take the spade from my hands (and fill in the holes you've made)

Chapter Four

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat attempting to mediate in his small homestead. He knew the minute she landed on the planet. He hoped it was just a coincidence when she landed on the same land as her fathers, but the Force told him otherwise. He felt the twin's presence blaring closer and closer to him. He sighed and stood up, finding no solace in his shoddy attempts of meditation.

He looked out the window of his home. Force, give me guidance.

"You know, I've been wondering," said Leia, looking at her brother from the passenger seat of her brother's speeder. "How did they meet?"

"Hmm?" said Luke, slightly distractedly.

"Our parents" she said. "If Anakin Skywalker was a spice navigator from Tatooine, how did he meet Padmé? She was from Naboo. That's nowhere near here."

"Well, he was a spice navigator. He must've traveled all over," said Luke. "Maybe he met her on Naboo. Or maybe they met somewhere else. We don't know anything about her."

"True," she said, not feeling all together too confident with that explanation, not that she had a better one. She changed the subject. "Are we almost there?"

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"Well, it's not like he's got an address. I guess he's a hermit for a reason. I know he's somewhere in this general vicinity. Just look for a homestead or something."

"Could that be it?" she asked after a few moments. "Up on that ridge? To the right?"

Luke looked in the direction she was pointing in. Up and over a ridge a small brown roof peaked out from the sand. He smiled slightly. "Yeah, it might be"

Luke and Leia climbed up the ridge, Luke glancing between Leia and the small home. His hand shot out, grabbing on to Leia's elbow just as she was about to stumble. She shot him a grateful smile and he smiled back. It was odd, this budding relationship. He felt a strange sense of protectiveness, more than he should for someone he just met. It was like they were stuck in the middle of slightly awkwardly getting to know someone and something that felt worn and comfortable.

When they reached the door Luke let go of her elbow and knocked. A few moments later a man nearing sixty opened the door. He had a cracked and weathered face set with blue eyes and a scraggly white beard and hair. He smiled.

"Luke Skywalker. I must say you are the last person I'd expect to pay me a visit."

"Hello, Ben," said Luke with his usually amicable smile.

Obi-Wan stepped backwards, gesturing for the duo to come inside. The twins shared a glance before entering. He looked at Leia, remembering the last time he had seen her. He clumsily gave the small rosy bundle a quick kiss on the forehead before handing her over to Bail Organa. Now, a grown woman, she looked very much like Padmé and seemed to have similar aspirations (at least according to the holo net).

Obi-Wan...there...is good in him. I know there is…still…

He shook his head slightly, pushing thoughts of the past to the back of his mind. "So what brings you and your friend to the Jundland Waste?"

Luke and Leia shared another glance and she raised her eyebrows slightly and flicked her wrist as if to say 'go ahead'. And in that instance Obi-Wan knew that they knew that they we're siblings. He felt it. The question was how much else did they know?

"Right," said Luke. "Ben, this is Leia. She's came here looking for someone and I thought you might be able to help. His name's Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan raised his brows, scratching his beard thoughtfully. "Obi-Wan Kenobi...Obi-Wan. Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time...a long time."

Leia perked up. "So you know him? Is he a relative of yours?"

Obi-Wan smirked slightly. "No, not a relative. He's me! I haven't gone by the name Obi-Wan since…oh, since I last held the two of you, I think."

The twins looked at each other, dumbfounded. "You-you know about us?" asked Luke.

Obi-Wan nodded.

"You're a Jedi?" asked Leia.

Obi-Wan nodded once again. "You seem extremely informed, young one."

She raised one brow slightly. "So do you."

Obi-Wan chuckled. How very much like her mother… "Indeed." Obi-Wan crossed to a small table and sat its bench. He gestured for the twins to take the bench opposite him. "How did you find out about me, Leia? I dare say it's not a name bandied about in the Empire."

The twins sat, Luke looking between his sister and the old man.

"My father recently passed away," she said. "Before he died, he told me to seek you out. He wanted me to strengthen my mind against the likes of Darth Vader. He also told me my biological parents were extremely important people. And that I had a brother living on the outer rim. So, here I am."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Interesting" he murmured. His mind was working a mile a minute. "I'm sorry to hear about your father, Leia. Bail was a good man."

"You knew him?"

"He and I were friendly acquaintances. I knew your biological parents much more intimately."

The twins were taken aback. "W-what?" asked Luke. "You knew our parents?"

"Yes," smiled Obi-Wan. "Very well. I trained your father."

"Trained him?" asked Leia.

"Yes. Anakin Skywalker was one of the finest Jedi Knights there was," he answered.

"Jedi Knight?" said Leia, utterly stunned.

"Yes. We fought in the Clone Wars together."

"No," said Luke, shock radiating off him. "Our father didn't fight in the Clone Wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter. He wasn't a…a Jedi."

"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

The twins sat in silence, absorbing the information. Leia pressed her fingers to her forehead. She turned to her brother. "This is unbelievable."

"Why…why didn't anyone ever tell me?" he asked Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan studied the table for a moment before looking back at Luke. "It's not safe to be associated with the Jedi. It hasn't been for a long time," he said solemnly.

