Only Hero Left

Chapter 3 - Not Alone

Author's Note: Enjoy the last chapter. Yes, there's an open ending. :)

Thank you so much for reading, voting, and/or commenting on this fic! ^-^

~ Amina Gila

She does not, in fact, have time to breathe, because the meeting is called soon enough, and she's asked to attend. Ben is there too, and she could swear he and Vader are glaring at each other whenever no one's watching, even if she has yet to see them look at each other even once.

Seriously.

But she finds it less irritating, more... Something else now. She knows why Vader is so angry with him, and she knows why Ben is so angry with him. So no, it's not amusing. More exhausting. It must be for both of them, too.

The meeting isn't over soon enough, and the others leave as soon as they can. Vader doesn't go immediately, and neither does Ben, so Leia waits, to make sure there won't be any... murders.

"We must discuss your training," Vader says, turning to her. She finds it a lot less unnerving to have him towering over her like this after... earlier.

"Training," Ben repeats, eyes narrowing, "You aren't training them, Vader."

The temperature seems to drop, fury coiling almost visibly around him. "You will not stop me," he snarls.

Ben glares back, unfazed. "I'm not letting you corrupt them with the Dark Side."

Excuse her, but half of 'them' is standing right here. They seem to have already forgotten her existence now, though, with only a single-minded focus on each other.

"It will give them power," he growls, "So they will be strong enough to fight the Emperor."

"'Powerful enough' that they will be blinded with power just like you," Ben snaps, "They were safer here without your meddling."

Suddenly, she has the very bad feeling things are about to get violent. "You took them from me," Vader snarls, fist clenching.

"I was protecting them from you," Ben spits, "This is already the second time I had to rescue Leia from you."

Vader twitches sharply, and she definitely picks up his flare of absolute pain. Pain and hopelessness that runs so deep no one could express it with anything but anger... or giving up entirely.

There's no way Ben didn't notice it either, so why does he look so smug?!

"That's enough!" Leia calls loudly, before this an escalate further.

Both heads swivel towards her in perfect unison. Their expressions somehow feel identical even if she can't see Vader's face.

"Both of you have legitimate reasons to be angry with each other and being cruel about it will change nothing. I know you both still care for – who you though the other person used to be. If you can't talk without fighting, then perhaps don't talk to each other at all."

They're both gaping at her now – well Ben is, and she thinks Vader is feeling pretty similarly.

"And I think it's up to Luke and I who trains us and what we do or don't want to learn."

"Leia –" Ben begins instantly.

"No, not now," she cuts him off, "We can talk about this later when everyone has a clearer head."

There's a respirator cycle of silence before Vader spins on his heel, walking out. If it was someone she actually knew better, she'd follow to see if he was alright. Because all she can remember is –