Nine Tales

[Jsc]

Shadow Grove Village
Kashyyyk
Republic Space


In folklore there are often tales of mystical creatures that lurk at the edges of known civilization and gobble up children who disobey their mothers. These tales are often fictitious but grounded with a certain truth that makes them immortal in the minds of their listeners. Especially the disobedient children.

"Oh really? And what about good little Jedi?"

"Well. Maybe the Jedi are the ones abducting the children, yes?"

They both laughed. It was a good joke. Sam and her dark-skinned companion sat together on the fuzzy carpets of the Traveler's Lodge. A sort-of private cabin for offworlders that was run the by Manji Clan. Dark-skinned tribal warriors who had adapted inside of Wookiee culture. The Manji reverenced the Shadowlands as their hunting grounds and as such had settled Grove Village to be closer to it. Sam had never been here before but she relished their easy charisma and ghost stories.

"So? How fairs fine Gwendolin? I heard he just made Tribesman."

"My son? Ah. He is a fine lad but troubled by the girls. Maggie won't see him since he took his Trials and her sudden lack of affection haunts him. Mm. He hunts with a mad passion these days. I fear the neglect of a warm woman will be his undoing. Ha! ...And what a thing to say."

Sam's funny companion was an old Sage named Kami. He was well aged with a bald scalp. Thin, good spirited, and with faint blue markings all over his body. His eyes were black orbs that saw well in darkness and in shadow. He kept them closed now as the fire was bright in the room. His clothing was an alien chitin mixed with hard green leathers. Sam had no idea how it was made.

"Well. I'm sure he'll find a fine woman one day. No matter her name."

"Mmm. The Tribe hopes so. I, hope so. It is bad if a man should live his days alone. Ha! ...Just like this old warrior. Gods praise his name."

Kami smiled and hoped to his feet. He had been watching this cabin alone since his second wife had passed away. Now his company was from travelers and in telling tales. Sam placed her bowl of fruit aside and stoked the fireplace. It was close to bedtime.

"Is it really no problem to accompany you tomorrow? I didn't know the Tribe let outsiders hunt too?"

"Hunt. No no no. My son will take you alone the golden paths to find the flying birds. This will be no Shadow Hunt down below. You are a tourist yes? ...Mustn't send you home empty handed. Haha."

"Then we will be seeking Phoenix feathers!?"

"Ah yes! The fire bird indeed. They nest high among the trees and only a true warrior can sneak up close enough to pluck a few feathers while they sleep. It was how my son completed his Trials. ...You are in good hands."

Sam smiled. Tomorrow would be a grand adventure indeed.

"Well then. I can't wait."

"Hm? What happened to the Ninja who accompanied you? There other one."

"Oh!? I thought I came alone?"

"No no. There was another Jedi who arrived only recently. I thought you two were together?"

"Nope. Not that I know of."

"Ah well. He'll be back soon. I made up the other bed and everything. Ha! ...He'll probably climb in the window at midnight. My son used to do that too. ...Bah! Ninjas and their windows. Hogwash."

Sam could only shrug. The fire was dimming and the warm bedrolls upstairs were lined with hot fur. If anybody else was coming to bed, she might hardly notice before she was sound asleep.

"Well. Night night Kami Kona. See you in the morning!"

"Sleep well Jedi Sammy Soma. Don't let the midnight Ninjas bite! Hahaha."

Sam frowned and stood up to go to bed. Her room was upstairs. She wouldn't be in the lobby for much longer tonight.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Stealth, something that Hatake excelled in. With his skills he easily could get through any obstacles, since he discreetly boarded the ship of [member="Sam Jhovna"] who was a beautiful Jedi that Hatake liked when he first met her on Ilum to obtained his crystal and constructed his lightsaber.

After riding through the stars on Sam's ship they finally arrived and landed Kashyyyk since there were Wookies running around the village it was easy to guess that they were on the homeworld of these mighty and honorable warriors. After Sam left the ship he quickly got off and started venturing the Wookie village. He always enjoyed an adventure which was also why he was here on Kashyyyk. He had a word with a group of Wookies, that seem to like Hatake due to his attitude and personality, before he left for the forest. The forest was beautiful and it was a good place to meditate and it also helped Hatake to build up his skills even they were outstanding he still wanted to build them up to the next level. After meditating, hiking through the forest, and excelling his skills such as flexibility, balance, reflex, agility, running up and down trees, and practicing throwing stars and throwing knives while he was running, jumping, or doing some other crazy things that most people can't do, he noticed that night was starting to fall upon him and the village and quickly ran through the forest to get to the village.

