"My lord, may I express my questions?"

He hummed in response, affirming the Thirteenth Brother's request.

"On the Death Star, you had a chance to eliminate most of the Jedi and your enemies, why didn't you?"

Leia hid her face and covered it with her cloak. She put her head down, avoiding the conversation. She knew and understood his attachment, but had she not broken down, they would have defeated the enemy. The fact that her enemies were still surviving was because of her.

Vader stopped in his tracks, pulling his hood over his head. He too was questioning himself for that decision. It was obvious that they must be gone from the station as soon as possible, but he still had the strength and power to destroy them, eytwhe let them go. He could not explain the feeling he felt when he saw his entire family in one instance. He let himself absorb the truth: he was gutless to erase his family.

He glanced towards the Inquisitor who had suspicions and doubting looks. He must have had his own guesses; it was obvious for Leia, but the Inquisitor had not seen the exchange. He tightened his hand to a fist and he answered, keeping a straight face, making sure no emotion slipped through.

"It was not the time, nor the place," he answered. "At that moment, we were at a disadvantage, admittedly. The Emperor left us weakened and vulnerable. There was also the Rebel attack. Had we fought, we all would have been stardust by now."

For the first time in his life had he ever let his humility take over him. It was annoying, but at least it could used as a tool to subvert their suspicions. He could see Leia with a look of disbelief on her face. The Inquisitor kept his face calm and accepted his excuse.

"I see," he said, looking at his fellow Inquisitor. "I guess that was a reasonable option at that time."

Leia avoided eye contact with him. Embarrassed by what happened in that situation, she gave a slow nod.

"I have a question for you two," he said, stepping forward. "Are you faithful?"

His only two Inquisitors bowed to their knees and placed their hands on their chests. "We will always follow you, my lord," they answered.

He hummed and looked the distance. It was evening, and the setting sun illuminated the metallic building to glow golden, but to him, the sun looked a bloody red colour.

The large crowd gathered in the capital planet of Coruscant, in the outdoor platform near what used to be the Senate Building. There were murmurs and whispers amongst them, he could sense their anxiety. They had a clue as to what happened and they were afraid. They did not trust Vader enough.

The Inquisitor huffed. If only they knew the service his master had brought to the galaxy. The man was a wonder, a life saver, and the rightful ruler. He wondered what would have happened if he had remain a slave on Sleheyron. Except, there was this one problem. He took a glance at Vader's look of concern directed towards Leia.

They all saluted the moment Darth Vader, the new Emperor, ascended the platform. He wore a sadistic smile, standing next to the Emperor's hand, Leia, which puzzled most of the men there. The Death Star was destroyed, Governor Tarkin had perished and the leader of the Empire, Sheev Palpatine was dead; how was it the occasion to smile?

The Cathar cleared his throat before checking his microphone. He then turned to the crowd and released his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Empire, I know most of you are aware of this, but I will confirm your suspicions. The Emperor is dead and the Death Star is destroyed."

The murmurs increased and the crowd started to comments between each other. Their fear and anxiety was evident; they echoed in the Force and he wanted to roll his eyes at their lack of faith. Disturbing as it is, he continued his speech.

"However, all is not lost, for we now have the rightful heir of the Emperor's throne - Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith!"

He could still sense doubt among the Imperial leaders.

"Sheev Palpatine was an old man who merely idled around his throne. Even if he was the 'political founder' of our Empire, who was the one who conquered countless star systems? Who was the one who led us into the battlefields? Who guaranteed our success? Moreover, who secured the Empire?"

"It was all Lord Vader, the true Lord of the Sith," Leia continued from where he left off, joining the Inquisitor. "His reign will be marked as the Empire's peak years, and he bring the Rebel Alliance to its knees."

She could sense their hopes being lightened up and being encouraged by the news. The crowd started to clap their hands and looked at each other, seemingly agreeing with the Catha. They were afraid of him, but also respected him.

"Despite our recent loss, the Imperial Fleet of Coruscant is greater than all of the Alliances' combined. They are powerless against us. Star systems will join the Empire willingly, those worlds which resist will be burnt all the way to their core."

"The Force is on our side, I sense it," the Inquisitor spoke up, his raised hands directed at Vader. "All hail Darth Vader, the one conceived from the Force!"

