Chapter 53
uke watched out over the valley where the Quelans had founded their village in exile. He had taken a walk to piece together all the information he had gathered so far. There was the information Liane had told about Trevor Matrik, there was the experience Ian and Leia had had on Endor and there was his own experience in Ribana. Was Darth Golluth indeed the Sith Lord he said he was, or was he just pretending? Liane was convinced that Trevor couldn't have gained real knowledge of the Dark Side, but was that true? Could it be that, after Trevor had left Morantan, he had found another source to learn about the Sith lore? In that case, there might be another source of the Dark Side somewhere. However it was clear that Trevor wasn't a fully skilled Dark Lord yet. There seemed to be many lacks in his knowledge. For instance, Toallin and Mugin had told him, that Darth Golluth had threatened them with a stick that emanated electric bolts. That didn't look like he knew how to use the Force to generate those electric bolts from within. And how had Trevor chosen his new name? Golluth seemed to be an ancient Sith word, meaning plentiful, abundant. Had he chosen this name to indicate how much he knew of the Dark knowledge?
Luke sighed and looked down on Cantamaga. There were still a many of uncertainties, but he had to make a plan to liberate Myr and the town of Ribana of this unwanted occupier.
"I'd wish, I also had more men like those harvesters," He said aloud.
The day before yesterday Toallin, Han and he had gone to the community building of the harvesters. The outcome of their counsel had given him a good insight of the landscape around Ribana and the mountain ridge where Darth Golluth has founded his realm. The harvesters had told him that the mountain ridge was sufficiently stable. It had been more than a century ago that volcanic activity had caused the upheaval of the landscape and had changed the flow of the river. The harvesters had shown him rough maps of the other side of mountain ridge where a field of old lava flows had been formed, but they didn't know the locations of the origin of those flows. They only had told him that inside the mountain the temperature was hotter than normal. Could there be one or more underground lava flows? Could he make use of those flows of molten rock?
Luke rose and slowly walked to the top of the hill. He looked around. This continent of Tyr was peaceful and somehow the fugitives of Ribana had made themselves a new living, but Luke clearly felt that underneath the acceptance of the unavoidable, there was a smothering yielding to return to Ribana and their former way of life.
His other concern was the aggravation of the situation on Dalmaran. Although Liane was still living relatively safe in Mon Mothma's secret residence, Darth Golluth hadn't given up his search. He seemed to use every possibility to find her whereabouts. The intercepted illegal call confirmed his ongoing actions. Probably Darth Golluth had hired bounty hunters and had put a price on her head.
Fortunately he had been able to contact his friend Wedge Antilles and had asked him to come to Cantamaga as soon as possible. Wedge had been on a mission on Lumeara with his padawan Yarmod Martan. Their mission was finished and the Jedi commander was about to return to Irithim. He immediately had changed his plan, and had promised his friend and former Jedi master to set course to Palomintar Four.
Liane had also kept her promise to their agreement. She was using the pendant every day and Luke had to admit that he enjoyed those short moments of being together through the Force. He longed to get back to her and finally start the last part of her Jedi training.
For a moment Luke sat down on a rock and turned inward to clear his mind of all disturbing thoughts in a short Jedi meditation.
'There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos; there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force.
A Jedi has a peaceful mind and depends on knowledge.
He stays serene and in harmony with his surroundings.'
He rehearsed the old Jedi creed several times and let the Force flow through his body. The strain of his worries about Liane and the solution of retaking Ribana seemed to melt away. His mind became clear. It made him able to distinct all kinds of possibilities and look at them from all sides and different points of view, so he could find the right solution to solve the task he had undertaken. Refreshed he came out of his meditation, when he noticed a tremor in the Force.
'Luke, do you copy? Yarmod and I are nearing Palomintar Four,' Wedge's calm voice reached him through the Force.
Luke grinned, as his friend used the standard formula among pilots, now using it with the Jedi telepathy.
'You've made your way to Palomintar Four fast, Wedge. I'll be on the rendez-vous point to welcome you. You can put your ship next to the Astræa and the Falcon.' He said.
'Is there anywhere a breach in these clouds?' His friend asked.
'Concentrate on the coordinates I gave you. The Force will show you the right path. Underneath those clouds you can use visual scanning again.' Luke said.
'Roger, Luke. See you soon.' The voice of his friend answered.
Luke rose and stretched.
"Yes, Chati, what's the matter?" He asked, noticing that the daughter of Toallin was hurrying uphill.
