Emily had packed way too many warm cloaks and cosy layered dresses for this place. Which was ironic, considering that she'd only brought them as her research showed that Alderaan's capital sat perched on top of a snow-capped mountain range - which one quick glance out of the windows definitely confirmed. Every time she looked out from the balcony over all those awe-inspiring peaks and green valleys, Emily had to wrestle back an unexplainable need to yodel.

"What about this one?" MEL's voice piped up, and Emily ducked her head out from under the spray of the waterfall shower to see the droid holding up a long dress made of bright, sunshine yellow silk. She had long given up on trying to impress the importance of personal boundaries on the droid, even though Ani had repeatedly assured her that all of his protocol programming was in working order, and had just accepted that the floating metal bucket had no concept of privacy.

"I was hoping for something a bit more low-key and subtle."

"Please define the parameters of 'subtle'."

Emily took a second to dip back under the water and rinse the florally smelling shampoo from her hair. Her refresher at the Temple was only ever stocked with a kind scentless body cream that somehow worked as a face wash, shampoo, moisturiser and deodorant all-in-one. It was incredibly convenient, but Emily had to admit to enjoying slathering on all the strange gels, lotions and foamy washes she'd found in her massive Alderaan bathroom. Not to mention the ginormous tub she was now stood in, the wide marble bowl constantly filled with hot water from the waterfall shower that flowed down until it spilled over the edges like an infinity pool. Eight people could easily fit inside to soak, with the wide windows providing a breath-taking view. Emily had made a ritual of dipping in for half an hour or so at night, drinking in the starlit mountains as she blissfully wallowed.

"You know," she replied, pushing the wet curls back from her face. "Less embroidery. No jewels or sequins. Colours that don't burn out your retinas - that sort of thing. I'm sure Plo would have picked out some dresses that are a bit less 'heiress to an empire' and more 'father was a postman and mother was a part-time cleaner' sort of vibe."

"What is a 'post-man'?" MEL asked, his blue eyes rotating with curiosity.

"Eh, they're sort of like a freighter pilot, except less flying through space and more delivering utility bills."

"What is a utility bill?"

"How about we leave the twenty questions for a later time, and you go have another pop at finding me a dress, hmm?" Emily said, carefully making her way out of the tub before plucking up a towel.

It was their fourth day on Alderaan, and all of the previous ones had been crammed from morning till evening with tours, banquets, activities and balls. Emily was fairly certain that she'd met every person of note in Alderaan society, and more than a few from planets further afield. After her royal welcome on that first day, getting swept off the Tantive IV into a huge celebration filled with so much dancing and singing it felt more like walking into a music festival, Emily had barely found the time to take a breath. Escorted by either Queen Breha, Bail, or at times both, she had already scaled the sacred Appenza Peak, the wind so cold it sucked the air right out of your lungs, the huge spires of the capital city rendered to nothing more than sparkling needles against the vastness of the white mountain range. She'd swam in the vast cobalt blue lake of Dolmeron, it's steaming waters the result of the caldera it was formed from. On Bail's suggestion, they'd dove down into its bubbling depths until they reached the Crystal Grotto; an underground reef formed from salts and minerals extracted by the volcanic heat. It was like swimming through a fractal forest carved out of diamonds.

Today, though, was going to be different. No grand tours through artisan crafting hubs and education centres. No fancy lunches with noble houses or schmoozing on huge private air-yachts. Both Breha and Bail were busy with their duties, and Emily managed to convince everyone involved, including the Captain of the Royal Guard - who had displayed a near Ben level of obsessiveness about her safety - that it would be a perfect opportunity to allow her to explore Alderaan in a more incognito fashion. So, with only Pei for company, and an escort of guards on standby, Emily was excited at the prospect of seeing a bit more of the 'real' Alderaan, rather than the polished showroom version that was understandably on display during a Royal visit.

Emily quickly towelled off her hair without bothering to style it. The messy curls and lack of make-up should help disguise her, given how much effort she'd recently spent trying to make herself presentable. Emily had never worn much more than mascara and tinted lip-balm back on Earth; her freckles looked like dirt when masked under foundation, and blusher on her pale skin always leaned more towards clownish than flushed. But when you find out that your face - and every other part of your body - is being recorded and broadcast across the galaxy, it sure as hell makes you take the extra time to cover over a blemish and perfect an eyeliner flick. She was glad she'd convinced Pei to zap away her body hair months ago - fibbing a little by claiming that hair removal was an important cultural tradition - after being thoroughly traumatised by MEL trying to suck the hair from her legs with some weird hoover device. Turns out, human females in this galaxy were naturally less hairy than back on Earth. Selective evolution at work, it would seem.

"What about this one?" MEL pronounced, zipping back into the room. One metal claw held up a dark silver dress with only minimal embroidery around the throat and hem. No sparkles in sight.

"That's a perfect choice MEL, well done." Emily gave the droid a little pat on his bobbing rectangular head. "Now we just need to find some shoes to match."

Pei wandered into her rooms just as Emily was putting the last touch to her ensemble; a deep blue hooded cloak in the same style as the ones the Jedi wore. "Hey, we match!" Emily said, turning in a circle to show off her outfit. She pulled the hood up over her head. "What do you think? Now we can both pretend to be mysterious."

"I flatter myself that I am infinitely more mysterious than you," Pei said, gathering up her own brown cloak before settling into one of the chairs near the balcony.

