Chapter 145

Manall and Filann arrived first, but within minute also Cornell and Cemall appeared. Liane saw that they all were wearing their normal clothes, not the jackets the harvest men used to wear. Manall handed his son and Cemall the small bag.

"I don't want you to harvest a full load. Fill this bag with fallen nuts and you will have fulfilled with the Harvest Council decided. " He said.

"Will we see any Urams, grandfather?" Cemall asked.

"I can't tell, Cemall, but if we do, Shaayla-Car knows how to communicate with them."

Liane noticed that Cemall looked at bit nervous at the dark trees in front of them.

"Cemall, you stay with Luke and me. You've never entered the nut forest, so this might feel confusing." She said.

The young adult harvest man walked over to the two Jedi.

Liane looked at the others.

Let's go," She said and walked over to the path that led to the clearing of the nut forest.

Manall let his son and his grandsons go ahead and closed the group.

The forest was still shrouded in darkness, but the canopies were already catching the first rays of Palomintar. Cornell entered the clearing first, showing the others he knew the nut forest, but he immediately stopped and looked at the the tree stumps which were all showing the great power of the former trees. On all of the stumps leaves and small branches were covering the chopped remains. He turned to Liane.

"Did you ..." He began, but Liane shook her head.

"I have not really done anything, master Cornell. What you see is the power that sleeps in the roots of the trees. That power has woken up the buds in the remains of the stumps. The only thing my brother and I have done, is supporting the healing power of the Urams with our Force use as healers. That's what Oltomyran asked me the first time I met with him." Liane answered.

"The healing power of the Urams, what are you talking about, miss Kenobi?" Cornell asked again becoming suspicious.

"Not only among the Jedi there are Force healers, master Cornell, also among other species there are individuals which possess the healing power when damage has been done."

"So, after some time this clearing will be as it has been before?" Cornell asked.

"It will look like that, master Cornell, but what has been done will always remain visible. The tiny branches on the stumps will once grow and become nut trees, but it will take tens of years before these new nut trees will carry the nuts which serve as food for the Urams." Liane explained. "I sense, master Cornell, that you're doubting the seriousness of the damage that has been done by chopping the trees, but you forget to take into account that you have highly angered the Urams. Their reaction has caused the death of some of your men, has severely wounded your father and has been the reason why the Urams attacked an innocent group of young female Quelan who were unaware of the danger when they entered the nut forest after the long struggle through the wild lands when the food supply had to be rationed. Those young females wanted to harvest some fallen nuts to get food for their families who were hungry. Among them, master Cornell, was a young female by the name Iljon Jecolin. Her blind mother and her sister were waiting for her to return with some nuts, perhaps a handful not more, but she and the group which had entered the forest were slaughtered because the Urams thought that as more trees would be chopped, they would be deprived of even more of their food supply." Liane said calm, but with emphasis.

"So, indirectly those deaths are caused by what I decided, although I had in mind to serve this community better than my father had done." Cornell said, looking more gravely at her.

Liane nodded.

"The deaths and their families, master Cornell. Lives were ruined as the death are still mourned by the families who have lost their beloved ones."

Like that ... what you called her ... Ilon."

"Iljon Jecolin, the daughter of a farmer who was shot by the forces of the intruder. Their mother turned blind and Iljon and her twin sister took care of their mother after all the Quelans were exiled."

"I have never heard of her," Cornell said, "There were several hundreds of Quelans and our own families we have to bring to the western harbor. You can't expect that I know all their names."

"No, and it would be unreasonable to ask, but your two sons knew Iljon for together with Chati Fonaldris they took care of Lorann and Chati's brothers. Your sons became friends with Iljon. They both have witnessed what happened to her and they still carry with them that memory, master Cornell. I don't want to discuss your intentions when you want to improve the lives of the Quelan community, for you did what you thought was the best, but your decision to harvest unripe nuts has had more impact than you probably can imagine.

"How do you know what happened in a time you and the other Jedi weren't here?" Cornell asked.

"I'm a Jedi Knight, master Cornell, I'm part of a larger world, a world beyond everyday reality. Since I have come here I have sensed deep hidden sadness among several Quelan families. Sadness caused by their exile here on Tyr, sadness because the intruder took the lives of many of their loved ones, sadness because unnecessary deaths could have been prevented if among the Quelans there would have been men to step up for the Urams because they knew how it had been in the past."

"You're blaming me for what happened," Cornell said surly.

"No, master Cornell, I want to make you aware of what has happened has to be prevented to happen again, and you're the one who can make that happen, for you're one of harvest men's leaders. On your shoulders rests the responsibility for the future of the Quelan community. You don't have carry the burden alone, for the governors and the Council of the Elders will support you and your co-leaders. All you have to do is listen to what others say and profit from their knowledge."

Liane looked at the others and caught the look in Filann's eyes. She smiled and nodded, sending him through the Force reassuring thoughts.

