Destiny, a star wars fanfic

Title: Destiny
By: JediSennah (Aikisenshi)
Rating: PG for some minor violence
Summary: Already a week late in returning to Coruscant, Qui-Gon and 15-year-old Obi-Wan stop for supplies on a backwater planet, where Qui-Gon finds himself sidetracked once more.

Disclaimer: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Ryn species, and all other pre-established Star Wars paraphanalia belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only borrowing them for a little while, I won't make any money off this, and I promise I will put them back relatively unharmed when I'm done.

Gandan counted out the pile of coins in his black velvet-furred hand with a talon-like nail. He didn't have much left, but it would be enough to buy something extra for Eda to use in making some type of fantastic dish for tomorrow's celebration. His wife was good at transforming myriad bits of the ordinary into an extraordinary whole. Besides food, Gandan also needed to pick up a few power packs and a recharger. Gandan hoped he would have enough. The short biped slipped the coins into a pocket on his brightly colored, yet slightly threadbare vest and entered the store.

It was a rather small store, but then most of the things on this woebegotten planet were small, or underdeveloped, or crude. Even the planet's spaceport was barely big enough for more than a few cargo ships and passenger flight or two. But this store would have a few things that Gandan wouldn't find out in the market. Things that were not manufactured on-planet; they had to be shipped in to be sold at exorbitant prices in specialty shops like this. As he wandered the aisles, Gandan felt sorry for anyone who happened to stop by this planet needing supplies for a spacecraft. The prices for standard food packs and air filters were amazingly steep.

The short, compact alien hefted his small basketful of goods towards the checkout counter. He joined the line of other shoppers eager to purchase their goods quickly and be gone before the shop closed for the night. Gandan tried not to notice the extreme distance the human before him was keeping from him, or the condescending and even disgusted looks from the few others left in the store.

From behind he suddenly heard a young male voice. "...But Master, if you had not stopped to talk to that Twi'lek girl, we would be back home at Coruscant right now."

"Yes we could be home by now, Padawan. Yet because we are not, that young girl is no longer living the life of a slave." Answered an older, deeper voice patiently.

"I know it is not my place to disagree with you, Master, but even Master Yoda has said we should stick to the matter at hand, and to our mission, and not be distracted by these small detours. The small ones add up into big ones, and now we're here, buying emergency supplies for our transport ship in some forgotten corner of the galaxy."

"You have to be mindful of the living Force, my young apprentice, sometimes it will lead you to a place such as this for a reason."

Gandan glanced back when he heard the older voice mention the Force. He was delighted, and a little surprised, to see two humans, one was fully grown, standing a head and half taller than himself. He had long brown hair, a similarly colored beard, and striking blue eyes. The other was still rather young, he was nearer to Gandan's own height. He had short-cropped hair, except for a tightly-woven braid hanging behind one ear. Gandan could not see the young one's eyes, he was facing away, still discussing something with his master. The humans were both wearing the long, loose, flowing robes that only one group in the galaxy wore: the Jedi Knights. Gandan wondered at their courage at wearing the trademark clothes so openly, Jedi were not well-liked in many parts this far from the Core. The older Jedi pushed his outer robes aside, reaching for a pouch on his belt. Gandan glimpsed a silver and black cylinder; it had to be a lightsaber, the legendary Jedi weapon. At the sight of it, Gandan was reminded that the Jedi were rumored to be able to wield the mysterious weapons with deadly skill.

Not wanting to seem rude by staring at the pair of Jedi, Gandan faced forwards again. Inside, though, he was a bit excited. The Jedi were much admired among his people, and legend had it that to see or meet a Jedi was often a sign of good luck.

The line moved and Gandan took a few steps forward, though still keeping a respectful distance from the person before him. The younger Jedi must have been still facing his master, and missed seeing the alien in front of him stop, because a second later Gandan yelped in surprise and pain, and found the boy standing on the end of his long, muscular tail.

The apprentice jumped back, turning red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry sir, I was not looking where I was going. Are you all right?"

Gandan smiled and laughed at the blushing youngster. "I am fine young Jedi," he said in whistling, heavily accented Basic. He let loose another hearty laugh. "I am wondering though," he remarked, grinning as he stroked his long gray mustache in thought, "if it is good luck to meet a Jedi, what does it mean to be stepped on by one?"

