A roar of engines sounded across the lake. The crowd craned their necks, looking past the chancellor, past the fair gates. The dignitaries on the platform turned, Stellan included, to see a squadron of Cyclor Skyhawks sweeping forward, their lights blinking against the sunset. And they weren’t alone. Stellan could make out at least three Vectors traveling alongside it, not part of the display but ships that had traveled from the shipyards, one of them hopefully being flown by a recovered Bell Zettifar. This time, however, no one was looking at the Vectors. Instead, all were captivated by the breathtaking sight of the Innovator sweeping toward them. The holos Stellan had seen back on Coruscant had been impressive enough, but the ship itself was simply stunning. It was long and tapered, like a pristine arrowhead, its hull as white as a shark-boar tusk. Sensors lined a raised area near the rear of the vessel where Stellan knew from the schematics that the operations center was housed, a vast viewport flaring white in the sunlight. It was simply the largest ship Stellan had ever seen, dwarfing both the Coruscant Dawn and the Jedi’s own flagship, the Ataraxia. Best of all, the Elite-class vessel wasn’t a warship or a destroyer; it was a pioneer. After being displayed at the fair the ship would set out on a voyage to explore and map previously uncharted areas of space, the first of a new fleet of science vessels. While Starlight and Soh’s planned network of Beacons were there to support and protect, the Innovator and its line would broaden all their horizons.

The Republic starfighters streaked overhead, followed by the Vectors. Stellan reached out in the Force as they passed, catching a hint of Indeera Stokes’s presence along with the legend that was Porter Engle. There was someone else, someone he had never actually met, a younger Jedi who could only be Bell Zettifar. So the young Jedi Knight was out of the bacta tank and back at the controls of a ship, accompanied, Stellan presumed, by the charhound he had heard so much about. Stellan beamed. This was a good day. Not just for the Republic but for the Jedi as well. Surely now, for all the fear the Cyclor attack had caused, there could be no doubt that the Republic was safe. The Nihil had tried to take the Innovator and yet here it was swinging into position and lowering on perfectly tuned repulsors onto the floating dock that had been built to house the ship for the duration of the fair. The Jedi had proved, once again, that they were strong in the Force. Together they and the Republic could do anything, no matter who opposed them. The light was on their side, now and forever.

A cheer went out as the Innovator touched down, the crowd whooping and applauding, drowning out both Skyhawks and Vectors that had come about to rocket back toward them.