Chapter 126

"When do you want to leave?" He asked.

"Today, after we have had a word with master Manall about my proposal to set Cemall at work in the vineyard along side me," Liane said. "For it's master Manall's responsibility as the new leader of the harvest men to carry out what the Harvest Council has decreed."

"We have landed the Astræga near the Millennium Falcon," Luke said. "After we have spoken master Manall we want to lift off."

"I'll meet you at your ship, Luke," Toallin said.

They went over to the harvest mens' tent where they found Manall talking with Cornell, Wollin and Roshann. The four harvest men looked up as the two Jedi Knights entered.

"We were just discussing what we heard from you yesterday, Shaayla-Car. My son just told me he wonder why only he and the harvest men who have supported his new way of harvesting have seen what would happened if they would continue chopping of the nut trees," Manall said and looked at Cornell.

Cornell looked at Shaayla-Car with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Where did those images of the barren land behind Cantamaga came from, miss Shaayla-Car, and why have only some of the harvest men seen them ?" He asked.

"It's one of my Force skills that evoked images to reinforce the meaning of what I have been telling the Council, master Cornell. You and most of the Quelans are susceptible to the influence of those Force skills, Therefore you were seeing images in your mind of what I just had told the Harvest Council. The images weren't meant to frighten you, but to make you and some of your men aware of what the future could be, if all the nut woods would have chopped.

It takes years for a nut tree to mature and bear nuts. When the chopping of the nut trees would continue then there will come a moment that there won't be enough nut trees left to fulfill the needs of both species who are dependent on the nuts for food. Violence between the Urams and the Quelans are already a fact, so with ever less nut trees the violence between the Urams and the harvest men will increase." Liane said.

"We use the nuts as one of our main food supplies, miss Shaayla-Car?" Cornell opposed.

"In the past the Quelans only used the fallen nuts as food, right?" Liane asked.

"Yes, miss, but there wasn't much surplus to trade," Roshann commented. "The Quelan community in Ribana wasn't really poor, but we weren't striving, that's why master Cornell came up with the plan to harvest the unripe nuts directly from the trees. Traders who had visited Ribana before, had already made it clear to us that the unripe nuts would yield more. Master Cornell thought it a good idea to get a better yield. "

"There is nothing against getting a better yield for products, but when the way to harvest the nuts changed there hasn't been taken into account that there was another species, the Urams, which also used the nuts as their food and especially the nuts hanging in the trees, as they can't eat the fallen nuts." Liane said. "I'm not accusing any of the harvest men, neither master Cornell, nor any of the harvest men who have supported his new plan, but leaders should always be aware of the needs of others. In this case the Urams which never caused problems in the past as long as only the fallen nuts were taken."

Wollin and Roshan nodded.

"I understand your point of view, miss Shaayla-Car, for later on I saw other images in my mind which gave me a more hopeful perspective, and when many other harvest men and even many Quelans began to express what they were seeing, if we would go back to our former way of gathering nuts, it was obvious that the nut trees wouldn't vanish, if we should stop our chopping. " Roshann said.

"Master Roshann, I can't explain why you have seen both images the Force let me pass to the harvest men and the Quelans. Consider it as a privilege so you, as chairman of the Harvest Council, would understand the consequences I told you."

"Miss Shaayla-Car," Wollin said, "There were more harvest men who saw both images. It is my conclusion, that by looking at both images we all got a serious warning. I have worked under Manall's leadership for years and so have most of us. We should learn from the fault we'd made and seek a peaceful coexistence with the Urams again. You have said that thanks to your skills as a Jedi Knight you have spoken with the leader of the Urams. Perhaps you should tell him what has been decided."

Liane's face became all smiles as she looked at Manall and the other three harvest men. Next she looked at Luke.

"Shaayla-Car and I have decided to go back to Tyr and inform Oltomyran, the leader of Urams. He also have to know that once all the Quelans will be back in Cantamaga Cornell and his sons will gather the first harvest of fallen nuts. " Luke said.

Liane looked at Manall.

