The young wookiee sighed. His robust physicality usually interfered with his more intricate, intellectual profession. But ever since he was injured during the attack, Kelviin realized how often he relied on his strength to accomplish his goals. This experience would only make him a better engineer, once he had healed. So what was really bothering him?
Master had tried to explain why the attack happened in the first place. There were so many people Kelviin hadn’t met outside his happy little space-family, and so many problems between those people. Now somebody above all of them didn’t want Kelviin to be there, all because he wasn’t a human. Arcona made Kelviin feel at home for the first time in his life, yet at the same time he was violently unwanted. He had seen friends die for the first time, and he couldn’t help but feel like it was his fault.
Kelviin regularly visited his master in the medical bay. It hurt so much to see his mentor and role model in pain, and unable to keep up with her life. He had only ever known her to be flitting between control panels and datapads, juggling entire lives and identities while still making room for Kelviin’s silly, basic needs. Now she lay there like a broken piece of machinery, and for once he didn’t know how to fix it.
The Wookiee sighed again, letting his datapad slide to the floor. His pet rancor wriggled through the flap in the door, struggling for a moment to fit through, before licking Kelviin’s dangling paw. He chuckled and ruffled its scales. Sometimes just trying is all the help somebody needed. He decided that he should go visit master again.
At some point during the trip, Kelviin took a wrong turn (though “wrong” was relative, as he had never been able to find his way directly to Zujenia’s medical station to begin with). Corridors just weren’t as good for landmarks as the foliage he grew up in. This time, he found himself walking through rows of a new type of patient, people he didn't recognize from the recent attack. These all seemed to be in great pain, suffering from some type of infection. Outside the room, medics sealed in special suits sprinted by. Kelviin walked out into the hallway, and a medic shouted, “Oh god, one of the Selen crew escaped!”
The medic looked closer at the wookiee and realized he wasn’t immediately dying. Were Wookiees somehow immune to whatever seemed to be infecting the humans?
Several medics gathered around to examine Kelviin, while he in turn examined their silly suits.
“You’re right, the pathogen isn’t taking hold! Is it just this one, or all wookiees?”
Wrrgg, Kelviin growled in confusion.
“That’s a damn good question, and something we might need to know as soon as possible.”
The medics guided Kelviin to a contained chamber. None of them spoke Shyriiwook, so they assumed they had to rely on body language. Kelviin didn’t know where they were taking him, but knew they seemed like good people, albeit very stressed in general and intimidated by him. Kelviin held the nearest medic’s hand. The medic froze with fear, remembering all the dismemberment stories he’s heard, and decided he better act calm and go with it.
“I’m sorry, gentlemen, I can’t give you a clear answer,” explained the lead medic, after examining the Wookiee.
“But we can clearly see the antibodies at work. I’d say that if we find a Wookiee engineer, I can compare their blood samples and tell you for certain if he can safely enter the room where the air purification system-”
“GWRRRRRRGHGLL,” interrupted Kelviin.
The medics jumped back while his datapad translated in a robotic monotone:
[AM ENGINER. CAN FIX AIR]
Kelviin suddenly felt useful again, and pranced off down the hall, causing delicate instruments to rattle against the walls.
The medics glanced at each other and realized they were all going to die.