The girl was out of breath.
"Take a few moments to catch your breath." Luke said and turned around.
"Master Jedi, I... think ... another space ... craft is ... nearing ... Cantamaga", she stammered.
Luke waited some moments to give the girl time to recover.
"That's right, Chati. Thank you for bringing me this message. Will you accompany me to the place where we landed our space ships."
"You're expecting some one?" the young woman said looking up at the clouded sky.
"Yes I am; I have asked a friend of mine to meet me here. So, let's get back to Cantamaga and join me to welcome another Jedi Knight."
"Your friend is a Jedi Knight like you, sir?"
"A very good one and a fine friend." Luke said with a smile and started to run down the slooping path, jumping and somersaulting at a fast pace. At first Chati tried to keep up with him, but she had to give up quickly. At the foot the hill Luke waited for her.
"You aren't exhausted!" she exclaimed, "How's that possible."
"One day you can do the same, Chati. I used the Force to support and extend my physical abilities." Luke said.
"I really want to learn everything from you, sir." Chati said, "I want to learn to be a Jedi, like you."
Chati accompanied Luke to the open plain outside Cantamaga where they had landed four days ago. They arrived just in time to see how another space ship passed through the narrow gap in the mountain ridge. The ship hovered above the plain to find sufficient space to land. The landing claws extended and several moments later the ship landed and the engines stopped. The ramp can down and Wedge Antilles and his padawan Yarmod Martan walked over to Luke and Chati. They both bowed before Luke, who answered their formal salutation. Chati looked in awe at the two new guests. Luke turned to Chati.
"This is Chati Fonaldris, governor Toallin Fonaldris' eldest daughter. Chati, meet Wedge Antilles and his padawan Yarmod Martan."
"Welcome to Cantamaga, sirs," Chati said, suddenly remembering that she was the representative of her people. She turned to Luke, with a thankful look in her eyes, as she had noticed he had introduces her to his friends with her full name.
"I'm going to tell my father that some new friends of you have arrived, master Jedi. They need a proper welcome and a place to stay." She said, greeted the newcomers politely and walked back to the village center.
Wedge, Yarmod and Luke watched her go. Wedge turned to Luke and grinned.
"Is she a female Quelan?" Wedge asked.
"That's right. I agree with you, that she doesn't really look very feminine. The way she dresses herself, is her way to provoke her fellow Quelans. They don't accept or have difficulty with her fearless behavior which is influenced by her Force potential," Luke said with a laugh.
"Will she be your new padawan, Luke?" Wedge asked.
Luke shook his head.
"In the future, maybe. Depends on her own commitment."
"Does she know, she is Force-sensitive. Did you tell her about the Jedi and the Force?"
"Yes, I had a nice chat with her about the Jedi Order, shortly after we'd arrived here. I am amazed how strong the Force is influencing her actions, but I still have to convince her parents and especially her mother about her possible future as a Jedi Knight."
"Who is going to guide her and be her tutor in the mean time."
"Her old teacher, Kamalin, a wise man, and strong with Force too. He has promised me to take her under his care, until I will decide who's going to take Chati as a padawan-learner and train her. Let's get to the center of Cantamaga. I'm sure you will like your stay here. Tomorrow we'll talk about the help I need. Leia, Han and Chewbacca are here too."
Wedge Antilles looked surprised.
Under the mountain ridge near Ribana Darth Golluth was looking with an infuriated face at the total chaos in his communication center.
"Who ordered you to take this apart completely? Are you out of your mind? What do you say; I ordered it. My communication center completely ruined."
He kicked several of the technical droids with his electropole walking stick, sending lighting bolts through their delicate machinery. Most of the droids collapsed on the floor which outraged their owner even more.
"Get up! Get back to work again and fix this mess," He screamed, but more than half of the fallen droids didn't show any sign of movement.
"These droids are entirely dysfunctional, sir," His protocol droid announced.
"I want my communication center put back in order," Darth Golluth snarled outraged.
"You shouldn't have lost your temper again, sir, "The protocol droid said.
"Don't tell me what I should do. You're no better than they are. Can they be fixed?"
The protocol droid deliberated with the four remaining tech droids.
"Sir, they can be fixed, but that means that the reassembly of your communication system will have to wait. The techs can't reassemble your communication center with only four fully functional droids. They need more hands. They also say, that we're running out of spare parts."
"Spare parts for what?" Darth Golluth snapped.
The protocol droid turned to the gibbering tech droids which were jabbering about their technical brothers.