"I also want to suggest something else, master Manall, concerning Filann and Cemall. The Harvest Council has decided that they have to do work outside the Quelan community as long as the second group of Quelans is still restoring, repairing or renovating their houses, gardens, shops and all the things that still need to be done to make Ribana look like it has been. The governors want that Filann and Cemall will do their work during the day and stay overnight in the Millennium Falcon."

"Tell me what you have been thinking of, Shaayla-Car?" Manall asked.

Liane explained what she had in mind and all the four harvest men, including Cornell, nodded in agreement.

"Excellent suggestion, for I want to set, my grandson Filann to work at our community building," Manall said, "If Cemall can work in the vineyard, they both have time to consider whether family matters should be resolved in the way they had envisioned."

Manall looked at Cornell.

"Miss Shaayla-Car, Ben, I don't object against a decision of the Harvest Council," Cornell said, "They have the authority among the harvest men to make rulings on matters like these involving my sons. They intended to do something reprehensible and need to be corrected, even if nothing has happened to Lorann. If you meet Lorann on Tyr will you tell him that I'm very glad that the Urams didn't attack him while he wore the old harvest men's jacket."

"We will, Cornell." Luke answered.

Luke and Liane said goodbye to the four harvest men and left the harvest mens' tent. They walked over to the Astræga, where Toallin and Mugin were waiting. Toallin looked at the two Jedi questioningly, but smiled.

"I will certainly hear on board what the two of you have been discussing with Manall and his men. I'm glad that the leadership is still partly in Cornell's hand. Manall takes the overall leadership and shares his responsibility with his son, Wollin and Roshann. Manall also wants to take Filann and Cemall under his wing so they will learn to be responsible as future leaders too."

Luke lowered the ramp of the Astræga and invited Toallin to get on board. Liane and he followed after having said goodbye to Mugin. Some moments later the Astræga lifted off and set course to the other continent again.

Lorann was using his drawing tablet to improve some of his first drawings of Ribana. He enjoyed adding color to various parts of the earlier drawings, something he easily accomplished by scanning the original foil sheet with the drawing pad. Meticulously he recalled the stories of the Quelan who had inspired him to create the first drawing, as he only had to look at it to see what he had heard as clear images in his mind.

Carefully he began to add color to the comparable part of the first drawing which showed the clean up and repairs the Quelan had done. Lorann diligently colored the garden, which was no longer overgrown with weeds but tidy, with here and there still an impression of the demarcated flower beds. He looked at the first and second drawings and suddenly saw an image of what the house and garden had looked like before all the inhabitants of Ribana had received the order to leave. He took the second image of the house and the garden and copied it, taking care to leave the original in pristine condition. He attached the color boxes and activated them and started to add color to all parts of the copy. He saw the house painted in its former colors and the garden full of flower borders along the fences and vegetables and herbs in neatly maintained beds. The more color he could add the more the image began to live and became the house of the Quelan owner. Finally Lorann leaned backward in his chair and looked at the three images of the same house and garden.

"It will look like it has been before," He mused and activated the device to copy the third image to a foil sheet.

After the image had been copied he took the three foil sheets and laid them next to each other at the large table in his room. He compared all three drawings with each other and carefully made some minor amendments with a thin pencil, as not everything was as he wanted it to look.

The door of his room slit aside and Wedge, Ian and Chati entered. Lorann looked at them with a laugh.

"You're coming at the right moment. Look I made a third image of the first and the second drawings. I could make a colorful image, because the third drawing looks as it has been before the owner had to leave." Lorann said and pointed to the three foil sheets on the table.

"You're improving all the drawings you've already been made, Loran?" Chati asked.

"Yes, with patches of color and a colorful third image, so the others will better understand what is needed to make Ribana our town again."

Chati looked at the third image and compared it with the first two ones.

"Wow, Lorann, that's Tranann Waban's house," She exclaimed. "Look that's Jonilann's vegetable garden. She always exchanged the surplus of her harvest with my mother and my aunt and sometimes she also sold what was left on market days at the main plaza."

"There have been market days in Ribana, Chati?" Lorann asked.

"Oh, yes, twice a week, in the summer season even thrice. All kinds of wares were sold there. One or two days were especially for vegetables, herbs and food, like cookies, candies and cakes. On the other day earthenware, clothes, fabrics were on display and all kinds of other stuff to make clothes."