Manall looked at his son.

"That was a splendid testimony, my son. You should think over what miss Kenobi has said, for I sense that you're still objecting against the changed way of harvesting nuts, although the Harvest Council and the governors had decided otherwise.

Shall we gather some fallen nuts together. I'm sure that Shaayla-Car and Luke will join us."

They walked further to the middle of the clearing. Cemall bent down and held a nut aloft.

"Is this what we're looking for, grandfather?" He asked.

"Yes, Cemall, but be sure that you take those nuts which haven't already germinated. Leave those among the vegetation, for they too will grow into new nut trees."

Liane and Luke gathered several nuts in the wide sleeves of their cassocks when suddenly a rustle of tens of wings were here and five Urams landed at the edge of the clearing. The five Urams were followed by some seven very young Urams who sought to make contact with Manall, Luke and Liane.

Liane walked over to Filann while two young Urams quickly followed her

"Sit down, Filann and follow my lead." Liane said.

She sat cross-legged among the vegetation and stretch out her arm. One of the Urams flew up and landed on her arm. Liane shook a few nuts from the sleeve of her cassock in her hand and held it out to the Uram which eagerly swallowed them.

Hesitatingly Filann followed her example and to his amazement another young Uram landed on his arm. Quickly he took some nuts which were laying around him in his hand and held it out.

Cemall who had seen what Liane and his brother could do, sat himself down and experienced that he too could feed a young Uram like his elder brother could do. Manall and Luke followed and finally also Cornell sat himself on the forest floor. Luke handed him some nuts and indicated how to he had to held his arm. Unsure Cornell saw that one of the adults came over to him, but the bird sat itself at ease at his feet and took the nuts from his hand.

Liane had seen what happened and addressed the adult Uram.

'We had to keep a promise, Oltomyran, and I'm very glad that also the Urams want to keep to the agreement Filann made.'

The big Uram took another nut from Cornell's hand, before it answered.

'By accepting these nuts from the one who once we have seen as our enemy, the Urams want to honor the agreement we've made with the son of our former enemy who we have welcomed as a friend,'

Oltomyran took a last nut from Cornell's hand and walked over to Filann. Oltomyran stretched out his wings and put the tips on Filann's head.

'Jedi healer, tell those among you who aren't as strong as you are that the Urams will not attack any Quelan who will enter the nut forest to take some fallen nuts or to harvest some nuts as food supply. Quelans and Urams can live together again without violence. Jedi Healer you should look upwards and tell those two youngster who has been joining us often that we thank them for the way they have found to bring fallen nuts back among the leaves.' Oltomyran said, before he, the other adult Urams and the young ones flew away.

Liane looked up and saw the rope chain between the branches of the tree. Filann and Cemall followed her look and laughed.

"Miss Kenobi, that must be something Lorann and Chati have made, but how did they get high up there." He said.

"Asked them, Cemall," Luke said with a smile.

"Now, let's fill those bags, so we can leave and join me and Filann at my place for breakfast," Manall said.

Filann and Cemall entered the administration building and went to the first floor where the Council of the Elders normally assembled.

"Let's hope that at least the vice-chair, master Woldrin is available. We should have done this, while we were on Myr, Cemall," Filann said.

"You forget that on Myr we were under that penalty decision of the Harvest Council, so it could have been unlikely that master Woldrin had wanted see us. Besides I have been very busy pruning those grapevines. I have told the governors' wives about the group of friends grandfather wants me to assemble. To make a team of them I want them to work at the vineyard like I have done. Governor Mugin will have a word with his brother, for he liked the idea. I will get help from their four sons to instruct my team how to do the work.

Have you thought what your team will be doing, Filann?" Cemall asked.

"No, for I'm not yet going to form a team of harvester boy," Filann answered.

"You're not, but you're supposed to work under master Roshann,"

"When we're back on Myr I want to help Anddra Jecolin to bring back the farm where she grew to its original state, so she shouldn't worry about making a living. Her father grew all sorts of berries and sold them in Ribana on the market, but at the moment those berry bushes are a mess of entangled twigs, leaves and thorny branches. I've asked Anddra if she knew how to prune them, but she said it always has been her father's task to take care of the bushes. I was thinking, maybe I could ask the governors, to give her and me some instructions." Filann said.

Cemall grabbed his brother's arm.

"Her name is Jecolin. Is she ...?" He asked.

"Anddra is Iljon's twin sister, Cemall," Filann interrupted his brother.

"Oh, my goodness, Filann," Cemall said.

"When she opened the door, I called Iljon's name, because Anddra looks exactly like Iljon. I told her how I knew her twin and that we have seen what happened to her. Cemall, it was as if I felt like I was back in time. I felt all the anguish when we saw the Urams attack the group and how I have mourned Iljon's death. Anddra told me that she has buried Iljon's remains at that special yard where all those victims have been buried. One of these days I'm going to have look there."

