Chapter 109

The harvest men brought the furniture Udine and Carmona had selected to the vineyard. Yarmod, Ian, Kieran and Bran brought the boxes with the community's administration records to Toallin's office. Luke offered to help them with that, which Kieran and Bran accepted.

Ian had initially felt some hesitation about meeting Luke, but when he saw that his former Jedi master was giving them all the necessary support, he pushed the confusing thoughts about the relationship between Luke and his sister into the background. Before he and Yarmod left for Tyr with the Great Traveler, Ian asked Luke to pass on Liane's regards. Luke had replied that she would certainly be happy to hear from him.

Luke watched as the freighter took off with Yarmod and Ian as the two pilots. He walked thoughtfully toward the speeder, for he had sensed that Ian still harbored a certain suspicion toward him. That was why he was glad that Liane was staying at a safe distance from Ribana in the vineyard, so that her brother would not be able to immediately express the emotionally confusing feelings Luke had felt for the young Jedi Knight. He did not blame Ian for worrying about what he had seen, but Luke felt that Ian should have had a better insight into the true situation with the help of the Force, instead of drawing conclusions based on what he had seen.

'I need to talk to Leia. She has been his master. She probably knows much better what's going in Tama-Hin's mind.' Luke thought, while he jumped in the speeder he hoped have some moments alone with Liane.

At Udine's insistence, Toallin had begun teaching Liane how to prune the long shoots before the vines could be thoroughly pruned and tied up. It was a tough job, for during the time the vineyard had been neglected, the vines had grown into an unmanageable tangle. He showed her how to carefully inspect each shoot to avoid pruning the vine incorrectly. She had discussed with him what to do about the many different weeds that had sprung up between the vines. He had advised her to tackle that only after the care and pruning of the vines.

The day after the Grannd Traveler had gone back to Tyr Luke approached the overgrown vineyard at the back via one of the hidden paths from the foot of the southern hill after which he made his way through the tangled vines. As she sensed his presence Liane hurried to meet her friend.

"I hoped you could make it, master Luke." She said on a teasing tone, "for I need you approval for these new chores. Yester evening is was too crowded here to meet you alone, for after our meal, Toallin insisted he wanted to tell me how to prune his precious vines. I also had admire the furniture and my bed Udine and Carmona had selected."

"Do you love this work, my lovely pixie," He asked on a teasing tone

"I do, because being somewhere in the tangle of vines will give you an opportunity to meet me unseen the oncoming days."

"Good reason, my love," He said and took her in his arms. "I will give you a kiss to approve with what you're doing."

For a moment they forgot that they still were a padawan and a Jedi master.

"The next days I surely will be at work here, master," Liane said with a grin.

"Fine with me, little mischievous pixie, for as your Jedi master I need to check if you fulfill your task according to my standards." Luke whispered in her ear.

"What do you know about pruning vines, master Skywalker?" Liane said on a mocking tone.

"In my youth I have worked on my uncle Owen's farm on Tatooine."

"So your work on your uncle's moisture farm is proof that you know something about pruning grapevines?" She chuckled. "I don't believe your argument, master."

"Come with me. I'll show you," Luke laughed and took her to a dense thicket of vines, completely shielded from prying eyes.

Luke gently untied her coiled ponytail. With a blissful feeling, Liane endured his tender touch, while she began to wonder how long she could still suppress her own desires for him, for her desire to belong to him completely, had only grown stronger since she had left Na'ctaMagh'Ba.

'I wish I had stayed on Na'ctaMagh'Ba with him. Just the two of us together and no fear for detection.' She thought, while she closed her eyes with a blissful smile, as she felt his lips on hers.

'I can arrange that.' She suddenly heard him say as he used their common way to share thoughts.

'I'm sure you can, farm boy, She answered him and wanted to sit upright, but Luke pulled her on her back again and held her tight.

