Star Wars 1. Chapter 1: Prologue

A long time ago…

Prologue

Deep within the ancient forests of Kashyyyk, under the watchful eyes of its three moons, a change was taking place. Once again, leaves were falling, the Wookiees were gathering the last of the needed supplies to be stored, and their hunting expeditions were becoming something of a scarcity. The forest truly began to transform in preparation for the coming cold season. A few weeks earlier, a small spacecraft bearing markings of the Jedi Order landed on the grey, gnarly forest floor; a place known to outsiders as the shadowlands. Two of its three occupants, bore visibly the anguish and trauma of one in exile. In this instance, the man and woman, along with the child they loved so fiercely, were exiled by beings they cared about, loved even, from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, a place they used to feel safe in – at home, at peace.

The temple had rightfully functioned as their home for many years until Knight Plo Koon discovered in a dream that Knight Calira was with child. Not knowing that her lover was Master Baynuth a member of the council, the fools predictably planned for Calira to be executed however innocent in reality's light her actions were.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next morning, as dawn's amber rays flooded the temple, Master Baynuth jolted awake, drenched in sweat. He grasped furtively about and clenched his calloused hands around a well-tailored now slightly damp blanket. Gripping even more firmly, a groan escaped his lips and felt as if he was returning from a nightmare until it became clear to him that somehow the council had found out, and it wasn't just a nightmare anymore, it was happening for real. Though he still drew breath his lover, _no_, he self-corrected, _lover_ was almost too common a word for what he felt in her presence. She was his other half, his love, his life. In that very moment, he sensed Calira being lead to the temple's roof, moreover the execution spire, used in olden times to put an end to those whose crimes were against the Jedi order.

The force was seething inside and all around a pacing Master Baynuth. His mind wandered desperately, searching for answers, answers to save Calira. He'd known her since she was a fiery little padawan, violet eyes and black hair enticing him even as she beat him at what he was best at – single combat with a lightsaber. As they trained vigorously together, their fledgling bond grew stronger.

He remembered fondly the time she twirled, side-stepped his swift frontal attack, feinted, twisting her wrist mid-feint, and shoved her blade downwards, the force of the blow causing his lightsaber to clatter and roll awkwardly a good distance across the training mat, away from his body. Most of all, he remembered the way her upper lip had curled into a lovely triumphant smirk as she playfully brandished her lightsaber inches from his face, letting tension build between them until finally she giggled and remarked something about not going so easy on him next time. It was in that moment that he knew he loved, her. Many years later, their love bloomed into the stuff of legend and the force had given them a son. They had tried to keep it a secret, but now it was too late.

Willing himself to focus on the present he felt the force screaming and hissing, pumping through his body by pure power and adrenaline. He was shaking. He had to act. He knew what needed to be done and after glancing up towards the roof of the temple, he could feel his lover's presence and reached out to her over their bond _/Don't worry I'm coming for you, soon you'll be safe my love, we ca…/ _

_/No! Stay far away Baynuth. If the rest of the council discovers that you're the father of our child you'll be next to die. In time, the council will learn to accept those different from them, those who are one not only in the force, but also in life. You must aid them in this. As much as it pains me, I, along with our unborn son must be sacrificed for the good of the order. It is your destiny to make the council see the error of their ways, and your death will prove nothing but defiance. This is goodbye, my love. Please don't hate me for leaving you like this. I'm scared, I don't want to die like this, don't want to feel my skin melting away, unable to move seeing my bones as my body burns to ashes on the unrelenting pyre I see before me. Mace now suggests they tie me with rope to the damn pyre. Adi just inclines her head in agreement. It's almost time. I can feel it. I love you so much…_

_/I know/ _

Without warning she severed their bond. He realized in shock that she didn't want him to experience her death first-hand. But he also knew she wasn't going to die nor that she herself was indeed ready to be sacrificed for some greater good. He could sense through the force that she still had more to accomplish even though she was ready to sacrifice all she was for him. He couldn't allow her to do that, especially now that she carried their son within her womb. He was going to rescue her, destiny be damned.

Feeling another tremor though the force, using his now unclenched hand, Baynuth swipes the beads of sweat off his creased forehead, slams his jaw shut and stops pacing. He knows what needs to be done and forces his countenance upwards as if his eyes are literally punching through layers of ceiling between him and his soon to be executed lover. He needed to get to that roof, but more importantly he needed a plan once he managed to get up there. Before racing off he sends Qui-Gon a message, hoping that it's not too late.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Betrayed the Jedi you have." Intoned Master Yoda, the most senior member of the council. "While still young you are, no choice have we but by the sacred teaching of our order to abide. Upheld the code must be, matters little, the cost does.

