voice.
The basket was surrounded by an almost impenetrable whitish mist, preventing them from looking around. Contrary to expectations, it was quite light at such a depth, but it was definitely not light from the local star. Rather, it was some kind of bioluminescence of local flora and fauna, adapted to survive in the absence of ultraviolet light.
Despite the fact that Wookiees disliked descending so low, the group's guide seemed calm and even a little inspired... if one disregarded the fear, of course. And the former Jedi understood the reason. Their journey gave Rorgru an opportunity to try to find traces of his father, even if the Wookiee himself would never admit it.
"Everyone be alert," Revan ordered, calling on the Force to slightly reduce the mist density around them and get a better look.
It was at this moment that a huge quadrupedal predator, resembling a cross between a Kath hound and some kind of lizard, burst out of the mist. With a swift lunge, it jumped at Revan and almost knocked him to the ground. Only quick reaction and experience helped the former Jedi evade the beast's claws. A Force push sent the creature into the air, depriving it of its footing, and the lightsaber, in two quick movements, disabled the attacker a split second before four blaster shots hit the carcass - two from HK and two from Nomad.
"Katharn," Rorgru concluded, turning over and examining the beast's carcass.
"Katharn? I thought they were bigger... And more spiky," Tira wondered.
"They grow spikes on their snouts later. This one is very young, inexperienced. That's why it attacked so rashly," the Wookiee explained.
"You know a lot about them," Anakin remarked with admiration, slightly frightened by the beast's sudden attack.
Rina showed no fear, but still clutched her activated lightsaber, pointed at the dead animal.
"We have tamed several packs and sometimes use them as mounts and hunting assistants. My grandfather was one of the riders," Rorgru replied with a hint of pride.
"Keep your weapons ready," Revan ordered and led the group forward, guided by the feeling of that concentration of the Force he had sensed earlier.
The Wookiee did not object and let the Jedi go ahead, only occasionally correcting the route when he was sure that there was a dead end ahead. Unfortunately, no one had accurate maps of the area.
But the Force, in the service of a trained Force-sensitive, is still the best navigator. The wanderings along dangerous paths overgrown with predatory bushes did not last longer than an hour before the group reached the intertwining roots of the Tree of Life. It was here that that strange imprint of the Force was felt.
"Look around. Look for anything that stands out from the general picture of the area," Revan advised.
"Everything here is unusual and everything stands out," Anakin grumbled, trying to make out something.
"Do the scratches on the bark count?" Rina asked, the first to notice the marks on the giant roots.
"Scratches?" Rorgru asked, as if surprised by their presence.
"Is that so unusual?" Tira inquired.
"These are claw marks. But for Wookiees, claws are a tool, not a weapon," Revan guessed.
"Correct. These are not just scratches. This is the ancient written language of my people, used even before we created Shryiiwook for communication with outsiders. But the scratches are too fresh... They are no more than a thousand years old, otherwise the wroshyr would have already shed its bark in this area," Rorgru explained, examining the marks.
"Unless something is holding the bark in place," Revan said, tilting his head slightly to the side, carefully examining the area where the marks were made.
"Suggestion: I can perform the translation, Master," the assassin droid stepped forward with a proposal.
"Can he really act as a protocol droid? I thought that was just a cover..." Tira wondered.
"Arrogantly: That is why you remain a mediocre mercenary while I am the best assassin in the galaxy," HK stated.
"Wow. That's some praise," Revan chuckled.
"Is that praise? For whom?" Tira snorted.
"For you."
"Me?"
"He didn't call you a 'bag of meat.' For him, that's an open acknowledgment of merit," Revan shrugged.
Nomad wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the mechanical maniac.
"Irritatedly: Shall I do the translation, Master?" the droid asked a little louder.
"Wait, there's something else here besides scratches," Bastila drew attention, taking control of Tyra's body.
"What?" Revan turned his gaze to the roots and peered at the spot Shan was pointing to.
A thin line, no thicker than the cutting edge of the sharpest vibroblade, ran through the inscriptions, creating a pattern of several intersecting circles.
"What is this?" Rrogrru growled softly, surprised by the discovery.
"I don't know yet... but this is not for nothing," Revan said grimly.
"Urgent suggestion: Translation, Master," HK reminded them, making his creator turn to him.
