Daughter of Forests! Mori Is Kashyyyk's Angel!

One long leg was draped over the branch of the tree and swung down. Mori Hoshi sighed happily and braided a thin braid into her hair. She already had four of the thin braids in her blonde hair, and was working on more. The tree was dark green and felt like home. She had missed the coolness of the trees and their height above the ground. Having lived on Kashyyyk most of her life, Mori felt a little nervous when she stood on the ground. The green-eyed blonde smiled and leaned back on the tee. It was so comfortable among the branches...

"Ahh!" Mori screamed as something bounced off her head. She tumbled out of the tree, but caught herself before she fell. "Who did that?" she asked, looking annoyed.

Standing just under her feet, Falcon waved. "Hi!" he said cheerfully.

Mori looked annoyed.

"Um..." Falcon offered up a grin. "Want to go grab a bite to eat? There's a Burger Monarch a ways from here."

"Why not? I'm just hanging around up here."

Falcon blushed. "Oops. Here, drop down, and I'll catch you."

Mori looked up into the tree, wondering if she should take what Falcon was offering or climb back up in the tree. The blonde shrugged and let go of the tree.

"Gotcha!" Falcon grinned at Mori as he caught her in his arms. He set her up on her feet. "Come on. They're running a special: free fries with a Big BM."

Mori shook her head. "Is all you think about, food?"

For a moment, Falcon seemed to ponder that. "Nope."

"Then what else do you think about?" she asked, curious.

"Girls."

Mori started laughing so hard that she doubled over. "You... crack... me up!" she said, between fits of laughter.

Falcon looked comically confused. "See, I didn't think it was that funny."

That made her laugh even harder. She shook her head at him.

"New Burger Monarch figures!"

Mori rolled her eyes. "Aren't they tired of doing the Sailor Jedi yet?"

Falcon shook his head. "Nah. We... they're the biggest thing to hit this galaxy in years."

"Do they still have them in your time?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I figure I can take some of these little figures back to my time and make a killing!"

She laughed at him again. "You are so funny."

Falcon held up the new Chibi Dantoonie figurine and read the instructions. " 'Tug on braid to see butterflies appear.' " He looked at Mori and shrugged. Falcon tugged the braid, and little holographic butterflies appeared.

"Kawaii!" Mori squealed.

Falcon rummaged through her bag to get her figurine. "You've got..." His voice trailed off.

Looking confused, Mori leaned over his shoulder. "Wow! Tuxedo Jedi! That one's rare."

"Yeah."

His decidedly unenthusiastic response caught Mori's attention. "What's wrong?"

Falcon waved his hand and pasted a carefree smile on his face. "You know, I haven't met him yet," the boy said quietly so no one would overhear. "What's he like?"

"Well... he's really, really sweet, especially to Priire. They're the cutest couple ever!" She paused to think. "Well... Yuki and Ben are awfully cute too. And Annika and Obi-Wan... but they fight a lot."

Falcon laughed. "I saw."

"So..." Mori waved a French fry around. "What's the future like?"

"Sad," the boy answered her. "But it's getting better. And it's getting worse at the same time." The pair gathered up their things and started heading for the door. "The Darkness is approaching quickly, and everyone knows it."

Mori shivered. "The Darkness scares me. I don't know what'll happen to me... or my friends... or my planet..." She sighed and looked up. "Life Day's coming up."

Confusion settled over Falcon's face. "Life Day?"

"Uh huh," Mori sighed. "It's a time when everyone comes together and celebrate the joy and harmony and happiness promised by the Tree of Life."

"Oh." Falcon grinned. "So why don't you go?"

Mori considered that for a while, then shook her head. "We have to protect the galaxy, remember?"

He shrugged. "Even Sailor Moon takes a day off once and a while."

Laughing, Mori agreed. "Maybe I'll ask Priire to take me. Do you want to come?"

Falcon, who had just about to ask if he could come, nodded. "That would be awesome!"

By the time the adventure was all settled, six senshi were going - Mori, Falcon, Priire, Tashita, Kalil, and Bakeru. Priire objected strongly to the last member of the party.

"May I please remind you," she growled at Kyoko, "that Bakeru tried to kill us?!"

"You can remind me all you want, Priire, but she's still going." Kyoko turned from the angry ex-mercenary. Priire had never been on good terms with Bakeru after the other tried to blow her ship up. "Please."

Kyoko was right, but her nice attitude left Priire fuming. To help the blonde live peaceably with the other senshi, a strong hand shot out from a shadow after Kyoko was gone. Priire suddenly found herself suspended in the air. "You will get along with Bakeru. Such infighting is ineffective, illogical, and inexcusable." Nom dropped the blonde pilot, who managed to land on her feet.

