Only Hero Left

Chapter 4 - Family

Author's Note: I wasn't initially planning to continue this, but people were asking and then I got some ideas of more things I'd like to cover anyway. So here's a relatively short, two part continuation. :D I'm not planning to cover what happens with Sidious because that's frankly been talked about so many times it's getting a little boring unless you have a very creative, unique approach, but I will be addressing Leia finding out a little more about Mustafar. ;) 

~ Tirana Sorki

"Have you spoken with him?" Leia asks, when she finds a moment alone with Luke again. Ben still looks as though he wants to say something about what he saw in the woods, but Leia had just excused herself. She has little interest in talking about it with Ben right now, not when she already knows what he's going to say.

"I have," Luke replies, "I still can't believe he's alive. I spent my whole life thinking my father was dead."

"I always wanted to know my biological parents, too," Leia agrees. But she never dreamed her biological father would be... like this.

"I don't know what to think of him," Luke says finally, "I... always thought he was a Jedi. I always wanted to be like him."

Well.

That wouldn't be easy.

She's still hardly sure how she feels towards Vader, but after... what she saw in the medbay, it's hard to think badly of him, despite the terrible things she's seen him do. He's little better than a slave himself. It's not as if the state of the Empire is his fault.

The Rebellion has accepted plenty of Imperials in the past. There's no reason this should be any different. And if he's actually going to help them destroy the Emperor, she supposes that's one step towards making up for whatever he's done under the Emperor in the first place.

"They both want to train us," Leia declares finally, "I assume they spoke to you about that."

"Yeah," Luke agrees, "Ben says the Dark Side is dangerous and that's what Vader's going to teach us, but..." Luke shifts. "I – I want to know him. He's my father. I..."

She reaches down, almost instinctively taking Luke's hand. She can't say why they're so close already when they hardly know each other, but there's a connection there. Sometimes, it feels like she's always known and missed him, but never knew it.

"I know," Leia replies, "I don't know what to tell them either. But whatever it is, it will have to be something that will keep both of them from going at each other again." Something she does not have the energy to deal with anymore. Seriously.

"Maybe they can do it together," Luke muses.

"I think," Leia says flatly, "That they would sooner kill each other rather than work together that directly."

"Fair point. Let Ben do the Force training then. Maybe Vader can... teach us something else."

"Lightsaber skills?" she proposes. It's the best compromise she thinks they can reach, and somehow, she still has the feeling neither will be happy.

But frankly, she can't quite imagine looking up to Vader as a teacher, given everything. This will be an interesting experience.

***

Alliance duties are a good way not to take the time to think, Leia finds. Though it also makes it a little harder for her to find enough time to train with Luke, but when it's the most important step in destroying the Emperor, she tends to give it precedence.

"You will need a lightsaber," Vader tells her, as she, he, and Luke finally find a suitable spot to begin their... lessons.

She and Luke both agreed it will be easiest if they do it together.