Leia knew where she could find Obi-Wan. She had always been able to do it and she was now aware it had something to do with her Force abilities.
The abilities she had inherited from her father, Anakin Skywalker, who was now Darth Vader…she shivered. No, Bail Organa had been her father, not Skywalker.
She refused to accept a man able to commit such atrocities as slaughtering children in cold blood had anything to do with her. She did not care if Luke kept on claiming there was still good in Vader—she did not, could not believe to it.
Leia took a deep breath and made an effort to calm down. Obi-Wan could always feel her inner turmoil and she did not want to worry him or cause him to feel guilty as he had the tendency to do.
Stepping onto the large terrace that opened on the first floor of the Rebel outpost on Rekam, Leia filled her eyes with the magnificent sight welcoming her. The snow-covered mountains around them, the tortuous creek running nearby and the way the last sun beams of the day made the silver of Obi-Wan's hair shine like polished metal.
He was standing near the balustrade, looking in front of him, a hand absently stroking his beard; it looked like he had just been meditating.
"Has Luke left for Dagobah?" he asked, without turning.
"Yes, he has, about one hour ago—as I am sure you already know," Leia commented, as she walked into the terrace.
He turned to look at her then, and simply nodded.
"What is it, Obi-Wan? Why have you retreated so much? Since the day you told us of our parents you have almost disappeared."
"Let's say I have done my best not to cross your path."
"Yes, you have. But why?"
"I needed time to think of what to do next with Vader and the Emperor now that Luke refuses so adamantly to confront his father again. I just hope Yoda will be able to make him see reason." Obi-Wan sighed, before continuing, "Also, I was not sure you would welcome me near you."
Leia all but was made speechless with shock. "What?" she managed to say.
Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest as he answered, "It's partly my fault that you and Luke grew up without knowing each other and your parents. It's totally my fault that Vader is still living. I had two occasions to kill him, and I left him alive both times."
Leia waited a moment before saying, with her usual honesty. "I have pondered for a long while what you told us and I think I understand why you could not kill Vader on Mustafar. However, I cannot understand why you didn't finish him on the Death Star. Twenty years ago you didn't know he would survive and the shock of his betrayal was so recent. But the second time…" Leia shook her head and spread her hands.
"I didn't kill him because the last line your mother said before dying was 'Obi-Wan, there is good in him, I know there is still' and I have carried this belief with me all these years."
Leia was about to sputter a sarcastic comment about Vader's goodness, but Obi-Wan stopped her raising a hand.
"I hoped Luke would be able to bring that goodness to the light again, to redeem him, if you prefer. Call me an old fool, if you like, but I thought Anakin could still be saved by his son."
"And now? Do you still believe it after Vader cut Luke's hand fully knowing who he was?" Leia asked, quietly, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Yes, I do still believe it, although I have said the opposite to Luke, for I want him to keep his guard always up and he must be ready to face and kill Vader if necessary."
Leia nodded, and stepped closer to him, posing a hand over his back. His muscles were so solid, so strong, but also so tense. She started rubbing them in a circular motion, as they both stared in comfortable silence at the sunset, a spectacle that was not marred by the energetic shield surrounding the place.
After a while Leia spoke again, her voice soft but strong. "If you need my forgiveness, you have it. I think you did what you reputed right and even if the results were not what you hoped for, you stayed faithful to your beliefs." A pause, as he turned to look at her, his eyes as blue as never before. "You have my forgiveness, Obi-Wan Kenobi, my respect, my admiration—and my love."
They looked at each other intently as the air around them – or it was the Force?—seemed to come alive with their emotions, as they communicated with their eyes, telling with them what they could not say with words.
Then Obi-Wan and Leia took a step forward and fell in each other arms, kissing hungrily.
Then they pulled back their hands entwined at their sides, and he murmured, "I love you, Leia."
"As I love you, Obi-Wan. I love you…and I want you, if you will have me."
Obi-Wan swallowed hard and nodded. It was a barely perceptible gesture, but more than enough for her.
Leia's hands rose and she pushed back his brown robe, letting it fall on the terrace floor. Then she unbuckled his belt and posed it delicately on the robe along with his lightsabre.
"It's the man not the Jedi Master I cherish..." she whispered, looking up at him as her hands slid over the tunic-covered planes of his chest and back.
Obi-Wan's hands were not still either as they freed her long chestnut hair from her complicate hairdo, his eyes twitching in delight as he ran his fingers in it and brought a lock to his lips for a quick kiss.
Then he pulled her back into his arms, and kissed her with a barely contained passion, exploring every recess of her mouth, as his hands caressed her back, pressing her more closely against him.
"Stop me now Leia, if you don't wish for this," Obi-Wan murmured against her ear, before he kissed her earlobe and jaw.
Leia did not answer with words. Instead she smiled at him and taking his hand, led him to her quarters, whose window opened on the terrace.
The room was small, cramped, her bed little more than a cot—but at that moment it was the most perfect of places.
Leia's hands made quick work of his sash before opening his tunics and caressing his hard chest and his soft, just a little too thick waist, loving the feel of his skin and chest-hair.
Obi-Wan in turn freed her from her white jacket and shirt, running his fingertips along her collarbone and the upper part of her breasts. Then he smiled boyishly and bending down he swept her on his arms and carried her to bed.
Some time later, Leia lay awake as Obi-Wan slept on by her side, taking the opportunity to study him as he was so utterly relaxed.
Their lovemaking had been a slow dance of emotions and feelings, of caresses and kisses, of whispered words and heated moans.
Obi-Wan had been gentle and yet demanding, strong and yet tender, willing to take his time with her before letting his need overwhelm him—and had left Leia utterly sated and even more in love with him than before.
Afterward, he had quickly fallen asleep, won by pleasure, fatigue and the tension of the past days, but Leia had been too excited to sleep. She had preferred to stay awake a little longer and savour each of the moments she spent near him.
She raised herself on her elbow to look down at her lover. Obi-Wan lay on his stomach, his head turned towards her, his face looking so young in repose.
Leia bent down and gently kissed his cheek, enjoying as his beard tickled her lips and nose, and ruffled his thick hair. Then she lowered on the mattress and snuggled closer to him.
Obi-Wan mumbled something in his sleep and rolled onto his back. Leia posed her head over his chest and closed her eyes, as one of his arms wrapped loosely around her back. Soon afterward sleep claimed her too and she abandoned herself to it, feeling as safe and protected as never before.
As Leia and Obi-Wan slept, they did not notice Han Solo stroll along the terrace, pick up the forgotten Jedi belt and robe and leave them by the half closed window of the princess' quarters. Nor were they witnesses to his half-sad, half-happy smile when, peering into her room, he saw Leia asleep wrapped in Obi-Wan's arms, the same serene and content expression gracing both their faces.