"I wonder, my dear eternal comrade, why you always think it would be great to be together without fear of being discovered, but when I tell you that I can arrange it, you back down. We will be married in a few weeks, so what is the point of postponing another a blissful moment between us?" He said looking into her eyes. "I love you, Shaayla-Car, and I want to make you happy, so that your happiness shows that we truly want to fulfill our mutual desires. Are you afraid that that you will disappoint me?"

"I am not afraid," Liane snapped, "not of you, not of what you want, but we are not alone here and we are not married. Since we arrived at Myr, you haven't really behaved as a Jedi knight, and certainly not even as a Jedi Master. Everyone can see that you are in love with me, Luke Skywalker, even though we wanted to avoid rumors and gossip that could thwart our plan."

"Hey, don't get angry with me, naughty pixie," Luke answered, "I am glad that you are not afraid of me. I agree that the fact that we are not alone here could spoil our plan, but that need not be a reason to continue suppress what you're feeling is right. Do you trust me, my love. Do you trust me, if I say I want to make you happy."

Liane swallowed.

"I am sorry, Luke, of course I trust you and I would love to be all yours, because I love you and because I want to make you happy too. It is just that I cannot imagine how we can manage that with all our friends around us and the hustle and bustle in Ribana and here in the vineyard, where Udine and Carmona are constantly following me with prying eyes."

"In a few days they are all gone back to Tyr, remember. Couldn't that be the perfect moment to give in to what we both want." Luke said and kissed her. "You will be my beautiful bride in a month or so. Why wait?"

"Only if you can be absolutely certain that no one can disturb us," Liane said.

"I can. And I promise that no one will know, my love. Trust me." Luke whispered in her ear and kissed her again.

He sat upright and took her in his arms.

"Get on with your chores and leave it to me to find a way to enjoy our love in a new way without anyone noticing it."

He pulled her to her feet.

"Will you be here after dinner?"

"No, I promised Udine and Carmona to help them putting the furniture where they want it. I finally can make use of my Force skills to be useful to them.

"Then give me a last kiss, Shaayla-Car." He said and whispered in her ear, "I long for you, my darling. Now more than ever."

He vanished among the vines and Liane thoughtfully brushed some leaves from her tunic before tying her hair back into a rolled-up ponytail. She looked around and began to gather the leaves of a particular weed.

'Whatever he arranges, I have to prevent that the same will happen again, after he had been confronted with the consequences of his relationship with Eminil, even though that was intentional on her part. Fortunately, Eremian once taught me how to prevent unwanted pregnancies among his Baroonta priestesses. With these weeds, I can easily make a potion that, according to Eremian, it works almost immediately. This is not a coincidence. It's the Force that tells me that I made the right decision,' She mused while she took her water bottle and put the leaves in it. She put the lid back,began to shake the bottle vigorously and drank its whole content. To her surprise is tasted sweet and sparkling. She smiled again. She look at the particular weed again and saw that more of it was growing almost every where.

'There are enough leaves to make more potion. I need to come back here every day, as Eremian told me that only fresh leaves will do the job.'

The two Corellian freighters landed next to each other just outside Ribana. The cargo ramp lowered and their crew immediately began to unload the cargo, consisting of labeled furniture, boxes with curtains, floor covering and much equipment and many tools for the harvest men provided by the administration on Coruscant. Several Quelans, the harvest men and Luke began to bring the cargo to the assigned large tent the harvesters had set up.

The Grann brothers, Yarmod and Ian had their hands full with the many pieces of household goods that were no longer needed on Tyr. Han and Chewbacca helped Nori with the promised cargo from Coruscant. Cornell and his men gazed in amazement at what emerged from the Millennium Falcon.

"My men and me thought we would on get something less after our superiors promised us to help us, master Thai," Cornell said. "This is unbelievable. This will certainly help us to make all the necessary repairs and restorations much faster."

"My uncle sends his regards, Cornell, and he let know, that if you need more I will go the Coruscant again to get it. Han Solo has alright promised to fly with the Millennium Falcon again to Coruscant."

Han saw his brother-in-low and immediately went over to him.

"How is Liane doing, master Skywalker?" He asked out of the blue.