"Oh, come on - I'm some miraculous ancient ancestor that literally fell out of the sky one day. There's no way you can top that, even with your floaty mind magic."

"I've witnessed you accidentally biting the inside of your own mouth," Pei stated, smoothing down her robes. "Several times in fact. Once, you even insisted on having me check because you thought you'd made a hole in your cheek."

"It was bleeding!" Emily protested, laughing when she received an unimpressed look in response. "Ready to head out?"

"Before we leave, let me be very clear-" Pei said, raising a finger.

"-don't wander off. Don't eat or drink anything I can't identify. Don't agree to anything if I don't speak the language," Emily listed off by rote. "You have been over this with me before."

"Yes, but given what I know of your brain's composition, I'm always a little surprised that you manage to retain even half of what you actually remember."

"Well, now that I'm suitably humbled, should we get going?" Emily suggested, reaching down to scoop up all the dresses MEL had strewn across the bed, bundling them up in her hands before dumping them into the droids four waiting arms. "MEL, we'll be gone for most of the day. Now, I can't stress this enough, but please, please don't go around diagnosing people with strange diseases - I mean it. You really scared one of the government advisors that last time. You told him he had Nautolan Eye Barnacles. Humans can't get eye barnacles."

"All the symptoms were present to inform my diagnosis." MEL replied, and she could hear the motors in his head whirling as he puzzled over the accusation.

"They were just skin tags MEL. Humans get them sometimes." She balanced two pairs of shoes on top of the precarious mound, almost completely blocking the droid's faceplate from view. "Remember, you're not here in a medical capacity - I'm relying on you to provide translations and instruct on social customs only."

"Perhaps I could create an internal log of any medical issues I observe, which could then be accessed if required?"

"Yes, that's a great idea. Why don't you do that? Just remember to keep all your observations on the inside, okay?" Emily gently turned the robot around by its shoulder plates, before giving it a helpful nudge in the direction of the dressing room. "We'll be back later. Just stay out of trouble until then."

"I will endeavour to do so."

"That droid needs a full memory wipe. It's developing far too many bad habits," Pei said as they left the room. Emily looked out of the tall windows lining the hallways. It was still early morning and all around them was quiet and still, nothing like the bustle of the palace during midday. Outside dawn was painting the mountains in soft pastel pinks. This wasn't the first time someone had suggested that MEL's memory should be erased, but the thought made Emily feel squeamish. She may not always have liked the droid, but he had known her ever since she'd crashed here. It felt wrong to take away his memories. She wasn't sure what she'd do when the day came that the Temple engineers stopped humouring her requests to leave him as he was.

They made some obligatory visits before leaving the palace grounds; first to Bail and Breha, who were both wide awake and taking a quiet breakfast in their quarters. Bail was already surrounded by datapads, Breha fondly admonishing him for working at the table. Wishes for an enjoyable day were exchanged all round before they then made their way to speak to the Captain of the Royal Guard. He was still trying to convince them to take an additional contingent of six guards on their journey, but Pei easily managed to talk him down. Captain Lorez had to content himself instead with a detailed breakdown of their planned itinerary for the day, and they left with his assurances that he'd have a retinue on standby at each location, just in case.

When they finally made it out onto Aldera's clean, tree-lined streets, the city was already buzzing with people going about their morning routines. While the clear blue skies were always busy with air-traffic, it was nothing like the teaming rush of Coruscant. Underground lines linked cities and villages together, utilising the natural network of caves that ran throughout Alderaan's mountain range. Geothermal power kept most of the world's buildings running, and even the walkways outside were heated as a by-product of the syphoned hot springs that pumped water throughout the city. It kept back the bitter bite of the mountain air, allowing plants that would have frozen to their roots to bloom and grow in abundance.

Pei navigated them through the streets with the sort of natural confidence and ease that would have convinced Emily that she'd been born here, if she didn't know better. While most people travelled via the underground rail, Emily had chosen a far more appealing and whimsical mode of transport for today; a flying public garden. She had spotted them dotted around the skies when she'd first arrived, biting back questions until a lull in the welcoming celebrations allowed her the chance to blurt out her curiosity. Queen Breha had laughed and patiently explained that in Alderaan, nothing was valued more than the natural beauty of their world. The ships were slower than other forms of public transport, and so they were only really used for leisure trips, but there was nothing quite like watching the magnificence of Alderaan's scenery rolling past whilst sat in the midst of a park filled with fragrant trees and wildflowers. These large ships docked at various points around the capital, blending in seamlessly until they took flight. Over an hour's walk brought them to their chosen transporter, a stream of people already making their way onboard. The ship was massive; easily bigger than any stadium Emily had been to on Earth, its uppermost level crowned with trees and bushes and wide stretches of grass. Tiny silhouettes of people, wandering amongst the foliage, could be spotted as they approached.

Captain Lorez had given them travel passes before they left the palace, allowing them unlimited free access to all public transport on the planet. Pei handed her one of these, the small flat disk of metal unassuming save for the Alderaan heraldry etched on its surface. Emily carefully watched people as they passed through the wide entry archway to one of the lower levels. Most appeared to be families or groups of friends out on a daytrip. She'd very nearly stumbled face first into a couple who'd come to an abrupt halt in front of her, the two arguing over where the man had left his credit chip. A droid lingered at their side, covered in bags and pouches, with a small child quietly sleeping in a baby carrier strapped to its metal chest.

