Star Wars: Offspring

Chapter 1

The Kashyyyk system. Wasska. A moon orbiting the planet Trandosha. A terrestrial moon with a breathable atmosphere, its surface is a mixing bowl of brown earth and vast green forests. Unlike the monolithic Worshyr trees of Kashyyyk, the plant life of Wasska grows more angular and random. Trees shoot up initially and then branch out at angles intertwining with their neighbors and forming vast canopies that stretch out for miles and could in some places, block out the sun.

The native simian species use these trees to build their homes and live off their fruit. Deep in the recesses of the arbor system, there are other dwellings, built into the trees by sentient beings that were brought to the forest not so much as guests, but as live targets for sport hunting. Kidnapped younglings of every type of species that could or could not fight were transported here by Trandoshan slavers and released with a day’s head start into the forests. They were hunted to the death, pursued by bands of blood lusting Trandoshans or paying aristocrats.

The Trandoshan culture had developed a ‘coming of age’ ritual where a youngling could pass to adulthood by making a kill in the forests. But they had to hunt a reputable species like Devaronian males, Gran, or Weequay. During Trandosha’s checkered history, Jedi Padawans were abducted to fill this need. One would be revered if he was lucky enough to capture a Jedi apprentice or a Knight.

But no sentient species was more convenient and readily available than the native, in-system being know as the Wookie. Usually over two meters tall and powerful, they were hunted for their rich furry pelts and because of their size and potential ferocity, earning a reputation as a wookie slayer was compensation enough. Aside from bragging rights, the Trandoshan’s goddess, The Scorekeeper, would grant a victorious hunter extravagant jagannath points, securing them a comfortable afterlife. Needless to say, the Trandoshan culture became internally competitive, and dangerous to the rest of the galaxy.

On one of Wasska’s loosely paved dirt paths, a caravan of sorts traveled. A Dewback mounted by two Tradoshans strode at a slow pace on the road; in front, Syysskryl, the leader of the group, his son, Kyssylyk on the mount behind him. Flanked by two threatening Trandoshan body guards on foot, the father and son team acted more like royalty on a victory procession through the streets of adoring fans. Behind them a set of twin Dewbacks, bigger than theirs, towing two joined wooden containers on wheels. The wooden containers were massive, two meters high, twice as long and three times as deep. The chains and leather straps were creaking and straining with every step. The wheels creaked and wobbled. Something inside them groaned.

“Are you ready Ssson?” the elder said in Doshan, in a screeching, reptilian, slobbering wet hiss.

“Father, I have been ready for monthsss for my hunt. All we needed wasss the Wookieeesss.” Kyssylyk’s voice was higher pitched but no less unnerving. Kyssylyk was coming of age and the primal urge to prove his adulthood through bloodshed was making him impatient. His heavy repeater was at the ready, but in his cold reptilian heart he yearned for a hands-on kill, claws and teeth buried deep in the flesh of the hunted, a twisting of the neck vertebrae, the breaking of … yesss. His heart raced, his yellow eyes twitched

Syysskryl could feel his son’s anxiety and understood. He urged him to be patient. Age and experience taught him that the hunt could be just as deadly to the hunter as the prey. He had his own anxiety about losing his son to the violence of a Wookie. One second of inattention, one moment of weakness, and it would be over. It would be a great loss. He buried the emotion. Rationality took over. His heart was racing too.

“You will get a head ssstart, but don’t take too long, Wookie peltsss make good trophiesss for all of usss. I am hungry for a hunt asss well.” Syysskryl nearly salivated at the idea. Capturing the Wookies was only half the thrill of the hunt. When you used tranq-darts to sedate the target first, it was just a matter of heavy lifting and restraints. “But we will need to wait until the tranq-dartsss wear off. More pointsss.” The body guards joined Syysskryl  in a slurpy, sickening laugh. The Scorekeeper would be pleased tonight, well pleased.