Chapter 141

Honyan Pohinn nodded.

"That's what we have agreed upon, Cornell, but your son Filann has told Roshann that he no longer considered himself to be my daughter's husband." The harvest man said.

"What do you mean, Honyan, of course Filann is her husband," Cornell said impatiently. "You wait and see. Perhaps next year she will bear him a son or a daughter. She is a good girl and will be a good mother."

"Can we talk with your son, Cornell, for I have heard something different, and I feel worried?" Honyan said.

"Sure we can. Filann and Cemall are doing repairs and clean up on my father's new house at the main plaza in Ribana." Cornell said. "The house itself is almost finished. It was in a very good condition and my father is very happy with it. My boys are now repairing the fences, restoring the shed behind the house and cleaning the garden from the overgrown weeds. Let's take the speeder."

Cornell and Honyan Pohinn drove to the center of Ribana. Cornell stopped in front of his father's new house. At the sound of the speeder Manall came to the door. Cornell got straight to the point.

"Father, did you hear that Filann has told Roshann that he doesn't consider himself to be Sumall Pohinn's husband any longer." He asked. "Honyan says that he has heard that?"

Manall looked at Honyan Pohinn and his son and beckoned them to get inside.

"I'll get Filann. He'd better tell you himself what he has told Roshann." Manall said.

Some moments later he returned with both Cornell's eldest sons.

"Cemall can continue with the work he was doing," Cornell said, "We only want to talk with Filann."

"What we are going to talk about, son, is also concerning Cemall. So he will stay here," Manall said and looked at his two grandsons.

"In what way?" Cornell asked snappy.

"You'd better ask Filann what you want to ask him." Manall said with emphasis.

Cornell looked at Filann.

"Did you tell master Roshann that you're no longer Sumall Pohinn's husband? That you're no longer married to her?" He asked in a loud voice.

"Son, if you don't get your voice down and discuss this matter as an adult harvest man, I want you to leave my house, for I won't allow any screaming or yelling in here." Manall said.

Cornell looked at his father and turned to his son again.

"You're married with Sumall for already two years. What made you decided to tell master Roshann you're no longer her husband."

Filann looked at Honyan Pohinn.

"Master Pohinn, what I have been telling master Roshann it true. I'm no longer your daughter's husband. I will asked the Harvest Council to cancel my marriage with your daughter." He said.

"That impossible, Filann Radilan. Your father and I have agreed that once Sumall would be fifteen she would become your wife. We have delayed your marriage with her for a year, but we have announced in pubic that you and Sumall are husband and wife. You can't undo what we, as the fathers have agreed upon."

"Master Pohinn you and my father have agreed upon that marriage when I was seven or eight years old. None of you have ever asked me, if I wanted to get married to your daughter. She is now almost seventeen, I'm nearly twenty-five and at twenty-third birth day you both announced that your daughter would be my wife. Between my seventh year and the year in which I was forced to become her husband I have never met her, I have never spoken to her, I hardly had any idea who she was.

After the announcement of my marriage I did what was expected of me. I build a new house, provided the furniture and everything which is needed to set up a new house hold. I did that all because I want to show Sumall that I wanted to be a serious husband to her."

Honyan Pohinn nodded.

"I have seen what you have done to give my daughter a good start, but why are you now saying that you're no longer her husband?"

"Master Pohinn, officially I'm still married to Sumall for almost two years. I don't consider myself her husband any longer, because she don't want to sleep with me. She don't want to make love with me, She don't want to get pregnant from me. She doesn't love me, for she loves my brother Cemall, at least that's what she told me. She has humiliated me as an adult harvest man, so I consider my marriage to be over and no longer existing. Void! Cancelled! No existent! What ever you, or my father will be telling me about any agreement made in the past, they are no longer valid to me.

I even will go a step further. As your daughter has bluntly told me she loves Cemall, I tell you in advance that you shouldn't think about a marriage between Cemall and Sumall, for he will reject your daughter as his wife, for he doesn't love her. While she doesn't love me I don't feel any need to find a way win her affection. I have done enough.

She may keep the house and everything I gave her I don't want it. I will make myself a new house here in Ribana. As long as I don't have my own place to live in, I will stay with my grandfather and so will my brother Cemall, for we both don't want to be forced into what ever my father and you, master Pohinn have in mind. Cemall and I only will consider a marriage, when a woman shows her friendship and affection and love to us, and who clearly wants to make love, sleep with us and form a new house hold based on respect between the partners."

"You can't do this, Filann," Cornell said. "I forbid it."

"I'm an adult Quelan, father. You no longer can forbid me anything. I can't do this, you're saying. I tell you I have already done so. I'm Filann Radilan, an unmarried harvest man again and I'm going to chose my own wife among the Quelan girls and women among whom I want to become friends with as soon as we all are back on Myr."

