Chapter 158

The six Jedi Knights had found time to spend to their specific tasks, but they never neglected a question to give extra help.

Nori and Yarmod were still busy checking the map of all the house, and Nori had made it his task to caption all names on the map. To their surprise only ten abandoned houses had been left without a new inhabitant, but Toallin and Kamalin had told them that they would find a proper use for those houses in the future. Several neighbors of those houses had set up a joint plan and had clear the garden of weeds, while some harvest boys had done some minor repairs.

Luke, Liane, Ian and Lorann had spend most of their time to continue training Lorann with the use of Jedi telepathy and using Altus sopor. Luke was very pleased about the boys progress. While using Altos sopor Lorann could almost immediately find the places were the three Jedi Knights had been hiding, but Lorann didn't neglect his drawing task with which he also spent a lot of time.

Luke had also taken Wedge to several places which would be good spots for his friend and Wedge's padawan Chati to continue her training. They even went to the eastern mountain where Luke showed Wedge the beach as an very distant spot to practise without being disturbed.

While Luke was away with Wedge Liane had visited the vineyard again and had given Cemall and his friends a hand pruning the grape vines. The young harvest boys were doing a good job and some third of the vineyard had already been stripped of the long overgrown vines. Talann and Renan Toallin's sons were instructing Cemall and his friends, as they also were giving a hand to prune the grape vines. The group was very surprised and cheerful, when they discovered that the first tended grapevines had been produced bloom and began to grow tiny green grapes.

Ian spend as much of his time left on Myr together with Lorann, telling the boy about his former duty as a prison guard, and carefully extended Lorann's knowledge and understanding of the use of Jedi telepathy.

Leia, Han and Chewbacca held careful consultations with Yarnick and his brother about their departure. As agreed they would leave Myr three days before the third group was scheduled to return to Tyr again. They had had a meeting with Toallin and Kamalin and the two leaders had told them that several days delay wouldn't be a problem. There was still enough to do in Ribana, as they had said.

As the day of the departure of the three Jedi Knights had arrived almost the whole third group had come over to the Grannd Traveler to see them off. Shouts of encouragement and wishes of soon return were heard from all sides.

Han and Chewbacca accompanied the three Jedi Knights as they walked up the cargo ramp. Leia had told Ian and Yarmod they would get their official uniforms as guard at Irithim, so the two young men were still wearing their Jedi outfit. Leia had already dressed herself in her official outfit as Mon Mothma's special advisor, wearing the insignias of the House of Alderaan.

After Han and Chewbacca came out of the freighter they join Luke and Liane. Liane sensed that Han found it difficult to be separated from Leia again, despite he didn't show his feelings. She looked at him with an encouraging smile.

"They will be back here in no time, Shaayla-Car, and then we can celebrate your wedding with Luke," Han said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You and Luke should hurry, finding those birth certificates, for it's likely that your brother and Leia will be back very soon."

"We have agreed to stay on Myr until Yarnick and his brothers have returned, because some Jedi are needed to fly the third group back to Tyr, Han. We can't hurry our journey. It's important that the third group and the harvest families will get back to Tyr safely and that requires the use of the Force."

"I want Luke to fly the Falcon, Liane, and I've heard that Yarnick has asked Wedge to take the Grannd Traveler to Tyr." Han said.

"That's right. I will take the Astræga to Tyr. Probably master Cornell and his family member will fly back with our ship." Liane said.

Meanwhile the cargo ramp of the Grannd Traveler had risen and the sound of the starting engines became so loud that further talk was impossible. Han watched as the freighter started to hover, increased speed and rose above the plains. A boost of energy of the sublight engine let the ship rise higher and higher.

The whole community waved goodbye as the freighter was rising ever further in the sky above Palomintar Four. The image of the ship became smaller and suddenly vanished.

"They have gone into hyperspace very soon, master Skywalker," A small voice side. "Now my friend has gone."

'He'll come back, Lorann. Don't let your emotional feelings overwhelm you.' Luke answered through the Force.

"I know I shouldn't be sad, master Skywalker, but I have a bad feeling about master Kenobi's departure." the young Quelan boy said.

"You come with Shaayla-Car and me to the Falcon. Han and Chewie want us to keep them company for a while." Luke said.

