Leia groans, laying on her back. "Don't you ever shut up?" She asks, covering her blushing face.

"What? I just want to know about you and Han." Valora says. She jumps onto the bed next to Leia. Though the bed is made for one person, the two of them make it work. She pulls on one of Leia's braids, trying to get her attention. "I mean, it's so obvious that you two have a thing for each other."

"We do not have a thing," Leia grumbles, peeking out from her hands.

"Oh, you do too." Valora scoffs, softly pushing Leia. "I'm pretty sure you're the only reason he's still around. I mean, he could be anywhere in the galaxy right now with the credits you gave him, and yet he chooses to be here."

"He and Luke are good friends now. Ever think that maybe he talked him into staying and helping?"

"Luke is pretty good at persuading people to join the rebellion, I'll give you that." Valora agrees. Leia removes her hands from her face, confident that her cheeks are no longer red from embarrassment. Valora lets out a sigh, blowing her blonde wisps from her face. "So if you're not with Han, can I have him?"

"Go for it," Leia says, waving at her.

Valora laughs, holding onto her stomach. "That only further proves my point."

"How?" Leia grins, turning to face her.

"I don't know, it just does." She replies with a smile. "I know you like him. Just admit it and I'll drop the subject."

"I won't admit that I like him!" Leia scoffs, feeling her cheeks heat again. "I've never been a liar, and I'm not starting today."

"You're lying right now!"

Leia's comlink buzzes on her wrist. She sits up, tossing her braids over her shoulder. "Sorry, my mother is calling. Guess this conversation will have to end here." She smirks.

"We'll just continue it when you get back." Valora fires back. Leia playfully groans and pushes her, making Valora laugh. "I won't let you get away that easy. This is the first time we're talking about boys and it doesn't involve me."

"Whatever. Just get out of my room." Leia says. She opens her door, gesturing for Valora to leave. Valora rolls off of the bed and marches to the door. She sticks her tongue out at Leia and quickly exits. Leia wants to wipe the smug smile off of her best friend's face but decides it isn't worth the effort.

She makes her way to the meeting room. When she enters, she sees her mother and Obi-Wan talking amongst themselves with hushed voices. They drop their conversation when their eyes land on her. "There you are," Padmé smiles. She looks over Leia's shoulder. "Where's Luke?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Probably somewhere in the hangar bay."

As if on cue, her twin brother enters. "Sorry. I got here as fast as I could."

"Right on time." Padmé smiles. The four of them gather in a small circle, waiting to hear their instructions. It's evident that there is some type of mission for them. That's usually the case whenever they get called nowadays. "There's been a rumor that the Empire is planning to overtake Ryloth. We need to send you to go and try to warn the civilians. We'll have shuttles ready for them to board if they need a way off of the planet."

"So what exactly are we doing?" Luke asks. Though he's been on plenty of mission over the past few years, this isn't quite what he's used to. This is more of Leia's speed. He's usually the one to go and seek out the danger, putting an end to it with his lightsaber. Leia typically gets civilians to safety from the people he attacks.

"Nothing too difficult. There are civilians on Ryloth and we want to keep them safe. I want you two to go and find everyone you can and led them to the shuttles. We don't know exactly when the Empire will arrive, but we think it's best to be safe rather than sorry." Padmé explains.

"Alright." Leia agrees. "What will we be taking?"

"We were hoping that you two could join Captain Solo on the Falcon." Obi-Wan answers. He shares a small smile with Padmé as Luke begins to tease Leia.

"We're gonna go with Leia's boyfriend. How sweet." He smirks.

She punches his arm, glaring at him. "He is not my boyfriend! Han is nothing more than a friend. Can't you people understand that?"

"Sure, sure. You two are just together all of the time. Oh, and friends fight constantly, right?"

"We're fighting because he's a moron!"

"You're fighting because you're in love."

"Alright, enough," Padmé says, stopping them. She sends a small glare at her son. "Luke, knock it off. If Leia says Han is nothing more than a friend, then that's how it is. Leave your sister alone."

"I'm just teasing her," Luke replies, rolling his eyes.

"Remember, you have a whole trip together. Better not get on her bad side before it even begins." Obi-Wan softly chuckles. Leia perks up, raising a fist at Luke.

