Sarah eagerly looked forward to the new morning. After she changed clothes and put on her headdress, she and her mother walked to the central area for breakfast. As they walked, a number of tribe members bowed or nodded their head respectfully towards Sarah. Others congratulated her and referred to her by her new warrior name. Sarah did her best to accept the name and thank them.

As Sarah finished her breakfast, Da'Meon came up to her and said, "Come with me."

Sarah stood up and walked with him to the middle of the central area. Along the way, he beckoned for the other two people who slayed akuls to join him. One was an adult male that made his first kill. The other was a female that made her second kill. In addition to the headdress from her initial kill, she now wore an akul-tooth necklace.

Da'Meon than spoke to the group. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce the two newest warriors of the Tano," he told everyone as Ahsoka and her colleague stepped forward to acknowledge everyone's cheers and applause. "Our third warrior has proven her skill once again. These three should congratulated for their skill and the honor of their accomplishments."

As Sarah rejoined her mother, Cayanna and Shalene joined them as well.

"Sarah, you should join us. We're on our way to see the storyteller. That way you can learn more about the tribe and a history of our people."

"Is it OK if I join you, too?" Ahsoka asked. "I want to learn more about our ancestry."

"Of course."

As the four of them walked together, Sarah noticed her mother still wore her boots and leggings. Sarah once again chose to go barefoot. Although she didn't feel any special connection like Shalene suggested it might, she decided to try it again today.

"I really like your headdress, Sarah, especially the stone in the middle," Shalene stated.

"Thanks. Back home, different stones represent the time period when people are born. This is my birth stone."

"It must be very special for you to be born during the time of the dark sky stone, then."

Upon arriving at the storyteller's hut, the group joined a number of younglings sitting outside the storyteller's hut.

"It appears we're fortunate to have a special guest with us today. Let's welcome the Mighty Princess and her mother as they join us today," The Old Storyteller said.

Sarah smiled as the storyteller continued to speak.

"You know, in our people's past, women weren't allowed to be warriors as they are now."

All the younglings, especially the girls, looked on in surprise. The storyteller than began her story.

"A long time ago, men served as the warriors while women lived simpler lives cooking meals, raising younglings, and other menial tasks. The men reasoned that women wouldn't have enough time to take an interest in hunting.

"All of that changed unexpectedly one day when a woman named Emilina was on her way back to her own tribe after visiting a neighboring one. Without warning, an akul tracked her and spotted her in the scrub lands. She knew that she would die if she stood still and did nothing. If she ran, it would trigger the akul's predatory instincts and it would chase her. Still, she decided to run in hopes she could evade the beast.

"As she stopped to catch her breath, she spotted a spear partially hidden in the turu-grass. She assumed it was left behind from a previous hunt. Without much thought, she grabbed the spear and hurled it at the akul. She didn't realize she had struck its fatal spot until the beast growled in pain and eventually fell dead.

"The tribe's warriors, having heard and felt the akul fall dead, quickly gathered. The site of a single woman and a dead akul astonished them. The situation left them in a dilemma. Women weren't permitted to participate in the hunt. However, anyone that slayed an akul was to be regarded as a warrior. The group saw no other option than to let her do as she pleased with her kill and name her a warrior, too. She chose to share her kill with the tribe as is traditional and she fashioned a headdress from her akul's teeth.

"Back with the tribe, the chief was so impressed with the news and Emilina's bravery and rudimentary skill that he asked her to become a hunt mistress for any women who wanted to learn to be warriors as well. To this day, Emilina is regarded as a pioneer of her time."

The story impressed everyone that heard it. The idea that women weren't allowed to hunt akul shocked them, given that the Tano Tribe's warriors had a number of females. For Sarah, she recalled her current United States History course where she learned women didn't always have the privileges they did now.

The storyteller then asked Sarah to share her own experiences with her kill. Although her story wasn't nearly as exciting as the story about Emilina, the younglings enjoyed it and continued to look at Sarah in awe as most Togruta didn't attempt their rite of passage until they were adults. Yet Sarah not only attempted it, she succeeded. In their eyes, she was their definition of a pioneer.

After lunch, Shalene took Sarah to go see Raenna again.

"Hello, Raenna, is that leather I asked about ready yet?" Shalene asked.

"Yes, it is. You can go get it."

"Come with me and watch, Sarah. Someday, maybe you'll teach others what you see today."

Sarah gave a soft nod and sat down with her cousin.

"Here, Sarah, why don't you help me cut it on this side like I'm doing on the other."

Together they cut the leather into what reminded Sarah of one of her father's ties, only bigger and longer.