"Hey, Han, how was the trip? Glad to see you back on Myr? To answer your question: Shaayla-Car is doing fine." He said, noticing with regret that his friend had addressed him as a Jedi master.

"She isn't here with you. I thought that a padawan always have to accompany her master," Han said surly.

"In the beginning, yes, because the padawan has to observe his master's actions. Shaayla-Car isn't a more advance padawan. She can do most of what I explain to her all by herself. She has already gained much knowledge of how to use the Force." Luke answered, feeling some disappointment about his friend's behavior. He look up at the cargo ramp

"I would like to greet my sister, Han. She's still inside?" He asked.

"She in the control room, or in our quarters. Maybe she has been left behind on Coruscant. I haven't seen her for days. I don't mind if you can find her, master Skywalker," Han answered surly, while he stepped aside.

Luke walked up the cargo ramp and went to the control room where Leia was reclining on one of the couches. As Luke entered she immediately sat upright and went over to him.

"I'm glad to see you, Luke. Han is behaving impossible. Even Chewbacca has become fed up with our quarrels. The whole flight he pestered me with his believes about you and Liane. How is she doing?" Leia said and hugged her brother.

"She is fine and happy ... with me, and I'm ... with her?" Luke said with a grin.

"If that is the case, why don't you end the distraction plan you set up and tell everyone what is really going on?, Luke. You're not her Jedi master and she's not your padawan. How long do you want to keep telling others your lie."

"For as long as necessary, Leia. You know what is going on, and I am glad you are not telling anyone. In about a month, we will tell everyone, but we do not want to announce what we have agreed upon yet, because that goes against what Shaayla-Car and I stand for as Jedi Knights. First of all, the restoration of Ribana must be completed or nearly completed. If we were to tell it now, we would draw attention to both of us, and that would distract the community from everything that needs to happen here in Ribana. You understand that, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but it makes the situation here in the Falcon almost impossible."

"Why is that? I don't want you to suffer, because Shaayla-Car and I have made a different plan." Luke said concerned.

"I'm not suffering. I know, Luke, but Han doesn't or doesn't want to understand, see, or imagine why this is happening. His concern for Liane is his obsession. He doesn't want her to get hurt, and I can convince him without revealing what I know. On our flight back to Myr he said, that you should allow him to see Liane and ask her himself how she is doing? He is impossible, Luke. Chewbacca has told him over and over again that it's none of his business, but he even doesn't want to listen to his old friend."

"Han addressed me as 'master Skywalker', as if I were a stranger he just met," Luke said pensively.

"See, Luke, he is blaming you for being Liane's Jedi master."

"Right, Leia, if it's all going this way, we certainly need your help, for Han is not the only one who's accusing me of being her Jedi master."

"Who else is wondering about it, Luke?"

"Your former padawan, Shaayla-Car's brother Tama-Hin?"

"Ian? What has he said to you?"

"Nothing, but by coincidence he saw that I 'reprimanded' his sister about what she was doing."

Leia frowned, but began to laugh.

"You didn't reprimand her, Luke, you can't. You love her too much. I would believe it if Liane had been short-tempered with you. We know she has a headstrong character. Tell me, what did you see, or sense."

Luke told Leia what had happened when he and Ian had paid Liane a short visit. Leia listened carefully and nodded.

"I understand your concern, Luke, but I also blame you and Liane for confusing my former padawan. We know that Ian loves her. He has always been concerned about her wellbeing. I don't have to remind you what we have seen when we brought her to Na'ctaMagh'Ba. Even you didn't know how to cope with the interaction between Ian and Liane, for she adores him and even more after, she has found out that her former guard from Wegoyy is no other than her brother. But I agree with you that I had expected a greater Force insight from him. Let me handle this, Luke."

"Haven't you enough to do with Han, Leia?" Luke asked.