The elder Jedi chuckled at the comment, "Good luck forever, or perhaps bad luck, considering the luck that follows the one who stepped on you." The youth glared at the floor. The elder put a hand on his shoulder. "I am only joking, Padawan. Just as there are times to be serious, there are times like these when it is best to not be." The elder Jedi smiled at the velvety alien in front of him. Gandan chuckled as he turned to face the head of the line once more.

Gandan reached the head of the line a few minutes later, he and the Jedi were the only customers left in the shop. Gandan put his purchases on the counter to be totaled. The storeowner, a rough-looking human with rather large muscles, scowled down at the velvet-furred alien. The storekeeper eyed Gandan over, from his worn boots to his brightly colored clothing, from the prehensile tail to the beak-like nose that was fluted like a musical instrument.

"What do you want you spiky-haired freak?" The shopkeeper growled.

"Just to purchase these few items and be on my way." Gandan answered politely in accented Basic.

"Why should I let you?"

"Because my money is worth the same as anyone else's." Gandan answered.

"How do I know you didn't steal that money from one of my friends?" the big human behind the counter demanded. "Your kind have a reputation for thievery."

"I guess you will have to trust me by my actions, and not whatever rumors you have heard, or is that concept too big for your little mind?" Gandan asked, glaring at the shopkeeper, anger growing in his eyes.

The shopkeeper's face reddened in anger. "You dirty little-."

"Excuse me," a deep smooth voice interrupted. The bearded Jedi stepped up to the counter, catching the shopkeeper's attention with a waved hand. "His money is legitimate."

The shopkeeper stared at the Jedi for a moment, blinked, then nodded, "I guess it is."

The Jedi turned to the spiky maned being beside him. "He has decided to take your money, it seems."

Gandan was puzzled, but handed over the money. The shopkeeper accepted it and Gandan packed the purchases into a backpack.

As Gandan lifted the pack, the shopkeeper shook his head as if trying to clear it. He suddenly demanded, "Hold on, I want to check your pockets you little thief. I bet you have things hidden in those baggy pants of yours."

Gandan scowled at the shopkeeper, he was about to make a nasty comment when the elder Jedi interrupted again.

"You don't need to see his pockets," the Jedi said with a barely perceptible wave of his hand. "He did not steal from you."

"No, he didn't." The shopkeeper replied.

"He can go." the Jedi suggested.

"Yes, he can go." The big man repeated.

The Jedi glanced at Gandan and nodded, Gandan hurried out the door.

Gandan waited just outside the store for the Jedi to emerge. The door opened and the younger Jedi appeared, carrying a large shoulder pack, his master was just behind.

"I wanted to thank you, sir." Gandan said, stepping forward to catch up with the Jedi.

"Do not mention it." The Jedi replied, then added quietly, "To anyone."

Gandan grinned and nodded in understanding.

So, the man from the little one's dream is real after all Gandan thought to himself as he studied the bearded Jedi. The Jedi Master's voice, it had a melody that almost DID sound like the voice of one of Gandan's people, even though he didn't have the fluted whistle-like nose. Perhaps he has come for her at last. Gandan decided he would not say anything about his niece's dreams to the Jedi, he would wait and see what Fate would bring.

"Force be with you sirs." Gandan said, shouldering his pack and turning to leave.

The elder Jedi spoke a series of whistling, melodic-sounding words. Gandan stopped abruptly in mid-step and turned around, his large eyes wide in amazement; the Jedi Master knew some of his language; and he spoke it very well, the Jedi's musical voice almost made up for the lack of proper nasal equipment. Gandan bowed his head to the Jedi, and thanked him in the same language.

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his teenage apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in the doorway of the small shop, watching the strange alien walk away.

"What was he, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, looking up at Qui-Gon. "I have never seen one of his species before."

"He was a Ryn, my young padawan." Qui-Gon answered "They are a rare species, and with the way their kind are treated, it is surprising to see that clans of them still survive." The Jedi Master stared thoughtfully down the road, watching the coal-black alien weave his way through the street traffic until he was lost in the crowd.

"Why was the shopkeeper so convinced he was a thief?" The Padawan asked, hefting the pack of supplies over his shoulder. His Master didn't respond.

Obi-Wan touched Qui-Gon on the arm. "Master?"

Qui-Gon blinked and looked down at his apprentice. "I'm sorry Obi-Wan, what did you ask?" Obi-Wan repeated his question, but Qui-Gon still seemed in the midst of some deep thought or dream.

