A/N: Hello and welcome! As always, thanks to all the reviews and followers. Y'all really make my day! So ... here we go. We are to the original trilogy now. I will NOT be covering it the way I did the prequels. We're coming to the end now, probably another chapter, maybe two, and then the epilogue. Let me know what you think. :)

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I really do wish I owned Star Wars ... but I don't. Kat/Rela and Thaya are my only creation.

2 years later, 0 BBY ...

There was a blue planet hanging in the blackness of space, surrounded by Star Destroyers. TIE fighters and X-wings buzzed around them, obviously locked in battle ...

White clad stormtroopers fired at rough clad soldiers on the surface of a tropical planet. The sense of desperation and determination was strong on both sides. A massive black tower rose in the distance and it seemed like the fighting was most intense closer to its base ...

A huge, gray sphere emerged from hyperspace above the blue planet, the concave circle on the front angling down towards the surface ...

... the black tower was engulfed in massive flames ...

Rela jerked awake, her heart beating erratically. It had been many years since she'd had a dream like that and she knew something momentous had happened or was going to happen. Nothing she had seen was familiar besides the stormtroopers. She didn't recognize the tropical planet with the black tower nor did she have any idea what the significance of the massive gray sphere was, though she doubted it was anything good. Over twenty years earlier she would have reached out into the Force to see what her dream meant but with the veil of the Dark Side concealing so much she knew it was pointless to try. What she could feel was worrisome. Glancing to her side she sighed when she saw the empty space in the bed. Ben had left for one of his rambles late the day before and there was no telling when he would return. She wished he was there, though, as she did not like the coldness she felt when thinking about what she'd seen in her dream. After several moments she laid back down and pulled the blanket to her chin, staring at the ceiling and knowing sleep would be elusive the rest of the night.

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"Are you alright, Mother?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You seem preoccupied and tense."

Rela shrugged. "Just had an unsettling dream last night. It has been some time since I last had one." Thaya looked at her pensively for a moment.

"Did Father say when he would be back?"

"No, my dear, but you know how he is. He'll sit somewhere meditating for hours."

"He's been gone for over a day." Rela just smiled at her daughter.

"When he's found what he went out there looking for he will be back." Her daughter just shook her head then went back to the blaster she was cleaning. Ben had become much more pensive since the encounter with Maul and had taken to wandering off to meditate for hours at a time. This was the longest he had been gone, though, and Rela decided if he wasn't back by midday she would go looking for him.

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"Someone's coming, Mother!"

Rela hurried to the open door to stand beside her daughter, easily spotting the swift moving speeder coming towards them. Only Bree and Rogen had ever visited them at their home and she knew that was not their speeder. She wished she still carried her lightsaber but it was safely tucked away. Thaya took out her binoculars and after a moment a grin crossed her lips.

"It's Father ... and Luke!"

A mixture of relief and then anxiousness coursed through her. First her dream and now her husband appearing with Anakin's son ... it wasn't just coincidence. Things were about to change. When they finally stopped in front of the house she was in for another surprise and Thaya looked at her sharply at her quick gasp. She stared in amazement as Artoo followed Luke in the door and she realized he was carrying pieces of Threepio! Never had she thought to lay eyes on those two droids again. She met Ben's eyes as the young man took a seat on the edge of Thaya's bed.

The time had finally come.

Idle small talk was made while she brought out something for everyone to eat and drink. Thaya was asking Luke about what had happened to them as he worked to put Threepio back together, with the golden droid filling in what he remembered about the Sandpeople. It was when she asked him where he'd gotten the droids in the first place that the conversation took a turn that she suspected Ben was waiting for.

"We used to have many droids doing things for us in the Jedi Temple. I remember your father, when he was younger, would take some of them apart just to see how they worked and if he could modify them in any way. He had one very loyal droid that stayed by his side throughout the Clone Wars. It followed him into many battles."

"No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter."

"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals; thought he should've stayed here and not gotten involved."

"You fought in the Clone Wars?"

"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father."

"I wish I'd known him."

"He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself." Luke shrugged a bit. The smile on Ben's face turned thoughtful. "And he was a good friend ... which reminds me ..." He got up and dug around in a chest he had purchased years ago. When he turned back to Luke Rela bit her lip to keep from saying anything in her surprise.