"Yeah, good idea. Better leave her alone until we get back." Luke nods. Though the two of them are evenly matched, he doesn't want to get on her bad side. She is great at finding ways to annoy him when she's upset. He'd rather not deal with that.

"Behave and take this seriously, please," Padmé says, stepping forward. "I don't want to find out you two messed this up because you were messing around."

"We won't." Leia and Luke instantly reply. They would never put other's lives in risk over something as silly as that. They know that this requires professional and rational thinking. They won't let this affect the mission.

"May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan smiles, giving them a slight bow to dismiss them.

"May the Force be with you." They repeat. They exit, almost out of the room when Leia hears them begin to talk again.

"I think Leia might have a small crush," Obi-Wan says.

"I heard that!" She shouts back, making him and Padmé freeze. "And I definitely do not!"

When they believe that Leia is out of earshot, Padmé leans over to him. "She does. She can pretend, but we all know she likes Han." She whispers to Obi-Wan with a smile.

xxx

The ship lands on Ryloth with no problems. Not too far off in the distance, the shuttles are landing on a flat area of the planet. Other rebel ships are also making their way through the planet's atmosphere.

"We better get started. The quicker this goes the better. We don't want to risk something bad happening." Leia says as she secures her blaster on her hip.

"Yeah, okay. We'll follow your lead, Your Highness." Han says as she opens the ramp. The three men follow her to the planet's main center. She gathers as many people up as she can and begins explaining the situation to them.

Most of the civilians understand. They go back to their houses to pack a few belongings and head to the shuttles. Other rebels help them safely load, making sure everyone is comfortable. Once each shuttle has its maximum capacity, it makes its way back to its designated safe planet.

Leia watches, impressed at how smooth everything is going. Shuttles are taking off quickly and there's only a few left now. Thankfully, there's been no sign of the Empire. Maybe all of the civilians will be taken care of before the Empire can get there iron grip on the planet.

"There's a building left that I think I should check out," Luke says, getting Leia's attention. "A few people have told me that it has housed the homeless in the past. I want to make sure that everyone gets off this planet."

"Okay." She nods. She gives a quick look around the area. Almost everyone is gone. "I think we'll head back to the Falcon. Everything here seems to be taken care of."

"Sounds good. I'll meet you guys there when I'm finished." Luke says. He makes his way to the large building, forcing inside through a heavy set of doors. When he gets in, he's surprised to see that there a few people still packing up.

"Hey." He calls out. They look over their shoulders at him. "The last shuttles are going to be leaving soon. You might want to hurry things up and get out there before they take off without you."

"Of course. Sorry." They answer back. They stuff their remaining items into their packs then throw it onto their backs. Swiftly, they exit the building and he assumes they're going to the shuttles.

Though Luke doesn't see anybody else, he decides to take a look around. The architecture of Ryloth is fascinating. It's very different than what he's seen on the other planets he's lived on. He makes his way into a large room. He's not quite sure what it's used for. There are landscape paintings on the wall and designs on the floor. The ceiling has a large chandelier dripping down like raindrops. He starts to ponder over what they could need a room this big for when he hears the ceiling start to creak. The chandelier twinkles, making random beams of light dance around the room.

The building begins crumbling around him. The doorways bend until they snap, sending debris tumbling down to block the exits. He is cornered, trapped like a small animal with no chance of escape. Bolts of energy burst through him as he claws at the rocks, praying that he can move enough to squeeze out here. He needs to escape if he wants to survive.

But it's too late.

He can feel the cold, the anger.

The intense hate chills him to his bones.

Heavy, mechanical breathing echos inside the darkened room. Luke's hands tremble as he searches for the lightsaber at his hip. He presses his back against the wall, his green lightsaber now positioned in front of him to save him from whatever is out there. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He can not react properly if he's too scared to even think.

Then a blinding red light forms in the only doorway. There he stands, the father of all evil.

Darth Vader.

"What do we have here?" He asks, his deep voice sending goosebumps up Luke's arms. Luke has never heard his voice nor seen him in person. He's taller than he expected and his voice is a lot creepier when it's not coming from a hologram. Now he understands why so many people are afraid of this dark shadow of a human.

He gulps, remembering his training with Obi-Wan. He can not let his feelings betray him as they have in the past. He can not give away anything to this monster. He must protect everyone. So instead of showing his fear, he stands taller and grips his lightsaber tighter. He is ready to fight. He will not go down like a coward.