Lorann looked puzzled.

"I have never seen it. I can't remember, Chati," He said.

"Of course, you don't remember those market days, Lorann, for you were little boy. You were four years old, when we had to leave Ribana." Chati answered.

Lorann walked over to his drawing desk and activated the drawing pad. He scrolled through the different images until he found the second image he had made of the vineyard building. He walked over to the table and put the drawing pad in front of Chati.

"It's still in one color only, but when your mother and your aunt were telling me how they had done repairs and all the clean up I saw how the building began to look like it had been before. Now with the colors I certainly can make a third image of the vineyard building how once was before you went to Cantamaga. Do you recognize it, Chati, for the vineyard building was your home."

Chati looked at the second drawing in disbelieve.

"Incredible," she whispered and suddenly tears appeared in her eyes.

Startled Lorann looked at her.

"Don't you like, Chati?" He asked carefully, "Why do you start crying, Did I do it wrong?"

Chati shook her head and looked at Wedge, while she wiped away her tears.

"I know, master, I have to learn to control my emotions, but looking at this drawing brings back all the fun I have had when the vineyard building was my home. I have only seen it with all the overgrown vines when Chewbacca brought me there. He understood that I wanted to see my old home." She said and turned to Lorann. "It's splendid, Lorann. It's almost like I remember, but please, make the third drawing you want to make of it."

Then she looked at her young friend.

"You made the first and the second drawings when you listening to what my mother and my aunt were telling you. How will you be able to make a third drawing of the building where it will look like it as been before I left Ribana. Lorann, you lived with your family in one of houses where the harvest men families lived. Those houses stood apart from the town near the foothills. The harvest men never came to the vineyard building, so how can you know what my home looked like." She said elated.

Lorann shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, Chati, but when I look at what I have drawn and recall what your mother and our aunt have told me, a much better image appears in my mind. I can always see that image in my mind when I'm improving the drawing, or if I want to make a third drawing of the house, like I have done with that one," He said, pointing at the three foil sheets on the table.

All the while Wedge and Ian had only listened to what Lorann and Chati were talking about. The two Jedi were watching the three foil sheets closely and compared the three images of the same house.

Ian looked at the young Quelan boy who clearly had an amazing talent to look at his environment and see things behind far reality. From his own apprenticeship he remembered how important this skill was, for a Jedi should be aware that what his eyes saw, doesn't have to be what really was. He had had a very tough lesson when he had looked at his sister and Luke. He had needed the advice of his parents to admit how wrong he had been. Looking now at what Lorann could draw and how he was able to draw reality and the look behind it in one drawing was really and eye opener. If the boy's talent would be monitored and foster with much care Lorann would learn to use the Force better than he had done. He looked at Wedge and knew that Wedge Antilles had thought the same.

Lorann looked at his three visitor and began to smile.

"Are you going to the nut woods?" He asked.

"Yes," Wedge said, "and we thought that you want to join us. I have asked master Kamalin if you're allowed to join us. He agrees."

"Yay, I will clean up here," Lorann said, while he carefully gathered the foil sheets of the drawings and made a stack of them on his desk. He disconnected the color boxes from the drawing pad, deactivated the pad itself and put everything in a closet next to his desk. He looked at the two Jedi Knights.

"I'll get my own coat this time," He said and chuckled. "I'm ready to go, master Kenobi."

"Then we go and visit our friends in the nut woods," Ian answered.

"I will tell master Kamalin I'm joining you," Lorann said. "I'll be right back."

He left his room and knocked on the adjacent door. Master Kamalin opened the door himself.

"You're going with your friends to feed the Urams, Lorann?" He asked.

Lorann nodded.

"When I'm back I'll show the coloring I have done in the first drawings, and I also made a third colored drawing of the house." Lorann said.

"That's fine, Lorann. Now go and join your friends." Kamalin said and watch as the boy joined the two Jedi Knight and Chati Fonaldris, Wedge Antilles' padawan.