Lorann followed Luke and Liane and was surprised when he entered the control room of the Falcon where Han and Chewbacca were already playing a game of Holo Chess. Amazed Lorann looked at them. Han looked up and grinned at the boy.

"There is nothing better to de-stress, Lorann, then to play a game with a friend who always wins," Han said and made ordered one of his pieces to move.

"Now you're losing that piece, master Solo." Lorann commented.

"I know, kid, and I'm losing this match, but in exchange I get a cheerful companion. If Chewbacca wins he is the best pal I can have now that my wife is gone." He answered.

"She'll come back soon, master Solo, as will the other two Jedi Knights." Lorann said with more convincing in his voice than he felt.

"I'm also sure of that, Lorann. The only question is: how soon?" Han said with a lopsided grin.

Lorann looked at Luke and Liane.

"Aren't you worried about master Kenobi, miss?" Lorann asked Liane.

"I'm worried about all of them, Lorann, but I have to rely on their Force skills. They are Jedi Knights. Their strength lies in foreseeing what lying ahead, so they can anticipate at any danger."

"Or anticipating on a more cheerful event," A voice said.

"Hey, Wedge, you joined us just in time to make sure that our young friend also will have something cheerful to look up to." Luke said. "Lorann, tell me what would you want to do today?"

Lorann's answer was interrupt, because Han commented on the movement of one of his pieces.

"No, Chewie, that was a fair move. Yes, pal, I know I took your piece, but look at you. You have taken five of mine," Han said aloud. "You will win, pal, for I have only two pieces left and I fear I will lose both shortly."

Chewbacca grumbled and activated one of his pieces which immediately terminated the life of one of Han's last pieces. He looked cheerful. Lorann looked at the Wookiee with a grin.

"Chewbacca, master Skywalker surely know what you love. You always want to challenge some one to play holo chess with you."

"That's right, Lorann," Han remarked, making the last possible move and losing his last piece.

Lorann looked at Luke.

"Shall we play hide-and-seek, master Skywalker. I love to do it, and master Antilles surely know how to play it using Altos sopor."

"Master Antilles wants to do something else, Lorann." Luke said. "What else do you like to do very much."

"Running as fast as possible, master Skywalker. I haven't done that since we have come to Ribana."

"Fine, then let's practise a endurance run. The Astræga stands near the foothills. Show me who is faster, you or master Antilles?" Luke said on a challenging tone.

"Master Antilles and I have run together uphill to the plateau on Tyr, but it wasn't challenge, for we met Chati on the plateau. She had ran uphill first."

"Shall we go outside, Lorann?" Wedge asked. "I want to run against you."

"Really, master Antilles. Do you really want me to run against a Jedi Knight?"

"You have done that more than once, Lorann. You have outrun two Jedi Knights so far." Wedge said and winked at Luke. "Come on, Lorann. See who can reach the Astræga first."

Wedge, Luke and Lorann left the control room and exited the Falcon. Luke pointed at his ship which was hardly visible near the foothills of the mountain ridge. Wedge grinned at Lorann.

"Shall I allow you a head start, Lorann?" He asked.

"No, I don't want to be privileged, master Antilles, because I'm only a Force-user and not a Jedi Knight."

"Bravo, Lorann. Are you two ready, ... then go! "Luke said with a cheerful grin.

Lorann ran away, zigzagging between the harvesters' tents which were still occupying the agricultural area around Ribana. Wedge followed the boy and caught up with him behind the harvesters' tents. Luke watch them go, before he also started to run, but he took a different route and followed the path that led up to the waterfalls which were pouring down from the main cave. He reached the foothills, turned left, reached the Astræga, before Lorann and Wedge arrived almost simultaneously, and lowered the cargo ramp. Both challengers ran onto the cargo ramp and entered the control room. Lorann beamed and burst out laughing.

"You won, master Antilles, but it was great fun to do this. Shall we run back to Ribana now?"

"Later on, Lorann. Strap yourself in, for Luke is already starting the engines of the ship. We're going to make a flight to Tyr, so you can pay your friends the Urams a visit. I'm sure that they are wondering why you and Chati haven't been in the nut forest these last days."

Astounded Lorann looked at Wedge Antilles.

