Chapter 129

"We don't want to disturb that cozy hug for your future bride, master Skywalker, but if you want to avoid spectators, you shouldn't leave the cargo ramp down. I believe Ian and I are arriving at a somewhat inconvenient time." Wedge said with a grin.

Luke and Liane turned to the speaker and his companion and looked a bit embarrassed.

"We didn't sense you were entering the Astræga," Luke answered.

Ian looked at Wedge and got a fit of laughter.

"Yarmod already said it, Wedge. Those two are losing their sense of Force attachment since they are in love." He grinned.

"What do you mean, Tama-Hin," Liane asked.

"My dear sister, this is the third time, one or two spectator got the two of you in an love embrace without you are noticed their presence."

"We know that we didn't sense that Udine was coming while Luke and I met in the vineyard," Liane said., "Which are the other occasions?"

"Again this time, while Wedge and I dropped by for a chat before you're heading back to Myr," Ian said still grinning.

"Stop laughing, Tama-Hin. This isn't funny. It's embarrassing." Liane said with a frown. "When was the first time and who saw us?"

"A future Jedi Knight, Shaayla-Car, and I have reprimanded her for what she did, what she saw, and what she heard, and she had never told any one about it, except your Jedi friends," Wedge said.

"Chati?" Luke asked.

Wedge nodded.

"She saw you meeting on hill plateau behind Cantamaga. She had followed Shaayla-Car and saw her meeting you Luke. She was curious if you two would do some special Jedi meditation together, so she hit herself in bushes around the plateau."

Now Liane also started to laugh.

"And because her skin to the color of those bushes Luke and I haven't been aware of her."

"She told me honestly what she had seen and what she had heard. I wasn't pleased with her behavior and I had a serious chat with her. I made her promise that she shouldn't reveal what she had heard about the plan that you two wouldn't assume to be master and padawan."

Liane roared with laughter and look at Luke.

""So from the start, our distraction was a disaster." She said: "Honey, we weren't convincing enough, because afterwards almost everyone told us they had seen through our deception, while we did our best to keep up appearances as master and apprentice. Don't look so serious, Luke. I get that we were the target of snickering among our friends, but we had a great time, looking for a way to meet up secretly every single day."

Luke looked at Wedge and Ian who also laughed, as Liane's fit of laugher worked contagious.

"You were the first, Wedge, I told about what Shaayla-Car and I had thought out. Did you know that I was lying?"

"I won't call it lying, Luke, and yes I knew, for Chati had told me already after she returned to Cantamaga." Wedge said.

"You knew and you didn't tell me that Chati had seen us"

Liane wanted to gave him a push, but Luke intercepted her hand and held it.

"Luke, seriously, you're not expecting me to reveal what my padawan had told me confidentially. I will always stand by my padawans, whatever they will do, for it's my task as a Jedi master to correct unacceptable behavior." Wedge said sounding disappointed, because of Luke's question.

Liane looked at Luke and Wedge.

"We're talking about the past. Stop arguing you two. Luke, you know too well, that I hate conflicts. Wedge is right, what a padawan tells a master confidentially, should be kept secret. Otherwise it would cause a breach of trust between them."

Luke relaxed.

"Sorry, Wedge, I'm not asking to break your promise you made, but the more I hear about the failure of our distraction the more stupid I feel." Luke said, looking at Liane, Wedge and Ian who were all three laughing still.

"Your image of an always composed Jedi Knight has been shattered, Master Luke," said Liane. "You can no longer maintain your facade of control, because ever since I accepted your marriage proposal, you have been trying to convince me that your proposal was meant seriously, as if you don't believe that I accepted your proposal immediately without thinking it through properly first.

Wedge, Ian, if you're just visiting us for a chitchat I should say, come back other time, for my former Jedi master is still pondering about what went wrong with our decoy."

She grabbed Luke's shoulders and pushed to the pantry.

"Be a nice host, master Skywalker, and ask our friends if they want a drink. Cav, choc, or herbal tea. It's all there." Liane said.

Ian chuckled and winked at his sister. Luke went over to the pantry, looked at his friends and started laughing too.

"Shaayla-Car is right, pals, but I've gotten many different comments on being her Jedi master, while they all seemed pity her that I often have been so stern and unkind to her, not true, Tama-Hin? My sister called me a liar from the beginning. Well, that's nice start for a cover up which after all wasn't necessary, because everyone understood that we didn't want to plan our wedding day, as long as Ribana hasn't been restored to its old brilliance. What can I serve you?"