Manall left the harvest mens' tent and went over to the Millennium Falcon. For a moment he hesitated, but then he walked up the ramp, passed the entrance and entered the control room where on Leia was busy writing a report for Mon Mothma on a datapad. She looked up in surprise.

"Master Manall, welcome. How can I help you?" She said while she put her chores aside, stood up and shook hands with the old harvest man, offering him a seat on the couch.

"It's good to meet you here, Leia. I just heard that Luke and Shaayla-Car have gone Tyr again. Your brother and the daughter of my good friend Obi-Wan Kenobi will inform the leader of the Urams what the Harvest Council has decided. They will also ask the Uram leader to observe while my grandson, my son and me will gather the first baskets of fallen nuts. Governor Toallin has joined them as he wanted to get back to Tyr as well, now that the problems with my grandsons Filann and Cemall have been decided. I want to express my gratitude that Han Solo and his friend Chewbacca have taken good , care of those two young hotheads, so they won't bring themselves into more problems." Manall said.

"As soon as my husband will hear from you where Filann and Cemall will be set to work he will ensure that they will be brought to that location and by the end of the day he will pick them up and bring them back here for their meal and their overnight stay in those empty cargo holds. I have made sure that those young man have some proper accommodation: a good bed, a closet for their clothes, a small table and a chair. Han also has made some improvised artificial illumination so they won't sit in the dark."

"Leia, can I talk to them?" Manall asked.

"Certainly, do you want to meet them in those cargo holds, or shall I provide one of our quarters to meet them. Chewbacca can bring both of them there, or if you want to speak to one of them, he can bring who ever you want to speak. Give me a short moment to make some arrangements. Oh, look, there is my husband. "

At that moment Han Solo entered the control room. He greeted the harvest men's leader, after which Leia explained what Manall wanted. Han listened and nodded.

"No problem, Leia. Master Manall can talk with any of his grandsons in my old private quarter which isn't in use any more since our marriage," Han said and grinned. "Master Manall do you want to talk to some of them now, for the quarter that once was my private room is a bit messy at the moment. If you give me an hour or two I will have it reorganized so that it looks as a space for an interview or interrogation, what ever you call it."

"If you could provide me that room today I will come back this afternoon, for I have to tell my grandsons what kind of work they have to assigned to," Manall sighed.

"I understand, master Manall, that it isn't easy for you to execute the ruling of the Harvest Council." Leia said. "Those two young men are your grandsons, your family."

"That's true, Leia, but those adutl grandsons intended to harm my son's youngest boy Lorann. It is a family matter, that's right, but already for a long time this matter is causing much trouble."

"Because Lorann has been born with a special talent, I suppose." Leia said.

"Yes, but that's not all.

After Cornell took over the harvest men's leadership with a unanimous decision of the Harvest Council, about fifteen years or so agao, the problems with the Urams began.

I did not get involved, for my son and his men went to Tyre without me for the annual nut harvest, and I stayed here in Ribana. When everyone was driven out of Ribana and we were forced to survive at Cantamaga, I visited the nut forests again for the first time in years. I did not know what I was seeing, and I asked Cornell why so many nut trees had been cut down."

"Did those Urams attack you when you entered the nut woods after all those years?" Han asked

"No, they didn't, general Solo. I'm a Force-user and the Urams feel I'm connected with the Living Force, the nut tree and all living creatures in the woods. During my days as the harvest mens' leader I even have become friends with several of the adult Urams. They always flew down from the nut trees to greet me and I felt welcome.

When I saw what had happened to numerous nut trees I began to fear that the Urams would certainly have sought revenge for what my son and his men have done to the nut trees. During that visit none of the Urams welcomed me and I sensed their anger, but they didn't attack me. The felled nut trees were piled up haphazardly next to the clearing. The tree stumps were still visible but everything had been overgrown with moss and fungi.

I left, feeling devastated and went to Cornell to ask what had happened. In no uncertain terms, he let me know that I was no longer allowed to interfere with the nut harvest. As the new leader, he had decided to do things differently than I had always done. I tried to reason with him, but he simply cast me out the harvest community and I build myself a house at the outskirts of Cantamaga near the nut woods.