"Almost everything, sir. Your bursts of outrage has damaged the holo display severely. We don't have a spare one. The techs had to use a display which is less sophisticated, the reparation of the blown up techs will take a lot of replacements of circuits which were intended to solve the problems of your communication system, and ...
"Enough. What about a short range communication? Can those techs get me a communication range to reach the Basilisaea?"
The tech droids beeped, shook their wobbling heads, debated with a stream of binary language, and confirmed Darth Golluth's wish.
"They say, that a communication range with the Basilisaea can be set up at short notice, sir," the protocol droid, "because that part of your system hasn't suffered that much damage."
Darth Golluth turned around, looked at the messy heap of droids and shrugged his shoulders.
"Get them to work at it right now. I need to reach the admiral of the Basilisaea as soon as possible," He grumbled and continued under his breath, "I will tell him ... no, I won't tell him, I'll just order him to bring me plenty of stock of new parts, and one of his best technicians."
He left the control room. His protocol droid followed at a safe distance.
The four remaining tech droids immediately started to work on their dysfunctional buddies and started to replace the parts that had been disrupted by the lighting bolts. They softly beeped their concern, but they succeeded to bring their broken fellows back to life again. Beeping on a wailing tone they withdrew all to restart their programming and charge their batteries, before they started to work on the short range communication system.
Toallin and Mugin welcomed Wedge and Yarmod cordially and ensured that their guests were housed in the same wing as the others. Han, Leia and Chewbacca greeted their old friends wholeheartedly.
After Wedge and Yarmod had refresh themselves the group mingled with the people of Cantamaga. Still the unexpected return of their old governors had heightened the spirit of the former inhabitants of Ribana. They all started to believe that a return to their old town would be possible in the near future. Wedge listened attentively to all the stories about the arrival of Darth Golluth and his troops and the flight into exile. Leia and Luke briefed Wedge and Yarmod about their own expeditions, missions and journeys and the knowledge they had gained about Darth Golluth. Wedge expressed his delight to see Han again and congratulated Han and Leia as he heard they had been married.
"I really have been away too long, I guess. Our mission on Lumeara took more time than I expected. We had to maneuver very carefully, but Yarmod and I succeeded in offering the Lumearanian government the credentials of the New Republic. The next step will be for Mon Mothma to send a real diplomatic mission to Lumaera. I think, that's more your speciality, Leia."
"What took you so long, Wedge. It's more than nine standard months ago since you left Irithim. Were there any particular problems?" Leia asked.
"The Lumearanian government and the people of Lumeara aren't very fond of the members of the Jedi Order, and the Rebel Alliance. Yarmod and I didn't reveal ourselves as member of the new Jedi Order. It seems that during the Clone Wars a group of Jedi Knights has wreaked havoc in their capital, resulting in a massacre of several thousand indigenous Lumeranians. I wonder if there are any reports in the Jedi archives which can tell us more about what happened. As a result the Lumearanian government has long been a strong supporter of emperor Palpatine and the empire. After the fall of the empire the planet's loyal support has been completely forgotten and the inhabitants were left to their fate. They managed to keep up their way of living for five or six years, but then decline set in and finally the government had to ask the New Republic to run for help. Before I left, Mon Mothma told me that their request had come in very reluctantly. There's a lot of mistrust among the Lumearanian people and their leaders against the New Republic. Anyway, Leia, if you're going on a diplomatic mission avoid mentioning you're a Jedi Knight."
Wedge turned to Luke.
"By the way, Luke, what has happened to Liane Solichor, the girl we've defended against commander Dendicott? Has she been send back to Wegoyy?"
"We'll discuss Liane's whereabouts later, Wedge?" Luke said, looking a bit worried about Wedge's story about the Jedi and the Lumearanians.
Wedge nodded and didn't ask anything further.
The group went back to their guest rooms in the government building, opposite the private apartments of the families of Toallin and Mugin, to join the governors and their families for dinner.
Next morning Toallin brought Luke to a separate building behind the main administration building.
"I'm sure this will do, Luke. This building is intended to be used for secret consultation between the chosen government and the Council of the Eldest. In Ribana the government building had a similar separate consultation room, only larger. I hope this will match your wishes. This building is soundproof, so anything said within these walls is kept secret. Here's my personal keycard," The former governor of Ribana said and handed Luke a holographic keycard.
Luke gratefully took the keycard.
