Both Luke and Leia stared at Obi-Wan as he sat up and cleared his throat. "Very well. I owe you both an explanation about what has happened, and why it happened. I know that much of it is my fault. It all started with your father sneaking off and marrying your mother while he was still a Padawan Learner. Palpatine, the Chancellor, had his eye on Anakin for a long while. He'd befriended your father, was sort of a grandfather type figure to him. I blame myself for being so blind. Palpatine knew Anakin's potential. I should have been much more careful. But I was too busy, I suppose. How I could not have seen what the Chancellor was up to..." Obi-Wan shook his head sadly.
"What do you mean, that Palpatine knew of Anakin Skywalker's potential?" Leia frowned. The idea of her father being Palpatine's pawn for so long was beginning to gnaw at her, especially since she now knew that Darth Vader had once been someone else. Someone worthwhile, someone who was a hero.
"Anakin Skywalker was a rather unique Jedi. He had been brought before the Council at a much older age than virtually anyone else. Most of the Jedi, like myself, had been less than a year old when brought to the attention of the Jedi Council. Anakin was almost ten years old. Yoda could not train him with the other Padawan Initiates, so my Jedi Master had offered to train him. At that time circumstances forbade this, as I was still his Learner, and had totake the Jedi Trials. No Jedi Master could teach more than one Padawan Learner at a time, so Anakin had no one. My Jedi Master was soon killed. His dying wish was that I train Anakin. He believed, as soon did the rest of the Council, that Anakin was a Chosen One. Someone who could bring balance to the Force. He was, and still is, extremely strong in the Force. And Palpatine knew all this. After all, it was his homeworld, Naboo, that had been saved, not just by my actions and my Jedi Master's, but also through Anakin's. I did start to train Anakin, and Palpatine bided his time. When the moment came, he struck, like a poison viper."
"How did he turn our father against you?" Luke asked unhappily.
"He used fear, Luke. Anakin had this tendency to have nightmares. He'd had recurring ones about his mother, who it turned out died in captivity of the Tusken Raiders. Apparently, he began having nightmares about your mother. He feared she'd die in childbirth. It was irrational, unfounded," Obi-Wan explained hastily.
"Apparently not. I can very vaguely recall her face. I only saw it for a brief moment. She was very sad. and she was dying, now that I look back and remember it with an adult mind," Leia told him. "So she did die, after giving birth to us..."
"As strange as this might sound, she died, not of childbirth, but a broken heart. I would never have thought it of Padmé Amidala Naberrie; yes, Princess Leia, you really are still a princess, as your mother was once a queen. Then, Senator from Naboo. Yes, the same homeworld as Palpatine. For what it's worth, I think he was fond of her, in his own strange way. Palpatinewas willing to risk her life for his schemes, of course, but Anakin knew nothing of this. Instead, Palpatine convinced your father to turn to the Dark Side."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes. "By the time Padmé caught up with him, Anakin was so far gone that he was making no sense any longer. He'd glutted himself on the Dark Side. Used it to destroy everything he'd once held dear. He nearly destroyed your mother right then and there. And he would have killed me, had I not had the Force with me that day. That horrible, horrible day..." He squeezed his eyes shut, and lost track of where he was. He could only see the hate in Anakin's eyes as he left him to die on the cliffside. He opened his eyes only after recalling Qui-Gon's words: Concentrate on where you are now. Who you are with, right now. He glanced at Leia and Luke, Anakin's children. All grown up and ready to take their places in the galaxy. If only they knew what those places were. "As recently as a few days ago, when he brought me back from the netherworld of the Force, he mentioned a tale Palpatine must have told him about keeping people alive with the midiclorians of the Force... Anakin believed it. Ironically, it was used to bring me back, the one person he hates most in this galaxy, and not his beloved Padmé."
"Now, in order to understand what actions were taken next, you need to understand things about the Sith. Luke, in your training with Yoda, did he ever mention the Sith?"
"Just that Vader had taken the title of Darth, which meant that he was a Sith. They're like Jedi who have turned to the Dark Side, aren't they?" Luke asked.
"No, my Padawan, they are not. Many more Jedi, regrettably, have turned to the Dark Side than there have ever been Sith Lords. Many millenia ago, the Sith were an actually race of people, but they are long gone from existence. There were, supposedly, many Sith once, so I had read, but that stopped after the Sith and Jedi had gone to war with eachother, or something like that. Be that as it may, there are now only two Sith. Never more, and if they can at all help it, no less. A Master Darth, and his or her Apprentice."
"The Emperor's Force Sensitive?" Leia asked in surprise.
"Oh, yes! He's a Sith Lord, which of course, only a handful of people, including Yoda, know," Obi-Wan explained.
"A Sith! Like Vader?" Luke asked.
