Chapter 71
he Millenium Falcon was flying at sublight speed among the planets of the Palomintar System. Han had awaited until he had heard the agreed coded message of Gold Squadron, aimed at the Tychorion, but meant for the Falcon. Immediately he had ordered Chewbacca to bring the Falcon outside the docking hangar of the Tychorion. In the huge shadow of the space cruiser he had activated the cloaking device before he had started the ion-engine. Now the former Corellian freighter was on its way back to Palomintar Four.
"Can you monitor the whereabouts of the Basilisæa, Luke?" He asked.
"She hasn't changed her position. Still hovering above Palomintar Six. If they are still looking for Ian, they will be disappointed," the young Jedi grinned, "Wedge and his men are watching them from Palomintar Five."
"Fine, that gives us the opportunity to our landing spot on Myr without being noticed," Han commented, "We're going into hyperspace on my mark: six, five, four, three two, one."
He pulled the hyperspace lever and the Falcon shot away. Han turned around and walked to the control room. Luke, Leia and Chewbacca followed and joined Chati.
Han looked at the synchro console.
"This is a short trip. We will reach Palomintar Four in forty minutes. Luke, I will land the Falcon with her cloaking device on. Can you ascertain there's no one on the landing spot?"
"I have asked Cornell to keep all his men at the second camp site. They still have to do a lot of work before the river can be redirected into its old bedding." Luke answered.
Han wanted to comment on Luke's last words, but kept silent. He knew that Luke didn't want to hear any disparagingly comments about the harvester's attempt to change the water flow.
"Maybe we can give them a hand, Han," Leia suggested and turned to Chati.
"Can you tell us more of Cornell's plan, Chati. Luke said you have been working with them."
"Cornell told me that before the lava eruptions and the earthquakes the waterfalls immediately flowed through an inlet of the underground bedding Ben and I have been investigating. The earthquakes have risen part of the mountain ridge and blocked the outflow of the waterfalls. They are now higher up the mountain and create a deep lake at the foot. The lake is behind an upheaval, a high rocky wall. The path to the inlet of the underground bedding was blocked and the underground bedding dried out. Between the high rock wall and the inlet lays a plateau which was the original overflow before earthquakes. That's what Cornell has explained to me, before I had to start my work on the plateau. Cornell and his men want to clear way any rocks that block the inlet, dig out the plateau so it will be a kind of canal to the inlet. If all that is achieved they want to create an overflow from the lake to the plateau to let a new water flow enter the underground riverbed."
"Is there still any danger from those lava flows?" Han asked.
"The lava streams flow on the other side of the mountain ridge to the north of Myr. Every now and then there are small eruptions, but they cause no danger neither for the work the harvesters are doing on the plateau, nor for the inhabitants of Ribana. There is no danger for an disruptive eruption, but the harvesters are very cautious."
"You have listened well to Cornell," Leia complemented the young Quelan.
"Their work is more interesting, than my chores on Tyr, ma'am," Chati said, "I like to work with them and I hope they will manage to get the water again in the underground bedding."
Han looked at synchro.
"We're nearing our target. Chewie and I will get us out of hyperspace in five minutes. Strap yourselves in until we're back at sublight speed, then I need the Jedi skills of you both to put this ship safely on the ground," Han said while he rose and let the control room.
"The general is a very prudent man, isn't he, Ben. This is a very solid space ship." Chati commented.
Luke and Leia started to laugh.
"The Millennium Falcon means more to him than I do," Leia joked, "Almost. My husband and his ship form an inseparable unity. He fully relies on her qualities and she has saved his life more than once. She looks like an ordinary freighter, but she has a lot of special capacities and many of them Han has added to her himself."
Leia looked at the synchro.
"Stay sharp, we're coming out of hyperspace in three, two, one second. Come on, Luke, let's find out if it's safe to land."
Leia went to the cockpit where Han was steering the Falcon to the surface of the continent. Luke followed her and tuned in on the Force as he looked through the windscreen at the growing image of the planet. He recalled Chati's explanation on board the Tychorion and clearly saw the landmarks the girl had mentioned. Chati's insight in the layout of Myr's surface was amazing, even more because she could use her imagination on different levels. The girl was a good observer and aware of her surroundings.
"It's safe to land, Han. There's no one in sight." Leia said. Luke confirmed his sister's words.
"Alright, here she goes. Hang on."
The Falcon plunged to the surface. The landscape became more and more visible. Han pulled the Falcon up and landed at the spot they had used before. The engine stopped and Han turned to his passengers.
"I will lower the ramp for a few minutes. Must be enough for you to leave the ship. Chewie will stay on board to deactivate and activate the ship's cloaking." Han said.
"I can activate the cloaking again, darling," Leia said, "We can all leave the ship. Let's go."
Han looked skeptically, but beckoned to his first-mate.
"Sometimes, Chewie, is having a Jedi on board has advantages. You can come with us."
They all walked down the ramp. Han closed it and Leia tuned in on the Force and found the switch to activate the ship's cloaking. The ship's grey surface vanished and became part of the surrounding vegetation. Chati looked up curious at Han.
"How is it working, general Solo?" He asked.
"Reflection. Chewie and I covered the ship with a special layer. If the switch is activated a electric current runs through the layer and reflects the surroundings on the ship's surface. It continues this reflection until the switch is deactivated."
Chati started to laugh.
"Wow, general, so it works like the Quelan's skin color change."
She ran a few steps through the nearby forest near the path to the second camp site and completely seem to vanish among it. Han looked flabbergasted and Chewbacca roared with laughter.