"Excellent, Toallin. This is very generous, Toallin. I will be using this building only for a minor consulation between my friend Wedge, my sister and myself, maybe to discuss some initiatives about the way I want to help you and your people to get back to Ribana."
"Take as much time as you need, master Skywalker. May I ask you, if you have already an idea, how we will get back to Ribana?"
"I'm thinking about various possibilities, Toallin. Our meeting with your men have given me a clearer insight of the mountain ridge on Myr, but I want to see those surroundings myself, before I take a definite decision. So I warn you and the people of Cantamaga to be patient. It might take some time to retake Ribana and capture Darth Golluth. Don't expect a fast return, we have to be cautious and on our guard. As soon as I have discussed my initiatives with my friends and your men, we will inform you, your brother, and the council. It's then up to you to inform the people of Cantamaga."
"We don't expect to return soon, Luke. I understand it isn't going to be easy. Mugin and I appreciate your help and that of your friends. I'll get back to my office now. There's a lot to do for us since we've got back."
Toallin wanted to leave, but Luke held his friend back.
"Before you leave, Toallin, I want to discuss another matter with you. Can we sit down for a while?"
A bit surprised Toallin closed the door again and sat down.
"What's the problem, Luke? Has my eldest daughter been bothering you too much with her fantasies." He asked smiling, "Did she ask you, how she could become a Jedi Knight, like you?.
Luke laughed.
"Not at all, Toallin. I like her. She's a very honest and open-faced young woman. You should be proud of her. I want to talk about her, for indeed I want to train your daughter Chati as a Jedi Knight in the future, but I want you to give your permission to my plan."
Toallin was flabbergasted.
"Chati, my daughter, will become a Jedi Knight?"
"Not immediately. She has a lot to learn and to experience, before her training can really start."
"Does she know?" Toallin asked.
"I've told her. I warned her that she will have to commit herself fully to this new task. She is a very Force-sensitive Quelan."
"Force-sensitive?"
"The Force is an energy field that binds this galaxy together. A Jedi can feel that power around everything that surrounds him or her. The Force helps a Jedi extent his or her normal skills and abilities. Your daughter can learn to use this power for knowledge and defense. "
"I know you guys can use a specific power. I have seen Ian doing it, but ... my daughter. Are there more ...?"
Toallin started to laugh.
"I wanted to ask you, if there are more female Jedi, but then I remembered that your sister is a Jedi Knight too. Are you sure, Chati, can be a Jedi Knight in the future?"
"I am, Toallin. And not only I am, my sister and her padawan have felt the influence of the Force on her too. She has been using the Force intuitively and unknowingly to help your people; at least that's what Kamalin told me."
"Probably she already did that when we were still living in Ribana. Already as a little girl she was organizing and discussing our future plans with us, telling us the outcome of our plans. In most cases her ideas always turned out to be the right solution. Will she leave this place with you? Will she be your student?"
"No immediately. I told her she has to become more aware of everything she's doing, and develop her consciousness of her thoughts and deeds. If you agree, I want to ask Kamalin to take care of her."
"Kamalin? Is he Force-sensitive too?"
"Indeed he is. I think a lot of Quelans can feel the power of the Force. Kamalin uses it as one of the wise councilors of this community. He can be your daughter's tutor for the time being. After we have solved the problems around Ribana I will make a decision how Chati will be trained as a future Jedi Knight."
"You're going to revive the Jedi Order, Luke?"
"It's my obligation, Toallin. I'm the last Jedi trained by the last Jedi master of old, master Yoda. When my master was united with the Force I promised him to pass on my knowledge to a new generation of Jedi."
Toallin looked at the young Jedi Knight in front of him.
"It's unbelievable. My daughter, a Jedi Knight! You must know, Luke, that Chati has talked about becoming a Jedi Knight, I think, from the moment she could talk. My wife always warned her to stop daydreaming and living in a fantasy world, and now you're telling me, that it wasn't a fantasy, or a daydream. She already knew her destination at a young age. I remember how she insisted that I should tell her everything I knew about the Jedi order. I must have disappointed her, for I've never met a Jedi Knight in the past, and I couldn't recall if any Jedi had ever paid a visit to the Palomintar System. As far as I know there aren't any records of such a visit. All I have heard is that during the reign of the emperor the remaining Jedi were caught and killed. Is that right?"
"That's right, Toallin. However some Jedi Knights went into exile and took care that the Jedi knowledge could be passed on."
"Thank you for consulting me, Luke. You have my permission, but I have to convince my wife. She will be even more surprised than me." Toallin stretched out his hand. They shook hands.