"Oh, it's only a padawan. I thought this would be a real fight." Vader says, walking farther into the room. He knows that the child standing in front of him is terrified. He can feel it through the Force. He is impressed at how strong the Force is with him and well he is masking his fear. Whoever has been training him over the years has done well.

"I'm not a padawan anymore." Luke answers. He is somewhat shocked at how confident he sounds. Impressed with his accomplishment of at least sounding brave, he narrows his eyes at the dark being in front of him and brings back his lightsaber into a position of offense.

"Well, you are not a master, that much is obvious," Vader says, studying him. The boy can not be much older than 20. He would have had to been born after the fall of the Republic. He was not trained in the Temple, which means that he was raised by a Jedi who survived Order 66. "I must give you and your master credit for being able to stay out of my sights for this long. That is a great achievement."

Luke furrows his eyebrows. He really hasn't been hiding from him that well at all. He has been living on rebel bases his entire life. That is probably the worst place to be hiding from a leader in the Empire. Plus, he has been on many missions to multiple planets. How has news of him or Obi-Wan not gotten around to Vader? "Or maybe you're just not as good at finding Jedi as you think."

"You'd be surprised how many old fools are still out there. The one thing the clones were programmed to do they couldn't even properly complete. They've left many for me to finish off." He fires back. They begin to circle each other, sidestepping over fallen debris while keeping their eyes locked. Luke doesn't want to take the first move, but he also hates the taunting. Obi-Wan told him it's customary to taunt your enemies before attacking, but he's always despised it. He wants to move past this stage and start actually fighting.

"If it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you shall get." Vader declares. Luke quickly blocks the red beam, surprised. He didn't realize his thoughts are that easy to hear. He clears his mind, only thinking of his next move. He can not give anyone or anything away. Their lightsabers buzz and crackle as they meet. "Who is your master?" He asks.

"No one." Luke snaps as he pushes Vader's lightsaber off his.

"Fine. Then who are you?"

Luke chooses to ignore him, swinging at Vader instead. He will not get to know his name. He will not get to know his master's name. The information will die with him if it has to. He will not risk letting anyone die because of him.

"I asked you a question," Vader growls. He reaches out, his hand tightening into a fist. Luke lets out a gasp, his air supply being snapped off. He drops his lightsaber and his hands go to his neck. He pulls at his throat, desperately trying to pry off the invisible hands. The ground leaves his feet and he dangles in the air. Vader walks up to him, looking up at the purple-faced child as he squirms. "Who are you?"

Just when he thought he would pass out, Vader drops him. Luke's body smacking on the hard concrete echoes in the empty room. He loudly coughs and wheezes, the musty air entering his lungs again. He has heard of people being choked by this monster, but he didn't think it was quite like that. He felt so helpless as his life flashed before his eyes. He thought for sure that he would die floating in the air at his hands.

He is panting as he is resting on his hands and knees. Luke tilts his head up slightly, looking through his blond hair. He stares into the deep red glass covering Vader's eyes. "I am no one."

"That is not an answer, boy," Vader replies. He squeezes his hand again and Luke feels his windpipe begin to pinch shut. Vader smiles under his mask, seeing the boy's eyes widen in fear. It fuels him, giving him more power. "Ready to talk?"

Luke nods his head and his breathing returns. After a few deeps breaths, he answers, "I am Luke Kenobi."

"Luke Kenobi?" Vader repeats. If it didn't hurt to laugh, he would be guffawing in this child's face. No. It's not possible. This child is delusional or he believes that he is some fool. This lie is one of the worst he's ever heard. "I've only known one Kenobi and you are not his."

"I'm sorry?"

"Obi-Wan does not have a child and he could never have trained such a worthless padawan. You are not his." Vader spits. "Now, who are you really? Who is your actual master?"

Luke begins to stutter. He is offended and shocked that he doesn't believe him. Why would he lie? Why would he say something that would only make Vader madder? "It's true. Obi-Wan is my master."

"Prove it," Vader snaps. Luke feels a pounding inside his head, but he powers through it. He will not die after being insulted like that. He snatches his lightsaber off of the floor and swings at Vader. He rolls onto his feet and prepares himself for the attack.