Pei pressed her chip to a black panel in the wall, the light flashing from red to green before she walked through a shimmering blue decontamination field that stretched over the doorway. Emily copied her exactly. For one brief, ridiculous moment, she felt a surge of panic rush through her when she passed through the blue field. What if it went off? What if it knew that she was different from everyone else? What if they didn't let her in? Pei must have sensed the edge of her panic before she'd sucked it down deep inside; her eye-ridges were lowered in concern when Emily finally caught up to her.

"It's nothing," Emily said, managing to muster a smile, her heart still thrumming in her chest. Pei gave her a sceptical look, but didn't push for an explanation.

They walked side by side into a cavernous room. It looked like a shopping centre had a baby with an art museum, which then proceeded to vomit a garden centre all over itself. Shops lined each level, nestled in between snaking vines covered in vibrant pink and orange blossoms. People ate at little round, almost Parisian style tables, with willowy branches drooping golden leaves overhead. Children darted and played in the sitting areas, looping and weaving around the marble bases of beautiful statues and artwork, or paddling their feet in the cool spray of a fountain. Windows stretched the perimeter the circular walls, letting the daylight stream from all sides, giving a feeling of unity between the beauty of the outside world and the manicured culture of the ship's interior. Emily mused for a moment on the mixed blessing of having formed her first experiences of this galaxy inside the Jedi Temple. For one, it had helped to inure her to grand, awe-inspiring sights; something like this would have left her gawping and dumbstruck otherwise. But there was also a feeling like some of the magic of discovery had its shine rubbed away.

"I'm going to buy us some breakfast," Pei said, motioning to a stall tucked under a silk canopy. "Why don't you go up to the roof garden and find us a good spot to eat?"

As it turned out, every square inch of the park could easily win the title of 'perfect spot to eat'. What should she choose? A small patch nestled against a clump of trees, the blue-green leaves dappling sunlight across the ground? Or by the grassy banks of a slow trickling stream that wound down to a mirror-like lake? Maybe tucked under one of the raised pagodas, soft cushions scattered over the floor and plants climbing around the carved pillars. It took her a stupidly long time but eventually Emily chose a patch of grass nearest to all three.

She took off her cloak, laying it down to sit on, the bright sun warming the air. A group of women sat nearby, their own picnic spread out between them. They were drinking something violently purple out of fluted glasses, and from what Emily could tell, they were already tipsy. They leaned close to each other, as though trading secrets but their voices and laughter carried loudly around them. It didn't take long for her unintended eavesdropping to pick up on the general gist of the chatter. Emily was struck by how comfortingly routine and ordinary their conversations were. They could be her own group of friends, gathered together on one of those rare occasions when both the stars and diaries aligned to give them a day off to meet up. The wine would be popped at a time that would have left their mothers scowling with disapproval, running through the familiar gamut of complaints about work, messy kids, feckless partners and unbearable parents. With more wine the conversation would shift to nostalgia, making elaborate plans for a group holiday they all knew they'd never be organised enough to book. Rehashing the terrible shared decisions of youth; the wild parties and awful one-night stands, the people who they'd lost touch with over time or to something worse. Would she ever have that here? Emily couldn't imagine sitting with Pei, drunkenly reminiscing about the days when she was sick and starving, vomiting all over poor Ben and his much-abused robes. An unexpected flying pastry startled her from her thoughts, dropping into her lap with a spray of crumbs.

"That was just unnecessary," Emily said, picking up the flower shaped bun before brushing off her dress.

"You were brooding," Pei said, settling down on the grass beside her. She put down a small, beautifully decorated box filled with treats on the grass between them; each one baked in the delicate shape of a flower.

"Ben broods," Emily said, breaking off a flaky petal before popping it into her mouth. It was sweet and airy, melting on the tongue after only a few chews. "I muse."

"And what, exactly, were you musing over?"

She glanced to the side, where the group of women were huddled around each other, oblivious to everything else but their own company. "The correlation between early morning drinking and the inevitability of karaoke," Emily replied, which was only a partial lie. Every drinking session she'd ever had with her friends always ended in a seedy pub, wailing Toto's 'Africa' at the top of their lungs.

"And karaoke is?" Pei asked, leaning back on the grass and looking about as relaxed as Emily had ever seen her.

"The greatest form of entertainment from my world. Get me drunk and I'll happily give you a demonstration."

"I believe I will decline that offer." Pei wiped some frosting from her lip with a napkin before giving Emily a long, searching look. "I thought it might have been something to do with that Ishi Tib you were speaking to at last night's function. You were notably quieter after you'd spoken to them."

It took a second for Emily to catch Pei's meaning, her thoughts still tangled up in the past. When she remembered, Emily had to admit that she was surprised it had managed to slip from her mind. That exchange had kept her awake for hours after she'd returned to her room and slid under her sheets. On reflection, the whole conversation had been utterly bizarre.

"You have absolutely no idea what you are, do you?" a high, reedy voice said from behind her, startling Emily enough that the fruit she was piling on her plate slid off, plopping down onto the white cloth of the buffet table. She straightened up, turning to see two large golden eyes peering down at her out of a sharp-beaked face.

