Chapter 4 The Phendols go to Henber ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Again you must go," the short, green Jedi master insisted, prodding his apprentice with his gnarled gimer stick.

Kelrin took a deep breath, shot a candid glare at the little alien, and stepped back into the tunnel. Immediately, the lights went out. "Master Yoda!" the apprentice cried indignantly, "How am I to dodge when I can't see?"

The ancient Jedi chuckled. "The Force you must use."

Kelrin didn't reply, already halfway through the training tunnel.

Yoda leaned on his gimer stick, watching the youngster by the light of the swinging lightsaber. "Patience he does not have," observed the Jedi master, "But he is not the first, and the last he will not be. Learn, he will, yes, yes."

Kelrin reached out with the force and sensed a stun-blast coming, he prostrated himself just in time, then continued his advance. Ducking and dodging, he finally attained the other side, then turned back to face his teacher, feeling relief and pride wash over him..

"Not bad, hmmm?" Yoda didn't smile. "Not good, either."

Kelrin's face fell. "Master, didn't I make it across?"

"Ha! This is good, he thinks!" Yoda said to an invisible person over his shoulder. "You shall see, Padawan Kelrin." Without warning, Yoda dropped his stick and leapt into the tunnel. Immediately, he had to duck a laser beam which would have been knee-height for Kelrin. Half a second later, Yoda launched himself into an arching front flip that sent him over a series of three lasers, landing just in time to skirt a vertical blast. He deflected another beam with the Force while neatly sidestepping yet another vertical laser, then he curled up into a little ball and zoomed out, unscathed. "Now, you see, hmmm?" Yoda turned around and drew his gimer stick through the deactivated training tunnel. He leaned on it lightly, a tiny green smile playing with his odd features. "No more today."

Kelrin tried not to show his elation. He pushed his thin braid over his shoulder and awaited his master's bidding.

"Learn what today you did?" Yoda regarded his padawan.

"That I need to focus more on the Force, instead of relying on myself."

"Wrong you are! That you already know! Learned, you did, that old I am, but powerful still. Age, size, nothing they mean."

"Yes, Master."

"Go you now. Practice your meditation tonight you must!"

"Yes, Master." Kelrin jogged out of the training room, wiping sweat away from his face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yoda shook his head, his ears drooping slightly. When would Kelrin understand? The Jedi master knew that his padawan had begun training against his will, but Yoda had thought the anger and desperation had long ago left Kelrin. Sensing a presence, Yoda turned around, finding Kender Enandov, Jey-Lu Ressendo's padawan, waiting respectfully behind him. "Kender, my company you seek?"

"Yes, Master Yoda, it's about Kelrin."

"Wonder about him I do as well."

"He's worried about his family, the one he left on board the Freeflight."

"Dead they are, Kender. That he knows."

Enandov shook his head. "I don't think he does know that, Master. Kelrin keeps talking about his little sister, Danja or something. He says she's still out there, though unaware of him."

"Their death he must accept. Bitter memories do not bring peace."

"Master Yoda, I was wondering," Kender took a deep breath. "Do you think I could go to the Freeflight with Kelrin. Often, in the past, children would visit their parents' grave. Perhaps it would help?"

"This also I was pondering. Closure he needs, hmmm? Talk with your master I shall."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Annbri rubbed her eyes wearily; she had not slept well. Not that she had expected to, after refusing to go back into her cage where her bunk remained. She had spent the night on the cold durasteel floor of the cargo area of Slave I. Her joints stiff from their overnight position, she climbed the ladder slowly, glaring at the back of Boba Fett's helmet as her head cleared the cockpit floor.

Fett was at the ship's controls, but his eyes were focused on a holoscreen. Annbri came up behind him to look over his shoulder, and suddenly found a gloved hand beneath her jaw, forcing her face up. The T- shape of Boba Fett's visor dominated her vision as the bounty hunter warned, "You had better not make a habit of sneaking up on me. Someday, I might not think you are so profitable."

Annbri glared at him and spoke with difficulty, as his hand was pressing on her windpipe. "If you would just face me, I wouldn't have to be behind you."

Fett did not show any sign of having heard her. After a moment's pause, he released her roughly and stepped aside so she could see the holoscreen.