The crowd now had faith of their new leader, familiar with his successes and his power. They started to place their trust and hope on their new leader, reminded of the times he faithfully served. They raised their hands in the air, pointing towards the new Emperor and chanted. "All hail Darth Vader!"

Vader listened and observed the situation. He folded his arms, standing tall before his followers. That old shrimp was finally out of his way. He could now rule the Empire as he wanted. The people's faith were fixed on him, and if they weren't, they wouldn't dare challenge the most poweful user of the Force.

* * * * transition * * * *

* * * *

Lush, green and teeming with life, Yavin 4 was just like Alderaan, Luke noted, except that he felt 'sticky.' Since he was used to cool and temperate climates, he was new to this humid feeling. He constantly had the urge to scratch his leg or his shoulder. It was hot, he wanted to remove his warm clothes. It was humid, his clothes stuck to his skin. The shade under the tall trees did not help, and splashing hmself with water would make the 'stickiness' worse. It was uncomfortable.

This discomfort added to his annoyance. He knew he must not feel disturbed by Obi Wan's revelation, but it was still uneasy. In fact, he always had a feeling. A presence would always linger at the back of his head during his vulnerable moments, including that time.

He walked beside Padmé, whom he had found a connection. Ahsoka was also a comfortable person to talk to, but she had to accompany the Oracle to the medical station.

He had just discovered that Padmé Amidala, the Rebel General, was his mother. More surprises! However, it wasn't too bad. His reunion with her was everything he wanted. She was kind and loving, like the ideal mother he had in his fantasy. At least this time, he had a family member by his side.

About Obi Wan, he just didn't care anymore. He was tired of what he felt, of this drama. Let him lie, let him do whatever he wanted, Luke would obey, no doubt, but he must not care.

"So, this is Yavin 4, huh?" Han Solo walked besides him, observing the structure of the base. His mind had already checked the escape route and the possible places to hide in case anything went wrong. "The droids are really out of date. I bet these defenses would crash to the ground with the smallest blast. The vehicles are not heavily armed. The place is kinda small."

"If it's too claustrophobic, why don't you just crawl back to your stinky ship?" Luke retorted, clicking his tongue, clearly annoyed by his constant comments.

"I'm not saying that," the man replied, shaking his head. Chewie roared along with him to agree. "I'm saying that you guys could really upgrade your technology for your base."

"This isn't our main base," Padmé clarified, raising a finger to prove her point. "We were planning to abandon this after our attack on the Death Star anyway."

"Alright, makes sense," he replied. "Although I must say, lady, your son's got sass."

Padmé looked at her son for a while, who still had that grumpy look and scratching his arms. His appearance was clumsy and child-like, but she knew the thoughts that cycled through his mind. In some ways, he felt like Jedi, more specifically, Master Windu. That Jedi had a cold countenance and an emotionless persona, but easily upset. He was a hero nonetheless.

She hoped that Luke would not turn into that one day, or perhaps she was too late.

"Well, yes, he has been through a lot," she stated in a light tone to ease up the tension she felt which was weird since everyone was in high spirits. "It's normal behavior."

"But is it normal for a Jedi?" Han raised an eyebrow. He was well informed for a non-Force user.

"I...He is di-different, I...I think," she stuttered. But was his behavior really normal for a Jedi? Or was he turning to the Dark Side? She didn't have a clue to any of those questions. She covered her face at the realization that she barely knew her son. The young lad who walked besides her.

"Let him be," Obi Wan's soft voice spoke. "It is good to release your frustrations for a while."

Luke's features softened for a while the moment he heard that, but that disappeared as soon as it appeared. His jaws and fists were clenched as he maintained a cold stare at the floor. If he was being honest, he did not know what to feel. He knew he wasn't supposed to be upset about any of what had happened in the past few hours, but he felt inner turmoil. The pieces of the puzzle just won't fit.

He was supposed to be cold, demeaning, but it just didn't suit him. It was sickening for him to act that way, but he knew that the only way for him to remain in the Light and reject the Dark was to reject his emotions. If he continued in this path, he might end up like his sister, or worse, his father.

Obi Wan sighed; the matter still hadn't been dealt properly. He was an emotional boy, ever since he was a child. That quality resonated in him from his first beginnings in the bacta tank. It was a dangerous trait to have as a Jedi, since they were taught to discard emotion and find peace. Throughout history, those who failed to take the teachings to heart end up unleashing destruction to the galaxy.