"I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damned-fool idealistic crusade like your father did." She met his eye with a raised eyebrow, amused at his tale.

"Sir, if you'll not be needing me I'll close down for a while," Threepio said. Luke nodded, hardly looking at him. Rela stared at the droid for a moment, wishing she could talk to him about what had happened to Padmé but she knew his memory had most likely been wiped as soon as he arrived on Alderaan. Ben handed the lightsaber to Luke who stood as he took it in hand.

"What is it?"

"Your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster." Luke thumbed the switch, staring at the blue blade in awe and wonder. "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations the Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic." His eyes took on a dark, far away look. "Before the dark times ... before the Empire."

Luke turned to him, retaking his seat as he flicked the saber off. "How did my father die?"

His question hung in the air between them. Ben and Rela gazed at one another, silently asking the other how much the young man should be told.

Ben took a deep breath. "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father." Rela felt Thaya's jolt of horror at what her father was saying and she could easily read Luke's emotions. She wished they could tell Luke the whole truth but she knew he wasn't ready for the burden that knowledge would place on him.

"Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force," she said quietly.

"The Force?"

"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. Its an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together," Thaya recited. He looked at her with wide eyes.

"You know about the Force?"

"Of course. Father and Mother have trained me since I was a small child."

Luke nodded though Rela could tell he wasn't entirely sure of what he was hearing. He went back to working on repairing Threepio and Artoo beeped a few times, pulling their attention to him. Ben patted him on the head, a fond smile on his lips.

"Now let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend, and where you come from."

"I saw part of a message ..." Luke was cut short when Artoo began playing the message he was carrying. When the hologram appeared she felt tears prick at her eyes. Rela didn't need to be told to know who they were seeing.

"I seem to have found it."

"General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request in person but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed."

She was amazed at the thought that Padmé's daughter had been coming to find them after all these years and horrified at the knowledge that she had been attacked. And she was running missions for Bail? It seemed her mother's aptitude for politics had been passed to her daughter. Rela glanced up at Ben. He wasn't looking at her though, his attention focused on the flickering image before them.

"I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."

The transmission cut off and silence filled the house. Ben sat back, staring thoughtfully at where Leia's image had been. Rela thought of the dream she'd had the night before. She had been right: something had happened or was about to happen.

Ben suddenly sat forward, his eyes on Luke, a knowing, almost excited gleam within them. "You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan."

"Alderaan?" Luke laughed as he leapt to his feet. "I'm not going with you to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is."

"I need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it right now." He sighed and hung his head. "Its such a long way from here."

"That's your uncle talking."

"My uncle ... how am I ever going to explain this?" He rested his hands on the top of Artoo's dome.

"Learn about the Force, Luke."

They all waited for the young man's answer. His conflict was easily felt and Rela could sympathize with him. Even with the scant information he'd just learned had turned a lot of what he thought he knew about his life upside down. Now he was facing a huge decision: leave the comfort of home or set out to fulfill his destiny. She did not, however, feel any sympathy from Thaya. In fact her daughter seemed to be simmering with anger but she was shielding her thoughts quite well.

"I can help you, Father."

Ben shook his head. "Thank you, Thaya, but I'm afraid you can't help this time. This has been placed before Luke and I."

"Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going," Luke finally said, his voice full of regret.

"You must do what you feel is right, of course." With those words Ben rose from his chair and headed into the bedroom he had added on to their little house when Thaya was born. Rela followed him, waving a hand to close the door behind them.

"Obi-Wan ... " she said softly as she watched him put a few things in a small satchel and clip his lightsaber to his belt. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say but she did know she was going to use his name again from here on out. He came to her side and took her hands.

"Katavé, we knew this time would come. When we first heard rumors of a rebellion we knew that eventually they would seek us out."

"I know. We've been waiting for this opportunity for almost twenty years but now that its here ..." She gripped his hands tighter. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to, you know that. My purpose in coming here was to keep an eye on Luke and help him when he was ready. Now he is ready, though he's not fully aware of that fact yet. Someone has to teach him to become a Jedi if we want any chance of defeating Palpatine."

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I'm afraid. Vader is out there ... "

"Yes, and if it is my destiny to cross paths with him again then it will happen no matter where I am."