"Ah…" Emily hummed out, opened mouth like an idiot, struggling to think if they'd already been introduced. There were so many people at tonight's gathering in the palace, the massive hall filled with local dignitaries, artists and community leaders, as well as a sizable number of people from other planets and systems. She felt like she'd spent most of the night being introduced to people. Even so, she was fairly certain she would have remembered this person if they'd met before. The wide shoulders of their robes jutted out in bronze and black, like the wings of a plane. Emily's mouth struggled to catch up with her mind but she eventually managed an "…excuse me?"

"You don't have a clue. You're just wandering around, simply delighted to be here - it's unbelievable." They opened their beak, making a strange clicking noise. Emily had no idea if it was a laugh or a tut of disapproval; she'd never encountered an individual of this species before. She looked around to see if Pei or Bail were nearby, but they'd left her to stuff her face in peace.

"I feel like you're further along in this conversation than I am," Emily admitted, putting on her best smile. Here's hoping she could flounder her way through with what little charm she had.

"Look around this room," the person replied, motioning behind them with a sweep of their clawed hand. "Look at the women specifically - what they're wearing. What do you see?"

Emily peered over their wide shoulders, eyeing the milling crowd. "A lot of very expensive dresses?"

"Oh for goodness…look at the style. The fabrics. The tailoring." They opened their beak again, making another loud clicking sound. Emily had a strong suspicion that it was the equivalent of an exasperated sigh. "You turned up two days ago, and clothing stores all over the galaxy are already churning out cheap replicas of the dresses you've worn since you arrived. I'm willing to bet my bank account that I'll be seeing variations of this-" they pointed at her dress, the halterneck clasped by an engraved silver collar and layers of silk graduating down from sea-green to midnight blue "-everywhere I go over the next five years: from the trashiest dive bars in Nar Shaddaa right up to Opera House soirees on Coruscant."

"Where are you going with this?" Emily asked, still feeling like she was catching up.

"That sketch of a 'buy-sicel' you did on a napkin for the Viceroy of Nomleen?" Emily nodded. She'd roughly scribbled down the shape of a bike for him when trying to explain how people moved around on Earth without the levels of technology they had here. "I could have sold it for enough credits to buy that sorry little ball of rock he governs over. You could be a walking credit dispenser - with the right person managing you."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. "And let me guess...you're that very person?" Emily said, not bothering to hide the scepticism in her voice.

"That's my proposal," they replied, their eyes - extending in triangular protrusions from the top of their green head - narrowed to strips of gold. "Listen, you might think that right now, you're just flying from planet to planet having a lovely time making friends and seeing the sights; all dinners and tours and happy smiles wherever you go. But half of these people aren't here to have a pleasant chat and a few glasses of wine with you. They're here because they want something from you. They want some of your influence; a bit of reflective glory - or perhaps something less benign..." They paused, shifting closer until everyone behind them was blocked from Emily's sight. They lowered their voice conspiratorially. "Some humans; mainly the rich and powerful ones, put a ridiculous amount of stock on the purity of their bloodlines. It's frankly pathetic - but it's also a lucrative angle to work. I know more than a few royal houses who would froth at the mouth to have their failing lineage bolstered by some pure genetic material. And I know even more aspiring rulers who would use it to usurp their thrones."

"No-one should want my genetic material, trust me," Emily said. Unease had started to build behind her ribs. This conversation had caught her completely off-guard. It was a far cry from polite enquiries about her health and if she was enjoying her stay in Alderaan, which had made up the bulk of tonight's chat. When in doubt, she fell back on an old friend; terrible humour. "There's a history of webbed toes on my dad's side of the family. Who knows when it might crop back up again?"

"If it did, toe skin grafts would be on the increase galaxy-wide to replicate it."

Emily scrunched her nose at the thought. "Look, this has really been a very enlightening conversation, but I think you might be overstating things a bit. I'm not looking for a manager, and I don't have any interest in selling myself off to pop out little flipper-footed babies. Sorry."

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm merely suggesting that you benefit from these pieces of your culture you've been recklessly strewing about you. It's your choice, of course, but let me offer some practical advice - something which I think that, for all the 'friends' you have acquired, you seem to be sorely lacking in." They leaned in, close enough now that Emily could see the tiny shifting scales of their skin. "If you think that you can build a life off of the goodwill of others, then you will quickly find yourself taken advantage of - in ways not even the Jedi can protect you from. There is no such thing as goodwill in this galaxy. You need to own your worth, or eventually someone else will, whether you want them to or not. I don't care about your origins; I have no interest in you personally at all. I just think we could make each other very rich, and I'm one of the few people you'll meet who is upfront and honest about it. You should keep that in mind."

They plucked a thin silver card from the dark depths of their robes, putting it down on Emily's empty plate, still held uselessly in her hands. She stared at it, making out the odd shapes of words she couldn't read. Flipping the card over, 'T'ikesh Tirrel, Talent and Wealth Manager,' was engraved in Basic, along with a string of numbers. Talent and wealth, Emily thought. Two things she'd never had much of. When she looked up to ask about the numbers, she found her new acquaintance had disappeared back into the crowded party.

Brown fingers snapped in front of her face, drawing Emily back out of her thoughts. "As I said - brooding," Pei pointed out.

"They were an agent of some kind," Emily replied with a shrug, finishing off the last bite of her pastry. "They wanted to manage me - sell my drawings or something like that. They were so blunt I almost thought they were related to you."

"That's not a bad solution," Pei said, stroking a hand over her faceflap, her expression thoughtful.

"To what?"

