The moment of truth approaches. How will Luke and Leia handle the knowledge? Read on! Oh, and please don't forget to review at the end of the chapter, please? Thank you!

Eight

Luke Skywalker was out on his daily circuit around the Massassi Temple outpost, joined this morning by Angi Dyril and Adrai Rhal, when he heard the whine of reverse thrusters kicking in. instinctively, the trio of Padawans looked skyward. The shadow of a battered Corellian freighter passed over them, followed by the craft itself, and Luke frowned.

"That's strange." He murmured, watching the Millenium Falcon swing around to land.

"That's the Millenium Falcon. I thought we'd never see it again." Angi whispered.

"Something's up. Come on." Luke turned and headed back to the outpost, the girls right in step with him. Han Solo had left the Rebellion about two weeks after receiving his pay in order to pay off his debts to his employer, and Luke had given up on ever seeing the smuggler again. By the time they got back, the Falcon had been towed into the hangar. He hurried inside, eager to see his friend again. Han must have some incredible stories about the places he'd been, and maybe even news about the Empire's movements. He caught sight of the smuggler speaking to Leia and the commanders, and noticed the pretty red-headed Jedi Knight beside him.

"Looks like Han picked up some company on his last stop."

"That's Yuma Viann, she's one of the Knights who survived the Purges." Adrai said.

"I wonder where he found her." Luke mused, "Well, time for a little reunion." The girls smirked as he trotted across the hangar to the smuggler, who had no idea he was coming. He came from behind, and Han never knew it. Yuma Viann turned once and caught sight of him, but she just turned around again without saying anything. Knowing his master would probably disapprove of what he was about to do, Luke readied himself for the pounce. Without any forwarning, he jumped at the smuggler's turned back, effectively scaring the living daylights out of him and sending them into a tumble. He rolled off and scrambled to his feet, beaming at the utterly bewildered pirate even as Chewie roared with laughter. He held out one hand to Han, who eyed it warily.

"You are a weird kid, Skywalker. What the hell did you do that for?"

"No good reason, other than for that look on your face." He pulled the older man to his feet, "That's also for not telling me you were coming back."

"Oh, come on, kid. You know I would've told you."

"Hmm." He folded his arms, "What are you doing here?"

"Bad news. You've got two weeks, or less than that, before the Empire shows up in the system."

"Sure took them long enough to find us." Luke frowned, "You can be sure Vader's a very unhappy man that we've been in hiding this long."

"That's why I came back, kid. As long as you have a warning, everything should be okay. Not that we aren't all in danger of getting blown to bits, you saw what happened to Alderaan, but we've got a chance with forwarning."

"Luke, Senator Organa does not know of these developments." His master put one hand on his shoulder, redirecting his focus, "Go with Leia and inform him that the Empire has found us and plans must be made."

"Yes, Master." Luke bowed to his master and left the hangar. "Thanks for coming back, Han!" he called back, waving. Leia paced him step-for-step, but they didn't say a word to each other. Upon reaching Bail Organa's offices, they went to knock but Luke heard two voices on the other side of the door and paused.

"What is it?"

"He's talking to someone." He pressed one ear to the door, "I don't know who." Like children listening to their parents talk about adult things, Luke and Leia eavesdropped on the conversation in the office.

"Very dangerous…may not want to stay." The unknown man said.

"I will not…refuse to surrender." Organa said in reply, apparently having an argument of some kind.

"Who is it?" Leia whispered.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound like they're agreeing on anything." Luke shrugged, backing away from the door. Unwilling to disturb the former senator when he was with someone, they sat down outside the door to wait until he could spare time to talk to them.

Bail Organa saw something flicker across Qui-Gon Jinn's face and leaned back in the chair, "What is it?"

"I believe we may have a pair of eavesdroppers." The Jedi smirked, "They have something to tell you but are willing to wait until you have time for them." Bail frowned, but only for a moment.

"Would I be remiss to assume my daughter has paired herself with Padawan Skywalker for this?"

"No, Luke is with her."

"They're always together when he's not training." Bail smiled, "Let them in, Qui-Gon, I think I know what they wanted to tell me."