Honyan Pohinn looked at Cemall

"Cemall, could you consider to be my daughter's husband, after I have spoken with her." He asked.

"No, master Pohinn, your daughter has rejected my brother. She has humiliated him by telling him that she is in love with me, what I hardly believe, for I have never spoken a word with her. I don't want her as my wife and like my brother just said I'm going to make friends with Quelan boys and girls of my own age, for I don't want to be forced to become the husband of an immature harvest girl." Cemall said.

Honyan Pohinn looked at the two brothers in despair.

"Filann, Sumall is almost seventeen. She is underage, but she's a married woman," He began, but Filann cut him short.

"Master Pohinn, you take her back into your household, so she can come Myr with all the harvest families, or she can stay in her own house on Tyr, I don't care.

You still might consider her to be a married woman, but she isn't my wife any more. I haven't touched her these two years, I even haven't shared a kiss with her. She is as unspoiled as she was on the day you and my father announced my marriage with her." Filann said.

"We have to bring this before the Harvest Council," Cornell said shirty. "They will surely decided you have to keep up to our traditions and take your wife back."

"Whatever the Harvest Council will decide, father. I will no longer acknowledge Sumall as my wife." Filann said while taking his brother's arm. "Cemall, this discussion is over. We have told them our vision. If they want to ask the Harvest Council to decide, we will put this matter before the Council of the Elders which I recognize as the only legitimate rulers of our community. Come on, we have work to do."

"We're not finished," Cornell said, but Filann and Cemall had already left Manall's house.

Cornell and Honyan Pohinn looked at Manall.

"Father, when we were back on Tyr I want you being now the harvest men's leader to call for the Harvest Council. My son needs to be called to order, I think. His announcement that he is no longer Sumall Pohinn's husband must be reversed in strong terms." Cornell said and looked at Manall.

"I will do as you said, son, for I already intended to call for the Harvest Council to make a decision for this matter," The old harvest man said. "Now I want you and master Pohinn go back to your own chores and tasks. Once we're back on Tyr I will assemble the Harvest Council for this and other matters which need to be looked at."

Cornell and Honyan Pohinn left Manall's house unsatisfied. Manall watched them drive off with the speeder, before he went to garden behind his house where his two grandson where busy to do repairs at the shed. He watched them working together and listened to their comments. They weren't talking about what has happened. They just were discussing what they have to do to restore the shed the right way. Relieved Manall left his grandsons to their chores and went back to the front of the house. He crossed the main plaza of Ribana and entered the administration building, looking for governor Mugin and vice-chair Woldrin his two allies.

'Master Kenobi, can I talk with you like the Jedi do when we're going to the nut wood.' Lorann asked.

'You can, Lorann,' Ian answered and looked aside at the young Quelan boy.

'Hey, Lorann, can you also use to communicate with our teachers.' Chati commented.

Lorann looked at her.

"Did you hear, what I asked Master Kenobi?" He asked.

"Yes. This is great, Lorann. Maybe you also can speak with that Uram leader Oltomyran. I'm sure he loves talking to you, too," Chati said elated.

'You should talk that loud, young padawan. We're still in the outskirts of Cantamaga.' Wedge said.

'Master Antilles, I heard what you said to Chati. You reprimanded her for raising her voice. I shouldn't have heard what you said.' Lorann said, feeling uncomfortable.

'You have quickly mastered the Jedi way of silent communication, Lorann. Master Kenobi is definitely proud of you.'

Lorann averted his eyes.

"Master Kenobi told me that he shouldn't teach this, master Antilles. Master Skywalker doesn't want him to teach me any use of the Force, for he isn't my Jedi master. Yet!" He whispered, but he looked up at the older Jedi Knight. "Did he tall you?"

"No, master Kenobi didn't tell me, but I heard the two of you talking in the Jedi way last evening, Lorann."

"And you have reminded him that he shouldn't do that," Lorann said in a small voice. "But I like to talk to master Kenobi this way, master Antilles."

"Why, Lorann. The Jedi use this particular way of silent communication when there in a situation they don't want to be overheard." Wedge Antilles said and looked at the young Quelan boy. "The Force use of the Jedi Knight shouldn't be use for fun, Lorann."

"I only wished him a good night's rest yesterday evening, master Antilles," Lorann answered still in a small voice. "For I want him to sleep well, because he is worrying."

"How do you know he is worrying, Lorann?" Wedge asked.

"I felt it, master Antilles, because master Kenobi has to join an important mission with the leader of the New Republic. The tall, calm, but stern lady that visited my father and his men at the campsite on the mountain ridge near the water flow.

