Well, here it is the final chapter of this longer-than-I-ever-thought-it-would-be saga! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you all SO much for your faithful readership and your wonderful reviews!

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They slowly circled each other, former master and former apprentice. Malicious joy filled Darth Vader as he gazed at the man in front of him. You have not aged well, Obi-Wan. Vader reveled in the firm belief that he would strike this old man down, once and for all. Finally, he would be rid of this thorn in his side.

As Obi-Wan looked at the dark figure in front of him, he felt a peace flow through him from the Force. He felt with utter certainty that his time to join with the Force had come. Vader will get his wish. He will be the one to facilitate my entry. As they started their duel, Obi-Wan was a bit chagrined at the rustiness of his lightsaber skills. That's what you get for not bothering to pick one up for six years!

That's when Obi-Wan saw them – Luke, Leia and the others. They were running back to the Millenium Falcon. He saw Luke pause and start to head towards him. He felt the concern emanating from the young man. Poor Luke, this will be hard for him. Obi-Wan knew it was time. With a smile, he stopped fighting and let Vader's blade sweep into him.

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All the way across the galaxy, the Emperor felt Obi-Wan's blazing Force signature extinguished. He now felt the gaping hole in the Living Force left by Obi-Wan's departure. Sidious leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. He knew that it had been Vader who had killed him. He also knew that Obi-Wan had let himself be killed that he had wanted to die.

In his own way, Sidious began to grieve the man he had loved as a son. Yes, he had loved Obi-Wan. Amazing, but true. Obi-Wan had managed to engender feelings of fatherly love in him a Sith. But now, all he felt was emptiness. Blackness consumed his heart again. He knew that he could never again feel for anyone what he had felt for Obi-Wan.

Sidious could sense another presence in the Living Force. He had just recently begun to sense this somehow familiar, yet still light-filled signature. Vader has a son. Sidious was certain of it now. He couldn't help but smile. Obi-Wan had managed to keep the boy hidden from them all these years. Obi-Wan never fails to surprise. Sidious balled up his hands into fists as the uncomfortable feeling of grief hit him again.

Hissing out his breath, Sidious channeled his grief into anger. His anger found its focal point in Darth Vader. Someday, Vader, I will replace you with your own son. And if he refuses to be turned, I will kill your son as you killed mine.

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Luke and Leia sat together on the sofa in the hut on Tatooine. It had been a year since the Death Star, the Sith and the Empire had been destroyed. Luke had begun Leia's Jedi training almost immediately following those events. Once she was able to see and hear Obi-Wan and Yoda in the Force, they began to help Luke in training her. Leia knew that she was blessed indeed to be trained by the last two remaining Jedi of the old Order.

Luke and Leia had read through Padme's journal in utter awe. They now had just one last entry to read.

My dear children, I do not have much longer to live. I just want you to know how much I love you. Even though I could not be with you, you were in my thoughts constantly. I hope this journal will help you to understand who I was and why I made the decisions I made. I also hope it will help you to understand those who had an impact on my life. Of course, no one had more of an impact than my dear Obi. I hope you will always remember the sacrifices he made for us. I look forward to the time when I will finally get to know you personally. Until then, know that I will be watching over you with love and with pride.

Both Luke and Leia had tears in their eyes as they let their mother's words wash over them. Luke wiped at his eyes as he leaned forward. "Obi-Wan?"

The blue, glowing form of Obi-Wan appeared. He looked at the two tear-streaked faces with an understanding smile. "I take it that you're finished?"

Both nodded. Luke then shook his head, an ironic look on his face. "You were married to my mother! Boy, when you hold back, you REALLY hold back."

Obi-Wan sat down across from them. "Everything in its time, Luke. You were not ready to hear all of these truths in the beginning. Telling you too soon would have done more harm than good."

"I know. It's a lot to take in, though."

Leia looked at Obi-Wan curiously. "Did you ever read Mother's journal?"

"No. That was her love letter to you. I thought it should remain a private thing between you and her."

Emotion welled in Leia's brown eyes. "Thank you, Obi-Wan, for everything you did for our mother and for us."

