Their lightsabers crackle as they make contact. The motions are slow and deliberate, practicing perfect deflections. "Good. That's looking nice, Luke." Obi-Wan says as he walks around the twins. "Adjust your left foot, Leia, and you'll be perfect with that form."

Leia lets out a sigh, following his comment. She wants to be perfect. No, she needs to be perfect. When the time comes, she can't risk making a mistake. He is strong and has been training with a lightsaber much longer than her. Though she's been sharpening her skills, he is much more superior. He will have the upper hand when they finally meet.

Luke narrows his eyes and bites on his lower lip. Though Obi-Wan has told him he's getting better, he doesn't see it. He has been practicing outside of their lessons, but he feels like it has been nothing but a waste of time. He is not at the skill level he should be for when he meets his greatest adversary. If he doesn't improve any time soon, he will be nothing but a burnt child after their battle.

"Emotions," Obi-Wan says, catching their attention for a short second. "Don't let them control you. Work with them, use them to your advantage. Find the peace in the fight to see your opportunity to strike. Giving in to anger will only set you off balance."

The lightsabers buzz as they meet for one last time. Luke and Leia are both panting, their chests heaving up and down. Without speaking, they both turn their lightsabers off and walk to Obi-Wan. "Now what?" Luke asks as he places his hands on his hips. If he was allowed to, he would train all day with Obi-Wan. He wants to learn more about wielding his lightsaber and using the Force to his advantage. He needs to be prepared for his inevitable fight.

"I think we can be finished for now. You've been working really hard today." Obi-Wan says. He tucks his arms into his robes, somehow looking more relaxed than expected. It's almost as if now that the secret has been revealed that he feels better.

"No, please. Can you at least teach us one more thing for the day? I'm not quite ready to be done." Luke insists. He doesn't want to go off with his friends or hide in his room. His friends seem too carefree compared to what he's going through. He knows that he should allow himself some time to be a kid like them, but he can't do it right now. He needs to work out his own emotions involving his father before playing around.

Obi-Wan gives a soft chuckle. He won't say it aloud after the past few days, but Luke sounds just like his father right now. Always wanting to learn more, never wanting to stop. "What would you like to learn to finish off our lesson?"

Luke runs his hands through his hair, thinking. "You mentioned that our thoughts betrayed us at the table. What did you mean by that? And can we do something so that won't happen?"

"When you get older, you will be able to detect more with the Force. You and Leia already have a taste of what the Force can give you when you open yourselves up to it. You two know certain tremors in the Force and can sense other people's emotions. I've been working with it a lot longer and can use the Force to know what people are thinking about. I don't use it often because the results can be disastrous, but that night you two were as easy to read as a book."

"So what can we do? How do we prevent someone like Vader from reading our thoughts?" Leia asks as she tucks her loose strands of hair into her buns. She had been curious about this topic when it first occurred but forgot about it when things came crumbling down. She's thankful that Luke remembered and brought it up.

"Thankfully, you two are already acquainted with the Force. You have an idea of how it works. This should be fairly easy for you two to learn. The best way to keep someone from reading your thoughts is to completely block it out or think of something else. A few masters I knew used to clear their minds, but I was never good at that." Obi-Wan softly chuckles to himself, remembering the few times he had to protect the information in his head from others.

"Think of something else," Luke says, thinking to himself. "That doesn't seem too hard."

"It's harder than it sounds. You're supposed to think of something without thinking of what you don't want to disclose. Kind of complicated, but I think with practice the two of you will be able to get it down." He encourages with a smile. "We could try now if you like."

The twins nod their heads and close their eyes to concentrate. This type of training isn't common for them, but they are willing to learn. They want to be as prepared as possible for when they will inevitably meet their father. If learning how to block out others from their minds is an option, they'll do it.

"I want to know where the two of you were last night," Obi-Wan says. "Whoever slips up first has to share."

Leia clears her mind, thinking of nothing but pushing Obi-Wan out of her mind. She does not want to lose to Luke, especially after the beating she took today when sparring him. She thinks of nothing but darkness and emptiness.