"For me a choc, Luke," Wedge said.

"Same for me, Luke," Ian said chuckling.

"Can I get a herbal tea, darling," Liane said.

After some moments they all sat together one the couches in the control room, enjoying their common interest as Jedi Knights.

"Why have you both come to the Astræga?" Liane asked. "Not for a chitchat as I presumed earlier, right."

"No, we have visited the clearing this morning and guess what, the tree stump we encircled in Force light has a ring of blooming buds already. The Urams have covered some other stumps with that greasy paste," Ian said, "Do you think, Shaayla-Car, if I could use the Force on the other stumps too? I'm on my own for you and Luke are going back to Myr, but I could use the Force on each stump more than once."

"That would be great, Tama-Hin. You're still staying on Tyr, so it would be a great advantage to help the Urams and convince them that those tree stumps still live." Liane said elated.

"Don't overdo it, Tama-Hin," Luke warned, "Using the Force to awaken the sleeping bud also uses your Force energe, your Life Force is the source the Force taps into to awaken those sleeping buds. Be careful if you do it."

"I can do it while we are accompanying Chati and Lorann." Ian said and looked at Liane "How did you know about those sleeping bud in the nut tree stumps?"

"I have seen tree stumps coming to life again on Morantan and on Endor, as long as the tree stumps are still rooted in the soil. When I saw those tree stumps on the clearing I had a Force feeling that the Living Force might waken up those sleeping buds. My use of Force healing only was a way to support the tree stump to wake up its sleeping buds. I wasn't really sure my Force use would help, but after what you said that what we did confirms once again how powerful the Living Force is. " Liane said.

Luke, Wedge and Ian looked at her appreciative.

"You never should doubt your initiation, Shaayla-Car," Wedge said, "Your Force use is even more powerful than mine."

"Thanks, Wedge. Ever since you made me a Jedi Knight I have been convinced you were right." Liane said.

She looked at her brother.

"Tama-Hin, you should use your Force healing skills on those tree stumps and I hope that Oltomyran will notice that what you're doing, will work out the same way for all the tree stumps, for I'm not here to tell him that you want to continue what we've started."

"Maybe Chati can tell him. She has seen you talk with the Uram and just before you came the Uram leader came down to tell her that you were coming. She also talked to him, when Lorann had that unlucky accident with that young Uram."

"She absolutely should do that, Wedge. I didn't know that she could use the Force to talk with Oltomyran. That could be an advantage when Filann and Cemall, and the other harvest men will start gathering nuts from the forest floor."

Luke looked at Wedge.

"It could mean, Wedge, that you have to stay a bit longer on Tyr, for I agree with Shaayla-Car that there must be a way of communication between the Urams and harvest men. There still might be a lot of mistrust in those different species. You intended to come to Myr with the third group for you wanted to give Chati the opportunity to see her old home."

"I will leave the choice to her, Luke. I will discuss those different options with her. It feel really great to have padawan with so many different talents. She even managed to make that special stew a few time and every time it taste even better."

Luke roared with laughter.

"Making a delicious stew isn't a reason to knight her, Wedge." He said chuckling, before he continued "Are you still thinking of going to Corellia with her?"

"Yes, but probably I now will decided to extend my stay here, for she can do a lot of good for her fellow Quelans. She knows it here, so there isn't less danger that she might loose her concentration rapidly, because new things might pique her curiosity. I still have that old transport space ship Yarmod and I use to get here. I regularly checked the ship's power source and I'm convinced I can use it safely to get back to Irithim with it."

"You even could use the ship to travel between Tyr and Myr. It will be good if Chati earns some respect of the Quelans after all the years she had to defend herself against their rejection. It will improve her emotional development, I think."

"That's what I have been thinking, Luke, " Wedge said pensively. "So I might not return to Irithim with the others. What are your plans, Luke. You and Shaayla-Car surely have been thinking where your wedding will take place."

Luke looked at Liane with a smile.

"We already agreed upon that before we came back to Tyr, Wedge. I don't think it will surprise you that we want Toallin and Mugin to officiate our wedding once Ribana will be the home town for all the Quelans. Call it a coincidence, but Toallin has asked us if we wanted them to marry us, but before that a lot of work has to be done. I'm not speaking of the necessary repairs, but also to see if we can change the way of thinking about the Force, its users among the Quelans and the possibility to raise Quelan Force-users into Jedi Knights. I still have the mandate to look everywhere for new padawans."