"The source of their worries are the same, Luke. I have said that I will support you, until you think it's time to reveal the truth. Your first concern is your relationship with our lovely foster-sister. Leave all those who have doubts about what is going on to me. This is more my speciality. You're too much involved in it. Luke, I want you to be as happy as Han and I are. Tell Liane I love her and that ... no I won't tell what I'm thinking now. Be sure, that your secret is safe with me." Leia said determined and hugged him.

"I love you, Leia. Know that Liane and I trust you. You've always been the one I could rely on."

"Go back to the vineyard and tell Liane I love her and will support her and you."

Luke said goodbye to his sister and left the Falcon. He greeted Han friendly, just before Chewbacca saw him. The big Wookiee rushed over to him and gave him a big hug, grumbling a long sentence. Luke nodded and patted his friend on his arm.

"I'll tell her, Chewie. She will be glad with your wish." Luke said and walk over to his speeder. He was deeply disappointed and uncomprehending, because Han and Liane's brother silently were accusing him of seemingly unworthy behavior as a Jedi Knight.

'My love, can I meet you. I have to talk with you.' Luke said using Force telepathy.

'Yes, at the clearing, or at the Astræga' Liane answered immediately.

'At the hidden clearing.' Luke said

'I'll be there.' She said and broke off their Force contact.

Liane went to the kitchen where Udine and Carmona were busy preparing their evening meal.

"Udine, I'm leaving. Master Skywalker has asked to meet him immediately." She said.

"Where are you going, Shaayla-Car? Can't it wait until you have had your dinner?"

"No, bye. I will eat later," Liane said and quickly left the vineyard building. She ran up the hidden path and found her way to the hidden clearing on the other side of the southern hill. Luke was already waiting for her and took her in his arms immediately. Liane sensed his deep disappointment feelings and used her healing power to give him consolation. She didn't ask him, she just let him hold her tight, sensing that he was seeking comfort in her presence and Force healing. He sank with her on the forest floor still holding her tight.

"I love you," He whispered, "I love you so much. Why don't they see it. Why are they accusing me of treating you unfairly."

Liane kept him close and just listened to what he was saying. Finally he let her go and looked at her. Liane sensed his hurt feelings.

"What happened, darling. Has Han or Tama-Hin been arguing with you again about us?" She asked gently.

Luke seemed absent, but he nodded slowly and told her more calmly.

"I was in Ribana to help unload the Grand Traveler and the Millennium Falcon. Han was helping Chewbacca, but when he saw me, he asked how you were doing as my padawan. I told him that you were busy in the vineyard. He addressed me as 'Master Skywalker'. At first, I didn't understand his behavior, but then I sensed that he was accusing me of acting unworthily toward you. I was stunned. He had never said anything like that to me before. We have always been like brothers. I read his thoughts, and they were unkind and accusatory. I asked him where Leia was, and he spoke very unkindly about her too. I found Leia in the control room, because I wanted to talk to her about your brother's lack of Force insight. Leia told me about Han's behavior during their flight to Coruscant and back to Myr. Even Chewbacca was grumpy towards Han during the flight. I felt that she was suffering because of what he said about me. I told her what we went through with Tama-Han. Leia promised me that she would resolve the situation with Han and your brother, but I was very disappointed about what happened."

"Luke, since I have been able to wake Han from his lethargic coma he has put me on a pedestal. I can't do nothing wrong in his eyes." Liane said gently.

"I know, Shaayla-Car. I know how grateful he is, because thanks to you he went back to Leia, something he had wanted for a long time but was unable to do on his own. Yet he refuses to accept that you asked me if you wanted to be my padawan for a while, because we wanted to keep our wedding plans secret. I sensed in his mind that he thinks it is the other way around, that I told you that you are not a Jedi Knight because you never had a Jedi Master who could guide you. That is why I pressured you to accept me as your Jedi Master and become my padawan."

"The thoughts you read in Han's mind have hurt you deeply, my love. What did Leia tell you, she would do?"

"She only promised that she would handle it. We shouldn't worry and she wished you and me all the joy and happiness she and Han have.

This really sounds ridiculous, my eternal comrade. Han took out his displeasure on her during their flight to Coruscant. Chewie is also angry with Han, but Nori Thai was with them too, wasn't he? Did he say anything to you, too?"