"We have never been there, as far as I know," Cemall said.

"We haven't," Filann answered, shaking his head.

Cemall looked at his older brother and saw the sad expression on his face.

"Why do you want to see the chair or the vice-chair of the Council of the Elders?" Cemall asked.

Filann looked aside.

"I wanted them to tell father and master Pohinn that I'm no longer Sumall's husband. I want them announce in public that I'm not married to her any more." He answered determinedly.

"Isn't that a matter of the Harvest Council?"

"I'm no longer recognizing the Harvest Council as the legitimate representatives on this matter. I'm a Quelann, Cemall, and I want them to look at my marriage in accordance with the rules applicable to the Quelans. I'm no longer accepting that my father and master Pohinn have decided that I should become the husband of an immature harvest girl who neglects her obligations as a married wife."

They had reached the offices in the administration building and Filann walked over to a door, knocked and stepped inside. Astounded he looked at Lorann who was drawing with great concentration. Somewhat startled Lorann looked and laughed.

Filann, hey Cemall, what are you doing in here?"

"I'm looking for master Kamalin, or master Woldrin, Lorann. Do you know where they are?"

"They are all in closed meeting with grandfather, Filann. I heard master Kamalin saying to grandfather that there will be a joined council meeting."

"A joined council meeting. Do you mean that the Harvest Council and the Council of the Elders will organize one hearing session." Filann asked.

Lorann shrugged his shoulders.

"Already before you all came back to Tyr there have been rumors about a joined meeting of those two council. It seems that governor Mugin has talked with grandfather about it. He has told governor Toallin what grandfather has said and afterwards governor Toallin and master Kamalin have had a lot of closed consultations about what they had heard.

But, now that you're here I want you to show you something, Filann. Here have a look at this drawing?" Lorann said and held out the drawing pad with a rough sketch of the great clearing with the lake.

Filann cast a glance at it, but then he grabbed the drawing pad and looked closer at it.

"How do you know what it looked like, Lorann?"

"Master Skywalker took me there and told me that I had to make a drawing of it and show it to you, for you have also been there, haven't you."

"Did you meet the Urams' leader?" Filann asked.

Lorann nodded.

"He told me that the Urams are relieved that the harvest men will only gather the fallen nuts, and I told him that Chati and I have made a long rope chain full of nuts which we wanted to hang among the nut trees around the clearing."

"Hey, we have seen that rope chain this morning. Who made that?" Cemall said.

"Chati taught me. She said that she has done that when she worked with the harvest men on Myr and master Kenobi recognized what we have done, for on Myr Chati had made a similar rope chain with explosives. She and master Kenobi and his friend master Martan have fixed that chain at the end wall in the riverbed. Cemall, do you remember that we heard those droids threatening us. I felt really scared and I was afraid that they would come through that wall. You were also scared."

"Those metal voice sounded so threatening and I feared that they would do you harm, Lorann." Cemall answered. "But I was glad that Ian and Yarmod were with us."

Filann who didn't exactly know what Chati and her friends had done, looked at Lorann.

"I know you and Cemall have been in the dried riverbed with those two Jedi and Chati, but later they went there again."

"Yes, master Kenobi told me that he and master Martan made a hole in the wall before they fixed those explosives and then they secretly entered the cave system where that man lived who has ruined Ribana. I would have loved it if I had been with them too. Scary, but what an adventure."

Cemall grinned.

"Those rope chains with nuts are less scary, I think, brother, but tell me how did you get that chain so high up on the trees?"

Lorann laughed

"You should have been there. Master Skywalker, master Kenobi and master Antilles made a huge Force jump and landed on the branches of the trees, and then master Kenobi lifted one end of the rope chain with the Force and threw that master Skywalker who threw it to master Antilles and they fixed the rope chain between the three trees. I hope that the Urams like it."

"They do, Lorann, for Cemall, father and I have been on the clearing and we have been feeding some young Urams. Father has even given some nuts to a big adult Uram which I recognized, for I had met him at the clearing with that lake when master Skywalker and miss Shaayla-Car brought me to the nut wood. That big adult Uram is their leader. Oltomyran is his name and hundreds of Urams came down from the trees around the lake and I told him that the Quelans no longer would chop any nut trees. He believed what I said, for he held out his wing and let me touch them and he wanted me to touch the feathers on his head. After that he put his wing tips on my shoulders and touch my hair.

Grandfather told me that I made an important agreement with the Urams, for now the Urams will no longer attack the Quelans. This morning after the Urams leader had eaten some nuts father had given him, he came to me again and again he touch me head and he confirmed the agreement."

Filann sounded so elated that they hadn't noticed that Ian, Luke and Wedge had entered. Lorann looked at his eldest brother.

"Filann, can you tell me what happened when you were there on the clearing with all the Urams and master Oltomyran. If you tell me what you have seen. I can make a better drawing than the one I have just sketched."