I will miss him, master Antilles, for also his friend master Martan will be gone, and then you are the only Jedi Knight left on Tyr." Lorann said averting his eyes.

Wedge started to laugh and patted the young boy on his arm.

"You're master Kenobi's trusted ally, Lorann, for haven't revealed why he taught you Jedi telepathy. That's what a padawan should do. Always!"

"Do you really see me as master Kenobi's padawan, master Antilles. Is he my Jedi master?" Lorann said and looked up relieved.

"One day, Lorann, you will be his padawan learner and he will teach you all you need to know to become a Jedi Knight yourself." Wedge said.

Lorann looked at Ian who was talking to Chati. For a moment Ian looked up and winked at him. Lorann laughed.

"You're right, master Antilles. Once day master Kenobi will be my Jedi master and I will wait for him to take me as his padawan learner, for I want to become a Jedi Knight like you both are. And later on I will take a padawan learner myself and teach him all master Kenobi has taught me, but I will always remain friends with master Kenobi." Lorann answered elated.

They had reached the nut wood and Chati and Lorann walked to the middle of the clearing looking around at the tree stumps. Lorann pointed at the many green leaves that by now formed clumps everywhere around the tree stumps.

"Those will become nut trees again, Chati. Isn't it amazing to realize that within years this clearing will no longer exist and become a dense group of nut trees." Lorann said and looked around with a strange glare in his eyes.

He turned to Ian and Wedge.

"I have a great idea, master Kenobi. When I'm back in my room I will make a drawing of what the clearing will look like when these tree stumps have become nut trees again with foliage and full of nuts as food for the Urams." He said.

"You certainly should do that, Lorann, but don't forget your other chores the governor and master Kamalin want you to do."

"I won't, master Kenobi. With that new drawing pad master Skywalker has given me the drawings of those deteriorated and restored houses in Ribana have because much easier to make. When I listen to what those fellow Quelans tell me I almost immediately see what I have to make. I hear their voices and I see in my mind what the drawing should become. They are always admiring the result even if it's not yet finished and often missing a lot of details which I add later. But now I'm going to feed my friends," He said and began to gather fallen nuts, making several heaps around him.

Wedge and Ian looked at each other and nodded imperceptibly. Ian reached out to the Force and sought an encapsulated connection with his friend.

'We don't have to have long conversation this way, Wedge. What do you think?'

'It amazed me, Tama-Hin, how strong the attachment is between Lorann and you. It's an attachment in the Force and not as I earlier assumed an emotional attachment. Somehow the Force wants you to become his master.'

'I really hope that Luke will allow me to be Lorann's master. The boy has so much Force potential. It's overwhelming me and that's what I need to cope with, for as long as his use of the Force is astounding me I can't be a real good teacher, for I always been wondering what knowledge I still lack.'

'Being someone's master, Tama-Hin, is a great way of learning yourself. You become aware on a much higher level what it means to be a Jedi master. When Yarmod Martan was my padawan I often became aware of how the Force wanted me to explain its use to him. You will experience that when you will a Jedi master yourself, for we teach our padawan, but they learn us to see the greater good of the Force.' Wedge answered, 'Becoming Lorann's master will improve your own Force skills as a Jedi Knight while you were teaching him what Leia once has taught you. Shall we now ask Chati and Lorann if they have heard what we have been talking about.'

They both released themselves from their tight Force connection and walked over to Chati and Lorann who were feeding some five young Urams with fallen nuts. The two Jedi Knight watch their young learners.

"Chati, Lorann." Ian said.

The two Quelan youths looked up.

"Yes, Ian, what's the matter," Chati asked.

Ian walked over to them.

"Have you heard that master Antilles and I have been talking using Jedi telepathy?" He asked.

Chati and Lorann looked at each other, while keeping and eye on the young Urams they were feeding.

"You and master Antilles were just watching us, Ian, like you always do. Did you hear anything, Lorann?" Chati asked.

Lorann shook his head and pay his attention again to the young Uram which was impatiently waiting for its turn to get some fallen nuts. Ian reached out to the Force again to establish an explicit connection with Lorann and began to encapsulate the boy in a strong Force flow.

'Lorann, how many Uram friends did you already gave those fallen nuts' Ian asked.

'Seven, master Kenobi, and I have taught to wait for their turn, for I made clear I don't want them to quarrel.' The boy answered immediately.

'Do you want me to join you, Lorann, for I sense that they are very hungry today.'

'Will you that, master Kenobi. The Urams are also your friends. They trust you, for they feel that I trust you.'

Ian walked over to Lorann and sat himself cross-legged among the vegetation. Lorann quickly gather several handful of nuts and handed them to him. Almost immediately three young Urams hopped over to Ian. Lorann beamed.