After running miles through the dark forest he finally reached village and climbed on a house to get to a window. There was no one in the room and the Ninja decided to sit on the window still and meditate instead of tucking himself in bed. His ears and his reflexes were activated after he closed his eyes and sat crissed-crossed having his face looking outside of the room.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Sam wandered up onto the bunk room and began to kick off her shoes when she noticed someone was sitting on the still. Gah! Oh my goodness. There really were midnight Ninjas!

"Good heavens! What on earth are you doing there? Don't you know it's impolite to sneak up on a lady?"

Wait. Was this the other Jedi she had heard about or perhaps another folktale come to life instead?

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

His ears could hear his surroundings better than any ordinary human except those who used the force or if you your species had hearing abilities. He heard Sam wondering in the room and exclaiming as she finally realized that Hatake was on the still. He got up from the still and turned to face Sam. The wind flowed through his white hair that stood up and she would only see his right eye since he covered up most of his face to conceal his Sith eye on the left. He bowed down to her as he always would when he met someone.

"My apologies, ma'am, but I was just here meditating not sneaking up on a beautiful lady like you."

He didn't say nothing else but he just stood there, watching her. Hopefully she didn't forgot his name.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Sam pursed her lips and squinted hard. In the firelight of the first flames, Hatake was hard to see.

"Padawan Mutashi? From Ilum? ...Well well. What on earth are you doing all the way out here near Mandalorian space? Is your Master here too?"

When one decides to take vacation time, Kashyyyk was never first on anybody's list. Maybe he was here for work.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

"You are correct. I am simply just here for sightseeing and to keep an eye out for you since you were going by yourself. No, my Master isn't here."

He got down from the still and was inside the room just staring at her with his eye.

"Are you here for some sightseeing as well?"

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Fascinating. She put her hands on her hips and nodded,

"Vacation time. Yes. It was my crew's idea and they have some business to do here as well. So yeah. Kinda sightseeing? Maybe."

Sam was still pondering Hatake. She wasn't used to being around Ninjas.

"Are you coming with the hunting party tomorrow morning? The tribesmen are planning on going to the upper leaves and plucking some Phoenix feathers. ...It's just a native kind of bird. Nothing mythological. Hehe. I wondered if you might be riding along with us."

She waved away the comment and looked back at the bunkroom. There were four beds all arranged in public style. Apparently a free stay didn't mean a private room and bath.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

"A hunt? Well, I'll sure be coming along with you but I'll be traveling by tree not on the ground. So don't be surprised if you see a star in a tree. Also, be prepared cause there might be Trandoshians lurking around. Never put a Wookie and a Trandoshian in a cage."

He then sat down criss crossed and continued staring at her. He wouldn't be sleeping in a bed tonight.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

She smirked even at the late hour,

"It's Kashyyyk, Mutaski. Nobody travels on the ground. Hehe."

At least, not on the northern continents anyway. There are some places underneath those trees that haven't seen real light in hundreds of years. Places where the very air is darker than the soil.

"The tribesmen use the jungle trees as their own path. I hear we might even get to ride the giant Paddo birds too. Should be a fun time."

Sam moved to a bedside and slipped off her boots. She was yawning already.

"Ah. Well. ...I suppose morning isn't so far away. Night night Window Ninja. I'll see you in the morning I suppose."

Jhovna pulled her socks off and fell into the bed with a grand poof. Pulling the fur blanket over her chest and letting her hair fall loose. Hatake would just have to look after himself tonight. It was way past this little Padawan's bedtime already.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

"Good night, Sam. See you in the morning." As the beautiful Padawan tuck herself in bed Hatake sat criss cross on the floor, facing the window. His reflexes were active as always as he meditated through the night.