"What are we making?" Sarah asked.

"I know you dress differently, and more modestly, back home, but I wanted to make something that you could wear proudly to reflect your heritage. So, I'm going to help you with a Togruta Sash. Consider it a gift from me to you."

"Sarah, I need you for a moment," Raenna interjected. "I think your dress is ready, but I need to finish sewing the hem."

Sarah joined Raenna, who showed the former how to finish the sewing.

"There, that should do it. Try it on to make sure it fits," Raenna stated.

Sarah went into Raenna's hut and tried the dress on. She felt pleased to see the orange shade of the dress was dark enough to stand out from her skin. The dress also fit comfortably with a bit of growing room. Sarah had no idea how long she'd be able to wear the dress, but she hoped it would fit through her teen years, if not longer.

I'll definitely wear this for special occasions, she thought.

After changing out of it, she thanked Raenna for making it for her. Upon rejoining Shalene, she noticed that her cousin had sewn a border around the sash and some sort of design in the upper middle portion.

"That's the pattern of the Tano. Now, everyone will know you're a member. Traditionally, wearers sew a second design of their choosing," Shalene told Sarah.

"How about two circles?"

"What's that for?"

"Well, it's for my two home planets."

"That definitely is unique for you," Shalene replied with a smile.

That night, Da'Meon invited Ahsoka and Sarah to visit them for the night. As they arrived, Amarti stopped what he was doing.

«Congratulations, Sarah,» he told here before he stopped himself. He then repeated himself in Basic to be sure Sarah understood him.

"Thanks."

"It's cool to have a cousin who's a warrior now," he replied with a bow.

Sarah chuckled at the sight of a 10 year-old bowing before her.

"It's impressive to see how quickly you've adapted to our ways, Sarah," Da'Meon said. "You and your mother have proven yourselves to be accepted members of the tribe. I hope someday, I can meet your father and thank him for encouraging you to visit us. But, this Imperial unrest probably makes that impossible for now. The Maker willing, I will get the chance to thank him someday."

Sarah nodded.

"Is it OK if I take pictures, flat holo images of sorts, so that he can see you that way?" Ahsoka asked.

"I don't see why not," Da'Meon replied.

Ahsoka took a number of pictures before it was time to retire for the night. Despite being distant cousins, she felt a closer familial bond to them.

Back in their own hut and in bed for the night, Sarah couldn't believe the week had passed by so quickly. She and her mother had one more full day left on Shili before they had to return home. Although she wasn't homesick, Sarah realized she did miss her father some.

I imagine we'll have a strong bond, even when we aren't around each other, she thought as she finished her nightly journal entry.

The next morning, Sarah and Shalene took a walk together in the scrub lands. To stay safe, they stayed close to the border formed by the canopy forest and the turu-grass savannas.

"Sarah, I still don't understand why you got so embarrassed earlier," Shalene said.

"You really use that part of the river to bathe?"

"Of course, we do."

Sarah's head-tail stripes darkened. "I couldn't do that. I don't want people seeing me that way."

"If someone sees someone else there, the person respects the need for privacy and comes back later."

"It's still too weird for me."

"How do you do it at home?"

"In our homes, we have an area where one can bathe in privacy."

"That sounds as strange for me as our ways do to you," Shalene replied.

"I guess your right."

As the cousins walked together, they approached a group of adults with a smaller number of younglings.

This can't be another hunting party, Sarah thought.

Suddenly, some adults lunged into the turu-grass. Another individual called out, "Thimiar!"

"What's going on?" Sarah asked.

"Thimiars are small rodents we prey on and gather as our main source of food."

Without missing a beat, Shalene dove into the turu-grass herself and snatched one into her mouth. Sarah shuddered when she heard a loud crunch. Shalene had sunk her sharp canine teeth into the thimiar to kill it. It writhed momentarily before going totally limp.

"This is how we make sure we have enough food for everyone to go around when we don't have the pleasure of eating meat from an akul kill."

Sarah continued to look on in disgust. "I think I'd rather bathe in the river than hunt rodents—even if that's why my teeth are so sharp," she admitted.

"It's important we catch as many as we can, when we can."

Sarah took a deep breath. I owe it to my cousin, and my family, to try, she thought. Sarah didn't expect to feel small ripples in her montrals from the thimiars scurrying around in the turu-grass.

"This is the other reason we go without shoes. It makes it easier for us to detect what moves around, even if it's hidden in the turu-grass," Shalene stated.

Sarah lunged forward and caught a thimiar. As she sank her teeth into it, though, she gagged and clutched her stomach.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" Shalene asked.