"Palpatine goes by the name of Darth Sidious when he wishes others to know of his power. The true source of his power is the Dark Side of the Force. He is your father's master." Obi-Wan shifted in his cot, then said, "Your father has been his apprentice for your entire lives. I find it incredible that your father hasn't rebelled yet. Perhaps he's biding his time, waiting to see which of you has more potential to be his apprentice. You see, that's why you two are such a threat to the Emperor. If your father finds a new apprentice, he'll bring him, or her, before his old master and then there will no doubt be a fight to the death. And someone with your father's power will win out easily."
Obi-Wan bowed his head. "That is the very reason why you and your sister were hidden from your father, and the Emperor, when you were born. We separated you for the same reason, to keep the other safe if by some chance one was discovered. I know how unfair this all must seem to you both. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for what I felt I had to do. And for all that, I very well might have failed to keep you both safe. That's the worst part you know. The idea that it might all have been for nothing."
Leia's tears were silent. Luke wanted to cry too. He wanted to howl, or throw something. "You mean, that the Emperor knows about me, Master?"
"That's exactly right. But Luke, Vader told me that the Emperor doesn't know about Princess Leia's connection to him, or you," Obi-Wan nodded.
"But he does know about Luke!" Leia said miserably.
"And there's no guarantee that the Emperor won't find out about Leia eventually," Luke pointed out.
"That's very true, Luke. Especially given the knack you both have for using the Force. It flows through the two of you in the same way it does your father." His eyes searched each face. "I saw how you both reacted when your father was near earlier. I have to admit, I was taken aback. It won't be long now before something happens that will make the Emperor take more notice. He will not be able to ignore the growing disturbance in the Force. I can't believe he hasn't noticed what your father's been up to these past couple of weeks. I suppose he'd rather not believe it," Obi-Wan sighed.
Luke started to pace, as if mulling over all the information he'd just heard. Then he shook his head. "Master, there's just one thing I don't understand. If our father wanted to go through with this challenge to his master, why hadn't he done it long ago? He could have snatched Leia away; he knew where she was almost from the get-go, apparently. He could have grabbed me too, once he found out about me. Yet, he's been keeping his distance, especially this past year. If this Duel of the Darths was such a slam dunk, why hasn't he moved to do it already? He could rule the galaxy!"
Obi-Wan shook his head as well. "I have several possibilities in mind, my Padawan, ranging from not being able to truly choose one twin over another, to the fact that Palpatine is his Master. You two must not underestimate the power that man holds over your father. I see signs of him struggling to fight him, but it won't be easy. Your father always had a master; he was born into slavery. Sold from one to another, like an animal. And then, when I began to train him in the ways of the Force, he called me "Master," though obviously it was different than before. But still, after he passed the Jedi Trials, he called me Master. A title, or at least I'd like to think it was just that. It's actually very sad. The truth is, I don't really know what your father is up to, or what he'll do next."
Everyone became very quiet when Lando came down to the small area that the three others, along with the droids, had settled. "How's your leg doing there?" he asked Obi-Wan.
"It's doing much better than I'd ever thought possible," he answered, giving Leia a grateful look. Luke snuck a glance at her, watching her reaction. She just had what Luke could only describe accurately as a "ga-ga" look on her face.
"Lando? How long until we get to the Rebel Fleet?" Luke asked urgently.
"Just under 2 hours, Luke. At first I was worried that he wasn't going to make it," Lando said. "He was bleeding real badly. How'd you get him mended so fast?"
"Leia was of tremendous help," Obi-Wan told him. Luke watched Leia's "ga-ga" face deepen into a complete hopeless case of "goosh." He had to do something. He watched Lando saunter back up to the cockpit.
"Come on Leia, let Obi-Wan rest for a while," Luke said, taking Leia by the arm and starting to pull her away.
"Oh, I'm alright, Luke. We can talk some more. I'm not tired," Obi-Wan protested.
"Yes, you are," Luke seethed before he could stop himself. Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and Leia rounded on Luke.
"Luke! What is your problem?" she hissed.
"Obviously, my Padawan has something on his mind..." Obi-Wan said serenely.
They both turned to Luke. "Look," he said, "I just want this to work so badly! And it just seems like there's one thing after another that comes up that blindsides me..."
Obi-Wan leaned forward. "Beleive me when I tell you that I need this to work just as much as you want it to work. And things come up that knock you off course, or so it always seems. But if your goal is strong enough in your mind, things will always work themselves out to that end eventually. That is the nature of the Force. Now, perhaps your brother is right, Leia. Maybe I should rest a bit more before we get there. No doubt, I shall have to explain myself to many people. It's a tiring thing sometimes." With that, everyone seemed to settle down for the remainder of the trip.
