Chapter 159

"What a beautiful piece, Filann. Look at that framed mirror. I'm sure my mother would have liked it. Those are things which weren't often available in the past. There were only things to buy after some traders had bought parts of our harvest and products. My father earned credits by selling the fresh harvest of our berry bushes on the market in Ribana. He was always pleased when he came home to the farm and told us that he had no fresh berries left. My mother bought the things we needed as she visited the market together with my father. But I can't recall that they bought furniture or other things to furnish the rooms. My father had made most of the furniture himself, or with the help of the harvest men, if they were on Myr. It's such a shame that all that beautiful furniture has been looted from every one. It will take some time for most of us to make our house a place again where we feel at home."

She looked up at Filann who was accompanying her.

"I would like to have all the furniture of my little house on Tyr to be transported to the farmhouse. Most of the things I can put to use here as well. Do you think that the governors will make arrangement for all of us, Filann?"

"They will, Anddra, and you should certainly use your furniture from Tyr to make the living room as cozy as it's there." Filann said. "This is all very beautiful, and our community should be grateful for all these gift, but we have our own style to furnish our houses. My mother is very precise with that. She only adds furniture to a room if she fully content with it."

"She and your sisters have to sleep in the harvesters' tent while doing the cleaning of their house in Ribana. Have you already saw it?"

"No, I haven't. I'm not going to live with my family again." Filann said, and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm an adult now. I want to make a life of my own."

Anddra smiled and grabbed his arm as she heard the surly tone in his voice.

"Have you seen a couch with would fit our liking for the time being?"

"I have. Come I'll show you." Filann said and took her with him to a part of the tent where the larger objects were stored. He pointed to a long couch.

"That one would be nice combined with the armchairs and the coffee table."

"It's large. Do you think it will fit?"

"It does, trust me. It's not in one piece." Filann said and walked over to the couch. He lifted the cushions and showed Anddra that the couch could be split in five parts.

"Each part can be use separately, but they also can be combined in any measure you like. What do you think? Maybe we could cover the cushion with some large plaids and small cushions."

Anddra looked up at him.

"You've a visionary look on furniture, Filann. Do you think we can ask for it?"

"As far as I can see, there no claim yet on this couch, so it free to get." He said. "I can transport it in two or three rides to the farmhouse. Do you really like it?"

"I do, where do we have to tell that we want this couch?" She said and looked around.

"Wait here, Anddra. I'll have a look who is charged distributing these gift." Filann said.

Filann walked away. While Anddra watch him go, she thought of the many days that had recently passed. All the rooms on the ground floor had been cleaned and Filann had plastered the wall of the room in cheerful colors, not overdone, and the results were just as she had imagined. He seemed to sense exactly what she liked. She felt happier than she ever had felt before. Her thoughts dwindled on the day after he has sold the house on Tyr. He had gone to Ribana, and she remembered that for a moment she had been afraid that would start looking for some business he wanted to do after the farmhouse would have been restored, but her fear had vanished as he returned with a speeder. Not a new one, it was a bit battered, but he was sure that it would last for a long time. He had explained to her, that they needed a vehicle to transport their future harvest to Ribana, that's why he had bought it. She had protested that he shouldn't spend all his credits on her behalf, but he had simply laughed at her protesting words, taking her in his arm and gently kissing her, saying that she deserved it to be a laughing happy woman. Thinking about all he had done, she didn't notice that he had gone back with two human friends.

"Anddra, you know master Solo already, and the other guy is master Thai. I'm told that he once has lived, against his will, with the one who occupied Myr. My grandfather has asked master Thai to coordinate the distribution of the gifts we have received from the government at Irithim in consultation with master Kamalin the chair of the Council of the Elders. We can take this couch to the farmhouse, if you want it. I don't have to ride several times, for master Solo will take care that the parts I can't take with me now, will be brought to the farm today, so we can put the parts together again the way we want."