Vader expertly spins his lightsaber and makes contact with Luke's. As they battle throughout the room, Vader begins to see it. The moves of defense are undoubtedly Obi-Wan's. Left foot forward when attacking, back when defending. Even down to how he is holding the lightsaber is Obi-Wan's work. It is loose enough to smoothly spin in his fingers but tight enough to not be knocked from him.

This boy is his replacement.

If things were different, this boy would be like his brother. They were trained by the same master, a father figure to both of them. He would have been like an older brother to this child, helping him out when Obi-Wan couldn't. He would offer to help him with his homework and be someone to turn to when he felt embarrassed to go to Obi-Wan. They would spend hours sparring with each other and he would teach him moves that Obi-Wan believed were too advanced. They would have had a bond very few Jedi have.

But that is no longer possible.

For the Jedi are extinct. They are nothing but ghost stories told in passing.

And he is no longer a Jedi.

Luke notices how Vader is studying him. It's like he is taking notes after every move he makes. Seeing this as an advantage, he closes his eyes and willingly opens his thoughts, hoping Vader will take the bait and dive into his mind. Memories of Obi-Wan wash over him. Everything from working on ships, training with lightsabers, and playing pranks on him. His gentle face with cheeks red from laughing at Luke is the last thing to flash past him.

When he opens his eyes, he can tell that Vader has seen them. He seems to be stunned by what he has watched, his swift swings slowing. Luke starts to think that he might have a chance at leaving this room in one piece. He just needs to get to the other side of the room.

Before he can make his move though, his right hand is sliced off. He lets out a cry as he is force pushed against the wall, knocking the air from his lungs. He can almost see the anger and hate growing around Vader. "That is not the Kenobi I know." He darkly growls.

Luke painfully grunts, trying to pull his arms off the wall but it's like he's been superglued. He can't even twist his head to look at his injury. He can only stare at his reflection in the red glass covering Vader's eyes. Slowly, he walks forward, making sure to have his footsteps echo. To Luke, it's almost like gunshots as he inches closer and closer. He almost begins to pant in fear and pain as Vader stands as close as possible without touching him. "The Kenobi you've been shown is a lie. That is not who he really is."

Though he is afraid, he will not show it. He will go down as brave as possible. "Like I'm going to listen to you." Luke spits, his spirit still on fire.

Vader pauses. "Who better to trust than his old padawan?"

He should look surprised at this information. But he's not because Vader is not his padawan. Obi-Wan did not teach him the ways of the dark side. Obi-Wan and Vader do not know each other. "If that's not him, then who is he really?" He asks between gritted teeth.

"I think I should you should find out for yourself. Ask him what happened on Mustafar. That should answer your question." Vader says. Luke arches his eyebrow. Mustafar? What could have happened there?

Without warning, Luke is dropped to the floor. He groans as he lays on his side. "I want you to understand that I am letting you go not out of mercy, but because I want you to see who your master truly is. Once you discover the truth of our past, you will see that I am right and you've been lead astray your whole life."

Luke wants to deny it, but he can't. He doesn't know what happened between Obi-Wan and his father. He has no idea about anything that happened on Mustafar. So Vader walks away with the final word, leaving Luke alone to dwell on what he is going to say when he returns to the base.

xxx

Leia paces back and forth on the ship, biting on her nails. "He is trouble. I need to go and save him." She insists. She isn't going to tell Han, but Vader was here. She felt him land on the planet then leave shortly afterward. Luke went into the building only minutes before and still hasn't returned.

She knows that they meet. Luke is like a beacon with how strong the Force is with him. Vader wouldn't have been able to resist going to him. What happened between them though, she can only guess. Maybe a battle. Maybe nothing at all. Maybe he's been captured and is being brought back to Palpatine for torturing. The possibilities are endless.

"Luke is fine, Your Highness." Han waves away from the pilot's seat. Chewbacca growls in agreement. "That kid's always got something up his sleeve. He'll back here before you know it."

Before she can argue, she sees him. He is clutching his arm to his chest and she knows that he's hurt. "Luke!" She cries, running to the ramp. Han and Chewie follow closely behind her, eager to get him on board so they can leave this depressing planet. Any planet attacked by the Empire leaves you feeling sick inside.