Translating the inscriptions could indeed help in understanding what was before them.
"Be so kind," the former Jedi nodded, deciding to end the argument.
HK blinked his optical sensors several times, studying the patterns on the bark.
"Note: The translation may not be accurate due to the absence of some words in the ancient Wookiee language."
"Translate what you can."
"Explanation: This is a set of words not connected into sentences. However, there are several repetitions of the same symbols, meaning movement towards something or achievement of something. Also, several negation particles are repeated on the other side of the inscribed area. The translation of the words: audacity, power, peace, desire, lie, bonds, peace, break, knowledge, unity, death, freedom, absence of order, victory, might... and several symbols cannot be translated, as they are not found in the Wookiee language. These symbols were invented by someone specifically for this inscription," HK reported.
"Nonsense," Tyra noted grimly.
"Not entirely," Revan drawled.
Something about these words was familiar... very familiar.
"HK, are the symbols grouped if we consider the carved circles as boundaries?" the former Jedi clarified.
"Analysis: You are right, Master. The division is chaotic, with a few words: power and lie on one, bonds, victory, and might - on another. Also: peace and knowledge, unity and death - in pairs. The circle in the center: audacity, peace, desire, and an unknown symbol," HK reported.
"The Force," Revan said.
"What?" Bastila asked, not having heard the word.
"The unknown symbol means - The Force. When the ancient language was created, perhaps the Wookiees did not yet know about the existence of the Force, or the translators, after establishing contact with the people of Kashyyyk, could not understand the meaning of the symbol," Revan explained.
"What makes you say that?" Shan didn't understand.
"Look closely. The translation is not accurate, as HK said, and if we choose slightly different synonyms for the resulting words, what do we get?"
"What?"
"Emotions, power, peace, passion, lies, shackles, serenity, knowledge, harmony, death, chaos, victory, strength, and, accordingly, The Force. What does this remind you of?" Revan turned to Bastila.
"The Codex..." she whispered.
"Both codices, to be precise. The Sith and Jedi, with the words that appear in both texts located in the center of the drawing."
"But they are in the wrong order... Do you think this is some kind of puzzle? And the words need to be arranged in the correct order?" Bastila guessed.
"Everything is divided into circles for a reason. Maybe they can rotate? Shall we check?" Revan suggested and reached out towards the drawings.
Obeying the Jedi's command, the Force moved one of the circles, turning it a few degrees to the right.
"Does it work?" Anakin asked with surprise, fascinated by the sight.
"There seems to be no damage," the Zabrak echoed him.
"Then, we need to arrange everything so that on one side is the Sith codex, on the other - the Jedi, and in the center - what unites them," Shan hypothesized.
"Hmm, something like this?" Revan turned a few circles.
From top to bottom, the line read: Not emotions, peace, lies, there is passion.
"Not emotions, but peace," Bastila said.
"Peace is a lie. There is only passion," Revan continued.
"An early version of the codex is being used," Shan noted.
"Which only raises more questions. Hmm, alright, help me arrange the words in the correct order," Revan asked and returned to solving the puzzle.
While the two Force adepts rotated the discs carved on the bark, composing the texts of the ancient codices of the opposing Orders, Rrogrru watched the process with fascination. The Wookiee had seen similar miracles performed by the gifted, so he was not particularly surprised by their abilities. He was more concerned about the fact that strangers were desecrating the Tree of Life! But... it seemed no harm was being done, and the symbols on the bark were carved by someone from the Wookiees... Could someone from the people of Kashyyyk wish harm to the Tree of Life?
"And what do we get?" Tyra Nomad's voice interrupted Rrogrru's thoughts.
"The scratches on the outer edge of the discs form a new pattern," Revan noticed.
"Maybe we should assemble it then? Instead of trying to put together a coherent text?" Shan suggested.
"There's no significant difference. We at least know the text, but with the drawing, it's different. Without understanding what should come out in the end, we'll get stuck here for a long time."
Shan nodded silently and returned to solving the puzzle.
It took the Jedi almost an hour to arrange everything in the correct order. Although halfway through, Revan realized what kind of drawing was forming from the scratches.
"My crest again," he noted grimly.
"It looks like it," Bastila agreed, examining the uneven outlines of the Star Forge silhouette inscribed in a circle.