"I'll leave it up to you, Toallin, to tell your daughter your decision. You don't have rush things. Think it over, and if you have any questions I'll be here for a while."
They rose and walked over to the door. Once again they shook hands. Luke felt how overwhelmed Toallin was. The door slid aside. Outside Leia and Wedge were waiting. Toallin passed, greeting them absentmindedly. Leia raised her eyebrows.
'What's wrong with Toallin, Luke?' She asked.
'I'll tell you in a minute. Come in.' Luke said with a broad smile.
The two Jedi sat down and Luke closed the door.
"This room is soundproof, so we can talk freely here, but I suggest we use our own form of communication to discuss things." Luke said.
"That's fine by me, Luke," Wedge answered.
'Don't worry about Toallin, Leia. I just told him his daughter can be trained as a Jedi Knight in the future. My words certainly have confused him, but I have his permission to carry on. Later I want to come back to the situation in Cantamaga and Myr, but first of all,' Luke continued, 'I want to update Wedge on what happened to Liane and me after he has helped us on Endor, and where she is now.'
Luke gave a short summary of his wanderings with Liane. Wedge listened attentively. The more he heard the more amazed he became.
'You've achieved a lot, Luke.' He said with admiration.
'No, Wedge, Liane achieved a lot, but she still isn't fully convinced she can become a Jedi Knight.'
'Did you really tell her she will be your next padawan?' Leia asked.
'We discussed the possibility, Leia, but Liane is wondering how she can proceed without my guidance. She used one of the Jedi holocrons. An old Jedi master, Master Odan-Urr, told her she had to become padawan learner. She was still reluctant that I was willing to become her Jedi master. For the time being, however, there is no question that I can take on that task. We've agreed, that she should carry on with the things I've taught her so far. I have given her access to a very special place, Wedge, and I want you to go there as well and keep her company for a while.'
'Did you gave her those holocrons, Luke? I know you've told me that you and Leia have recovered several on Coruscant. So Liane has been brought to a very special place and there she has talked to a Jedi master who has been united with the Force for millennia, using his holocron. I would like to consult one of those ancient Jedi Masters myself. Where do you want me to go, Luke?' Wedge asked.
'To Dalmaran,'Luke answered teasingly and started laughing.
'Liane is on Dalmaran?' Wedge said.
'Do you remember that Mon Mothma got permission from the Dalmaranian government to set up a place where she and the members of High Council could hide in case Irithim would be under attack of remnants of the Imperial forces?' Leia interrupted.
Wedge nodded.
'I've heard about it, but I've never heard the outcome of the consultation between our government and the Dalmaranian leaders.'
'You know the continent of Na'ctaMagh'Ba,' Leia asked.
'You mean the prohibited continent opposite Mas'onom?'
'Yes, the underground of this continent is a huge maze of natural caves and caverns. Our techs have installed a sophisticated residence for our government in case of emergency. That's were we brought Liane after she returned with Luke and Han to Dalmaran. The spot can only be reached through the outlet of an underground waterway. A special submersible has been build to bring Mon Mothma to this place. Liane is living there for some five months now.' Leia told Wedge.
'And that secret residence is also the place where you two secured the Jedi holocrons?' Wedge asked.
'No, but there is a connection between, what Liane calls the Jedi archive cavern and the secret residence where she is staying. Mon Mothma doesn't know about this connection. I want you and Yarmod to go to Dalmaran. Staying with Liane gives you and Yarmod also the opportunity to gain some more knowledge about the Jedi lore, for not only did Leia and I recover some hundred Jedi holocrons, we also saved nearly the complete Jedi library from the ruins of the Jedi temple on Coruscant. You also could support Liane, answering her questions she has about being a Jedi Knight and you have to protect her in case spies of Darth Golluth try to invade the underground residence. They have been trying to make contact with her already. Luckily Artoo and Threepio prevented and intercepted that call. I would be more assured if I know you will be there to protect her.'
'Will she see me as a friend?'
'She will. It will do her good have some real people around her in stead of Threepio and Artoo.' Leia said, and Wedge heard the concern in her voice.
'How will I get to that special place you mentioned, Luke? Can I make use of Mon Mothma's submersible?' He asked.
Luke shook his head.
'You don't have to. You take the Astræa and go to Mas'onom space port. You won't be using the underwater entrance, but a secret path that will lead you straight to the place where Leia and I have stored all the old Jedi books. I will tell you the details before you leave.' Luke said. Wedge nodded.
