Project Boussh: Tactics And Ewoks And Blasters, Oh My!
by Josh Nolan

Yarg quickly stuck his head around the tree, sweeping the barrel of his
thunder-stick to assess the opposition in this hunt.  His teachers were
lurking out there, somewhere, ready to punish the slightest mistake with
a hurtful light.  Yarg grinned at the ten Ewoks that were gathered
around him.  *They presume much, trying to teach an Ewok to hunt.*

There was a crackle of undergrowth, and the Ewoks simultaneously popped
their heads out of cover to see the source.  There, flitting between the
trees, was the large sillouhette of one of the teachers.  Yarg gathered
up the gaze of his teammates and nodded, and eleven screaming Ewoks
broke cover and gave chase, firing volley after volley of their own
hurtful light at their quarry.

The human began to zig-zag while he was running, which made him
frustratingly hard to hit.  <Why doesn't he act like one of the firing
range targets?> chittered one of Yarg's teammates, trying futilely to
take aim on the running figure.  Yarg shrugged, and immediately dived to
the ground when their prey spun quickly and opened fire.

The blue streaks of the hurtful light peppered the group of Ewoks,
striking down Ershig and Graowf.  Yarg screamed a battle cry, sprung to
his feet and charged after the human, the survivors of the assault
following close behind.

Too late, Yarg realised it was a trap.  He should have recognised the
signs earlier - but now, as the hurtful light rained all around, he
could only curse himself for his foolishness.  His teammates falling
around him, Yarg somehow managed to escape the rain, ducking around a
tree, breathing in deeply as he tried to think of a plan - and ran
straight into his old quarry.

"Sorry, Yarg," said the honourable one, and released the hurtful light.
There was a blue flash, then nothing.

*********

The Ewoks shambled into the assembly area, many of them staring
reproachfully at Kolot and the non-Ewoks as they did so.  Nick kept to
the back of the group, still smarting from the efficient way the Ewoks
had taken him down - it appeared that buried grudges still had some
strength.  Shalla and Dia stood lazily, Shalla absently flipping the
powerpack in and out of her blaster.  Josh stood with his arms crossed
at the front of the group, a faintly worried expression on his face.
Kolot stood next to him, leaning on the spear that Yarg had assured him
marked his adoption into the 'Brethren of Nick'.

After a while, Yarg glanced around the gathered Ewoks and gave Josh a
discreet nod, signifying that the Ewoks had all arrived.  Josh drew in a
breath, reminding himself to sound confident.

"My friends," he began loudly, and the low-level Ewoks sussuruss fell
silent.  "We had this excercise today for a reason."

<To humiliate us!> shouted an Ewok from the middle of the group.  <We
are warriors!  We are free!  We deserve better!>  Several Ewoks began to
yub in assent, so Josh raised his hands to call for silence.

"You are warriors, yes.  You do deserve better treatment than we gave
you today - I have no argument with that."  Josh glared at the group of
rebellious Ewoks, and raised his voice. "But your enemies would treat
you no better."

<Are you saying you are our enemies?> called another Ewok at the edge of
the group.  <Is that why you hurt us?>

"No!" said Josh, the forceful syllable forcing the Ewoks to silence.
"Where we are going, you will be surrounded by enemies.  They will all
be skilled with blasters, and the methods of fighting with them.  What
we were trying to show to you today, is that you need to learn these
methods too - or you will die at the hands of your enemies."

<We will die with honour,> yubbed another Ewok.  <All of us are willing
to die for the tribe.>

"By teaching you the skills, we seek to give you a choice," replied
Josh.  "The choice to die for the tribe - or live for the tribe.
Twenty-seven of you have died for the tribe in the last two weeks.  We
still need your help - but we want to leave no more Ewok children
without their parents."

<The tribe will care for the children,> called an Ewok from the back.
<We must do what is best for the tribe.>

Kolot brandished his spear, and bowed to Yarg.  <Chief,> he asked
solemnly, <May I address the tribe?>

Yarg nodded to Kolot, and gave the ritual reply, <May the tribe benefit
from your wisdom.>

Kolot bowed respectfully, then lifted his gaze to the mob of Ewoks in
general.  <My brothers and sisters,> he yubbed in a loud voice, <I have
heard much of those who fell fighting those who carry thunder-sticks.  I
mourn their loss, praise their memory, and honour their sacrifice.  But
I ask you - who has the most honour within the tribe - those who fell?
Or those who came back?>

This caused a stir among the Ewoks, and Yarg grinned smugly.  Kolot
continued, <Our Chieftan, and his aides, and the most honourable Eckik,
have all faced the demons in white and lived.  If you listen to what the
honourable one, the dark master, and their friends have to say, you,
too, stand to return to your tribe with much honour, rather than leave
your honour where you fall.  As your tribe's newest member, I wish
nothing but the highest honour for the tribe and its members.  For the
good of the tribe,>  Kolot recited, in the ritual ending.

<For the good of the tribe,> the gathered Ewoks replied, and there was
silence as they each mulled this over.

Then, the Ewok in the middle of the group spoke.  <Teach us, honourable
one,> he called.  <Train us in this new way of fighting.>  This released
a flood of echoes among the gathered Ewoks, until they fell into a
chant, <Teach us!  Teach us!>

Kolot looked up at Josh, and said, "I think they liked."  Josh smiled
and nodded, while Nick caught Yarg's eye and winked.  This had worked
out rather well for all concerned.  The Ewoks would train to survive,
rather than kill; Kolot had been received into the tribe; Yarg had
asserted his leadership again, strengthening it further; and Kolot had
managed to talk Nick up ever so subtly to the other Ewoks.

Josh turned to Shalla and grinned.  "Did you want to take it from here?"