Luke tries to think of something else, anything else than what he was doing last night. The only problem is, he doesn't know what to think about. R2 comes to mind, but he was with him last night. He begins to fumble, feeling a prickling feeling on the side of his head.

"Interesting, Luke," Obi-Wan says. The twins open their eyes to see him smirking. "Why don't you tell Leia what you were up to."

Luke looks over at his sister, who is sticking her tongue out in victory. "I was working with R2 on the X-Wings in the hangar. We were picking out his favorite one and designing it for our next flight."

"Of course," Leia says, playfully rolling her eyes. Luke and R2 are always out in the hangar working on the ships. Leia doesn't understand how Luke can find that interesting, but at least it gives him something to do on base. She doesn't really have a hobby besides preparing for diplomatic missions.

"Leia, why don't you share?" Obi-Wan asks, grinning at her.

"Why? I didn't lose." She replies as she tilts her head.

"You might have held out longer than Luke, but when I began to talk, you stopped blocking me from your mind. I was able to read your mind just seconds after you opened your eyes." He says, making her groan. "Come on. All a part of the learning curve. Now you both know not to let your attention get taken away too easily."

"Fine. For the sake of learning." She chuckles. She crosses her arms over her chest, glancing at Luke. "I was with Valora. We were having a girls' night. You know, braiding each other's hair and talking about everything going on on base. Nothing crazy."

"With Valora, I'm sure. Nothing crazy ever happens when she's around. " Luke sarcastically replies. Valora is one of Leia's few friends on base. She's loud, loves attention, and always takes things too far. Plus she always has to find a way to annoy him. Luke tolerates her solely for Leia's sake. At least, that's what he says.

Ignoring the comment, Obi-Wan presses on. "I want you two to try these techniques for the rest of the day. Just practicing blocking things out or thinking of other things. Nothing too fancy. Then at supper, if you would like, I can test you again."

Luke looks to Leia, who shrugs her shoulder. He nods his head. "Sounds good."

Obi-Wan gives them a quick smile then makes his way for the door. It's been a long day for all of them so they can understand why he's so eager to take a break. Jedi training is not an easy task, especially for someone his age. At least, that's what he tells them. Both of the twins like to think that he just says that so that they'll leave him alone so he can take his afternoon nap in peace.

As he crosses the room, a thought enters Leia's mind. How could she forget? She exclaims, "Wait, Obi-Wan!"

"Yes?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder.

She runs to his side, hardly able to keep the smile off of her face. "There's something I wanted to tell the two of you about my mission."

"What is it?" He asks, tilting his head to the side. If he had to guess, he would say that it has something to do with the rebellion or some political figure. Leia doesn't see too much action thankfully. Most of her work involves diplomatic missions from the Empire that require order and perfection. But she looks so happy that he knows that it couldn't possibly be about political work.

"I met two Jedi." She grins.

"You met two Jedi?" Luke cuts in, his blue eyes almost bulging out of his head. For their entire life, they've been raised as the last of the Jedi. The religion and order of it live within them and they would have to pass it on to younger generations someday if it is to continue. To hear that there are others out there like them seems almost impossible.

Then again, so was the thought of Darth Vader being their father.

Almost nothing seems impossible now.

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asks, his interest peaked. Suddenly, leaving to meditate in his room seems boring. He wants to know everything that she's discovered. Who else has survived Order 66? Are they old like him? Could they be someone he knows from his past life?

"I'm sure." Leia quickly nods. "They had lightsabers and everything."

"Not to sound negative, but anyone can carry a lightsaber, Leia," Luke says. He wants to believe her. After all, it is possible. Obi-Wan can't be the only one to survive Order 66. But it's so easy to get lightsabers on the black market. Any moron can swing their civilized weapons without understanding the complexity and history behind them. It doesn't take a genius to flick the switch and chop someone's arm off.

"I know." She replies to Luke. "But they used the Force. And they've clearly been trained to use the lightsabers. They weren't just swinging them around like kids trying to hit a piñata. They used techniques similar to ours."

"Did you catch their names?" Obi-Wan eagerly asks, stepping forward.

"Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger." Leia answers. She lets out a long sigh, slightly shaking her head. "They both looked really young. I know that Ezra is around our age, so that means that Kanan had to be the one to survive."

Obi-Wan furrows his eyebrows. "I can't recall a Kanan Jarrus. How old would you place him?"

Leia shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know. He can't be more than 30."

Obi-Wan frowns, pulling on his beard. "I spent some time with the younglings and padawans in the Temple but not enough to remember their names. I was too busy with the Clone Wars." He mumbles.

"Think about how young he was when Order 66 happened," Luke says, catching both of their attentions. "He was probably younger than us, Leia. I can't imagine being that little and having to fend for myself."

"I'm surprised nothing else happened to him," Obi-Wan says, shaking his head. "I felt lost when it happened and I could defend myself. I had a plan and people that I knew I could trust, like your mother and Bail. When you're young, like Kanan must have been, the Order is all that you know. You're raised in the Temple and depend on it for security, food, and family."

"I want to meet him," Luke says.

"As do I." Obi-Wan agrees. "I want to know how he survived through that chaos. Clones were hunting us down for a while after it was declared. He must have been living on the run for years."

"I can try to see what I can do. All I really know is their names, which I was informed about before the mission. I was not told that they were Jedi. I'm assuming that it's hidden from the rebellion." Leia says, partially thinking out loud. She can understand their reasoning for keeping it a secret, but this is the rebellion. Jedi are almost instantly accepted to high ranks for their talents and wisdom. The rebellion can also provide protection. Why would you keep it a secret from the rebellion?

"Thank you for telling me this," Obi-Wan says, grabbing Leia's arm. "This means a lot to me. To know that someone else out there is alive and carrying on our legacy. It gives me hope that the Empire did not wipe us all out."

"It makes me happy too. It's nice seeing that there are other Jedi out there still swinging." She chuckles.

"What color were their lightsabers? How did they tell you that they were Jedi?" Luke asks, wanting to know as much as possible. How was she able to keep this information from them until now? He would have been telling almost everyone. Her ability to wait until the right time has always been something Luke has admired. 

"I'm sure Leia will happily share everything she knows with you." Obi-Wan chuckles, lightly patting Luke's shoulder. "I'm going to leave you two alone now and go see what I can find on our mystery Jedi."

"Bye, Obi-Wan." Leia waves.

"See you at supper," Luke adds. Once he leaves the room, Luke turns to look at Leia. "Okay, seriously. Tell me everything." 

"I don't know. It all kind of happened so fast." She begins, finally letting herself dwell on the experience. She didn't want to tell anyone, including Bail and her mother, in order to keep the secret. There must be a reason why Kanan and Ezra didn't disclose the information with the rebel group. She doesn't want to accidentally turn them away by having this get out.

"What do you mean? Wasn't it just some stupid diplomatic mission by the Empire?" He asks, putting on a stupid grin to mock the mission and the Empire. 

"Yeah, but this time I could have been killed." She scoffs as she gives him a shove.

"Seriously? I thought what you did was like super secure." He replies, rubbing his arm.

"It usually is. But when you have Jedi waving around blue and green lightsabers, stormtroopers are going to fire. And their blasters are not set to stun when dealing with rebels. Plus, we all know that they don't have the best aim." 

"Blue and green?" Luke exclaims, completely ignoring the part that she was fired at and almost killed. "Who has a green lightsaber like me?"

"Ezra," Leia answers with a soft smile. "You know, you two would probably get along really well."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you both think having a green lightsaber is so cool. Gotta show it off every chance you get." She says, mocking him with jazz hands. "It's clear that blue is superior, but you don't see us constantly bragging about it."

"You're just jealous that yours isn't green." 

xxx

In order to be assigned to their base, you have to pass a series of tests. They want to ensure that whoever has a chance of being this close to high ranking rebel leaders is not a spy or something worse. The rebellion can not risk losing their leader or a well-known Jedi High Council Member. Along with the tests, they have other precautions set up. Obi-Wan goes by an undercover name and Padmé is rarely seen outside of her quarters or well-guarded meeting rooms. 