Her stomach drops and she has to hold back a gag. She has never done well with seeing other's injuries. "Han, come help me!" She shouts, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. She pulls him close to her, hiding his now handless arm from her sight and offering him comfort. "He's hurt, please hurry!"

"Woah, kid. What did you do?" Han asks, his brown eyes bulging from his head. Luke doesn't look well. Besides the missing hand, he's pale and clearly beaten up. Whatever he encountered in there only makes Han want to leave more.

"Questions later, medical aid first," Leia commands as she leads him up the ramp. Han has never done well at taking orders, but when it comes from Leia, he knows that there's no arguing. She is the boss.

Han shouts at Chewie to get them off the planet. The Falcon begins to roar, rising from the planet's surface. Leia sits with Luke on the couch, keeping him close. He's freezing and she can feel his fear. It's her job to make him feel better. "Well, I'm no medic, but this should help him until we get back to base," Han says, digging through one of the cabinets. He pulls out a syringe with a large needle. He rolls up Luke's sleeve and turns his head away. "Don't look. This is gonna pinch, kid." He says before inserting it into Luke.

He lets out a groan, but his face relaxes quickly after. "Thanks, Han."

"Kid, what happened in there?" He asks, shaking his head in disbelief. Luke was nearly packed to the teeth with weapons to protect himself. Not to mention, he had his lightsaber on him and everyone knows how well he can handle that glorious weapon. What could have possibly taken him down?

He gulps, thinking about Vader and what happened in there. Han wouldn't really understand the depth of it. Almost everyone is afraid of Vader, but he wouldn't be worried about what he said. "I don't really want to talk about it right now." Luke frowns. He looks at Leia then drops his gaze. He isn't even sure he wants to talk about it with her. "I just want to rest."

"We'll get back to base as soon as possible. Just hang on tight, okay?" Leia assures. She rubs his shoulder then leaves with Han to the cockpit. She gives him one last glance, wishing that he would ask her to stay. She wants to know what happened, but she won't push him.

At least not at the moment.

xxx

When they arrive on base, they are greeted with a medical team. Luke is taken into surgery to see what damage has been done to him. Han and Chewie are sent to report everything that happened on Ryloth.

Leia's presence is requested by the Queen. She already knows what to expect. When she arrives in the medical bay, she's greeted by Obi-Wan and her mother. They're waiting just outside of Luke's room, totally alone. Padmé brings Leia in for a quick hug. "What happened?" She asks, rubbing her shoulders.

Leia shrugs, slightly shaking her head. "I don't know." She confesses.

"Luke didn't say anything?" Obi-Wan asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No. He wouldn't tell me anything." Leia replies. She frowns, her worry now growing stronger. She wants to bite on her nails but she messes with her hair instead. "He always tells me everything. I don't know what could have possibly happened."

"That's not like Luke at all." Padmé sighs. She pulls her arms to her chest and looks at Obi-Wan. "Something terrible happened. I mean, obviously, he lost his hand. But something terrible hurt him inside."

Obi-Wan shares a glance with Leia. He wasn't sure he wanted to say anything with Padmé around. But, now he feels that there is no choice but to discuss it with her. Besides, she is Luke's mother and she can handle it. "I only got a quick look," He begins. "But his injury looks like it happened from a lightsaber."

Padmé softly gasps and covers her mouth. "What are you implying?"

Obi-Wan raises his hands. "We know that there are Inquisitors out there. He could have met one of those. And we know that lightsabers are easy to acquire on the black market. It could have been anyone, really. All I'm saying is, whoever it was, they used a lightsaber."

Leia bites on her lower lip. She didn't want to say anything because it's not hers to tell. Whatever happened on Ryloth is for Luke to spill. Still, she feels that it is her job to let their mother and Obi-Wan know the truth. They only want to help. How can they do that without knowing everything? "No. I know who it was."

Padmé and Obi-Wan turn to her. "Who?" Padmé asks.

Leia glares and locks her jaw. "It was Vader." She practically spits. "I felt him. His presence was just like when I was on the Death Star. I know he was on Ryloth."

There is a silence between the three of them. The horror of what could have gone on between them brings tension to the room. None of them want to say it, Padmé does. "What did Vader do to my son?"

Obi-Wan sighs and tugs on his beard. "We won't know until Luke tells us, unfortunately."