"It's a good choice, Anddra Jecolin," Han said and pulled up one of the cushions. "This frame is made of tribudent wood. The one who once has ordered it must have had many credits on his bank account. It's handmade and indestructible, so you won't have to fear that you will eventually fall right through it. Maybe you will one day want to replace the cushions for new ones, but the frame underneath will remain solid forever."

Nori started to laugh.

"Han, you sound like a merchant of a furniture shop. Where did you get all this knowledge?"

"As a former smuggler I had to know my wares and my clients, Nori. Selling something like this couch wasn't my normal occupations, but every now and then I took this kind of cargo." Han said with a grin, "Well, Anddra, shall Filann and I bring this to the farm?"

Anddra nodded happily. Nori Thai took a data pad to register her choice.

"Have you seen anything else, ma'am?" He asked.

"Please, sir, call me Anddra, like every one does. Yes, are there some plaids and small cushions, for we would love to make the couch very comfortable."

Nori walked them over to another corner of the large tent where Anddra could make a choice of some plaids and cushions. Filann took her choice outside and loaded it in the speeder. Then he came back to consult with Han Solo how many parts of the couch Han could deliver to the farm. Han advised Filann to take all the cushion, so he could take care of the frames. Anddra thanked Nori Thai, who assured her that if she needed anything she and Filann should come over and make a choice of the free gifts.

Pleased she and Filann went to the loaded speeder. Filann took the wheel, after he had helped Anddra on the passenger's seat.

Han and Nori watched them go.

"There goes an impossible young Quelan adult who seemed to have found a new life for himself." Han commented.

"That young lady must have a good influence on him." Nori remarked, and Han nodded.

Anddra and Filann had hardly brought the couch cushions, plaids and the smaller cushion inside, when there was a knock on the door. Surprised Anddra opened the door and looked at a heavily loaded transport speeder. Han Solo stepped from behind the load and grinned at her.

"Nori and I have found two other parts of that couch. I'll bring you the cushions and also some fourteen arm rests that go with that parts. I'm sure that you and Filann can easily attach those arm rests on either side of a frame, or on the side of a combination of frames. Each frame can function as an armchair, but all sorts of other combinations are possible. Nori and I also discovered something special about these frames—but I’ll show you that once we’re inside with one of them. You’ve made an excellent choice."

Anddra turned around as Filann had walked over to Han and her.

"Master Solo just told me that there were two more frames with cushions to the ones we registered. He and master Thai also added all the arm rests which belongs to each frame. We now can make a couch of seven frames, but I suppose that it will be impossible to put that in the living room." She explained to him as she started to laugh.

Filann look good-humored at Han.

"I will help you to unload all this stuff, Han. We can put the frames and the cushion in the rooms on the ground floor. There's enough space to temporarily store all of it." Filann said and looked at Anddra.

"We have to rearrange the furniture I brought to you."

"Sure, Filann, but master Solo told me that he want to demonstrate something special about the frames. Can you put one frame in the living room. I wonder what it could be."

"Curious woman!" Han said with a big grin.

"Always, master Solo. So I want to see what's so special." Anddra remarked with a smile.

Filann help Han to unfasten one of the frames and took it inside the living room.

"Can you put the back rest cushion and those to sit on on this part." Han said.

Anddra hurried to room where Filann and she had stored the cushions. As she came back Han put the cushion in a proper way on the frame.

"Now it can be used as a single chair. Attached the arm rests and you have an armchair. Every frame can be attached to another one using the connection which also will fix the arm rest. It will be a piece of cake for you, Filann. But that's not all of it. Anddra, will you please take of those cushions again. Put them near the wall for a moment, will you."

Anddra took the two cushions and laid them aside. Han looked at her.

"Now comes the big surprise. Are you in for something unexpected?" He asked and took the back rest of the frame. He lifted it slightly and pulled it over to the other side of the frame. Han pressed the back rest down and a click secured the panel. Anddra looked in amazement at the new position of the frame. Han took the cushion and installed them.