"I haven't spoken to Nori, Shaayla-Car. I saw him speaking to Cornell."

Luke, partially this is all our own fault. We made up the charade of being master and apprentice, so that we could be together at certain moments without being disturbed by others. From the beginning Han has had doubts about what you told Leia and him in the Falcon. You're sister, like you a Jedi Knight, accused you also, telling you, you're a bad liar. Big difference is that already knows what going on between us, as is evident from her remark that she hopes we will become just as happy as she and Han. I don't how much imagination Han has, but as I said before, I can't do anything out of the ordinary in his eyes. He believes I'm a Jedi Knight, despite he hasn't really seen me using my Force skills, except from helping him when he was in trouble."

"He has seen what you could do, when you teased him during their visit in Na'ctaMagh'Ba, my love."

Liane laughed.

"That's not really how a full-fledged Jedi Knight uses and rely on the Force. I don't have to tell you that, do I?"

Luke took the brooch from a pocket at his belt.

"Put this on again, Shaayla-Car. You are a Jedi Knight. We don't have to pretend we're in a master-apprentice relationship. I feel, that I can't pretend any longer that I'm your Jedi master."

He held out the brooch to her. Liane shook her head.

"No, my love. I won't accept this brooch under these circumstances. Luke, you should be honest to yourself as well."

"What do you mean, naughty pixie?" Luke asked a bit surprised.

"What does your deep Force insight tell you about your hurt feelings. You're a Jedi, Luke, you must know, and you should acknowledge ... that "

Luke looked into Liane's eyes.

"That Han has hurt my pride as a Jedi Knight?"

"Exactly, darling. I hold it against Han that he hurt you with his words and thoughts, because Han is still very skeptical about the Force. Take the brooch away, Luke. I'm still your padawan learner. Neither you nor I need to answer to Han Solo and my brother for how we behave."

"Thank you, my eternal comrade. It feels so good having talk to you. Now I wonder which one of us is the master and who is the apprentice. " Luke said calmly as he put his arm around her.

Liane smiled and let her hand slip through his hair.

"Luke Skywalker, you will always be my Jedi master as long as we're together. If I hadn't met you, if you hadn't be patient with me all the time, I might have ended, believing in the power of the Dark Side, despite I knew that its teachings are evil. You have been my Jedi master from the beginning, but I will marry Luke Skywalker, the man who has kept his believe in me, for as la Jedi he saw so much more that I could see for myself."

Luke pulled her to him.

"And you, my lovely naughty pixie, will always be the girl I took in my arms and to console, after she had discovered that her belief in her relationship with my father was not her true reality."

He kissed her and Liane sense that his kiss held so many promises for their joined future.

After his talk with Liane Luke went back to Ribana and walked to the tent the harvest men had set up to provide their fellow Quelans a possibility to rest, or even sleep at night. Only two of Wollin's men were there.

"They're up near the foothills, Ben. The restoration of our community building is in good progress. We're just here to keep an eye on the stuff that has been brought from Tyr. You won't believe it, but already some of our fellow Quelans have pick up their properties to furnish their house. Within weeks nothing will be left of the damage that intruder has done. Normally we are doing most of the hard work in Ribana, but this time all the inhabitants have pulled up their sleeves, males and females alike, and worked day after day to get the town back to how it looked before we had been force to leave."

"Wollin himself up there?" Luke asked.

"Supervising, you'll find him there, Ben" one of the men said, "Tell him to send to others to relieve us."

"I will," Luke said and drove up to the harvester's building.

The harvest men had found their former accommodation on foothills of the northern mountain ridge almost undamaged. Only a few minor repairs were needed to make the building and adjacent smaller private homes and storage, constructed of durasteel concrete, habitable again. However, just like their fellows in Ribana most of their furniture had disappeared, but Cornell's sons and Wollin's group of harvest men had climbed to the main cave, where the water had pile part of the old furniture Trevor had looted and used to furnish his lair. They managed to retrieved several some almost intact side boards and some tables. The broken furniture they collected could be used for further repairs.

