This story wouldn't leave me alone. I always thought that the scene in ROTJ where Luke lights the funeral pyre for his father was touching, and I wanted to put in what I thought he was thinking about. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. The only character I own is my OC.

Reflection

Luke stared blankly forward, alone with his thoughts as he watched the flames consume the remains of his father. It had been difficult work, gathering the wood, but he had to do it, not only for his father, but also for himself. He couldn't let his father lie on the Death Star; Anakin Skywalker deserved more than that, even Darth Vader deserved a proper burial, despite his crimes. Yoda had educated him on the funeral pyres constructed for Jedi in the Republic, and Luke immediately knew what he had to do as he held his dying father on the Death Star. Though it had nearly cost him his life, he was able to escape with his father's remains.

It was hard to believe he was just recently onboard the Death Star. There was now no trace of the space station, only small remnants which had drifted off into space. The events that had taken place on the Death Star felt like they had happened a long time ago.

Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, the Chosen One—all of these names were used to describe his father, and yet none of them truly did. His father was once Anakin Skywalker, then corrupted by Darth Vader, but now he was neither. In fact, he was much more.

He had experienced the extremes of both sides of the Force—light and dark—and even though he had forsaken the Dark Side, he would always understand it better than perhaps anyone Luke knew. Whatever had driven his father to the Dark Side—and Luke imagined he would never know for sure—it had somehow dwindled away when he saw his son in peril, proving that the Light in him had not been completely extinguished. Luke was glad his actions had not been in vain, though during their battle, he did begin to have doubts. Turning his father was his most important goal; even defeating the Emperor did not come close. Perhaps it was selfish of Luke, but if he and his father could have escaped the Death Star together, but leave the Emperor alive, Luke would have seized upon that opportunity.

He shook his head, grief overcoming him as well as guilt for his selfish thoughts, but he managed to compose himself, remembering Master Yoda's words. He wouldn't give in to anger again, and his grief could easily turn to anger if he dwelled on it. He almost made that mistake on the Death Star.

He lashed out, his father's discovery of Leia pushing him over the edge. He didn't remember his initial reason for coming on the Death Star—all that mattered was stopping Darth Vader from harming his sister, or any of the others.

His blows became fiercer, and he could hear his father's labored breaths. This only angered Luke further, and as his father fell back, Luke struck repeatedly until he felt his lightsaber slice through the prosthetic arm, and then—

Horror, Luke remembered, he felt such horror when he looked down at his helpless father. He swore to never become him, and instead of fighting the Dark Side, he had eagerly embraced it. He was glad that Ben and Yoda's teachings held firm, when the Emperor ordered the still shaken Luke to finish off his father.

The flames were beginning to melt the metal holding his father's suit together. He wondered how long he stood there, with only his thoughts as company. He wondered if Leia would have wanted to be here, but quickly discarded that thought. Darth Vader had tortured her, and even though she was his daughter, she would never forget that. Han would have felt the same, and Luke couldn't completely blame him, as Darth Vader had forced him to live in carbon hibernation. Serena would also decline, for the same reasons as her brother. Luke wouldn't even ask Chewie, as his reaction would have been instantly hostile. Even though Anakin Skywalker had returned, Luke knew they would not understand the difference. Sometimes he wondered how he could.

He had come a long way from that naïve, world ignorant farm boy. Even though Serena and Han still teased him about it, he knew he was no longer that person. The events before Bespin felt like they had happened to someone else in another life. He wondered if his Aunt and Uncle would be proud of the man he had become.

"Are you alright?"

The voice startled him, causing him to jump a bit. He relaxed quickly, recognizing the voice, "Serena."

He heard a laugh, "Lost in your thoughts?"

He attempted to laugh, but it fell short, "I guess you could say that."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She approached, and Luke gave her a small smile, unable to keep the stoic look upon his face completely.

Serena returned his smile, waiting patiently for him to elaborate, if he chose to do so.

He knew he couldn't tell her these things, even though she would try to understand, so he simply shook his head. She smiled sadly at him, somewhat understanding his feelings as he glanced towards the pyre. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Darth Vader's suit had melted down, and she hoped to take his mind off the recent events, "Come on, farm boy. Let's get back to the others—they're worried."

He glanced at his father one more, before nodding quietly and following her lead.

When Serena led him back, he was immediately swarmed by the others, glad to see he was alright. Leia ran towards him, hugging him tightly. Luke couldn't keep the smile off his face at their show of worry. Even Han hugged him, beaming brightly. Lando, though much more reserved than the others, hugged him as well.

Luke, though feigning happiness for his friend's sakes, moved away as soon as he had to opportunity to do so. He wasn't in much of a celebrating mood, even though he and the other Rebels had been working for this for many years now. Leaning against a tree, he was not prepared for what he would see next. Two familiar figures stood in the distance—Yoda and Ben. He smiled at the sight, but even as he smiled at his two former mentors, another figure came forward.

This man was handsome, and much younger than the other two Jedi. He wore the robes of a Jedi, and smiled with pride at Luke. Luke's eyes widened before a true smile appeared on his face. This man must have been his father. It was certainly the change from the pale, scarred man he had seen on the Death Star.

He heard footsteps approach him, and truly smiled at his sister as she stood by his side. He wondered if she could see Ben, Yoda, and their father as well, but decided not to ask her. Perhaps he could later.

After one last glance at his father, who looked at his children with pride, Luke turned back with Leia to rejoin the celebration, already in a much better mood.

As the Jedi joined his friends, listening to their idle chatter, Serena leaned against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Though his life was filled with difficult choices, at this moment, he knew he had chosen the right path, and he was grateful for that.

There it is—the end of the one-shot. I hope you all enjoyed it!

By the way, if you're curious about Serena, she is an OC of mine, the sister of Han Solo. If you liked her, you can see more of her in my other story Demands of Fate.

Thank you for reading and any kind of feedback is appreciated! :)