'Yarmod and I can leave any time, if you want us to? With the Astræa it'll take some fourteen hours to reach Dalmaran, I guess.'
'Thanks, Wedge. I will warn Liane and tell her that she will meet you in the Jedi cavern. She will bring you to Mon Mothma's secret residence.' Luke said.
'Don't think it will be uncomfortable,' Leia grinned, 'Mon Mothma's secret residence meets very high standards of comfort.'
'Can I reach you using our common way to communicate?' Wedge wondered.
'No problem, for Liane can reach me, using the Jedi-pendant I gave her.' Luke said, 'Do we agree on this?'
He looked at his sister and his friend. They nodded. Luke rose.
"I will accompany you to the Astræa, Wedge. Where's your padawan?"
"I told Yarmod to stay and wait outside for me. I already expected, you would want me to leave again as soon as possible." Wedge with a smile, "You wouldn't have asked me to get to Palomintar Four immediately, if it hadn't been urgent."
Luke unlocked the door and stepped in outside.
"Leia, will you make sure, that Han, Chewbacca and Ian will meet me here, after Wedge and Yarmod have left. I want to discuss a few possible strategies to free Ribana."
"Activate your infocom, Wedge. Yes, you too, Yarmod, and connect with mine. I'm going to transmit the access permission for Na'ctaMagh'Ba to your devices, and the map you need to reach the Jedi archive cavern," Luke said and activated his infocom.
A holographic map of Na'ctaMagh'Ba popped up and a dotted line marked the hidden path Wedge and Yarmod had to follow.
"You take the Astræa to Mas'onom. There you need to rent a amphibious transport that can cross the strait between the Mas'onom mainland and Na'ctaMagh'Ba. At the habour of Wa'Magha on Na'ctaMagh'Ba you must identify yourself as Jedi Knights, using the access permission I gave you. Wear your ceremonial Jedi clothes. There won't be any problem to continue your trip. Follow the dotted line to this point." Luke pointed to a spot on the holographic map, "It looks like a dead end path at the end of this gorge. Hide the speeder in the cave to the left. Your path continues through a crevasse in the rear wall. Follow the path under the mountain, until it suddenly drops. You see an underground river to your left. Follow river, until it disappears through a gap. To your right there's niche that leads to a secret door. That's the entrance to the cave where Leia and I have stored the items of the Jedi library. I don't have to explain how to open the door, do I? Don't forget to close it immediately after you've entered. Once in the Jedi archive cave lights strips will light up on a Force command."
Wedge grinned and nodded understandingly.
"We'll manage, don't we, Yarmod?"
Yarmod nodded, but was still looking in wonder at the holographic map.
"You will see, what I mean, Yarmod," Luke said and winked at Wedge, "I'll tell Liane to bit your welcome. I'll leave it up to you to protect Liane the way you want."
"Stop worrying about Liane, Luke. Pay attention to the situation here. Do you have a plan to get access to Darth Golluth' hide out?"
"I have, but I'm not sure of everything yet. We're going back to Myr with a number of harvesters. Han will get us there with the Falcon. Once back on Myr I will make some further plan. The harvesters have promised me they will help us to investigate, if we can make use of the old bedding of an underground waterflow. We will set up a hidden camp at a safe distance from Ribana. I'm thinking about it, if I will ask Han and Leia to go back to Dalmaran and discuss the situation with general Madine and Mon Mothma. I hope the Supreme Chancellor will help the inhabitants of Ribana and support our request to send some reinforcements, but consulting the Supreme Chancellor and her staff will take time."
"What will you do when Han and Leia are gone? Are you going to keep Ian with you?" Wedge suggested.
"Maybe I will. I also need to check out on Darth Golluth and find out what he really knows about the Dark Side."
"Be careful, he might be more dangerous than you assume."
"Remember what I've taught you, Wedge. Sometimes offense is the best defence in case you're outnumbered. I'm going back now to the others. Contact me as soon as you have reached Mas'onom."
They shook hands.
"Wedge, you know I would have gone back to Dalmaran myself, if I hadn't promised Toallin and Mugin to help them. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Luke. Come on, Yarmod, we'll have work to do."
Wedge and Yarmod walked over to the cockpit of the Astræa, while Luke left his space craft. Wedge closed the ramp and started the engines. Slowly the Astræa started to hover above the plain. The engines roared and the former imperial space ship vanished into the cloud layer. Luke Skywalker watched his ship until he could no longer spot it.