"Now you're looking to the opposite side of the room. Very handy, when you don't want to talk to each other, right." He said laughing.

Anddra looked elated and grabbed Filann's arm.

"This is really great, don't you think. We should do a good thinking about where we want to put a couch of some of the frames. I thought to put it against the wall, but I have another idea, Filann. I will tell you, after we all have unloaded what master Solo had brought with him. I can't believe that we got this for free. Ever since you came to the farm, Filann, only good things have happened." She said and pressed her head against his arm.

They started to unload the transport speeder and Anddra organized the storage in the empty rooms. Finally Filann took the last frame, while Han brought the remaining arm rests inside. They looked at the stacked furniture and grinned at each other.

"I'm going back. You'll certainly managed, don't you?" Han said.

"Don't you want something to drink, master Solo," Anddra asked.

"No, not this time, but as soon as you have arranged your new couch you can invite me for a drink." He said and walked over to the speeder. Filann and Anddra laughed and raised their hands as a greeting before they went back inside.

They went back to the living room and looked at the single frame with the cushions which stood near the low windows. Anddra sat down and looked at the town down in the valley. Filann watched her, and Anddra looked up at him.

"I can assemble a couch in front of the window, then you can rest and enjoy the view of Ribana. It surely will be a great view now that the ion-power system is up and running again." He said.

"Don't you want to join me and enjoy the view, Filann?" She asked and Filann heard the teasing tone in her voice.

"How many frames do you want to make a nice couch?"

"Three, but if possible four, for then we can recline even better?" She answered.

"I have to see what fits. It a large room, so we also can keep the armchairs. The frames we can't use in the living room can make good chairs in the other rooms. Do you have an other idea, Anddra?"

Anddra shook her head and rose.

"It would be lovely to put the couch near the window, and when we will invited friends we can switch the back rests to sit together."

Filann grabbed her hands.

"You look so pretty, Anddra. I love to see you this way. Are you happy with what we took from those gifts."

He pulled her to him and Anddra put her face against his chest.

"I'm happy with everything, Filann," She murmured, "These wonderful couch elements, all the cleaning we have done, the speeder you bought, but I'm especially happy because you're still with me."

"This all is overwhelming you, isn't you?" Filann asked.

Anddra nodded still keeping her face hidden against his tunic. Filann put his hand tenderly against the back of her head and stroke the hair of her ponytails. Anddra had closed her eyes and enjoyed the soft strokes his hands made through her hair and along her back.

'I love you, Filann Radilan, and as soon as the Council has canceled your marriage with Sumall Pohinn, I want to give you all my love unconditionally.' She thought as she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Do you want to assemble the couch now, Filann, so we can enjoy sitting together watching Ribana already tonight?" She asked.

"It's an easy fix, so we can do it, before I will teach you how to finish the harvest broth which has been simmering yesterday," He said laughing.

They took two other frames from the rooms and Filann looked at the connection.

"That really easy," He said and clicked two frames to each other. Next he fastened the third frame. As he wanted to attach other frame Anddra held him back.

"Three frames is enough. Our couch shouldn't be too large, for then it isn't looking cozy." She said.

Filann took two arm rests and attached them easily on either side of the combined frames. He got three back rest cushions from their storage room, while Anddra followed him with the seating cushions, two large plaids and five smaller cushions to make the couch look comfortable.

As they had finished their work they looked at each other and sat down on their new acquisition. They both laughed.

"Look, Filann, we can see the whole of Ribana when we sit here." She said and shifted a bit closer to him. "Now we can sit here every evening together like we did in the living room of my house on Tyr."

"I will make a small square table, a kind of cube, where we can put on a drink or so, which you put in front of the couch. Do you have an idea what you want to do with the other frames."

"Yes, can you assemble them two by two. I want to place them near the wall of room, and the two armchairs you have brought can stand on both sides of those two small couches."

"There will be a lot of seating, Anddra. Are you expecting so many visitors?" Filann said teasingly.

