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Chapter four: The End

Summary: Expanding on the ending of The Last Jedi.

"See you around, Kid."

He said it as a last jab at his nephew, as a last tribute to the man who had been his dearest friend.

As a last farewell to everyone, to the galaxy.

We've reached the end.

Luke released his hold on the Force projection of himself with a gasp, and tumbled backwards off the rock he'd been seated on.

Breathing heavily with the exertion he had just put himself through, he carefully clambered back onto the rock.

He could feel it. His strength was fading, almost draining out of his old, well worn body. And he knew he was nearing the end.

Well Skywalker, you came here to die. Now you get your wish.

But…..The sunset….

The sunset was so beautiful. More beautiful than it had seemed in years…..Twin suns….just like then….

Just like then.

And he remembered.

He was a naive young farm boy, staring out to the horizon, watching the suns of Tatooine set. Longing is in his heart, longing for something more than this mundane, simple life. It is something he finds himself unable to describe. A feeling he's meant to be so much more than a moisture farmer his whole life.

Because this planet is too small.

And his heart is too big.

His heart is a galaxy,

and his soul is lined in stars.

All this he felt and more.

On the day before his life would be changed forever.

Thus you might say all this began with a sunset. How fitting that it should end thus. Time has passed. An adventure has come to an end. The hopeful young farmboy is now the tired old Jedi master.

A quest has come to an end,

And home's around the bend,

And here you are, my friend.

What could be more right?

Let go.

Can he really leave? There is so much to do, so much to atone for. He still has much left to teach, still plenty of spirit, though he'd believed he'd lost it long ago. He still has so much to give the galaxy.

Let go.

But it was alright now. The suns shone on his tired face. And he knew peace.

Let go.

He let go.

And his spirit passed into the Force.

And so it was.

That Luke Skywalker.

The last Jedi.

Died.

"Whatcha workin' on, Kid?"

Luke looked up to see his best friend in the doorway of his workroom. "Oh, hey Han. You're just in time, can you help me with this?"

The former smuggler walked closer to where his friend was messing with his prosthetic limb.

"If you could just hold these two wires?"

Han smirked, which only meant mischief.

"So what you're saying is…"

Luke's eyebrows shot up. "Don't!"

"You-"

"Don't you dare!"

"Need a hand!"

Luke attacked him with one-handed swats, and Han made to grab his arm, laughing.

"What are you two doing hiding in here?"

Both men paused in their minor tussel to watch their sister and wife stride gracefully into the room. She pretended to look disapprovingly at them, but the obvious smile gave her away.

"Hi Sis."

"Hello Beautiful. And for your information, we are not 'hiding', we're simply having a guy moment."

"Oh yes? Can your guy moment wait?" She looked intently at her husband. "Han we need to set up an extra room in our apartments."

Han frowned, confused. "Uh, what for?"

"For the little one."

Han blinked.

Luke frowned, then his eyes widened as he understood. He looked quickly at Han, who clearly didn't get it yet.

"Little one? What little one?"

Leia just smiled at him. Then she glanced down.

Comprehension seeped into Han's face, and a slow, huge grin spread over it.

"Really?"

Leia nodded, and Han abruptly scooped her up and spun her around, both of them laughing. Secretly, the idea of being a father was a daunting one for him, but he buried it down for now, instead giving in to his elation. Nothing would ruin this moment.

Grinning, Luke joined them. "Congratulations!"

Leia turned and embraced her beloved brother. "Congratulations to you too, Uncle Luke."

And they stood, reveling in the moment, smiling.

Because despite all they'd lost, they could smile. And these were happy times.

The early parts of their lives had been spent under the thumb of the Empire, and later fighting in a war. Now though, the Empire was gone. What was destroyed could be rebuilt. They were well on the way to peace. The galaxy overall was becoming a happier place, and the stars themselves seemed to shine all the brighter for it. It was really as though their lives were only just beginning.

Leia sighed. "I wish we could stay like this forever."

"Well, in a way, we will. The memories we make now will last the rest of our lives." Luke said.

Leia's eyes shone. "And may nothing ever come between us."

Luke slipped his arm around his twin, and glanced at Han. "Are you kidding? We're friends for life!"

Han matched Luke's grin albeit his was a little cockier, and he reached to put his arm around Leia on her other side while he mussed Luke's hair with the same hand.

"That's right! Nothing'll ever come between us!"

Luke smirked at him. "Right, well, something might if you don't help me with this." He held up his non-functioning right hand to illustrate his point.

"You mean give you a hand, right?"

"Shut up."

The trio laughed.

The first thing he was aware of was that he was underwater.

There was no panic however. No instinctive thrashing about. No burning need for fresh oxygen in his lungs, merely the innocent desire to get to the surface of it. A desire he obeyed. He stroked his arms and kicked his legs, and his limbs seemed to grow stronger as he did so. He could see light above him, and he wanted to reach that light. It looked so warm and bright.

He finally broke the surface, sending a swinging spray of water upwards as he did so.

