After a week of vigorous training, I woke to find Kenobi in his "Ben" clothes. "We're going to see Luke. Lars will be wondering about you and me. Introducing you will give us a chance to check on the boy." I nodded; this planet was the perfect place to hide young Skywalker but no place was fully safe from the emperor and his forces. "Remember Jani I mean 'Jane', Luke believed his father was a merchant, a great pilot." I snorted, "Well at least they got it part right, though the mature responsible merchant part doesn't fit quite right." Kenobi gave a little sad smile "When I first meditated here, I felt Luke's force." Obi-I mean Ben's eyebrows raised, "Really? From here?" I smiled "Yes, Yoda's training is very effective. Luke is so strong, it's like we're guarding a superweapon." Ben looked thoughtful "In a way we are." We rode Kenobi's old speeder which was a nice change to walking and got there quickly. Luke was waiting for us. "Hey Ben, guess what I got that motor you gave me fixed! You were wrong it was actually a really beat up speeder motor! I'm going to build one for myself!" The boy jabbered on tugging at Ben's hand towards one of the buildings. "Whoa boy, wait I want your Uncle to meets my niece first." He looked disappointed so I spoke up, "You fixed a motor all by yourself Luke?" he nodded proudly and I turned to Ben, "Smart kid. Got it from his dad I suppose." Luke gawked, "You knew my dad!" I smiled, "'Friad not though Ben's told me all sort of stories." He was going to ask more when a large dark man appeared out of the house.
"Hello Ben, this must be your grandniece, Jane." Ben stiffened just a bit and nodded, "Indeed it is. They always seem to get back to you somehow." Lars nodded solemnly; everything about this man was solemn, poor Luke. But he had a kind face and I could see love in his eyes. Kenobi had told me of how Lars thought his half-brother's Jedi affiliation was strange and frightening and tried his best to forget about it. At least he didn't know the whole dark tale. "Well, I'm sure Luke's just bursting to show you his crazy motor, kid thinks he can build a speeder! Go on Luke." Luke thanked his uncle and pulled us both to the garage area. It was littered with tools and metal, strange rusty assortment of items. On a table was a large motor. It looked beat and burned but it was set on the table like a trophy on a pedestal. "What do you think Ben? Do ya think I could get it into a speeder?" Ben looked thoughtful and poked and prodded the hunk of metal fiddling with it. "Well, Luke it defiantly looks functional; however it's made of junk so you'll have to build everything around it, it'd be quite a project." Luke was jumping in excitement, "What do you think Jane?" I shrugged, "It just looks like a hunk of metal to me. I'm not much of a mechanic." Luke looked disappointed again for a moment but then started to explain it to me. At first it was over my head but before long I began to understand little Luke's amazing motor. He told me what did what on the machine and was so proud it made me smile just watching. I could hear Kenobi muttering, "Just like his father…" and by the time Lars called us in for lunch I just about understood how the motor's different machine parts worked. After lunch Ben and I took our leave, young Luke begging for us to come again soon.
When we got home I came up with an idea. I decided that I'd go back to Luke more often unto the pretense of checking up on his speeder and learning from him all about the complex mechanics he understood so easily, and checking on him and watching over him at the same time. I couldn't fool Obi-Wan though, he knew I really did want to know the technology, but he agreed and a week later I returned. Luke really was an amazing kid; he did continue the speeder from junk traded from anyone from friends to Jawas. Between him and Kenobi's teachings my hot days went by quicker than expected.
After a year and a half, my visits slowed because I did not want Luke to get to know me to well or become too attached to me. Also it was unsafe for me to be well known in the region. I mostly continued my vigorous training with Master Kenobi. He was kind and very powerful. He seemed to throw off his age when we sparred enjoying the heat of battle. I could see the famous General Kenobi when we fought. He told me not long after I arrived that having me around finally gave him something to do. I learned much more about him and Anakin as he told me tales of their adventures. They were closer then I had known. How Anakin had been able to deceive Obi-Wan became both clearer and more confusing at the same time. Obi-Wan had not wanted to believe Anakin was slipping away though he sometimes saw it. After much pondering I was able to think back and put the pieces together in retrospect. Anakin's fall began with his lying to Obi-Wan, his obsessive attachment to Padmé and the fear of her loss, and his pride.
Obi-Wan recalled how close Anakin became to the Emperor (or Chancellor then) before the Jedi Massacre. He must have slowly poisoned Anakin's mind, playing off his weaknesses. What could he have promised? Only the seductive taunt of the power of the dark side. He was already strong and being told he was the one of prophesy often didn't help. That and his successes must have been giving illusions of power and created a craving for more. With his attachment and secret marriage to Padmé he must have become obsessed in his secret and her protection. Yet he had been the one who killed her. The guilt of that must have driven him mad. Then I was told stories of Vader, the man in the dark suit, he was merciless and obeyed the Emperor like a well-trained dog. He has nothing left, nothing but his guilt and power. Even his humanity was stolen after the fires of the lava. He is mainly cyborg, needing his suit to live. The emperor's weapon; a tool to be used. My pity for him increased and my sorrow as well. One day I asked Obi-Wan when he would tell Luke who his father was. He told me Luke must not know, the knowledge would be like a beacon to Vader, though one day Obi-Wan would train Luke and he would fulfill the prophesy of his father. Until then we waited.