"Stay with us, Chati, we're all going to the camp site together," Luke said and looked at the spot where the girl had vanished.
To their surprise Chati turned up on the other side of the Falcon.
"You couldn't spot me, Ben," She exclaimed laughing and joined them again, while her skin took it's normal olive green color. Still laughing she looked at the surprised looks of her companions.
"I used my 'cloaking device' to enter your ship, general Solo, when you brought Ben on board last time." She said, "My skin became almost as grey as the paint on the walls."
General Madine looked up from the decoded message his intelligence officer had handed him.
"Excellent, officer," He said to the waiting soldier.
"Do you want me to inform the Supreme Chancellor, sir?"
Madine nodded.
"Immediately. Send a copy of this message via a pro-con connection to her personal messaging system. Tell her to be on high alert if any message, coming from a system on Palomintar Four, is passed on to the information system at Irithim or Ver'izon. I expect that our 'friend's next message' will be aimed at Dalmaran exclusively."
"Sir, it bothers me that the sender has used an old imperial encryption code to pass this message to Coruscant. This frequency was used in the past to inform emperor Palpatine personally. It's also odd that the decryption code was send together with the encrypted message."
"Looking at the coordinates, it also could mean it is aimed at a special connection with the Provisional Council on Coruscant?"
"I didn't a complete check yet, for its content sounded alarming, but I can do further investigation."
"Carry on, officer, and let me know who the receiver or receivers of this message might be," Madine said.
The intelligence officer left and Madine opened the frequency of Han Solo's infocom.
"General Solo, this is the Tychorion." He said.
The image of Han Solo popped up on the holo display.
"Go ahead, general. I'm receiving a clear image."
In a few words Madine told Han Solo the content of the intercepted message.
"Interesting development. What is our opponent expecting?" He commented.
"According to the investigation of my intelligence team this message is aimed at Coruscant, the coordinates don't match the ones Irithim is using when exchanging information with Provisional Council on Coruscant. They are doing a thorough check at the moment. Oddly the sender has attached the decryption code to the message. That could mean that the receiver isn't familiar with the encryption he uses. I wonder, if our opponent would make contact with Coruscant directly. Didn't Wedge Antilles mention that the admiral from the Basilisæa is looking for one of his officer who he brought with him when he visited our opponent."
Han started to laugh.
"Could it be, sir, that the Provisional Council on Coruscant is keeping an eye on our opponent and that the officer of the Basilisæa is an agent from Coruscant, " He said, "Thank you, for informing us. We will discuss this new development."
"Good luck down there, general Solo," Madine said and closed the special frequency.
On Myr the five friends looked at each other.
"Main question is: who really transmitted this message and what is his intention?" Han commented.
"It could be the guy Wedge mentioned. Admiral Vestor asked Wedge to assist him looking for one of his men," Leia said.
"Is Trevor holding him hostage, or did that officer deliberately infiltrate to let Coruscant know of any upcoming activities from Trevor?" Han wondered.
"It confirms, that someone has access to the communication system of Trevor. When Mom Mothma visited Liane she explained in broad terms what has happened on Quoith and which precautions the Quoith technician had taken," Luke remarked.
"One of those precautions was blocking the Palomintar Four system which illegally infiltrated Quoith," Leia added, "I don't any precise details but there was a kind of secret agreement between the New Republic and Coruscant to give Trevor some limited access to a shielded partition on the Quoith system deliberately, so the Quoith technicians could block Trevor's communication system permanently."
"It seems to be up and running again, probably thanks to the guy who Trevor is holding hostage, or who the admiral of the Basilisæa has knowingly taken with him," Han said, "Maybe Mon Mothma should order Quoith again to disconnect or to jam the Palomintar system's communication."
Luke shook his head.
"The one who sent this message is using an old seldom used coding system of the imperials. Only those in the higher echelons of the former Empire were familiar with these codes. It's indeed very likely, that someone is intervening here on behalf of the Provisional Council on Coruscant. Because the decryption has been send with the original message too."
"An Coruscant spy," Leia said.
"Yes, but one that won't team up Darth Golluth," Luke answered.
"What makes you think so, kid?" Han commented.
"The attached decryption code. The one who is receiving this message must be informed immediately of a development. I think that's the reason why the decryption code was attached. It might have been aimed at a location or coordinates which aren't fully familiar with the old imperial code."
Chewbacca grunted some words.
"Yes, Chewie, that's what I've been thinking of. Could it be, that the Provisional Coruscant Council doesn't agree with Trevor's actions here in the Palomintar System? Could it be, that those leaders have sent one of her officers as undercover agent with the Basilisæa to keep them informed?" Luke commented.
"That would indeed mean, that the guy has infiltrated on Palomintar Four without admiral Vestor's knowledge?" Leia said.
"Anyway, we have to be careful, as long as we don't know what this guy's intentions really are and if he also resides in Darth Golluth' underground hide-out." Han remarked.
Cornell who had welcomed them back looked at the four friends.
"If I understand correctly, Ben, this new development won't cause any serious difficulties with our work," he commented.
"Absolutely not, Cornell. You and the harvesters can continue the way you did. My friends and I will keep an eye this. Our communication with the Tychorion will keep us informed," Luke said.
Yarmod uttered a hushed cry as he entered the main living. On the couch Ian and Liane were laying fast asleep. Ian held protectively his arm around the young woman. His cheek rested at her hair. Liane laid with her head against his shoulder. Her left hand was resting on his right underarm. For a moment Yarmod took in the sleeping pair, then he went over and softly pushed his friend.