"Wow, was that what you want to do, master Antilles, but then you haven't told Chati."

"Chati is helping her mother and her aunt at the vineyard."

"And miss Kenobi? She is still with master Solo and Chewbacca."

"Shaayla-Car wanted to stay with Han Solo, Lorann."

"Because general Solo doesn't like it that his wife is gone, but he doesn't want anybody to know?"

"Good thinking, Lorann. Now strap in, for Luke wants to lift off for our short flight to Tyr." Wedge said, as he took a seat next to the your Quelan boy. As the Astræga had rose above the surface, Wedge took off his strap and told Lorann to do the same. He took Lorann to the cockpit of the Astræga and told Lorann to take the co-pilot seat. Luke maneuvered the ship so that Lorann got a better view of landscape of Myr. They had crossed the river and Lorann craned his neck to watch the two waterfalls which pushed their water flow through a canyon before it flowed into the riverbed west of Ribana. Luke circled above the main cave and followed the water flow to give Lorann a good view.

Both Jedi Knights watched him and looked pleased at each other as they sensed how intense Lorann was taking up what he saw. The boy didn't speak, but his eyes shone brightly.

Luke turned the Astræga and fed the navi-computer with the coordinates of landing spot on Tyr. The computer made a slight correction and Luke turned to Lorann who pointed to the wild lands below.

"Those are the wild lands, master Skywalker. I can't find the four cabins which led up to the mountains were my father and my brothers have worked. I went there with grandpa and master Kenobi, for his sister told him that he should join us. At first he didn't want to, for he wanted to stay with her, but she insisted that he should go with us. I'm glad she does, for she already knew that her brother could cure grandpa's wounds. Master Kenobi is also a Jedi healer, but I think, that at that time he didn't really believe what his sister was telling him."

Meanwhile the Astræga flew above the western harbor and began to cross the ocean between Myr and Tyr.

"The weather is getting worse. My father never crossed the water during the bad season."

"Those hover pulse boat doesn't touch the ocean surface, do they?" Wedge asked.

"No, but there also dangerous gusts of wind during the bad season. They could topple the boats, my father told Filann and Cemall, and grandpa said that my father is right. During the bad season he never went to Tyr."

The Astræga came within reach of Tyr and Luke took the yoke again as the ship plunged into the cloud layers. Fascinated Lorann watched the swirling clouds which were engulfing the ship. For a moment he looked aside to Luke and saw that the Jedi Knight had closed his eyes. Although he wanted to keeping watching the approach of Tyr he also felt a need to close his eyes and tune in on the Force. As he did he felt completely enthralled as the swirled cloud layer seemed to have become transparent. Below it him saw a landscape which normally was hidden from view because of the mountain ridge separated it from the plains behind Cantamaga. Being one with the Force he saw the gorge coming up and he noticed that Luke pushed the wings in vertical position. For a moment it became darker, but then the Astræga had passed the gorge and Luke landed the ship as close as possible near Cantamaga. He stopped the engine and rose.

"Come, Lorann. We will take the speeder to get to the nut forest. Your little Urams friends are certainly waiting for you."

"Before we left, master Skywalker, you have helped Chati and me to fasten several strings of nuts among the trees."

"I'm sure that the Urams have made use of those nuts, Lorann, but I'm also sure that they will love it to see you again."

"Do you believe that we will meet those Urams leader and his brother and sister again, master Skywalker."

"Maybe, now let's go, my friend and I will accompany you while you're meeting your Uram friends." Luke said.

Before Lorann stood up, he turned to Wedge.

"Thank you, master Antilles, for doing this. I have been thinking of the Urams after I have come to Myr, but you already knew that, don't you, for a Jedi Knight always knows all the hidden wishes of other species." He said.

"You and Chati have been both worrying about the young Urams, but now that the nuts on the tree are theirs again, your young friends will have enough food supply again." Wedge answered.

They left the Astræga and drove with the ship's speeder to entrance of the nut forest. Luke stopped the speeder at path and he, Wedge and Lorann entered the clearing on foot. They hardly had entered the nut forest of quite a number of young Urams flew down, making a loud noise. Lorann beamed and started gathering as many nuts as he could find among the vegetation. He made several large heaps of nuts around him as he sat down cross-legged on the forest floor. The young Urams came over to him as Lorann held out both hands with fallen nuts. They eagerly began to swallow the nuts.