"You're talking about Cornell and his sons." Ian asked, "because they still against Lorann's Force use."

"There are two advantages, Tama-Hin. At first there is Lorann's grandfather, who is a powerful Force user himself. I need to rely on his influence on his son and his family. It would be loss if Lorann won't get a chance to become a Jedi Knight. My second option is the trust I gained of Cornell. He is still grateful that I saved Cemall's life. Those two options will be the most important. There is a third option which might help Lorann. That is the influence of master Kamalin, a Force user, like Manall. Both men are strong with the Force. It really is a pity that they never had the chance to become Jedi Knights. They surely would have been powerful."

"They are much older than we are, Luke. I think that if they would have been Jedi Knights, like Obi-Wan and Yoda, that they might have been victims of Palpatine's Great Purge. It's much better that they can use their influence now to help the next generation of Jedi Knights and your New Jedi Order." Wedge said. "I guess, you haven't anything about Mon Mothma's idea to make her former residence under Na'ctaMagh'Ba a accommodation for the Jedi Knights."

"No, she only mentioned it to Shaayla-Car, but nothing has really been decided. Shaayla-Car had the idea make it into a new Jedi temple. I like it, but it's a very premature idea. You have seen the explorations she has done. They extended the residence twice fold, but to use those exploration we need permission of the Dalamaranian government too. Future plans, Wedge, but feasible." Luke said thoughtfully. "First we have to fulfill our obligations on Palomintar Four, before we should concentrate ourselves on the future."

"Are you coming with us to say goodbye to Toallin and master Kamalin?" Ian asked.

"No, we have some last words with them this morning. Give our regards to Chati and Lorann and enjoy meeting the Urmas in nut woods. We'll be back when the second group returns to Tyr, because Shaayla-Car wants to monitor when Filann and Cemall will gather the first yield of fallen nuts."

Wedge and Ian rose.

"We're going back to Cantamaga now. Have a good flight back to Myr. May the Force be with you both."

Thanks, Wedge, May the Force be with you and Tama-Hin." Shaayla-Car said

She had risen too and embrace her brother and Wedge. She and Luke accompanied their friends to the speeder and watched them when they headed back to Cantamaga. Shaayla-Car looked at Luke.

"It feels good to exchange so many different thoughts about what keeps us busy, Luke."

"Sure it is. Let's prepare for take off, Shaayla-Car, for I sense we've work to do on Myr."

Filann looked at his father and his grandfather.

"No, I don't know whose jacket it has been. I bought on the market in Cantamaga, for it look similar to the jackets you have given to Cemall and me when we were seventeen. Lorann envied us, so I told Cemall to hand Lorann the jacket I had bought. You said it was just in good shape when you have inspected it after you rushed off to ensure yourself if the Urams had attack our kid brother." He said.

Manall looked at his grandson.

"I sense a lot of disrespect for Lorann, Filann."

"Lorann is acting completely foolishly with his friendship for the Urams and going into the nut woods which is forbidden. He is feeding Urams with fallen nuts. That's not what a future harvest man should do. In a few years time Lorann will be forced to become a harvester like Cemall and me, and not much later the youngest daughter of Wollin, Kalinn will become his wife, grandfather, but it's your fault that he doesn't fear the Urams, like all the harvest men do. You have filled his mind with the idea that the Urams are harmless and are his friends and you also told him your fantasies about those so-called former Jedi Knights, your friends from the past. " Filann spat out.

"What about the Jedi Knights you have worked with on Myr. Are they also so-called Jedi Knights?" Manall asked searchingly.

"Those guys can do some funny things, but they are nothing to us harvest men." Filann said.

"So you see yourself as a harvest man," Manall remarked sharply. "Tell, Filann how often have you been in the nut woods on Tyr chopping down nut trees under your father leadership?"

"Tens of times?" Filann snarled.

"You're a liar, Filann Radilan," Cornell said. "You have never been in the nut woods, for you weren't too young when my men and I were harvesting the way we did. But I have a question for you, did you deliberately gave Lorann the jacket you have bought, so the Urams would attack your younger brother. For if you, or Cemall, had given Lorann one of the jackets I gave you, the Urams wouldn't have recognized it, but that old harvest man's jacket they certainly would. What was the real plan behind using an old jacket?"