"Wake up!" He whispered, "What are you doing?"
Ian opened his eyes. Looked up at his friend and smiled.
"What are you doing?" Yarmod asked again.
Ian looked down on the girl in his arms. Carefully he freed his left arm, taking care not to wake her up. He laid her down on the couch, before he rose, then he looked at his friend. Still smiling happily he put his finger on his lips and grabbed his friend's arm. Without a word he pushed Yarmod to the working cave and inside his friend's sleeping alcove.
"What are you doing?" Yarmod asked for a third time, "Don't you know she's the eternal partner of master Luke."
Ian heard the indignation in his friend's voice. He nodded.
"I know." He answered with a bright smile.
"You do, then what do you think to achieve, holding her in your arms like you did?" Yarmod sibilated unbelievingly.
"Please, sit down, Yarmod, " Ian said, pulling his friend next to him, "I want to apologize to you, for I have been reading those files on that datapad."
Now Yarmod started to laugh.
"So you were as curious as I was, weren't you, " He asked, giving Ian a slight push."
"Not precisely. When you were browsing those files, you mentioned the name of Liane's mother Severini. I was concerned that Liane might have read something that upset her. So I thought I'd better read the content myself."
"You're always worrying about her, aren't you? Why, you're just one of her many friends like I am? " Yarmod commented on Ian's words.
"I was," Ian answered evasively.
Yarmod frowned.
"You were? What do you mean?" He asked.
Ian patted his friend at his shoulder.
"I'll explain to you in a little while, but do you remember what I asked Master Yoda, when Liane showed me those holocrons."
Yarmod nodded.
"His answer devastated Liane and me, but you hardly seemed unmoved."
"That's right, Yarmod. I asked Master Yoda that question to get a confirmation of the truth about the people who I grew up with and for years have seen as my parents."
"You already knew? How? Did they tell you?"
Ian shook his head.
"No, they didn't. They are bound by a promise. A promise they made to my real father. He brought me to them, when I was a little boy. They adopted me as their son and called me Ian, but my real name is Tama-Hin. Tama-Hin Kenobi."
Taken aback Yarmod listened to Ian's story about his upbringing on Corellia at the Tydons. Calmly his friend told him about his feelings to be different from his siblings and his parents. During his youth he had had nightmares about a flight. A flight that had left him on Corellia. Those dreams had become clear visions during the time he had survived on his own in the Wegoyy desert, but their real meaning became apparent after he had become a padawan. During his first Force meditations he had become aware of their deeper meaning.
"Did you talk about those visions with master Organa, Ian?" Yarmod asked.
Ian shook.
"Liane was the first one I told, you're next. You need to know, otherwise you won't believe the next part of my story. For there's much more that has been revealed to me, when I read those files. But first I'll show you a message. Artoo, will you, please, show Ben's message to Yarmod."
The blue barrel shaped droid displayed the old forgotten message. After he had listened to it, Yarmod looked at his friend. He shook his head in disbelieve.
"Incredible, Ian. You, the son of a great Jedi master. You must certainly feel so proud."
"I can't yet express what I feel, Yarmod. It's important to me, that I have found my real past back."
For several moments Yarmod was silent. Then he concluded cautiously: "That daughter, your sister, master Kenobi mentions, is Liane, isn't she?"
Ian started to laugh.
"What made you think so?"
"Just a feeling."
Ian left the alcove. Within a minute he came back with datapad. He opened the first file and handed the device to his friend.
"Read this. It will answer your question."
Yarmod took the page and read the lines with which Ben Kenobi had begun his story. As he had finished, he looked at his friend and handed him the page.
"I have to apologize for my words, Ian. What a great discovery! You and Liane are siblings and your parents were once two great Jedi Knights. This explains all your concern about Liane. How did she react to this revelation?"
Ian grinned.
"Better than I did. My first reaction was: They both are dead. Liane let me look at my conclusion from a different point of view: they live on in the Force, as the Jedi creed says. Liane has fully accepted the fact that they aren't with us. She has met our father regularly, and during my recovery my mother showed me to use my Jedi healing, showing me the Garden of Healing."
"Telling Yarmod the truth about us," A calm laughing voice suddenly said. In the passageway stood a happy looking Liane. Yarmod jumped to his feet and rushed over to her. He grabbed her hands, pulled her with him and pushed her on the couch between Ian and him.
"Liane, what a wonderful story. Ian and you, the children of general Kenobi, the great general during the Clone Wars!" He exclaimed, "Does master Luke know you're brother and sister?"
"I don't know, Yarmod. It's very likely that Luke knows, or suspects, our true relation. If he knows that our real father is his old master, I can't tell," Liane said laughing, "Luke has never revealed anything about his deeper thoughts to me. Did he tell you anything, Ian?"
Ian shook his head.
"You both must tell him about your discovery. I'm sure he will be excited about it. You must tell him about your new names," Yarmod exclaimed. Liane and Ian started laughing.
"Yarmod, it seems that you're even more excited about these revelations than we are," Ian said calmly.
"Of course I am, aren't you?" Yarmod laughed.
Liane looked at him with a smile.
"We are, Yarmod, but the truth about our ancestry still has to sink in."
"What! Aren't you going to use your real names? Aren't you proud about having general Kenobi as your father?" Yarmod asked surprised.
Ian looked at Liane. She shook her head.