Abruptly Qui-Gon turned and began walking towards the spaceport. Obi-Wan hurried to catch up, lugging the pack. Qui-Gon spoke as they walked.

"The Ryn live a simple life, when they are not being killed or forcefully relocated by mobs. Their nomadic traditions and willingness to work any job available to get food for their clan, or to buy transportation to a friendlier place, has earned the Ryn a reputation for stealing jobs from local laborers. Ryn will usually set up a camp just outside a spaceport town, or in a corner of a space station -if they are fortunate enough to have ships- then they will wander the port, dancing, singing, or telling fortunes for the locals, in exchange for goods or money. It is these traveling carnivals and the Ryn expertise in negotiating a deal that has spread the most damaging prejudices: that the Ryn are no more than soulless thieves and swindlers." Qui-Gon paused. "Yet, despite the prejudice against them, the few Ryn I have met have been honest and kind, with a deep reverence for the Force and the Jedi."

"Have there ever been any Ryn Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked as they neared the docking bay.

"None that I know. The Ryn are wary of non-Ryn coming into their camps. I have heard stories of Ryn children and young adults being kidnapped to be sold as slaves. Or made breeders for slave children. It is widely believed that Ryn would not let even a Jedi come near enough to their camps to test their children for Force sensitivity, so most Jedi don't bother trying."

They arrived at their rented transport ship just as the sun was setting. Qui-Gon punched in the access code and they entered. Obi-Wan began storing away the supplies, but Qui-Gon interrupted him.

"I will finish that, Obi-Wan. Get some rest, we may have some walking to do tomorrow."

"But Master, we are supposed to be leaving for Coruscant tomorrow." Obi-Wan protested.

"Our return will be delayed." Qui-Gon replied. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest, but Qui-Gon cut him off with a raised hand. "No questions padawan, just go to sleep."

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan sighed, and crawled into his berth. He was already dreading the morning. His master was dragging him along on yet another detour.

The setting sun shone on the tawny fuzz and brown hair of three year old Sennah as she sat on a rock near the trail to camp. She was drawing patterns in the dirt with a small talon-like fingernail and humming a little song through her beak-like nose. She concentrated on carefully drawing four pillars, each with pointed tops, with a fifth, taller than the rest, in the middle. Suddenly a trilling sound floated through the air. Sennah's head snapped up, she looked down the road to where the whistle had come from. Ambling towards camp was uncle Gandan, his arms and pack full of things bought in town. Sennah dusted her velvety hands off on her bightly-colored skirt, then, fingering the holes along her nose; she answered with a trilling whistle of her own.

"You are getting good little one." Gandan said to her in the melodic Ryn tongue as he reached his niece. He set down his packages and sat on the rocks next to her. "Will you sing a song for us at Fina and Aandon's wedding tomorrow?" He asked.

Sennah grinned and nodded. Gandan lifted the toddler into his lap. Glancing down, he noticed the patterns in the dirt.

"What were you drawing my little niece?" he asked.

Sennah tried again to explain the big tall building with lots of people inside, people who were her family but none of them looked like the people in this clan. She tried to describe the kind man with blue eyes and brown fur on only his head and his chin, who had a voice that sang just like someone from her clan, but didn't have the right kind of nose. The man who was part of that clan who lives in the big pretty building, the man who would take her to go meet them. Sennah babbled on, but she still didn't know the words for everything she had seen so many times in her dreams. She began to feel frustrated, she always did when trying to explain it, but she continued trying to tell uncle Gandan about the flying room that she is going to ride in, way up high in the stars. Sennah knew Gandan didn't understand a lot of what she was saying. No one ever did. The little Ryn sighed and fell silent, a frown creasing her striped face.

Gandan lifted Sennah up, tossing her high in the air and catching her again. He perched her on one shoulder. Sennah giggled as she wrapped her tail around her uncle's neck to steady herself.

"Do not worry my little one," Gandan said, tickling the end of Sennah's fuzzy tail. "I think we may soon be finding out just what you have been babbling to us about since you first started learning to speak."

Gandan gathered his packages and carried them and the little one into camp.

"...Yeah, get me Degent."

A scowling face crosed by several poorly-healed scars appeared on the screen.

"What now Udek? This better be important." the face on the screen growled.

"I have something for you. Something that you may find interesting."

"What?"

"Watch this vid I am sending you."