Though it is difficult to reach them, there are even more tests in order to be with the twins. These tests are mostly observed, usually seeing how they react with others and things they've said when they think they aren't being watched. As a final test, Padmé and Obi-Wan have to approve of them. If you falter on anything, it's almost guaranteed that you will not spend a single second alone with either of the twins.

Even after all of this, their friends are not allowed to know much information about them. For example, no one on the base has any clue that they are Jedi. Luke and Leia both understand why they have to be under so much security, especially after the discovery of who their father is. But it still feels like Obi-Wan and their mother are too protective. It's hard to make friends when they have to be watched so closely in the beginning.

Wedge and Valora are a part of the select few who the twins are allowed to be close with. Both of them were approved and passed every test necessary. In fact, they passed easily, showing their true colors when they first arrived on the base. Even so, the twins have to be careful about what they share. 

Currently, all four of them are hiding away in Leia's room. None of them want to deal with the drama happening on the base or in their personal lives. "Is it true that Kuiper is thinking about becoming a pilot?" Leia asks as she braids Valora's long blonde hair.

"I don't know." Wedge replies as he picks at the dirt on the bottom of his boots.

"Luke probably knows." Valora smirks, holding back a laugh as she watches Luke silently mock her out of the corner of her eyes.

"For your information, I do know." He replies as he glares into her green eyes. He then goes back to cleaning his blaster with a more playful tone. "He is thinking about it, but he isn't sure he wants to deal with all of the requirements."

"That's Kuiper for you." Wedge laughs as he slightly shakes his head. "He can't have too many rules."

"And what's that whole deal with him and Faye? Are they like a thing?" Valora asks, tipping her head back to look at Leia. 

Leia shrugs her shoulders then tips Valora's head back down to continue her work. "Luke?" 

"From what I've been told, he's been meaning to ask her, but she's never alone. She's always with someone." He quickly answers.

Valora laughs. "Why do you know all of this?"

Luke chuckles as he runs his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. People either think I'm not listening or they come to me for all of their problems. I guess I'm just approachable."

"Sure." Wedge playfully says, making Luke tackle him.

As the two of them wrestle, Leia finally finishes Valora's hair. "Done!" She cheers, tossing her hands into the air. She grabs her mirror and holds it out in front of Valora. "What do you think?"

Valora smiles, running her fingers over the braid weaved on her head like a headband. It's intertwined with an orange ribbon to match her pilot suit. She lets out a sigh, shaking her head. "It's terrible. Take it out." She sarcastically says.

"You're so ungrateful. I hate you." Leia laughs as she snatches the mirror from Valora's hands.

"Oh, please. You love me." Valora cheers, pulling Leia into a tight hug. 

"Whatever," Leia smirks. The two boys get out of hand, tumbling into them. All four of them are sprawled out onto the floor. Leia would normally yell at Luke for being annoying, but instead, she bursts into a fit of giggles. 

"You two are so stupid." Valora says between pants as she lays on her back on the floor.

"Hey, you're just as stupid. You still hang out with us." Wedge counters as he places his hands underneath his head. Neither of the girls says anything, knowing that he's right. The four of them may be stupid, but it's always fun. There's never a dull moment when they're together.

A silence settles between and Luke feels like he needs to say something to take it away. "I wish it could always be like this." The other three groan. "What?"

"Why did you have to say that?" Valora asks, tilting her head to the side to look at him.

"Because it's true." He says. "I feel like we shouldn't have to be worrying about war and piloting and our aim and everything else stressful. We should get to screw around all day and do things because we want to, not because it's our duty."

"I wish. That sounds like a dream." Leia smiles as she closes her eyes. If only the galaxy wasn't filled with so much pain and chaos. Their mother and Obi-Wan talk of times before the Empire, even before the Clones Wars. Things seemed to be so much more peaceful. Of course, there were still systems and planets that needed help, but they had the Jedi for that. Kids were allowed to be kids for the most part back then.

If she could time travel, that's where she would want to go, for even just a day.

"Luke has always been a daydreamer." Valora teases as she flicks his forehead.

