Ezra's head spun at the news. He had met Obi Wan once, on Tatooine. He thought he could get Obi Wan's help to fight against the Empire. His unsuccessful attempt to do so led to Maul discovering them. The Jedi Knight told Ezra to leave and go back to his family. He heard years later than Vader killed him on the Death Star.
"He did not know about his daughter until he was one with the Force," Luke explained.
"So Ben is the rightful heir to the Mandalorians," Ezra managed to say.
"Ben does not want to be Mand'alor. He knows Sabine is suppose to lead her people."
"Ezra," Luke continued. "You know now the feelings Ben and Padme have for each other. She has not told him about being a Skywalker, or about killing his father."
"Padme killed his father? When?"
"When she was Vader's prisoner. Ben's father was the medical doctor on my father's ship. The doctor found out Padme was Vader's granddaughter, and threatened to take her away from her family. She stabbed him with Vader's lightsaber, after he tried to shoot my father in the head."
"Oh Maker!" Ezra groaned in realization. "Padme said Ben told her everything about him. She's afraid he will hurt her!"
"I'm afraid so. You must not tell the truth to Ben. He needs to hear it from Padme."
"I will not say anything," Ezra promised.
"I did not think you would. But there is another who knows."
"Caleb. He knows. I did not tell him. He figured it out himself. About Padme and her relationship to you and to Leia."
"He is quite powerful in the Force. Ezra, he is way overdue for a Midichlorian test."
"I know. I'm just concerned about the results. He's doing things in the Force at such a young age..."
"You must not fear the results. He is powerful. Even more powerful than I."
"What? But how is that possible?"
"Search your feelings, and you will know the truth."
Ezra closed his eyes and meditated. His face went pale and his eyes opened in surprise. No, it couldn't be true!
"It is true, Ezra. Caleb, unlike you and I, was conceived by the Force. There is only one other person in all of history that can make that claim," Luke said to his baffled friend.
"Your father," Ezra replied. "Why did you not tell me this before?"
"Because if I did, you would not have trained him, because of your fear. He still needs guidance, Ezra. You need to tell Caleb he is not to tell Ben the truth about Padme."
"I will," Ezra promised.
"The First Order has arrived. You need to get ready for the final battle. Goodbye, my friend. May the Force be with you."
Ezra patted Luke on the shoulder before leaving. He was still trying to process everything that he had learned.
He joined Sabine, Padme and the rest of the Rebels for their final meeting. Padme's thoughts were elsewhere. After the meeting, she was pulled to the side by Ezra and Sabine.
"You are not going into battle today," Ezra instructed Padme. They saw the troops head out to the battlefield.
"Ezra," Padme protested. The war was about to end, and he didn't want her to be a part of it?
"Luke wants to see you. It's time." Padme's eyes brimmed with tears.
"I am sorry," Sabine said to the young woman, as they embraced.
"Thank you, Sabine," Padme replied, before Sabine walked away.
"You did it, Padme!" Ezra said with pride in his voice. "Once this battle is over, the First Order will be no more. The galaxy will be at peace. However, you will not be at peace if you don't say goodbye to Luke."
He hugged Padme tightly. She had dreaded this very moment. But Ezra was right. She needed to say goodbye.
"I better go check up on Caleb," Ezra said.
"Ezra!" Padme said through the Force a minute later. She looked into Caleb's bedroom, which was empty. "Caleb is not here!"
"WHAT?" Ezra cried out. He specifically told the boy to stay in his room until the battle was over. Caleb had complained, saying that he wanted to...
"Oh no!" he gasped in worry. "He went out with the troops!"
He ran as fast as he could to find Sabine.
"Ezra, what's wrong?" she asked, seeing the worry on his face.
"Caleb, he went out with the troops!" he exclaimed breathlessly. "We have to find him!"
As they went to find Caleb, Padme approached Luke's room. She wished that Ben was here, to help her through this. But he was on the Finalizer, waiting to see when the battle would be over. He asked her to meet with him in the forest, to discuss their future. She agreed. It was only fair to Ben that he would finally know everything about her.
Padme opened the door, and drew to Luke's bedside. She sat next to him, and held his hand for the final time.
"Hi, my brave, beautiful niece," Luke uttered softly, a soft smile on his face. This caused Padme to start crying. He used his free hand to wipe away her tears.
"I remember when you first told me that," Padme said, recalling the day Anikin died. "But I'm not that little girl anymore."
"No, you're not. You are a young woman, and a better person for everything you have gone through the past couple of years. You are fulfilling your destiny, Padme. Anikin, Leia and Han are all proud of you."
"I just wish I could have spent more time with them," the young woman sighed sadly. "After you're gone, I will be all alone!"
"You will not be alone. You have Ezra, Caleb and Sabine. And..." Luke paused before winking at his niece. "You have Ben."
Padme was surprised. Luke knew about Ben!
"If you know about Ben, then you know why I'm not with him anymore."
"Padme, listen to me. Ben is going to ask you to heal him of his emotional wounds. You need to do this for him."
"I can't!" she argued. "He will never ask, especially if he finds out I'm a Skywalker!"
"He will ask. Stop being afraid of what will happen."
"I'm not afraid of what will happen. I'm afraid that I am not good enough for him!"
"Why do you say this?"
"Because I am a hypocrite. Ben told me everything about himself, and I can't tell him about Grandfather, or about killing his father."
"Keeping the truth from him will only make things worse in the long run. Do you love him?"
"Yes," Padme managed to say with a smile on her face.
"Then be honest with him, and heal him. He went through a lot to protect you from Hux. Remember that the next time you see him."
"I will," she promised.
"Reach into the drawer. I have something for you..."
"Luke, I can't. I have Grandfather's..." Padme started to object.
"Yes, you can. It is my last gift to you." She went into the drawer and took out Luke lightsaber.
"Take it. Tell your future children all the adventures I had with it," Luke insisted. The Force had revealed to him that his niece was expecting, but that she did not know.
"I will," she vowed, placing the lightsaber on her lap. She gently stroked his hair.
"Remember Padme, the Force is strong in our family." They said this declaration in unison, with different words.
"My father/grandfather had it, I/my uncle has it, my sister/my mother had it, and you/I have that power, too."
Padme leaned over and kissed Luke on the forehead. He looked up, smiled and said with his last breath,
"May the Force always been with you, Padme." He closed his eyes, and she immediately broke down sobbing. She truly felt alone, being the last surviving member of the Skywalker family.
