Where Am I Going To?

Part Three

Chapter Three

"What happened to your father, Luke, was my fault."

Luke looked sharply up at the pale blue ghost of the mentor he adored, shaking his head unbelieving. "Mustafar was not your fault," he said slowly, with marked meaning.

Obi-Wan blinked at him, taking a seat next to him on the log. "He told you, then, what happened there?"

"Well, a little, but I…"

"But you saw it."

Luke looked away, blinked. "Yes, I saw it."

Obi-Wan reached out a hand for his pupil, about to brush a stray lock of hair away, but decided better, and put the hand down. "I'm sorry this all had to happen."

Luke nodded. "I know you are. But what else, Master Obi-Wan, what else?"

"I went to try and save him, and I failed, Luke. And more than anything else I didn't want to fail with you. For seventeen years, you don't know how I waited, living with...with all of that guilt."

"You didn't fail."

"But I did. You shouldn't have grown up a Sith and it is-"

"But can't you see, it doesn't matter anymore? I am a Jedi, no matter what anyone else says about it. Alright, let's pretend you got me to Tatooine. There would have been something else to regret, Master, there always will be. I know that now. But I…I don't know…I just…."

Obi-Wan watched him for a moment, and Luke finally looked up, blinking sad eyes. "There is still good in him."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "You believe that, if it gives you comfort."

"No," he snarled. "That's not why."

"Your father is dead, Luke. It is as Yoda said, and I saw for myself. You must let go."

"No…The man he was before, yes, but I was raised by that man Vader. So…my father has never left. Really, he's always been one step behind me." Luke stood now, and the ghost watched him curiously as he closed his eyes against the dark of the night, rubbing his shoulders, back to his mentor. "You love a memory. I just love what's left over."

Obi-Wan smiled briefly, whispering. "Yes…yes, I believe you do, Luke."

"That's why I can't kill him."

"That's why you must kill him."

Luke slowly rotated on his heels, shaking his head and staring at the fallen Jedi. "If you'd asked me to four years ago, alright. But not now, Obi-Wan, not anymore. I couldn't bear it."

"You have a compassionate heart, Luke. You have your mother's heart." Luke swallowed hard, disliking the turn in the conversation. "But that is what will be your downfall."

"You can't fall when you're already down."

"But you've risen up."

"Yes…" he whispered. "I suppose I have….I am a Jedi."

"Yes, Luke, you are."

They looked at each other for a moment, and Obi-Wan finally looked away, trying to decide how best to say this. "Yoda told you, before he died, that you are not the only Skywalker."

"He meant my father."

Obi-Wan looked up at him and shook his head. "No, not in this case."

Luke stared, slack jawed. "What?"

"You have a twin sister, and for safety's sake she had always remained, and will always remain, safely anonymous."

Luke watched him, not moving so much as a muscle. "Obi-Wan, I swear, if you don't tell me who she is, I'm going to-"

"Alright, calm down. But it's no secret, Luke. You already know."

"I what?"

"Search your feelings."

Damn. Damn searching his feelings, why couldn't he just get a straight answer. But he sat down on the log, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, trying to organize his thoughts. Well, he….

Oh by the Force….

Luke opened his eyes, and whirled on Obi-Wan, who smiled sadly, nodding his head. "That's right, Luke. Leia is your sister."

And it made sense, really. Somehow, deep inside, he'd always known, known why he'd always had that strange, beautiful connection to her. Why he'd loved her so desperately. Why-

Wait just a second.

"Oh my God!" he cried with a sudden panic in his voice. "I've been having fantasies about my sister! Aaagh!"

At this point, Obi-Wan burst out laughing and practically fell off the log while Luke launched himself off of it, running about like a chicken with its head cut off before finding a nice tree to smack his head against. "Oh, that is so, so wrong! Arrrrrgh…."

Obi-Wan clutched his side as he pulled himself back up onto the log, gently patronizing, "Luke, please, your skull isn't meant to strike trees that many times."

Luke pounced on his mentor quickly enough, boiling with disgust and a little rage. "How dare you not tell me four years ago! Obi-Wan, you-"

"Now hold on a second!" the ghost cried, putting up his hands and motioning his charge back onto the log. Luke did so, cradling his sore head in his hands. Oh, this was so unfair. "Four years ago, I would remind you, you never went right out and said in front of me, 'I'm in love with Leia Organa.' I suspected something, but before I had a chance to truly analyze it, I was, well….dead."

"And after that?" Luke snarled.