"Maybe we should hand your drawing to that Urams leader, Lorann, and we should have another one in the administration building in Ribana, so that all the Quelans will forever remember that we have to live in peace with the Urams and leave them the nuts which are on the trees."

"Filann, could you talk to master Oltomyran?" Lorann asked.

"Eh,... no ... miss Kenobi can talk to him and she told me what he said. Can you talk to him, Lorann?"

"Eh,... yes ... because master Kenobi and master Skywalker have taught some Jedi use of the Force," Lorann said and looked at the three Jedi who stood watching the three brothers.

"Filann, when can you come back and tell me of your meeting with master Oltomyran. It's so amazing that you and I have both met him and that he had touched you and you have touched his wings and touched the feathers of his head. He looks scary with those yellow eyes, but he seems friendly to me. Can you come back this afternoon, for I now have to do some training with my masters," He said.

Filann and Cemall started to laugh and looked at Luke and the other two Jedi.

"Since when, Ben, is my kid brother so important that three Jedi Knights serve as my brother's Jedi masters who are involved in his Jedi training." Filann asked with a grin.

"No, no, Filann. They aren't my Jedi masters. They only teach something I need to know when master Kenobi has left Palomintar Four on a mission with the Supreme Chancellor, but if you come back this afternoon I can make that a first drawing of your meeting with master Oltomyran, and tonight ...."

"You have to take a good sleep and improve that particular drawing tomorrow, Lorann. You know that master Kamalin doesn't want you to keep drawing after the evening meal." Ian said.

Lorann's face clouded over for a moment, but then he laughed again.

"Yes, master Kenobi, I will do what master Kamalin wants, for he knows when I have to stop doing this. Filann, do you want me to tell master Kamalin, that you have been looking for him?" Lorann asked, while he began to clear his desk.

Filann shook his head.

"I'd better ask grandfather about a possible joined meeting of the two Council. Come on, Cemall, where going over to his house and wait for him there. Lorann, you should listen to those three Jedi Knights. You're the Force-user in our family, so we want to be proud of you."

Filann and Cemall left. Lorann put the drawing pad in a locked drawer, took his coat and left with the three Jedi Knights. Outside the administration building they met with Chati and Shaayla-Car, for Luke had told her that he wanted her to join the Force training of Lorann and Chati.

Anddra closed the door of her house, pulled the cowl of her coat over her head and walked through the street of Cantamaga to reach the central plaza where the daily market took place. It was already a hustle and bustle on the central plaza where a lot of Quelans were trading their own specialities. Anddra walked over to the market stall of a farmer who was selling his nagawa cheese.

"Good day, miss Jecolin," the farmer said and looked at her. "How has been your stay on Myr. Do you have to do much repairs to the farm house behind Ribana?"

Anddra shook her head.

"No, master Telgismer, the farmhouse has suffered as much as some to the houses of Ribana, but it's very dirty."

"So, you have a lot of cleaning to do?"

Anddra nodded

"Is it true what we've heard that all the furniture is stolen?"

"Yes, but there is now spare furniture available. It's a gift from a government which had given us help to arrest the intruder."

"What do you want, miss Jecolin. Like always a piece of nagawa cheese?"

"Yes, but half as large as before, for I'm alone now."

"Oh, yes, I've heard of your loss. I'm sorry, my dear. So you have done all the cleaning alone."

"I get help, when I'm back on Myr. The governor has allowed me to join the third group. He has promised that I will get help."

"That's good. Here's your cheese, miss Jecolin."

Anddra paid the farmer and wanted to walk over to the market stall of a woman who produced nut bread when a group of laughing and giggling girls in their teens came running along the stalls. Parann Telgismer looked disapprovingly at the ten girls who made a lot of noise, laughing and talking aloud.

"Sumall, let's get over to the stall of Shandrall and see he still has those candy sticks. He will really be happy to see you again. What's more, Sumall, he adores you. We all have seen how he looks at you." some girls shouted.

Anddra has stepped aside when the group had passed and looked at Parann Telgismer who shook his head.

"Sumall Pohinn is flirting again with Shandrall, the youngest son of master Roshann, and I've heard that he is infatuated with her. Unbelievable, Sumall is a married woman, the wife of the eldest son of master Cornell. A good man. He built her a nice house, made all the furniture and bought everything to make the house comfortable, but from the beginning she has been flirting with any young harvest boy whom she has set her sights on. Especially after her husband had joined his father with a group of harvest men and went to Myr to work on a project high up in the mountains."

Anddra looked at the farmer.

"Are those young girls part of the third group, master Telgismer?" She asked.

The farmer started to laugh.

"No, I don't think that governor Toallin wants a group of useless, immature, underage, and irresponsible girls in Ribana, where, as I have heard, still is a lot to do. No, miss Jecolin, these young girls who flirt with every harvest boy who pays attention to them, will remain on Tyr until everyone is forced to go to Myr. It must be reassuring that also in the third group most of the Quelans know what their duties are. I'm one of them, for I have to have a look at my old farm."