Regularly I went to the nut woods and after some month two of my old Uram friends appeared again. I sensed their sadness and their rage, but the only thing I could do is feed them the nuts that were laying on the forest floor.

The nut trees always grow an abundance of nuts and many nuts fall from the trees on the forest floor ready for the harvest men to gather, but no longer those fallen nuts were gathered, for large amounts of fallen nuts were laying all around between the vegetation.

The relationship with my son had been shattered and became worse when Lorann began to visit me more often, when he grew older. When Cornell heard that I told Lorann about my old Jedi friends, he forbid Lorann to go to me. Lorann, however, was not as submissive as Filann and Cemall and ignored the ban. The boy began to avoid his family, stayed outside in the wilderness for days at a time, and came by my home more than once for a meal, during which I also took care of his health and well-being, letting him take a shower and washing his clothes. The break with his family became final when my daughter-in-law Tronama refused to let Lorann come back to the family house. Cornell brought the boy to me and instructed me to take care of him from then on."

Manall sighed deeply, but then looked up with a gleeful smile.

"Lorann and I were getting and still are getting along very well. We started making long walks in the area around Cantamaga. During those walks, I told him everything about my old Jedi friends. I had already heard that Lorann had a passion for long runs. When I saw him running so hard and fast during a walk without getting tired, I understood that there was much more going on with Lorann than obstinate behavior.

The boy was probably being influenced by the Force, but that became really clear when several Jedi Knights came to Cantamaga. You brought back our governors, and later, to my surprise, I met the children of my old friend Obi-Wan Kenobi.

When I heard Luke Skywalker's surname, I felt that he must be a relative of my other friend, Anakin Skywalker.

Leia, you have already told me a lot about your family connection to Luke Skywalker, but you left it to your brother to tell me precisely what happened to Anakin Skywalker. I understand that your brother has to tell me what happened to your father."

"Yes, master Manall. I want to leave that to my brother, for it has been his Jedi masters, your friend Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi master Yoda who trained him to become a Jedi Knight. They revealed to my brother what happened to our father. I'm certain that Luke will tell you what is still a mystery for you, for I've heard from Shaayla-Car that you always have felt that Obi-Wan Kenobi was alive, until that feeling suddenly stopped and you decided that he must have died.

I thank you very much for your trust in Han and me for telling me about you, Lorann and the trouble in your family and your concern for the nut woods and their inhabitants the Urams." Leia said.

"Leia, you have heard what Shaayla-Car said, yesterday, during the Harvest Council. She has gone to the nut wood and because of her connection with the Force she could understand what the leader of the Urams told her.

I am very happy to know that some Jedi Knights care about the Urams and the nut forest just as much as I do. Ever since my return to Tyr I have sensed the Urams' sadness, but it is a great relief that the daughter of my friend Obi-Wan possesses such great Force skills to bring peace between the Urams and the harvest men again, that really give me hope that also Lorann will see his dream come true one day."

"Against all opposition from his family you still support Lorann's future as a Jedi apprentice, don't you, master Manall," Han said.

"Yes, general Solo, the boy does not deserve to be locked up in a future that does not match his Force abilities. I understand that he has to wait patiently until the son of Obi-Wan, Tama-Hin will be ready to become my grandsons's Jedi master."

Leia smiled.

"Do you know, master Manall, that Tama-Hin has been my padawan." She said.

Manall also smiled.

"Yes, I also have heard that you have send him back to Tyr, because he stubbornly refused to obey your demand, concerning the relationship between your brother and his sister, Shaayla-Car. A pure disciplinary measure. Something similar as I now have to carry out on my two grandsons who thought they were doing their father a favor, but got themselves into trouble. It mustn't have been easy for you to send Tama-Hin back to Tyr, just as it isn't easy for me to take responsibility for the ruling of the Harvest Council, for after all Filann and Cemall are my grandsons. Tama-Hin was your padawan and a good friend I presume."

"Most certainly, master Manall, but no Jedi Knight should neglect the order given by a Jedi master. In the past the Jedi Council on Coruscant decreed what the Jedi Knights were allowed to, just like the harvest men are bound to the rulings of the Harvest Council. It's always a matter of keeping the group aware of the rules that matter and that insubordination have consequences."