Wedge and Luke watched the young Quelan boy who was surrounding by young Urams of different ages.

Lorann kept feeding his special friends until most of them were flying up among the trees again, only three younger Urams stayed behind. They came closer and allowed Lorann to stroke the feathers on their head, before they also flew away.

Lorann rose and looked up to the trees. He pointed to the five long strings among the lower branches of the nut trees.

"They are empty, master Antilles. The Urams have managed to eat them all. I will tell Chati, but I hope that it has been enough."

'It was, young friend.' A voice sounded. 'There are now enough nuts growing on the trees again.'

Lorann became one with the Force and looked at the end of the clearing.

'I'm very glad to know, master Oltomyran, for Chati and I were worrying.' He communicated through the Force

'You shouldn't do anymore. There's enough food for the Urams now. The two of you should now pay full attention to what lies ahead for you. We thank you for all your help; you will always be a friend of the Urams and welcome to enter the nut forest when ever you want.'

There was a rustle of wings, and then it became quiet. Lorann looked up at the two Jedi who both had put a hand on his shoulders.

"One day, Lorann, you will come back here," Wedge said, "Not as a harvest man, but as a Jedi Knight, and the Urams and their leader will always recognize you. He just has said goodbye to you, so you can focus your mind on your future, but it isn't a goodbye for forever. Like your grandfather the Urams will always be your friends."

"Saying goodbye to friends isn't easy, master Antilles." Lorann said in a small voice.

"It's one of the trials a padawan has to face, Lorann, for one day you to have to realize that once you have become a Jedi Knight, that the close relationship which existed between you as a padawan and your Jedi master will dissolve as you have become your master's equal. The relationship at was, will never exist again and that bring much emotional pain. To pass that trial you have to show that you can channel those sadness feelings into a peaceful mind, for the Jedi creed say that there is no emotion, there is peace."

Lorann looked at the two Jedi Knight very seriously, after which he nodded.

"Saying goodbye to some one who has been near to you; your family members, a close friend, or your Jedi master brings emotional feelings, Lorann. A fully-fledged Jedi finds he strength in the Force."

"Have you ever felt that sad?" Lorann asked both of them.

Wedge nodded.

"I have lost my parents, Lorann, because the imperial forces accused them of collaboration with the Rebel Alliance. They have been executed. I also had similar feelings after Luke initiated me as a Jedi Knight. I took me sometime to realize that Luke wasn't my master anymore, that I have to look at him what he always has been: a true friend and my peer as a Jedi Knight."

Lorann looked at Luke and sensed that the Jedi Knight had encountered numerous emotional losses.

"I think, I understand, what you're telling me, for I shouldn't feel sadness that master Kenobi's has left. I have to accept and cope with his absence until he returns." Lorann said thoughtfully. "For he will return, master Skywalker, which is a very good thought after all."

Luke put his arm around Lorann's shoulders.

"During the Civil War, Lorann, Wedge and I have lost numerous fine friends. Every loss has been painful and brings a disturbance in the Force. During the war it was impossible to mourn all those losses, but after the war was over there have been many moments when I have reminded those which have been important to me: my uncle and aunt with whom I grew up; Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi my first master, my lifelong friend Biggs, my Jedi master Yoda and my father Anakin Skywalker who died in my arms on the second Death Star, and many others.

Among the Quelan community there are also many Quelans who have lost family members and friends during the illegal occupation of Myr." He said.

Lorann nodded.

"That's true, master Skywalker. Have you heard about what happened when we finally arrived at Tyr?"

"Yes, we know, Lorann."

"My brother Filann is still suffering of what happened at that time. He still mourns the loss of a girl who he had befriended while we're trying to reach the western harbor. He didn't tell anyone about it, but the memory of her is always with him." Lorann said.

Luke and Wedge looked at Lorann, but didn't comment on the boy's words. They walked over to the speeder with Lorann. As they drove away Lorann looked back to the entrance and raised his hand as a greeting, but he said nothing.

They got back to the Astræga, where Wedge took the pilot seat as Luke took Lorann to one of the guest quarters of the ship. He slit the door aside and showed the boy the space.