"No heroics, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

He chuckled. "I'm afraid I'm a bit too old for heroics, my dear." He ran a finger down her cheek. "If I don't return, continue Thaya's training and keep her safe. She has a purpose in this galaxy I just can't see what it is. Help her - and Luke - to the best of your ability. Don't forget you were once a Jedi, too." There was so much he wasn't saying; so much she didn't dare give voice to. But they both felt it nonetheless.

Rising on her tiptoes she pressed a kiss to his lips. I love you, Obi-Wan."

"And I love you, too, Kat."

Together they left the room and exited the house, finding Thaya and Luke in conversation by his speeder. Artoo and Threepio were already loaded and waiting. Obi-Wan gave his daughter a hug, whispering something in her ear, before climbing into the speeder. With a smile for Thaya and a wave to her, Luke hopped over the side and ignited the engines, expertly maneuvering the vehicle down between the cliffs. She and Thaya stood side by side as they watched them disappear to the south.

"They will both be back, won't they, Mother?"

"I do not know, darling. The future is hidden from me these days."

Thaya's blue eyes squinted to try and find the speeder in the distance. "They have to ..."

Rela knew.

That pain was familiar, she had felt it once before though the loss of so many Jedi at once had been almost overpowering. This time the pain shot through her like she'd foolishly touched a power coupling, freezing her where she stood. She felt that spark go out, that connection severed, and knew she was alone.

"Mama, are you alright?"

"I will be fine in a moment."

Those eyes, Obi-Wan's eyes shining from her daughter's face, made something clinch in her chest and she wrapped Thaya in a tight embrace.

"It is Father, isn't it?"

Rela released her enough to pull back and meet her gaze. "Why do you ask?"

"I felt something in the Force. It just ... told me that Father is gone."

"Yes, Thaya. Your father will not be coming back to us but I think he knew that before he left."

"What do you mean?" she asked, a few tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

"We felt it, though I had hoped I was wrong. This was your father's destiny and he was following the will of the Force. I am sure he did what was necessary to protect us." And Luke and Leia and the galaxy she told herself. Thaya peered at her thoughtfully for a moment, her expression so much like her father's, then she nodded, wiping at the wetness on her face.

"I think I felt that, too. I didn't quite understand what I was feeling but I suppose that was the Force warning me of what was to come."

She gave her girl a weak smile. "Everything will be alright. Now, run along and finish your work for the day."

"Yes, mama." She gave her a last, long look and then hurried out the door. When she was finally alone, Rela retreated into the chamber they had shared and sank to the floor. She hadn't lied to Thaya, she'd had a sense of the finality of their goodbyes when Obi-Wan left with Luke, but she hadn't told her girl how fervently she had begged the Force not to take her husband from her. She couldn't imagine not seeing him walk back through the door or his smirk when she was being stubborn or his patience as he taught their daughter how to use the Force. Pain of a different sort began washing over her, the acute pain of loss, and she suddenly understood why Padmé had been so willing to give up on Polis Massa all those years ago. Wrapping her arms around her middle she doubled over, silently sobbing.

Why the tears, my darling? You know I will always be with you.

She felt the smile stretch across her lips.

I know. It is just hard to accept that I will never feel your arms around me again, never fall asleep by your side. You are my other half, Obi-Wan ...

Oh, my dear, if there had been another way, another way to help Luke and return to you I would have taken it. You were the last thing I thought of before ...

It was him, wasn't it? You faced Vader.

Yes.

For a moment she was silent, taking deep breaths to control herself, to control and then release the anger that wanted to bubble up. No matter Obi-Wan's thoughts during the fight, she knew Vader would only have seen it as vengeance and his victory as proof of his superiority. That galled her. Arrogance had always been one of Anakin's biggest weaknesses and she was sure that had not changed in Vader.

Luke, and Leia, are they alright?

Yes and both now very much a part of the Rebellion. Our waiting has not been in vain; they are both strong.

Is it all over, then?

No but the first steps have been taken. Public opinion is not in the Emperor's favor any longer. The last days of the Empire are coming.

Rela felt a cool brush across her cheek and then she knew he had left. Wiping at her cheeks she struggled to her feet. Her daughter needed her, Luke and Leia might need her eventually, too. She couldn't loose her composure now ... she just had to learn to live in a galaxy without Obi-Wan by her side.