Anddra shook her head.

"Not immediately, of course, but I hope to marry one day and have a nice family, like my parents had. I want to have several kids, but more than two and while they grow up I need to have enough seatings for all of them." She answers.

"You want to marry?" Filann asked.

"Sure, Filann. All the years on Tyr I had to take care of my blind mother. I'm twenty-two now, and as soon as I will have the farm up and running I'm going to find myself a nice, and kind Quelan man in Ribana to become my husband."

Filann silenced and look at Anddra who seemed to look at him with a teasing glance in her eyes.

"I'm going to assemble the other frames," He finally answered as he left the room to get the next frames. It didn't took him much to fix the other two smaller couches. He put the cushion on the frame and shove them against the wall. Anddra showed him how she would like to place them. Filann put the two armchairs on both sides and looked at her.

"You said you want to make a cube like small table to put in front of the couch. Can you make two of those cubes. I would like to put one between the smaller couches with a bowl of fruits or flowers on top. The coffee table can stay where it is now. This looks nice, don't think."

Filann nodded, but remained silent again.

"Do you want to finish the harvest broth with me?" He asked.

"Sure. For next time I want to surprise you and make it myself." She said.

Yarnick looked at the three Jedi who were leaving the Grannd Traveler to join the briefings about the mission to Lumeara.

"May the Force be you all," He said, "My brothers and I hope to see you all soon back on Palomintar Four. You should let the others know, when we should pick you up after you've returned at Irithim.

The three Jedi brought an official Jedi salutation, before they left. The six traders watched them go.

"They are skilled in a way we don't understand," Conor said, "but still it feel awkward to see them go. I don't know what to think about this mission after Yarmod Martan told us about his nine months experience with the Lumearanian leaders. What I've heard didn't sound very inviting."

"That's right, Conor, but we also know that those three can contact the ones who stayed behind on Myr. That's reassuring, right?" Bran commented on his brother's word.

Conor shook his head.

"I can't tell, fellahs, but I'm not feel any reassurance. I have a strange feeling that this diplomatic mission to establish a new relation with the Lumearanian leaders might turn out then the Supreme Chancellor has in mind," He shook his head again and turned to the others. "We'd better load our stuff and return to Palomintar Four, as we also want to pay Jarosho a visit at Ktafunda. We have promised Han to be back as soon as possible."

"I have already send a message via Quoith to inform him that we have arrived." Yarnick said. "I'm sure that Leia will also send Han a personal message."

The six brothers went over to the secured section with cargo boxes and opened their protected box. They had to load the speeder several times, before the box had been emptied. Ronan and Bran went over to the registration desk to cancel their agreement. Yarnick and Brion went over to the briefing room to schedule their departure, while Kieran and Conor were busy strapping and fixing the cargo load.

Two standard hours later the Grannd Traveler left De'olon space port and set course to Palomintar Six. The trip would take some forty-eight hours and the brothers spend most of their time on board at leisure, talking about all that had happened after they had left Tatooine and went to the Palomintar System to give their former crew member Eilidh Grann their full support.

As they came out of hyperspace near the Palomintar System Yarnick requested a landing permit at Ktafunda space port. The well-known six brother were welcomed whole-heartily and shortly after their landing they were already on their way to Ktafunda's center where they easily found their way to Jarosho's house.

As Yarnick knocked the huge Kayvok opened up and dragged nearly all of them in a big hug.

"So great to see you all back in Ktafunda, guys. So you haven't forgotten old Jarosho?" He bellowed and pulled them inside. "What kind of business brings you here, pals?"

"We want you to make a wedding present for our sister." Conor said.

Yarosho frowned.

"You have a sister? I have never heard you talk about her. Is she a beautiful lady?" He laughed.

"She absolutely is, Jarosho," Brion grinned, "If it could have been possible I would have married her myself."

Jarosho shook his head.

"So you want me to make a wedding present for her and her future husband? Any idea. What are you thinking about?"

