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"Oh, don't worry, he's completely legit now," Lando said. "He has a wife, two little girls, and all his investments are strictly on the up-and-up."

"What do you need us for?" Zekk asked again.

Lando went on. "Cojahn and I are starting a line of high-tech family entertainment and amusement centers. We're putting the first one right in Cloud City. We're calling it SkyCenter Galleria. Cloud City won't be just for gambling anymore. This place is gonna have rides, restaurants, shopping, the neatest and slickest holomazes, experience chambers...

every kind of thrill you can think of.

"I've been interested in this sort of thing for a long time. See, before you kids were even born, I looked into getting a place called Hologram Funworld as an investment. It didn't work out, but that place was nothing compared to what we're building now. SkyCenter Galleria will have something for people of all ages, something for every human or alien in the galaxy."

Luke Skywalker, who had quietly joined them during Lando's description, smiled. "That sounds like one of your best ideas yet, Lando.

Do you have some thrill rides that only Jedi can test?" There was a twinkle of amusement in the Jedi Master's eyes.

Lando chuckled. "Not exactly, but close. I was hoping to borrow this fine crew of young people to visit the place with me before I open it to the public. Give me their ideas and opinions, maybe even doublecheck things to make sure there aren't any potential hazards our engineers have overlooked.

"See, my buddy Cojahn has two daughters, a twelve-year-old and a five-year-old, but I need someone a little older to let me know what works for them and what doesn't. Your young Jedi Knights here could think of it as a vacation, and it'll help me out as well." He winked at Luke. "I promise not to let anyone get kidnapped this time."

The Jedi Master narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and then nodded.

"Yes. I think these students could benefit from an opportunity like that.

" Lowie gave an exultant bellow.

"Good. We'd love to!" Jaina said.

"We would be honored to assist." Tenel Ka nodded; her red-gold warrior braids swung around her serious face. "It will be... fun."

"Oh, indeed, Master Lando! I should be most gratified if you'd accept my services as well."

Lando gave a small bow. "You bet, Em Teedee. You can never have enough competent droids around on a project like this. I wouldn't think of leaving you behind."

"Hey, speaking of being left behind," Jacen said, "we've got a new friend staying here with us at the Jedi academy. Would you mind if she came along? She's only been here for a few weeks-she's a former smuggler-but she's having kind of a rough time and I think she could use a change of scenery."

"A former smuggler? Sure, bring her along," Lando said with a bright smile. "She sounds like my kind of young lady."

Anja Gallandro finished packing for the trip to Bespin in less than five minutes. Slinging her satchel of belongings over one shoulder-including the few special items she wanted no one to know about-she headed down the temple's ancient stone corridor toward the adjoining quarters occupied by the Solo twins.

She reached up to tighten the leather headband that held her flowing hair in check, though just barely enough to keep it out of her face.

Anja sighed as she thought of Jacen and Jaina. Everyone in the Solo family seemed to have an effect on her life, and she found it both irritating and unnerving.

First, Han Solo had murdered her father; then, when Anja had confronted him after a lifetime of planning the moment, he had denied it, and somehow thwarted all of her attempts to get revenge. Finally, telling herself it would be the easiest way to hurt Han Solo, she had followed his children to Yavin 4, pretending to be their friend. She had believed that as she got to know the twins better, their true characters would emerge, and she would find ample reason (and opportunity) to inflict some sort of punishment on them. But that hadn't turned out as she'd expected either.

Instead of proving heartless, self-centered, and prideful