Luke quickly nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, thank you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan's head lowered a bit. "There's no need to thank me. It was the least I could do after…"

Leia put up her hand. "Stop right there. Don't you think it's about time to let go of your guilt?"

Obi-Wan looked sheepish. "I suppose so. Old habits die hard."

Luke looked at Obi-Wan with a serious expression. "Your guilt is misplaced, anyway. You really do see things from a different point a view, as you once put it to me. You once told me that it was your arrogance that led you to train our father - that you thought you could train him just as well as Yoda. That viewpoint is distorted because of your guilt. What Mother described here in her journal and what Yoda has told me dispute your view of it."

Annoyance showed on Leia's face. "Arrogance? Obi-Wan, there isn't an arrogant bone in your body!"

Obi-Wan put up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Considering I'm dead, I suppose I should work on letting it go. Besides, I've been given this lecture by your mother for YEARS." He got a faraway expression for a moment. "And she continues that lecture to this day."

Luke and Leia shared a smile. "Well, she's absolutely right," Leia said with a laugh.

Luke suddenly turned serious. "Obi-Wan, will you ever be able to forgive our father?"

Before Obi-Wan could answer, Leia shot her brother a disgusted look. "Luke, will you stop saying, 'Our father!' He is NOT my father. Bail Organa was and always will be my father. As far as I'm concerned, Anakin Skywalker was nothing more than a sperm doner!"

Luke looked at his sister aghast. "Leia!"

Leia crossed her arms and gave Luke a determined look. "I mean it, Luke. I will never see Anakin as my father."

Obi-Wan tried hard not to smile. "You remind me so much of your mother! You have her same fiery spirit."

With a glance at his sister, Luke started again. "Will you ever be able to forgive ANAKIN for what he did?"

Obi-Wan was thoughtful for a moment. "In time I can probably come to forgive him. However, I know that I shall never be able to forget. I will never be able to forget what was lost – the Order, the Temple, my friends and comrades, the children…" A haunted look crept into his eyes.

Before reading the journal, neither Luke nor Leia had known the extent to which Anakin had fallen. They'd had no idea that he had even killed babies and little children. Leia shuddered. "He was a monster! I was there when he and his cronies destroyed Alderaan. Millions of people, including my father, were killed in one shot. I don't care that he has come back to the Light. I don't think I can ever forgive him."

Obi-Wan nodded his head. "Yes, he's come back to the Light, for which I'm grateful. But he will not have an easy afterlife. After all the celebration and joy dissipated after the fall of the Empire, Anakin realized that he now had to face those he'd sent to the Force. All of the Jedi, including the young ones, all of the Force-sensitives that he murdered are there in the Force with Anakin now. He is not exactly being welcomed with open arms. Some of those he killed may eventually forgive him, but some won't. Anakin will be something of an outcast for all eternity – forever reminded of what he did."

Anger burned in Leia's eyes. "It's no less than he deserves."

Curiosity shone in Luke's eyes. "Has he made an attempt to talk with you?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Yes. I'm afraid it did not go well."

"What about Mother? Has he tried to talk with her?"

"Yes, he has, but Padme wants nothing to do with him." Obi-Wan sat up straighter. "If she doesn't want to talk to Anakin, I will support that decision. I will not let him force the issue."

Leia couldn't help but smile at the protectiveness in his tone. "I know you'll support her as you always have. She made it perfectly clear in her journal that you never gave her cause to doubt your love or your loyalty."

Obi-Wan smiled knowingly. "Yes, well, she also has a tendency to over-exaggerate my good points." He suddenly got that faraway look again. Exasperation crept into his eyes. "Hon…Honey…" Obi-Wan looked at Luke and Leia with a grin. "Excuse me for a moment." With that, he disappeared.

"Uh, oh. I have the feeling that Mother is giving him a good talking-to!" Mirth was dancing in Leia's eyes. Luke nodded his head with a laugh.

Obi-Wan reappeared with an ironic smile on his face. "I have been instructed to tell you that your mother did not exaggerate about me." Then Obi-Wan silently mouthed, 'Yes, she did.'