Sarah didn't answer. Instead, she dropped the dead thimiar, gagged again, and threw up.

Shalene made sure one of the others took their thimiars back to the tribe so she could tend to Sarah.

"Sarah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced you to do this," she said.

Sarah still looked a bit woozy, but she replied, "It's OK. It's not your fault. I wanted to try it. I guess this is one of the few things I don't like here."

"At least you caught one for us, so it wasn't all bad... I hope."

Shalene helped Sarah walk back to the guest hut.

"I'll get you some water, Sarah. Just rest here until our midday meal."

During lunch, Sarah and Ahsoka sat together.

"Sarah, I heard what happened," Ahsoka told Sarah.

"What do you think? I'm not so mighty, am I?"

"To be honest, thimiar meat doesn't always agree with me, but in the tribes, you get used to it. I'm just impressed you even tried hunting them. I certainly wouldn't." Ahsoka chuckled as she recalled a five-year-old Sarah thinking the idea of hunting rodents was gross.

"I don't think I'll be doing that again, unless I have to," Sarah confessed.

"Tell you what, why don't you rest some more until you feel like yourself again."

Later that day, Ahsoka returned to the hut.

"Sarah, come with me. I have someone I want you to meet."

"Oh, OK," Sarah replied. It can't be my grandparents, and it can't be anyone else I already know. Who is it? Sarah thought.

They walked together until they reached a hut and entered it. An older Togruta couple greeted them.

"This is my daughter, Sarah. Sarah, this couple says they knew a little about your grandparents. I thought you'd want to hear what they said."

Sarah nodded and looked on with interest.

"It's nice to meet a new warrior, Sarah. Anyways, on to the story. Well, it was so long ago. Memories get fuzzy, you know. Your parents were proud warriors. I can't recall how long it was after you left us that they died defending the tribe from an akul attack. Our neighboring tribe had to help. It was good you weren't here then, Ahsoka, or else you'd have been orphaned. If nobody else wanted to raise you, you might have ended up abandoned."

Ahsoka shuddered to hear the news. She was aware that many tribes believed only the fit should survive. Still, the idea of abandoning a youngling sounded cruel.

"Thanks, for telling me. I suppose it's good they died honorably," Ahsoka replied, doing her best to keep her emotions in check.

"I have a question," Sarah stated. "What were they like, my grandparents?"

"They were proud warriors who eagerly defended us when the need arose. They loved your mother a lot and hoped she'd be a noble warrior as well some day."

If only they knew, Sarah thought.

"I imagine they're looking down from the Great Afterlife with pride to know they have a wonderful granddaughter who seems to be destined to follow the family traditions."

Ahsoka bowed respectfully. "Thanks for sharing this," she told the couple. It wasn't everything she wished to know about her parents, but she was grateful to know this much.

I hope Sarah appreciates this, too, she thought.

That same evening, Da'Meon called for an assembly of the tribe.

"Ahsoka and Sarah will be leaving us tomorrow, so wish them well. Spirits willing, they will visit us again," he said.

A number of those gathered took time to thank Sarah and Ahsoka for their time together. Others offered them traditional farewell blessings. The hunting party took time to congratulate Sarah once again.

"You're always welcome to defend the tribe, Mighty Princess," the Tano hunt master told Sarah.

"What made you decide to call me that?" Sarah asked curiously.

"When Shalene called you that, it sounded appropriate for someone who proved herself so young. So, it's now your warrior name. Use it with pride."

"My name means 'princess,' so that's why she called me that," Sarah replied with a smile.

Back in the guest hut for their final night on Shili, Ahsoka and Sarah reflected on their trip.

"This meant a lot to me. I learned far more than I expected," Ahsoka said.

"Me, too," Sarah replied. "It was nice to be accepted for who I am for a change, and learn about our Togruta customs."

"You're more into it than I am, Sarah. I doubt I'd hunt thimiars like you did, even if it was only once. And, I'm not into the whole 'Togruta go barefoot' thing, but you seem to enjoy that, too."

Sarah giggled. "I was only trying to fit in. It didn't feel special, but with it so warm here, it made sense."

Ahsoka nodded. "Well, Sarah, let's get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow and a long trip home."

Sarah nodded. Inside her room, she thought about the past several days. As much as Sarah found it odd to have to go home so soon, she knew her father and Molly would likely want to know everything about the trip.

Will we ever get to tell everyone we're Jedi? Sarah thought. She questioned if it was shameful to hide the truth from the tribe, especially with her father's reminders never to be ashamed of herself.

After she finished her journal entry, Sarah changed for the night and got into bed.

Good night, everyone, she thought before slowly nodding off to sleep.