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But Chewbacca had had no trouble spotting his son, and neither would any of the Well’s predators. And the stump Lumpawarrump was depending on for protection created an enormous blind spot from which a katarn could approach and strike without warning.

Chewbacca knew that his son was in far more danger than he realized, and yet Chewbacca was honor-bound not to intervene except to stop a killing blow. All he could do was watch and wait, his bowcaster at the ready, trying not to become so distracted that he made himself a ready target.

To help keep himself alert, Chewbacca kept himself moving. He moved in an irregular arc that had Lumpawarrump’s hiding place as its anchor—never drawing too close, never wandering too far away, and never compromising the shot he was constantly visualizing.

Four times Chewbacca saw the wroshyr leaves move, and four times he froze.

Lumpawarrump never saw him.

Chewbacca could tell himself that, even caught in the open, motionless, face averted, a long-furred Wookiee could be taken for another of the stalks and mounds of parasitic jaddyyk moss that dotted the floor of the Well. But even a novice hunter using the simplest blink technique should have noticed that one of the jaddyyk stalks kept changing position. It was a sign of just how terrified Lumpawarrump was, cowering behind his green curtain—which was in turn another hard disappointment for his father.

But although Lumpawarrump had taken no notice, before long Chewbacca knew that something else had. It moved only when Chewbacca moved, and yet somehow managed to draw ever closer. It stayed low in the thick overgrowth and melted into the shadows. When Chewbacca turned to face it, he saw nothing. When he moved toward it, he soon sensed it behind him once more.

With the air in the Well heavy and still, Chewbacca could catch no scent of what was stalking him until it had drawn uncomfortably close. He sniffed the air sharply and breathed a quiet growl. Eight meters away, another Wookiee rose silently from the wroshyr leaves. It was Freyrr, one of Chewbacca’s many second cousins, and the lightest-footed stalker in the family.

After a silent exchange scripted in glances and toothy grimaces, Chewbacca and Freyrr came together back-to-back and lowered themselves into the foliage. There the conversation continued in growls so quiet that they could be taken for the groaning of branches.

[Where is Lumpawarrump?] asked Freyrr.

[Gone to cover,] Chewbacca said, tipping his head toward his son’s hiding place. [Why are you here? Why do you intrude on my son’s hrrtayyk?]

[Mallatobuck sent me to find you. There is news that could not wait on your return.]

[What news?]

[It would be better if you left the Well first.]

[My son cannot leave until his test is over.]

[I will stay with him, cousin. Shoran waits for you on the Rryatt Trail, and will tell you all as you return to Rwookrrorro.]

Chewbacca’s body went rigid with barely contained fury. [You think to take this duty from me? How can you breathe such shame? Even when the mate of Jiprirr was burned by flame beetles and fell from the Gathering Trail, even when the mate of Grayyshk was confined with yellow-blood malaise and died, they were not recalled from the hrrtayyk.]

Freyrr reached back and took a restraining grip on both of Chewbacca’s hands. [Mind your voice, cousin.]

The answering growl Chewbacca offered under his breath was all the more menacing for the ease with which he broke Freyrr’s grip. [If I do not hear in the next moment what brings you to me, every webweaver, gundark, and katarn within three levels of the Well will hear my voice in the moment after that. Now, what is wrong? Is it Mallatobuck?]

Freyrr sighed his surrender. [No—it is the one to whom you owe your life debt. Han Solo has been taken by the enemies of Princess Leia. He is a prisoner of the Yevetha, somewhere in Koornacht Cluster. The Princess has asked you to come back to Coruscant.]

Only a mouthful of his own forearm kept Chewbacca’s howl of distress from escaping his lips.

[You understand now,] Freyrr went on. [You