The face on the screen turned, looking at a monitor to the side. He watched with disinterest. Suddenly his eyes widened, he whipped back around to the telescreen. "This was recorded in your store?"

The shopkeeper nodded.

"Today?" Degent asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know where they are staying?"

"How should I know? Your men should be able to find them, I'm sure plenty of people in town have seen them around."

"This may prove profitable." Degent mused.

"I expect some of it will come my way?" the shopkeeper inquired.

"Of course Udek." Degent replied absentmindedly, watching the vid again. "I'll be in contact."

The screen went dark.

"Master Qui-Gon, where are we going?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to keep up with the long strides of the much taller Jedi.

"Where the Force leads us, my young Padawan." Gui-Gon answered, glancing down a side alley as they hurried through the marketplace.

"Why exactly are we wandering through this decrepit city when we should be leaving for home?" the Padawan asked, beginning to loose patience with his master's oddities.

Qui-Gon slowed his pace and came to a stop, letting his Padawan catch up. He turned and crouched, lowering himself to meet Obi-Wan's scowling demeanor face to face.

"Obi-Wan, do you remember that Ryn in the store yesterday? Did you notice the way he looked at me?" Qui-Gon asked, resting an arm on his knee.

"I was a little distracted at the time Master," Obi-Wan said apologetically, "but I do remember that he seemed to recognize you somehow."

"Indeed, he did. I also felt a great deal of surprise from him, mixed with a sense of relief. As if a mystery had been finally solved." the Jedi Master paused for a moment, pondering. "I need to find out why, and what this mystery was."

"Curiosity, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, almost condescendingly.

"No," said Qui-Gon, standing up again and resting a hand on his apprentice's shoulder, "An urging of the will of the Force."

With a quiet sigh, Obi-Wan followed his after his Master, they soon lost themselves in the crowds again, mixed among the myriad life forms who wandered the marketplace around them.

After wandering in silence for most of the day, the Jedi were reaching the edges of the spaceport's city.

Obi-Wan ventured a question: "Master, there isn't much of the city left to search, do you know where we are going?"

"I do not know yet Padawan," Qui-Gon answered firmly. "But I feel we will know soon."

The pair paused on a street corner, Qui-Gon glanced around, unsure of where to go next.

"You look lost sirs, in search of an answer perhaps?" Spoke a female voice with a whistling accent.

The Jedi turned to see a small table set up on the corner. Behind the table sat a brightly dressed Ryn female, she was holding a deck of sabbac cards in her tawny-furred hands.

"Perhaps you would like a glimpse of the future?" she offered, shuffling the cards deftly and spreading them on the table before her.

A second Ryn, a gray colored male, appeared beside the fortune teller. He studied the distinctively dressed humans and chided his companion, "Alema, these are Jedi Knights, they know the future better than the cards do." The velvet-furred being bowed to the Jedi. "Forgive my daughter's enthusiasm. Is there anything we can do for you sirs? Guide you to somewhere in the city perhaps?"

"I have reason to believe our destination lies outside the city limits, but I do not know precisely where." Qui-Gon answered thoughtfully. "I am looking for the place where you and your clanmates are making camp tonight. If one of you could direct me there I would be very grateful."

The female looked up at him with more than a little suspicion. "Why would you be wanting to know where our camp is?"

Obi-Wan was wondering the same thing. The stares a few of the pedestrians walking the street were giving him and his master were beginning to annoy him. He wished Qui-Gon would forget this little sidetrack and take him home to Coruscant. There was no such luck forthcoming for the Padawan, his master continued to confer with the strange beak-nosed aliens.

"There is one of your group I wish to speak with, I met him in the marketplace yesterday. He has nearly black skin and fur, with a gray mustache and hair." Qui-Gon described. "The Force tells me I must speak with him, as soon as possible."

The male Ryn nodded slowly in contemplation. "Black with a gray mustache hmm? Sounds like Gandan." He exchanged a glance with his companion. She quirked an eyebrow and spoke a few words in the musical Ryn tongue, he nodded in agreement.

The male Ryn grabbed a random card from the deck still spread on the table and pulled a writing utensil from a pouch on his belt. He sketched a small map on the back of the card, explaining as he drew.