"What about your nagawa herd, master Telgismer?"

"There are some very willing Quelans of the first group who will tend the beasts, and when we're all going back to Myr there will be a plan to bring the beasts to Myr. Probably a few every time. How, I don't know. I have heard that my herds on Myr have gone astray. I don't know what to expect, miss Jecolin."

"You surely will also get all the help you need, master Telgimer. Our governors are very concerned with those who meet any problems and need help. The harvest men who are on Myr are doing most of the difficult repairs and they also help distributing the furniture that have been send. You shouldn't worry to much, but there's indeed a lot to do on Myr." Anddra said.

Parann Telgismer laughed.

"As soon as I have a few nagawa's to tend I will make nagawa cheese for you miss Jecolin." He said.

"And I hope to sell the berries of my farm at the market in Ribana like my father has done before." Anddra answered and she said goodbye to the nagawa farmer and walked over to get some nut bread.

The older Quelan woman behind the counter looked with empathy at Anddra.

"So, my dear, you've come back. Did you have a lot to do at the family's farmhouse? And all on your own?"

The woman shook her head, showing her concern when suddenly various roaring laughter sounds for the market stall next to that of the nut bread saleswoman.

"Sumall," it sounded from various voices, "are you sure you want him to kiss you?"

Anddra cast a glance aside and saw a girl in her teens with a a challenging attitude. She clearly was provoking the young Quelan boy who had left his stall and stood before her, looking at the girl with a longing glance.

"Shandrall, take your change, man, for you never know if you would get a change again, if Filann Radilan sees you." The voices of the other girls sounded.

Shandrall seemed to need no further encouragement. He grabbed Sumall, pulled her towards him, and pressed his mouth against hers. Anddra saw out of the corner of her eye that Sumall was very willing to be kissed and returned Shandral's kiss. The girls around the couple cheered, for after Shanndrall took another chance and kissed Sumall again, but now she pushed him away.

"Now you owe me two candysticks, Shandrall," She said and Anddra heard the compelling tone in Sumall's voice.

The woman behind the nut bread stall snorted audible and turned herself to the neighboring stall.

"You're getting yourself in big trouble, Shandrall Roshann, and you too Sumall Pohinn. If Filann Radilan finds out about this, he will call you to account for kissing his wife."

"Mind your own business, Warousin, if you will tell that against the old guy who wants to sleep with me against my will, because he wants children from me, my friends and I will ruin your nut bread stall next time and every time," Sumall snarled at the woman at the nut bread stall.

"I won't tell your husband, Small. I will tell your father and master Cornell and then you certainly have to explain something."

"I don't care, Warousin. Do what ever you like, I don't care," Sumall answered, but Anddra heard anxious undertone in the girl's voice.

Sumall turned to Shandrall and held out her hand. Reluctantly he handed her two candystick. Sumall threw them to her girlfriends and laughed when the candystick fell on the ground in the mud. The ten girls ran away laughing aloud. Shandrall watched them go and looked disappointed at the now dirty candysticks. Anddra walked over, bowed and picked up the sticks. Shandrall looked at her.

"What are you doing, miss?" He asked.

"I'll take them, Shandrall. What's the price?" Anddra asked.

"You can't eat them, miss?"

"I'll take off the mudd, and I will pay for them. What else do you have for sweets? Wait, I'll get my nut bread first and come back to you." Anddra said decisively.

She turned to the nut bread stall and bought two nut breads. Immediately she walked over again to the neighboring stall and looked at the different sweets the young boy was selling. She pointed to several different sweets and asked the price.

"Those are five credit, miss. You may have the candysticks for nothing," Shanndrall said, but Anddra shook her head and pointed to the price tag attached to the candysticks.

"Each of that candysticks three credits. That make six credits for the two. Here are eleven credits. Will you, please, put the candysticks in a separate bag?" Anddra asked.

"Sure, miss. Thank you, miss, for now, I don't have to explain to my mother why there are two candysticks missing, and why the credit amount are missing six credits." The young harvest boy said, while he put the dirty candysticks in a separate bag, before he handed Anddra her purchases.

She took the two bags and greeted the boy. She went along some other stalls to buy vegatables, herbs for drinks and some pastries and biscuits. After she had found all she needed she went home to her house. Once inside she put the bag with the muddy candysticks in a lukewarm oven, so the mud would dry and the candysticks wouldn't dissolve. While she was busy clearing away her purchases, her thoughts pondered on what she had seen and what other vendors had commented and she compared what she had witnessed with what Filann rather unwillingly had told her about his marriage with Sumall Pohinn.