Manall looked at Han.

"Keep those two hotheads in their 'cell', general. I will hear from you when I can talk to them here in private. I thank you for your time to listen my worries. It is a relief to me that I often find and have found a better understanding with those who have learned to rely on the Force: the Jedi Knights."

"Won't stay with us to share our meal, master Manall. I can asked Threepio and Artoo to bring your serving to the Millennium Falcon," Han said.

"I will gladly accept that invitation, general Solo, under one conditions that you warn me if I again start talking about my worries concerning my grandsons, all of them, the adult ones and the youngest." Manall said.

"You have our word on that, master Manall. I'll will inform our droids to bring an extra serving to the Falcon," Han said.

The Astræga had landed on Tyr after an uneventful flight. Luke and Liane had told Toallin about their discussion with Manall and the three other leaders. The governor of Ribana had fully agreed with Liane's plan to set Cemall to work in the vineyard.

Luke took the speeder from the cargo hold to bring Toallin to Cantamaga. As they had arrived at the central plaza with the administration building Liane looked at the small towers and smiled. Toallin noticed her look and went over to the two Jedi.

"Are you staying?" He asked and Liane saw a meaningful look in his eyes. She looked at Luke who nodded.

"We gladly would, governor," Luke said and put his arm around Liane.

"I'll will asked some Quelans to prepare the room for you. I'm glad you will stay with us on Tyr for the rest of the day. I'm sure that you want to meet the other Jedi and their apprentices."

"Lorann isn't someone's apprentice, yet?" Luke said on a serious tone.

"I have heard what you said yesterday, Luke, but Lorann is always joining Chati and her master and Shaayla-Car's brother as they are going into the nut woods. You know, Luke, those two Quelan youngster have set the new course which from now on will become a new rule and way of living in our community. I'm sure that they will be very happy if you tell them what the Harvest Council has decided."

All the while Liane was still looked at the small towers.

"Toallin, is there a story behind the room in the guest room tower?" She suddenly asked.

"Because you are impressed with the way the room is furnished, don't you?" Toallin said chuckling.

Liane nodded and continued.

"I found it amazing to find all that extraordinary furniture there. You and the inhabitants of Ribana arrived here with no place to stay in the beginning, for Cantamaga was only used by the harvest men while they were on Tyr for the nut harvest."

Toallin made an inviting gesture.

"Join me to my office and I will tell what happened after the Quelans arrived on Tyr, Shaayla-Car," He said and looked at Luke, "otherwise she won't sleep quiet tonight, I fear,"

The Quelan leader and Luke exchanged a meaningful look and smiled imperceptibly.

They entered the main hall and immediately Liane went over to what she called 'the gallery' of Lorann's drawings. Luke and Toallin joined her and Liane pointed at some two new drawings. A group of Quelans stood looking at the twelve double drawings Lorann had made since the first group had returned. They looked at the Jedi Knight and the governor.

"Governor, I will go to Ribana with the last group," One Quelan male said, "Was it really so bad when the first group arrived."

Toallin nodded.

"Unfortunately it was. All those left side drawings show what the first group saw after they had arrived. It's already looking much better now and when your group will go many houses and shops will be repaired." He said.

"We have heard that all our furniture is gone. Who took it, governor?" The Quelan asked.

"The houses of Ribana were looted. The intruder took most of it to furnish the caves where he lived." Liane said,

The Quelan male looked at her.

"He has used our furniture to make himself comfortable?"

"I have seen several cave stacked with closets, bookshelves, armchairs. tables and much more. He didn't really use it, he just took it." Liane said softly.

The Quelan male looked at Toallin who nodded after he had heard what Liane said.

"Governor, is there a way to take back what he took?"

Toallin and Liane both shook their heads.

"No, the water has flooded those caves and ruined the furniture he took," Toallin said, "but you shouldn't despair. A new way has been found to provide everyone with new furniture step by step. We will begin, buying necessary things, like beds, tables, chairs, sideboards and to make the house look more cozy new curtains and rugs. Later we will be able to buy other things which will improve our way of living."