'They really want you to feed them, master.... Kenobi.' He said and his olive green skin got a reddish color. 'Apologies, master Kenobi, I almost addressed you as if I were your padawan learner.'

Ian looked aside and smiled at the boy.

'We're doing a good practise this time using Jedi telepathy. It's already very easy for you to hear me. You're really as susceptible to telepathy as Chati.'

'You told me about your adventure in the dried riverbed. I still remember when I was there with Cemall and master Martan, Chati and you and we heard those voices. I felt scared and so did Cemall. Which is odd, for he is ten years older than I am. He surely shouldn't feel scared. He is already an adult Quelan harvest man, while he was working on that water flow project. What did you, master Yarmod and Chati do in the dried riverbed.'

'Master Leia had asked us to put explosives on the wall at the end, but first master Martan and I made a hole in the wall and we crept through that hole to the other side where we met master Antilles, master Skywalker and master Doran Whain.' Ian told him.

'That was really exciting, master Kenobi. Did you meet with the man who has driven all the Quelans out of Ribana?' Lorann asked inquisitively.

'I have, Lorann, together with master Martan, master Skywalker and my sister.' Ian answered.

'Did you fight with him, and did miss Kenobi fight with him too?'

'Not in a really battle, Lorann. A Jedi Knight has many other ways to fight an enemy and that what we did. Later master Antilles brought me to master Skywalker's ship the Astræga to give use my healing skills to cure the injury of Doran Whain, or master Nori Thai. Afterwards I've heard that master Skywalker, master Martan, and Shaayla-Car have indeed used their lightsabers to protect themselves against the attacks of an army of killer droids. They fled through the dried riverbed back to the campsite, just before your father and his man released the water flow.'

'Has that angry man drowned?'

'No, he has been arrested and taken back to the planet where he once lived.' Ian answered.

'If he is alive, he might come back to Ribana.' Lorann remarked.

'Unlikely, Lorann. Once he thought he was a powerful man, but Shaayla-Car has told him what really has happened to him, and he finally accepted what she has told him.'

'Than miss Kenobi is a great warrior, isn't she.' Lorann concluded.

Ian smiled and shook his head.

'No, Lorann, my sister pitied him and convinced he should surrender himself which he finally did. I remember that master Skywalker once told me a story when he met his Jedi master for the first time. He told him that he was looking for a great warrior, and he was told that war doesn't make one great. The Jedi use the Force for knowledge and defence, not to attack and fight. Well, I think our little friends have eaten their fill.' Ian said and stood up, while he released himself from his explicit connection from Lorann.

He looked at Wedge who still seemed to be attached to Chati. Lorann frowned and looked at Ian.

"Master Antilles seemed to be talking to Chati using Force telepathy, but I don't hear what he is telling her, or what she is answering him. Ian put his hand on Lorann's shoulders.

"That's what you and I have also done, Lorann," He said and noticed that Wedge had released the strong Force connection with Chati. "You should ask her if she has heard what I have been telling you about my adventure with her in the underground caves."

"Chati," Lorann exclaimed, "master Kenobi and I have been practising Force telepathy. Have you heard what he has been telling me."

Chati and Wedge came over to Ian and Lorann. Chati shook her head. I saw that Ian was telling you something, but I heard nothing, while when we were walking to the nut wood I heard what Ian and you were talking about.

She turned to Wedge Antilles.

"Master, did you hear what Ian and Lorann were discussing?"

Wedge shook his head.

"Neither did Loran and Tama-Hin have heard what I have been telling you, Chati?" He said.

"Really," sounded it in unison from the young Quelans.

"This must be a special way to use Force telepathy to exchange something secret, right?" Lorann asked.

"It is, Lorann, and Tama-Hin, will teach you how to use it, for while he is away, it is important that he can use this special way of Force telepathy to reach you, while you're still here or on Myr, and after he has taught you, you will be able to reach Tama-Hin, if you need his help or his advice. The oncoming time I want that you and Tama-Hin will practise this extensively, so that it will become a habit and you both will be able to reach out to each other this way when you're using Jedi telepathy. This is a real strong Force use, Lorann, but I'm sure you will manage to learn it."

Wedge walked over to Lorann and put his hands on the boy's shoulder.

"Lorann, will you promise me, that you will do everything to learn this way of telepathy."

"Sure, master Antilles, for I love to talk with master Kenobi without any one else hear what we're talking about." Lorann said with a grin.

Wedge turned to Chati.

"You, my young padawan, shouldn't worry about what I'm telling Lorann. I will teach you the same, although not immediately. Tama-Hin has to leave us as you probably have heard. He has to join the Supreme Chancellor on a mission. Tama-Hian has to teach Lorann this way of special Jedi telepathy to reach Lorann if the Supreme Chancellor mission is going well, so he can tell master Skywalker and Shaayla-Car, Tama-Hin's sister."