"I'll remember that," Priire muttered, "when she blows a new escape hatch in the Mind's Eye."

Nom either didn't hear, or chose to ignore, that comment.

"I can smell the orga roots now!" Mori sighed happily. "They're grown near the bottom floor of the forest..." Mori shuddered. "It's dangerous down there." She laughed and stared out the windows of the Legendmaker. "And Mom's factryn pie with chyntuck... yummy!"

Falcon shook his head. "You're making me hungry! And I don't even know what half that stuff is!"

Seeming not to notice the interruption, Mori kept talking. "And... charkarr in alcoari juice! I haven't had that since... since I left." The Kashyyyk native sighed. "Sometimes I really miss my homeworld."

Bakeru smiled at the blonde. "Well, you'll get to see everyone soon. And have your celebration!"

"I think even Senator Yarua is going to be there," Tashita commented. "See? His ship left just after ours."

Looking a little nervous, Mori sat back down in her seat. "Ever since I first transformed, all of the Wookiees I've encountered have pledged a life debt to me. I'm supposed to be protecting them, not the other way around!"

Kalil smiled. "Take all the help you can get," he advised. "You might need it someday."

"I guess..." She didn't sound too convinced.

"Mom! Suerte! Dad!" Mori shouted. "Hi!" Being born to the heights, Mori had no trouble navigating the wroshyr trees and kshyy vines to greet her family. Priire followed her, leaving Falcon to help Bakeru.

"I'm sorry about her," Tashita said, nodding at Priire. "Mom's just that way sometimes."

Bakeru nodded. "I know. I did some pretty bad things. But it wasn't all my fault. Areil was controlling me."

"Really?" Tashita hadn't heard much about the redeemed Sith and was eager to hear what she had to say.

The other girl nodded. "Areil - Sailor Sith Ayameru - created me, basically." Flexing an arm, she grinned. "I'm actually a cyborg. Part human, part machine."

"Wow! We're a lot a like," Tashita grinned. "Areil created me too."

Annoyed by the blossoming friendship, Priire shouted for the stragglers to hurry up.

A large silvertip Wookiee rumpled Mori's hair. He roared his pleasure at her arrival and was thanked with a giant hug. "I've missed you all!" Mori laughed.

Star-Forest, we are glad you have returned. There is an ill wind in the tress tonight, Warrrunar sighed. Something is not right with our forests.

Worried, Mori glanced around. "What is it?"

We don't know. Whatever it is seems to be centered on a spot outside of Rwookrrorro, another Wookiee volunteered.

Mori nodded, seriously. "We'll check it out."

"In the morning!" Mori's mother insisted. "You need to come and eat first!"

A huge grin spread over Falcon's face. "I'm with her!"

Putting her worries aside, Mori followed her family and the senshi into the house.

Morning broke over the giant wroshyr forest as the dew sparkled on the gray bridal-veil suckers. With Mori's insistence, the six senshi had gotten an earlier start. Each one had a pack with some food, a glowstick, and various other necessities. So far, they were fifteen kilometers from Rwookrrorro. The "ill wind" Warrrunar had described was blowing stronger. Despite the assumptions of most of the senshi that "ill wind" was a descriptive term, there was a wind blowing through the trees frantically - almost as if it were trying to escape something.

"What happening?" Mori shouted, her eyes wide. The closer the group had gotten to source of the wind, the stronger it had gotten and the more agitated Mori became. There were no animals; there hadn't been for a few klicks.

Priire shook her head. "I don't know!" she shouted, trying to be heard over the wind.

This would be easier if we mind-spoke, Falcon suggested.

"But then we wouldn't get to shout!"

Tashita rolled her eyes. "Ignore her," she suggested to Bakeru. "Mom just likes being loud."

"Do not!" Priire shouted again, obviously enjoying herself.

Mori glared at Priire and the rest of the senshi. "Something really bad is happening," the Kashyyyk girl moaned. "I can feel it in my bones. Like something's eating away at my heart."

Reaching out with all of her senses, Bakeru tried to feel what Mori was feeling. She couldn't grasp it. The senshi could feel the darkness that they were approaching, but not to the heart-wrenching depths that Mori apparently felt it.

"Tashita!" Kalil shouted, suddenly. "Tashita!"

Everyone turned to see why Kalil was shouting. They saw him partially suspended over one of the branches, holding onto Tashita. "I've got you," he told her.

Moving quickly over to him, Falcon knelt down by Kalil and grabbed Tashita's other arm. "What happened?" the dark-haired boy asked. "Did you slip?"