"The oncoming days I want you to work out what you want to take with you, Lorann. Shaayla-Car and I will take care of all the furniture that is needed, but you have take your personal belongings with you while we're taking you on our first journey to Tatooine."

"That's the planet you grew up, didn't you, master Skywalker."

"I did, but Shaayla-Car and I will tell you a lot more about the planet while we have gone into hyperspace." Luke said and went back with him to the cockpit of the Astræga where they saw that the ship was already nearing Ribana again.

After their landing Luke to care to bring Lorann to Manall who thanked his friend for giving his grandson a wonderful farewell of his Uram friends.

Liane listened to Luke and Wedge who were telling her about their visit with Lorann to the nut forest for a last goodbye of the Urams. They were still sitting in the control room of the Millennium Falcon and not only Liane was surprised also Han and Chewbacca expressed their amazement.

"I hardly can imagine, Luke, that that boy really is the offspring of Cornell and his wife. They are so down to earth, no-nonsense people. " Han commented after Luke and Wedge had finished.

Chewbacca also grumbled a comment.

"That's right, Chewbacca, Manall is also a Force-user, so the boy might have inherited the influence of the Force from him." Luke said.

"How does he know, that Iljon's death has saddened Filann so much. He was a four-year old boy when he arrived on Myr. It can't be that he has seen what happened. The Urams attack certainly has been covered up for most of the young Quelans while they grew up on Tyr. Even Filann and Cemall were kept away from the burial ground where the fifty victims had been buried. It was master Manall who has recently brought Filann to that small grave yard, because Filann insisted he needed to visit Iljon's grave. We know it was Anddra, Iljon's twin sister, who took the initiative to plant the nut Filann had gathered to fulfill his penalty." Liane said pensively.

"Lorann said that he sensed that Filann is still mourning Iljon's death. Do you think that's true, Shaayla-Car?" Luke asked.

"Lorann probably has given his interpretation of the past. I don't sense any serious sadness in Filann's mind about what has happened to Iljon. Yes, he regret her death, but at the moment he is infatuated with Anddra."

"What Lorann said about his brother could be an indication that Lorann might indeed be a Jedi seer. What do you think, Wedge?"

"The boy's way of thinking is highly remarkable. At some moment he shows too much emotional feeling, but after has done a thorough thinking he easily manages to ease his mind. It's my idea that he is doing great to channel his emotions into a more peaceful way of thinking. When we left the nut forest he was at peace with himself." Wedge remarked.

"A Jedi seer can interpret the past, the present and the future. If Lorann possesses those Force skills he will be become an important Jedi Knight one day." Luke said carefully.

Han looked at his brother-in-law.

"You should take that boy as your padawan learner, Jedi master Skywalker. He needs your guidance that's what I think you should do."

Luke shook his head.

"Lorann has chosen his Jedi master, Han. He certainly would accept the guidance I would give him, being his master, but my relationship with him would miss the true depth that is needed between a master and his apprentice."

"I thought that a Jedi master chose the padawan, Luke. How can you say that Loran has chosen that Ian will be his master." Han objected.

Luke smiled.

"You're absolutely right, Han, and Lorann hasn't chosen Ian as his master, for that not the way it has to be, as you pointed out. What I mean is that there is a strong Force bond between Ian and Lorann and I expect that Ian one day will ask me, if I will accept him, being Lorann's Jedi master. If I agree, it will be Ian to ask Lorann to become his apprentice, but Lorann has already told Ian that he will wait until Ian feel ready to become a Jedi master."

Han grinned.

"I don't see the difference, kid. Lorann will wait for Ian, and as soon you think that Ian is ready to take a padawan, Ian will ask Lorann to become his padawan, while they both already know how their future relationship will be."

"My brother has to be convinced that he will give Lorann the exact necessary guidance that is needed to raise Lorann to knighthood, Han. As long as Tama-Hin doesn't want to bear the responsibility for Lorann's future as a Jedi Knight, he won't ask Lorann to become his padawan learner. My brother needs to be sure of what is needed to be a Jedi master and what knowledge is needed to fulfill such a difficult task."

Han looked at Liane and started laughing.