"Your financial instability. It has been a concern of mine for some time. You have very little now as it is; your welfare currently resting on the whims of the Senate and its Chancellor. An independent source of credits provided by your artwork would be ideal - you should consider the offer."

Emily had no idea what to say to that. Of course, she'd increasingly found herself pondering over this problem. If she had to make her way in the galaxy, alone, what could she offer? What skills could she bring to this place, where even the smallest child can reprogram a robot, or calculate coordinates in four-dimensional space? She hadn't expected Pei to be worrying over it too.

"You think I haven't noticed your restlessness?" Pei continued. "The training sessions with Master Windu and your increased time spent in the Archives?" Her face softened into a smile. "Emily - I believe I know you well enough now to confidently say that you are not the sort of person who would be content to spend their life sheltered in the confines of the Jedi Temple."

Emily picked at the grass, feeling her stomach twist with the familiar pang of guilt. "I don't want to leave it either," she said, but what she really meant was that she didn't want to leave them. Ben and Ani. Pei and Plo. All the people comprising her strange new extended family.

"It will always be there for you to return to," Pei said softly, and Emily nodded, not lifting her eyes from the ground in case they started to well up.

They walked around for a while after eating, watching the green valleys and gleaming rivers roll past. The ship would stop every now and then, docking at smaller cities. Craggy mountains disappeared into the distance as wide swathes of forest unfurled beneath them.

"Chinar. That's our stop," Pei said, pointing to a cluster of buildings butting up against the edge of a treeline. When they finally disembarked, Emily found herself in a city markedly different from the capital.

Here, the dome roofed buildings clung low to the ground, mimicking the gently sloping hills around them. The air was warm and sweet, edged with a spicy scent that Emily couldn't place. Letting Pei lead the way, they wandered down twisting stone pathways, past open-air markets buzzing with stalls and outdoor restaurants. Eventually, the buildings thinned out, tall knobbly-barked trees crowding into the gaps.

As it turned out, two weeks was a surprisingly short amount of time to see a whole planet. They had to be picky when plotting out the itinerary. So, when it came to seeing how the galaxy famous Toniray wine was created, they had to choose between seeing how the fruit used to create the wine was harvested, or the winery where it was fermented and bottled. It had been decided - with a cheeky aside from Bail that they'd get to sample the finished product - that the winery was the best option with regards to organising security. Now gifted with an unexpected free day, Emily couldn't resist the opportunity to see the first part of the production process as well.

The pathway they were on started to branch off, growing thinner and patchier as they walked. Emily shrugged off her cloak as the midday heat hit them. Winged creatures flittered from tree to tree, squeaking and chittering.

"How do you know this is the right way?" Emily asked. The forest had entirely engulfed them now.

"I spotted it from the ship just before we landed."

As if in confirmation, the distinct sound of voices met them as they crested a rise. They were stood on the edge of a basin, looking down into a small valley. The trees clung to the top of the ridge, going no further; instead, grassy banks led down to the bottom, where a dozen or so people could be seen working. They were spreading out huge sheets of colourful cloth around a cluster of oddly shaped trees which, to Emily's eyes, looked remarkably similar to giant bulbs of fennel. They stood almost twice the height of the people wandering around them, their pear-shaped trunks ranging from pale cream to a deep burnished gold that stretched up into an explosion of long, feathery turquoise branches. The workers called out to each other, moving back and forth between the trees and a transporter parked nearby.

"Remember, we're just two tourists from Coruscant out on a daytrip. If asked, we're staying in a small apartment in Aldera," Pei said, raising her arm to catch the attention of the people below.

"Got it."

"Hello there!" a voice called up to them, and a man split off from the group, making his way up towards them. He raised his hand in greeting.

Pei started forwards at an easy, confident pace, leaving Emily to shuffle unsteadily after her. It was a steep slope; the kind her nieces and nephews would have begged her to roll down with them. It was all she could do just to focus on keeping her footing.

"You're the people who contacted us yesterday?" the man's voice called again, and Emily glanced up to see that he and Pei were only a few feet from each other. He was tall, dressed plainly in black trousers and a fitted brown vest, his skin a deep tan that spoke of outdoor work and a lean, muscular frame that confirmed it. There was grey streaked through his dark, messy curls, and lines creasing the sharp features of his face.

"Yes, we are," Pei confirmed, stopping just short of him. "I'm Pei. This is my friend Anne." She indicated back to Emily, who waved before continuing her slow descent. It was agreed that she'd best go by her middle name, if they weren't wanting to draw attention.

"You've timed it well, we're just about to get started."

Just as she finally reached them, both he and Pei turned and began walking back down the slope. Emily sucked in a sigh and slowly followed. "I'm Faemor," he continued, and looking back, he seemed to take pity on her, slowing down long enough for her to catch up before offering a large, work-calloused hand to help balance her. Emily took it gratefully. "I'll introduce you to my family, and then we'll get to work. Your comms said that you wanted to get involved. I hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty. We don't use droids here; we do everything ourselves."

"I'm looking forward to it," Emily said, releasing him when the slope started to even out. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Faemor assessing her; his expression decidedly sceptical. While she might not be jacked, Emily was proud of the muscle definition she'd managed to build so far. Hell, when she squinted hard enough, she could almost make out the beginnings of a six-pack forming below her skinny ribs. "I'm stronger than I look," she added, trying not to sound defensive.

