The 'godly' Cee Threepio was carried in state on a sort of throne made quickly and deftly from branches and twigs and lashed together with vines. The rest of us - even Artoo Detoo - were tied to poles like game animals being born home from the hunt. My Jedi dignity was really taking a beating this mission - and my wrists and ankles too.

I could hear Han cursing softly and continuously - a virtuoso performance in at least ten languages - ahead of me and Chewbacca growling counterpoint behind. Artoo too kept letting out indignant bleeps and squeals as he bounced along, lashed to a crude pallet, carried on our furry little captor's shoulders.

We ascended into the tree canopy by way of a series of steep ramps winding around the trunks. Every now and then our captors would pause to sound horns announcing their return. We crossed a shaking, swaying wood and rope bridge and entered a cozy miniature village with mud and twig huts clinging to the sides of the great trees and clustered around a series of big wooden platforms - their town square.

Threepio's throne was placed respectfully on an upper level. My pole, Chewy's and Artoo's pallet were leaned against one of the giant tree trunks. But Han's pole was laid crosswise on two stakes above a sort of pit.

Han didn't like it one bit - and I couldn't blame him. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Oddly enough I didn't. In spite of our humiliating and possibly dangerous situation I was convinced that we were in the place we were meant to be. These little folk were going to be important to us. But first we'd have to convince them we were people not food animals - and that might not be easy. Apparently being in the company of a god didn't win us any privileges.

A brown and cream striped male, his headdress ominously adorned with the skull of some kind of giant raptor, came out of the largest hut. He held a long staff decorated with feathers and bits of bone in one hand and my lightsabre in the other. He paused to give us all a long, cool, considering look. Our eyes met briefly and mine narrowed. This I realized was the spiritual leader of these people - and he didn't at all appreciate competition from a new found god!

He went to Threepio and made a short bow. They had a brief conversation. My protocol droid reacted with dismay. "Oh dear!"

Han hauled himself up so he could look over his pole at Threepio. "What did he say?"

"I'm rather embarrassed, General Solo, but it appears you are to be the main course at a banquet in my honor."

Han was speechless - but his look spoke volumes. Chewy uttered an alarmed howl and struggled against his bonds. And a line of our little friends calmly began pass wood from hand to hand to pile it under Han as others beat on drums.

Roast Han alive and fully dressed yet? I didn't think so. I looked at the shaman, once again our eyes met and I knew; it was a ploy intended to frighten Threepio into denying his divine status. But if he did what would happen to us?

Suddenly another figure, slimmer and much taller than the natives, emerged from the big hut. It was my sister, with her hair around her shoulders wearing a dress of skins instead of her uniform. Clearly our furry hosts had been much more hospitable towards her - but then she's a lot prettier than Han or me, and especially Chewy!

"Leia!" I said.

Han, despite his situation brightened. "Leia!"

"Leia!" Chewbacca growled.

Artoo vented an excited whistle and Threepio joyously exclaimed, "Your Royal Highness!"

Leia tried to come to us, only to be blocked by furry bodies and crossed spears. "But these are my friends." she told the little folk around her, then turned to our interpreter. "Threepio, tell them they must be set free."

Ever the princess, my sister, expecting everybody to fall in line and follow her orders. Funny thing is more often than not they do. But not this time. The shaman wasn't about to give up his barbecue.

More wood was piled under Han and he gave Threepio another of his dirty looks. "Somehow I get the feeling that didn't help us very much."

Chewy howled again and Leia began to look alarmed. It was high time I took a hand. "Threepio. Tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic."

Everybody looked at me. Han, Leia and Chewy instantly realized what I intended but Threepio, Force bless him, was slower on the uptake.

"But, Master Luke, what magic? I couldn't possibly -"

"Just tell them!" that droid would try the patience of a full Jedi Master - much less a half trained Padawan.

He told them - and he made a good thing of it too miming some sort of explosion with his hands and ending on a rising 'you'll be sorry' inflection. The majority of our furry friends were impressed - but not the shaman. He barked out an order and a couple hesitant furballs brought flaming torches over to Han's barbecue pit. He tried to blow them out.

I closed my eyes and ears, shutting out everything but the Force. Ben and Yoda had described It as a medium through which all living things moved, creating eddies and currents as it acted on us and reacted to us. But my perception was different.

For me the Force was a vast presence that both spoke to me, and heard me. It acted through me but It also let me draw on It. According to Dai-Men that difference in perception was the essential difference between Living Force Jedi, like him and me, and the other kind. It wasn't that we were right and they were wrong - just that we'd connected to a different aspect of the Force.

It was the Living Force I drew on now, focusing Its energy through me - like sunlight through a magnifying glass - and directed it at Threepio upon his throne.

"You see, Master Luke, they didn't believe me." my droid was whining - unaware that he was slowly rising into the air. "Just as I said they wouldn't."

The little folk began to scream and run. An eddy of fur swept my sister back against the big hut wall as they fled for the shelter of their homes. Suddenly Threepio realized what was going on. Of course he panicked.

"What's-whe-what's happening? Oh dear! Oh!

I moved him slowly and regally across the square, pivoting the throne so he could cow the all ready terrified furballs with his fiery glance. Fortunately they couldn't understand his frightened cries: "Put me down! He-e-elp! Somebody help! Master Luke! Artoo, Artoo, quickly! Do something, somebody! Oh! Ohhhhh!"

