Revelations and Departures

Luke stood on the wooden walkway looking up at the night skies, he was alone for a moment till he heard Leia walking toward him from behind "Luke, what's wrong?" she asked as she stopped in her tracks. "Leia?" he asked as he turned to face Leia "Do you remember your mother? Your real mother?" he added as he then sat on the wooden rails of the walkway. "Just a little bit, she died when I was very young." Leia answered as she sat on the same rail he was on "What do you remember?" Luke asked, Leia thought for a moment before answering. In all of the years that Leia has known Luke, he has never asked about her real mother before "Just...images, really. Feelings" she finally replied, Luke still sounded insistent about knowing more. "Tell me" he said, Leia seemed a little surprised at his insistence though she didn't seem to mind answering, she turned her head away and slightly to the side as she sighed hard. "She was very beautiful. Kind, but...sad" Leia finally answered then looked back directly at Luke "Why are you asking me all this?" she asked now with her own eagerness of curiosity. To her surprise, Luke had his attention down with a sad expression on his face "I have no memory of my mother. I never knew her" he answered with an addition of sadness in his voice. Leia became more concern over Luke then curious about him at this time "Luke, tell me. What's troubling you?" she asked with her hand on his arm. Luke finally looked back at Leia before he answered, he knew this would scare her but he knew she had to know "Vader is here, now on this moon" he answered and his predictions were true; Leia was scared. "How do you know?" she asked with a voice of an alarmed tone "I felt his felt his presence. He's come for me. He can feel when I'm near. That's why I have to go. As long as I stay, I'm
endangering the group and our mission here. I have to face him". Leia became distraught and confused "Why?" she asked, at last, the moment Luke dreaded from his last encounter with Vader. A secret Luke debated about keeping between himself and his sweet Cindel but with her wisdom, Luke knew that if Leia had to know the truth about her origins, it would be best if it came from him.

Luke took a moment before answering her, without looking into her eyes, Luke finally revealed his dark secret "This is something only Cindel knows about, forgive me for keeping it from you" Luke had to apologies first before he continuing his revelation "He's my father" he answered with a firm and sincere tone in his voice. Leia looked at him more distraught "Your father?" she said with an expression of disbelief shown in her face as she repeated his statement. Luke felt Leia's hand sliding off his arm and she was moving away as if she were in denial, he placed his gloved hand over her's hand. "There's more. It won't be easy for you to hear it, but you must. If I don't make it back, you're the only hope for the Alliance" he said trying to remain composed and calm, Leia spoke back more serious and determine. "Luke don't talk that way!" she exclaimed "You have a power I-I don't understand and could never have" she said with a slight smile on her face hoping he would crack into a joke. Her smile vanish when Luke shook his head "You're wrong, Leia. You have that power too. In time you'll learn to use it as I have" Luke stopped and looked down again. He hesitated for another second "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it...I have it and-" again he stopped but only to look into Leia's eyes again "My sister has it" Leia stares into his eyes and what she sees there frightens her at first but she doesn't draw away. Luke sees her questioning face and he responded as if she asked him directly "Yes, it's you Leia" Leia looks downward to the side recalling all the times she had gotten along so well with Luke, never any negative tension with him the way she felt toward Han. The princess begins to understand, her strange drawn toward Luke from the moment she first met him on the Death Star. "I know" Leia finally admitted "Somehow...I've always known" she added as she turned her attention back to him "Then you know why I have to face him" Luke asked. Leia replied fast and with anger already in the process of developing "No!" she exclaimed loudly this time as she rose to her feet "Luke, run away, far away! If he can feel your presence, then leave this place. I wish I could go with you" Leia now spoke with scares and sincerity in her voice. Luke rose up to his feet "No you don't, you've always been strong", he explained with his hands gather both of her's. Leia tried hard to suppress her anger enough to remain composed, the task was hard "But why must you confront him?" she asked almost with her teeth gritting. "Because there is good in him, I've felt it. He won't turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try". Luke and Leia held each other close and looked into each other's eyes as brother and sister, Leia holds back her tears as Luke kissed her cheek then he turned away and then began to walk away from her making her let go of his ungloved hand. Luke made a turn around a corner and was about to press on walking but he stopped for a moment to turn to Leia who had been facing the opposite direction of Luke's. "Leia?" he said making her turn to face him "If you need to know anything else about him; Our father go to Cindel, she will know. I'd rather you learn from her then the way I did" he said. Leia still struggling to hold back her anger nodded her head to him without looking directly at him. Luke knew she was angry but sensed Han coming, he knew that Han would be the one to sooth her wounds, Luke left with the trust he in Han that his sister will be safe with Han.

