Han couldn't understand why I wasn't coming back to the Fleet with them. I considered trying Yoda's name out on him, just to see what

happened, but decided against it. Things were complicated enough already.

"I made a promise," I explained, "and I'm running out of time to keep it."

Leia understood, gave me a kiss 'for luck'. "Be careful."

"Always." I assured her.

Dagobah's no garden planet I'd called it a slimy mudhole when I landed, and a few months residence had done nothing to alter that first impressim. In addition to be dark and dank it was also full of voracious life forms. A dangerous place - but not to me. At least not this area.

I knew where the quicksand pools were and the trapfalls and predators' lairs and other hazards and threaded my way easily among them. Yoda's house looked like any other mudheap except for the yellow light streaming from window and open door.

My Master was standing on the sill waiting for me. He'd changed in the scant year since I'd left him. He looked smaller, more withered

and frail. I tried to hide my shock as I knelt to greet him.

"Expecting you I have been." he announced. "Hungry are you?"

"Uh - no, thanks, Master." I'd have to be three days starving before I'd eat rootleaf stew!

"Come in, come in. Darkness falls, chilly it grows."

I crawled through the little round door and tucked myself into my usual corner. Master Yoda took the kettle off the fire then turned and made his slow, effortful way towards his bedplace.

Suddenly he directed a sharp glance at me. "That face you make, look I so old to young eyes?"

I hurriedly rearranged my expression. "No...of course not." But there's not much point in lying to a Jedi Master. He saw right through me of course.

"I do," he corrected, almost gleefully, "yes I do. Sick have I become. Old and weak." he stopped to shake a finger at me. "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not! Hmmm?" he chuckled at his little joke and I tried to smile dutifully as he settled himself on his bed, near me.

"Soon I will rest. Yes, forever sleep. Earned it I have." He sounded as if he welcomed the prospect.

"Master Yoda, you can't die." I pleaded.

"Strong am I with the Force." he replied. "But not that strong! Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall." He was having trouble with his blanket, I reached over to help him. "That is the way of things....the way of the Force."

I knew he was right - "But I need your help. I've come back to complete the training." It had certainly taken me long enough.

He shook his head. "No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need."

I started to protest - then I realized Yoda was speaking the truth. 'Follow your feelings and trust in the Force.' That was the essence of the Way, and I'd learned to do both. There was nothing more for Yoda to teach me. "Then I am a Jedi." I whispered. I'd thought It would feel different somehow. I'd be stronger, surer of myself.

Yoda made a snorting noise, a laugh? "Not yet. One thing remains." He opened his eyes to peer up at me. "Vader, you must confront Vader. Only then a Jedi will you be."

Yes, of course, the Trial. Vader was my final test. But who was he? Now was the time to ask but it took me a few moments to screw up the nerve.

"Master Yoda....is Darth Vader my father?" There! it was said.

To my astonishment he tried to evade answering. He turned away from me muttering as if to himself, "Mmmmm....rest I need. Yes...rest."

I pressed him. "Yoda, I must know."

There was a long pause. Then finally, wearily, he said; "Your father he is."

I knew it...I knew it. Oh, Ben how could you?

"Told you he did?"

"Yes." I whispered, still coming to terms with it. My long lost father, my worst enemy...

"Unexpected this is." said Yoda. "and unfortunate."

"Unfortunate that I know the truth?" I flared. They'd lied to me both of them, Ben and Yoda too.

He turned laboriously back to face me. "No...Unfortunate that you rushed to face him....that incomplete was your training. That not ready for the burden were you."

He was right. I hadn't been ready for such a devastating truth. I could understand my masters choosing not to tell me Darth Vader was my father. But Ben had gone farther than that, he'd lied and told me Vader had killed my father.

I'd known for a long time now that going to Bespin had been a mistake. Not only had I failed to be any help at all to Han and Leia. I'd very nearly been lost myself. If Leia hadn't rescued me.... "I'm sorry."

Yoda's eyes were fixed on me, wide and intent. "Remember a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The

Dark Side are they. Once you start down that path forever will it dominate your destiny."

Abruptly I realized I'd been flirting with the Dark Side on Tatooine. I'd wanted to destroy Jabba, enjoyed doing it. Anger, vengeance had colored my actions.

"Luke...Luke..." My Master's voice was very weak. I'd pushed him beyond the little strength he had left. He struggled to get out what he must say. I leaned in closer to hear it.

"Do not...do not underestimate the power of the Emperor or suffer your father's fate you will."

Where had Father gone wrong, what was his mistake? Too late now to ask.

"When I am gone the last of the Jedi will you be."

The shock went through me like a blaster charge. Followed by a wave of grief. Dai-Men... Chani... Jayce...all gone?

"Luke," Yoda's voice was little more than a thread of breath now. "the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned."

Pass it on to who - Han? Somehow I couldn't see him accepting me as his Master.