Their main community building looked reasonably habitable when Luke entered and welcomed by Cornell's sons. Looking around in the building Luke saw the immense rapid work the harvest men had done. The sideboards had been dried and and already filled with the necessary supplies for their shared meals.

Luke greeted them polity and complimented them about their hard work. They immediately invited him to share a meal with them, but Luke kindly turned down the offer.

"What brings you up here, Ben?" Wollin asked.

"I was wondering if you still have those nagawa fleeces you used at the campsite," Luke asked.

"Sure, we still use them as mattresses as long as we don't have proper stuff to sleep on."

"You have no spares?"

"Not much in here, but ask Cornell in the tent outside Ribana. Our fellow Quelans in Ribana seem to prefer to sleep in the already restored houses together. It's likely that Cornell has enough nagawa fleeces spare. May I ask what do you need them for, Ben. "

"Same as you and your men, Wollin, to sleep on. I got accustomed to sleep that way in my tree house. They are soft, warm and very comfortable."

Wollin and several harvest men who had heard their talk, laughed.

"Why not join us permanently, Ben? We could use your way to get things done," One of the men said, pointing at the lightsaber at Luke's belt.

"Hey, Ben," another asked, "where is your lady padawan. We've only met her a few times, but we've heard that she is a kind of assistant to you, right."

"She is helping Toallin, pruning the overgrown vines in the vineyard." Luke answered.

"That's good work. The sooner the vineyard will be in order, the sooner a new harvest will be available to be bottled as our famous Palomintar wine. Mugin told us that the complete stock had gone when he visited the cellar the first time. It was his work and of his sons to prepare the wine in those huge casks in the storage room. It will be good to go shopping again in Ribana and buy their wine. Did you taste it, Ben?"

"I have, just before my friends and I promised your governors to free Ribana of the intruder." Luke said.

"Yes, we've heard the story. Wasn't it one of the other Jedi who insisted you all should help us. Honestly, Ben, we never have thought that it would be possible of Quelans to receive help from outsiders. Are you staying with us until Ribana has been restored, at least, as far as possible, for it will take months to come, to get everything like it has been before." Wollin commented.

"My friends and I will stay as long as necessary, Wollin. I've heard that after the second group is picking up their chores in Ribana, master Solo will leave again and head for Irithim to the promised seeds and agricultural tools and many others things the government of the New Republic have promised your farmers."

"That's right, probably also the Grann brothers will use the Grannd Traveler to transport necessary things we need here to for the restoration of the town."

"Is it true, Ben, that Palomintar Four will have its own communication system. That would be an immense improvement. We always have been depended on tramp traders who occasionally visited us to buy the surplus of the nut harvest and sometimes what was left of the Palomintar wine. One of those trader guys told me that in other systems they paid huge amounts of credit to buy a bottle of our wine."

"It's indeed very expensive. At least on the planet I live on." Luke said. "Well thank you for the chat I'm going to see Cornell and ask him about those fleeces."

Luke left the community building and drove back to Ribana in his speeder to seek out Cornell he leader of the harvest men greeted him enthusiastically.

"What bring you here, Ben? We have seen you recently around here, but I understand you're busy guiding your padawan. I understand that your task is a bit complicated. I'm sure you can handle it, right?"

"Wollin told me that you might have spare nagawa fleeces here?"

"I do. How many do you want. Come with me. We have stored them at the back of tent in some dry containers."

"I want to buy those fleeces, Cornell. Name your price?"

"Buy them, Ben, I want to give them to you as a gift, as a token of our friendship, the friendship between a Quelan who doesn't believe in all that Force stuff and a Jedi Knight."

Cornell took Luke to the containers and opened the doors.

"We have tied them together in stacks of twenty, for twenty fleeces form an excellent fill-in for a normal mattress. If you want an even more comfortable way to get a good rest I suggest that you use thirty fleeces. That's the number I put in your tree house. "

"Can I get four bundles, Cornell, and as I said I want to buy them."

