Truth
Author's Note: This is my take on why Luke constantly calls out to Ben when he only knew the man for a span of three days and as to why he, Anakin and Ben look alike in an eerie way. Ma'at is the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice.
Lies…he had told them since he could remember, since the day he had met Padme Naberrie Amidala and he continued to tell them as he grew older, as he tried to bury the truth from even Ma'at herself.
For the most part he succeeded to some degree.
Anakin would never know of his one night stand with Padme disguised as his padawan. She had been in so much pain when Anakin had left for a mission that he couldn't bring himself to let her feel that pain so he did the only thing he could have thought up at the time. He impersonated Anakin and comforted her. From there it escalated into something more…something he had hoped and yet dreaded for. He had come ready…ready to cover up his tracks and cover them well he did.
Jedi were hardly celibate and everybody knew that even though relationships were forbidden, the Jedi Code had never once spoken about one night stands. Padme was much more than a one night stand but he knew that he couldn't have her because he was too meshed with the Jedi Order, in too deep unlike his apprentice.
Oh he had known, had always somehow known in the deepest part of his heart that Anakin loved the former queen and now Senator of Naboo. Nor did he miss the wedding band hanging around her necklace.
He had known that Padme had been pregnant the day after because he could feel it, and simply knew for the child was his. However nobody could know the truth and so he secretly managed to inject Padme with special DNA carriers crafted from the Kaminoians to add some of Anakin's genetics in order to help cover up his actions. It wouldn't be much difficult since he and Anakin could easily pass as brothers with the same lean body frames, blonde hair and blue eyes, even down the similar cleft chins.
Years later after Padme's death, Anakin's fall and the separation of the twins, he watched them from afar, gauging and watching. On record the genetic tests would show up with mostly Anakin and Padme's DNA with some gaps with an unknown third party but it would be of little consequence to the doctors.
Though Leia took mostly after her mother he still could see some of himself in her mixed with Anakin. He wasn't sure to be thankful that she took after her mother more or not.
Luke…now Luke on the other hand was a perfect blending of all three and Ben could see himself in many aspects in juxtaposition with Anakin and Padme. Luke's cleft chin definitely belonged to him, Anakin's had been much more pronounced. Height too belonged to Ben and Padme. Anakin had been much too tall and would have shown through but apparently Luke's genetics were stronger on Ben's side than with Anakin's though the child did inherit both his and Anakin's powers in the Force.
Both were beautiful and both his children as much as Anakin's and Padme's. He loved them fiercely as he had loved Padme and Anakin both.
So he told them lies in order to protect them from the truth of his own selfishness though out of that selfishness was redemption. He told them that their father was Anakin Skywalker which wasn't a complete lie but neither was it the truth. Leia never knew for her ties with the Force were more muted than Luke's.
It had astounded him that subconsciously, somewhere in Luke's innocent mind that he knew the truth that his father wasn't only Anakin Skywalker but also Ben Kenobi. Even after death he still clung onto the secret as tightly as he could…yet now that Luke had matured, had come so far after the events of Endor, he knew that it was time…time to reveal the truth.
"Now's the time to tell him." Qui Gon said softly as he came up alongside Obi-Wan as he peered at the sleeping form of Luke.
"I fear of what he might think…might say Master." He replied.
"They have every right to know. You told me the truth and now it's their time to know. Luke has always been the closest to the truth and the most confused as to why he continually cries out to you in time of need as he did with me." Anakin answered as Ben turned around to face his apprentice, brother and friend. "They're your children as much as they were mine Obi-Wan."
The Jedi Master nodded soberly as he willed himself to take a semblance of form through the Force as he came to stand at Luke's bed. With gentle hands he reached out and placed it on Luke's head, feeling the soft golden hair before he willed himself to wake up his son…
"Luke…Luke wake up."
Eyelids fluttered then fully opened to reveal light blue eyes as recognition and joy dawned in them. Luke immediately sat up in his bed with a smile of joy at the sight of his deceased mentor and friend.
"Ben…"
The older man smiled sadly at Luke. "Yes. Though I said that I would be leaving…I came back to tell you something important. I couldn't leave you in full ignorance of the truth."
Luke gazed up at his once mentor in confusion. "Truth? What truth Ben?"
"When I told you that your father was Anakin Skywalker, I wasn't telling you the truth, nor was I lying either."
"Not my father?" Luke echoed in surprise. "How can that be? I felt it…I felt him. Ben what are you saying?" He asked gently though some pain leaked through.
Ben sat down at the edge of the bed. "Have you sometimes wondered why you have always called out to me when you've only known me for a grand total of three days and only as a ghost? Have you ever wondered why you've called out to me even when I had moved on?"
Unease settled at the pits of Luke's stomach. He had wondered at times. Wondered all the time why he called out for Ben with such vigor when he should have called for Anakin Skywalker more than Ben. Why? The question sometimes haunted him and at other times he disregarded it as just out of the fact that Obi-Wan been a kindly uncle figure to him the briefest of times that he had seen the man on Tatooine and later on the Millennium Falcon.
Now however, Ben was hinting at something more…something that gave him such a strong bond to the older man. He searched for the source to find chaos. There was a mixture of Anakin Skywalker…and Ben there. A tie that was as strong as the tie between him and Leia. But it made no sense. No sense whatsoever.
"No."
Compassion filled Ben's heart at the sight of Luke's confusion and turmoil. How he loved him…loved the both of them.
"You see Luke you're not only the son of Anakin Skywalker but also mine and your mother's biologically. Two fathers and one mother." He said softly.
Luke recoiled in surprise. It wasn't possible, was it? Yet seeing the pain in Ben's eyes, the shame and the joy told him that it was the truth that he had been kept from. Like before, he couldn't find it in himself to hate Ben for withholding the information. Searching through the Force he found that Ben's words were true. "How?" He rasped in surprise.
"Anakin and I loved Padme deeply. He was married to her and what I did was…is unacceptable. I impersonated your father and gave her comfort when he was away on a long mission. In order to cover up my tracks I went through necessary precautions to insure that the child that Padme was carrying would express Anakin's genes more than mine. On medical scanners your genetics would come up with that of Padme's and Anakin's gene expressions for the most part but there will be some blank spots that would come up unidentifiable, which were mine. Though not as strong as with Anakin and Padme, it's still there. Your height for example and your chin are partially mine."
The pieces that had eluded Luke fell into place making more sense, creating a larger picture of the whole scenario. He had wondered and he now knew why. "I've always known. Deep down…the reason why I cried out for you is because I knew that you were also my father…that you've watched me from afar on Tatooine and again on the Millennium Falcon but that you also loved my father as well. You were torn between being with me and confronting Anakin."
Ben bowed his head. "Yes. Please forgive me. What I did was morally wrong and unfair to you, your sister, Anakin and Padme."
"You don't have to apologize. We all make mistakes and we all move on…it's partially what you've taught me when you spoke of Anakin's fall."
Gratitude filled Ben as he felt tears well up in his eyes. Ready forgiveness…Padme's trait, Ben himself knew he couldn't readily forgive and Anakin- well Anakin knew how to hold grudges. A hand landed on his 'cheek' and he saw love in Luke's eyes and that was more than enough for him. He felt the Force drawing him back to her folds and he reached out to touch Luke's cheek.
"Tell your sister."
Clear blue eyes gazed at him with his shade of blue.
"I will."
There was no need for additional words, the feelings were more than enough as Ben allowed himself to be taken back into the Force.