Filann looked dumbfounded at this father who continued.

"You were sixteen, Filann, when we had to flee to Cantamaga in exile. That was the first time you and Cemall had arrived on Tyr. I still haven't heard a good answer why you have given Lorann a jacket one of my men has used while we were harvesting the nuts."

Still Filann remained silent.

"Filann, why do you look at Lorann with so much contempt??" Manall asked.

Filann shrugged his shoulders.

"Lorann has become weak, since he is going in the nut woods with and seems to have become friends with the Urams." He mumbled.

"Have you ever seen an Uram?" Manall asked.

"More than once, grandfather."

"Where, not in the nut woods, for the harvest men haven't gone into the nut woods since all the Quelans came to Cantamaga. Filann, and the Council of the Elders had forbidden any Quelan to gather fallen nuts for personal use.

I have here five images of different birds. Can you tell me which one shows an Uram?" Manall said and put five images on the table in front of his grandson. Cornell looked at his father, but said nothing. Filann cast a glance on the five image and pointed at the middle one.

"That's an Uram. I'm sure," He said stiff-necked.

"That's Paraldingor. It lives on Myr in the mountain where we have done our project. They live on small creatures and have never attack us Quelans." Manall said and took the image away. "Do you want to have another look at the remaining images."

Filann pretended to look closely at the images, and pointed to the left most image.

"Wrong again, Filann. That's an Aulugur which live at the southern part of Myr among those thorny bushes where we sometimes have to entangle the straying nagawas. It feeds itself with the berries of the bushes. Filann, before you get a next chance, I'm asking you again: Have you ever seen an Uram."

"No, I haven't. The nut woods were forbidden territory since I came to Tyr. Does that answer satisfied you, grandfather. You know all to well what an Uram looks like, for the Urams have attacked you and ripped flesh from your back. Maybe it would have been better for all of us, if you had not survived their attack," Filann said, getting furious, but Cornell walked over to his son and slapped him hard at his face.

"That a son of mine would ever express what he feels, this way. That he tells me, how happy he would have been if my father had died." Cornell said madly as he want to pummel his son again. Manall grabbed his son's arm and shook his head. Chewbacca who had heard what Cornell had screamed enter the quarter of the Falcon and grumbled a long question. Manall nodded.

"Bring Filann back to the cargo hold, Chewbacca." He said and waited while the Wookiee looked menacing at the young Quelan male. He grumbled some nasty words and made an ominous gesture with his cross bow.

When Filann didn't react fast enough Chewbacca grabbed him in his neck and dragged him out of the room. Filann wanted to scream something to his father, but the Wookiee squeezed him so hard that he screamed out in pain.

Cornell had taken a seat still shaken about what he had heard.

"How could he say that of you, father?" He murmured.

"He just said what's on his mind for a long time, son," Manall said. "What I'm worrying about now, is that Wollin will be looking after Filann in our community building up behind the foothills, for the Harvest Council has decided that your sons would do work outside the Quelan community. Filann is filled with feelings of hatred against me, against Lorann and against you, Cornell, and I wonder what the cause of that is."

Cornell looked at his father. Manall patted him on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't apologize, son, for what Filann has said. I'm all too happy that it hasn't happened, and the Urams aren't to blame for what happened. I was my own fault. Like Lorann I was wearing a wrong jacket." Manall said reassuringly. "Thanks to the healing skills of, young master Kenobi, the son of my old friend my wounds have been healed."

"I still don't get it, father. Lorann was wearing a jacket that once belonged to one of my men, but the jacket I have inspected had no tears. When I found you, the back of my old jacket was completely in tatters. How can it be that those birds haven't attacked Lorann. Could it have anything to do with the boy's special talents." Cornell asked, looking at Manall.

"That is likely, son, and don't forget that Lorann had been accompanied by two Jedi Knights. He also had met the Urams before, as he and Chati Fonaldris had been feeding young Urams with fallen nuts, but the problem now is, that you and I need to decide what has to be done with Filann. As I said I feel a lot of hatred in what he said."

"Father, it's not a good idea to leave Wollin alone with Filann. I will take Filann to the campsite to do maintenance on our project. Maybe I can persuade him to tell why he feels so much aversion against Lorann. Those two sons of mine certainly shouldn't do community work together. Do you really think that that Ben's fiancée can keep Cemall at bay?"