"Pei and Anne, this is my wife Jayma," Faemor said, motioning to the woman approaching them. She wore similar clothing to her husband, her jet-black hair twisted back and a brilliant smile on her face.

"It's nice to meet you," Jayma said, taking their hands in both of hers in the traditional Alderaan greeting.

"That's my brother Emeir," Faemor continued, pointing to a younger man nearby. He gave a wave. "Ishrey and Selem. Niklee. Bliem." He named another half dozen more, pointing them out as they went about their preparations.

"Right, now that the introductions are over with, let's get started." He clapped his hands together. "The best way to learn this work is to do it."

"These are Ton-Ton trees," Jayma said, falling into step beside them as Faemor led the way. "We harvest their fruit to make Toniray wine. They only grow here on Alderaan, and only in very specific places like this. A natural reservoir of water lies under our feet, which the long roots of the trees reach down into to feed. The high slopes on either side protect the branches from the wind, and help to trap in the heat of the sun. There are only thirty-seven other sites on Alderaan where this occurs, allowing the Ton-Ton trees to grow and thrive."

They reached one of the trees with a darker gold, almost whiskey coloured trunk. Blankets were spread out all around its base, like they were planning to have a massive picnic beside it. They gathered around, circling it from all sides. Emily strained her head back, frowning up at the wispy leaves.

"You said you harvest its fruit, yet I don't see any on the tree itself," Pei said, voicing Emily's own question.

"That's because the fruit grows inside the tree, not on it," Emeir replied.

"So, you have to break the tree open?" Emily asked, alarmed at the thought. The trees were beautiful; it would be a shame to destroy them just to make a drink, no matter how delicious.

"Not quite," Emeir said, tossing her a cheeky wink.

"We unravel them," Jayma said. When she caught Emily's puzzled expression, she laughed. "Just watch."

Faemor stepped forward and began to run his hands over the tree's bark like he was feeling for something. He inched around the trunk, sweeping his hands back and forth over its smooth surface. Eventually, his fingers caught on something and he nodded to Emeir. Emily watched as together, they began to pull and pry at a hidden seam with their fingers. Arms straining, they slowly peeled back a layer of bark, one of the upper branches attached to it tugging free. Two more people came forward, helping to ease the section back, revealing a lighter gold layer underneath. Eventually it was bent back so far, the branches touched the blankets, where they were quickly wrapped up to protect them. Two people continued to hold it down, while the others started on the next section. Layer by layer, they peeled the tree open, the insides becoming lighter and lighter as each new sheaf was revealed. Not all of them came away easily; some were interwoven and unravelling them was a bit like untying a knot. It must have taken about half an hour before they reached the centre; a smell, tangy and green, emanating from its heart.

"There it is," Faemor said, and Emily peered past the thick, cream coloured wedge of bark she was holding to see. Tucked in the centre of the splayed trunk, around the size of a watermelon, was a gelatinous aquamarine blob. The sunlight shone through it, showing a dark scattering of seeds inside.

"This one looks ready to harvest," Emeir confirmed. "I'll go get Zip to test it."

"Whose Zip?" Emily asked, watching Emeir hand off his section to one of the other's before walking back to the transporter.

"Our most sensitive testing equipment," Jayma said.

"You said you didn't use droids," Pei noted. She wasn't holding back any part of the tree, and had hunched herself at its centre, examining the fruit with a curious expression.

"We don't," Jayma replied. "Zip is something far more specialised."

Emeir returned, but he didn't look to be carrying anything in his hands. He stepped up behind Pei, and taking out a knife, he cut off a tiny slice from the semi-translucent mass. Carefully balancing it on the blade, he brought it to the collar of his jacket. Emily watched, baffled, until a little green snout poked itself out, and a long amethyst tongue snatched the blue sliver clean off the knife, snuffling it down with a squeak.

"It's ripe," Emeir declared. The snout retreated back into the jacket as quickly as it had emerged.

"What was that?" Emily asked, watching Emeir and a few of the men carefully cut the fruit from the tree.

"It's a Zeizee," Faemor said. "They live in the forests, sleeping for years until a Ton-Ton tree finally blooms. Then they wake up, gorging on fruit and spreading the seeds before they hibernate until the next one. Only they can tell if it's ripe or not." Emeir carefully placed the fruit in a large basket, setting it aside.

"Now we wrap the tree back up, pushing the darker outer layers inside so they soften, leaving the white sections on the outside. This shows us which trees have been harvested, and keeps the outer sections flexible enough to not break," Jayma explained.

As it turned out, that was easier to explain than to do. It was a bit like twisting together a braid, pushing and shifting around each other. By the time they'd finished, Emily's arms ached and the edges of her dress were trampled with mud. She unceremoniously gathered up the skirt, twisting it into a knot against her thigh. Emeir dropped her another wink when she straightened up, brushing herself off. Emily laughed.

They took a break for water, then moved onto the next tree. Then the next. Noticing that Emily actually was stronger than she looked, Faemor had her hold back the tougher outer layers, setting a fire through her back and shoulders but she found herself enjoying it. It was nice, working as an equal. Helping. She'd spent so long feeling like a burden.

They stopped when the last golden-brown tree had been turned to a creamy white. Emily flopped on the ground, the grass cool against her sweat soaked back. Pei peered down at her, blocking the glare of the sun. "I may have been wrong," she said. "You may have a bright career as a Ton-Ton harvester."

"You're not wrong there," Faemor agreed, stooping down to pass her a water bottle. "You've done a good days work today, I'm impressed."