"For the time being, Yarmod," She said, "I'll stay Liane Solichor. We have to ask the Supreme Chancellor, if it's possible to get our real names back."
"Of course, that's possible. I'm sure Lady Mon Mothma will accept such a request."
"She will ask us to provide evidence about our birth, Yarmod," Ian said.
"You have evidence enough in this file," Yarmod exclaimed tapping the grey file, "What more evidence does she want."
"Original birth certificates, for instance," Liane said calmly, "Until we have found real proof about our birth it's better if everything stays as it has been. You're the only one who knows about our family ties. Yarmod, I want you to promise Ian and me, that you won't reveal anything about what we have told you or what you have heard here."
Yarmod became silent. His enthousiasme faltered, but after a long silence, he nodded.
"I understand your point of view, but I not agree with it. Remember what happened to master Luke and princess Leia. They both kept their ancestry secret. When Mon Mothma found out they were the children of Darth Vader..., sorry Liane, I mean Anakin Skywalker, they were imprisoned and accused of treason."
"I know that story, Yarmod, and I could add, that I'm Anakin's foster daughter. He adopted me and raised me. I grew up on the imperial domains of Morantan, but there's a difference. The Supreme Chancellor and the members of the High Council know everything about me. I was sentenced for what I did wrong and was brought to Wegoyy," Liane made a gesture to Ian, who wanted to interrupt. Liane continued.
"The members of the High Council pardoned me. I am a citizen of the New Republic, but Ian and I need more evidence about our birth than Ben's story in this file. It's the truth, I know, we know, it is, but it's not enough. Until we have found our birth certificates we remain Liane Solichor and Ian Tydon, don't we my dear brother."
Liane turned to Ian. He smiled and nodded. Liane jumped to her feet.
"I want to show you, were I found these datapads. Artoo, will you help me to remove the stone and pull that lever. Come on you, two, it's really great to see the small space were Ben has recorded his words to my mother, Severini."
Her two friends rose and looked at her sparkling eyes.
"It's really odd, Liane, that you address your father by his name and seeing Severini as your mother. Don't you see Ben as our father?" Ian asked and laid his arm around her shoulders.
"I do, but I know Ben already for such a long time and Luke always addresses his old master as Ben. I'm used to that name. I've felt my close relationship with him already from the first time I met him on Endor. Come on, now."
The three friends walked through the living to Liane's alcove. Artoo had already removed the stone and used one of his utensils to pull the lever. Astounded Ian and Yarmod saw how the wall at the back of the alcove slid aside. Liane ignited the ion-lamp and entered the dark corridor. Ian and Yarmod followed. After a few moments Liane stopped and put lamp on the small desk. Yarmod looked around.
"Imagine him, sitting here writing," he murmured, "How lonely he must have felt. No friends, his wife deceased, his son growing up with strangers, and the unknown fate of his daughter."
Liane put her hand on his arm.
"He made a lot of plans here, Yarmod. Many plans to be united with Ian and to take care of Luke which was his first priority. Taking care of Luke was the commission of master Yoda. Luke had inherited his father's abilities and in time Ben had to train him as a Jedi."
"So, he had to sacrifice his own family," Yarmod whispered shaking his head, "Did master Yoda know Ben had children of his own?"
"He probably did, Yarmod, remember the answer he gave me on Na'ctaMagh'Ba."
"Master Yoda also knew who I was, Yarmod, when I used his holocron. He told me my real father was a Jedi Knight like my mother. I guess, there aren't any secrets to those who live on in the Force," Liane commented.
Yarmod had taken a seat on the chair and looked up at the two persons in front of him.
"It should have been different for you if you should have grow up together."
Liane smiled.
"Yes, Yarmod, it should have been better. I made the same comment when Leia told me about her relation with Luke. Her answer was simple: we're glad we're together now. That counts for us too. I love Ian, and I'm glad to be so close related to him, to call him my brother."
"What are we going to do next?" Yarmod asked, still feeling confused.
"Stick to our original plan. We're going to Palomintar Four, assist Luke and settle thing between Trevor Matrek, or Darth Golluth, and me." Liane said determined.
"What about your lightsaber?" Yarmod asked, "You still didn't succeed to fullfill the Illum-meditation. Shouldn't you give it one more try?"
"I should certainly not try, for Luke taught me that a Jedi does and never tries." Liane said with a laugh, "Let's get back to the living and prepare a combined breakfast and lunch. I'm starving. In the mean time we can decide what to do next."
Chati sat against the tree stem of her treehouse, looking through the trees to other side of the mountain ridge. She looked up when she sensed the approaching steps of Chewbacca. The big Wookiee rose high above her before he sat himself next to her against a neighboring tree. He grunted some words against Chati. The young Quelan girl nodded.
"Yes, it's always crowded in the community tree house, that's why I am sitting here if my chores allowed me." She answered.
For a moment both were silent, then Chati turned to the big Wookiee.
"Amazing, Chewbacca, I could understand what you were saying as if I heard your words in Standard Basic."
Chewbacca grunted again and his mouth became a big smile.
"Can I understand you, because you're Force-sensitive like me? Are all Wookiees Force-sensitive?" Chati asked inquisitively.
A confirming grunt of the Wookiee was the answer.
Amazed Chati turned her full attention to the big hairy humanoid.
"So your species have a strong believe in the Force. Have there been Wookiee Jedi Knights? Why aren't you a Jedi Knight?" told
With several long grunts accompanied with a lot of gestures Chewbacca told some things about his fellow Wookiees and his adventures with Han Solo. Chati listened with great interest which pleased the Wookiee. When Chewbacca stopped, Chati had a curious look in her eyes.