Both young Quelans looked at Wedge Antilles and Lorann cast a quick look on Ian.

"Is it dangerous where, Ian, has to go," Chati asked.

"I have been there, Chati. It's not easy to be there, for there's a lot of people there who doesn't trust the Jedi Knights, but master Martan and I were there for nine months and we have returned with encountering any dangerous troubles. But it is always reassuring that there is a way to warn someone staying elsewhere."

Lorann put his hand on Ian's cassock.

"I will do my best to learn this, master Kenobi. You need to be ensured that you can reach me when you're away, for I can warn master Antilles, master Skywalker, your sister, the governors, master Kamalin, my grandfather and my father and all the hareest men and of course all your other friends. I'm sure they will all come to help you." He said looking up at Ian with a confidential look.

Mugin and Woldrin looked up as Manall entered their common office.

"I was planning to call in the help of your men, Manall," Mugin said and took the harvest men's leader to the windows which looked out over the eastern hill's behind Ribana. He pointed at the former farm near the top.

"That farmhouse still needs restoration, Manall. This morning a young Quelan woman has come to see me. Anddra Jecolin, the daughter of the former owner of the farm. She has come to Myr with the second group. She has started the cleaning of the main house, but she told, almost in tears, that she can't fix everything herself."

"Hasn't any family member joined her with the second group?" Manall asked.

"She told me, that after she and her mother have heard that they would return Ribana, her mother who was also blind, died. Her father has been a victim of the occupying force. She is orphaned and on her own, be she wants to return to farm.

Manall, we're two days from returning to Tyr. The young woman has asked me she can join the third group to continue with the work on her house. At first she asked me if she could stay behind, but my brother wants all the Quelans, and your men to have a break in what needs to be done here. I have told her that she may join the third group. She thank me, but I sensed her worries about the work she has to do."

"Maybe Filann can go there before we go back to Tyr, and ask her what they can do for her," Manall, "TCemall will go back to the vineyard for these last days and continue with the pruning of the grapesvines. He likes the work."

"And he likes the company of Shaayla-Car Kenobi I've heard," Woldrin said.

"That Jedi Knight has had a good influence on both your grandsons, Manall," Mugin commented. "But you didn't join us to listen to our worries."

Manall shook his head.

"Filann has told Roshann that he isn't Sumall Pohinn's husband any longer. I understand why, but Cornell and Honyan Pohinn came to my new house this morning to ask what's going one. I've told you about those forced marriages which have been a so-called long-standing tradition among the harvest families. I have also referred to what harvest boys and girls have seen and experienced while the two group of Quelans lived among each other on Tyr. You, both have admitted that you as governors and the member of the Council of the Elders are also aware of the discontent among certain groups of Quelans youngsters."

Mugin and Woldrin nodded.

"You know," Manall continued, "that I want the harvest families and the Quelans who once lived separated on Myr, will form one community of Quelans."

Mugin and Woldrin nodded again

"When Cornell and Honyan Pohinn asked Filann about the rumor that he doesn't consider himself Sumall's husband anymore, my grandson told his father and Honyan Pohinn that he will ask the Harvest Council to cancel his marriage with Honyan's daughter. Cornell, you know how ill-tempered my son can be, told his son that the Harvest Council will never allow that.

I already intended to call for the Harvest Council, once we would be back on Tyr, but now I want to go a step further. Governor Fonaldris, vice-chairman of the Council of Elders, master Woldrin, when we're back on Tyr I want a joint meeting of the governors of the Quelan community, all the members of the Council of the Elders and the Harvest Council to make a decision of the joint future of our community.

I want that this joint meeting will make a statement about the tradition of forced marriages which makes young harvest boys and girls unhappy, discontent and obstinate, and decide that any Quelan youngster may chose a partner of his or her own choice.

I also want that the joint meeting set a rule that the harvest families will no longer live in a separate community, but among the Quelans in Ribana and chose one of the abandoned houses whose former owners have perished during the occupation. Master Nori Thai and Jedi Knight master Martan are making an inventory list about this house, which they will complete once the third group is restoring their houses.

Governor, I'm not asking this because it concerns my grandson, I want all the Quelans to form one community and see themselves as a member of a joint community, working together, helping each others and supporting those Quelans that need extra help." Manall said and looked at Mugin and Woldrin, before he pointed at the farmhouse on the eastern hill.

"That's a good example, where the Quelans can do work in harmony and help each other."

"I support your idea, Manall Radilan, and I'm sure that my brother will agree. What is your idea about master Manall's proposal Woldrin?" Mugin asked.