"The same thing I've told you already." The old Jedi went to the door, but didn't actually touch it. He couldn't, Qui-Gon was a ghost and couldn't do what those still living could. But the Force was a handy tool and the door opened for him. "Luke, Leia, you may come in." There was a commotion outside and Bail chuckled as the pair came in like children caught eavesdropping. Their reaction to finding Qui-Gon already inside the office would prove memorable. He knew they'd already seen him once, but that had been halfway across the hangar in the Death Star; now they were almost close enough to have touched him had he been alive.

"Master Jinn, I didn't know you were already here." Luke recovered first and bowed obediently to the deceased Jedi Master.

"You couldn't have, Luke. Was there something you wished to share with us?" Qui-Gon smiled reassuringly and Luke looked at Leia, who shrugged.

"Well, sir, Captain Solo has just returned from Tatooine with Yuma Viann. According to Knight Viann, the Empire has discovered the location of this outpost and is even now on its way to destroy us. Master Kenobi suggests that plans be made."

"We will look at the schematic plans of the Death Star my daughters brought to us, and decide the best course of action from that quarter. Thank you for reporting to me straight away, Padawan." Bail gave the boy a grateful smile. He didn't need to know Bail had already been made aware of the danger the outpost was in.

"You're welcome, sir."

"Go ahead, you two, I know at least one of you was previously occupied." Bail dismissed them, as he always did, and they left after bidding Qui-Gon goodbye. Once the door had closed behind them, Qui-Gon turned on him.

"What's that look for, old friend? There's nothing I could have done wrong in the past five minutes."

"They have no idea, do they?"

"About what?"

"You know very well what, Bail. You were there when they were born! Have they or have they not been made aware?"

"Not to my knowledge, and I doubt Obi-Wan would have bothered informing Luke of that well-kept secret." He shook his head, "To answer your question, no. At the moment, the Skywalker twins are blissfully unaware that they are in any fashion related. And it's going to stay that way until they're ready to know." He fixed Qui-Gon with a stern look, though he had doubts the old Jedi would bother informing either of the twins about the truth. Not necessarily the truth of their father's fate, but that they were both the children of Anakin Skywalker. Leia had vague memories of Padme, and he had often wondered if Luke had them too. He didn't know that the pair had lingered after hearing Qui-Gon raise his voice.

Luke had felt that eavesdropping twice on the same conversation might be a bad idea, and when he heard what Bail Organa said, he knew he had been right. There was something they were not supposed to know, but unaware that he and Leia were still listening in, Bail revealed a very closely-kept secret of the Skywalker family. Leia nearly gave them away, but Luke clapped one hand over her mouth before her cry reached inside that office and pulled her into his arms. They had to get out of here, and so he led her away as quietly as he could. As soon as they were well away, she broke her silence.

"How?" she cried, "How could they keep that from us?"

"Because they had to, Leia. They had to keep us safe, no one but our guardians could ever know Anakin Skywalker's children still lived." He let her pull away, though all he wanted to do was hold her and let her cry until she couldn't anymore. A year of training had come in handy, and he didn't show the same emotion Leia did.

"This doesn't bother you at all? Not even a little?" she had noticed and turned on him, "Not even shock?"

"I'm just as confused as you are, Leia, and I don't like it anymore than you do."

"You don't show it! How can you stand it?"

"I…"

"It's your training. I know." she grew quiet, "I forget sometimes how different we are. You've always been the calm one, even when the Empire destroyed the homestead and killed Aunt Beru. I was the one who broke down in hysterics, you were there to hold me and tell me things would be alright because we still had Uncle Owen." She hugged herself tightly, "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Luke, I didn't mean to. I'm just so confused."

"I know you didn't mean to. Leia, we just learned something bigger than both of us together." He held out one hand, "Come on, let's go talk to Master Obi-Wan, he'll know what to do."

"But doesn't it bother you that there's something else they might have lied about?"

"Like what?"

"Like what happened to our father?"

"Oh, I know." He frowned, "I've known for a year. Don't ask how, but I just have this feeling no one told me the truth." He had thrown around ideas in his head, they usually came to him during the night in dreams and he meditated on them the next day, but he didn't want to say anything to Obi-Wan for fear that he might actually be right. So, with Bail Organa's unknowing admission ringing in their ears, Luke and Leia went to find Obi-Wan and get answers.