"What about our mother?" asked Leia, placing her hands in her lap. "Was she a Jedi too?"

"No," said Obi-Wan, smiling slightly "you mother wasn't a Jedi. She was a politician, much like yourself."

"Really? What was her name?"

"Padmé Amidala."

Leia's jaw dropped.

"Who was Padmé Amidala?" asked Luke, confused by Leia's reaction.

"She was queen of Naboo. She led Naboo through the Trade Federation Conflict. She untied the humans of Naboo and the Gungans. She became a senator and..." She looked at Obi-Wan. "She's…she's our mother?"

Obi-Wan nodded once again.

"Spirits," said Leia, lump forming in her throat. "I went to Naboo with my father on a diplomatic mission. They have a huge portrait of her in the Palace at Theed. We went to her grave to pay our respects. He said they were friends. I did a history report on her! I can't believe…"

Luke tossed an arm around his sister's shoulders in causal way, knowing that she was struggling the same way he was. "How did they die?"

It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground.

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. When your mother heard of this she rushed off to find your father, but she was too late." You underestimate my power! "Vader had already betrayed and destroyed your father. You're mother thought she could help him, but he had lost all reason. They began to argue, and when Vader saw me he lost his mind. Vader tried to choke her to death, but failed. She went into a premature labor. Vader and I dueled and I…" Don't try it. "I couldn't kill him. I rushed your mother to the nearest medical haven. You two were born, premature, but otherwise healthy. She passed away shortly after naming you. Now the Jedi are all but extinct."

"Darth…Darth Vader did this?" asked Leia, anger bubbling up inside her.

"Yes, but he wasn't always like the way he was now. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force."

"The Force?" asked Luke

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. There is the light side and there is the dark side. The dark side of the Force is what the Emperor and Vader use. They are Sith, the opposite of the Jedi. They use raw emotions like pain, anger, and hatred to fuel their power. You both must be very wary of these emotions, lest you tip towards the dark side."

"I don't understand. Why must we be careful?" asked Leia.

"You both have enormous potential in the Force" explained Obi-Wan.

She shook her head. "No. No, that's not possible."

"Your father…your father was an extremely powerful Jedi. He…"

You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would, destroy the Sith, not join them! It was you who would bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness.

"Just because he was very powerful, doesn't mean-"

"Haven't you ever known something without being told? Haven't your reflexes acted before the stimulus had occurred? Haven't you just known someone was untrustworthy or lying?"

The twins sat in silence, his words slowly making an impact on them. They opened their mouths to say something, looked each other, and closed them again. Leia, eyes wide, raised her brows and Luke nodded. She let out a breathy laugh.

"This is unbelievable," she said once again.

Obi-Wan stood up. "You have a lot to take in, young ones. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you how to protect your minds against intruders. But I'm warning you now, it'll take more than one lesson."

The twins stood up. Luke held out his hand. "Thank you, Ben."

Obi-Wan shook his hand. "Be careful. The Jundland wastes are not to be traveled lightly."

Leia shook his hand as well, shooting his a small smile. She was still unsure of what to make of this quirky old man. At the same time, she felt that he was trustworthy. Leaving the small home, she wondered if it was her latent Force powers leading her to trust Obi-Wan. She snorted.

Luke looked over at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "This is crazy, right? It's-"

"Unbelievable?" he said, smirking slightly. She bumped his shoulder.

"Well, it is! I would have never thought that this is what I would have found out when looking for you and him."

"I know, sis. I know," he said as they got into his speeder. "Let's get your ship and bring it back home, yeah? Uncle Owen is probably pitching a fit at this point, anyway."

She smiled, despite her whirling thoughts. She never thought the word 'sis' would bring her such joy. "Alright."

Obi-Wan watched at the twins drive away and thought of their potential power.

Leia was naturally more level headed than Luke. He could tell she rarely gave into long-winded daydreams, choosing to do her duty rather than give into more fanciful whims. This automatically made her mind strong and guarded. However, this closed off manner shut out the small and subtle callings the Force made. She rarely reached out into it, labeling her small uses of it as intuition; claiming that her eyes were exceptional at reading faces rather than emotions. Consequently, her handling of the Force was severely lacking. It would take a great deal of unlearning for her to be able to use it properly.

Luke, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Luke had always been a dreamer. He had such a strong longing for the father he never knew. Maybe it was because grew up on the same land as Anakin. Maybe it was because he was so discontented with farming life. Whatever the reason, Luke's yearning for something else invited the Force, making him naturally in tune with it. His instincts were limber. Whether it was from afar or a small run in, he had witnessed Luke's subtle use of the Force on more than one occasion while observing the boy. Luke probably used it more than he realized, labeling it as adrenaline or naturally adept reflexes. However his naivety made the walls of his mind weaker than a force user should be.

Nonetheless, the twin's strengths and weaknesses would work to their advantages for now. While Leia would have to back to the Senate, Luke would stay on Tatooine. After he strengthened Leia's mind, Obi-Wan would continue to train the boy. He hoped that if he could not train Leia in the future, Luke would. This time he'd do it right. This time he wouldn't fail, as he failed so badly with Anakin.

I hate you!