Pensively she though over what she had witnessed. So this was the woman who was supposed to be Filann's wife, the wife he was forced to marry, according to his own words, the wife hadn't talked to for over a year, as he had said, the wife he didn't love, an immature girl in her teens who was supposed the run a household, but instead flirted with boys of her own age and was tempting them to kiss her while asking something in return for her willingness.

Anddra shook her head and frowned as she recalled the words of the woman at the nut bread stall. She had said that she would tell master Cornell, Filann's father and master Pohinn, Sumall's father about the girl's behavior. What could that parents have to do with Filann's marriage with Sumall Pohinn, his forced marriage as he had said. What had he meant with 'forced'? Who and why had he been forced the marry Sumall? Had she been expecting a baby of him. That could be a reason. It often happened among the Quelan boys and girls, but most of the time those couples had already decided they wanted to marry and it never happened that their parents were forcing them to marry, because the young woman was expecting a baby.

Anddra shook her head again. She had had a quick look at Sumall, but she hadn't had the looks of a pregnant girl, but Filann had said that he had already been married to Sumall for two years. Could it be that Sumall's pregnancy had been a miscarrage. Had that been the cause why Filann didn't love his wife, didn't want to see her as his wife.

Sumall's behavior at the market hadn't been what could be expected of a married women. She certainly had chores to do and not making fun of a young vendor and running around with some other girls.

Anddra sighed. She should feel concern about all this. She had much more to worry about. Yet, she felt a strange worry about the young adult harvest man who had offered her to help her and who had come to the farm to bring her to the transport freighter in time. He seemed a nice man, who, as he himself had said, want to help other Quelans with problems which were to difficult for them to do them themselves.

Luke grinned as Liane looked inquisitively at him.

"Why did you want me to join this special training of Jedi telepathy, Luke?" She asked.

"I wanted to make sure that you're familiar with the special way Wedge, Leia and I use to communicate."

"You've always been communicating with me this same way, too, Luke, I've always sensed that forced connection you use."

Luke laughed and pulled her to him.

"And you have figured out yourself, if you could do the same, for I sense that you sometimes sought to encapsulate me in your Force connection, but most of the times you use the way we have been practising on Endor. Now, that I know that you can connect to me, or any other Jedi Knight with the special way of Jedi telepathy I suggest that you should make that your normal habit, for it's safer, more secure."

Liane shrugged her shoulders and started to laugh.

"If that was the reason why I had to join you and the others on this training I will do as you ask me, master Skywalker, and now you have to excuse me, for I have promised Anddra Jecolin to see her this afternoon. Yesterday, she still felt too tired to speak, but I sensed that she wanted to tell me something, Something that is bothering her, for also Filann seemed very concerned about her. I feel that she wants my help, Luke."

Luke nodded and looked at her.

"You're a Jedi healer, Shaayla-Car, your Force connection with those who suffer is much stronger than mine."

"Thank you for instructing me about the special Force connection with Jedi telepathy, darling. I'll see you at Toallin's for Udine has already asked me four times today, that we should join them for dinner."

Liane left the tower guest room, left the administration building and cross the central plaza to walk to the more distant streets behind Cantamaga. She reached the house where she had brought Anddra Jecolin the day before. She knocked on the door and a complete different young woman opened up. She smiled invitingly.

"Come in, ma'am. I have been expecting you. It very kind of you to spare your time with a Quelan woman." Anddra said.

"Anddra, call me Shaayla-Car. Please discard with formalities." Liane said.

"I would love to, but you're a Jedi Knight."

Liane laughed.

"I am, but I have a name, so please call me Shaayla-Car."

Now Anddra carefully laughed too and hesitatingly grabbed Liane's arm.

"In here, Shaayla-Car. I already made some preparation for a nice chat with you. Do you want something to drink? I have, choc, cav or herbal tea, and of course fresh water. Sit down, please."

"I would love a herbal tea, Anddra," Liane said that and sat down in the armchair where Anddra led her.

Anddra left the room and Liane took the opportunity to look around in the cozy furnishing of it. All the furniture had been carefully chosen and had been decorated with many bowls of dried flowers or fruits. Several very special handmade decorations were attached to the walls, which further accentuated the walls and made the room appear larger. Through the window Liane saw a garden. Well tended with a flower border and beds with herbs. It all looked very pleasant and well maintained.

Anddra returned with a tray with two herbal teas and platter with sweets, biscuits and two berry pastries on the coffee table. Still showing her shyness, she presented Liane the platter who chose one of the berry pastries.

"Are these are made with the berries you're growing on your family farm on Myr, Anddra."

"No, I have bought them fresh this morning on the market. I have two berry bushes in the garden, but it's not yet the right season to harvest those berries. I would love my own berry pastries, but there still a lot of work to do to get the farm up and running again. I also need to find out how to prune the bushes, for I want to make a living selling the fruits and berries, like my father has done. I'm on my own now, Shaayla-Car, and it feels very strange, that neither my parents, nor my twin sister will see the farm again."