"You and master Solo are very good friends. Han understands what you're saying. Doesn't that imply that master Solo is also Force-sensitive. He isn't a Jedi Knight, doesn't he want to become one?"
Chewbacca roared with laughter and gave Chati a push. The girl nearly fell aside, but she kept her balance and started to laugh too.
Chewbacca sat himself next to her and put his hairy arm around her shoulders. He started telling her the story about Han's refusal to apologize after he had quarreled with Leia.
"So, you urged him he should go back, which he finally did," Chati concluded.
Chewbacca shook his head and continued his grunted story. More and more Chati began to understand how Luke's padawan, Liane, had helped and convinced his friend to get back to Dalmaran.
"Oh, and when they were united again, master Solo and master Organa got married. What happened to Ben's padawan. Is she his girl friend, or is she really his padawan. Does she want to become a Jedi Knight? Is she worth Ben's friendship?"
Chewbacca's grunts became a bit angry and Chati backed off, raising her hand to apologize.
"I don't know her, I know. Do get angry with me, Chewbacca, I understand she is your friend too. I thought it odd, that she isn't accompanying Ben, but he has explained to me that the intruder who ruined my people's way of living, is also dangerous to her. Do you know, in which way?"
Chewbacca's expression became worried, his anger disappeared. In slow grunts, as if he was searching the right words he tried to explain the situation.
"You mean," said Chati quickly, "that that weirdo who lives under the mountain had tried to kidnap her several times. She must be really frightened, for Ben told me that the safe place were she was living or hiding, had been under attack."
Chewbacca nodded. They were silent for a long time. Chati thought about Ben's padawan Liane who was living in exile like her. Ribana, her home town was a quite a distance from the place where the harvesters were doing their work. Chati looked east in the direction where she assumed the town must be far beyond the horizon and invisible. Outside Ribana in the valley behind the hill side that separated the vineyard from the town, was the house where she and her brothers were born, where she had lived in peace with her parents, her uncle and aunt and her cousins. Her father and her uncle had been elected to lead Ribana and take the decisions which would help all the Quelans to live a peaceful and prosperous life. Then that weirdo had come and everything had changed. Chati felt the tears welling up in her eyes and wiped them away with the sleeve of her tunic. She mustn't cry, she wasn't a child anymore. She was twenty years old and on the brink of a new wonderful adventure, new future, because Ben believed she could be a Jedi Knight, but deep in her heart she longed to see Ribana and especially her own house in the valley. How long would it take before the harvesters could lead the river back in its old bedding? What kind of plans were Ben and friends making. Could they free her hometown? Suddenly she jumped to her feet. She had to do something. She wanted to go to Ribana and see for herself what had become of the town. She believed Ben's stories, she could envision what Ben had been telling her and those images made her heart bleed.
Chewbacca had watched the young woman closely. He had seen the happy smile appear and vanish on her face. And now the expression was pervaded with grief. He grunted some words as consolation. Chati looked up.
"You were also in Ribana with my father and my uncle, weren't you, Chewbacca? What did you see?"
Chewbacca hesitated, but Chati looked up at him with an expectant glance on his face. The Wookiee grabbed her arm and pulled her on her knees in front of him, before he started telling her about his visit to Ribana and how they had stayed in the vineyard building overnight.
"Colonel, my droids report that you're very often visiting that abandoned town. What so intriguing about it?" Darth Golluth asked suspiciously, during his diner with his newly-promoted assistant.
"The town itself isn't really intriguing, my lord. I had watched the deteriorating of the buildings and the agricultural area around the town. I found that the most amazing. You did well to eliminate its inhabitants."
"I ordered that indigenous tribe of Quelan people to leave the town, colonel. Unfortunately I had to eliminate a few of the elderly people to enforce my command. The storm troopers I took with me, carried out my orders without restrictions. I didn't want to have prying eyes in the neighborhood of my new dwelling."
"Did you send the stormtroopers back to Coruscant after you settled down?" Doran Whain asked.
Darth Golluth started to grin in a nasty way.
"I did, colonel, that is to say, that's what I told the commander of the garison that accompanied me. Sadly his star destroyer exploded shortly after he boarded the transport ship with the storm troopers. There were only a few survivors on the planet itself. My droids took care of them."
Again Darth Golluth laughing menacingly. Whain nodded, but did asked anything further.
"I very glad, admiral Vestor, brought you to this place, colonel. Droids are reliable companions, but their way of communication isn't always easy to understand. It's much easier to talk to another human than explaining plans to a bunch of droids. After all these years it feel good to talk to a fellow person, especially some one who has shown his loyalty to my plans. You're a good assistant, colonel, and a good strategist. Your ideas give me a lot to think about."
"Thank you, my lord. If you will excuse me, I want to check if there is any news about the woman we're after. I want to intercept the communication lines on Dalmaran again and see if the Supreme Leader of the New Republic has send out messages to the place where I expect the woman is hiding."
"Good, good. You're excused. Inform me if you have found new traces. The daughter of Darth Vader knows a lot, and I want her to tell me everything she knows. If she has told me all she knows, I will rebuild the Empire and you will become my second-in-command, colonel. You may leave." Darth Golluth made a dismissal gesture and Doran Whain left the room where he had to dine with the self-proclaimed new ruler of the galaxy.