"Here is the city, you are here. Our camp is here, in one of many small valleys among the rocky hills, outside town. This map will show you which valley the camp is in." The velvet furred alien picked up the card between his long fingers and held it so that the side with the map, the back of the card, was facing Qui-Gon. "I would guide you there personally, but my daughter and I have some errands to..." The Ryn's words trailed off as he stared at the face of the card with an expression of extreme concern that edged on horror. He slowly flipped the card to show its face to the Jedi.

"The Queen of Air and Darkness... Be careful my Jedi friends," the Ryn said, handing the card to Qui-Gon, "Something dark follows you, something hidden, dangerous."

Qui-Gon pondered the card carefully and nodded slowly. "Thank you. I will remember your advice." He tucked the card with its map into a pouch on his belt.

"Come Obi-Wan, we must go quickly."

"Yes Master." Obi-Wan said with a sigh, grateful that they were finally doing something besides standing on a street corner discussing superstitious nonsense about cards that told the future. He just wished they were racing back into town and to their ship, not racing out of town to some alien shanty village.

"Thank you again." Qui-Gon said to the Ryn, who had begun packing up the collapsable table. They made small bows to the Jedi in return.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon headed east, towards the rocky hills outside of the city.

"You, Ryn."

"Yes?" said the grey-fuzzed fortuneteller, turning to face the voice.

"Those two Jedi you just talked to, where are they going?"

"Who knows where any Jedi go?" the Ryn responded calmly, "Not I. Do not meddle in the affairs of Jedi, sirs, for they are more powerful than you can ever know."

"Hah. We'll see about that." the voice said.

Rough hands suddenly seized the two Ryn. The pair fought back, kicking at their assailants with strong compact legs and struggling to free their arms. A stun blaster fired twice. The unconscious father and daughter were quickly tossed into to a small cargo transport nearby.

The pedestrians continued along their way down the street, unconcerned about, if they had even noticed, the abduction of the fortunetellers. Perhaps the long-tailed creatures had been caught cheating someone. Besides, they were only Ryn. Ryn weren't worth bothering the authorities about.

Master and apprentice approached the hills just as the sun was beginning its downward crawl towards night. As they came closer to the valley marked on the Ryn fortuneteller's map, they heard the babble of many happy voices and the strains of music floating up from the camp below.

"It sounds like some sort of celebration is going on down there Master Qui-Gon. Should we be interrupting it like this? Going into their camp uninvited?" Obi-Wan hesitated at the top of road looking down into the camp below.

"Yes, my Padawan, I have told you already, I feel a strong urging from the Force. It is telling me we must visit these people." Qui-Gon answered firmly.

Suddenly a group of about fifteen Ryn children came over a nearby hill, the Jedi ducked behind a large rock, not wanting to interrupt the little ones' play.

The children climbed on and around the rocks, some tugging on each others' hair and tails as they fought over the highest perches, others jumping clumsily from one rock to the next with their still developing natural Ryn gymnastics. The children laughed and shouted to each other in their musical language, bright smiles on their striped faces.

From down the road in the Ryn camp came a long whistle and a shout, the children's laughter turned to cheers as they jumped off the rocks and dashed down the road. One brown-furred Ryn boy tripped and fell as he climbed down the side of a boulder, he hit the dirt hard, scraping his elbow against the ground. The rest of the group of children continued down the road towards camp, they hadn't noticed the boy's fall.

A little Ryn girl, barely more than a toddler, suddenly stopped, she looked back and spotted the little boy sitting in the dirt whimpering in a high-pitched whistling voice. The girl ran back and knelt beside to her wounded friend.

The girl said something to the boy, the boy offered his scraped elbow for inspection. Blood was starting to show amid the boy's dark brown fuzz. The little girl placed a hand over the elbow and with the other, patted the boy comfortingly on the shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a moment later she released it slowly and opened her eyes.

The Ryn boy smiled and stood up. After giving the little girl a pat on the head, he ran off to catch up with the other children.

The girl stayed kneeling on the ground, her head drooping in exhaustion. She toddler swayed and nearly fell over, but caught herself with a small brown hand against the ground.

"Did you see that Master?" Obi-Wan whispered with a touch of awe. "When she took her hand off the boy's elbow, his scrape was completely healed." The two Jedi came out from behind the rock and stepped back onto the road.

"I saw it, Padawan, she used the Force to do it. An amazing talent, especially for one who has never been trained." Qui-Gon whispered back, looking down at the little brown-fuzzed toddler. "She used the Force instinctively to heal that little boy's wound. It seems the effort has worn her out though."

