The crowd of Wookiees broke into a chorus of hoots, roars and howls of appreciation.
“Well,” said Han to Jarik, “guess that’s it!”
But the wedding celebration was far from over. The honored couple was escorted to tables in the treetops that groaned with every kind of Wookiee delicacy. Han and Jarik moved among the tables, sampling cautiously, for Wookiees tended to serve most meats raw. Some were cooked, but even there humans had to be cautious. Wookiees enjoyed highly seasoned foods—and some were spicy and hot enough to damage a human gullet.
Han examined the tables and introduced Jarik to many “safe” Wookiee delicacies: Xachibik broth, a thick meat, herb and spice combination .
. .
Vrortik “cocktail,” a layered dish that combined various meats and layers of wroshyr leaves that had been soaked in potent grakkyn nectar for weeks … Factryn meat pie, frozen Gorrnar, chyntuck rings, and fried Klak ….
There were also salads and flatbreads, plus forest-honey cakes and assorted chilled fruit delicacies.
Han advised Jarik against partaking of the various types of spirits being passed around. The Corellian knew from painful experience how potent Wookiee liquor could be. There were many kinds: accarragm, cortyg, garrmorl, grakkyn and Thikkiian brandy, to name a few.
“Take my advice, kid,” Han said. “Wookiees know how to make homebrew that will put a human on the floor in minutes. I’m sticking to gorimn wine and Gralinyn juice.”
“But the children drink Gralinyn juice,” Jarik protested. “And this other stuff …”
“Jaar,” Han said. “Sweetened alcoari milk and vineberry extract. It’s too sweet for my taste, but you might like it.”
Jarik was looking longingly at a huge flask of Thikkiian brandy. Han shook his head warningly. “Kid … don’t. I ain’t takin’ care of you if you wind up sick as a poisoned mulackpup.”
The youth made a face, but then picked up a cup of the gorimn wine.
“Okay, I guess you know what you’re talkin’ about.”
Han smiled and they clinked their glasses. “Trust me.”
A few minutes later, as Han stood off by himself, holding a plate of barbecued trakkrrrn ribs and a spicy salad garnished with rilllrrnnn seeds, a dark-brown Wookiee who seemed vaguely familiar—though the Corellian was sure he’d never met him before—walked up to him. The Wookiee stood there, studying Han, and then introduced himself.
Han nearly dropped his plate. “You’re Dewlannamapia’s son?” he cried.
“Hey!” Putting his plate and cup down hastily, he grabbed the Wookiee male in an excited hug. “Hey, guy, I’m so glad to meet you! What’s your name?”
The Wookiee returned Han’s embrace, replying that he was called Utchakkaloch. Han stood back, looking at him, and found that his eyes were stinging. Chakk (or so he asked to be called), seemed equally moved, as he told Han that he had hoped to meet him, partly because he hoped the human could tell him how his mother had died.
Han swallowed. “Chakk, your mom died a hero,” he said. “I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for her. She was one brave Wookiee. She died a warrior’s death, fighting. A guy named Garris Shrike shot and killed her, but … he’s dead, too.”
Chakk wanted to know whether Han had killed Shrike in order to avenge his mother’s death. “Not exactly,” Han said. “Someone else got him first. But I put a good hurtin’ on him, before he bought it.”
Chakk rumbled his approval. He told Han that he felt Han was an adopted brother, since they had shared the same mother. All of his mother’s communications during her days aboard Trader’s Luck had been full of anecdotes about the little human boy who loved her wastril bread, and who wanted so much to become a pilot.
“Well, Chakk,” Han said, “Dewlanna never lived to see it, but I am a pilot today. And my best friend in all the universe is a Wookiee ….
” Chakk guffawed, and then told Han that he and Chewbacca were distantly related through a second cousin three times removed who had emigrated to Rwookrrorro and married Chewbacca’s great-aunt’s niece.
Han blinked. “Distant … uh, yeah. Well, that’s great. Just one big happy family.”
Han led Chakk over to the bridegroom and introduced him to Chewie, explaining the situation. Chewbacca roared his welcome of Han’s “adopted brother” and thumped Chakk soundly on the back.
The celebration continued far into the night. Wookiees danced, sang, and played wooden instruments that had been handed down in their families for generations. Han and Jarik celebrated with them, until the humans were so exhausted, and so tipsy, that they wound up curling up beneath one of the massive tables and falling asleep.