Chapter 14: Denial

"No!" Luke's eyes grew wide in shock when he saw the source of the yell. Leia was standing at the edge of the campfire's illumination, half hidden in shadows. However, the shadows could not hide the horrified expression on her face.

"Leia!" Luke ran over to where his sister stood and could sense her turbulent emotions through the Force as he reached her. Leia did not respond when Luke pulled her to him, hoping to soothe his sister. She just stared forward blankly and murmured. "He can't be. It's not true. It's impossible."

Luke did not know what to say to Leia. He couldn't lie to her. She had obviously heard Yoda's confirmation of the horrible truth. Nothing could change that now. They would just have to get through this. Together. Just like he was working through the shock himself with Mara's help. Finally, Luke whispered the only thing that came to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this."

Leia finally broke her blank stare and looked up at look. This was her brother. And the son of Vader. And that made her… Unable to cope with her thoughts, Leia pushed Luke away screaming "Leave me alone!" She turned and fled into the swamp, wanting to escape the truth she had learned this night.

Luke was about to give chase when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find Mara's green eyes looking at him softly. Leia had inadvertently broadcast some of her thoughts through the Force just before pushing Luke away and Mara had picked them up. Chasing her wasn't going to help. At least not yet. "She needs time. Her whole world just came crashing down around her. I know you want to help her, but you can't. Not until she's ready to accept this."

Luke looked at Mara and then in the direction in which Leia had fled. Mara could see hesitation in his face and placed a hand on his cheek. Luke turned back to meet her gaze as she spoke to him in a soft, yet firm, voice. "Trust me. I know all about feeling that your life has been a lie."

Luke looked back out at the swamp, still reluctant to accept Mara's word. He wanted to find Leia and protect his sister, even it was from the truth. Knowing that Luke wasn't going to back down easily, Mara knew that it was time to put his mind on something else before he did something reckless. It was time to play dirty. Mara lean up until her lips were almost touching his ear and whispered seductively. "Come to bed. I want to see if that new hand of yours is as good as the old one." Any thoughts of his sister quickly vanished as Luke saw his lover walk toward their tent swinging her hips as she went. Luke quickly followed.

Leia ran as fast as she could through the swamp. Her breath was erratic and her legs begged her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. She had to run. If she ran far enough, she would return to her real life. Vader would be the enemy, nothing more. Luke would still be the bright young pilot and Jedi hopeful, seemingly without a worry in the galaxy and beaming over his young family. And Han would still be with her, making her feel loved and protected.

Lost in her thoughts, Leia did not see the root that tripped her through the fog. She fell into the mud face first and lay there motionless, finally allowing herself to breath regularly again. Unable to get up and continuing running, Leia drew herself into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her legs, curling up into a ball. She rested her head on her knees as the tears began. 'He can't be my father. The woman I remember was too kind, too beautiful to have anything to do with that monster.'

"Not always hidden behind the mask was he." Leia's head bolted upright at the sound of the gravelly voice. Yoda sat across from her on a log, leaning into his gimer stick. The princess looked at the old Jedi Master and could see the wisdom in his eyes. He would know what really happened. Sensing Leia's desire to learn more, Yoda spoke again with a sense of mourning in his voice. "Powerful Jedi Anakin Skywalker was. Greatest of all Jedi he could have been if he was not seduced by the Dark Side. Manipulated your father's love for your mother did the Emperor."

Leia was shocked by Yoda's statement. Vader had no concept of love. He was a heartless shell, driven only to hurt. How could this be? Her shock and skepticism carried to her voice as she spoke. "He loved her?"

Yoda looked down in sadness before answering. "Loved her very much he did. Defied the Jedi code to marry her he did. Risked his place as a Jedi Knight to be with her. Used this, the Emperor did to turn your father away from the Jedi. Wrong we were to keep them apart. Kept your father in the light did your mother. Her death, it drove him too far down the dark path. No longer can he be redeemed. Forever will it dominate his destiny." The two remained silent, Leia contemplating a past she couldn't remember and Yoda reflecting on events that he could never forget.

Finally, the old Jedi turned his face up to look closely at Leia. He could feel a strong sadness in her. She obviously remembered a little of her mother from before she died. "Look much like your mother you do. Her eyes you have. Sense her strength in you as well." A small smile crossed Leia's face at his compliment. Yoda gave her a small smile in return before continuing. "Bright in the Force was her presence although Jedi she was not. Great Jedi she could have been if stronger in the Force she was. Passionate woman was your mother. Never gave up on your father did she, even in the end." Yoda's ears drooped and his voice trailed off, obviously still saddened by her death.

In spite of the reminder of her mother's passing, Leia looked upon the old master with newfound respect, her eyes shining. She had learned more about the woman who gave her life in this one conversation than she had in her entire life. "I never knew that. No one ever spoke of my mother. All I remember of her are images, really. Feelings." Leia looked off into the swamp for a moment before continuing, her voice barely a whisper. "No wonder she was so sad. She went through so much."

Leia continued to stare out into the swamp. She had the potential to do great things. But for good or for bad. That was the real question. Leia finally turned back to look at Yoda and found the old master watching her. "Master Yoda, am I to become a Jedi? You said my mother could have been a great Jedi if she had the strength. And you told me before that I already have the strength in the Force to become a Jedi, but what if…what if…" Leia's voice trailed off before she completed what she meant to say in a low whisper. "What if I turn out like him?"

Yoda stamped his gimer stick into the dirt and his voice was firm when he responded. "Great Jedi will you be. Make the mistakes of the past again we will not. Your father's legacy is not your own." Feeling a sense of reassurance from Leia, Yoda turned in the direction of his hut and the camp. He waved his gimer stick to signal for her to follow. "Now come. Rest you need. Much work we have to do. Growing short our time is. Begin you training right away we must." The Jedi Master began his trek back for his hut with his newest student following closely behind, feeling more sure about what her future would bring. Leia knew one thing for sure. She would make her mother proud.