--Disclaimer: And Star Wars still doesn't belong to me. You can relax now.

Repeating History

It was exactly the question Obi-Wan knew was coming, had practiced answering, and waited for every day, and still didn't know how to answer. Six-year-old Luke Skywalker blinked his wide green eyes—so similar to his—and asked again.

"How did my daddy die?"

Obi-Wan—or, Ben, as it was now—glanced down at the face that so resembled his father's, and looked away. "He…fought in the Clone Wars…" the hermit said slowly.

Luke's eyes became even bigger. "He was killed in battle?"

"Well…in a way…"

"In a way? What's 'in a way' supposed to mean?" The six-year-old asked, his nose wrinkling in confusion. "You're always talking in riddles, Ben."

"Seems to me that you just like talking in riddles, Master."

"…Ben?" Luke asked, sounding concerned.

Obi-Wan jolted out of his thoughts. "Ah…yes? Oh. Well, if I didn't speak in riddles you'd never figure anything out by yourself, would you, Luke?"

"Well, if I didn't speak in riddles you'd never figure anything out by yourself, would you, Anakin?"

The Padawan laughed. "Or I could just figure out something that you haven't."

Luke Skywalker laughed. "Or I could just figure out something that you haven't."

Obi-Wan's stomach lurched. "And what have you ever figured out that I haven't?"

"And what have you ever figured out that I haven't?"

"Well…"

"Well…" said Luke.

"Your fly's undone, for starters."

"Anakin! Why didn't you tell me before we left the hangar?!"

"…I'll have to figure that out, I guess," Luke grinned.

Ben Kenobi allowed himself to breathe again, relieved and a little bit disappointed that the similarities between father and son ended there.

The six-year-old stretched. He looked at Obi-Wan solemnly and said, "You're not gonna give me a straight answer about how my dad died, are you?"

There was a long silence. "No," Ben said at last. "Not yet."

Luke nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. But you'll tell me someday, right?"

"Someday," Obi-Wan echoed.

Luke seemed to take this as more of a promise. He grinned his father's crooked grin and said cheerfully, "My daddy was a hero—I can just feel it." He looked up at Ben, his face lit with determination. "I wanna be just like him when I grow up."

Obi-Wan didn't answer; he probably couldn't have answered if he'd wanted to. Luke said goodbye and began to leave the hut. "Oh," he said, as if suddenly remembering something. "Your fly's undone, by the way. See you later, Ben!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi watched the boy go, smiling despite himself.

(A/N: He's not grinning despite himself because his fly's undone, in case you were wondering…)