"Don't underestimate a Jedi's skills, son. I'm sure that Cemall will benefit from working with Shaayla-Car in the vineyard." Manall said. "It's a good idea to go with Filann to our project side and let him be busy with the maintenance. I will tell Wollin and Roshann, that they have to start with what I told Wollin, he should do on our community building together with Filann.

For now, we are leaving Filann in the cargo hold on Han Solo's ship. I will inform Han Solo about our conversation with him. He won't be amused and will certainly tell his Wookiee friend to keep Filann under lock and key.

Yarmod Martan looked at the Quelan male he had been helping before.

"You're not sure that you can do the repairs on the roof, aren't you?" He asked.

"To be honest, young man, no, I'm a bit scared to climb up and down on scaffolds." Wogomnil answered.

"Would you mind, if I give you hand with it, but you have to tell me how to do the repairs. As I told you I'm a fighter pilot and not familiar with restoring roof tops. Luckily the hole in the domed roof top isn't that large so I'm sure I manage."

"Come inside, Yarmod, wasn't that your name. I'll show you the inside of the dome. I'm sure you will get an idea how to repair the hole."

Yarmod followed Wogomnil to the attic of the two storey house. The Quelan male pointed at the granulated inside of the dome. Yarmod looked up and smiled.

"You've used small rocks and pebbles glued together to shape the domed roof top. On the outside you cover the rock and pebble layer with a plaster and then you paint the dome in your favorite color. Great idea. I like it. Are all domes made this way?" Yarmod asked.

"No, Yarmod, other Quelans use wood panels, but those are expensive. I'm only a small merchant of vegetables and herbs my wife is growing in our garden. I'm not rich, so I have used small rocks and pebbles to make the dome. It has been a lot of work and I was much younger when I build this house. Do you think you can repair the hole, otherwise I have to wait until some of the harvest men will come to do the repairs. "

"I'll fix this for you. I'm going to gather enough rocks and pebbles to seal up the hole and I will ask one of friends if there is some durasteel paste to glue those pebbles together."

"What is durasteel, Yarmod. I've never heard of it."

"It's building stuff they are using to build the inner walls of buildings at Irithim, the planet I use to live. It dries quickly and becomes as hard as steel. They are even making doors of it. When it's dried they add all kind of decorations on the walls or the doors which are attached in an extra layer of durasteel. But I need to ask my friend how I have to proceed here. Don't worry about that hole any longer. I'll can assure you that the attic of your house will be safe and waterproof. "

Wogomnil shook his head, but didn't comment.

"Do it your way, Yarmod. You seem to know what you want to do. I'm going to do some further clean up and painting on the ground floor. That's a more easy and less dangerous job at my age." He looked at Yarmod with a grin. "Are you wondering how old I am? I tell you, Yarmod. Next month I will be a hundred and fifteen, and I'm not the oldest Quelan in Ribana. That's my neighbor to the left. He is a hundred and sixty. He was with the first group and his house seems already restored. He is now on Tyr. I talked to him about what Ribana looked like, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw when our group arrived."

Yarmod looked at the male Quelan in disbelieve.

"You're a hundred and fifteen. You're not looking that old."

"Thank you, Yarmod. That's a good compliment. Yes, we Quelans grow very old in years compared to other species. What is your age, if I may ask you? " Wogomnil grinned.

"I certainly am a kid in your eyes. I'm twenty-nine years old, but humans like me aren't getting as old as you are. My former master is thirty-one and Jedi master Skywalker is thirty-two, as is his sister. A hundred and fifteen. Wow. I still have a lot of years to go if I will reach your age," Yarmod grinned.

They went down and stepped outside.

"I'm going to look for what I need. I will be back shortly." Yarmod said and walked through the garden fence. Deep in thoughts he went over to the harvest men's tent and asked for a bag of pebbles and rocks and a bag of durasteel cement. The harvest men asked him what he was up and after Yarmod had explained that he intended to clog a hole in dome roof, the harvest men provided him with several useful equipment. They offered him to bring what he needed to the house, but Yarmod hoisted the bags and the tools in a small speeder and drove back. As he reached the house Wogomnil was outside, so Yarmod knocked at the door. The Quelan male opened up and laughed.

"The door is always open. Just knock and step inside. You've found what you need."