"Will it be like in the days before we had to leave?" The Quelan asked and Liane heard uncertainty in his voice.

"It will be. I can assure you, but we all need to roll up our sleeves to oncoming time. Help is coming from all sides. Not only our friends, the Jedi Knights, will stay for a while and help us, but we also will get support from the two main governments in the galaxy: the New Republic and the Provisional Council on Coruscant. Our town will be a good place to live again in the future," Toallin said reassuringly.

"I hope so, Governor, for what I see here on those drawings does not make me happy yet. We arrived here with only our clothes and we had to sleep in tents for a long time, and now we are returning to our old city, which lies in ruins. So we have to start all over again."

"You should take a look at those drawings on the right side too. They show how much the first group managed to do to restore and repair their houses. When you go to Ribana much more will be restored, for the second group is also doing cleaning and restorations." Toallin said, trying to remain optimistic.

The Quelan male looked at him.

"Governor, I have listened to many of my fellows who when to Ribana with the first group. I heard that they felt devastated as they saw our town. Not many could find enough courage to start repairing their house, not to say that most of my fellows didn't know where to start."

"I have seen what you're telling me," Toallin said, "but it hadn't stayed that way..."

"No that's what they told me, for some said that they could imagine how their house would look like if repairs would have been done, and they went looking for equipment to make a begin, and after a while everyone was doing cleaning or repairing or weeding."

"That's what you can see on those drawings on the right side." Toallin said, "Those drawings are made to encourage you and keep up a good spirit."

"Thank you, governor, for taking time to explaining what I see and what I've heard." The Quelan male said as he walked over to one of the other drawings.

Toallin, Luke and Liane watched him go. Toallin took his Jedi friends to his office on the first floor of the administration building.

"I understand that it isn't easy for my fellow Quelans to start all over again.

Mugin and I haven't known what has happened after we arrived in Cantamaga, because we soon went back to Ribana to ask if our group of young Quelans could be released. Instead, we were captured ourselves.

In the end, and you, Luke, knows how long it took before we were back in Tyr." Toallin said and offered them to sit down. He went over to sideboard and poured some water in three glasses.

"I have to apologize for the lack of hospitality. Since the restoration has become priority, we simplified our eating habits. I promise you a better welcome in my private quarters when you're inviting to share our meal with your friends and Chati and Lorann. That is to say if my daughter is back in time, for I think that she and master Antilles have gone to the nut wood again, and Loran and Ian are surely accompanying him."

He looked at Liane inquisitively.

"Before I tell you about that particular guest room in one of the towers, I also want to satisfy my own curiosity, Shaayla-Car. On our flight you told me that Cornell and some of his men had seen images of a ruined nut wood. Even master Roshann who always has had his doubts about the way Cornell wanted to harvest the nuts, has seen them. Other harvest men and even Quelans present at the hearing, saw more encouraging images of gathering the fallen nut without any aggressive reaction from the Urams.

You said that you passed on the images the Force showed you. Downstairs, that older Quelan told us what he had heard from the first group. I experienced it myself as well, and Mugin told me that he had a similar experience after the second group arrived, although it took almost half a day before some of the Quelans from the second group rolled up their sleeves. My question, Shaayla-Car, and forgive my curiosity, did you also encourage those two groups with images the Force has shown you."

Liane looked at Toallin and saw a questing and hopeful look in his eyes. She gently nodded.

"I did the same as yesterday during the Harvest Council, Toallin. That is to say, when encouraging the Quelans to have a more optimistic look at what needed to be done in Ribana, Luke and I joined our Force strength, for we wanted all the Quelans of the first and second group to see images of a restored and repaired Ribana. That the second group has started a bit too late was caused by our late departure from Palomintar Four," Liane said.

"You certainly shouldn't apologize, Shaayla-Car. Your Force use has helped my fellow Quelans to overcome the despair they felt after they saw the ruins of Ribana. I was prepared, but even I felt desperate and have wondered where to begin. It's amazing what Force skills you both possess." Toallin said, looking gratefully at Luke and Liane.