You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.

Obi-Wan smiled proudly at the twins. "Very good" he said.

The three sat cross-legged on the floor of his home. Obi-Wan had spent the last half hour trying to penetrate each of their minds in turn. Leia had become all but impermeable. Luke had vastly improved as well.

"Let's take a break, shall we? My bones are too old to be sitting on the floor for so long," said Obi-Wan good naturedly, standing up. Luke nodded, put his hands behind his head and stretched out on the floor, relaxing. Leia looked up at the Jedi master who had resituated himself on the bench.

"Ben, how did our parents meet each other?"

Obi-Wan looked at her. Sitting as she was, asking such an innocent question, she looked much younger than she was. Much, much, younger than she behaved. Obi-Wan had seen inside her mind, he knew the heavy responsibilities this young woman had taken upon herself. Luke turned his head, eager to hear Obi-Wan's response.

"Well, it all started with the Naboo blockade…"

Spirits, Leia thought to herself as she left the senate chambers could this get any more frustrating?

She wanted to take her head into her hands and scream. The senate was a complete joke; an utter failure and mockery of the democratic republic that thrived before her birth. She understood that the Republic had been less than perfect but if could not be as useless as the senate was today. She rounded the hallway, hardly knowing where she was going, but not caring. She felt like crying from exasperation. She focused on her inner core, trying to use the exercises Ben taught her during her stay on Tatooine.

Tatooine.

How she missed her brother! It had been seven months since she had seen him last. She missed sitting in Ben's dinky hut, listening to stories upon stories, mostly about her father but a few about her mother. She wouldn't mind being able to go back to her apartment and see Luke's easy smile. It's not fair she said, reminding herself of a petulant child. It's not fair that we can never see each other.

She sighed loudly and looked around, realizing she was nearing the indoor conservatory. Every couple of steps large bay windows would appear, revealing the bright greenery of the garden. Between the windows were portraits of senators that greatly served the empire. It was no surprise that her father's was not hanging up since he was under scrutiny for most of his career after the fall of the republic. But still, it irked her.

She looked from portrait to portrait, growing tired of the countless senators that looked more like military commanders than politicians. Each portrait had captured a hard, steely look; some in a sniveling manner and others menacing. She rolled her eyes as she neared the end of the hallway at one particular fellow with a rather large mustache, ruddy face, and no neck. She would have exited through the wooden doors that led out to the garden if a shade of purple from the last portrait hadn't caught her eye. She gasped, stomach falling to the floor as she neared the portrait. She didn't need to read the golden plate underneath it to know who it was.

Senator Padmé Amidala.

Her mother.

She almost felt lightheaded. She gazed at the portrait, dumbfounded.

Padmé Amidala was beautiful. She was dressed in a deep purple dress with bronze hair bands holding her thick glossy hair in an intricate up do. She had a small smile on her lips, yet managed to look dignified as ever.

Leia slowly reached out and touched the painted skirts of her mother's dress. I wished you lived she thought longingly. I wish I could have known you. I have so many questions for you.

"Princess." growled a deep mechanical baritone.

Leia jumped, momentarily gaping at the large black clad figure in front of her. How did she not hear that infernal breathing coming down the hall?

"Lord Vader," she said surprised, quickly pulling her hand away. She broadcasted her astonishment and fear, hoping they would wash over and cover her longing for the woman in the portrait and anger at the monster in front of her. She couldn't let him sense her anger, lest it lead to the death of her biological father and to Luke. She couldn't let him find out about Luke.

She felt his anger at her being at the picture, which didn't help her extinguish her own rage. How dare he be angry? He's the one who killed her husband, choked her, almost killing her and her unborn children…No, stop. She thought, reeling in her anger once more. Luke. I can't get anger because of Luke.

He seemed to be waiting for an explanation.

"I was looking at the portraits," she said.

"You seem to be overly interested in this particular one," he boomed, moving closer to the portrait.

"Yes, well… I've always greatly admired Senator Amidala. I studied her in history when I was a child and-" she broke off, not wanting to babble herself into suspicion. "I've always admired her."

He said nothing.

"Have a nice day, Lord Vader," she said, deciding to make her exit now. Before she was able to push past the wooden doors, he spoke.

"Do not visit this portrait again, Princess."

She turned to him shocked, locking her anger away tightly. She chose her words carefully.

"I didn't know you had any authority over public viewings of art, Lord Vader. Does military commander also extend to hall monitor?"

He turned to her slowly. "Watch yourself, Princess. Your father isn't around anymore to intercede on your behalf. Heed my warning. Don't visit her portrait again."

She clenched her jaw as a lump grew in her throat. So that was that. Vader was once again taking away something that inherently belonged to her. First her father, than her mother, making it necessary for her to be removed and raised apart from her twin brother. Now she didn't even have the right to visit her mother's portrait, the only known picture of her apart from the one in Theed.

"As you wish, my Lord," she said, making her voice a cold as she could. She cast the portrait once last glance before pushing the doors. She made sure she was many meters away before she wiped her hand across her face.

But she didn't need to worry. The Dark Lord of the Sith paid her no attention. He was to entranced with the portrait of Senator Amidala.