They all assured Lando that he was very welcome.
“Now, since that piece of business is taken care of,” Lando went on smoothly, “there’s another reason I came up here this morning.” His flashing eyes fixed on Anja Gallandro. “My buddy Han tells me you might be in the market for a brand-new job. And I just happen to be in the market for a good pilot.”
Anja jumped to her feet. Her face looked hopeful, and at the same time slightly suspicious. “I do need a job, but …” Her voice trailed off.
“But … ?” Lando prompted.
“I was pretty rude to you the last few times we met. I can’t believe you’d want to hire me.”
Lando flashed his white teeth. “I try not to hold a grudge. Besides, I know what it’s like trying to find honest work when you know all you need is a chance.” He held out a hand to Anja. “Would you mind being … respectable for a while? It’s all I’ve got to offer.”
“I’ll take it,” she said, shaking his hand.
Instead of letting her hand go, Lando smoothly tucked it under his arm and began walking with her toward the stone steps, spilling details of the position. “Now, you understand it doesn’t pay much at first, but there’s plenty of room to advance in my businesses.”
Anja’s attention focused completely on Lando. “Fair enough, Calrissian. I can handle that. What about benefits? Do you use incentives? Profit sharing?”
Lando threw back his head and laughed. “Young lady, I can see that we speak the same language.”
As they approached the entrance to go down into the Great Temple, Anja looked back at her friends and waved. “I’ll see you at the ceremony,” she said, then returned her attention to Lando.
As the two disappeared, arm in arm, Jacen heard Anja say, “If you’re really interested in giving people a chance to reform, I know this guy named Lilmit. I think he could really use a job, too….”
Jacen grinned. Anja really had come a long way.
“Jacen, my friend?” It was Tenel Ka. “Would now be an appropriate time to ask about the item you intended to give me?”
“Sure. I brought it with me,” Jacen said, reaching into the pocket of his rumpled brown jumpsuit. He held the object out to her. Irregular shards of translucent pearly pink dangled from a knotted cord of fine leather. “It’s a necklace,” he explained unnecessarily. “I made it from the shards of Nicta’s gort egg. Many cultures consider it to be very precious—the egg, I mean.” The gort sat angelically on his shoulder.
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Jacen could have sworn that some sort of liquid shimmered in Tenel Ka’s gray eyes when she said, “It is beautiful, Jacen, my friend. Would you please assist me in putting it on?”
Jacen reached both arms beneath her red-gold warrior braids to tie the thong at the back of her neck.
Before he could finish, Tenel Ka pulled him into a strong embrace and said, “I will treasure your gift more than all the rainbow gems of Gallinore.”
Zekk put an arm around Jaina. “I don’t have a necklace for you, but you can be my copilot—or my pilot—anytime you want.”
Resting her head on his shoulder, Jaina chuckled. “Don’t think I won’t take you up on that. Besides, necklaces aren’t exactly my style.”
Lowie looked thoughtfully, longingly up at the sky. He rumbled a mellow comment. “Indeed?” Em Teedee replied. “Well, I’m afraid I, for one, shall never understand these humans.”
The grand audience chamber of the Great Temple was filled to overflowing. Thousands of friends, family, dignitaries, students, and other spectators crowded the stone benches. Leia Organa Solo and her husband Han stood with Master Luke Skywalker on the dais at the front of the room, flanked by Chewbacca, Artoo-Detoo, and See-Threepio.
It was the same dais on which they had stood more than two decades ago after the destruction of the first Death Star, to receive special medals from the struggling Rebellion. But this time the former heroes of Yavin were here to honor their children, their nieces and nephews, their students and friends—the new heroes of a new generation.
Stirring music soared through the air and reverberated from the ancient walls. To cheers and applause, Jacen, Jaina; Tenel Ka, Lowie, Zekk, Em Teedee, Anakin, and Anja advanced up the main aisle and climbed the stairs to the platform. As they reached the dais, Master Skywalker welcomed each one with a medal. Next, Leia, Han, and Chewie offered thanks and congratulations on behalf of the New Republic.
The young Jedi Knights, along with Anja and Em Teedee, turned to face the audience. Raynar and Lusa also joined them, recognized for their assistance during the struggle against the misguided Diversity Alliance. Row upon row of friends and loved ones looked up at them with pride.
At a signal from Master Skywalker, the fully trained Jedi Knights in the first row of the audience drew their lightsabers and switched them on. Then Luke’s former students held their glowing energy blades high in blazing tribute to the new heroes before them.
When the crowd had spent a full two minutes roaring in approval, the Jedi historian Tionne quietly moved to the front of the dais at one side. Raising the stringed instrument she carried, the silvery-haired Jedi began to play.
Slowly, a hush fell over the audience, and Tionne lifted her voice in song. Her ballad told of the rise and fall of the Shadow Academy, the defeat of the insidious Diversity Alliance, and how the threat of Czethros and Black Sun had been overcome. The melody carried a message of new hope as Tionne sang of bravery in the face of danger, betrayal and redemption, trust in the Force, and sacrifice.
New legends of the new Jedi.