"Something special, Jarosho, something unique, a special piece with no other copy."

"That a lot of special wishes, folks, but tell me more about that future couple. She is your sister. What's her name, and what's the name of her future husband. Do they already have chosen a wedding ring, or has he given her an alliance ring?"

"Our sister's name is Eilidh Grann, but she also goes by the name of Liane Solichor, but you might know her, Jarosho, as Shaayla-Car Kenobi," Yarnick grinned and looked at the surprised face of the Kayvok.

"Your sister is Shaayla-Car Kenobi. I don't believe that, Yarnick Grann. You and your brothers are lying to me." He boomed.

"We're not, Jarosho, but she has been our adopted sister, and has traveled with us for more than a year. We named her Eilidh, for when we met her she couldn't tell us her real name as the forbidden imperial mind drug had wipe out her memories."

Yarnick saw that Jarosho looked angry, but the gold smith opened the door to rear side of his house and shop.

"I'll get us some drinks and other refreshments. This is a story I want to hear. Tell me, she did get back her memories, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did, and afterwards she had a lot of strange adventures on Endor, on Tatooine, on Dalmaran and again on Tatooine and finally on Palomintar Four. During those adventures she came friends with Luke Skywalker," Kieran said grinning, "You probably know him, don't you, and after her adventure on Palomintar Four had ended successful, Luke Skywalker has proposed to her and our sister, now going by the name of Shaayla-Car Kenobi, didn't have to think over for answer and has happily accepted his proposal. Luke and she want us to be present at their wedding which will take place in Ribana on Palomintar Four."

"They will marry on Palomintar Four. Excellent. Guys, you will certainly give me a lift to that planet, won't you. I would love to be present at the wedding of the children of my old friends, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Who will officiate their wedding?"

"The governors of Ribana, Jarosho, Toallin and Mugin Fonaldris." Bran said. "Luke and Shaayla-Car are friends of them, because ...

But Bran didn't get time to finish his sentence.

"Toallin and Mugin Fonaldris, my old Quelan friends, are the governors of Ribana. They never told me?" Jarosho bellowed. "What a revelations you guys bring me. Now I'm certainly want to go to Palomintar Four."

"We'll take you with us, Jarosho, but their wedding won't take place at short notice, for several of their Jedi friends, including Luke's sister and Shaayla-Car's brother and his friend are on a mission with the Supreme Chancellor of the New Republic."

"Aren't they disappointed. Luke Skywalker bought her a beautiful alliance ring and together they have chosen their wedding rings. I had a long talk with them after I heard who they were.

But what did you have in mind as a wedding present for such famous friends, and how did you end up with them on Palomintar Four. The Palomintar System is absolutely not one of your normal destinations, pals."

"If you come with us to Palomintar Four, Jaroshoo, all of us, I mean: Luke, Shaayla-Car, Luke's friend Wedge Antilles, Han Solo and Chewbacca, and Ribana's governors, will tell you all what has happened these last eight years on Palomintar Four and how it has turned out for the good." Yarnick said.

Jarosho looked surprised, but then he slapped his fore head.

"I'm working on something special. It's not yet finished, but as there will be sometime before your 'sister' ha..ha..ha, is going to marry Luke Skywalker, I think this will be a wonderful present for them. Come with me."

He led them further into his workshop and took them to a work bench on which a square slab of gold was laying. Part of the already been engraved with the portraits of Luke and Shaayla-Car, but above their faces the slab was still pristine.

"I have to do a lot of work on it. Their faces are now engraved as I wanted it, but I want to engrave the faces of their fathers above them and in the background. You must know that I have fought under general Kenobi in the Clone Wars for a short time. I also met Anakin Skywalker there.

If you guys can take to Palomintar Four I could ask them if they have some images of their fathers and maybe also of their mothers. I think this will make a wonderful wedding present for them. I also could engrave the date and the place where they were married, so they will always remember."

"Jarosho, you probably intended this piece of art as a wedding present from you, don't you?" Conor asked.

