Was there something she could have done? In an odd way, Leia had wished he'd been there to see Darth Vader unmasked. At his most vulnerable. After he had redeemed himself.
Luke had told her that Vader had returned to the light side of the Force, that there was still good in him, which had been his last request. Anakin Skywalker was not a man Leia knew at all, rather his Sith persona that she resented for being partially responsible in the destruction of her home.
It had been hours since the celebration held on Endor with the Ewoks. Leia was, initially, happy, but the more she thought about it—Vader's death, her father's death—the more solemn she grew. Eventually, she sought out Luke, who was alone in his quarters.
"Luke," she said faintly.
Her brother had his blond head down, his lightsaber in his hands. "Hello, Leia," he replied, glumly.
She approached him. "Luke, I'm…I'm sorry."
"So am I," he replied, sighing slightly. "I'm sorry you couldn't get to see our father for who he truly was." It was still hard for Luke to accept Vader as his own father, let alone Leia's.
"I know; I wonder what he would've had to say to me."
Luke smiled slightly. "Something tells me that he would've been very proud of you, Leia."
"Really?" asked the Princess. "What makes you say that?"
"Think of how strong-willed you were. Wouldn't you say he was strong-willed?" he began. "Or how he stopped at nothing to do what he thought was right?"
"But he did all of that for evil."
"There was always still good in him. His dying wish was for me to tell you that I was right about that." Luke placed a hand gently on his sister's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up over this, Leia. You didn't get a chance to know him, and I barely got to do so myself."
"But…I wish I had."
"Maybe, if you concentrate hard enough, you will in time." Luke walked away from her and sat on his bed. "I'm going to get some sleep before we leave Endor in the morning."
"All right. Good night, Luke."
"Night, Leia."
Just as Leia was about to fall asleep, she heard a voice, almost whispering to her.
"Your brother was right, Leia," it said. "I'm very proud of you."
It was then that she knew she finally had not seen Darth Vader, but Anakin Skywalker, for herself.