The young major quickly passed through the maze of passageways to the communication center. He had reorganized the communication cavern and took care that Darth Golluth couldn't do any harm to the delicate equipment when he got a fit of aggression. Luckily his captor seemed to trust him and was relying on his knowledge of interplanetary communication. Whain sat down before a set of consoles and three holodisplay and started to investigate the incoming lines of the system on Quoith. He smiled. Haym Nelforen still hadn't found out the little secret program which allowed him to intercept the New Republics main communication system. His next step would be to infiltrate further in their system, for he needed to get a better foothold in their secured system, before he would make contact with Haym again, but not today. Today he had to inform his contact on Coruscant about what Darth Golluth had told him about the fate of the star destroyer and the garrison of storm troopers which had accompanied admiral Matrik when he occupied Palomintar Four on behalf of the remains of the empire.
Whain put his connection with Quoith on hold and established a new connection with a secret frequency. He quickly send a coded message which he also copied on a small datacron. Next he discarded the original message. Carefully he shielded the datacron and put it between the layers in the sleeve of his uniform. Perhaps the shielding wasn't necessary, but Whain didn't take any risk with the droids which were serving this new dark lord. He switched off the system, leaving only the connection with Quoith open, and left the communication center. Tomorrow he would hide this datacron next to the ones he already had stored in that deserted winecellar in that abandoned house in the valley.
Absentminded Chati was working on the foundation of the wall at the plateau.
Earlier this morning she had seen that Ben, together with Leia and general Solo with Chewbacca had descended to the landing spot of the Millennium Falcon. Curious as she was, she had followed them through the woods, using her Quelan ability to remain almost invisible. At the edge of the low hills that lead to the grassy plain in the canyon she had seen that Leia had deactivated the cloaking of the Falcon. The general and Chewbacca had entered and a few moments later they had reappeared pushing a speeder down the ramp. The General and the Wookiee had climbed into the speeder and moments later the speeder drove off to the foot of the mountain ridge and had disappeared among the trees. Chati had remained among the trees while she saw that Ben and Leia returned back to the camp site and talked to Cornell. Then they had descended along the rope ladders to the plateau.
Later when she had continued with her work at the plateau both Jedi Knights had gone, and she assumed that Ben was doing investigations with his sister in the underground riverbed.
Chati sighed a bit disappointed.
After her return from the space ship Tychorion she felt her relation with Ben had changed. He had used more time in the company of his sister, her husband and the Wookiee.
Chati felt it difficult to pay attention to the work she had to do. Her thoughts often dwelt on the time when Ben had been telling her so much about the Force and how she could felt that unseen power. In the evening she still went to the clearing to meet her little feathered friends. She had always tapped into the Living Force to feel all the living beings around her, but the thrill of the experience had become less intense as she missed Ben's presence and stimulus. Moreover after Chewbacca story about his visit to Ribana, she felt an even stronger longing to see the town and the house where she grew up herself.
Chati sighed again, then she heard Cemall talking to her.
Chati, pay attention to our work," The rough tone in Cemall's voice caught her by surprise. Cornell's eldest son looked at her, waiting for her to tell where he had to empty the baskets of broken rocks."
"Chati, I want you to pay your full attention to your chores," Cemall said impatiently, "Don't focus too much on those Jedi friends. You're a Quelan. Remember what your father always said: Don't get involved in affairs with humans."
Chati heard some disgust in Cemall's voice. She look at Cornell for help, but the harvesters' leader also looked at her with a frown on his face.
"My son is right, Chati. Don't expect too much of their help. I appreciate what Ben has done so far, but it won't help us to get our job done. Their goal is different on this matter."
"Is it?" Chati said suddenly feeling defiant, "They also want to get rid of that intruder under the mountain, and for a good reason."
"Why do you think, they will?" Cemall asked, "That guy hasn't done them any harm, like he did to us."
Chati thought about what Chewbacca had told her the evening before. She shrugged her shoulders and started take the baskets from Cemall. She emptied them on the stretch of the foundation she had been working. Silently she began leveling the content of the baskets on the base of the foundation. She looked at the foundation and looked up at Cornell.
"Master Cornell shouldn't we make sure that the foundation should also sloping down a bit more to make sure that the overflow from the lake will find its way to the inlet.
Cornell looked at Chati. The young woman had a tremendous insight the way the work that had to be done. Han Solo had made a similar suggestion, but Cornell had remarked that if the sloping of the new bedding on the plateau would be too steep the water could wash away the wall. Creating a kind of shallow elongated puddle in the beginning near the high wall would keep the river in this new bedding, so it would be possible to lead it to the inlet of the underground riveerbed. Once the water would have found its new path, it would be easier and less dangerous to lead more water along it.
"We will, Chati, but I don't want the water to create a huge overflow from the high wall which we might not be able to control. If the water finds its own path, we never will be able to lead it to the new underground entrance. Therefore I take all this precautions."
"Master Cornell," the girl said, "all our new friends are willing to help us. Your son is right, of course they aren't here the exactly the same reason as we are, but our aim and theirs are similar: the intruder, who has ruined our way of life has to be eliminated. He has done a lot of harm to us, but also to them, especially to Ben."
"Your friend Ben is a Jedi, Chati. In the beginning he often helped us on the plateau, but after his friends arrived he pays more attention investigating the underground tunnel. I hoped he would give us a hand with the slow progress digging out the overflow puddle near the high wall."
