While Vader Burned
The nights on the Sanctuary Moon of Endor were cool, with a slight breeze that traveled through the enormous trees which covered the entire terrain. Far away from the festivities taking place in the Ewok villages, that same breeze carried away the smoke which rose from the burning body of the once Darth Vader. A single tear drop traveled down the face of Luke Skywalker as he watched his father being turned to ash. He couldn't tell if that was a tear of sorrow, or a tear of joy. Luke felt a familiar presence, and with his peripheral vision, he saw the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi standing beside him on his left. Turning only his eyes toward Obi-Wan, Luke spoke…
LUKE: Well Obi-Wan, you got your wish. Vader is dead, and the Emperor has been destroyed.
OBI-WAN: You have done well, Luke! Your training as a Jedi is finally complete. But I sense you have mixed emotions about what has happened.
LUKE: Of course not. I did what had to be done.
OBI-WAN: Your thoughts betray you. What seems to be troubling you, Luke?
LUKE: Nothing. It's just not everyday one kills the greatest villain the universe has ever known…and the greatest Jedi.
OBI-WAN: I see. This conflict within you seems to dwell much deeper though I feel.
Luke paused for a moment, not knowing exactly what to say at this point.
LUKE: It doesn't seem right…that to become a Jedi, I had to kill my own father.
OBI-WAN: Darth Vader was not your father, Luke!
LUKE: I still think you deliberately deceived me on Tatooine! If you would have had your way, I would have never found out the truth about Anakin Skywalker!
Out of nowhere, another, quite smaller, yet just as powerful an image appeared to Luke's right.
YODA: No! Speak the truth Obi-Wan did!
LUKE: Master Yoda, you know I meant no disrespect.
YODA: A Jedi you may be, but a universe of knowledge, you still have yet to gain.
LUKE: I don't understand.
YODA: When the Dark Side a man embraces, die inside he does. Follow the Emperor down a dark path, Anakin did, and forever did he suffer for it. Brought him back, you did.
LUKE: "Brought him back?" He died because of me!
OBI-WAN: Luke, you did not kill your father. You made him one with the Force. And more importantly, because of your faith in the goodness which still lay inside him, the greatest Jedi the universe has ever known was reborn.
Luke motioned over to the burning body of Darth Vader.
LUKE: Now look at him…
Through the flames came the ghost of a very distinguished Jedi, Anakin Skywalker.
ANAKIN: You are as stubborn as I was!
Although Luke had never seen this incarnation of his father, he instantly felt a connection.
LUKE : Father!
Another tear fell down Luke's face, but this time, he knew why. Anakin smiled from ear to ear.
ANAKIN: You should really listen to these two, son – they know what they're talking about.
LUKE: I know, father, but…I'm sorry.
ANAKIN: Sorry? How can you say such a thing? You reached me when no one else could! Both Obi-Wan and Yoda warned me to be mindful of my emotions, but I just blew them off! After all that happened to me, fear and hate blinded me to the truth. That's when I started listening to Palpatine. Within no time, the Dark Side burned hotter inside me than these flames before you. As it burned, it hollowed out my soul, until I became nothing but an empty killing machine. You changed all that.
Luke wished his father could stay longer, but he knew that was not possible.
ANAKIN: Now you should go, Luke. You have many Jedi to find and train, a government to rebuild, and most importantly, a party to attend.
Luke knew his father was speaking the truth, so he simply smiled, waved at the three greatest men he ever knew, turned and walked away.
ANAKIN: And son!
Luke turned back to his father, who stood proud and happy for the first time in a long time.
ANAKIN: May the Force be with you.