"You should join us for dinner," Jayma added. "As a payment. We need to get these fruits back to our village for processing. We'd love it if you could join us."

Emily gave a pleading look to Pei, who was tugging at her ear. That was not part of their carefully planned itinerary. The plan was to return to Chinar and have dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants, before returning back to Aldera via the underground train. "Please...?" she wheedled.

"Fine - let me make a call," Pei replied, rolling her eyes.

Jayma grinned, and even Faemor cracked a smile, giving Pei a friendly pat on the shoulder as she walked away, fishing out her comlink. Emily drank down a few mouthfuls of water, and with a groan, got up and went to help them load up their ship. Emeir was in the back, and Emily watched, fascinated, as he pulled Zip out of his jacket. It was one of the oddest little creatures she'd ever seen. It had a pointed, foxy looking face, with two long sets of ears sticking out either side of its head. Its body was snake-like, longer than her arm and covered in short green fur. A set of wide wings extended out from the base of its head, beautifully patterned in shades of green, blue and purple. Emeir hung the sleeping creature over a hook, like a scarf, and it must have been used to it because it didn't even stir; it just wrapped its colourful wings around its body and continued to sleep.

Once Pei had returned, they all climbed aboard, cramming themselves into the hold alongside the baskets of fruits and crates of supplies. "Where are we going?" Emily asked.

"To our village. It was built around the winery, and nearly everyone who lives there either works in one capacity or another in the production of Toniray wine. It's not big, only around three-hundred people or so, but it's home," Jayma said. "You'll have a chance to look around while we make dinner."

Emily had started to doze by the time they landed. It had been a long time since she'd done a full day's work like that. Her back cracked and popped when she stood up to disembark, her legs protesting the exertion. They had landed right next to a set of low-lying buildings, their design similar to the ones they'd seen in Chinar. Their curved windows glowed with a warm, inviting light.

"There's a few shops just down that way," Jayma said, pointing towards another cluster of buildings. "Dinner will be around an hour from now. Why don't you explore for a while, and it'll be ready for when you come back?"

Agreeing, they wandered off in that direction, and it didn't take long to reach what went for a village square. There was a food shop. A mechanics. What looked like a small medical centre. One shop caught her eye, the window display showing an assortment of random goods: from batteries to blasters to bodywash, and everything else in between.

"Do you think I could buy a few things here to take back as gifts to the Temple?" Emily asked, eyeing a headdress that she thought Doctor Nema would suit. The Chancellor had granted her an allowance, but Emily had never had the need to use it. She figured it must be enough credits to buy a few small things.

"Alright, but to be clear, the Jedi forgo possessions," Pei said. "They may not accept them."

"I'll choose practical gifts," Emily promised. "Something that they can use."

They were greeted inside almost instantly by a drawling voice. "Kamil, if that's you back again for those boots, then you're too late. Go take it up with Yaqee. He's the one who bought them."

"Hello," Emily said, rounding one of the displays, its surface crammed with odds and ends. A thinning head of silver hair greeted her, before the owner looked up from his datapad. Bushy white eyebrows shot up at the sight of two unknown customers.

"Hello," he replied, scrubbing a hand over his stubbled cheeks. "Apologies. I wasn't expecting outsiders. If you're looking for the winery, you need to head further up the road."

"We've just been. I'm actually looking to buy a few things. Mind if I look around?" Emily asked.

"Not at all," he replied. "We've got more in the back, if you can't find what you're looking for, just let me know."

"Will do!"

Emily had never bought anything before, and it hit her as she glanced over the shelves, that she didn't have the foggiest idea about what things cost or how you paid for them. She knew things were paid in credits, but what were they? She'd never seen a damn credit before. What was the value of items? How would she know if she was being ripped off? She stared down at a set of eye goggles, suddenly struck by just how helpless she actually was.

"What is it?" Pei said, obviously picking up on what she was feeling.

"I don't know anything," Emily whispered, panic starting to edge in. "I don't even know how money works."

"Force preserve me," Pei said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "What has Obi-Wan been doing all this time? He was meant to be teaching you these things."

Emily felt another pang of guilt run through her. She was fairly certain that she was to blame for any missed lessons. After learning Basic, she'd spent most of her time trying to dodge the Archives, choosing to explore the Temple with Quinlan or spending her time with Ben and Ani instead.

Before she could mount a defense, Pei huffed out a sigh. "Well, now's as good a time as any," she said, pulling out a handful of flat, thin metal strips from her belt-pouch. She then gave Emily the quickest, most concise lesson in currency and economics that she'd ever received. Pei explained each one, from a singular dull grey credit up to the bright gold of a hundred credit chip. She showed Emily how you could stack them, clipping the ones in her hand together and instructing Emily on how to quickly add them up by the colours and markings along the sides. Then she explained how to gauge the value of items based on the planet's location, it's political affiliations and natural resources. By the end, Emily's head was spinning, but when she went back to the counter, a bundle of items in hand, she felt infinitely more confident as she stacked together the correct number of credits. Emily left the shop with a bag full of gifts and a weight she hadn't even known she'd been carrying, lifted off her shoulders. They made their way back to the winery, arriving just in time to be ushered into a crowded dining room, with at least fifty people bustling around three long tables.