The subject ends there. They spend the rest of their day waiting for Luke to finish his surgery. They find things and other conversations to pass the time. Just when they think their patience has run out, the nurse droid comes out. "He is ready to see you."

The three of them practically run into his room. His eyes widen as his mother wraps her arms around his neck. "Luke, don't you ever do that again. Do you understand?"

"You think I want to get my hand cut off again?" He asks with a soft laugh. She pulls away, slightly frowning.

"Glad to see your humor is still intact." She says. She continues to fuss over him, fixing his hair and making sure he's comfortable. He politely answers each of her questions this time, letting her get her worry out.

Obi-Wan walks forward, getting his attention. Luke looks up, his heart slightly sinking. "Let me see your new hand." He says with a soft smile.

Luke begins to wiggle his new hand, showing them how it works. Leia quickly awes over it, impressed with how similar it looks to his actual hand. If she had just met him, she would have had no idea that it was a replacement. Though she won't say it out loud with her mother around, she kind of wishes she had one.

Padmé is glad to see that Luke is okay. It will take some time to get used to his new hand, but she knows he'll pick it up quickly. A Jedi she once loved also had his hand replaced from a lightsaber battle. As she watches him sit in his medical bed, she can't help but wonder what happened to him. She wants to know who hurt her baby this way.

So she says something only a mother could. "Luke, you need to tell us how this happened. I need to know who hurt you."

Luke stops, his gaze fixed on his blanket. "I think you already know."

Leia feels her cheeks heat up. She shouldn't have said anything. Now Luke is going to keep them in the dark. He's going to think that keeping this secret from them is going to protect them. "Darth Vader. I know. I felt him." She admits. "I told them. I'm sorry."

Luke doesn't say anything, his attention elsewhere.

"Does he know?" Padmé blurts out. Luke furrows his eyebrows, confused. "Does he know that you're his son?"

Luke slightly shakes his head. He doesn't think that Vader knows the truth. He didn't give away like that, at least he doesn't think so. He has had it buried inside of him for a long time. Vader would have had to dig deep and long to find it. "No. But he knows about Obi-Wan."

Leia nods, understanding. "The last name. What other Kenobi would he know?"

"Vader talked about you," Luke says, looking at Obi-Wan now. Everyone follows his gaze, watching the aged man. "He told me about Mustafar."

His face drops and pales. "He told you?" He asks with a faint quiver.

"Well, not told." Luke tries to correct, shaking his head. "He told me I had to ask you. He said that I needed to find out for myself who you really are. He wants you to tell me about Mustafar."

Obi-Wan lets out a sigh, pressing the side of his head to relieve the pain. He doesn't like to think about Mustafar. He refuses to talk about it with anyone. The memory of what happened there is only allowed to haunt him at night. To hear it spoken out loud makes him almost physically ill.

"What happened on Mustafar?" Luke softly asks, seeing the effect it's had on the room.

"Luke, don't ask that." Padmé immediately scolds as she rushes to Obi-Wan's side. She knows what happened. Obi-Wan had confessed it all to her a few nights after the twins were born. She has come to terms with it now. She had to in order to trust Obi-Wan and move on with her life. The story of it no longer gives her a physical reaction. It breaks her heart to think about the events from the moment she last talked to Anakin to when Obi-Wan returned to the ship.

And though she has forgiven Obi-Wan for what he had to do, she knows that he has not.

For Vader to bring it up is disgusting. To have Luke ask Obi-Wan about it is wrong and makes her want to march to Vader and tell him personally how sick and twisted it is.

"What happened? We need to know." Leia speaks up. Something is not right. Somehow, Vader has hurt them without even being here. And if Vader can ask Luke about it, then they need to know. He has the upper hand on them if they don't learn the truth.

"You don't need to know. Neither of you does. Vader is wrong for even asking Luke to do that." Padmé argues, her voice as cold as ice. She glares at each of them. How can they continue to ask when it's so clear how hurt he is? Can't they see the pain he is carrying with him because of this?

Luke can feel it, the suffering and guilt Obi-Wan is radiating. He doesn't want to ask. In fact, he doesn't even know if he wants to hear the story, but he must. If Vader let him live solely because of what happened on Mustafar, it must be significant to their lives. "Mom, we don't want to ask. I don't even want to know. But what choice do we have? Vader let me live because of what happened there."