"Yes, I'm going to work on that hole, right away. I want to fill up the hole and fix them with durasteel cement. It will fast those pebbles in about an hour, but I will wait till tomorrow to plaster the outside to be sure that the pebbles hold."

Yarmod took the bag of pebbles to the scaffold and use the Force to put the bag on top of it. Next he took the bag with durasteel cement and jumped to reach the top of the scaffold. He jumped down and ask Wogomnil for some water, took the tools the harvest men had given him and climbed along the scaffold stairs to the top of it. There he started to prepare the durasteel and the pebbles he had to attach inside the hole. He had to lie flat on his stomach against the dome to reach the hole, while he let the bowl with the prepared durasteel and the pebbles hovering within reach, but to get a next pebble from the bowl he had to get upright, take the right pebble from the bowl, lay flat again and fixed the pebble to the right spot.

Suddenly he heard someone laughing.

"That's a good exercise for a Jedi Knight, Yarmod Martan. I thought you had been taught that the Force can make all jobs more easy." A voice said.

Yarmod looked down and saw Nori Thai looking up and laughing.

"Maybe I'll have to give you a hand. I'll come up and help you, Yarmod."

Nori climbed the scaffold and looked at Yarmod's work.

"Well done, my friend, but I'll hold that bowl for you so you don't have to get upright each time you need a new pebble. Together it will be done much faster."

"Thanks, Nori, but I thought you were busy assembling the new com system for these Quelans."

"It's almost up and running, so I'm looking around where I can give a helping hand. I saw you struggling. Well, let's seal up this hole for the owner of this house. Where is he?"

"Cleaning up and doing repairs on the ground floor. The living, the kitchen and the parlor with an entry to the backyard. All these smaller houses have the same ground plan. On the first floor are the bedrooms and in most cases bath room, but the harvest men are still busy repairing the water supply to the houses."

Nori held up the bowl with the pebbles soaked in durasteel cement and Yarmod could now easily retrieve the next pebble hie needed. Within two hours the hole had been sealed up. Yarmod jumped down, Nori followed him in a calmer way. Yarmod knock on the door and stepped inside.

"Wogomnil, the dome has been repaired on the outside. Can I have a look at the attic to see if it's sealed up completely. Oh, this is a friend of mine, Nori Thai."

Wogomnil looked at the imperial officer and nodded.

"You must have been the one who made the intruder's life so impossible that he eventually took off, right?" He said with a grin

"It has been the other way round, sir. He made living inside those cave impossible for me."

Wogomnil shook his head.

"No, no, sir, you're to modest. You have done a lot of sabotage work I heard. You're one of our heroes. Without men like you we Quelans would still have lived on the other continent, maybe we should have been there forever."

"In the end the water flow through the underground riverbed has destroyed his abode, sir," Nori said. "and I had nothing to do with that. That was the work of the harvest men."

Wogomnil looked at Nori and Yarmod.

"That was Cornell's longstanding project, young men. I wonder if it has been his first idea to chase away the intruder. I think that has been an additional benefit, but the help we've got from outside has been more important in my eyes. Real heroes often don't get the acknowledgement for their efforts, that my believe. Go ahead, Yarmod. You know how to get to the attic."

Yarmod and Nori went to attic, where Nori admired the construction of the dome roof. The spot where the hole had been had been perfectly sealed up, but with the help of the Force Yarmod attached an extra layer of durasteel soaked pebbles on the inside of the dome. As they had finished their work they called Wogomnil and asked him if he was content. The old male Quelan patted them both on the shoulders.

"Of course, I am. I should be very ungrateful if I wouldn't appreciate this special way of help. I will tell my wife how the hole has been sealed up and she will certainly tell the story further, for in our community is nothing really kept secret. That's why the Council of the Elders sometimes issue a 'special statement' which the Quelans have to obey." Wogomnil grinned and winked. "We aren't allowed to speak in public about what we shouldn't, because of that 'special statement', but we still speak about with trusted friends. You probably know what I'm talking about, don't you. You can bet our entire community will give those two Jedi Knights a grand welcome and a wedding party when we're all back in Ribana, they will never forget. Don't look so surprised, Yarmod. But better keep your mouth shut."

"I'll be back tomorrow to fix the plaster layer on the outside, Wogomnil." Yarmod said, as he changed the subject of their conversation with a look of understanding. "Maybe I also can give the dome a new color. Think about that. I like to be useful here."