"Brilliant idea. The Council of the Elders will certainly agree. I personally would like to go one step further, master Manall. Wouldn't it be a good plan, if the joint meeting decides that the Harvest Council no longer has any authority in matters of the harvest men and their families. I mean, could it be better if the Harvest Council become obsolete and leave any matters of the community to the Council of the Elders and the governors, for they both already have a higher authority in making decision which concerns all Quelans. I will discuss this with master Kamalin and the other members of the Council." Woldrin said as he looked at Manall's approving and cheerful face.

"Thank you, master Woldrin, your personal opinion matches mine completely." Manall said.

"Then we will proceed as you have suggested, master Manall, but our announcement will cause a major stir, so we have to prepare this thoroughly. I will make contact with my brother and ask him to start the preparation for that joint meeting, so that we don't loose time once we're back on Tyr," Mugin said.

Manall shook hands with Mugin and Woldrin and the three men grinned at each others. Manall walked over to the door to leave the office.

"I will ask my grandson to give that orphaned woman all the help she needs to restore her former home and what ever is further necessary." He said.

"Haven't you heard it, Luke?" Udine asked.

Carmona rolled her eyes meaningfully.

"It seems that the eldest son of Cornell Filann wants the Harvest Council to cancel his marriage with the daughter of Honyan Pohinn, Sumall. There has been a heated discussion in master Manall's new house at the main plaza. Filann had told master Roshann that he no longer considers himself as Sumall husband. Carmona, how long ago was it when his marriage with Sumall was announced?" Udine asked her sister.

"Quite some time before Toallin and Mugin came back to Tyr," Carmona said. "For he has been very busy building a new house for both of them, and it was completely finished before our husbands returned with their new friends."

"So, he has been married to her, say, two years?" Udine commented. "And now he wants to get rid of her. Probably because she hasn't become pregnant yet."

"Careful, Udine, you're assuming again something you don't know," Liane warned.

"Shaayla-Car, after two years it's reasonable that a married couple gets their first child," Udine said. "Well, it also could be that Filann wants to wait to become a father until Sumall is a bit older. She was still underage when he became her husband." Udine commented to tone down her previous assumption. "That's also better. When I was on Tyr the last time I often saw her chatting with her girl friends on the center plaza day in day out. There were days that she arrived before our midday meal and long after our evening meal she still was around with them. I wondered if she hadn't any chores to do in her new house.

You have gone to talk with him, haven't you, Luke, when Cornell had brought him to the campsite to look after the new water flow. Did he also tell you that he was disappointed, because Sumall hadn't bore him a son or a daughter yet?"

"I've had long talks with Filann about a great many subjects," Luke said, "One of them was his frustration that he never had been in the nut wood since all the Quelans had come to Tyr."

"That's rediculous. No one was allowed to enter the nut woods after that terrible accident when those birds attacked those innocent Quelan women and young girls to gather nuts. Fallen nuts! They were gathering the nuts which had fallen from the trees.

In the past the harvest men always gathered our food supply in the nut wood that way. Well, I'm glad that the Harvest Council and our husbands have decided that the old way of gathering the fallen nuts will return. Filann Radilan can go into the nut wood as often as he wants when we all have returned to Ribana. I only hope that he will be able to defend himself if the birds will attack again, but I understand that you, Shaayla-Car, have made sure that those nut woods will be safe for all Quelans as long as they only harvest the fallen nuts."

Liane nodded.

"You have listened well to what I said during the Harvest Council, Udine?" She said with a smile.

"If those nut woods are really safe I would like to have a look there myself. My Chati has been there with her Jedi master and she told me that she has met those birds often. That give me the creeps, Shaayla-Car, but I'm sure that master Antilles will protect her."

"The Urams sense that your daughter is part of their environment, Udine. They sense she is part of the what we call the Living Force, the world around us, revealing to Force-users any life form that exists." Luke commented.

Carmona frowned.

"I think, that the eldest son of Cornell must also feel frustrated, because Lorann, his youngest brother is also going into those nut wood in the company of Chati and her Jedi master and your brother, Shaayla-Car. I think, he is jealous about that, also because those nut woods are still forbidden for any Quelan to enter. Your Jedi friends have broken that rule, but that's obvious, for your friends aren't Quelans, so our rules aren't forbidden for the Jedi."

"Wedge Antilles and Shaayla-Car's brother have asked master Kamalin to give his permission and exempt them and Chati and Lorann from the rule, as it's part of their Force-awareness," Luke answered.

"Lorann has really a great talent for drawing. It was amazing what he had made after we have told him, what the vineyard building looked like when we first arrived and how we managed to do the first part of the cleaning and repairs. I would love to have those two drawings framed and put somewhere in this building on the wall to remind us what we've gone through and how our town nearly had vanished. If that guy would have stayed in those cave any longer I assume that nothing would have been left of Ribana." Udine conclude.

