Luke mutters to himself, marching to meet Obi-Wan. He doesn't like that Leia is doing this on her own. It's not that he doesn't trust her. He knows that she can complete this successfully. It's that he doesn't trust everyone else. It seems like everyone on this base loves to make sure that they get in trouble.

He's sure it's because they get special privileges, but it's not like he asked for them. He doesn't go around bragging about his mother. In fact, he hardly brings her up. Anytime he meets someone new, he doesn't mention her until asked. But usually, they find out before he gets to tell them. Most of the other rebels on the base have already spilled his secret to the newbies.

At least Wedge doesn't treat him like he's royalty. Things are so easy with Wedge. They can talk for hours about flying techniques and what they would do if they could go and fight the Empire personally. Wedge is basically his only friend here besides Leia.

Sure, Luke gets along with everyone. Most prefer him over Leia. He tells her that it's because she's never around, but it's really because she always looks so unfriendly. He's subtly tried to get her to smile more often, but she doesn't listen. She believes that if they don't want to get to know her, that's their problem.

He enters the training room. "Hi, Uncle Ben." Luke greets, his eyes darting around the room. He isn't sure who else is here with them.

"It's alright. We're alone. The rest of the rebels have been ordered to go to their rooms." Obi-Wan says, walking over to Luke. Huh. That's why the halls are so quiet.

"Sent to their rooms?" Luke asks. Maybe he can get Obi-Wan to spill some details for him. This way, at least if Leia comes up emptyhanded, he can share some information. He doesn't want their snooping around to be completely worthless.

"Yes. Your mother has a meeting. She doesn't want anyone to disturb her. It's much easier to just keep everyone in their quarters rather than placing guards outside her room." He answers as he tucks his arms into his robes.

Luke has always wanted robes to rest his arms in. Obi-Wan makes it look so comfortable. It must feel like walking around with a blanket everyday. Once time, Luke had asked his mother if he could have an outfit like Obi-Wan's. She immediately refused, telling him that those outfits are for Jedi. From there on out, every time he or Leia trained with Obi-Wan, she would make comments about how they would make great politicians and warriors.

They aren't supposed to become Jedi.

Luke gives a short bow then grabs his lightsaber from his hip. Obi-Wan had given it to him when he was fairly young, telling him that it was his father's. He explained to him that his father would have wanted him to wield it. From then on, Luke has wanted to know more about him. He didn't even know that his father was a Jedi until he was given the lightsaber. When Luke and Leia were old enough, Obi-Wan allowed them to make their own lightsabers.

Luke prefers to use his father's though in hopes to keep a connection with the man he never met.

Over the years, he and Leia have been able to get stories out about their father from Obi-Wan. He would tell them that their mother must not find out otherwise he would get in big trouble. Of course, they never told her any of them, not even the good ones. Anything they could get about the man interested them.

Their father had been a slave but was freed and brought to the Temple. Obi-Wan raised him and taught him about the Force and how to wield a lightsaber. They went on exciting adventures to planets Luke and Leia had never heard of. Their father had even saved Obi-Wan nine times, though he always insisted it was ten. The business on Cato Neimoidia doesn't count.

He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, a cunning warrior, and Obi-Wan's best friend.

But Luke knows nothing more than that.

Obi-Wan bows then turns on his lightsaber, the blue light surrounding them. Luke looks over, seeing Obi-Wan watching him curiously. Luke realizes that he's acting weird right now. He's usually so excited to train with him but he would rather scrub the ships. He just has so much stuff on his mind.

He wants to know about his father.

He's sick of everyone keeping secrets from him.

And, most importantly, he's worried about Leia.

He whips his lightsaber, taking the first move. The blue lights crash and a crackling sound fills the silence. The two of them move, synchronized in the beginning. Obi-Wan easily blocks Luke's swings and Luke dodges Obi-Wan's. You would almost think that they're dancing. They move around the room as if they're following a path. Each step lands in a memorized position. Left foot forward when striking, back when defending. They sway in close to each other, quick strikes flashing then disappearing when they part.

Obi-Wan pounded the forms in Luke's head. It was a few years before Luke was allowed to begin to customize how he wanted to fight. At first, Luke thought Obi-Wan was trying to hold him back. He thought that he was denying him from becoming better than him. Each day, Obi-Wan made him practice the six basic forms of defense and nothing else. When Luke confronted Obi-Wan about this, he was told that it was to become his second nature.

He needed to be able to defend himself from whatever may come his way. He should know his defenses so well that he could protect himself in his sleep.

Because of this, the two of them can almost predict each other's next move. Their lightsabers dazzle as the buzz past their heads. It's mesmerizing to watch the two blades spin and twirl until they connect with a loud crackle and blinding white light.

But instead of the usual peace he feels when he's around Obi-Wan, Luke feels something tightening inside of him. He is sick of this pretend happy life. He deserves to know about his father and his death. He deserves to know what Obi-Wan and his mother are hiding. He winds up, smacking his lightsaber harshly onto Obi-Wan's.