"I sense your sadness about what happened to them and your many worries about the farm, Anddra," Liane said. "I here to give you my help and find a way to make you feel more relieved about what's bothering you. You do have some help now to carry out necessary repairs, right?"

"Filann, I mean Filann Radilan, the harvest man who has helped me the last two days, has spoken very kind of you, Shaayla-Car," Anddra said. "I was very glad that he wanted to help me. He has brought me a bed and put some nice curtains at the window and a carpet on the floor of the room I use as my bed room on the farm."

"I have heard that you have gone to governor Mugin to ask if someone could help you."

"Rather late, I think, Shaayla-Car, but I wanted to so much myself and wanted to clean all the dirt, but farm house is large. The night before we would go back to Cantamaga, I have been cleaning the large kitchen and I've checked if all the devices were still functioning. It was a relieve to realize all of of them could put activated and use properly. Therefore Filann came to the farm house again, for I had fallen asleep, because I was too tired."

Anddra cheeks had got a blushing color and Liane sensed that something embarrassing had happened when Filann had been looking for Anddra and woke her up.

"I'm sure that Filann will give you a hand again when you're going back to Myr again with the third group." Liane said.

"Shaayla-Car, I don't know if I can accept his help again." Anddra said and Liane sensed that underneath the words the young Quelan woman was saying, there was a different, more caring and intense feeling.

"What made you think so, Anddra. If Filann has offered you his help, you can be certain that he is sincere. He wants to help all the Quelans that need help."

"That's what he said to me, Shaayla-Car, and he also added that he make the decision whom he will help and that what's worries me."

"I know what's worrying you, Anddra, for Filann has told you that he is married. At least that's how his father and the father of his wife Sumall have announced in public a few years ago."

Anddra looked at Liane in wonder.

"You know about Sumall, his wife. Shaayla-Car, I don't want Filann to get problems with his wife, because he is helping an unmarried woman with her chores."

Liane bowed over to Anddra and put her hand on the Quelan woman's arm.

"Anddra, you will never be the cause of Filann's problems with Sumall. You should accept his help, for he wants to help you. The problems with his wife won't be caused because he is helping you."

Anddra looked at Liane and averted her eyes.

"He has told me, Shaayla-Car, that he doesn't love Sumall and I know why, for this morning on the market I saw her. She is a very irresponsible, immature girl who flirts with young Quelan boys who she bullies and treats badly. The woman, no the girl, I saw, Shaayla-Car, must have been Fillan's wife, for Warousin, the woman who sells nut breads said that she would tell master Cornell, Filann's father and Sumall's father about her indecent behavior "

Hesitant Anddra told Liane what she had witnessed that morning. After she had ended her story, another flood of words about what Filann had told her about his marriage and that he was forced to marry Sumall.

"I don't understand why he was forced to marry her, Shaayla-Car. Do you know if she was expecting his baby, or so? That's nothing worry about, that happens often between young Quelan boys and girls."

"Between Quelan boys and girls who grew up together it isn't a matter of an unhappy marriage, I've been told, Anddra. In most cases the couple already had made plans to marry. An unexpected pregnancy only hastens their marriage, but that marriage is never forced. I understand that you are not familiar with the way in which marriages are arranged among the harvest men, are you?" Liane answered and looked at Anddra.

Anddra shook her head.

"Your words tell me that there is a difference, right, but I have never heard anything about it while I lived on Myr. After my father had been executed by those invading forces, my mother lost her eyesight as she had watched how he had been shot. From that moment on my sister and I had to take care of our mother and of the farm, but soon afterwards we had to leave the farm and had to flee with the other Quelans to the western plains and later into the wild lands. All the time I took care of our blind mother, while Iljon my sister always ensured that the three of us would get a proper meal. In Ribana she had already become friends with Mayan Fonaldris, the governor's daughter and she helped Mayan taking care of her brothers Talann and Ronan, while all of us were trying to reach the western harbor. In the wild lands Mayan took also care of a young harvest boy of four or five, because his elder brothers didn't know how to keep that boy at bay. Iljon became friends with the eldest of the two brothers. She has often told me that he was a nice guy, then I sometimes teased, saying that she had fallen in love with him.

Once on Tyr Iljon tried to gather some fallen nuts in the nut wood, but ..." Anddra stopped as the memory of what had happened became too overwhelming.

"... but the whole group, fifty young Quelan women and girls, were attacked by the Urams and slaughtered," Liane said with compassion.

"You know what happened," Anddra whispered.

"Cemall Filann's brother told me about it. Your sister Iljon had become Filann's girlfriend during the flight to reach the western harbor."

Anddra blinked her eyes to hold back her tears.