As he was meditating he felt something that seemed odd. Something wasn't right. He opened his eye and saw that it was dusk and that dawn would soon approach. He stood up and looked at Sam who was still in bed. He took out one of his throwing knives and put it on her night stand. No need for a letter cause he didn't want to worry her. The Jedi leaped out of the room from the window and began running through the village until he reached the forest. As Hatake roamed through the forest he noticed that there were blood and footprints that seemed to be five to six hours old. The only assumption that Hatake made was that there were Trandoshans nearby who raided the village for just one thing: Wookies.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Sam awoke with a balk and sat up in bed. The dew of the night remained easily upon her sense and she was slow to notice that the room was empty. Hmm. Guess Mutashi had vanished.

As she laid her head back on the pillows there was a star that glimmered in the light. The girl reached over and moved it with her finger. That was so weird. Taking a faint initiative, Sam stood and moved bare foot out to the window. No sign of the ninja. It was not yet daybreak either.

"Huh? Oh well. Maybe he got cold feet."

She tucked herself back into bed and fell asleep once more. She had a busy morning ahead. Best to rest up.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Hatake followed the trail at his highest speed. He needed to save the remaining Wookies that were abducted and wipe out the Trandoshan camp. The trail was getting warmer, warmer, until he finally reached the end of the trail where there was a ship and Trandoshans and Wookies in the area. Hiding in the shadows Hatake saw the cruelty that the Wookies were enduring from the reptiles.

He knew that some would become slaves and others would be used for game. Taking out two throwing knives, Hatake ran and jumped from the tree he was hiding in and threw the knives at two Trandos. This brought the attention of the others and soon there was a fight between Hatake and countless Trandoshans. With two knives in his hands and using the skills that he had he would be overwhelmed by these reptilian warriors. He did kill a number of them and hopefully all the commotion that is happening would wake up the others and Sam. But if that didn't work then he would have to outwit these warriors to get out of this mess.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Blaster fire was heard and Grove village was curious now. The Night's Watch would dispatch scouts to see what was the matter. No doubt the Wookiees would also dispatch flying machines to scout out the noise too. Mutashi would receive help, but it would be slow in coming.

Sam remained, blissfully, asleep.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Before Hatake could be captured he freed some of the Wookies who rescued all of the remaining Wookies. Even though Wookies could beat Trandoshans in unarmed combat they knew they would lose since the reptiles were armed and they weren't. Instead of continuing the fight with the Trandoshans everyone including the Jedi began to run in different directions. Some ran back to the village others went separate ways. Hatake now noticed that most of the reptiles were coming after since he was the one who caused most of the damage and they probably saw him way valuable since he fought many Trandoshans with just his knives and skills.

Now he knew how it felt to be prey. You had to run even if you barely had any energy left. It became a real test of survival of the fittest. Running from tree to tree, swinging from one vine to the next, Hatake just kept on goimg. Thankfully, the whole Trandoshan ship didn't came after him since there were big trees everywhere but they sent out speeders for him. Next thing that you know is that snipers were trying to pin him down but they couldn't predict what move the Jedi would take since Hatake was moving everywhere. He noticed that the sun was coming out and hoped that the Wookies would survive to report what happened in the jungle.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

It was well into morning when Sam finally arose. Yawning and scratching her cheeks from a long rest she sorely needed. The smells of the trees and the moisture in the air made sleeping planet-side so very appealing. She loved it.

Her morning rituals were completed when she trekked downstairs to find Kami brewing some tea. He seemed puzzled though. Absent. Sam couldn't help but notice,

"Morning. Sleep well?"

"Oh. Jedi Sammy Soma. Good morning to you. And yes. My, did I sleep soundly. Though I expect your ninja friend is not around."

Sam sat down at the table and rubbed her nose. She didn't know what he was talking about.

"Oh?"

"Yes. The Tribesmen said that the Night's Watch encountered a commotion only just this morning. I'm afraid your adventure into the golden wood will just have to wait."

She balked,

"Really? That bad huh?"

"Well I see that the Wookiee Clans have brought their Skyforce Machines past the southern barricades. It is very rare to see Wookiee pilots this far south. It means something big is up."

"Well. And you think our Window Ninja is involved in this? ...This, wookiee war?"

"Mm hmm. I do. ...Call it? A gut feeling."

Sam clutched the tea cup to her chest and wondered. Just what was Mutashi up to?