Both Luke and Leia dissolved into laughter. "I don't know, Obi-Wan," Luke then said. "Anyone who could bring about feelings of fatherly love in the EMPEROR has to be someone special. I frankly don't see how that could have been possible with that…that creature!"

Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It still baffles me."

"Well, he certainly didn't have any such feelings for me! He had NO hesitations in trying to kill me when I wouldn't turn."

Obi-Wan gazed at Luke with affection. "I'm very proud of the way you clung to the Light, despite Sidious' onslaught."

Leia looked at her brother with the same affection. "So am I."

Luke squeezed his sister's hand. "Thank you." Luke felt joy fill him at the compliment from Obi-Wan. To receive a compliment like that from a man who had suffered so much more and had still clung to the Light…

Leia got up off the sofa and sat down on the floor by the trunk. "Now, I want to see Mother's holopics." Luke eagerly joined her as she reached in and grabbed a few holodisks. They were all labeled. The one entitled 'Wedding Day' caught her eye. She turned it on and they both gazed at the first projection. Leia stared at the picture, wide-eyed. "Obi-Wan, you were gorgeous!"

Obi-Wan was obviously embarrassed, but tried to look indignant. "Hey, don't sound so surprised!"

Leia laughed. "I'm not." She continued to slowly flip through the pictures. "It's just…wow. You two made a beautiful couple!"

Luke stared at his mother. "You were right, Leia, she WAS beautiful." He turned to study Leia. "You look so much like her."

Obi-Wan smiled warmly at Leia. "That she does."

Leia picked up another disk and turned it on. "Oh, Luke, you were so cute!"

Luke gazed at the pictures of himself as a four-year-old. "It's hard to believe that my mother was so close…"

Worry entered Obi-Wan's eyes. "You do understand why she couldn't visit you, don't you, Luke?"

Luke turned to Obi-Wan. "Yes, I do. Don't worry, I don't blame her. But the unfairness of it all has just really hit me. I was robbed of knowing my mother. She was robbed of knowing her son and daughter – all because of…"

"HIM," Leia spat out.

Anger entered Luke's eyes. "Yes."

Obi-Wan gazed at them with empathy. "Believe me, I understand your anger. But don't let your anger fester. You have to let it go or it will cloud your judgement."

Luke and Leia lowered their heads. "Yes, Master."

Leia turned on another holodisk and immediately perked up. "She caught you practicing with your lightsaber!" Luke leaned in to stare intently.

"Yes." Obi-Wan laughed at the memory. "Padme was a stealthy sniper with that holocam."

Leia couldn't help but admire the shirtless man in the pictures. "Well, I can certainly see why you were Mother's favorite subject!" She turned and grinned at Obi-Wan. She knew that if a spirit could blush, he would be crimson.

Luke rolled his eyes. He was admiring the beauty of the katas – the obvious strength and grace of the movements. "Can you teach us how to do these movements?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "Now that I'm not limited by my worn-out body, I can teach you all the katas. Well, the movements anyway – I can't exactly pick up a lighsaber now."

Luke was excited. "I would love to learn how to use a lightsaber like you did – like a Jedi Master of the Order!"

Obi-Wan looked wistful. "A Jedi Master of the Order…"

Luke looked at Obi-Wan with determined eyes. "We'll build the Jedi Order back to where it was, Master. It will take time, but we will do it. We're going to rebuild the Temple. We're going to recruit Force-sensitives from across the galaxy. Yoda even said that you and he will teach all of the initiates, as you have been teaching us."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at that. "And here I thought the afterlife was going to be restful."

Leia laughed. "Guess again! But I can't think of anyone better to teach them or me. I am very proud that you are my teacher, Master Kenobi."

Luke nodded his head solemnly. "As am I."

At their heartfelt words, Obi-Wan felt the weight of his guilt start to truly leave him. "Thank you both."

Luke glanced at Leia. "Please tell our Mother that we love her."

Obi-Wan smiled. "You just told her yourself. She wants me to tell you that she loves you both very much. And that she's proud of you."

The End