He did not gasp or pant as one might expect, he merely breathed in, then proceeded to brush the water streaming from his face and hair out of his eyes. The water was neither warm nor cold, and impossibly clear, almost like crystal. Clean and sweet tasting. It rippled gently, though there was no wind, and the late afternoon light reflecting off it making it appear as molten glass.

He only then realized he was standing, waist deep despite it being deep enough to swim mere moments ago. He also noted he was naked, but oddly, felt no shame in it.

He glanced around, and glimpsed a beach not too far from him on his left. He trudged through the water towards it, paying no mind to the small waves breaking upon it. The sand was the whitest and softest he'd ever seen. And he'd seen quite a lot of sand. He stood, dripping, and glanced around him again.

"Hello?" The echo bounced off seemingly nothing. Though now that he looked he could dimly make out the shapes of distant mountains, coated in mist?

He'd also vaguely noted his voice sounded a bit younger than he was accustomed to.

Receiving no reply for now, not that he'd really expected one, he took a moment to study himself. He was….young, he decided. And it might be his imagination, but he very gradually seemed to be getting younger still. His body showed nor felt the slightest sign of age, and another interesting thing, he had not a single scar. He felt his right hand and wrist. His hand was not metal, and there was no distinct bump to mark where his prosthetic began. He touched his chin to find there was no beard there at all. He pulled one of his long locks of hair in front of his eyes to find it golden, with no traces of gray.

This was getting more bizarre by the moment. And he knew bizarre.

"Hello!" He tried again, louder than before. "Is anyone here?"

Before he realized, two strong-looking arms appeared in front of him, and draped a simple tan-colored robe over his shoulders.

Mystified, though not alarmed, Luke Skywalker turned.

And all last vestiges of old age abandoned Luke in that moment, and he was once more a slight young man, a bright-eyed boy, staring up to into look into the face of his beloved father.

Anakin Skywalker.

He looked not a bit as Luke had seen him last, alive that is. Rather, he looked as he's seen his ghost beside Obi-wan and Yoda on Endor, except now without the blue aura of a Force ghost. He also was young. A little older than he himself now was, he somehow knew. He sported a full head of dark golden hair, darker and curlier than Luke's. Like him he had no scars visible on his body. He also wore only a simple robe, in a darker hue than the one he'd placed on Luke.

And, he was smiling, fondly, joyfully, lovingly at his only son. That more than anything made him look younger, and at the same time, so old.

Luke didn't blink or speak for a long time.

Then he felt the tears gather at the corners of his eyes, and then fall. Precious tears, tears he'd been waiting all his life to cry.

"Father!"

And for the very first time, father and son embraced.

Anakin tenderly stroked a hand through his son's hair, tears in his own eyes. "Luke. My Luke, you're here at last! I've been waiting so long for you... But I'm glad you took you time."

Then he held out his hand to Luke. "Come, it's time to go."

Luke moved to take it but paused, and looked back out over the water, back from where he had come.

Anakin studied his son sympathetically. "What is it?" He asked, though he knew quite well.

"It's just….Leia… Han and I are both gone. She's all alone….again. And Ben, I failed him, he never would have turned if I hadn't been so arrogant. And...Rey….She came to me for help, for guidance, but I just kept pushing her away. I left her with nothing."

He shut his eyes tight. "She's just like I was. Abandoned, alone in a battle against evil with none to show her the way."

The tears fell freely from his eyes again. "I failed them all. When they needed me most. Han, Leia and I, we abandoned each other! We- we had an unbreakable bond , but we broke it! We-"

"No, Luke." Anakin broke in on Luke's rush of words.

"Your bond is unbreakable. You don't truly believe it's broken. Stretched or bended maybe, but broken? Never."

Anakin placed his large hands on his son's shoulders.

"Luke, look at me. You know, that I know better than any that you cannot change past mistakes. Regret will earn you nothing. You can only move forward from where you are. I've had to accept that myself."

When Luke still refused to meet his gaze, Anakin continued in a lowered tone.

"Ben made his own choices. He had all he needed, but chose to turn his back on it. Destroy it even."

"Your sister will carry on, just as she always has, and always will until the end. And she is far from alone."

"And Rey." He paused and smiled. "She will find her way." Then he leaned forward and placing his forehead against Luke's, whispered. "Just as you did."

This was what caused Luke to finally look up, his blue eyes meeting his father's, who smirked.

"She's a lot like you, y' know."

That made Luke slowly smile. She really was, so much like he was. She held the kind of hope he used to.

Anakin put out his hand and tilted Luke's head up, and Luke met his gaze. Anakin spoke deliberately, his next words interlaced with love and strength. Freeing them from his tongue. As if he'd been waiting an eternity to say them.

"I'm proud of you Luke. Know that. I have always been proud."

Luke stared at him, his mouth parted slightly. The he pressed his lips together, tears flowing even more freely. He just buried his face in his father's chest, heaving. And Anakin held him for a long time.

It was alright.

That's the answer.

No matter what. It will be alright.

Anakin drew back, and held out his hand once more. Luke took it without hesitation this time.

"Now come. Everyone's waiting."

The legacy of the Skywalkers was at an end.

But the legacy of the Jedi was not.

I will not be the last Jedi.