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

He was still running. For miles and hours he has run from the Trandoshans who didn't gave up on their hunt. He was all dirty and covered in mud from the pursuit he is in at the moment. As a speeder tried to run over Hatake the Jedi just jumped and kicked the reptile straight in the face that sent the vehicle flying and killing the warrior. The prey slowly became the predator as he continued on killing the Trandoshans whenever they tried to run him over or when they were in range for Hatake's stars and knives. He wondered when reinforcements would arrived cause he noticed that he was losing stamina. He had a limit even if he had hardcore training that Hatake received at six.

He was tired of running and instead stopped as he waited for any takers. One Trandoshan, who seemed cocky, decided to run over Hatake. And he thought that they learned their lesson. Hatake began to run straight at the speeder and then just jumped on it and leaped through the air to another speeder. This caught the warrior by surprise as Hatake kicked him out of the vehiclevehicle and became the new pilot before it went out of control. Instantly, he turned back towards the village as the pack continued to pursuit him. All of a sudden there were aircraft in the sky and began shooting at the reptiles. Salvation as Hatake approached the end of the jungle and the village. He was caught off guard from the thought when a Trandoshan shot him in the arm and roared as if he won a tremondous victory. But Hatake threw a star at him before he was thrown off of the vehicle. The hit was a kill and the Jedi was on the ground and the Wookies began to surround him as he was knocked out from the throw.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Sam stood with Kami and Gwydolin upon the border fence that separated the village from the rest of the lush foliage that was the jungle proper. She was in stark contrast to their dark and worried forms. Sam stood tall and radiant as the wookiee patrols began to return. Their flying crafts soaring through the flittered green canopies and brushing against the pieces of the warm blue sky. One of these flyers held the unconscious body of Mutashi. Sam could feel it in the Force.

Kami opened his dark eyes and squinted against the breeze,

"Said they found him among Trandoshan raiders. Could be serious."

The young and strong Gwydolin nodded,

"Heard he killed the whole camp of em' too. Not sure if that makes him a hero or the most blood-thirsty pirate I've ever seen."

Sam sensed he wasn't joking. Tribesmen other than Kami rarely make jokes. She watched the flyers pass over their heads and land nearer the upper village. No doubt the Wookiee Emissaries would be in a foul mood too.

"Mm. I just hope he's alright. Can we go see him?"

Kami nodded,

"They'll bring him to us. The Wookiee Council still dislikes outsiders. He'll be unharmed but I doubt they've done anything for his wounds. I'll ready a bed back at the Lodge."

Gwydolin frowned,

"I must return to my duties then. Jedi, I apologize about our adventure. It will have to wait until later."

"I understand. Go in peace. We'll just have to try it again some other time."

Sam turned from the border fences and followed Kami back to the Traveler's Lodge. No doubt the Wookiees would be delivering Mutashi's body very soon.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Hatake was still unconscious as the Wookie air crafts were heading toward the lounge that the two Jedi were staying in. No harm was done to him and his left eye was still conceal but they were watching him since they found out that he killed a camp of Trandoshans. Nothing personally but he had to stop these slavers from enslaving the Wookies that they captured. They came to the place where Sam and Kami stayed and went upstairs to place him on one of the beds. Hopefully they wouldn't mind Hatake being all dirty on the bed. He was slowly regaining conscious but it would take a few hours for him to get back on his feet.

[member="Sam Jhovna"]

 

[Jsc]

Sam waited by Mutashi's bedside until would be able to wake up. Kami came and went, tending to the bed and gathering supplies. Lunch time was approaching and soup could be heard downstairs. Hopefully the Window Ninja would be awake in time for some grub.

[member="Hatake Mutashi"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

Finally his eyes were open. "Ah," he said as he felt the wound on his arm. What would his old master say to him if he found out about this? He noticed that Sam wad there with him at his bedside. He just hoped that she didn't found out about his eye when he was knocked out. "So, did you miss me? Now you know that I'm no ordinary Jedi." A bad way to start a conversation, especially with a girl. He didn't know how to talk with most people since most people thought that he was a freak when they saw him concealing his face except his right eye and didn't associate themselves with him. "You still have my gift?"

[member="Sam Jhovna"]