The little ones' terror and my friends' amazement and awe washed over and through me without disturbing my focus. I was aware of the furball that cut me free: Of Artoo's furious bleeping as he chased and zapped the dark striped warrior who'd captured us: Of Han rushing to embrace Leia: But my focus remained on Cee Threepio as I directed his throne back to its original position and gently set it down.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh. Thank goodness!" he sputtered, collapsing in relief.

I went to hug my sister, then gave my exhausted droid a smile. "Thanks, Threepio."

"I never knew I had it in me." he said weakly.

"This is Chief Chirpa." Leia said, introducing a stout gray male whose hood was richly decorated with animal teeth and feathers. She frowned at us. "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing." Han answered defensively, "Nothing at all. Did we Luke."

I shrugged.

Leia's frown deepened. "Well you must have offended them somehow. They've been very friendly to me."

Han smirked. "You're a lot prettier than we are."

'Hmmm." said Leia, eyeing us.

The dressed carcass of some large animal was put over the barbecue pit and the fire lit. Little furry females bustled about passing out bowls, spreading mats and setting big wooden platters of stewed and mashed vegetables and fruit on them. We were all given seats on the upper platform, next to Threepio's throne. Chief Chirpa and the shaman - whose name was Logray - sat with us and I set out to win the latter over.

"Threepio, tell them you are not a god."

Han looked a little alarmed. "Is that a good idea, Luke?"

"Yes. Now."

Logray's pleased response confirmed my judgment.

"Then who did the magic?" Threepio translated.

"The power which I serve." I answered. "Logray knows of what I speak."

The little fellow nodded. I'd felt the Force was strong in him, and guessed he had some knowledge of how to draw on it.

"He says he's very sorry for threatening us but he thought we must be in league with the hard shelled ones as we look so much like them." Threepio translated.

"We understand." I said. "The hard shelled ones are our enemies too. We have come here to fight them."

That went over real well with both Logray and Chirpa.

"What happened to you?" Han asked Leia. "Luke and I were worried sick."

"Artoo and myself as well." put in Threepio.

"And me!" roared Chewy taking a big joint of meat out of the hands of a server. She looked decidedly startled, then turned around and went back to the barbecue pit for more.

Leia shrugged, as if a little embarrassed. "The scout I was after blasted my bike with a handgun when I got alongside him. Don't worry - he apparently crashed himself right after. I saw the wreckage."

"So did we." Han said grimly.

The server came back and moved down our row, allowing each of us to tear some meat from the new joint.

"I was knocked cold for a bit." Leia continued. "And when I woke up Wicket was poking me with his spear," she paused to smile at a young warrior on the level below us. He grinned back. "We were just making friends when we were surprised by another pair of scouts. We took care of them together and then he brought me here."

Chief Chirpa dipped handfuls of vegetables and fruit from the platters laid out before us and put them in his bowl. We promptly followed suit.

Han wiped his fingers on his vest and frowned. "These woods are crawling with Imps. They can't be looking for us - can they?" he looked questioningly at me.

I shook my head. "No." Father knew I'd come to him. "I'd guess it's our little friends the Imps are after. They seem to have made their presence felt. We should ask for their help."

Han choked on his mouthful of mashed fruit. "You're kidding!"

"Luke, we can't." Leia said in real dismay. "Look at them - they wouldn't stand a chance against stormtroopers."

"Wouldn't they?" I asked quietly. "Didn't you say you and your friend Wicket took out the last set of scouts?"

She bit her lip. Then, seeing Logray's curious look, took a quick bite out of her hunk of meat to cover up her reaction.

"It's their choice, Leia, but I feel we should ask." I continued. "There are no coincidences. The Force brought us together for a reason."

She swallowed her mouthful and gave in, but not happily: " Well, all right. I guess you know what you're doing, Luke."

Han stared at her incredulously, then past her at me. I gave him a half grin and shrug. Leia had learned to trust my 'feelings' - but where she got the idea I knew what I was doing I don't know. I just follow the Force - and the Force isn't given to explaining Itself.

The feast lasted well into the night. Afterwards we followed Chief Chirpa and Logray into the big hut, followed by most of the village; males, females and even cubs. Our little friends called themselves Ewoks, and the Imperials - as usual - had quickly given them good reason to hate the 'hard shelled' invaders of their world. They had retaliated by trapping and killing troopers who strayed from the generator installation which went a long way towards explaining all those heavily armed scouts - and why they always came in pairs.

Long ago, when we first met, Threepio had told me he was no good at telling stories. Well either he'd been being modest or he'd learned a thing or two since because he had the Ewoks hanging on every word of his short history of the Rebellion, complete with appropriate sound effects.

At one point Artoo interrupted with a series of sharp, excited bleeps. His counterpart gave him an annoyed look. "Yes, Artoo, I was just coming to that." and continued with an account of the Battle of Hoth, the Falcon's escape to Cloud City, Vader's appearance and Han's capture and rescue, ending with a brief explanation of why we were on Endor.

Threepio finished his story. Logray and Chirpa conferred quietly, with several other Ewoks - both male and female - putting in their two credits worth. Finally Logray straightened up and made a formal announcement. The Ewoks chirped excitedly and one began pounding a drum. Han and Leia and even Chewy all but disappeared into the embraces of affectionate furballs.

"We are now part of the tribe." Threepio announced triumphantly.

"Just what I always wanted." Han muttered, trying to disentangle himself from a particularly determined Ewok who refused to let go of his leg.

I grinned a little, but my heart was heavy. My feelings told me it was time for me to leave - but first I needed to have a few private words with Leia.