"You mean, he could have used his Jedi skills to help us. Did you ask him, master Cornell? He has often helped to clear away the rubble many times. He saved Cemall from an untimely death and he often has helped me to move heavier blocks of rocks. Did you ask him, if he could use the power of the Force to make our work easier? I have seen him crumbling a rock that blocked the underground bedding, in minutes, using his lightsaber. I also know that he was considering a similar request master Wollin put before him."
Cornell looked at the excavated shallow area near the high wall where he wanted to create the overflow pool.
"Master Cornell, possibly the harvesters are too proud to ask for help. You expected that Ben would offer his help himself, but haven't you thought that he has felt your pride and didn't want to offend you and the others, if he could make our work easier."
Flabbergasted Cornell looked at the young woman.
"Stick to your own chores, Chati," he said roughly and walked away to the others.
Leia looked to the ceiling of the tunnel where once the underground river had flown. She was accompanying her brother on his further investigation in the former bedding. Luke was walking slightly ahead of her, illuminating their part of the tunnel with his flashlight. Everywhere Leia saw tiny glittering sparks of lights in the tunnel wall, where different crystals were glowing in the strong beam. The ceiling of the tunnel often looked like tiny glowing points of stars in the black velvet background of space. Leia caught up with her brother and grabbed his arm. Luke turned around.
"What is it, Leia?"
His sister smiled.
"Nothing. I was just admiring the crystals at the ceiling. It's beautiful in here, Luke, and so quiet. You've done a lot of investigation. So far we didn't encounter any difficulty on this walk."
"New difficulties might be ahead of us, Leia. I still haven't a clue where this tunnel might end. Toallin and Cornell have shown me that the former exit of the river, is the entrance of the underground dwelling of Darth Golluth now. I have made a rough map of the part I have investigated. I hope that we will be able to track the beacons which Han and Chewie are setting up along the mountain ridge, inside this tunnel."
"Han was very confident about his plan," Leia said.
"Han is always very confident about his plans," Luke said and grinned, "but I agree, I haven't thought of it, and I loved the idea. Shall we proceed. I want to reach the point where I left off. It looked like I entered a dead end again, but I'm not sure about it."
"Why don't we switch on the beacon tracker, Luke. Maybe Han has installed a few of those beacons already," Leia said. Luke look a bit skeptical, but activated a switch on his infocom. A blue, uninterrupted dot appeared on the screen. Leia activated the switch on her wristband too. They both continued their underground walk. Luke carefully used his flashlight to illuminate the path in front of them. After half an hour they reached what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. A rocky solid wall blocked their further progress.
"I can't believe we can't go any further," Luke murmured, looking around. Slowly he walked back in the tunnel and started to investigate the tunnel wall. Leia joined him and searched for a passageway on the other wall. Once again she looked up at the shimmering crystals at the ceiling.
Suddenly the blue dot on her wristband started to blink. She hurried over to her brother.
"We picked up one of the beacons, Luke." She said.
Luke activated his infocom and a holographic map of the tunnel popped up in front of them. Several tiny blue dots appeared along the tunnel's trajectory. Two of them blinked behind the spot where their path was blocked by the solid rocky wall.
"Han, do you copy?" Luke asked.
For a moment they only heard crackling noise, but then Han Solo's voice was heard.
"Connection isn't stable, but I hear you, Luke. Chewie and I have tracked the foot of the mountain ridge about two third of its length. We're nearing the plains around Ribana and encountered nobody. It's completely deserted here. We've set up some fifteen beacons during our ride. I hope you can track them inside that tunnel."
"They work perfectly, Han. I suggest, you and Chewie come back now. Don't proceed any further. We have to be careful. Darth Golluth might be using droid spies in and around Ribana and the town's plains. We still have to avoid he would become suspicious."
"I understand, Luke. Chewie and I will make a wide detour near the town before we come back. Maybe we can gather some further information."
"Be careful, Han, don't take unnecessary risks."
"I won't. You know me, kid. I'll always be careful." Han said and switched off.
Luke looked at Leia and shook his head.
"I want to take a last look at that wall, Leia, then we go back too. I want to be in our camp before Han is back."
They returned to the rocky wall and Luke let the light beam of his flashlight glide back and forth along the wall. Leia was watching the wall and look intently at the crystals that lit up in the light. All of a sudden she reached out to the Force and point at two small hidden fissures to the left and the right of the wall. She walked over and placed her hands in one of the fissures. The wall felt smooth. Again she reached out to the Force and saw a large space behind the fissure.
"There, Luke. These fissures that's were the water ran. Behind this block of rock is a large space. Probably the old bedding goes on behind this wall."
Luke had walked over and investigate the small chasm.
"You're right, Leia. I even feel a very slight wisp of air, not much. I wonder if we're nearing the end of the tunnel. Look at those last two beacons. Come on, we widen this left fissure with our lightsabers."
They both ignited their lightsaber. The bright burning beams melted and smooth the rock, but it took the two Jedi more than an hour before they had widened the crack in the wall enough to reach the next part of the old riverbed. Luke stepped in the large space behind the rocky wall and looked around. He checked his infocom and saw the next blinking blue dot only a few meters ahead of him. Leia joined him and looked satisfied.
"Good work, Luke. Now we can go further," She said. Her brother grinned.
"Next time, Leia. We go back to the cave now. It's quite a walk to the inlet," He said, looking at his sister. He started to laugh.
"I understand you want to go on. Come on, Leia. We will come back here ...."
Suddenly he stopped talking and raised his hand.
"Hush, Leia," He whispered, "I thought I heard noise on the other side of the left wall. Don't say anything more. We might be overheard."
