But the Jedi had disappeared, and all Luke slashed through was his robe. Breathing heavily, Luke stared down at the crumpled cloth. Suddenly, his anger started to drain from him, and he fell to his knees in horror. "Obi-Wan," he whispered, his eyes welling up with bitter tears. What had he done?

Vader chose this moment to walk forward. "Good," he purred. "You did the right thing, Luke."

Luke swallowed, gathering up the fabric and clenching it in his hands. "He wasn't the one that killed her," he said in a hoarse voice. "He was like a father to me. He was all I had left."

"Luke," Vader said softly, "did Obi-Wan ever tell you what happened to your real father?"

"Yes," Luke said with a nod, looking dazed. "He told me you killed him."

Quietly, almost gently, Vader told him, "No, Luke. He lied to you. I am your father."

Luke heard the words, but it took him a while to understand them. At last, he finally spoke. "No. He would not have lied to me."

"But he did, Luke. Search your feelings. He lied to you, just as he betrayed me all those years ago. The Jedi are not to be trusted, Luke."

"But the Sith cannot love." Clenching a piece of fabric from Obi-Wan's robe, Luke got to his feet.

"And who was it that led to the death of your wife? Was it not the very man you were following? The Jedi you trusted?"

Luke clutched the fabric in his right hand, tucking his chin into his chest. Obi-Wan…

"The Jedi cannot be trusted, Luke. Obi-Wan's actions also led to your mother's death."

The young man lifted his head sharply. He felt like pieces of a puzzle had suddenly come together. This, then, must have been what caused the fall of Anakin Skywalker, what Obi-Wan had been fearing would happen to Luke. Having a jealous attachment to loved ones…Blaming the death of a wife on a man who had been like a father…

He knew Obi-Wan had truly cared about Anakin. Just as he had always truly cared about Anakin's son. And now, due to Luke's mistake, that man—that man who had been able to love in a way that was pure, untarnished by selfish attachment—was now gone.

But Luke would not become another Vader. Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he felt his anger draining away. He would forsake the darkness; he would return to the light.

"I will become a Jedi," he said aloud.

Vader sensed the change in his son's Force sense but tried to conceal his surprise. "You will return to those who killed your wife?"

Luke shook his head. "They did not kill my wife. They encouraged me to let her live the life she wanted to live. She would not have regretted dying as she did; she will simply live on in my memory."

Darth Vader took a few steps toward him, sensing that he was losing him. "The Dark Side could make you powerful. You could join me, and we could strike down the Emperor, ruling the galaxy as father and son."

"No," Luke shook his head. "I belong in the light, as do you, Father…I must leave and complete my training. But we will meet again."

Vader raised his lightsaber. "I cannot let the Emperor's prize go."

Staring with his crystal clear blue eyes into the dark glossy helmet of his father, Luke slowly shook his head. "You can, and you will, for I'm going to walk the path you should have."

As Luke put distance between him and his father, he felt saddened but free. He had loved his wife, and he always would. But the son would not repeat the mistakes of the father. Instead, he would reverse his spiral into darkness and focus his life back on the light…

He would live for his wife, even if he had to live without her.

He could feel Vader's eyes on him as he left the room. The Sith Lord didn't move to follow him, and Luke knew then that there was still good in him. He hadn't completely lost all of his family—there was still hope for a reversal.

Author's Note: And that's the end. I hope you don't despise it--I made a list of possible ways this could end, none of which I was happy with, but one night while lying in bed I came up with this. It's how I like to picture Luke--walking the path his father should have. The parallels I've created are an attempt to emphasize that. I hope you're not disappointed, but I appreciate both positive and negative feedback.