"Control your emotions, Luke," Obi-Wan says, startling him. Can he read his thoughts? Can he feel his anger through the Force?

Luke knows he should listen to him, but he doesn't want to control them. They've given him some new power. He can feel it pumping through his veins as he takes another swipe at Obi-Wan. The old Jedi takes a step back, blocking the blow. "Luke, your anger is getting the better of you. Stop it, now!"

Luke takes a deep breath, blocking out Obi-Wan's shouts. He tightens his grip on his lightsaber, bringing it farther back. Why did Leia make him come here? Why couldn't he listen in on the secret meeting?

He swings but misses by a long shot. He snaps his head to look at Obi-Wan, whose eyebrows are furrowed over his blue eyes. "You're letting your emotions control you. You're becoming unbalanced and unfocused." He says.

This only adds fuel to Luke's fire. He would show Obi-Wan that he is wrong. Luke is focused, more focused than he has been in a long time. He takes three quick swings at him, but he misses again. It no longer looks like a dance. Luke is striking before his cue, taking every chance he has to attack. His spins are faster and he begins to take more random jabs. He wants to show Obi-Wan up. He grips his lightsaber tight, feeling like he could crush it in his hands. He yearns to hear the cracking of their lightsabers making contact.

"Luke, stop! Come back to me!" Obi-Wan exclaims as he smacks the lightsaber from Luke's hands. They watch the blue light fly across the room, buzzing as it spins away. Luke is brought back from the fury he was expressing and finally realizes the state of caution his partner is in. He is breathing heavily, the only noise audible above Obi-Wan's humming lightsaber.

Obi-Wan turns it off, his eyes staring into Luke's. "If there's one thing I taught you, it's that you never use your anger to fight. Anger is what formed Darth Vader and I will not have you following in his footsteps." He pants, his voice harsh and clearly angry.

Luke is silent, turning his head away. Obi-Wan spent weeks telling him how wrong it is to use his anger for power. Anger itself is not wrong. It's an emotion that everyone feels, including Jedi. But it should never be used in order to win battles. It should never be used the way he just did.

Obi-Wan's shoulders drop. He slowly walks to Luke, standing an arms distance away. "What is bothering you? Why are you so upset?" He asks, his voice now calmer and softer.

Luke brushes him off. "It's nothing."

Obi-Wan lets out a dry laugh, not believing him. "It's obvious that something has upset you, Luke. Never in my life have I seen you this angry. You reminded me of—"

"Darth Vader?" Luke spits, icily staring at him. "The man who killed off the Jedi? The man who killed my father?" He asks, his face turning a deep red. He locks his jaw, glaring at Obi-Wan. At his sides, he tightens his fists.

Obi-Wan pauses, his eyes running up and down Luke. "You're mad at Darth Vader, aren't you?"

Luke groans, tugging at his hair. "No, not specifically. I'm mad that I don't know more about what he did to my father. I'm mad that you are keeping secrets from me. I deserve to know, Obi-Wan. He is my father."

Obi-Wan tucks his hands into his sleeves again. He straightens up, his shoulders dropping back. "You're father is Anakin Skywalker. He was a pupil of mine who I loved dearly. Unfortunately, he was murdered by Darth Vader."

"Yeah, I know!" Luke snaps. "That's all I've ever known!"

"What more do you want to know, Luke? He's dead. There's nothing I can do to bring him back." Obi-Wan says. Luke can feel the anger growing in Obi-Wan too. He's been doing well at concealing it, probably from years of practice. But it's almost like fire now, slowly intensifying. He can practically feel the heat from it on his skin just standing next to Obi-Wan.

"I know there's more to the story," Luke says, stepping forward. "I don't know how I know, but I know you were there. I know you're hiding something from me." He harshly whispers, their faces now inches apart.

Obi-Wan scrunches his nose. Luke almost doesn't recognize him or his voice when he finally replies. "Go to your room. We're done here for now." He rumbles. Without another word, he turns on his heels and leaves Luke alone in the room.

Luke lets out a groan, tightening his fists and tossing his head back. Why are they so set on keeping him in the dark? What does Obi-Wan know that is so terrible that he won't talk about it? Luke's old enough to know about what happened in the past. He's not the same child that would have nightmares about Darth Vader finding Obi-Wan and killing him. He isn't the little boy that would cry at his vision of Darth Vader luring him to the dark side anymore. He can handle the truth now.

Luke grabs his lightsaber and exits the training room into the empty hallway. The silence only irritates him more. Why did he have to go and train? Why couldn't he be sent to his room like the others? Everyone else on base has to follow the rules. Why does he have to be the exception?

He storms to his room, smoke practically coming out his ears. All of this is some big joke. He wants to go to his room to sulk until Leia returns. He hopes that she will bring him some news otherwise this whole thing is pointless. Just before he reaches his room, a cry makes him freeze in his tracks.

Suddenly, all of the anger he was harboring has morphed into fear. The wails are loud, ricochetting off the white walls like a stray bullet. They send chills down his spine and make his heart swiftly beat. Goosebumps run down his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

Who is crying?