"When Filann came to the farm to help me, and saw me when I opened the door, he called out Iljon's name. After he had brought me some furniture he told me that he had seen what has happened to Iljon. He and his brother wanted to run for help, but there father prevented it. I was told what had happened to my sister when some adults harvest men took me to her mutilated corpse. I have buried her behind Cantamaga where all the victims of that Urams attack were buried, but from that moment on I was the only one who had to take care for my mother. In the beginning we lived together with many other families in a kind of large shed, former storehouse for the nuts that had been harvest, but my mother and I were among the first group which got a real good house, this one. My mother and I have lived here until she suddenly died, after she heard that we all could go back to Ribana. All the years that I lived here, I have been busy taking care of my mother, so I haven't really heard any stories about what was going on in Cantamaga. I had no time for wasting my time or became friends with others, because my mother was dependent on me."

"I'm sorry, Anddra, for all your losses. Thank you, for telling me. As a Jedi Knight I have already sensed what you have been through the moment I met you on the Millennium Falcon. I want to help you, but you also have to keep your trust in Filann Radilan.

Anddra looked at Liane and nodded hesitantly.

"Shaayla-Car, do you also know what Filann means, while he is saying that he was forced to marry that girl Sumall. If she is really his wife, I pity him." She said.

"Anddra, all the Jedi Knight know a lot of what's going on in the Quelan community. It's not up to us to judge what's going on in this community, and how they should live in the future as you're all have gone back to Myr and Ribana.

You know that in Ribana the young Quelan boys and girls made friends among each other and their friendship often became happy new families through marriages. The harvest families have always lived apart from Ribana and they made their own rules. That's why the fathers of a harvest boy and girl who are making an arrangement for a marriage..."

Anddra looked at Liane in disbelieve.

... The forced marriage of which Filann told me?" She asked.

"More or less. For a long time, that caused no problems, but when the fathers began to make arrangements as a harvest girl was born and they agreed to made that baby girl the future wife of one of the harvest boys the problems became visible, and now they are escalating. "

Anddra put her hand over her mouth and looked at Liane with wide eyes.

"Shaayla-Car, that's what I've heard a few years ago. Our governors, those two good brothers, had gone back to Ribana and didn't return. All the time while we lived here in Cantamaga, the Council of the Elders governed in their name, but there was also a kind of council among the harvest men and while our legitimate governors where away, that council made a lot of public announcements that a particular harvest boy had become the husband of a harvest girl who had reached the age of fifteen. She became his wife. I have heard several of those announcements, but as I had my own chores and worries I haven't paid real good attention to those announcements.

Shaayla-Car, has Filann's marriage with Sumall also announcement that way?" She asked and Liane heard the concern and empathy in Anddra's voice.

Liane nodded.

"Yes, Anddra. About a year, probably shorter, before the governors returned master Cornell and master Pohinn announcement in public that Filann and Sumall had become husband and wife."

"You don't have to tell me more, Shaayla-Car. It has become an unhappy marriage, because Sumall doesn't seem to know what is expected of her new status, while Filann has build her a house, made all the furniture and bought everything she needed to run a new house hold, but she's still a girl, not aware of her duties. She seems to be popular among the young girls here and she bullies anyone who has comments on her status as married wife.

Now I understand what Filann has said to me and why he has gone to Myr with his father to work on that project in the mountain. He is unhappy, because Sumall is making him unhappy, despite he kept to what those fathers once have agreed together, but without asking his opinion. Thank you, Shaayla-Car, for telling me this."

"You're a smart woman, Anddra. You have drawn the right conclusions yourself. Now you probably also understand why I think it will be good if you will accept his help again, once you're back on Myr and on the farm. You shouldn't worry about Sumall, you'd better worry about Filann. After what you have told me about what you witnessed and what I've heard from someone else, she simply isn't fit to take the responsibility for a house hold. She is too young, too immature.

Anddra, I have sensed the deep concern you've felt for Filann, that's why I wanted to talk to you. I understand that your own worry and losses aren't easy to overcome, but you're strong and I want to ask you trust Filann, for he is a good harvest man and you will certainly profit from his help."

Anddra began to laugh.

"Thank you, Shaayla-Car, I will do what I feel is right. That means I will accept his help, without having to worry any further about what his wife thinks of it.

When Filann told me that he isn't actually her husband, I didn't understand that him. Now I do.

By the way, he also offered to help me prune the fruit bushes. When I said that he was a harvest man and not a farmer, he replied that he could certainly learn how to prune fruit bushes, because a harvest man must also be able to learn how to harvest fruit and berries." Anddra said and laughed clearly relieved. "Now I also will no longer worry, when I would meet him in Cantamaga, Shaayla-Car. He has been nice to me, and I really like what he has done for me."

Liane smiled and thought of the big changes Manall wanted to push through for the whole Quelan community, but she also thought about what Anddra had told her about the many marriage announcements that had been made while Toallin and Mugin had been away.

She noticed how relieved Anddra was when she said goodbye at the end of the afternoon and Anddra had promised her that she would always ask her for help if she needed it.