Shadow of the Force

Chapter 17

-Obi-Wan-

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan worked to muster up his courage, knowing this went against everything that was planned, against what the council would wish…but he was also starting to think that might be for the best. "Ben…are you alright?" Luke asked concerned, the boy and Leia having come to his quarters on his request once the resistance group from the base and battle met up with the evacuation fleet again.

"No, no I don't think I am." Obi-Wan shook his head, locking his fingers as he forced out a deep breath, "But this needs to be done regardless. There's a secret that's been kept from the both of you, one I feel you deserve to learn regardless of what the others may think…of what I once thought."

"A secret?" Leia looked surprised, the girl likely thinking she was already privy to the secrets of the resistance given her position within it since its inception.

"Yes. In regard to a man I saw as my brother and my best friend, a man I failed. Anakin Skywalker was my apprentice, but he deserved a far better man that I to teach him." Obi-Wan sighed, thinking back to the years in the clone wars where he and Anakin had truly developed their brotherly bond.

"But the records all describe you as the Perfect Jedi Master." Leia protested, agape at his self-deprecating comment.

"And that, young lady, is precisely the problem." Obi-Wan shook his head, "He didn't need the Perfect Jedi to teach him, what he needed was someone more like my Master. The Jedi forbid attachment, forbid many emotions, in truth they forbid a great deal. Anakin grew up as a slave on Tatooine before my master freed him and promised to train him. Sadly, Master Jinn died before this could come to pass and I was named Anakin's teacher instead, but I was far from the best choice. I was still hurt from my master's death, and feeling somewhat betrayed by what had felt like Master Jinn planning to trade me for Anakin. Then I spent years seeing him improve far faster than I ever had. I followed the Jedi master's practices and worked to humble him when he showed more skill than the others."

He watched them both, seeing their firsts clench at his actions, likely wanting to make a comment about the mistakes he was admitting to but keeping silent till they heard more, "I realize now that was a mistake, but it was far from my worst." And so he began telling more, of how he had told Anakin his visions of his mother's passing were simple dreams, of his trying to undercut Anakin when the boy wished to impress Padme, and everything that had occurred before they had truly begun to connect "The one thing I am proud of doing correct was hiding his relationship with Padme." He shook his head, "I knew about it, by the Force I knew for so long, but she made him Happy in a way nobody else I knew truly could and for me that was enough. But in turning that blind eye I also failed to see how dependent he was on her, and how other forces would use that against him. He learned that she was pregnant, and had a vision of her dying in childbirth."

Across from him, he saw Luke begin shaking as Leia did her best to comfort the man she had no clue was her brother "Darth Sidious, the lord of the Sith, had been hiding as the Supreme Chancellor of the Senate for years but, more importantly, had been a friend and advisor to Anakin as well. He played upon that fear, twisted it, and used it to turn Anakin to the Dark Side…to turn him into Darth Vader."

"You…you said Vader killed my father." Luke choked out, eyes wide and brimming with pain.

"I did." Obi-Wan made no effort to deny it, "In part it was because I didn't want to see them as the same man, preferred the thought of it being someone else who had killed the one I'd seen as my brother and merely taken his place. But, more than that, I had sought to hide that truth from you. It was a mistake intend to rectify now."

"Who else knows?" Leia asked, eyes sharp even as she held Luke, "And why have me here for this?"

"The leaders of the resistance all know," Obi-Wan shook his head "Senator Organa knew about it from the day of Anakin's fall and he told the others who all agreed on hiding the truth. But there is one more secret they and I had hidden. Padme gave birth to not one child of Anakin Skywalker, but two. Twins named Luke…and Leia." He felt their shock ripple through the force, Master Kota as well as Hadrian's force sensitive crew members likely feeling it too "You both are the children of the most powerful force user I have ever known, the man I saw as a brother, the man I failed." Getting out from his chair, Obi-Wan forced his knees to listen as he knelt down, forehead pressed to the cold metal floor "I have no intention of failing again, of lying to you again. I beg you, please let me make up for my mistakes. Let me help you master the force, and bring true balance to this galaxy."

-Darth Vader-

Alone in his chambers, Vader frowned, letting himself flow adrift in the force lest his rage affect the ship and its inhabitants. The Emperor had been enraged at the loss of the death star, something Vader had easily foreseen and even felt despite the long distance that separated them. But when Vader had mentioned the rebel pilot who's force signature so closely resembled Vader's own, the Emperor had answered yes, but the connection to the force was blocked, Vader could no longer sense his master or the truth as he was told it was likely a clone and to go ensure that Kamino was completely destroyed so no other Jedi clones could join the rebels. "In your old age, you grow foolish." Vader's scowled, the pain of his faulty prosthetics only further enraging him. Blocking Vader off like that had been akin to lighting a beacon, only drawing attention to the truth of the matter.

"But how." Vader steepled his fingers, remembering back to when he woke up in his black armor, of being told that in his anger he had killed Padme. "But that was a lie." He decided, if she was dead there was no way she could have survived to give birth as he knew a small ship like Obi-Wan's would have lacked the necessary facilities to do that, let alone the fact that Obi-Wan himself would have lacked the knowledge and skill. He was the one who should have died back then, with his wounds it was a miracle that…he…didn't "No." Vader breathed out as he began to realize the truth of the matter. Darth Sidious had told him that he knew of a way to save Padme, to ensure that he could stop his loved ones from dying. Life couldn't come from nowhere, but what if it could have been taken. Had Palpatine stolen Padme's life through the force to keep Anakin alive while the procedure was done?

Shooting to his feet, Vader exited his chambers, those upon his personal ship quickly getting out of his way lest they suffer his wrath. Heading to the lower levels of the ship he entered the hidden workshop he'd sequestered there, one that stole space from surrounding floors to not show up on any maps or blueprints. Darth Vader he may be now, but he had once been Anakin Skywalker, and the proof of that lay before him. A droid unlike any other lay on a worktable, kept secret from even the emperor himself given its materials and capabilities, a droid inspired by the legendary HK-47. "HK-50, engage." Vader ordered his creation as the eyes lit up, the droid silently rising up and ready to serve "You are to track and gather intel." Vader instructed, carefully opening part of his suit and filling a vile with his own blood "There is a pilot among them with the force. I need you to take this sample when you track them, find out if they are my clone…or my child."

"Yes Master." HK-50 nodded "And once I have confirmed their status?"

"Then report back to me." Vader ordered, not sure what he would do if this pilot truly was his…no not his, he had no right to call himself their father; if this pilot was Padme's child, "And whatever you do, make sure that the empire, and more importantly it's emperor, learn of neither yourself nor your mission."

"Understood Master." HK-50 grabbed the weapons Vader had built for it before getting into the small escape shuttle he'd built into this laboratory, exiting on its mission. Neither felt the ripple in the force around Vader from this decision.