They reached the Rebel meeting room, where Mon Mothma had been waiting for the party. "This smuggler is the man who killed the Emperor?" Her face was filled with surprise, and disbelief.

Padmé answered affirmatively while Han stood awkwardly, not caring whether he was degraded for his status or not.

"You did great," she congratulated the man, and shook his hand. "Not everyone can have the courage to fight against Palpatine, even the Jedi themselves."

"I'm honoured," Han accepted the greeting, with a huge smile of pride.

"And this must be..." Mothma turned to the young blonde boy. Her posture became more stiff when compared to her interaction with Han. Despite noticing the change, Luke smiled politely and introduced himself.

Obi Wan's train of thought resumed. Luke wouldn't become like that, right? He looked at the innocent boy before him, interacting with the Rebel Leader. Would he ever be corrupted? At this rate, he would...

'Master, don't you think sometimes the Jedi Code might not be the best in these times?'

He was afraid he was slowly agreeing with Ahsoka's bold statement. The Jedi Code was not suitable at these times, at least for Luke. This might be the time for the Jedi to change. He wondered what went wrong: the Jedi teachings? Or the teachers; the way the code was applied? Nevertheless, he knew Luke was going through a difficult time, he must be the responsible mentor towards him.

Perhaps he should allow it, as long as Luke was properly watched.

*

Luke and Han stood at the end of the hallway, slightly nervous. Obi Wan and Ahsoka stood amongst the crowd, while Padmé stood up in the front, waiting to reward the Alliances' heroes. The rebels, both military and officials lined up in the hall, standing in attention to honour them.

His hand felt sweaty, making it worse. It was not good that it was covered with hardened calcium sulphate hemihydrate. He felt stuffy and his breathing was fairly quick. He took a side glance at the smuggler, who had a relaxed look. Noticing that he was busted doing the action, he gave a light smile. Han rolled his eyes playfully but returned the smile, which was distorted by the gauze patch on his cheek. Chewbacca roared quietly, excited that they were rewarded.

The music played, it was time to march forward. Luke noticed the many smiling faces directed towards him. Everyone seemed so happy and joyful, except him.

'Luke, listen to you feelings.'

The boy searched the crowd for his master, who had sent that telepathic message. He saw him standing among the last of the rows, with that usual sour look of him, but that voice said otherwise. It sounded encouraging and actually pleased.

'Do not restrict your emotions, they are what make you human. Learn how to feel.'

His legs kept walking, but his surprised gaze was fixed on his master. Never before had he heard such words from him. It did not sound like something he would say, but it was him saying it. What made him change his mind?

'I realized that I was wrong and refused change. I'm sorry. I held on to the outdated values of the old Jedi Order and attempted to pass them to you, not knowing how they harmed you. You are free to feel and release your emotions, as long as they won't harm anyone.'

His mouth went agape with shock and joy. These words gave him a sense of freedom, as if those chains that shackled his emotional weight had been gone. A natural smile started to spread, while Obi Wan nodded in encouragement. Ahsoka had a smirk on her face then, turned towards her master, as if she was communicating with him.

The three made their way to the podium and each received their medals. The heavy gold medals felt cold against their chest, which was a sign of achievement. The crowd applauded as the group turned towards them, presenting their reward for their bravery.

"I'm proud of you, Luke," Padmé whispered to her son, clasping his shoudler. R2D2 behind her beeped happily and Luke chuckled in response. Han also laughed along with the crowd. Chewie stood nearby, growling with joy.

Such a happy event, yet such a tragic ending later on.

*

"While this peace lasts, there will always be an incoming conflict," the Oracle mused while mediating on her medical bed. "He is coming. I just hope that the Skywalkers have resolved their problems."

****

CHAPTER 25, just perfect.

This is the last chapter of this book. It has been a journey (THREE YEARS?!) to reach this section.

I would like to thank Alannalim01 for making it this far and encouraging me. I also thank Kopowerbomb88 for constant voting and reading and AhsokaXXXTano for the feedback.

And also to all you readers who stuck by me for 3 years or so and my stupid writing then.

There will be a sequel to this book that is coming some time later. This ain't the end, my friends. So goodbye, for now.

Again, thank you all so much.

______

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7)