"She's my kid," Priire said, her blaster scanning the area. "She wouldn't slip."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom," Tashita said, annoyed. "Something did hit me."

One of Kashyyyk's native avians, a dark-colored flarion, stared at them with eerie red eyes. Mori shivered as the unnatural bird cast it gaze on her, then screamed a yell unlike any bird anyone had heard before.

"I'm creeped out now," Bakeru said. "I think... I think we better transform."

The wind had stopped. No one wanted to mention the fact that the air was dead, but they all felt it. Sailor Kashyyyk was now leading the way as if she was being drawn somewhere. The closer they got, the more pained her eyes became.

"You want to rest some?" Eclipse asked, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. Still silent, Kashyyyk shook her head.

Shadow Knight and Tuxedo Starlight were watching the group's back. Tuxedo Starlight had his sword out and was using the shiny blade to deflect the flame beetles that insisted on making suicide runs at the six senshi. The heat was so oppressive that all the senshi were sweating.

It felt like forever since they had heard a sound other than the occasional crunch of leaves under their feet. Silver Sailor Death Star kept turning around, feeling as if something was watching them.

Kashyyyk stopped. It was obvious as the others came closer why. A creature as large as a Wookiee was hunched over in the middle of a slight clearing. The clearing wasn't natural; the senshi could see where trees had been chewed away by some kind of fire.

Tuxedo Starlight batted another of the fire-spitting beetles away from the group, and it hit against a wroshyr tree with a crackling sound. This got the creature's attention. It turned around to face the six intruders and leered at them.

"Wha...!" Death Star gasped. The creature looked like a Wookiee with no hair and flame for eyes. Its skin was so black that it seemed to blend in with the shadows.

Kashyyyk was the only one who seemed to recognize the thing. "Graaa'shad! The fire-spirit!"

A curse slide from Asteroid's mouth as she unholstered a blaster. "That doesn't look like any fire-spirit I've ever heard of."

"Graaa'shad can look however he wants." Kashyyyk turned back to the spirit. "What do you want?"

Like steam hissing, the spirit spoke, "I want my long-awaited revenge on the kin of Stalpaac who defeated me!"

Quickly explaining to the others, Asteroid said, "Wookiee legend has it that Graaa'shad, the fire-spirit, captured Urothko. Stalpaac saved the younger Wookiee by challenging the spirit to a bowcaster duel. After Stalpaac hit the spirit, the two were able to overcome him." Asteroid let her eyes measure the distance between the group and the spirit before continuing. "When the battle was over, Urothko pledged his life to Stalpaac."

"The beginning of the life-debt?" Eclipse asked.

Asteroid nodded. "Yeah. And if we're not careful, it'll be the end of us."

Graaa'shad was too close to the senshi for their comfort. "What do you want with us?" Shadow Knight asked. "We're not kin of Stalpaac."

"This one is," the spirit hissed, gesturing to Sailor Kashyyyk with a deformed black finger. "She is one with the trees!" This seemed to mean something horrible to him, because he breathed consuming flames at Kashyyyk.

"Silver Spirit Enclose!" Death Star shouted, capturing the flames in a sliver bubble until they went out. "Kashyyyk!"

Another burst of fire came, forcing the purple-suited senshi to leap out of the way. The creature reached out for Kashyyyk with long, flaming fingers. Tuxedo Starlight leapt in front of it with his sword raised. "Back off, creepy."

"Eclipse Velvet Darkness!"

"Starfire Surround!"

The two attacks combined and slammed into the black creature. It hissed its pain and turned on them.

"I'm not sure that a fire attack was a good choice," Shadow Knight commented. He used to Force to knock the ever-increasing hoards of flame beetles away. "We need Hoth!"

Asteroid fired her blaster. "Hoth is busy at the moment... may I direct your call to another senshi?" No one had time to laugh. They were all involved in keeping the flame beetles at bay.

Suddenly, a burst of flame appeared in the center of the clearing. Tuxedo Starlight was thrown backwards and slammed into a tree. "Starlight!" Asteroid yelled, panicked for a reason she couldn't define. "Falcon!"

The Dark Sailor holstered her blaster and dove for the boy, catching him before he fell. "Starlight," she said, trying to wake him up. The boy groaned and slumped into Asteroid's lap.

The unholy fire was boring its way through the trees and vines to get to Kashyyyk. The trees moaned as their bark began to peel away from their trunks and branches. Suddenly, Kashyyyk screamed. She put her hands over her ears and screamed louder than the crackling flames, matching the sounds of the trees. Despite the fact that the flames hadn't reached her body yet, the senshi's arms were charred black.