"I can find nothing sacred about a code that condemns love and family, the most sacred and natural of bonds." Calira spat, interrupting the little green troll as he tried to hide behind noble words that sounded quite pithy to her, bound as she was to the pyre. Yoda simply ignored her and droned on. "And so it is that marks today does, the end for a traitor amongst the Jedi order. Decided it has been so." With that, Ki-Adi Mundi ignites a torch and lowers it steadily, his visage reflecting nothing more than vain stoicism. Calira squeezes her eyes shut, bracing for what is to come. The torch never fell.

Opening her eyes she sees Ki-Adi Mundi sprawled in front of the other council members, on the ground, motionless. The council was in shock, to say the least. Using his lightsaber Baynuth cuts the rope snaking around her body. Overcome by it all, she collapses gracefully into his arms. Her lips part "But, how did… I thought… Now we're both trapped with nowhere to go and… "

"There's no time my love. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I always have, but they…"

Baynuth cut her off. "Then do exactly as I do. We need to hurry." She gasped when he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to the edge of the roof, further away from the council. She didn't dare look down at the traffic whizzing about below her. As it was, she was about to hurl. Meanwhile, the rest of the council members realized what just occurred and that Baynuth must be father, otherwise he wouldn't have intervened. Mace was the quickest to recover and shouted "I hereby, in accordance with the laws and code of the order strip you of your council position and sentence you to death along with Knight Calira." No sooner had the words escaped his lips the force slammed into the lovers sending them soaring over the edge of the spire into oblivion.

"No choice we had." Yoda said. "Too powerful they were, brought change to the order, they would have. Commended Knight Plo Koon should be, acted like a true Jedi he did. An excellent choice he would make now that no more Master Baynuth is."

"Yes," Adi agreed. "Plo Koon has always shown loyalty to the Jedi and to its code. As far as concerns what transpired a few moments ago, the Jedi must continue to resist such change. We must remain true to the code above all else, even friends. I wish we didn't have to kill them."

"Careful" Mace scowled. "Compassion for traitors is not becoming of a Jedi."

"Of course Mace. Let us we return to the council chamber to discuss the civil war that plagues Onderon." Raising their hoods, the council proceeded through the opening down a pristine spiral staircase, as if nothing had happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Baynuth started to panic. He thought they would have more time to protest, to discuss, to plead against the sentence, nay judgment the council pronounced for them when out of nowhere Mace had used the force to send them to their deaths. Not that he was surprised of course, but now he was sure that his plan had failed and Calira's worst fears were coming true. Death was immanent. As they fell, their bodies clung together. It was only a matter of seconds now. Beneath them a silver Jedi transport ship loomed closer and he could make out what looked to be Qui-Gon's head popping out the top hatch. Soon, he felt the force slow their plummet and minutes later he and Calira were standing face to face with an amused Qui-Gon and a chubby Xanatos who wrapped the couple in a soft wooly blanket. "Good thing I was on my way back to the temple when I got your message. Otherwise, you'd be dead and I wouldn't have the satisfaction of pulling your butt out of the fryer once again." Breathless, and still too stunned to speak, the couple simply nodded their heads in shivered agreement. Qui-Gon sat down and continued with a glimmer in his eye, "While my apprentice and I were trying to safely get you aboard, the council sent a mass spectrum message announcing your betrayal and subsequent execution. Hope you can forgive me for going against the council this time. But don't think you get off that easy; you both still owe me…" he said with a wink. "Wouldn't dream of it…" I managed to say. "We can't thank you enough for what you did, but now that the council thinks we're dead, we need to run as fast and far as we can."

"I thought about that, why don't you take my ship and escape once I land in the temple hangar? The council can't track this ship because it was a gift from Xani's father. After he gave it to me I used it to get away and simmer down after the occasional argument with the council. I never dreamed they could have become so blind on so many levels, not to mention attempting to murder two of their own for wanting a family." Before they knew it they had arrived back at the temple and Baynuth shuddered as twin hisses signaled the boarding ramp was being lowered to the ground. Qui-Gon continued his train of thought, cut short by Baynuth's sudden movement. "In any case, this ship is equipped with advanced technology and a cloaking device. As long as you remain on the ship, you should be safe. I wish you the best, old friend, may the force be with you."

"And with you, old friend."

Moments later Qui-Gon, Xanatos, and an astromech droid exited the ship, the capes of the Jedi brushing against the shiny loading ramp as it was raised. Soon the engines rumbled, multiple thrusters firing seamlessly as the ship glided towards the stars. Coruscant was now the size of a pebble tossed into a large pond, vanishing from sight as stars blurred into lines and the lovers were alone, still embracing, refusing to let go.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

After touching down on Kashyyyk, Calira sent her son to find some wild game so they would have something healthy and full of protein to nourish them after the harrowing escape just hours ago from Tatooine. Bounty hunters had discovered they were Jedi and tried to collect the standard 10,000 credits per Jedi reward, dead or alive. If it wasn't for some of the Bounty hunter's equipment malfunctioning, and the help of a few locals, they might not have escaped at all.