Shaayla-Car looked at the bowls with the different hot vegetables.

"Can I take another portion, Carmona. I love those special mix of purple carrots and berries." She asked.

"Of course, you can, dear. Take as much as you like." Carmona answer.

"Luke, it's really a pity that your sister and those two Jedi friends have to leave us," Udine said, changing the subject of their chat. "Especially because Lorann has become such a good friend of Ian I've heard. Ian have done well to stay on Tyr, after Leia send him there, and afterwards that hasn't been necessary, because you, Luke, wasn't Shaayla-Car's Jedi master, but I understand that you two didn't want to make your wedding plan public immediately after you came back to Tyr. I certainly would have done the same."

Luke and Liane started to laugh.

"It seems difficult, Udine, to keep a secret in this community," Liane said. "Gossip and rumors spread among the Quelans extremely fast, even events on Tyr can't be kept secret for a long time, after you and Carmona asked me where Luke and I have stayed when we accompanied Cornell to Tyr to look what had happened to Lorann."

Udine shrugged her shoulders.

"Shaayla-Car, I know my husband, and my husband is a very romantic man. He always has been and still is. So I knew that he would make an arrangement to give you and Luke that upper tower room as a guest room." Udine said and despite her olive skin color she blushed. "Before he and Mugin went back to Myr to plead for the freedom of those young Quelan men who were doing forced labor for the intruder, he took me to that room one night. I must confess that it had been a very long time ago when we had such a lovely night together."

Udine's face now had a reddish green glow.

"It's such a wonderful room with that four poster bed with the green curtains." Liane said.

"It's not what I like, Shaayla-Car, but Mugin told me that you and Luke will take it with you with all the other furniture decorated in the same way. I hope that you will spend many happy days and nights in that former cabin of our husbands."

Luke and Liane got a fit of laughter.

"That's what I meant, Udine, when I said that keeping something secret in this community is very difficult. Yes, I love the furniture and I certainly will love the cabin on Palomintar Four. I have seen the outside, but I'm very curious to have a look inside, for it's also the place where I gave Ian my help when he got wounded."

"Toallin told me all about it, Shaayla-Car. It still so incomprehensible that it all started when Ian began as the bartender in their lodging and tried to save Toallin and Mugin after that blast had set the lodging part on fire. but even more amazed my husband was about the way all Ian's wounds had been cured in a day. Did you really travel there to help your brother, like he has helped master Thai after he got so seriously wounded?" Udine asked.

Liane shook her head.

"No, I didn't travel to Palomintar Six, but with the help of many Force ghosts and especially my mother I could reach out to Ian on Palomintar Six as a Force spirit. It's difficult to explain and even I couldn't understand fully what I have done, for I was only learning to use the Force. I even didn't know that Ian was my brother and that some of the Force ghosts who helped me were my parents. I still cherish the memory of it, for it strengthened my believe in my Force skills."

"Are you going to that cabin on your honeymoon?" Carmona asked.

"We certainly will," Luke answered and looked at Liane with a smiling face. Carmona and Udine saw that Liane was blushing.

Carmona stood up and began to clear away the plates and the bowls. She came back with four smaller plates with her famous berry cake. After having finished their joint meal Luke and Liane said goodbye, wishing the governors' wives good night. Liane quickly jumped behind the wheel of the speeder and started the engine, while Luke took the other seat. They wave as they left the vineyard and set course to the hidden valley.

Manall looked at Filann.

"That's a good task for you, son. There certainly is still a lot to do. I don't know why that woman hasn't asked for help much earlier instead of these last two days. Well, the governor has permitted her that she can come back with the third group, so if you aren't able to finish what you begin, you can do that when we're back here."

"It has been a farm once, I understand." Filann said.

"Yes, the owner had planted a lot of different bushes with all kind of fruits. He always brought his harvest to the market in Ribana. Many Quelan house wives, but also the wives of the harvest men appreciated his product. He was a very clever producer of fruits, for he could harvest all the year around all kinds of different fruits. The farm's location on the west side of the eastern hill is well chosen, for the night sky clouds produced enough humidity to keep the bushes growing so that the fruits could ripen. Yes, farmer Jecolin was a clever man and good member of our community. When the occupation began he stood up against those force and paid with his life. We were all shocked that special he was one of the first victims, for he had always been very timid, but I guess he couldn't cope with the injustice of the intruder. As far as I know he had two daughters who took care for their blind mother and the house hold on the farm. Sometimes one of the girls accompanied him on market days, but most of the time he was alone.