"Do you know what I'm thinking about now, Miss Liane Solichor Shaayla-Car Kenobi? Oh, I know what I'm about to say is nonsense, but when I listen to you, I get the impression that you have already trained multiple Jedi apprentices, even though you always say that you never really had a Jedi Master yourself."

"That is right, Han, and I still regret that Luke was never a true Jedi Master to me. If I have to name someone I consider my master, it is primarily my adoptive father Darth Vader, who taught me to feel the Force in everything I did, and then Ben Kenobi, who guided me on Endor and Na'ctaMagh'Ba and convinced me that my future was different than I thought. Still, I must give Luke the credit for always showing me the path to becoming a Jedi Knight, because without his unwavering faith in my abilities, I probably would never have become convinced that I could be a servant of the Good side of the Force."

"And when did you really become convinced that your future was to serve the Good Side of the Force as a Jedi Knight, Liane," Han asked interrogating.

Liane was silent for a moment. Luke and Wedge watch her and Chewbacca grumbled something inaudible.

"When I had read my father's diaries, Han. At that moment I realized that I couldn't disappoint my parents." She said pensively as she also looked at Luke who shook his head.

"You already has accepted your future as a Jedi Knight, after master Yoda told you that both your parents had been Jedi Knights, darling. After your talk to him I clearly sensed the change in your mind; you may not have been aware of it, but Master Yoda's revelation has set you on the Jedi path."

"It also could have been after you confirmed that you and I were eternal partners in the Force, a Force dyad, Luke." Liane commented and smiled serenely, "Whatever the moment has been, I have fulfilled the obligation I felt after I had read Ben's diaries, but all this talking about me has distracted us from our original subject, being the future prospects of Lorann Radilan as my brother's padawan learner. It's up to my brother and you, Luke, to decide when that will happen. And now, Han Solo, I want a drink and something to eat, for while Luke and Wedge were visiting Tyr with Lorann, we have done a lot of talking together about your past and how thankfull you still are, because I have shown you the right way to go back to Leia, but all in all you're really a very bad host. I'm starving, Han, so it's really time to offer all of us some refreshments."

Chewbacca grumbled a long agreement with Liane words.

"I expect that Threepio and Artoo will come up with our meals shortly," Han said, "so you have to wait for their arrival."

Chati looked at herself, wearing her old clothes.

"I don't want you to wear your Jedi apprentice clothes and that light saber, while you're her, Chati," Udine said. "Those clothes has to be kept proper. While you are helping your aunt and me with the cleaning you have to wear clothes which might get dirty."

Chati nodded.

"I hope that master Antilles will share your vision, mother?"

"Oh, he certainly will."

"It could be, that he will come to the vineyard building and wants to do some training."

"If he does, you can change cloths, of course. Now come with me, for I want the rooms of Talann and Ronan be thoroughly cleaned. They now sleep in tents with Dolann and Tribann, but I want to sleep in a proper way. Probably also Tribann will sleep in the vineyard building again."

"Can I get my old room back, mother. It was such a lovely space, looking out on the road that leads to the mountain ridge."

"You surely can, my dear, but I think that your master will soon take you to other places to continue your Jedi training." Udine said.

"That still a long way off, mother, because there need to be enough Jedi Knights to fly to and fro between Myr and Tyr. My master told me that Ben and Shaayla-Car will stay at Ribana as long as those six brothers haven't come back. Their ship and that of general Solo and probably also Ben's ship are needed to transport us back to Tyr for hopefully a last time." Chati said.

"There is still a lot to do here on Myr, Chati. Not everything has been restored yet."

"That's right, but I like it that the harvest families are now living in Rbana too. My master says, that it will be a change for them."

"It won't, for they already lived among us at Cantamaga. Master Manall, their leader is right. They are Quelans, like us, but in the past I sometimes had the idea that they thought they were different, even better than those Quelans that lived in Ribana. It felt humiliating, Chati, for my sister and I are the governors' wives. Not that those harvest mens' wives were unkind, when I met them on the market at the Main Plaza, but I often felt that they thought they were superior to us. Annoying, highly annoying. I have often talked about with your father and your uncle, but they always said that I was imagining things. They couldn't convince me, when I feel that something isn't right, then there is something wrong."

Chati started laughing.