Whoever it is, they must be in trouble or deep pain because he can feel it. It feels like someone punched him in the gut. Things like this have happened before. He can sense people's emotions if he's close to them and if they're intense.

Luke goes against his better judgment and begins to follow the sound. He's not sure how he plans on helping them, but he must make them feel better. He has to do something if no one else will. He is also curious about who he has connected to this time.

At first, the path isn't anything significant. All he knows is that the sobs belong to someone on the base. Soon, he realizes where he's at. He's walked it a hundred at least. He keeps walking though, pushing aside the thought that it could be her. It has to be someone else in the area.

He rounds the corner and his eyes land on Bail Organa and some of the other senators. Luke ducks behind the wall, keeping his eyes on them. They're talking in hushed voices so it's pointless to try and listen to what they're saying. It's not like he could hear them over the sobs anyway.

He furrows his eyebrows, knowing the cries have to be close. He looks around for what room they could be coming from. Just at the end of the hall, right where Bail and Mon Mothma are chatting, he notices his mother's room. His stomach drops as he finally accepts who's crying out.

These tears, these painful mourns are coming from his mother.

He presses his back to the wall, trying to hold in his gasp. What happened at that meeting? Who has hurt her? Unable to take it anymore, he turns around, covering his ears. He can't listen to his mother crying like this. Someone has hurt her and he can't do anything about it. What kind of a son is he?

Tears prick in his eyes as he rushes to his room. Why can he feel the sadness she's radiating? It's like a beacon, striking something inside of him. He feels like he has heartburn, but he knows that it's his mother's heart breaking.

He finally reaches his room and slams the door behind him. He falls onto his bed, his breathing labored. He presses one of his hands onto his chest, hoping to release some of the pain. It does nothing. A few tears fall from his eyes and he quickly bats them away. He can't describe what he's feeling. All of this is so strange, so unnatural.

After a while, his breathing becomes stable. He can no longer hear her cries in the distance. He takes the pressure off his chest, noticing that his heartburn has faded away. He touches his face, glad to feel that there are no new tears.

His mother must have calmed down. Someone must be comforting her. He can no longer feel her sadness through all of the walls. Everything is back to normal mostly. He stays laying on his back though, trying to figure what happened.

Eventually, he can hear people returning to the hallway. Their sounds of laughter mock him in his state of confusion and mild sadness. He wishes he could be as carefree as them. When he was younger, he used to long to be normal like them. He would silently beg to have the Force disappear from him. Instead, it's almost as if he has grown in it. His life has just gotten a lot more complicated.

He wants to know what he just experienced, but the only one who might have the answer he turned away. He pinches his eyes shut, scolding himself. Why did he start that fight with Obi-Wan? Though he's never said it out loud, Luke knows how much his father means to Obi-Wan. Why did he have to push him to the breaking point?

Obi-Wan is probably so angry with him. After all, Luke did so many things wrong today. He used his anger to lash out at Obi-Wan. He accused him of hiding secrets and demanded to be told them. He tried to force a hurting man to talk about his deceased best friend.

What is wrong with him? Obi-Wan probably wants nothing to do with him anymore, not that Luke blames him. He doesn't want anything to do with himself at the moment either. He's selfish. He's nasty. And, most importantly, he's insensitive.

Without warning, Luke's door burst open. He jumps up from his bed, half expecting it to be Obi-Wan. Instead, he watches Leia close the door behind her. Finally, she has returned. He eagerly steps towards her. "So what did you—Oh, Leia. You smell awful." He comments, pulling away from her. He covers his nose, holding back gags. Why does she smell so bad? The stench reminds him of throw up.

He grabs a bottle of his cologne and quickly sprays her down. He can't be around such strong stenches for long without losing his own meal. Once the smell is masked, he finally has time to look at her. She's pale and her eyes are puffy. Leia is not knowing for crying, so something is definitely wrong. "What happened?" He asks, his eyes searching her face.

"Hold me. Please." She begs, rushing into his arms. He was so sure it was his mother that was crying. He heard the sobs coming from her door. Maybe it was Leia. It would make a bit more sense. There have been multiple occasions where they've been connected through the Force.

But why was she crying? Why did she feel so much pain? Something has shaken her up because he's never seen her so frightened in his life.

She must have been discovered and punished. "Did Mom find out? Are you in trouble?" He quickly asks. He looks down, feeling her trembling in his arms. He should have been with her. She shouldn't have done this alone. He should have pushed harder to be the one to listen in.

"No. Luke, this is much worse than that." She says, pulling away from him. He feels like chest tightening, watching the fear grow in her brown eyes. "The information I found. . ." She trails, her voice wavering.

Then a knock comes from the door. Both of them freeze, their eyes locking. Has someone found out what they've done? Neither one says anything, afraid of what is to come. They pray that the stranger will go away.

Another knock comes.

Leia shakes her head but Luke knows that he has to acknowledge that they're in here. "Come in." He says.

~~~~~~~~~~