The next few weeks were sheer torture. As word slowly got around that Obi-Wan had once been dead, he and Luke were the objects of endless stares and whispers up and down the halls of the main flagship of the Fleet. Rogue Squadron was behaving weird around him, and Obi-wan wasn't particularly crazy about Luke going off on practice runs with his X-Wing. Everyone who was involved was waiting with great anxiety for the day they get the call to get to Tatooine for Han. Obi-Wan was in rehab for his leg, and Leia was getting involved with that too.
That was what Luke worried about the most. Leia and Obi-Wan. He'd seen them interacting with eachother. Oh, it was cetainly very innocent looking. She was just supervising his leg's recovery. Helping him out in the gym with the weights. Sure. Luke just didn't quite grasp how watching Leia do chest presses was helping Obi-Wan's leg...
He and Leia had a bit of a fight about it. He accused her of forgetting about Han. She accused him of playing big brother with her when the truth was, he was only about five minutes older than she was anyway. "Yeah, and remember who told us about that, Leia? It was Obi-Wan. He was there, when you were born!" Luke had pointed out to her with a great deal of frustration. She just gave him one of those famous Withering Leia Stares and stomped back into the gym. Well, it wasn't his fault that he didn't "understand how it was."
And the absolute worst worst part was now that they were orbiting Sullust, there was no way he could contact his father. It would put the entire Fleet in jeopardy. Luke had half a mind to go back to Tatooine and wait there. But the other half of his mind was intent on keeping an eye on Leia and Obi-Wan. He didn't want to accuse Obi-Wan of anything just yet. After all, the Jedi Master was just starting to forget about how wonderful life had been when he was dead. Luke didn't want to upset him with his concerns about Leia's weird infatuation with him yet.
So, he grit his teeth, endured. And then, a wonderful day arrived. His Jedi Master had come up with a new task. Luke was very relieved. This meant for sure that Obi-Wan wasn't returning Leia's feelings. No doubt, she was upset. In fact, she decided to go to Starshine Beach, a popular, very posh resort town on a planet Luke had never heard of. Yeah, she was definitely PMSing, Luke thought.
On a rather tense note, Luke and Obi-Wan left the following day. This time, Luke was flying the Phoenix. "Master, where are we headed to, now that we're on the ship and away from prying ears?" Luke asked rather dryly.
"We are headed to Corellia," Obi-Wan answered. "The reason we're going is because your father has a second home there."
"On Han's homeworld? Why?" Luke asked, intrigued. He knew that people as rich as his father had at least two, if not more, homes on different planets. "Are we going to be staying there?"
"I doubt we'd be very welcome there, my Padawan. We're going to get something that Vader has hidden in his Corellian home. Look at this," he said, showing Luke his holopad. It was a picture of what looked like the interior of a living room, with Darth Vader in the foreground. Obi-Wan had the background magnified. "See this artwork he has in the background? Several years ago, your father comissioned the artist Burkle Jadly to design that art. It's almost like a three dimensional mural, abstract. Typical of Jadly's work. Needless to say, Jadly never did another piece of art; as with many of your father's acquaintences, once his job was done, he mysteriously disappeared. And there was a reason for that. The artist made the work specifically to hide something, or things, actually, within the piece."
"What is it?" Luke asked.
"The Jedi Achives. Your father managed to retreive them before the Temple was demolished..." Obi-Wan fell silent for a moment, trying not to dwell on all that had been lost, and instead dwell on what had been salvaged. "Hidden, in plain sight, but on Corellia, known for it's independent attitude for the Empire. The Emperor doesn't visit there, and even if he did, I daresay he doesn't suspect what those twelve blocks in his picture really are."
"Master, probably we can get in, but are we going to actually rip those blocks out of the wall?" Luke asked.
"It shouldn't be necessary; it would be a shame to destroy Burkle Jadly's last great work, and, I really don't want your father to know, at least not yet, that I know he has them. So, we're simply going to copy information from each one. I'm hoping that my password will be enough to unlock as many as possible. Each block was in the care of one of the members of the Jedi Council. If worst came to worst, I suppose we could call Master Yoda and ask him what his password was. Your father's, I most likely could figure out..." Obi-Wan mused.
"Wait a minute! My father was on the Jedi Council?" Luke gasped.
"He certainly was, just as the Clone Wars were ending. And just as the Jedi were ending, too..."
"We are going to make this happen, Master. We will bring the Jedi Order back, and someday, they will truly know their Golden Age. I'm determined. So it means breaking into my father's place and hacking into the Jedi Archives, so be it," Luke said with an eerily similar type of resolve that Obi-Wan had always heard in Anakin's voice, before he'd lost him. Leaning down to knead the muscles of his formerly injured leg, Obi-Wan hoped that he wouldn't do anything to lose this one too.