Qui-Gon walked forward and went to one knee beside the girl. He reached out and touched her on the shoulder. Startled, the toddler's head jerked up, she stared at the Jedi Master in alarm. Suddenly, inexplicably, the expression on the little one's striped face changed to a look of pure joy. The girl scrambled to her feet, laughing and babbling in her native tongue. She raced forward, almost knocking Qui-Gon over as she wrapped her arms around the Master's neck, hugging him tightly. All the while she continued babbling in her melodic language. Qui-Gon gathered the toddler into his arms and stood, a baffled expression crossing his face.

"She seems to know you Master, very well, I might add." Obi-Wan said, grinning as his master struggled to hold with the wildly gesturing toddler. She continued jabbering, sometimes pointing a small fuzzy hand to Qui-Gon's beard and long hair, sometimes pantomiming something flying through the air.

"Do you know what she's saying Master Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I have no idea." the master replied, listening to the toddler's excited babble.

"You said something to that Ryn in the store yesterday."

"That phrase is the only bit of it I know." Qui-Gon replied. "I learned it from a group of Ryn I met many years ago. I thought their language was fascinating, and they thought my attempts to speak it were very humorous." Smiling at the memory, Qui-Gon repeated the Ryn phrase he had spoken the day before.

The toddler suddenly fell silent, Qui-Gon glanced over to see her staring at him with a frown on her little striped face. She looked like she was about to cry.

"What did you say to her Master?" Obi-Wan asked as the Ryn child babbled something sadly and clutched Qui-Gon's robes tightly.

"It means 'Force be with you', it is a common parting phrase. The little one thinks I was saying goodbye, and she obviously doesn't want me to leave."

Qui-Gon awkwardly patted the girl on the back. "Do not worry, I'm not leaving, little one, in fact, I'm going to take you back to your clan so we can speak with your parents."

Gandan stood on the edge of the clearing in the center of the camp. Around him the wedding feast was gathering on the makeshift tables as the women of the camp finished cooking and brought out their creations. At the head table the bride and groom were taking their seats. Gandan caught his wife by the waist as she passed by with a tray of food.

"Look at her Eda, isn't our Fina beautiful?" he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

The brown furred Ryn woman smiled as she leaned back against her husband. "Yes, she is." The couple gazed at the newlyweds across the way, a crowd of well-wishers was gathering around them.

After a moment Eda sighed and straightened again. "The sun is setting, time to get this party started."

"Yes ma'am." Gandan said, giving his wife a mock salute as he released her.

Making his way to the small crowd gathered around the head table, Gandan spotted Rhianna and Oali, his second and third daughters.

He called out to the younger one. "Oali, you have the loudest voice, go call the children."

Oali rolled her eyes at her father's teasing, but nodded and jogged to the edge of camp. A minute later there was a piercing whistle and Oali's voice echoing off the rocks surrounding camp.

"See Rhianna, I told you she had the loudest voice." Gandan said, winking at his middle daughter as they made their way to the head table. Gandan clapped his hands together, and in a voice that was just as loud, or louder, than Oali's, called for the well-wishers around the head table to take their seats.

Once the crowd was settled in, and the children noisily tumbled into camp to be quickly herded to their family's tables, Gandan stood and addressed the assembled guests, his loud clear voice carrying the melodic Ryn words to even the furthest table.

"Family and friends, welcome! The day has finally come. One of my beautiful daughters is being taken away; but who better to run off with my pretty Fina than the handsome Aandon eh? My only regret is that his parents, --may they dance among the stars in peace-- are not present to sit at the table with us for this happy occasion." Gandan picked up his drink and held it before him. "I begin this wedding celebration with a toast: To the bride and groom, to the groom's parents- and all others who have been lost to us," Gandan surveyed the gathered Ryn, "to family, to friends, to our clanmates who are far from us,--" something at the opposite edge of the crowd caught Gandan's eye, "--and to not-quite-unexpected guests." Gandan finished, in accented Basic, as he raised his glass to the three figures appearing from the outskirts of the village.

Gasps and murmuring voices swept the crowd of Ryn as they too noticed what had caught Gandan's attention. Two human Jedi, one of them carrying a little Ryn girl on his shoulders, stood at the edge of the clearing.

"Begin the feast, my friends," Gandan called out, speaking in Ryn again. "I will take care of our guests."

To Be Continued...