"It's been eight whole years and the Jedi still think we're dead." Baynuth observed as they touched down on Kashyyyk. "It seems like a lifetime ago, I still hope that one day they will change and we won't have to live like nomads anymore, moving from planet to planet every few years." Baynuth grimaced, and his face appeared tired. They both looked exhausted but happy to be alive given one of the most powerful groups of people in the galaxy would hunt them down and kill them if it was discovered they still lived, successfully raised a family of three, and hadn't turned to the darkside in the process.

"For now my only concern is that Keirran won't be able to stay hidden forever. He is very strong willed and determined to explore every inch of wherever it is we temporarily settle. I have a bad feeling about this place. The darkside is strong here on this planet, but it will shield us if there are any Jedi here."

"I don't like your bad feelings," she echoed, remembering while on Dantooine, Baynuth had a vision of a young man lying peacefully in a field. As Baynuth drew nearer, he noticed two red holes in the lad's side, and realized the boy was already dead. "Remember the sleeping boy in the field, and how a few days later a handful of Gammorians attacked a tribe of peaceful settlers near our encampment? Keirran was only five at the time and he started crying. We couldn't do anything about it because we had to remain hidden."

"I remember Cali," he whispered, a somber look crossing his face. "Yet not everything we see in visions is bound to happen. Visions point towards a possible future, nothing more, nothing less." A few moments later, their son returned, dragging a kinrath pup slung over his shoulder. Though young, his species gave him more strength than the average human, combined with the fact that his parents trained him in the ways of the force since his birth. It therefore came as no surprise that an almost eight-year-old could track, kill, and bring back a kinrath for supper. "Your skills never cease to amaze me, my son. I'm proud of you."

"It's like you always say dad, there's always a bigger fish. This time I was the bigger fish." He grinned, running back inside the ship to tinker with one of his mechanical creations. His mother smiled. Even though her son had little natural aptitude for all things mechanical, it never slowed is determination to learn more about droids and finally build one from scratch. She hoped that day wasn't today. Her son proved challenge enough for both parents, despite their extensive Jedi training. In the future she wanted to have more children, but Keirran was definitely enough for now, on the run, despite no one chasing them, or so they thought.

A few days later, a wookiee hunting party stumbled across their small ship while tracking a large beast through the forest. The purpose of this hunting trip was not about bringing back food for the tribe. This group of young warriors was sent to prove their honor and kill a great Tarentatek – a time-honored ritual that marked the passing between boyhood and manhood in wookiee terms. The young warrior wookiees could sense that the three beings eating lunch were not necessarily a threat and decided to hear them out instead of kill them like they did most outsiders.

The warriors were astonished when Baynuth began speaking to them fluently in their native tongue. After a friendly guttural-sounding exchange the wookiees seemed satisfied with the reasons the family gave for being on Kashyyyk. When Baynuth explained to his wife and son the wookiee warrior's mission in the shadowlands, Keirran was chomping on the bit to join them in the hunt. His father didn't see why not, it would give Keirran a chance to hone his fighting skills if they ran into bounty hunters again. Besides, he trusted the wookiees and knew they were renowned as a race of honor. The boy's mother more worried but ended up agreeing with her husband. Elated, their son raced over to stand in front of the towering wookiees. To his mother's surprise, the wookiee in front of Keirran bowed and said, "It is an honor, great one. I am called Chewbacca. You can just call me Chewy though. We must hurry before the scent trail fades."

Keirran bared his teeth in a grin, saying. "Nice to meet you Chewy, my name's Keirran. I'm sooo excited to go with you guys…" Then the youngster let fly a slew of questions to which Chewy replied, "Then let's get a move on, climb on my back and we'll be off to slay the Tarentatek." The boy, unable to contain his excitement, continue to pepper the young wookiee warriors with questions as they made their way through the forest, tracking the beast as they went.

"Great one?" stated Calira, turning to gaze into her husband's eyes as their son was leaving. "Whatever could that mean?" Her husband smiled at her affectionately, and she relaxed as he pulled her closer. "That is the way it is with wookiees, they honor the young, and in so doing respect for one another becomes etched in their hearts; generation after generation." She returned his smile tracing a delicate finger around his lips, then jabbed him playfully in the stomach and asked, "How do you know so much about wookiees?"

