Last time, we ended on a sour note as Mace Windu failed to save some padawans that had been in hiding on Coruscant in the weeks since Order 66. A traitor among them, spurred on by promises of a mysterious man named Cronal, had betrayed them and they had all paid the price for his treachery with their lives. However, the Pathfinder continues to fly and there is some hope left that other Jedi can be saved…if only just a little hope. . .
This is as good a time to talk about the timeline. I’m aware the calendar isn’t used in-universe, however, for the sake of simplicity, I am going to use the Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY) and After the Battle of Yavin (ABY) dating system for the purposes of this and any other Star Wars what ifs that might pop up in the future. This doesn’t mean that there will be a Battle of Yavin or that it will play out the same if it does, just that whatever date is listed is analogous to the same time in the original timeline of the films.
Got it? Okay, cool!
So, right now, it’s about 19 BBY as it was in Revenge of the Sith, probably moving into 18 BBY sooner rather than later. The Clone Wars have ended, the Empire has taken over even if it’s a little more fragmented than it was in the original timeline under Palpatine. The Pathfinder takes her crew out into the stars and they spend time chasing down the rumors and ghosts of rumors. For a few months, the rumors turn out to be just that – rumors. They don't make much traction finding anyone, but fate seems to be on their side as they don't attract attention, either.
However, a new lead comes to them not from poking around in the galaxy, but from Jedi Master Yoda. It seems that Tarful reached out to Alderaan for assistance, Trandoshan hunters have been plaguing them now more than ever and the Empire has not only not discouraged them from doing so – they’ve put bounties on bringing those who have assisted the Jedi in alive. This has unfortunately already happened to Chewbacca, and several others. Tarful requests aid in freeing his compatriots. In exchange, he offers knowledge of two Jedi Knights that are living in hiding on Kashyyyk. Mace agrees with Yoda and Obi-Wan that such would be a great boon to them – particularly after the loss of the padawans on Coruscant.
Mace also reports in on the feeling of the Dark Side still being ever looming. Yoda confides that he, too, has sensed this and is wary of it. Sidious’ death should have weakened the Dark, but that isn’t the case. There is more going on than they know, and Yoda warns Mace to keep his eyes open for anything that might be a lead. They also discuss the Prophecy of the Chosen One, wondering if Anakin did indeed bring balance by destroying the last Sith Lord. If not, then Anakin as he is will not be particularly helpful. Yoda even expresses some regret that they pressed him into killing Sidious immediately, saying that the trauma he suffered might make his recovery all the slower. Mace is surprised by this, but concedes that Yoda is probably right: another mistake they made. They should have, he said, listened to Obi-Wan to start with.
Speaking of Anakin’s recovery it’s proceeding apace under the guidance of Obi-Wan and Yoda and being around Padmé and the twins is helping him stay grounded, but the wounds will take time to heal. Until they do, Anakin isn’t going to be much use to their cause. Even when he is, there's that awkward notion that he assisted in murdering many of their comrades looming over everything. Knowing this, it’s more important than ever that they find other Jedi to help restore their ranks. With this all in mind, the crew of the Pathfinder makes their way to Kashyyyk.
The planet has been almost completely conquered by the Empire, who have been enslaving the Wookiees here since the last of the Separatist battle droids hit the ground. They manage to fly under the radar, avoiding scanners thanks to Tialna and Ram doing an excellent pilot-navigator double act and the ship lands at the coordinates that Tarful sent them. In the shell of an old Republic supply depot (abandoned after a Separatist attack bombed it), they meet Tarful and his Wookiees. C-3PO translates for Mace and the others, and Tarful gives them the details. With their numbers so reduced, these brave Wookiee warriors have been reduced to hit and run tactics and guerilla warfare to simply survive, much less make any headway against the Empire and the Trandoshans. They want the help of Mace and the others to break into a labor camp where dozens of Wookiees who would happily pick up a bowcaster to fight the Empire are waiting to be freed.
Despite the clear disadvantage they have in numbers, Mace agrees to the plan. Ram and C-3PO will remain with the Pathfinder at the Wookiee camp while Mace and Tialna go out with Tarful and his soldiers to try and raid the facility. Staying in the forests by day, well out of sight and surveying the place, they wait until nightfall to make their move. Mace suggests that he go in first, muting his presence to the Stormtroopers and deactivating the alarm system that will be triggered the moment a Wookiee attack force is seen. Tarful agrees to this, giving Mace a thermal detonator to see that the defense grid gets rendered inert before the attack. With his skill in the Force, particularly Force stealth, Mace is able to infiltrate the camp without detection.
The camp is an absolute horror show, Wookiees are being regularly worked to death and then executed when they can work no more – something that Mace sees first-hand. He stops himself from intervening in the murder of one worker, but uses it as resolve to liberate the rest of the camp. Mace manages to get into the control room, taking down the two Stormtroopers on duty before they can even pull their blasters and deactivates the attack grid. He sets the detonator to go off, and then promptly leaves. The inferno that the explosion creates is seconded only by the ferocity of the roars coming from the nearby jungles.
Tarful and his team are on the attack and the Empire is not prepared for the sudden rush. The gate gets torn down, and it’s an all-out bloodbath as the Wookiees tear into them. Mace joins with his saber, though focused more on liberating the Wookiees that remain enslaved. The most able of the freed Wookiees take up blasters from fallen Imperials and join in the fighting. Soon enough, the Imperial forces are broken and only a few remain – in particular, the Commander, who Tarful takes as a prisoner of war.
The group proceeds to leave from there, taking only what they can carry with them. However, as the first of the group begins to leave (taking the most wounded of the prisoners out first on stole Imperial vehicles), a blaster shot gets reflectively deflected by Mace. A figure makes itself known, clad in green Mandalorian armor. It seems that, when they came to Kashyyyk, the crew of the Pathfinder were not alone. Mace doesn’t recognize the opponent, but he remembers his last fight with a Mandalorian and how it ended.
He also realizes, after a moment, that he recognizes this Mandalorian. Yes, it’s Boba Fett, who has indeed tried to kill him not once but twice already.
“You went through quite a bit of trouble to find me, I see. Is the price on my head so attractive?”
“This isn’t about credits, Jedi. This is personal.”
Mace instructs Tialna to head off with Tarful and the others, saying he will handle this. Despite her protest, he ignites his lightsaber and prepares to face off against Boba. The Mandalorian smiles in a mixture of joy and rage, hidden beneath the visor of his helmet, as he raises his blaster and opens fire on the Jedi Master…
…and that’s where we’re ending Part 6! I’m honestly surprised it took me six parts to bring Boba Fett into this! He seems to get into things so easily when it comes to Star Wars. Next time, Mace and Boba will square off in the ruins of the Imperial labor camp. Will Mace survive? Will his crew? Will Boba? Will they escape any Imperial reinforcements that might find their way to the place? And just what happened to those two Jedi Knights that Tarful promised? Find out in Part 7!
And remember…the Force will be with you, always!
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