“Jacen, my friend?”  It was Tenel Ka.  “Would now be an appropriate time to ask about the item you intended to give me?”
        “Oh, that’s right!  I knew I forgot something.  Come with me, it’s in my room,” he said taking her hand and starting down the side of the temple.
        “We’ll be right back, guys,” he said over his shoulder to Zekk, Jaina, and Lowie.
 

        Lowie heard the faint roar of an engine coming from the sky.  A tiny dot above him grew until he could almost identify the ship that was coming to visit.  In his heart he hoped that it was Raaba, but he knew that was almost impossible.  But as the craft neared.. it was indeed Raaba’s ship!  Lowie roared.
        “Oh my goodness, I do believe you’re right Master Lowbacca!”  Emteedee exclaimed from Lowie’s belt.  Lowie took off down the side of the temple to the docking bay where Raaba would land.
 

        “That’s Raaba’s ship!” Jaina said. “Oh, Lowie must be so happy!”
        “I’m happy too.” Zekk said, looking deep into Jaina’s eyes.  “I’m happy that I’m here with you.”
        “So am I,” Jaina said, returning his gaze.
        “I want to be with you, always.”  He took both of her hands in his and held them tight.
        “Oh, Zekk. .”  She couldn’t reply further because Zekk stopped her with a kiss.
 

        “Aha, here it is!”  Jacen said.  He grabbed something from behind Nicta’s cage.  Tenel Ka resisted the urge to peek and see what it was.  Instead she stood still and waited for him to present it to her.
        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 shards of Nicta’s gort egg. Many cultures consider it to be very precious-the egg I mean.”
        Jacen saw tears shimmer in Tenel Ka’s eyes as she said, “It is beautiful... Jacen.  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.  Tenel Ka sniffled a little and smiled at him.
        “I will treasure your gift more than all the rainbow gems of Gallinore, just as I treasure you.” she said.
        Jacen smiled back at her, but his smile quickly faded.  He was puzzled about something she had said.
        “Tenel Ka, you didn’t address me as ‘my friend.’  What’s wrong?”  He looked at her but she avoided his gaze.  She seemed uncomfortable about answering.
        “I.. I am afraid I can no longer call you my friend,” she said.  Jacen looked at her with questions in his eyes.
        “Why is that?”  He asked, almost hurt by the suggestion that he wasn’t her friend.
        “It is because.. I have fallen in love with you.” She looked into his eyes finally, hoping to see that he understood.  She had waited too long already to tell him.  At first she wasn’t sure that this was true, that she did love him, but when she saw him fall to what she thought was his death off of Cloud City, she knew it was true, and she had known since then that he had to know.
        “Tenel Ka, I love you too!”  He was grinning from ear to ear now.  Tenel Ka even grinned back at him.  “This is wonderful!  I didn’t know you felt the same way!”  For lack of anything to say, Tenel Ka wrapped her arm around him and kissed him on the mouth.
        “Jacen, my love?” She was surprised at how much she liked saying that.
        “Yes?”
        “Promise me that we will be together forever.” She held him tightly, as though she didn’t ever want to let go.
        “I promise, Tenel Ka.” Somehow Jacen knew it to be true.  Even after they graduated from Master Skywalker’s Jedi academy, he knew they would continue on in life together.  They would continue to fight side by side, as a team.
        Tenel Ka knew it, too.  She could tell by the way he said it that he did want to be with her, and she was truly happy.  Overcome with joy, she let her tears silently roll down her face for a moment before she finally let Jacen go.

        Just then she heard a wookiee roar outside Jacen’s door.  Jacen opened it and it was Lowie--and Raaba standing behind him!
        “Raaba!  How did you know to come?” Jacen asked excitedly.  Lowie explained how Sirra had contacted Raaba and had secretly arranged for her to come for the ceremony.  Raaba ruffled Jacen’s hair, and nodded a greeting to Tenel Ka, and then they headed to the grand audience chanber for the Jedi’s recognition ceremony.