Amazed and surprised Liane saw how this time a human female figure emerged from a cloud of blue smoke. Focusing on the Force she found herself looking at a young and beautiful woman with long amber hair and shining blue eyes. For a moment Liane got the startling impression she was looking at her own reflection in a mirror. The woman smiled serenely.
'You seem very surprised, Liane Solichor,' She said with a warm voice.
Liane nodded still speechless.
Finally she stammered: 'You look like me.'
'Do I?' The woman laughed, 'Thank you.'
Again Liane nodded not knowing what to say.
'Are you also one of the Jedi of old?' Liane asked, 'I mean are you one of the ancient Jedi Knights like Master Thon and master Master Odan-Urr? Are you a Jedi master too?'
'I am. I've trained many Jedi during my life. I understand, you have met my old masters already, Liane, haven't you?'
'They were your masters? Then you ... must be Nomi Sunrider?' Liane said incredulously.
'I am and I am very glad to be allowed to meet you. My masters have told you about me, haven't they?'
'Yes, they did. Your story intrigued me ... madam, because ... ' Liane stammered not knowing how to address the female Jedi.
'Because what, Liane. Tell me, what's so special about the story of my life for you.'
'I ... eh... see some similarities with myself ... madam.'
'Please call me Nomi, Liane. What are those similarities between you and me?"
'You also didn't want to become a Jedi Knight and wield a lightsaber, but later you followed the Jedi Path of your own free will and you became a very famous Jedi Master. Master Thon even called me as stubborn as you.'
Nomi Sunrider laughed heartily.
'Master Thon is a wise Jedi master. He knows who you are, Liane, and so does Master Odan-Urr. You just said I look a lot like you, didn't you?'
'Yes, ma... I mean Nomi. I don't want to offend you, but for a short moment I thought I was looking at my own reflection, like I saw myself in a mirror,' Liane said softly.
Again Nomi Sunrider laughed.
'I like your honesty, Liane, but it's the other way round. You look a lot like me. You're a relative of mine.'
'A relative?'
Nomi Sunrider nodded and smiled at the uncertain look in Liane's eyes.
'I am your ancestress, your ancestral mother.'
'I don't ... understand, ... ma ... eh ... Nomi.' Liane hesitated.
'Hasn't master Odan-Urr told you that you have inherited your Force power from a bloodline that goes back thousands of generations?'
'Yes, he did, but I didn't understand the meaning of those words and I forgot to ask him.'
'Liane, my dear daughter, let me explain it to you.'
'Nomi, sorry to interrupt,' Liane said still hesitatingly, 'I can't be your daughter. Severini Solichor is my mother.'
Nomi Sunrider laughed merrily.
'Severini has been my daughter too and before her Severini's mother Raimieri. '
For a moment Liane looked away from the shining apparition, feeling completely confused and didn't know how to respond to Nomi's words.
'Don't try to seek the explanation of my words yourself, Liane. I understand my words confuse you.' Nomi said on a soothing tone, 'Severini Solichor is of course your real mother, and Raimieri Solichor was the name of your grandmother who died many years before you were born. Ramieri's mother was the great-grand-daughter of another great female Jedi: Yomicanthe Cifun.'
Now Liane paid more attention to Nomi's words.
'Are you telling me, that my lineage goes back through the ages to you?' She asked.
Nomi nodded.
'But that must be ... hundreds of generations,' Liane said holding her breath, while trying to comprehend the impact of Nomi's words.
'You're right, Liane. So let me tell you some parts of my life. You already know that I was married to Andur Sunrider.'
'Master Odan-Urr told me there are datacrons where I can read more about you. You and Andur had a daughter Vima. Your husband was killed and you went to Ambria to master Thon. I have read parts of your story, for Luke has been busy translating the first chip of those datacrons into Basic.'
'Luke?' Nomi asked.
'Luke Skywalker, he is my friend. He is the last Jedi. Haven't you heard about him?' Liane explained.
'Oh, yes, I do. Of course I have, but I didn't know he has been trying to translate those datacrons into Basic. I wonder why he has been wasting his time.'
'Wasting his time. Nomi, Luke wants future Jedi to learn everything about the old Jedi history, but the old data images are written in Jediese. It's a difficult language, for the rules and grammar are unknown.'
'They are indeed, Liane, but every Jedi can read Jediese using the Force. You could do that yourself for instance, but we'll discuss this later, for I'm here to tell you who I am and why you are my relative.'
Liane relaxed and looked at Nomi inquisitively.