"You're right, mother, but shall we start cleaning my brothers' rooms, otherwise we're still here talking when Cemall and his friends will have dinner with us. Is it true that Dolann's future wife Yvingi and her sister are sleeping here."

"Yes, Carmona and I have cleaning the room she and Mugin are using. Carmona has brought her bed to the our room, for as long as we haven't all returned to Ribana, your father and master Kamalin will stay in the administration building at night. My sister's daughter-in-law is a nice woman, but I agree with her parents that it wasn't a good plan to let her and her sister sleep in those tents among the young boys. As long as Dolann's house isn't ready they should be more careful, while staying together. "

Meanwhile Chati had pulled her mother to her brothers' two rooms on the first floor and started cleaning the room. To her surprised there was already a good bed in Talann's room. Udine saw her looking at it.

"This is the room where Shaayla-Car slept while she was master Luke's so-called padawan." Udine said snorting, "From the beginning I had the feeling that something wasn't right between those two, and in the end I was right. They didn't want to admit that they had plans to marry, because they first wanted to help us, returning to Myr." Udine said.

Chati looked in amazement at her mother.

"When I saw them kissing each other I knew I had been right, and I told your father to talk with Shaayla-Car and master Luke. He had to convince them to tell our community that they had kept their wedding plan secret, because they want to marry here in Ribana when all the residents from Tyr are living here again."

"Do you want this bed with its covering to stay here, mother," Chati asked.

"Yes, the mattress is excellent and I have asked for a pillow, new sheets and blankets. Your father has promised me that in Ronan's room he also will looked for a bed and coverings, but beds, mattresses, sheets, and blankets are highly sought after. He hopes that when those six brother return they will have many more beds with them."

"When we're dismantling our house on Tyr we will have beds enough, won't we?"

"Sure, my dear, but I'm looking forward to have much of our other furniture brought here. The rugs, the armchairs, couches, our dining table, curtains and many sideboards to store things. Talann certainly wants a closet for his clothes and all the items he has collected while we were living on Tyr. Did I tell you that Talann has asked master Manall, if he can be trained as a harvest man, and I hoped that he would help here in the vineyard. It's lucky that Cemall seems to love working here. He is a harvest man as are his friends."

"They aren't mother. Yes, Cemall has been in the nut forest with his father and his brother to gather the first fallen nuts. His seven friends have never been harvesting nuts and there are still rumors that the nut forest is a dangerous place." Chati commented.

"Maybe you should tell those fellows what the nut forest looks like. You've been there often, Chati. I'm sure they will believe you."

Chati got a fit of laughter.

"I already here their answers, mother: Oh, Mayan has done something difficult again. Yeah, but we don't believe you, Mayan. You're making up thing, as you always do. No, thanks, mother. I would love to go into the nut forest again, for there is no danger any more, but I will refrain to convince other of my opinion."

Udine looked at her daughter and laughed.

"Your master have already taught a wise lesson, Chati. You always became upset, because others didn't believe you. Well, keep your experiences to yourself and only talk about them, if some one asks you. I believe that the nut forest is a safe place, since the eldest son of master Cornell has made a covenant with those fierce birds. We can take the fallen nuts, but we have to leave the nuts in the trees for those birds. Maybe you should ask Lorann to make a drawing which we remind you of your visits in the nut forest. That young friends has a great talent. I have already asked him, if we could get a copy of the drawing he made of the vineyard building as we saw it when we first came here and after we had done some first clean up. I have heard that many others also want to copy of the drawing he made of their house. He didn't promise he would do, for he is going to accompany master Luke and Shaayla-Car on several journeys to other planets. I think it's great that master Luke shows concern for Lorann, for he was such good friends with Shaayla-Car's brother Ian."

Chati laughed again.

"When I hear you talking, mother, you're still listening to the many rumors that goes around in our community, but I hope that you listen and not make up some stories yourself."

Udine looked pensively at her daughter.

"I've learned a though lesson, Chati, and I promise myself that I need to stick to facts and not gossip."

"That's good, mother, for you, as the governors' wife, are an important Quelan woman. Others should look up to you and know that like father you're representing our government."

"Sure, Chati, for it's also important that I keep realizing, that one day my daughter will be a Jedi Knight, and that's something no one else in our community can say."

To be continued...