"Kashyyyk!" Eclipse cried, reached out for her friend.

The green-eyed senshi turned her eyes on Eclipse and stared at her for long breaths before breaking contact.

Eclipse fell backwards, caught by Shadow Knight. Something wild was raging in Kashyyyk's soul - Eclipse could feel it. Death Star stared at the girl whose Sailor suit even seemed to be lit with the same fire. Deep inside, Death Star wished she could help, but knew there was nothing she could do.

Graaa'shad laughed its hissing laughed and began to grow. Soon, it was twice the size of a normal Wookiee, and floating. The creature floated above the trees and began to summon the flame beetles.

"We've got to help her," Tuxedo Starlight gasped.

Asteroid put a black gloved hand over his lips. "We can't," she said softly, her voice harsh with emotion.

The fire-spirit laughed, and plunged toward Sailor Kashyyyk.

"Everyone, move!" Asteroid barked. She gathered Tuxedo Starlight in her arms and began to rush through the forest. "Kashyyyk! Mori!" she screamed, looking back.

"Come on, Mom!" Eclipse said, grabbing Asteroid's arm. "She... she can do this!"

Asteroid didn't have time to ask "do what?" before the mass of flame hit. "Silver Spirits Enclose!" Death Star shouted again, protecting them from the flames.

"Mori!" Eclipse shouted, looking for her friend. She couldn't see anything through the flames that were devouring a hole in the wroshyr forest. Shadow Knight put his arm around Eclipse and pulled her close.

Tuxedo Starlight shook his head and looked dazed. "Shhh," Asteroid said. "Save your strength."

Upon finding himself with his head in the lap of the woman he couldn't admit was his mother, Tuxedo Starlight freaked and jumped up. "S... sorry!" he said.

Asteroid shook her head. "You are one weird kid."

"Where's Kashyyyk?" the dark-haired boy asked, ignoring her.

With a look that neared anger, Asteroid pointed. "Out there."

As the senshi watched in sickened silence, the flames began to change. They began to glimmer purple and be drawn to the center of the blackened hole in the forest. As the flames left their area, Death Star released her attack and collapsed. Eclipse and Shadow Knight helped her up.

The senshi moved to the edge of the hole. It went down as far as they could see and was open to the sky above them. In the center was a column of purple flame. The flames spun around the figure in them, defining her figure as she stretched up to the sky. As the flames faded away, kshyy vines sprung from opposite sides of the chasm to support her. When the smoke had cleared, Kashyyyk stood in the midst of the blackened hole.

Only, it's wasn't Sailor Kashyyyk.

Tucking her long blonde hair behind her ears, the senshi struck a pose, holding out a gem-topped wooden staff. The wind that had been fleeing from the place returned, almost as if it were welcoming the senshi. She had on a double skirt of light and dark purples, a dark purple collar, a light purple collar, and a dark purple hair bow. The center of her forehead bore the mark of Kashyyyk - a heart and a leaf together - framed by a golden circle. "I," the senshi said, pointing her wooden staff at Graaa'shad as her voice echoed with uncanny power, "am Star Sailor Kashyyyk! The Guardian Angel of Kashyyyk, and senshi of Trust and Loyalty! For this planet's beauty that you have tried to take, you will be punished!"

"Star Sailor Kashyyyk...?" Asteroid asked. "Sith, that's cool."

Star Sailor Kashyyyk held her staff above her head with both hands. "Star Forest..." she said, closing her eyes. The girl's blonde hair wafted around her body as the wind gathered around her. A glow came from the green emerald at the top of her staff, casting everything in shades of darker green. The staff was like a larger version of her henshin wand, with its dark wood surface sent with many emeralds and carved vines around the main gem that was now glowing. "Light!" The green glow from the gem focused itself on Graaa'shad. It whimpered as the light drove the spirit from existence.

Then Star Sailor Kashyyyk turned her eyes back to her planet. "You're hurt," she said softly, talking to the forest itself. It seemed to answer her with a sigh. "But in hurts, we can find healing." She waved her staff over the hole as if sensing its depths. "This scar in my planet will be Anarrad, the home of the katarn."

The senshi closed her eyes and sank down. The kshyy vines caught her as if they sensed her strength failing.

"Kashyyyk?" Eclipse shouted, running over to her friend. "Are you all right?"

There was a glow on Kashyyyk's face. "I'm better than all right..." the girl grinned. "I'm whole. I feel like I've been missing something that I just found." The leaves around her trembled in the wind as if agreeing.