The Astræga had landed in the deep valley behind the southern hills and Luke and Liane had immediately gone to the vineyard building. As they arrived Udine and Carmona came hurrying outside to see who was paying them a visit. They were elated to see Shaayla-Car and welcomed her enthusiastically.

"It's so good of you to come back to us, Shaayla-Car," Udine said.

Carmona looked at Luke who stood near the speeder.

"The welcome counts for both of you, master Skywalker," Carmona said and looked at her sister who turned to Luke.

"Of course, you're more than welcome here too, master Skywalker, for we understand that you have real plans to get married," Udine commented. "Do you want to come inside, that's far easier to have a talk together."

Liane and Luke looked at Toallin's wife, for they both sensed that Udine still had some doubts.

'Shall we tell her the truth, Luke? I still sense she doesn't really trust you." Liane ask through Jedi telepathy.

'Í fear she won't ever trust me, even she sees that Toallin and Mugin are officiating our marriage, Shaayla-Car, Luke answered.

They followed the two sister inside the vineyard building and Liane admired the work Udine and Carmona had done. After they had taking a seat in the parlor with the wide view on the terrace and the vineyard, Liane looked at Udine and opened the box she had taken from the backseat of the speeder.

"Udine, Carmona, I need your help. I have brought with me the dress I want to wear on my wedding day. Luke is always admiring me when I wear it. Unfortunately there are some stains on it. I hope you know a way to remove them."

Liane took out the white dress and unfolded it on her arms. Udine and Carmona looked amazed at the dress, and Udine looked up at Liane.

"Shaayla-Car, I have a very good memory, my dear. I have seen this dress before on an illegal transmission at the holonet." She said and looked at Carmomna, "Do you remember, Carmoma.

Carmona nodded excitedly.

"Wasn't that the transmission where Chati transferred the image of ... " She looked at Luke. "of you, master Skywalker. You were honored as one of the heroes who blew up that dreading moon that was not a moon, but a very dangerous imperial weapon."

"Yes, and ever since my daughter had seen you, she cherished the image of you and wanted to become a Jedi Knight, herself."

"Your daughter was a very young girl, when you saw those illegal transmission." Luke said.

"Nine years old, master Skywalker. Did you really blew up that dreading weapon which once was seen above Ribana?" Udine said. "I still remember another night, when we all were hiding in the cellar to find shelter. Toallin and Mugin went outside a few times while that moon that was no moon was looming and circling above Ribana. It still give my the creeps when I recall how frightened I felt. The next day it was gone and we have never seen it here again."

"Chati also told me about it, Udine."

"She remembers, master Skywalker, for she and Dolan, my sister's eldest son, were six and eight years old. In that illegal transmission you were there and general Solo and I saw this dress, "Udine pointed at the dress Liane was still holding on her lap, "It was worn by the princess of Alderaan. Shaayla-Car, how did you get this dress?"

Liane laughed.

"Udine, this dress was a gift from the princess of Alderaan, after I wore it while I was a witness at her wedding."

"You have met the princess of Alderaan personally, Shaayla-Car?" Carmona asked.

"You both know her, Carmona. Udine even wanted to ask her to warn my parents after Luke and I were caught here in the vineyard, kissing each other."

Udine's cheek got a slight rozy color through her olive green skin.

"Shaayla-Car, you mean that Leia, general Solo's wife is the princess of Alderaan?" Carmona asked.

"Yes, she is, and she really is Luke's twin sister. She gave me this dress, because Luke couldn't keep his eyes of me when I wore it. I also wore it when Luke proposed to me in a beautiful underground cave with a waterfall. I wore it just to please him, when Luke and I were on Palomintar Six, that's how it got these stains on the hem of the robe and the train. Can you remove them, for I want to wear it when I will marry Luke."

Carmona looked at Liane and Luke and laughed.

"I have always believed that you two were lovers, Shaayla-Car. I wish you all the happiness in this galaxy. You're both Jedi Knights so that's a good start to work together as a married couple." She said and looked at her sister.

Udine looked not sure, how to respond to Carmona's wishes. Finally she looked at Luke and Liane with an honest look.

"After I saw you kissing each other I have asked Toallin to warn your brother, Shaayla-Car, for I wasn't sure that master Skywalker was honest to you, for I often saw him treating you unkind and unfriendly." Udine sounded a bit guilty.