Leia, bathed in moonlight alone with her thoughts, thoughts about all that she had been through since she first met Vader. All the pain he inflicted upon her and her friends, her adopted family and the man she loved. She wondered how Luke got through the ordeal of learning this terrible resolution then realized it was because of Cindel and she was grateful to that. Just then, she hears Han coming out of the Chief's hut and walking straight to her. "Hey, what's going on?" Han asked in his usual positive, Leia didn't allow herself to cry just yet, she fought that urge as she turned to Han. "Nothing, I just want to be alone for a little while" she replied as she turned away to hid her grief, Han wanted to believe she was alright but sensed there was something wrong. "Nothing?" he repeated then walked around her and sat on the same rail she and Luke sat on "Come on tell me, what's going on?" he persisted in asking. Leia looked at him, the man she loved so much and the one that Vader nearly killed was trying to be a comfort to her but Leia wasn't prepared to tell him all the horrible truth that she just learned. "I" Leia was about to speak but stopped and shook her head at the same time "I can't tell you" she added, Han became angry as he turned to where he saw Luke was walking to. "Could you tell Luke, is that who you could tell?" Han asked with an attitude of a jealous lover to his best friend. Leia became furious with Han's ridiculous jealousy "I!" she exclaimed then turned away to look out the woods thinking to herself 'You dumb idiot!', Han rose up as he gave out a frustrated 'ahh!' and waved a hand of defeat. Leia feels him about to leave 'fine go!' she thought to herself 'he could never understand' she added as she grunted out loud. Han was angry and wanted to leave but he held himself from leaving, sensing that he must be wrong to be jealous of something that might not be true. Whatever he didn't know or will never know, Han knew Leia was in pain and all he would want to do is whatever she ordered him to do. Han never loved taking orders from women even from Leia but for the first time since they met, Han turned to her with his hands on his waist and walked back to her. In a sincere and atoning voice, Han yielded her his chivalrous manners "I'm sorry" he said, Leia turned to him seeing his change and was touched. More than touched, she was overwhelmed with gratitude that he stayed, apologized to her and didn't quit on her, all her negatives and positive emotion finally gave her the impact blow she needed. Because the princess finally allowed her tears of angry, worry and despair pour out of her eyes and more the ever, she needed Han. "Hold me" was all she said as she rushed into Han with her arms around his waist; Han didn't question her this time though he wanted to. Han held onto her with his strong arms and felt her crying on his chest, Han never held or comforted a woman in his whole life and he never knew what to say in situations like this but with all his heart; he would hold Leia forever.

(Now this was Luke's departure from Leia, now comes the departure from Cindel, hope you guys like it)

Luke claimed down the rope to the ground, he managed to find the stables then found the path and began walking. Luke had to eliminate all that had passed between himself and Leia; he had to prepare himself before facing his father. After walking for about 30 minutes, Luke caught sight of a small and bright light flying passed his path. It fluttered all around him; Luke found it amusing as he chuckled while still maintaining his walking pace. "What a beautiful creature you are" he said as the bright flying chirping thing continued to fly around him and chirping happily, Luke then finally heard the river flowing ahead of him. The closer he got the louder the flowing waters became and finally he sighted more of those bright small flying lights, he then spotted the bridge and on it was Cindel. She was standing still in the center of it with thousands of those bright lights flying around her and over her head. Luke stood for a moment and looked at her smiling at all those chattering flying lights, she seemed to know them and expressed happiness to see them. "What are they?" he finally asked breaking the silence between them, Cindel smiled happy to see him. "They are called Wisties, their Queen Izrina worried that you would get lost finding this place, she insisted on finding you and leading you here" Cindel explained as she held her hand up for Izrina to land in the palm of her hand.