"That is thanks to a rare form of Force Control she possesses, Toallin. Not many Jedi can use it. It is called Force Battle Meditation and can be used to show a group encouraging images instead of feeling despair, but it can also be used to inflict a gruesome fate on opponents. It can even cause opponents to turn each other against one another." Luke said with admiration in his voice.

"Do I understand, Luke, that you can't use this particular Force use?" Toallin asked.

"That's right, Toallin. My share is that I can strengthen Shaayla-Car's Force use of it so the Force influence cover the whole group instead of individuals only as happened during the Harvest Council hearing."

"And we will do the same for the third group, Toallin, for while you were talking to that older Quelan I already felt the need to encourage him, so he would see a better future which would make him feel better." Liane said.

"You're both keeping to the promise you once made to help us. Much of that promise has already been resolved, but still you feel the need to stay with us until our old town will be restored," Toallin said. "Yet, we all know that you have agreed on a something more private matter, but you have postponed that agreement. Leia told us that personal interest never outweighs the main task of the Jedi Knights."

"Toallin, as long as we see what work needs to be done in Ribana and what encouragement your fellow Quelans need, we won't set a date for our wedding," Luke said.

"But you certainly have thought about where you're wedding will be officiate?" Toallin asked, "You probably will go to the capital of the New Republic, don't you?"

Luke looked at Liane who smiled at him. Luke laughed.

"It seems that we can't keep our wishes secret, Toallin, for I sensed that you want to ask us if we want to marry in Ribana, don't you?"

Toallin looked at his Jedi friends with a laugh.

"Are your words meant, Luke, that you wanted to ask my brother and me to officiate your wedding, whereas I was already planning to ask you if Mugin and I could do so, as a gesture of friendship." He said.

Luke and Liane at each other with radiant faces and nodded.

"It's an honor to fulfill your wish, Luke," Toallin said, "We only have to wait for all the Quelans to have returned to their homes in Ribana."

"Luke and I will be patient, Toallin. Don't rush things, the Quelans should have the conviction that Ribana is their town again, as their place for their future way of life" Liane said.

"You're very unselfish human beings," Toallin said and walked over to his desk.

He opened a drawer and took out an object that he kept hidden in his hand, then he walked back to his seat.

"I have heard that you went to Ktafunda on Palomintar Six. Luke, you know where Mugin and I have lived. It's my idea that a couple like you would love to be on your own, just the two of you. Luke, this is the key of our cabin. I don't think that we will ever go back there, so I want you and Shaayla-Car to be the cabin's next owners.

When the second group goes back to Tyr and tell those who have stayed here what is needed to be done for at least several standard days I want you to go to Palomintar Six again and make use of the cabin that Mugin and I have built years ago." Toallin said and held out the key. "Consider this an early wedding gift from all the Quelans of Ribana, but especially from Mugin and me."

Flabbergasted and a bit hesitant Luke took the key while Toallin looked at the two Jedi Knights encouragingly.

"You have left us speechless, Toallin. This is a very generous gift, and we are very honored by it." Luke said, looking at the key in his hand, before he met Liane's radiant look.

Toallin looked at both Jedi Knights and smiled meaningful.

"You have already been there, haven't you, Shaayla-Car?" He said.

"Eh, yes, Toallin. Luke and I,... no, Luke took me there. I have seen the cabin. It's wonderful. It's unbelievable that you give it to us." She said.

Toallin laughed.

"Shaayla-Car, young lovers like you and Luke need a place to be undisturbed. I have been a young Quelan male once when I courted Udine. Mugin and I were lucky that our grandfather's vineyard have many secret shed all over the vineyard where couples could come together without being disturbed by others. To be honest I often took my young bride in the good season to a shed near the eastern mountain to spend the night with her." Toallin said still laughing as he saw how Liane blushed vehemently.

Toallin rose.

"I still owe your the story of the towers and the special guest room's furniture. I will tell you that in the room itself after we've had our meal. I now have to excuse me for I want to tell Kamalin the outcome of the Harvest Council. I'll see you in the private part of this building, Ask my sons to bring you to the parlor. If, by accident, you see Chati, tell that I would like her to prepare dinner for us."

He brought them to the door of his office where Luke and Liane once again thank him for his gift.