Luke started to laugh.

"As a Jedi master I always have to be strict and right-minded, Udine, but as Shaayla-Car's Jedi master I probably have overdone it. I admit that it must have looked, like I was reprimanding her."

Shaayla-Car had put the box with the dress next to her on the floor and looked with a warm smile at the two sisters.

"I have never felt it that way, Udine, but even my brother wasn't sure about Luke's way as my Jedi master. You shouldn't bother yourselves about Luke and me any more. What you saw, was our mistake, for we had agreed that we didn't want to talk to the Quelans and our friends about our wedding plans, but after all we weren't really convincing as master and apprentice."

"When are you going to marry, Shaayla-Car, and where. Here on Myr, in Ribana, I hope." Carmona asked

Liane looked at Luke.

"We've decided to marry in Ribana, but not before Ribana will be the home town of all the Quelans who have lived in exile in Cantamaga." He said.

"So, it's up to us, the Quelans of Ribana, when you will get married. Why did you make that decision, Lu... master Skywalker." Udine asked.

"Call me Luke, Udine, like everyone else does, and to answer your question. A Jedi's main task is to bring peace and prosperity to any species in this galaxy. Bringing peace and justice always outweighs a personal issue, in this case, our wedding plan."

"You Jedi are very self-forgetful people, Luke," Carmona commented. "That's what my husband told me, when you and your friends decided at Palomintar Six, to help Mugin and seek a way to free Ribana. Mugin told me that he was very surprised that a group of humans had taken it upon themselves to help some Quelans in exile. That you want to marry here among us is once again proof of your duty as Jedi Knights."

"Mugin and his brother saved the life of my brother, Carmona. They gave up their way of life in Ktafunda to help Ian Tydon." Liane said, while she took up the box with the dress again. Udine stretched out her hands and Liane put the box in them. Udine looked at her.

"You can leave this with us, Shaayla-Car. My sister and I will make this dress like new. You will be the most beautiful bride, Luke has ever seen," Udine said.

Liane got a fit of laughter.

"As far as he told me, Udine, Luke has only seen his sister's wedding dress. That has been the only other bride he has seen I guess."

"Shaayla-Car, do we have to prepare your guest room again?" Carmona asked.

"No, Luke will pick me up every day after I have shared a meal with you. We will stay overnight in our space ship." Liane said.

"Oh, then Luke has to join us, so we will enjoy the company of the two of you every day." Udine arranged.

"I gladly accept that invitation, Udine." Luke said.

"Are you going to prune the grapevines again, Shaayla-Car?" Udine asked.

"Yes, I loved to do it, and this time I don't have to seek a hidden spot to meet Luke. Have you been told that the son of master Cornell will assist me, Cemall Radilan."

"Yes, we've heard what the Harvest Council decided, Shaayla-Car, and Toallin has confirmed that you will teach him to prune the grapevines the right way. I don't like Cornell's sons and not at all after I heard what they were planning. Do you really think you can handle him? Will he also stay for the evening meal?"

"No, Udine, Han Solo will join me every day and bring Cemall back to his ship where he has to spend the night in an arranged cargo hold." Luke said.

"That sounds good. These unruly Radilan boys need to learn a lesson," Carmona said. "The eldest is the worst I have heard. Always angry, always opposing his father, always screaming that he is forced to do what he don't want. I guess he is talking about the fact that he never has been allowed to enter the nut woods on Tyr. It's lucky that Cornell is a tough guy himself, so he keeps his eldest son at bay. Do you know if his youngest brother was attacked by those dangerous birds?"

"He wasn't, Carmona. Lorann had become friends with some of the young Urams. He is often feeding them with fallen nuts." Liane said.

"Together with my daughter and always with the two Jedi Knights as their supervisors, master Antilles and your brother Tama-Hin. It's very reassuring that they always accompany them." Udine said and Carmona nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow I will come again to prune the grapevines. I don't know if Han will bring Cemall too." Liane said as she rose. "Thank you two, that you will help me to get those stains from the dress. Luke and I have to go back to Ribana to tell Mugin what has happened on Tyr."

Udine and Carmona joined Luke and Liane to their speeder and watched them leave. Carmona looked at her sister.

"They know what happened after you have seen them and still they take the blame on themselves. They are a couple of very remarkable people." Carmona said. Udine only nodded.