Luke finally approached Cindel and looked at Izrina in her hand smiling down at her "Then thank you your highness" he said politely, Izrina chirped a few words before finally flying out of Cindel's hand. A loud whistle was called out from Izrina and suddenly all the Wisties were following Izrina up to the night skies, leaving Cindel and Luke alone at last. "You looked like a princess of Endor" Luke said to Cindel, she turned and looked at him, Luke gathered Cindel into his arm for a warm embrace "Oh Cindel" he sighed into her bare shoulder, sending trembles down Cindel's body as she clingged onto Luke's body. "Forgive me" Luke said, Cindel became puzzled by his comment as she pulled away to look him in the eyes "For what?" she asked. Luke cupped her face in both his hands as he explained "This is the first time we are alone since the Cloud City, I am sorry that it had to be this moment, we could have had more after Cloud City but". Cindel cut him short with her fingers on his lips "I know you were angry, depressed and disturbed by the revelation and you needed time" Cindel explained but Luke shooked his head and removed his hands from her face. "You are half right, I couldn't let Vader know about you or the others, the dark force makes him want to do harm to you and the others just to wound me" he explained with his hands now on the rail looking up at the skies. Cindel looked up to him, thinking about the last time she met Vader "I don't know much about him but I know that he wants you to join him, against us" Cindel said, without looking at her, Luke replied firmly "Yes". Cindel could never see Luke become evil and fight against Han, Leia or even against her "I don't nor will I ever believe that you will ever turn against us" she said with her hands on his arm. Luke turned to her again "Leia doesn't believe there is good in him not even Ben, my master" Luke said, Cindel felt him feeling slight despair in his isolation of hope in returning his father. Cindel took hold of Luke's gloved hand, remembering when she witnessed Vader chopping his hand off, how frighten she was. "Leia has a right to be angry at Vader for all that he did to her and her friends" she said holding her look at Luke's gloved hand. Luke didn't worry or wondered what she would say would contradict his views on Vader. "But I know once she sees the good in like you do, she will understand your reason for believing, I only met Vader once but even I saw some hope" Cindel said now looking at him. Luke gripped onto her hands with both of his and held them to his chest "What exactly did you see?" he asked. Cindel looked away from Luke for a moment to think about her last moment with Vader "Sad, lost and anger, he mostly spoke about his wife, Padmé" Cindel explained with compassion and empathy.

"I know that some may not understand or forgive him but I must save him, it may mean that I may not come back. I just hope that you know how much you mean to me, Cindel" Luke said looking into her eyes. "I do" she said intensely, Luke once again touched her face with is human hand "Whatever happens, I would have spent the rest of my life with you" he said. Cindel closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his touch on her face, she recalled all her happiness from her childhood to the loss of her family to finding happiness again with Noa then loses him just as she found Luke now only to lose him and again. "I wish I could tell you how much you have brought into my life, I wish you could see and feel it" she says, Luke brought her close so their foreheads would lean on each other. "I know it and I feel it, your happiness is my happiness" he said before allowing his lips to touch her's, their arms folded around each other, clinging onto one another's bodies. They parted their lips, Luke once again took hold of Cindel's hands then looked toward the path in the woods to where he knew Vader would meet him at. Luke knew he had to go immediately and he had to say his goodbyes to Cindel. "Cindel, you have been the carrier of my secrets and my burden, I need you to tell Han, he has been the best friend I could have ever ask for the same with Chewie, 3PO and R2. As for Leia, I am glad to have her for a sister, let her know that there is still good in our father and I hope she finds it in her heart to forgive him". Cindel nodded her head in understanding his request and knowing he had to hurry and leave "I will, I swear to it…" Cindel finally allowed her tears to fall, Luke held her face again "I'm sorry!" she whimpered "Don't be, you are strong by showing your tears" he said. "I love you, Luke, I shall love you till my death" Cindel finally said without fear or hesitation, Luke never needed for her to tell him but hearing her say it made him whole. Luke pulled Cindel into one longer hug "With all of my heart, I love you too, my Maiden of Endor" he replied as he released her. Luke stepped back from Cindel looking at her then turned and kept on walking, Cindel watched as he disappeared into the woods alone, she felt herself becoming weak in her legs. She fell down trying to breath normally but with her sobs it wouldn't help, Cindel was surprised to feel a small furry hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Teek and Wicket looking at her with tears coming out of their own eyes. "Oh Wicket, Teek" she said as she took both their hands, the two furry friends gathered around Cindel and comforted her.