"Qui-Gon and I had a pot going to see how long it would take you to figure it out."

"Who the hell is Qui-Gon!"

"Now, Luke, listen to me," soothed Obi-Wan, a note in his voice instinctually making Luke look up at him. And he looked so…hurt. So desperate and confused and very, very unhappy. Obi-Wan smiled sadly at him, heart breaking slightly for the boy. "Oh, there now…." He scolded and comforted all at once, stroking the boy's hair back before Luke finally just reached out to him, craving the reassurance of being cradled in his arms for a moment. "There, there, now, why such a fuss?"

"I can't do it, Obi-Wan. I can't kill my father, and Leia…Oh, Force, Leia….She'll never forgive any of this."

"Stop that talk. It will turn out all right."

"How can you say that!" Luke cried, pulling away again. "Leia despises my…our father. And he'll…he'll….Oh, God, if he ever finds out, then she's…Oh, Master Obi-Wan…."

"When your father turned, Luke," Obi-Wan was patiently saying, "he did not know your mother was pregnant. And certainly not with twins. Senator Organa took her to be his daughter on Alderaan, and you, well, you were destined for Tatooine."

"Those people we saw the day I turned…They were my aunt and uncle."

"You know that, do you?"

"An old friend told me. But what happened, Obi-Wan? Why didn't I get to Tatooine."

"You and I were aboard a transport ship headed there, escaping Alderaan where we'd manage to hide you with your mother for a year. You were only a twelve month old baby…." Obi-Wan smiled softly, looking at him with quite a lot of love. "Force, you were so little then! Well…the transport was attacked. More appropriately, it stumbled across an Imperial vessel, and accidentally started firing on it. Your father was on board, and Force knows for whatever reason, boarded the vessel. He and I fought, and I was stunned by Storm Troopers. He…managed to figure out who was your mother, and was in a rage to know who she had betrayed him with. That's why he took you. And, well….he found out. And he made you his son in every way. As for me, I managed to escape, but there was no way I could get you out without getting caught all over again. There was nothing for me to do but continue on to Tatooine. Alone. And that's why I failed."

"But you made me a Jedi, Obi-Wan. No matter how it happened, I turned."

"Yes, Luke, you turned. But at such a price! I…I promised your mother I would protect you, and I wish to the gods every day that I could have done a better job. But, well…." He laughed as best he could. "Things haven't turned out so bad, have they?"

Luke shook his head. "I became my father's son in everyway….Save that the Force wouldn't let me stay a Sith…." Luke gulped, stared at the ground. "And my mother died on Alderaan."

"Yes, your mother died on Alderaan. Bail took her with him when he adopted Leia, mostly because it was blatantly clear that she didn't have much time left, and to deprive a mother of all of her children was…far too cruel." Obi-Wan looked up into the foggy night for a moment, shaking his head. "We've all paid a price for Anakin's fall. And maybe you the heaviest price of all."

"Obi-Wan," Luke whispered, looking up at him. "I can save him, I know I can."

"Luke, you cannot save the galaxy. Maybe you can't even save yourself. Why are you so sure you can save him?"

"Because…because I do love him, he is my father. Yes, he's evil, but he loves me, too! I've always known it, I knew it for the seventeen years he raised me. He will not kill me, he loves me still. He always will." He looked long and hard at his master, taking in a deep breath. "Where do I go from here, Obi-Wan? Where do I go from here?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Where does your heart say?"

Luke swallowed, thought for a moment. "It says to go home. I just need to find home."

"Do you? Do you really? Because I think you've known all along."

Luke looked at him for a moment, nodded, sighed, and said, "Stay with me, Obi-Wan." He got up, ringing his hands. "Force knows I'll need courage to do this. I don't know if I have that courage."

"You do. You always have. And I will be with you."

Luke smiled, nodded, and watched his mentor slowly fade from view in the cool night air.

But Luke wasn't alone.

To Be Continued…

Yes, you were all right all along. Leia was, in fact, Luke's sister. Drove ya crazy, didn't I? Mhmh, I thought so. I really liked this chapter just for the emotional value, but I think it's a little unbalanced and uneven. Hope you all enjoyed it anyway.

Stephanie C: No, no more dream visions for Lukie. At least, I don't think so. Not now that he's basically in accordance with his other self and he knows all about it and the Force has him on the right track. Yesh. Be careful, Yoda didn't say, "There is another," he said that he wasn't the only one. Is there more than Leia? Hmmm, I wonder….