'After I've got my basic Jedi training with master Thon on Ambria I took Vima with me to Ossus, the old center of the Jedi Order. There I became the padawan learner of Vodo-Siosk Baas. Under his leadership I learned to assemble my own lightsaber. At that time the galaxy was in great turmoil and uproar. I became involved in several missions to settle the galactic wars which were influenced by Dark Side powers. On Onderon I met master Arca Jeth. He taught me how to use my great gift of Jedi Battle Meditation, but more important was my meeting with Ulic Qel-Droma and his brother Cay during one of my earlier missions. I hadn't forgotten Andur who I had loved deeply, but time also heals the deepest wounds. Ulic and I became lovers.'
'You mean, that you and Ulic marry.'
'Not officially. Our love was blessed with a daughter: Shaayla Sunrider. With her the bloodline of female Jedi Knights still continues up till this day. At the moment you're the last descendant of the Sunrider bloodline, so that's why I may call you my daughter even if there are eras between us. You're a Sunrider, Liane, and there's only one thing I wish for. I hope that you will pass on the Force power you've inherited to your own daughter one day.'
'I'm a Sunrider? I'm the heiress of your power?' Liane said slowly, once again trying to grasped the meaning of Nomi's story.
Nomi watched her, smiling and with a caring look in her eyes. At last Liane looked up with shining eyes.
'Unbelievable! This is so incredible, Nomi!' She cheered. 'You are my ancestral mother. You and I are relatives. Now I am really someone daughter. Oh, Nomi, let me tell you how I felt after I found out that Anakin Skywalker wasn't my real father. I felt completely lost. I didn't know anything of my real parents. I didn't know where I came from, and now, now I know who I am. This is incredible. It was already a wonderful revelation when I learned that Severini Solichor was the name of my real mother, but it's mind boggling to know that I am related to the greatest female Jedi ever.'
'That's a bit too much credit for me, Liane.'
'Nomi, where can I find the rest of those datacrons with your story. They must be here somewhere, otherwise Luke couldn't have transcribed the first one. I want to read them in Jediese. You said I need to use the Force to be able to understand that old language. Oh, my, if I tell this to Luke, he will be so excited, and relieved. He told me that transcribing Jediese into Standard Basic was a very time consuming task.'
'You will find my story in a small yellowbrown box, Liane. That box must be here somewhere. In it you will find everything about me in more detail, for instance the sad part about how I lost Ulic and what I did when he killed his brother Cay. You also will learn how he died. Ulic was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. For a certain period in his life he was Sith lord. I have been afraid that those dark Force powers Ulic possessed, could have been passed on in our daughter Shaayla and that she might fall victim to the Dark Side too. It never happened.'
'Ulic, my ancestral father, went over to the Dark Side. He became a Sith?'
'Unfortunately he did, and a lot of other devasting things happened to me. Read about it, Liane. I know you will understand Ulic and me. I now have to return to my place in the Force, but I will always be there to assist and teach you to find your way in the Jedi lore. You're special, Liane, special to me and to Ulic.'
The apparition of Nomi Sunrider faded and finally vanished, leaving Liane with a mind full of unanswered questions. Finally she looked up and saw the blue triangular holocron in her hand.
"I'm the heiress of Nomi Sunrider. Unbelievable." She whispered.
Carefully she put the holocron in its secured place. Before she closed the transparisteel doors her fingers caressed the holocron one more time.
"I hope I won't fail you, Nomi. I will do everything to be your worthy descendant and the heiress of your great powers."
Liane looked around and started rummaging through all the stacked boxes and crates. On a high rack with colored crates she found the yellowbrown box her ancestral mother had mentioned hidden between a number of still sealed boxes. She took the durasteel box from the rack and put it on the table. The safety seal had been broken. On the lid a small tag was fixed written in Jediese.
"Every Jedi can read Jediese using the Force," she murmured and automatically she tuned in on her powerful unseen ally. Once again she looked at the small tag and all of a sudden the meaning of the Jediese symbols became clear.
"It says: The life of Nomi Sunrider," she murmured half aloud.
She released herself from her Jedi trance.
'Luke has to know this. It will make his task so much easier.' She thought, 'I will take this box with me and translate and transcribe this story. I'd better get back now to Threepio and Artoo. Tonight I will tell Luke all about this. He surely will be as surprised as I am.'
She took her backpack; emptied it; stuffed the box at the bottom, put the rest of the content back on top and left the cave with the Jedi treasures.