Obi-Wan felt the turmoil and confusion in his Padawan before he saw Luke, and when his Padawan appeared with Leia Organa at his side, he knew something was very wrong. It had become almost commonplace to see Luke accompanied by the petite, white-clad princess wherever he went. She was known for coming to the training rooms to watch him practice with his lightsaber, and when neither was seen with their expanding group of mutual friends, they could always be found tucked into some quiet corner with their heads together as they chatted or sometimes just relaxed. He tried to think of what could have discomforted the pair so thoroughly that Leia's face was almost as white as her gown. Luke wasn't looking all that well, either. Surely the news Han Solo had brought them wasn't responsible? The twins were stronger than that! But, wait…was that it? Part of Obi-Wan's heart broke for them, and he knew that somehow, they had discovered a closely-kept secret of the Skywalkers. He got up slowly and let them come to him.

"Master, why didn't you tell us? There were so many chances!" Luke spoke first, and Obi-Wan knew the boy felt confused and maybe betrayed.

"I'm so sorry, Luke. Really I am. I have to take full responsibility for this unfortunate reality coming to bear so quickly." He tested the Training Bond and found several shields where there had been nothing before. Oh, Padawan, don't do this alone. I'm so sorry. It was purely reflexive, he knew, but it hurt him as the Master that his Padawan felt so betrayed that he would shield off the open part of his mind. He was reminded for a moment of Anakin, and the very thought of it sent a shock of horror through him. Luke must have felt something, because they both caught him before he could hurt himself in a fainting fall. In a rush, those shields came down, and he saw the truth. They did know, they had overheard the truth in an argument between Qui-Gon and Bail. Qui-Gon? What did his old interfering master have to do with this latest disaster?

Master, I'm sorry I blocked you out. I didn't know I'd done it. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. He heard Luke's voice all but begging and he forced himself to focus. They were sitting on the ground, one on either side, and together they helped him sit up.

"Master? Are you alright?"

"I was reminded of the times your father would block me out after a particularly harsh disagreement." He shook his head, "I should never have kept it from you this long, Luke. Please forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you! You were protecting us both! If the wrong people knew the children of Anakin Skywalker lived, we would be in more trouble now than we are." Luke, bless his innocent soul, was so quick to forgive. Obi-Wan knew it was time to take Luke's training to a new level and begin preparing the boy for his eventual encounter with Darth Vader. He wasn't sure how soon he would tell Luke that truth, but he knew he must. Forgiven by both Luke and his sister, Obi-Wan felt a small degree of peace and decided it was about time he did something about Qui-Gon's hand in this mess. Once the twins were gone, he focused on his Master, located his presence in the outpost, and summoned him.

We need to talk. Four words, shortly spoken. A heartbeat later, Qui-Gon stood in ghost-form before him.

"Sharp words to your master, Obi-Wan? You haven't used that tone of voice with me in years."

"For good reason. I haven't had any cause for it until now." He looked defiantly up at his master, "I was just visited by the Skywalker twins, if you should care to know, and they were both devastated."

"How did they ever find out?" the blatant look of confusion was genuine, though Obi-Wan hated not being able to read his master's emotions more deeply. He sighed, rubbing one hand across his forehead.

"I learned a very painful lesson with my Padawan today, one I learned with Anakin and one I'm sure you learned with me. Never keep secrets."

"It's not entirely your fault, Obi-Wan. I should have known better than to think I had the freedom to speak my mind once they left the room." Qui-Gon shook his head. Obi-Wan knew they were all in some way responsible for what had happened. He thought of something and chuckled.

"Oh, poor Bail. I can only imagine the temper he's going to have to deal with from Leia."

"He's fully unaware they were listening."

"That's why I'm sorry. Maybe Leia will be merciful."

"I doubt it. She's too much like Padme sometimes." His old master smirked, "Having spent time watching both of them grow up, I can say that."

"A simple warning may be in order, I'd rather he didn't have to face that kind of fit without one." Obi-Wan got up, feeling somewhat less guilty, and went to warn Bail of his foster-daughter's impending fit. Qui-Gon left him, a whisper of laughter heralding his master's departure. Bail was horrified that the twins were aware of the truth, but promised to take things in stride. It wasn't their fault after all.

Meanwhile, plans were made for the defense of the outpost against the Death Star, the schematics of the battle station perused and studied until the technicians went cross-eyed. Yuma Viann's information regarding the station's one weakness was taken into account and a defense planned around that. It was time for the Alliance to do what it did best, fight against insurmountable odds, survive, and live another day to kick up trouble for the Empire later.