"Yes, Conor, I wanted to surprise them if they would come to Palomintar Six again on their honeymoon, but as I said I can't recall the faces of their fathers, not to speak of their mothers who I don't know anything at all. Now that you are here I think it great to finish it, after I have spoken with them on Palomintar Four." Jarosho said. "Then it would be a great gift from you as their close friends."

"As you have put effort in it to make it, Jarosho, it would be better if we present it as a gift for us, but also from you. They will love it, for we have heard how they have appreciate their choices and the help you have given them with other purchases."

"If Jarosho will ask Luke and Shaayla-Car about imagines of their fathers they might expect something. They are Jedi Knights, remember," Kieran remarked. "I suggest that you talk to master Manall, Jarosho. He is the leader of the harvest men, but he has know Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker who have come to Palomintar Four several times during the Clone Wars. He probably will give you a good impression of those two Jedi Knights who you have known yourself."

"Lorann!" Ronan suddenly said. "While Jarosho should ask master Manall about his former friends he should ask Lorann to listen. That guy has a great inside view or imagination, or what ever you call it. He told me that he sees how the houses in Ribana must have looked like, before they all had to flee to Tyr."

Jarosho looked at Ronan.

"The inhabitants of Ribana fled to Tyr? When? What happened? Now I certainly want to see my friends Toallin and Mugin. They never told me how they came to Ktafunda, or why. Well, guys, you're arrival has given me a lot of inspiration. I'm going to pack some things to make impression of my old friends myself, but if there is another artist on Palomintar Four, I would love to make my acquaintance with him. Lorann is his name, right."

"Yes, and he is master Manall's grandson, and it seems that the Force is very strong with him. What we know is that Luke is considering to have him trained as a Jedi Knight one day?" Yarnick said.

"While you finish these refreshments I pack what I think I will need, and then we can go to the space port and to Palomintar Four. I have to admit that it's a long time ago that I left this planet, but I'm looking forward to see Luke Skywalker and Shaayla-Car Kenobi again. They are such a lovely couple."

Filann lay on his sleeping place in the attic of the farm house. He couldn't sleep, as over and over again he heard Anddra's voice in his mind, saying that she wants to marry a Quelan man from Ribana.

"Why have I been so stupid again to believe that she would love me. She has grown up in Ribana and it's obvious that she will chose one of the young adult men in Ribana to form a new house hold. Sumall had done the same to me, but she never told me. At least I know that my future plans are again shattered. I thought Anddra loved me, for every time I felt that she willingly accepted it as I kissed her."

He turned to the wall and tried to sleep, but sleep was far away. After several hours of tossing on the nagawa fleeces he rose and dressed himself. Silently he walked over to the window and opened it. He inspected the concrete gutter that ran underneath the window and saw that in front of the farm house there was a spot where he could reach the balcony of one of the first floor room. He put his equipment belt in the gutter and climbed out of the window. Carefully he pushed the window to a close and started to reach the balcony. There he jumped down and went over to the balcony rail. The jump to ground level was easy as he could use an extruding part of the kitchen to lower himself on to jump to the ground. He walked over to the speeder which he always parked at the beginning of the path just outside the fence. He threw his equipment belt on the back seat and started to push the speeder down the path. As he thought he was far enough from the farm house he jumped behind the wheel and started the engine.

Ribana was laying in the distance with only the street lit. Making as less noise as possible Filann crossed the outskirts. He avoided the main plaza and drove to one of the harvest mens' tents were the food ration were stored. He stopped the speeder and crept inside the tent, dead silent. He knew were every thing was stored and quickly he gathered enough ration for at least a month. He had decided to go the the campsite near the water flow and make himself a new living there.