Padmé is about to argue, but Obi-Wan beats her. "They're right. It's time they know the truth. They need to know what I did."

"Are you sure?" She softly asks.

He nods, his eyes closed. He allows himself to think back on that horrible day. He can almost feel the heat on his skin. "Your father had fallen to the dark side. I didn't believe it. I refused to think that Anakin had sided with Darth Sidious." He begins. He gulps, his heart breaking inside of him. He doesn't want to continue, but he knows that he must. "I was sent to kill him."

Luke and Leia make eye contact. Obi-Wan was ordered to kill his best friend? He was supposed to kill his padawan, the child he spent almost a whole decade with. How could anyone expect him to carry that out?

Padmé picks up the story, knowing how much pain he is in. "Obi-Wan told me what happened and his mission. I went to go find Anakin and talk some sense into him. As you both know, it did nothing."

"I didn't believe your father had slipped away until I saw it with my own two eyes. The Jedi Knight that I knew had been replaced with Darth Vader." He says, his voice rough. He coughs, trying to clear his throat, but it doesn't work. "We battled on Mustafar. He tried to pull off a tricky move, but I was prepared. I am the reason he is more machine now than man. I cut off his remaining limbs and left him behind."

Luke shakes his head, filled with shock and confusion. His father and Obi-Wan fought. All of his life, he's seen them as this dynamic duo. The bickering was common for them, but a lightsaber battle to the death? After everything they went through together, Obi-Wan hurt his father and left him to die alone on Mustafar. But then he didn't die. If Obi-Wan had completed his task, the galaxy wouldn't be in this mess. "Why didn't you kill him? Why did you leave him there?"

"I couldn't kill him," Obi-Wan replies back, his bloodshot eyes opening to meet Luke's. "When I looked at him on that ground, he was so cold. He was so lost and afraid. He was still my brother and I loved him. I couldn't kill him, even if he had turned to the dark side and hated me. I hoped that the lava would kill him so that I wouldn't have to."

Silence fills the room. It enters with tension and mixed emotions. They are angry at him. If he had finished off Vader on Mustafar, then the galaxy wouldn't be in turmoil. They're upset that he kept this from them. They thought that they were done with secrets. They're sad to know what he went through on that planet. They feel horrible about the final battle and the outcome.

"I understand if you hate me," Obi-Wan says, catching them off guard. His head is low, reminding them of a child being punished. "But know that I tried. I just wasn't strong enough and I'm sorry."

Leia and Luke immediately deny it. He thinks that they hate him? Sure, they're upset about what happened and they're frustrated that they weren't told earlier. But hate never crossed their minds. "No," Leia says, rushing to join her mother at his side. "We don't hate you. We never could."

"We're sorry that the burden fell on you and we understand." Luke agrees. He reaches out, his hand grabbing onto Obi-Wan's. "We just wish that you had told us early."

"I don't like to think about it." He answers. He takes a deep breath, accepting the other reason that kept him from sharing the painful story. He knows that he needs to be honest with them, so he softly adds, "And, I suppose, part of me was afraid that you'd never want to talk to me again if you knew."

"No," Luke says, shaking his head. "We know who you really are. What happened there does not change what we think of you. You are still our Uncle Obi."

"That's comforting to hear." Obi-Wan gently chuckles. Leia wraps her arms around him. She places a soft kiss on his temple, hoping to offer him comfort for words she can't find. He smiles, gently patting her with his open hand.

They are much too kind to him. They might not see him as the enemy, but he believes it. Yes, part of it is Anakin's own fault. He had the knowledge to resist the dark side. He could have denied Darth Sidious and brought him down. Still, Obi-Wan can't help but feel guilty for letting him live. If he had killed him on Mustafar, maybe the galaxy wouldn't be suffering so much.

But if he was given a second chance, he wouldn't change a thing. Even after all that Darth Vader has done, Obi-Wan still loves him.

~~~~~~~~~

I just wanted to let you guys know that I am totally okay with constructive criticism. In fact, I welcome it! I am nothing close to a professional writer and I am always looking for ways to improve. If you see something that you think needs fixing or something I could work towards adding, please let me know! Again, thank you guys for all of the support on this book so far!!❤️❤️❤️