He wants to be mad at her, but he smiles instead. Being a daydreamer can sound like an insult when used in the wrong way, but Valora made it into a compliment surprisingly. "What? Someone has to be positive in this group."

"If you're the positive one, then Leia has to be the negative one." Wedge pipes up. Leia pouts at him and he gestures for her to let him explain. "I mean, the two of you got to balance each other out. That's what makes you such a good team. You've got a yin and yang thing."

"Oh jeez, we're getting philosophical. Time to change the subject!" Valora singsongs, making them chuckle.

At that moment, Luke and Leia's comlinks beep. "There's a subject change for you." Leia smiles as she rolls onto her stomach. "I'm assuming it's Uncle Ben wanting us to join him for supper." 

"Aw, I thought you two were going to join us tonight." Valora pouts as she follows Leia's lead.

"Sorry. We can't tonight. Tomorrow?" Luke asks.

"We'll save you a seat." Wedge promises. The four of them exit Leia's room. They make their way to the mess hall, splitting once they enter. Valora and Wedge join a table filled with other teens their age. Leia and Luke watch, feeling like they're missing out. It's a silly feeling, but it still makes them feel a tinge of sadness. They will never quite fit in with the others because of their mother and unseen future.

They arrive at Obi-Wan's table, forcing smiles. If he notices, he doesn't say anything. He just pushes them a tray filled with sweets. "Don't let your mother know." He says with a grin.

"Your secret is safe with us," Leia says as she grabs her favorite from the pile.

"I figured that now would be a good time to practice your new skills. There are a lot of distractions, which can either aid you or be your demise." He explains, looking around the noisy mess hall. "Who were you two with this afternoon?" He asks, beginning to search their minds.

Somehow, through all of the yells and movements around her, Leia is able to quiet her mind. Just like before, she puts all of her focus on blocking out Obi-Wan. She wants to show him that she is learning and will not let him down. 

Luke begins to think of the people at the table over. Of course, none of them are people he spends his free time with. He hopes that Obi-Wan doesn't know that and falls for the bait. He will read his mind and see the strangers and think that they were with him.

After a few minutes, Obi-Wan lets out a sigh. "You two were with Valora and Wedge."

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Luke asks, surprised that Obi-Wan was able to get into either of their heads. 

Obi-Wan shrugs with a sly smile as he picks up his cup. "I saw you two walk in with them." 

Leia playfully rolls her eyes as Luke laughs with Obi-Wan. She was worried that somehow Obi-Wan had been able to read her mind. Instead, he had just gotten tired of watching them attempt to stop him and just pretend he figured it out. 

"So how did we do?" She asks with a hopeful smile.

"You two did very well. You each used a different technique, but they worked. I want you to continue practicing, of course, but you don't have to worry about anyone using mind tricks to get information out of you. I'm very proud." He says.

"Okay, but who was better?" Luke asks, making Leia groan. It's always a competition with him.

"Sorry, I'm going to have to give this one to Leia," Obi-Wan says. 

"Dang it." He grumbles. 

Throughout the rest of the meal, hope begins to fill inside of Luke and Leia. When it comes to actually battle, they don't stand much of a chance against Darth Vader. Both of them have been training since they were young, but throughout that time, Vader has been training too. He knows more moves and strategic plans.

But this new skill can stop him from figuring anything out. He will not be able to search through their minds to discover that he is their father. He won't be able to get information out of them about the rebellion or their mother unless they tell him themselves. 

They still have a lot to learn before they will feel confident against him, but now learning new skills doesn't seem so scary. More practice can only mean that they will get better. If they push themselves to perfect their forms and whatever else Obi-Wan suggests, maybe they will be a bigger threat to Vader than he has any idea.

After all, the Jedi are supposedly dead.

How could he possibly expect two kids to defeat him using lightsabers and the Force? He won't know what he's getting into when they finally make their appearance.

~~~~~~~~~~

Next week I might be without wifi so if I don't update on Friday that's the reason. If I do miss next Friday, I will update as soon as possible and still publish the next chapter on it's Friday like usual! Thanks for all of the support I've received on this book so far, you guys are amazing!