Quickly they went back through the widened fissure and walked back in silence. It took them two hours before they reached the inlet of the underground tunnel where the harvesters already were gathering their tools near the outcropping.
"Has any one of you seen Cornell?" Luke asked.
"He's on the plateau, Ben. He will on his way back now. What's the matter?" One of the Quelans asked.
Luke shook his head.
"Nothing of importance. I only wanted to report to him about our findings," He said, laughing reassuringly, "Has my friend and the Wookiee returned yet?"
"We don't know, Ben? We haven't seen them. We're busy you know."
"Of course. Did you make good progress today?" Luke asked.
"We did, Ben! We're expecting to crush the next part of the outcropping and then we can start to connect the plateau with the river inlet."
"Can you show me?"
"Of course, come along. Are you coming too, madam?" The Quelan asked turning to Leia.
Leia nodded.
"It would be a pleasure to see your work," She said, "My brother has told me a lot about your dedication to this task."
Luke and Leia followed the harvesters to outcropping. Some Quelans were busy clearing away the rubble of the last freezing process. Immediately Luke grabbed a shovel and started to help them. Pleased the Quelans looked up as both Jedi used their Force skills to lift and put some of the heavier blocks aside, creating an easy path for their fellows to bring the baskets with rubble to the plateau.
You're sure you won't go to Palomintar, Liane," Yarmod Martan asked, looking at her.
"It's of no use, Yarmod, for I still have to assemble my own lightsaber. As I explained earlier, I want to stay in orbit around Tatooine to accomplish the Illum meditation. Since I have shown you and Ian Ben's secret cave, I have a growing feeling, that I have to find the necessary concentration needed for this special Jedi-meditation elsewhere, perhaps on board the Astræga. I can't concentrate deep enough here, where everything reminds me of my father, living here in exile all alone. Those strong emotions disturb my concentration."
"You don't have to apologize, Liane. Even I can feel the presence of its former resident. It feels like he is always watching you and Ian."
Liane started to laugh.
"I hoped that Ben and Severini would appear again, like they did, after I read his files. It would do my brother good, if he could talk to them face to face, even if they are Force ghosts. He might even recognize them. I have no real memory of them," She said and for a moment she looked at the distant line of mesas at the horizon. They stood close together and Yarmod felt a sudden loneliness around her. A loneliness mixed with whirls of envy. Compassionately he laid his hand on her arm.
"Are you aware, you are slightly envying your brother, Shaayla-Car," He said softly, addressing her with her new birth name. Liane nodded.
"I am, and I know I shouldn't. Those dark feelings of envy are wrong. Ian is four years older than I am, so it's obvious that he might remember Severini and Obi-Wan, although he didn't mentioned he recognized Severini when she helped him to recover after that blast. Ben was living in exile on Tatooine when I was born on Morantan. When I was about one year old, Anakin met and challenged Severini in a lightsaber duel ," She murmured not talking to Yarmod in particular, "Besides I have already met Ben, and listened to his advice, many times; on Endor twice and numerous times on Na'ctaMagh'Ba. That's why I want them both to contact my brother."
"Has Darth Vader killed your mother?" Yarmod asked devastated.
Liane looked up.
"She wanted to save me and became a Force ghost, so she could protect me. I know she has when I was young. Not that I saw her appear before me, but I often had the feeling that she protected me against Anakin's wrong teachings."
"Really? You felt her presence when you lived under Darth ... Anakin's regime?" The young man asked.
"Luke and master Yoda told me I was still a baby girl, when my mother sacrificed herself and became one with the Force. Luke told me that Anakin took me with him to become his apprentice on the Dark Side, later he adopted me as his daughter, because the tiny spark of Anakin's goodness had made him feel attached to me. Ben expressed the loss of his beloved wife in the files he has left for Ian and me. He felt that Severini was becoming one with the Force. He also tells about the beginning of the imperial occupation of Morantan, and what that would mean for Severini and him. And finally, Yarmod, Anakin has more or less admitted what happened to Severini. He regrets he fought her, but he couldn't do anything else. His orders were to wipe all Jedi in the galaxy. Those were the emperor's orders. He also defeated Ben on the first Death Star."
"So your foster father killed both your parents, and you can forgive him?" Yarmod asked.
"Actually Anakin didn't kill neither of them, Yarmod. Severini and Obi-Wan choose to live on as Force ghosts to make sure they could support their children and Anakin's. Luke and Leia have forgiven their father for what he has done and so do I. Anakin took great care of my upbringing. It could have been so easy for him to kill me too."
"You will be a great Jedi, Shaayla-Car, as great as once your parents have been, if you can forgive the man who ruined your life and the lives of so many others."
"We shouldn't look back to the past, Yarmod, but be mindful of the Force at present. It surrounds us and everything in the galaxy. That's the Living Force between plants, animal, and all beings and the Unifying Force which binds the galaxy together. I have seen much evil done in the name of the Dark Side of the Force. I don't want to be part of it, I want to help and heal those in need, as a Force-user," Liane said and started laughing. Suddenly she tiptoed and kissed Yarmod on his cheek.
"Thank you for talking and listening to me. I normally only express my feelings when Luke is with me. It's good to have another guy around I fully can trust."
Yarmod blushed and grinned.
"That's a great compliment, Shaayla-Car. Thank you."
Liane pulled him to the entrance of Ben's house.
"Shall we carry on. It's better if we leave this place before the evening falls. Let's get inside and help Threepio and my brother packing."