'Father was right,' He thought, 'I'm going to live there permanently then I am not troubling any one. I also can keep an eye on the water flow and as a group of harvest men are coming for maintenance I can prepare their meals and I will hear news from Ribana. And when there will be a possibility to go back to Tyr I'm going to live in my grandfathers' former house and I will sometimes enter the nut forest and meet the Urams leader, but only when the Quelans won't be harvesting nuts. I also can visit Iljon's grave and I can plant fresh nut around it, so there will be a new nut forest one day.'

He loaded the rations in the speeder and drove off. The engine hardly made any noise, and for a moment Filann produced a slight smile.

'I've bought a good speeder. This one will serve me for years to come.' He thought.

As he reached the new river west of Ribana, he stopped and looked back. He saw that light along the path that led up to the farm house.

"Farewell, Anddra. Thank you for the nice moments we have had together. I hope you will find a nice, and kind Quelan man from Ribana to become your husband. Maybe one day I will visit Ribana again and meet you and your family. I wish you all the happiness you can get, for you deserve it." He murmured.

He turned left and followed the river bank to a spot where the river was creating a shallow place to the other side. Using extra lifting pulses he crossed the river and the western riverbank. Now he increased his speed and reached the wild lands before daylight appeared. He found the track that would lead him to the last cabin on the track and decided that he would stay there to get some sleep, as he began to feel tired.

As he had reached the cabin he hid the speeder at the rear side and entered. He quickly inspected the available emergency rations and brought half of them to the speeder. Once inside again he took a stack of nagawa fleeces and made himself a sleeping place.

As soon as he lay down he fell asleep, forgetting all what had happened.

It was sometime after noon when he woke up. He ate some nut bread and cold harvest stew, closed off the cabin and drove further into the wild lands to reach the cabin near the western harbor, where the path through the wild lands began that would bring him to the campsite. He estimated that he could reach the campsite in three days.

At the western harbor he would take his next rest and tomorrow he would cross the wild lands uphill and, if possible, reach the second cabin. He was sure that on the next day he could make himself an accommodation in one of the tree houses and prepare a good meal in the community tree house.

While driving along the track to the western harbor he convinced himself that he had made the right decision.

'I'm not fit to be loved by any one, so it's better that I get used to staying alone the rest of my life.' He thought.

In the panoramic meditation room Liane sat up with a jolt, and look around in the dark. She rose her hand to lit the light tubes and crept from under the nagawa fleeces.

Carefully she took her long night gown and descended the four steps to the exit of the room. Still feeling the unrest that had woke her up she reach the control room, switch on the lights and prepared a herbal tea for herself. With the mug in her hand she sat down on the couch and turned in on the Force to find her balance in the Force again.

In her Force meditation trance she saw a speeder driving among a forest. The speeder became smaller as it distanced itself and finally it disappeared from view.

She came out of her Force trance and drank the rest of the tea, and sensed that Luke had awakened too. He walked over to her and sat down.

"What's troubling you, naughty pixie?" He asked as he put his arm around her shoulder.

Liane frowned.

"I had a strange vision, Luke. A man was jumping from a house in the dark and next I saw him crossing the new river. He disappeared in the distance while driving the western plains behind Ribana."

"Did the Force show who he was?"

"No, what I was seeing where just fragments, not continuous events. I saw him jump of a house, but next he was crossing the river in a speeder, going to the western plains. There the images vanished. Luke, this feels not good. Tomorrow I have to find out if some of the Quelans have left the community and why."

"You saw a speeder disappearing. We could ask if there's a speeder missing in Ribana. My love, you're getting cold in this thin nightgown. You're shivering." He said with concern.

Liane shook her head.

"I'm not cold, Luke, I'm worried, for something has happened very unexpectedly. One of the Quelans has made a rash decision and has run off to the wild lands."

She closed her eyes again and Luke sense that she called on the Force again. Her trance became much deeper and suddenly she looked up at him.

"It's Filann, Luke. I saw him jumping off the farm house. Why has he left? Has he told Anddra. Luke, we need to go after him. We have to help him, for I sense how unhappy he felt. Unhappy and disappointed.