"And, what next?" Anakin inquired.
"The Hutt knows," Tyra snorted, annoyed by the long role of spectator.
"Is this a hint? Very vague..." Revan ran his hand over the visor of his mask.
"And uneven," Tyra added and tried to move the disc herself and fix the drawing, which caused it to spin too sharply and fall out with a crunch, tearing off a piece of bark.
Rrogrru let out a mournful howl and tried to catch the fragments. In the Wookiee's eyes, a catastrophe had just occurred! Desecration of a shrine! Vandalism!
"Oops... This is bad," Nomad quickly moved away from the tree and, just in case, adjusted her blasters.
Falling victim to an enraged Wookiee was not part of her plans.
"Look!" Anakin shouted and pointed to the damaged area of the root.
Where the disc had fallen out, a layer of wood was revealed, which also had drawings on it. Or rather, just one - a circle, very similar to a schematic depiction of a planet, with a grid of coordinates superimposed on its surface.
"Is this Kashyyyk?" Rina recognized the depicted world, noticing the giant Tree of Life marked on the diagram.
"I asked for a hint... but a map will do too," Revan chuckled, noting the details of the diagram and trying to determine where the creator of this puzzle had hidden the necessary information about the Forge.
And he had a guess. In addition to the Tree of Life, which was supposed to serve as a reference point for comparing coordinates, there were two more markers, the coordinates of one of which were well known to Revan.
"Why does everything always come down to the Rakata..." the former Jedi grumbled, rubbing his temples.
The markers indicated the location of two atmospheric processors that were part of the Rakata planetary climate system. Four thousand years ago, Revan found a Star Map at one of them. The second one, it seemed, hid a datachron with information about the Forge.
Revan's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden roar, which sounded almost directly above his head. Too engrossed in solving the puzzle, the former Jedi missed the appearance of a pack of katharns nearby. The predators were not famous for their stealth for nothing and managed to get within throwing distance. Revan dodged the attack with a roll, drawing his saber on the go. However, his target was not him, but the Wookiee. The Jedi managed to push away one of the monsters and grab the second with the Force, but the third, with a lightning-fast lunge, broke through to Rrogrru and, grabbing the Kashyyyk native by the arm, disappeared into the mist, taking the screaming prey with him.
"Into the circle!" the Jedi barked, pulling his students out from under the attack with the Force.
Revan, Tyra, and HK stood on three sides, covering Anakin and Rina. This pack was experienced, unlike the lone one that had been near the basket. The attacks were fast, chaotic, and often served only as a distraction to open the way for another individual attacking from the opposite side. The cunning of these animals made one wonder if they had consciousness, but the impression was deceptive. Animals remained animals, and they could not cope with the gifted.
Flashes of lightning illuminated the entire space around the patch of land where the Jedi were defending themselves. Revan struck furiously, mercilessly destroying all living things that dared to approach within jumping distance. Before the lightning subsided, a silver blade went flying, circling the defenders like a deadly projectile and preventing the surviving monsters from getting close. At the same time, Bastila and Revan rushed forward together, cutting down the remnants on both sides of the padawans who were covered by their sabers. The forty-seventh fired with both hands, making his significant contribution to the extermination of Kashyyyk's fauna, with machine-like precision taking down creature after creature.
Despite the huge size of the pack, almost twenty individuals, the battle ended in less than two minutes.
"Are you alright?" Revan shouted, checking the students with the Force just in case.
"We're fine," the padawans and Bastila replied.
"Where is Rrogrru?" the Jedi looked around.
"The katharns dragged him away," Anakin shouted.
Revan closed his eyes and called upon the Force, trying to catch the direction in which their guide had been taken. And he succeeded.
"Northwest. Moving away rapidly. He's still alive," the former Sith informed his companions.
"We'll save him, won't we?" Skywalker asked hopefully.
"Of course. I'll go ahead, you follow me under the cover of HK, Tyra and Bastila will bring up the rear. Let's move," Revan replied without hesitation.
He didn't like abandoning allies, although he admitted that sometimes such sacrifices had to be made. However, at the moment, no one was rushing them on their way to the Forge, there was no need to choose between information and an ally... Especially since, by a strange coincidence, one goal was now moving towards the other. And this could not be a coincidence.