"Luke....There is another Sky...walker."

What? His eyes sank closed, he seemed to crumple into the pillow. I felt him go - leaving an empty husk that faded away seconds later.

I was alone. All alone. Eventually I made myself move. Damped down the fire and crawled out of the little house for the last time. There was no reason to come back here. Not ever.

Artoo had elected to pass the time by making some minor adjustments to the sensor systems. He's always tinkering, a real perfectionist my little droid. I looked back in time to see the fire flicker out in Yoda's empty house. Then crouched down to inspect Atroo's work. But I had no heart for it - or anything else.

"I can't do it, Artoo, I can't go on alone."

And a familiar voice, one I hadn't heard for over a year, said; "Yoda will always be with you."

I looked up and there he was, a shimmery blue apparition working his way towards me through the undergrowth.

"Obi-Wan!" that was his real name, But it felt strange in my mouth. I'd never known Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master and General of the Republic. To me he'd been 'Old Ben', the crazy desert hermit who told strange and wonderful stories. But now I felt as if I'd never really known him at all. He'd lied to me. I could hardly believe he'd do such a thing - but he had.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, ducking under my ship's wing and going to meet him. "You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."

He met the accusation squarely, luminous eyes steady on mine. "Your father was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true - from a certain point of view."

He had to be kidding. "A certain point of view!" I repeated incredulous.

"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

A man's either dead or he isn't. It's not a matter of opinion! I watched Ben seat himself on a fallen trunk. I didn't want to fight with him. He was all I had left... But he'd lied, betrayed me....

"Anakin was a good friend." the sadness underlying the words disarmed me. I let go of my anger and sat down beside him.

"When I first knew him your father was already a great pilot. But I was amazed at how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda." a defeated sigh. "I was wrong."

That wasn't quite the way Dai-Men had told it. According to him Yoda'd wanted no part of training my father and Ben had taken him on in obedience to his own Master's dying wish. Ben made it sound like it had all been his own idea. More 'point of view'?

"There is still good in him." I knew there was, I'd felt it on Bespin.

Ben disagreed. "He's more machine now than man, twisted and evil." How bitter he sounded. But Father had betrayed the Jedi. Killed them...killed Ben....

I knew what he and Yoda wanted me to do. "I can't do it, Ben."

"You cannot escape your destiny." He told me. "You must face Darth Vader again."

"I can't kill my own father!" How could that be right? How could the Force want it?

"Then the Emperor has already won." Ben's shoulders slumped in defeat. "You were our last hope."

That wasn't true, it couldn't be. "Yoda spoke of another."

Then he stunned me. "The other he spoke of was your twin sister."

Sister??!! "But I have no sister."

He almost smiled. "To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born."

It was crazy, like something out of a fairy tale, and yet...Growing up I'd had this strange feeling part of me was missing. Somebody who

should have been in my life but wasn't, like my parents...

"The Emperor knew, as did I, if Anakin were to have any offspring they would be a threat to him." Ben explained. "That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.

The feeling of loss had stayed with me for years, until I met....."Leia! Leia's my sister!"

Ben nodded. "Your insight serves you well." he said, then warned; "Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

I didn't feel very insightful. My own twin sister and I'd never guessed. Had in fact mistaken my feelings for something quite different....or had I? I hadn't been a very insistent suitor. Maybe I had known, deep down, all along.

"When your father left he didn't know your mother was pregnant." Ben continued. "Amidala and I knew he would find out eventually but we wanted to keep you both safely hidden for as long as possible. So I took you to Tatooine to live with my brother Owen."

Uncle Owen. All he'd ever wanted was to keep me safe and I hadn't understood, had resented him for it.

"And your mother took Leia to live as the daughter of Bail Organa, Prince-Viceroy of Alderaan."

Great. I get stuck out on Tatooine, she gets to grow up a princess.

Ben picked up the thought, smiled. "We planned for the son to follow in his father's footsteps and the daughter to walk her mother's path."

I understood. Mother had opposed the Empire too, on the political level as a Queen and Senator. It was only fair one of her children should carry on her fight.

"So Leia became a princess, an Imperial Senator and a Leader of the Alliance. Your mother would be proud of her, of both of you."

I wished I could remember her. Maybe Leia did.

"The Force is strong in your sister, as it is with all your family." Ben went on. "Soon she must learn to use it as you have."

Of course, the other Skywalker, the one I must teach. But - "We can't let her get involved now, Ben, Vader would destroy her."

"There is no avoiding the battle." He warned. "You must face and destroy Darth Vader. If you fail your destiny becomes hers."

He was right. I couldn't pass this burden on to Leia, to my little sister. She'd already done so much, lost so much, it wouldn't be fair. I'd have to try, for her sake. "I understand."

Ben leaned forward to lay a hand on my shoulder. To my surprise I felt an actual, physical touch, cool and tingling. "The Force will be with you." he promised, as he had all those years ago. "Always."