As the governor said that woman who is now cleaning the house on her own I have to conclude that her sister and her mother both have died while we were exiled and living on Tyr. Have a look, son, and see if you can help her. I wonder if there's much left of the fruit bushes, but you never know."

"I'll see what I can do this afternoon, grandfather. We still have two days left before we all go back to Tyr.

Are you still going to convene the Harvest Council to have them decide about my marriage?" Filann asked.

Manall heard a worried tone in his grandson's voice.

"Don't worry, son. We will get what we want. It's time for changes, many changes. It's time that the harvest families realize that they are special or better than the other Quelans who live in Ribana.

While your father and his man were away to Tyr those seven years I had to hand over the leadership I have done a lot of research and investigation. During those years I found out what was wrong here and now that we have to start anew it's time to undo all those wrong and make our community a unit and not two separate groups.

During our stay on Tyr those wrongs surfaced even faster and that has strengthened me in my believe that what I had seen developing on Myr was escalating on Tyr. Time, Filann, to set thing strait. Not only our ancient traditions, which aren't that ancient at all as the archives say, but also the way the Quelans formed a community in the past.

The separation between harvest men and town Quelans to call them that way isn't a tradition. It originated about three generations ago, around the time my father's father was born. I have found evidence that at the same time there has been the first of those forced marriages, but completely different as the explanation is given now. There was no question of a Harvest boy being paired with a newborn Harvest girl and him becoming her husband on the day she reached the age of fifteen.

There were marriage agreements between Harvest families, but they always involved partners of the same age. Only later, when more boys than girls were born, was the rule instituted, of which you and so many others are victims, for there are several unhappy marriages, Filann. You are not alone, and during the Harvest Council I will challenge them to speak out. If they do not do so of their own accord, I will call out various names and have them confirm what I am putting forward.

Filann, I'm a Force-user, I'm a former padawan and will use my still limited Force skills to set things strait again, for there are no harvest men with their families, there is only one Quelan community on Palomintar Four of which all members have to live together and support each others and for whom the rules are always the same."

Filann looked at his grandfather in complete bewilderment.

"You have been a Jedi master's padawan, grandfather. We've never known. Was your master one of your old friends?" He asked

"Yes, he was, Filann, but he has never been able to be a true Jedi master to me and I have never been a real padawan learner, but he has taught me enough to see through what has happened here and what's wrong. That's what I'm going to change to undo the injustice which have been put on many harvest families, old and young.

I have had a serious discussion with governor Mugin and master Woldrin. As soon as we're all back on Tyr the Harvest Council will be convene, but master Woldrin and master Kamilin will convene the Council of the Elders to join the Harvest Council together with the governors. In a joint meeting all ancient tradition rules will be compared with the rule the Council of the Elders has declared valid for all the Quelans and that will mean that those so-called long-standing tradition as you father said will become obsolete, as there can't difference between the Quelans, they are all equals.

Still bewildered Filann had listened to Manall.

"Why haven't never told us, that you are more than a Quelan harvest man who can feel the Force's influence, and what about master Kamalin whose statements you often opposed? We all knew that master Kamalin is a Force-user. Has he also been some Jedi Knights' padawan."

"He has, Filann. Those two friends of mine were also his friends, but I could more easily give them shelter as they arrived. Problem was, that the time worked in our disadvantage. There was a war raging on and by the time that war was over an obscure Sith Lord has made himself Emperor. That was the end of our friends' visit. Kamalin and I were stuck here on Palomintar Four. We could make use of some special Force skills, but our training to become Jedi Knights stalled, and that was the end of it."

"Grandfather, does Ben knows all this. You should tell him," Filann said sudden elated, "Maybe you and master Kamalin can still become Jedi Knights."

Manall shook his head.

"No son, we have decided that we will use our connection with the Force to serve this community. Yes, Luke Skywalker knows we both were Force-user as most of the Jedi Knights have felt after they arrived here.

Filann, and the time has come use what I once learned to benefit the Quelans and our whole community." Manall said and patted his grandson on his arm.

"Go, son, and help that orphaned Jecolin woman, Filann. I'm sure she will appreciate your help." He said and pushed his grandson to the door.

Filann looked at his grandfather in admiration.

"You're more than I ever have could imagined, grandfather." He said.

"That is just as well, Filann. Now the time has arrived to reveal what has been kept hidden for years." Manall said with a soft grin.

Filann left the house and crossed the Main Plaza to reach the path through the eastern outskirts that would lead to the hill on the east of Ribana. In thought, he followed his way along the long street where groups of Quelans where busy doing cleaning, working in the garden, or making necessary repairs. Most houses looked almost finished and livable again, although Filann noticed that not all the houses had nice curtains at the windows again.

'Jecolin?' He thought, while he followed his way, 'When or where have I heard that name? It sounds familiar, but how?'