"I thought it would just be a small group of us," Emily said, when they eventually found Faemor. He was sat at a table, a dark-haired toddler on his lap who he happily introduced as his daughter Cara. The little girl buried her face into his chest, too shy to say hello even when coaxed by her dad.

"This is a small gathering," Faemor eventually said, motioning for them to sit in the empty seats across from him. Emeir plopped down on Emily's other side when she sat down, giving her a wide smile. The man was a shameless flirt. Dishes started streaming out of the kitchens by the time Jayma joined them, lifting Cara from Faemor's lap before trying to coax her to eat. Older children dashed about the tables, and Cara squirmed on her mother's lap, desperate to join them.

They ate and talked. The food wasn't as complicated as what she'd had in the palace, but was just as delicious in Emily's opinion. She watched the people around her interacting. It was all just so familiar and comforting. A young woman at one table was pregnant, her hand absent-mindedly stroking over her swollen stomach. At one point, a teenage boy threw a fit at his dad, dramatically storming off, which elicited a low rumble of laughter when he kicked the door frame on his way out, his exasperated father muttering before following him. People talked about work; kids reluctantly answering questions about school. They could have been eating a meal anywhere on Earth, the beautiful mundanity of family life the same no matter what galaxy you were from. Emily missed it so much, the loss sat like a hollow ache in her chest. Pei discreetly put a velvet brown hand over her own, giving it a squeeze.

"Do you want to leave?" she quietly asked but Emily shook her head, blinking back her tears.

"Let's stay for a little while longer."

Eventually, Emeir managed to convince her to show them the gifts she'd bought. Emily pulled them out, watching them exchange puzzled looks. There was a belt clip for Mace, the design simple and solid and practical. Emily had noticed a slight dent in the one attached to his lightsabre, which she imagined he hadn't replaced as it was still fully functional. She got Doctor Nema a set of work gloves, the silver pattern beautiful but subtle. For Plo, she bought a long-hooded cloak, the pattern around the trim resembling a Greek key had drawn her eye. Plo kept a collection of undercover clothing in his room, and Emily thought he would appreciate the addition. For the younglings, she bought a large bag of brightly coloured sweets. Ani's gift was the least practical of all. She'd spotted a group of model spaceships, and Pei had recognised a few that were replicas of Republic fighters that the Jedi used. Emily had chosen one at random, liking the shape. She thought it would be something Ani would enjoy assembling for all of the five seconds it would take him. The last gift was for Ben, and she worried that he wouldn't accept anything from her at all. Still, she couldn't stand the thought of not bringing him something, so she got him a small jar of hair and beard softener. It was more of a joke gift; the fact of Ben's meticulous care and attention he took in maintaining his glorious head of hair, was something those who knew him often gently teased him about. At best; he'd roll his eyes, grudgingly accepting the gift with a smile. At worst, if he rejected it, it wasn't like she'd bought him something lavish or personal that she'd be left holding onto as a reminder of the rejection.

As the evening crept in, people started to leave. Kids were coaxed off to bed; a few adults leaving too, grumbling about an early morning start. Cara was tucked, fast asleep, in her uncle Emeir's lap.

"We should take our leave," Pei said. "We need to make our way back to Aldera. Does the underground train run through this village?"

"I figured you and Emily would have a ship waiting nearby," Faemor said, and Pei stiffened a little at her side. It took Emily far too long to realise that he'd called her by her first name, and not Anne.

"Fae," Jayma hissed, smacking him in the arm, but Faemor laughed it off.

"What? No point in keeping up the charade. We knew who you were the minute we set eyes on you."

"Really?" Emily said.

"We didn't want to say anything, seeing as you seemed to not want to draw attention to it," Jayma added.

"Though honestly, your face has been plastered all over the holos since you arrived. If you were hoping to disguise yourself, you need to do a bit more than not brushing your hair," Emeir said, smirking over the top of Cara's head.

"I had no idea," she admitted, looking at Pei who just shrugged her shoulders in reply.

"It was hardly our greatest disguise," Pei agreed. "In that case, I'll call for a pick up from one of the escorts on standby. That should cut down on the fuss of public transport at least."

Not ten minutes later, they were standing together under the faint light cast by the evening stars overhead. Their palace airship settled down nearby, kicking up a small plume of dirt and grass where it landed.

"We'll be back again in a couple of days," Emily said, hugging each of them goodbye. "I'll remember to brush my hair for the occasion," she added, shooting Emeir a smirk. He grinned back.

"We look forward to it," Jayma said. They stood together while Emily and Pei boarded, waving them off. Emily waved back as the airlock doors slid shut. They settled down together, side by side, in the cushioned seats. The palace transporters were infinitely more comfortable than the hard benches in Faemor's cargo-ship. Emily yawned for about a solid minute, stretching out the heavy ache in her tired muscles. She let her head flop onto Pei's shoulder, her mind already starting to doze.

"Pei?" she said, stifling another yawn.

"Hmmm?"

"Why don't you have a padawan? You're such a good teacher. It seems a shame that someone more worthwhile than me isn't benefiting from it."

There was a long silence, and after a while, Emily figured Pei was probably just done with answering her questions for the day. It wasn't until she started drifting off, that she heard Pei's quiet voice next to her.

"One day, I'll tell you. Just not tonight. I'd prefer to end tonight like this."

Emily filed the question away, unsure if she would ever think to ask it again. There was something in Pei's voice that warned her away from it. Settling down, Emily let the hum of the engines underneath them soothe her into sleep.