The picture was that of a planet. It was mostly blue, but as Annbri watched, the computer zoomed in on a tiny silver dot, the planet's capital.

"That's the planet Henber," Fett explained, "And that city is Shanwhir. Your mother was from this planet, but she's dead. Do you have other relatives who will pay for your return?"

"I-I don't know. Do you know much about my mother? Was her family rich enough to pay a ransom for me?"

"That is all I know," Boba Fett lied. He switched of the holoscreen and turned back to the controls. "We should be there in two hours." Boba Fett didn't feel bad about decieving Annbri. If he had told her how famous and searched-for she was, though under a different name, she would be much harder to manipulate. No, better to keep her in the dark, or she might try to escape and find her family by herself.

Annbri sat down on the floor a few feet away and pondered her new knowledge. She was not just a slave anymore, she was Annbri of Henber. Only two more hours until she was home, for the first time in her life. Annbri leaned back against the cool steel and envisioned herself among a family-her family. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kelrin Van-Dessel was astounded. "Master Yoda said what?"

His best friend, Kender Enandov explained for the thousandth time. "Master Yoda gave me permission to take you on a little trip to deep space to visit the Freeflight."

Kelrin shook his head in amazement. "What did you have to do to convince him?"

"Nothing!" Kender retorted, "In fact, HE was thinking about it, too."

Yoda's padawan smiled slightly. "Well, whatever it was, it worked."

Enandov gave up and turned back to the borrowed ship's controls. "Just four hours, and we're there."

"Four hours?" Kelrin slumped in his seat. "I can't wait that long!"

"Me either," admitted Kender as he set the automatic pilot controls, "But I brought along something to pass the time."

"What is it?" Kelrin stood up and stretched, eyeing his somewhat mischievous friend.

"Oh, nothing that bad," Kender grinned, "But Master Qui-Gon would not approve..."

Kelrin watched his friend withdraw a strange glowing green bottle.

"Kenderaalan Ale, not very potent, but rather amusing." Kender grinned as he unscrewed the cap. "Care to?"

"Why not?" Kelrin's glass was filled, and he apprehensively downed the lime-green liquid.

Kender poured himself a glass and sat down in the co-pilot seat to drink. He glanced at his best friend, whose face was twisted in momentary agony. "Is it that bad?" he asked dubiously.

"Worse." Kelrin reached for the bottle again. "Maybe the second one isn't so bad."

Kender chuckled dryly and tried his own. It was like swallowing an ignited lightsaber. "Are we crazy?" he asked as he, too, poured another.

"I guess." Kelrin smiled lopsidedly, already on his third glass. "Are you slur this idn't poten?

Kender didn't answer as he stared into the swirling, glowing depths of his own drink.

Ten minutes later, the bottle was very empty and the two padawans were very full. Kelrin was holding onto the arms of his seat with white nuckles. "If only this ship would stop doing loop-de-loops..."

"It's not," Kender corrected, "we are."

"Oh," Kelrin's head lolled. "What-what was in that stuff?"

"Alocoloh-no, coloahl-no, holo--," Kender gave up. "Stuff."

"Are we going to have overhangs?"

"Like a roof?"

"Like drunk guys?"

"Like us?"

"I-yeah."

"Yeah."

The two collapsed into miserable silence. Finally, Kelrin fell asleep, leaving Kender more or less alone.

Kelrin had been younger, smaller, and genetically more susceptible to the alcohol, whereas it was already wearing off of Kender. The older padawan made a trip of the bathroom, where he emptied his stomach, and came back to the cockpit feeling much more awake. He studied his slumbering friend, feeling guilty for bringing the ale on board.

"Stupid stupid stupid." Kender muttered, kicking himself inwardly, "You knew he wouldn't hold out." Enandov rose quickly, activated his pocket practice remote, and ignited his lightsaber. Careful to keep a safe distance from Kelrin and the controls, he closed his eyes and concentrated. His connection to the force helped dissipate the rest of the alcohol's effects, and for the next two hours, Kender deflected stun blasts.

Two hours later, Kelrin awoke. He ran a hand through his short padawan's haircut, then tugged gently on his braid. "Kender?"

His friend quickly deactivated the remote and jogged back. "How's your head feel?"

"Like I fought with a wookiee and lost."

"Spend a little while in a healing trace. It'll get lots better."