"No way, Ben. We will get new fleeces as soon as the nagawa herds have been gathered again. After we left those animal were left behind. Our best nagawa farm has asked my men to help to roam the surroundings of Ribana. I absolutely sure that the nagawas have survived and even have been breeding, so is herd might been bigger than when we left. Take those four stacks and if you need more just tell me and I will bring to the place where you want them."

"I thank those four stacks will do, Cornell," Luke said thankfully.

He took the four stacks and with help of the Force he brought them over to the speeder. Cornell watched him go and shook his head in wonder.

"Eighty fleeces. I wonder what he needs them for. Oh, maybe he wants to help some of the elder Quelan women to have already a better place to rest. He's a good guy, a real friend of us Quelans. Never thought that I would ever team up a Jedi Knight, like my old father."

Very early the next morning before sunrise Liane had found her way to the Astræga as she felt the need to be with him.

He welcomed her with a smile.

"What brings you here so early, my naughty pixie?" He asked, while he gave her a kiss, "This a very unexpected rendez-vous. Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, I slept well, but when I woke up, I felt I needed to be with you, instead of waiting for you until you would come to the vineyard," She said and put her arms around his neck. "I just want to say 'good morning' to you and tell you I love you, Luke?"

Luke pulled her close and Liane surrendered herself to his passionate kiss.

"Hm, Luke, I love you, I love the way you always kiss me," She murmured between two other kisses.

Luke took her head between his hands.

"And I think it's wonderful how you always manage to meet me unexpectedly, my fairytale dream woman. You were right, I was planning to go to the vineyard after my breakfast. This will be a beautiful moment to have a meal together. Will you help me?"

He took her to the pantry aside the control room. Together they prepare a sober but nutritious meal.

"Shall we eat outside, Luke. The morning is so beautiful. It's not really cold in the valley." Liane suggested.

"I was just thinking about that myself, my love. Let's take each our tray. We can use the fallen tree stems to make ourselves comfortable," Luke said.

They sat close together while enjoying their joined meal. Liane thought about the hard biscuits they had had for breakfast on Na'ctaMagh'Ba and chuckled.

"It's good to know that the ship's pantry will fulfill our needs when we're going together somewhere." She said. "Where do you get supplies?"

"Everywhere. I love to taste local food. Here in Ribana it's the nut bread with nagawa cheese I love. One slice is enough for a whole day."

"I love the harvest men's famous broth. Chati has promised me to teach me how to make it. I've heard that it has become Wedge's famous recipe. It's absolutely fabulous how good Chati and Wedge are coming along."

"Wedge has developed a good insight. I love his initiatives, also this time. You should have see, how flabbergasted Chati was when he simply announced that he took her as his padawan. She didn't how to respond, but I sensed how elated she was. She immediately knowledge Wedge as her master. That's how I want to make the Jedi Order rise again."

"Are you also thinking of taking another Force-user as you padawan, Luke?" Liane asked.

"I have already a padawan learner, naughty pixie. You." Luke said and put his arm around her.

"I mean a real padawan, not the charade here," Liane answered.

Luke laughed, but became serious again.

"It's always possible that we meet Force-user, but that doesn't mean that they will become a padawan. If I will decide to take a Force-user as my padawan it will certainly mean that my padawan will accompany me and you. Just like Tama-Hin became a crew member of the Falcon. It also could be that you're a Jedi master of a padawan, Shaayla-Car."

"I'm certainly not ready to take such a responsibility. I shouldn't know where to begin." Liane remarked.

"The easiest way is sharing experiences. Show a padawan learner how you make decisions and why. A padawan has to pay attention to everything his master is doing. The master has to explain his actions and encourage his padawan to follow up. It's matter of joined trust."

"Doesn't sound to be easy, Luke. So, please don't ask me to take a Force-user as my padawan. I would make a mess of it, and confuse the poor guy or girl."

They both laughed. For a while they both were silent, each of them occupied with their own thoughts.

To be continued...