"Ooff!" he exclaimed, feigning injury. "When I was just a padawan, my master and I were sent to Corellia to settle a trade dispute. Things however didn't go as planned and terrible violence broke out. In the fighting, I was separated from my master and captured by some scary thugs who threw me down into a cell that turned out to be a dark pit I was meant to die in. Among the prisoners was an old white-furred wookiee I ended up becoming close friends with. He taught me the language and culture of the wookiees and I helped him escape once my master managed to free me a half-cycle later. It could have been worse, at least I wasn't tortured."

"Could have been worse?" his wife exclaimed. "I wish to the force that never happened to you! Why didn't you tell me?" He relaxed his jaw and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think it of much importance, especially then. A Jedi's life is a life of sacrifice. In the end, after almost a whole cycle, my master and I were successful in our mission, despite having suffered personally to complete it. It's not something I wish to dwell on."

She hugged him tighter than ever before and said, "I'm glad you told me, though painful it must have been." She then moved her hand slowly up from his waist, pausing as she went to caress his well-muscled back, lingered around his thick neck and rested it behind his head, using her fingers to softly rub the horns protruding like a crown of spikes placed on his head and said with a growl, "With all my heart I love you, and I want you to know…" Before she could continue voicing her thought, she found herself whisked away in his arms to their chambers aboard the ship. Suddenly it was a very good day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

On the other side of the forest, the wookiees had begun surrounding their quarry in a pincer formation. The first group threw grenades and began shooting at it, distracting the creature long enough for Chewbacca to swing above it by the arm on a vine and land on the creature's head. Plunging the tip of his vibroblade into the back of the beast's neck quickly put it out of its misery. The beast thudded to the forest floor defeated. Keirran almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the size of the four rows of still razor sharp teeth; relieved that he wasn't alone. Together, they quickly severed the Tarentatek's head and marched triumphantly through the dark forest, recounting tales of past battles. Keirran was ecstatic; the thrill of a fresh kill exhilarated him. He had never seen a beast so big, and he was equally impressed with Chewy's display of bravery and skill.

As they made their way back to the ship, a sudden loud clash followed by seemingly fluid successive parries could be heard. Lightsaber met lightsaber; shadows flickered ominously around the four warriors facing off beneath the giant trees. Snow began to fall, and the battle raged on.

Keirran sensed his parents were in trouble, and calling on the force to speed up his movement, ran for all he was worth towards the sounds of battle. The wookiees looked at each other confused, then after a moment, realized the danger. They charged after the plucky zabrak boy, roaring as they used their long arms to swing from tree to tree, trying to catch up.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

While to the casual observer it appeared he was simply enjoying cooking, this morning his mind raced, unable to shake free a funny feeling dancing through his gut. The smell of breakfast wafted through the ship. Smells of vor'ak cakes, considered a delicacy by many humanoid species. Baynuth was humming uncharacteristically, casually flipping each cake, one by one. It was out of habit, he mused. Soon, his mind wandered to Calira, and to everything they lived through together, to all the moments of shared joy and pain, but mostly belonging. He knew their destinies to be as constant as the pale green moon orbiting his birth world, Iridonia.

Drifting further along his memories, he came across the salty smell of blue waves and their cool mist crashing violently against tall jagged cliffs. Years had gone by since he last climbed the mountains of Ansu, ridden atop her great beasts galloping freely the plains of Henorra. Pain and regret flowed freely as he recalled his mother's indecipherable expression following his journey from her arms to the place where strange beings adorned in flowing robes held the promise of a better life. Jedi. Guardians whose mission was to promote peace and justice throughout the republic. Only now he was frustrated by how politically minded the order had become, by how many in the order had somehow forgotten what it really meant to be a jedi, and especially by their narrow-minded view of attachments.

When he was a padawan this was not the case. They were all truly a family. Though not perfect by any means there remained a concrete sense of togetherness, of belonging. Tragically, something must have occurred to change all that. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on yet but he was still determined to find out what. Even the tournaments, kata demonstrations, and dances, times where they would all assemble either as participants or observers were no more.

Lately, he was wishing he never left home in the first place to go with the jedi search team to the temple, but then it is possible he never would have met the woman breaking his train of thought wrapping two affectionate arms around his waist. Her warm touch quickly brought his focus to the present moment. Anxious for the distraction, vor'ak cakes now long forgotten, he lifted her over the counter-top and softly pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss that soon deepened into a passionate tongue-war fueled by lingering desires and feelings.

"Calira…" he breathed.

"Yes love?" she murmured.

"Would you like some breakfast?"

"Now why would I want _breakfast _when I've already had _dessert_? She grinned back, a teasing edge in her voice.

Blushing a darker shade of red, Baynuth began sputtering "well it's just that you-ah err never mind"

Her lips brushing against the area around the base of his neck had indeed done their job well. Before he knew it she was yanking him back to their quarters, and he couldn't help but smile.


End file.