Kelrin nodded as he turned his attention to the controls. "How much longer?"

"Not much. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes?"

"Good. It's about time." Kelrin tapped experimentally into the Force, feeling the strength of the energy filling him. Already, he felt better.

Kender's practiced fingers danced on the controls, bringing the small craft out of hyperspace. While Kelrin did battle with his hangover, his friend steered towards the space-grave. It wasn't long before the grand white ship, slightly deteriorated from extended exposure, loomed in the viewports. "Hey Kelrin, there she is." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boba Fett shook his head vigorously. Without his armor, he felt vulnerable and exposed. He was dressed in a simple blue tunic, similar to the ones worn on the rest of Henber, for that was where he was.

Annbri was similarly attired to blend in, and she awaited him in the cockpit. They were going to pose as husband and wife, another thing that made Fett uneasy. How had he formulated this plan, anyway? Was he completely stupid? Boba stared at himself in his helmet visor, knowing he would not be able to act indifferent to someone who was supposed to be his wife, but unsure of everything else. He had to get going, or it would be too late to book an audience. Setting his helmet down on his cot, he proceeded to the cockpit.

Annbri was sitting in the passenger seat, toying with the hem of her overtunic. When Fett entered, she stiffened, then her eyes widened. "You're human." The words were simple, and not overly emphasized. It was as though she were saying it to clarify her own mind, not inform him.

"Yes. You're one of those lucky few to ever see my face and know who I am. Right now, however, I am Ghenris Phendol, and you are my wife, Annbri Phendol. I am a mine overseer from the Far Basin, and just found out your sad past. We're going to the palace to schedule an audience with the ruling houses of Henber. You will have to tell your story, up until the point when I retrieved you. Do not mention Boba Fett. You escaped, stole a cruiser, and crash-landed in Far Basin a year ago. Your memory has gradually been returning since then, but you don't remember the details of your escape, understand?"

Annbri nodded her head solemnly. "Yes."

"I'll tell you right now, I don't know how a husband would act. I've only ever been a bounty hunter."

Grinning, Annbri rose, allowing the soft blue folds of her tunic to sweep the ground. "Just smile at me every once in a while, call me Annbri, and make conversation." She had walked forward to stand beside him while she talked, and now linked her arm through his. Smiling calmly, she began to lead them out of the ship.

Fett inwardly grumbled to himself, then tried to force his face into a calm mask. Before they even cleared the threshold of Slave I, Annbri turned to him and whispered.

"You know, you're not very good at being happy."

"I haven't had much practice," Fett defended.

"We'll have to do something about that." They had now reached the hangar floor, and Annbri's attention was instantly captured by the enormity of the place.

She's a good actor, he thought as he led them to the door, I hope I'm just as good for that audience. He wondered briefly what she planned to do to give him practice being happy, but dismissed the thought as "irrelevant."

Ten minutes later, Ghenris and Annbri Phendol were on board the shuttle to downtown Shanwhir. Annbri's face was pressed against the nearest window, gaping at the glistening view of the enormous city. She turned back to Fett, beckoning wildly. "Ghenris, come see!"

Fett smiled slightly and joined her, noting the reflection of the setting sun on her dark hair. He hesitated, then put his sinewy hand over hers, hoping that this was correct conduct. He felt as though she had slapped him when she flinched visibly.

Annbri froze momentarily, then calmed herself. "I'm sorry, I've never seen other spacecraft so closely before, that last one really scared me."

Fett knew she was lying, acting. He played along. "That's okay,...Dear." He thought he saw the ghost of a smile flit across her face, but when she turned to stare at yet another speeder, it was gone.

An infobot approached them. "Mr. and Mrs. Phendol? Can I be of any assistance?"

Fett started to shake his head when Annbri turned and inclined herself toward the droid, face aglow. "Yes! Which one is the palace?"

A picture of a magnificent bulbous building appeared on the infobot's built- in holoscreen. As the droid rattled off touristy information about the Shanwhiran landmark, Annbri grinned at Boba. The smile was infectious, and Boba felt the corners of his own mouth curl slightly with mirth. Immediately, Fett pushed his feelings back down inside himself; he turned abruptly away from the window and sat down. Though Annbri stole several glances at Boba while she queried the droid, he did not look her way until the shuttle came to rest at their stop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~