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The Vors opened up all of the hatchways and windows in the Cathedral of Winds. As the storm center hurled its greatest gales at the structure, the music built to a spiraling crescendo, a triumphant finale that seemed to echo throughout the galaxy.

44

Sunrise on the fourth moon of Yavin.

Artoo-Detoo trundled ahead up the flagstoned ramp, chittering and bleeping as the new Jedi Knights followed him. In silence they gathered atop the Great Temple to look across the mist-covered treetops. The orange gas giant glowed from behind as the system’s sun came closer to the limb, suffusing the upper atmosphere with light.

As the jungle moon continued in its headlong orbit, Luke Skywalker took his position in front of the procession to greet the coming dawn. Beside him walked young Kyp Durron, still limping slightly from his newly healed injuries, but moving with an enormous inner strength. His entire attitude had changed in such a short time.

But while Kyp had been through the greatest ordeal of the new Jedi, Luke’s other students had also proved themselves to be greater than he had foreseen, greater than he had hoped.

Together they had overthrown Exar Kun, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Cilghal had saved Mon Mothma’s life with new techniques in Jedi healing. Streen had recovered his confidence and had shown remarkable adeptness at feeling and touching the weather.

Tionne continued her quest to resurrect Jedi history, a job made more difficult now that the Jedi Holocron had been destroyed—but Luke knew there were other Holocrons to be found, though they might have been lost over the millennia. Many of the ancient Jedi Masters had recorded their lives and their wisdom in such devices.

Others, such as Dorsk 81, Kam Solusar, and Kirana Ti had not exhibited their particular aptitudes yet, though their powers were broad and strong. Some of the new Jedi would stay on Yavin 4 and continue to train and grow; others would take their skills out to the galaxy, as knights to defend the New Republic.

Artoo warbled an announcement, his prediction of when the first sunlight would strike the apex of the temple. The little droid seemed immensely pleased to be at Luke’s side.

Luke gathered his Jedi Knights around him, sensed their growing power intertwined. They were a team, not just wild cards with powers and abilities they did not understand.

The others stood on the chipped flagstones of the observation platform, looking out toward the hidden sun. Luke tried to find words to express his glowing pride and his high expectations.

“You are the first of the new Jedi Knights,” he said, raising his hands as if in a benediction. “You are the core of what will become a great order to protect the New Republic. You are champions of the Force.”

Though his students did not speak or respond, he felt the upsurge of their emotions, their swelling pride.

There would be other students, new trainees who would come to his Jedi academy. Luke had to face the fact that he might lose a few to the dark side—but the more defenders of the Force he could train, the stronger would be the legions of the light side.

With a collective gasp the gathered Jedi on the rooftop watched as the sun burst from the fringe of Yavin. Brilliant white rays gleaming like firefacet gems sprayed across the jungle moon, reflecting and refracting from the swirling atmosphere.

Artoo whistled; Luke and the other Jedi simply watched in awed silence.

The rainbow storm cast its glow over all of them as the dawn continued to brighten.

About the Author

Kevin J. Anderson is the author of nearly 100 novels, 48 of which have appeared on national or international bestseller lists; he has over 22 million books in print in thirty languages. He has won or been nominated for the Nebula Award, Bram Stoker Award, the SFX Reader’s Choice Award, and New York Times Notable Book.

Anderson has coauthored eleven books in the Dune saga with Brian Herbert, as well as the new original novel, Hellhole. Anderson’s popular epic SF series,