In how fast can we follow Filann, Luke. I feel that something has disturbed his emotional feeling heavily. He has made a decision which he might regret for he decided wrong."

Liane went over to the cockpit, but the surrounding trees made impossible to get a good view of the nightly sky. Luke had followed her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"We'd better get dressed. I know where Filann might be heading: the harvest mens' campsite. With the Astræga we can reached his destination fastre than he will." Luke said.

"We're using the Astræga? But is there a good spot to land?" Liane asked.

"There's a large flat clearing near the top. Han and Yarnick have landed there both with their freighters. I'm sure I can easily land the Astræga there. Come on, Shaayla-Car, we will stay in the Astræga there and watch him coming, then we can decide a next step. We shouldn't confront him immediately, but wait and see patiently what he's up to."

"I saw him disappearing in the direction of the wild lands, Luke, along the path that leads to the western harbor. There he will probably take the path to the campsite." She said.

"Those two trails the harvest men always have used through the wild lands. Filann is a harvest man. He knows those trails. "

They quickly put on their Jedi clothes, after which they both took their seat in the cockpit. Luke checked the map of Palomintar Four and found the coordinates of the campsite and the nearby flat clearing in the surrounding forest. He started the sublight engine and slowly the Astræga rose from the hidden valley. As soon as they had reached the sky above the trees, Luke fed the navi-computer with the found coordinates and the ship's nose turned in the direction of the northern mountain ridge.

Within less then an hour Luke landed his ship at the clearing at some distance of the steep path that led up to the campsite. Liane and he left the ship, and after having activated the ship's cloaking they went up the path and reached the campsite. Luke looked around and stretched with the Force. He nodded in agreement.

"No one is here, as I expected. It will take him a few days to get here. We're going back to the Astræga, Shaayla-Car. From there we can monitor his arrival, but there's still time to discuss what we have to do."

"What I have sensed, Luke, was a deep feeling of grief. He felt heartbroken. It feels like something happened between him and Anddra and that is why he left the farm in the middle of the night. Sounds odd, I know. I like Anddra a lot, but she still doesn't seem to fully understand what the impact has been of his failed marriage with Sumall Pohinn."

"That's right, and there also are the devastating memories of Anddra's sister Iljon's death." Luke commented. "We're going back to the Astræga now and stay vigilant the oncoming days."

They quickly descended the steep path and went over to the ship. After they had entered they activated the ship's cloaking they sat down in the cockpit and looked at each other.

"After tomorrow, one of us will have to be in the cockpit at all times to keep an eye on Filann's arrival." Luke remarked. "I don't think we can expect him already in the course of tomorrow. He surely will take some moments to rest, eat something and have some sleep. He's not a reckless guy, but still uncertain about what's laying ahead of him."

"Still he wants to find a future on Anddra's farm, don't you think?" Liane asked.

"Absolutely. Problem is that he is uncertain about what he feels for Anddra, and that's something he has to find out and make clear for himself. You and I see two young Quelan adults who have fallen in love with each other recently, but it's up to them to allow what they feel for each other. You have had a long chat with Anddra, Shaayla-Car, and I'm sure that it will benefit her, but it's not sure that she will be able to react the right way while working together on the farm and notice in time that Filann can interpreted her behavior in a different way. I have noticed that when she teases him, that he doesn't know if she means it, and that could lead to misunderstanding."

Liane looked at him and got a fit of laugher.

"Sounds like the many moments of misunderstanding between you and me, my love." She grinned.

"I can't remember, that we ever disagreed about anything," Luke said on a teasing tone.

"Well, I can," Liane said still laughing, "and as we have a whole day and night together before Filann arrives I will gladly remind you of the many misunderstandings between the two of us, master Skywalker."

"You're still a naughty pixie, Shaayla-Car Kenobi, but I'm really interested in what you want to tell me, so I can deny your words." Luke answered and pulled her to her feet. "As we have missed some hours of sleep, I suggest, that we are going to catch up on those hours of sleep now."