Media: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Timeline: After Luke Skywalker leaves to face Darth Vader

Genres: Angst, Brotherhood, Family, Hurt/comfort, Science fiction, Whump

Summary: When Luke Skywalker returned from the Death Star, battered but alive, Han Solo notices that his friend is happier, but that there is still something his friend is keeping from him. Luke is burning to tell his brother, but is afraid of how Han will react.

Notes: A sequel to "Brotherhood", but can be read independently. If you don't know, Luke is the older twin. This will be relevant later.

"Hold me."

Han let her rush into his arms, running his fingers through her long, smooth hair. The last of his rush of anger faded away.

Anyone upon meeting the tough smuggler would have thought Solo would keep people at arms length, let alone care about anyone other than himself. But Leia and even Luke knew him better than that. It's impossible to not be a touchy-feely person when you have a Wookiee for a co-pilot. Not many people know that they give the best hugs in the galaxy.

"Can you at least tell me where Luke went?" he muttered into her hair.

She didn't answer for a moment. He could feel how hard she was thinking.

"He left to face Vader," she finally replied.

Han felt a mixture of emotions and he held her at arms length to look into her teary eyes. Anger, betrayal, hurt, fear, and worry all swirled together in a confusing storm.

"What? He just... abandoned the mission? Why would he do that? Doesn't he care about us?"

"Of course he does, Han! He left to protect us!"

"How?" he growled. "How does leaving protect us?"

"Vader, he... he can sense Luke. If he stays, Vader will follow him here to us, to the mission. Luke is going to him so Vader won't find us and we can destroy the bunker, bringing down the shield and the Rebellion will blow up the Death Star with the Emperor on it."

"Luke, is he... is he crazy?" Han released her shoulders and turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Last time they fought, Vader cut off his hand and almost killed him!"

"He's grown in his abilities since the last time you saw him," Leia assured him quietly, realizing Han's anger was covering up his fear for his friend.

He's changed a lot more than that, Han thought. "He's just a kid, and an idiot."

She approached him silently and touched his arm. "He will be fine."

"Stars, I hope so," he murmured. Then he seemed to shake himself. "C'mon. We have to make a plan."

He couldn't see it in the darkness, but he knew she was smiling softly at him.

"You lead, General."

* * *

The sight of a second battle station blowing up wasn't any less beautiful than the first.

Han followed her gaze into the sky and a great relief washed over him. They had done it. The war was finally won.

He turned back to her, expecting to see her own relieved smile. She was still staring at the sky, a worried frown on her face.

"I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew," he assured her hurriedly. He remembered his own horror when Leia told him that Luke was on Vader's shuttle, which was on it's way to the incomplete Death Star.

She shook her head, her expression now distant and relaxed yet thoughtful and concentrating.

"He wasn't. I can feel it."

Han swallowed his jealousy and spoke his fear. "You love him, don't you?"

"Well, yes."

Her nonchalant answer cut him like a hot lightsaber. He tried to force a smile, but it formed into a grimace.

"All right. I understand. Fine. When Luke comes back, I won't get in the way."

Leia stared at him in confusion until she closed her eyes and laughed. "No, it's not like that at all." She leaned in closer, her brown eyes alight with a joyful secret. "He's my brother."

A million questions ran through his head. His mouth agape, he couldn't find his voice to ask them. Then Leia turned his head and kissed him. Suddenly, his questions didn't matter. All that mattered was that they won, Luke was alive, and she loved him.

* * *

It was after night had fallen and the party had started when Luke Skywalker finally arrived. He was sweaty, exhausted, and battered, but alive and happier than Han had seen him in a long time.

He greeted his sister first, kissing her cheek and holding her close for a long moment. Han watched the sibling reunion from a short distance away. Then the Jedi approached him. The two men embraced. No words were exchanged, but none were needed.

The rest of the night was full of reunion and celebration. Their long, hard struggle was finally over. The Empire was defeated. The war was won.

It was the next morning when Han felt was the better time to ask for an explanation.

"So, Leia told me you two are siblings," Han brought up casually, lifting his mug of hot caf to his lips. He and Luke were leaning on the railing of a porch, each with a cup of a morning drink.

Luke nodded, gazing absentmindedly at the little creatures hobbling about below. There weren't many Rebels around. They were either still sleeping, or processing, or being checked over by medics. "It was as much as a shock to us as it was to you."

"How did you find out?"

"Before he died, Master Yoda told me there was another Skywalker. Then Ben's ghost confirmed that I have a twin sister. My insight told me it was Leia."

"So... you kissed your sister."

Luke grimaced. "First of all, Leia kissed me, and I was too stunned to kiss her back. Besides, I wouldn't do that to you. Second of all, it didn't mean anything. She was trying to make a point."

"But you still liked her for a bit."

The Jedi Knight groaned. "Stop. I don't wanna think about it."

The smuggler chuckled, but backed off and took another sip of his dark caf.

"Do you know who is older?"

Luke shook his head. "Leia likes to think she's the older one; and, honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she is."

"I bet she does. I don't know how we didn't realize this sooner. Now I'm noticing how alike you two are."

"And it also explains how she was able to hear me after I dueled Vader on Cloud City."

"Speaking of which, it was very stupid of you to run off and face him alone."

Luke shrugged, suddenly grim. "Vader could feel my presence; I was endangering the mission. I had to leave."

"But you didn't have to face him without back up. You could have died!"

The younger man stared at the inside of his mug. "I did almost die." He paused before explaining. "I surrendered myself. He took me before the Emperor. Palpatine wanted to turn me to the Dark Side and take Vader's place. He made me watch the destruction of the Rebellion. Finally, I snapped and tried to attack Palpatine, but Vader blocked my saber with his own and we fought. I won, but I almost lost myself to the Dark Side. When I refused to kill Vader, Palpatine almost killed me."

"Almost? What happened?" Han prompted gently.

"Darth Vader, he... he stepped in and killed the Emperor. He saved my life."

"Why would he do that?" The Darth Vader Han knew was a monster. He tortured himself and Leia and hunted Luke down ruthlessly. It didn't make any sense.

"Because..." Luke swallowed. His hands shifted around his mug nervously. "He's... he's my father."

His friend stared at him, his lips agape. Han could barely comprehend the idea of it, nor ask for an explanation. It just didn't seem possible. Luke Skywalker was so full of light and goodness. When they met, Luke was so bright and optimistic, too innocent for a galaxy outside of a moisture farm on Tatooine. Darth Vader was the Jedi's polar opposite. He was a monster, a terror of the galaxy. Dark and evil, and he was a murderer.

There was no way he was the kid's father. Luke became a Jedi for his father; to follow in his footsteps. According to Luke, he never knew his father, but looked up to him his entire life. He told him that Darth Vader murdered his father.

Luke wouldn't meet his eyes. His face was flushed with shame and his eyes full of fear and self-hatred. He was afraid Han would judge him because of who his father was. Hate him even.

"Luke... it's okay."

At his soft tone, the kid looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"I mean, it's not okay that your dad is evil and a murder... I mean, well, I–"

"Han," Luke interjected quietly, "I understand, and I'm grateful."

He was smiling, and Han returned it.

"I know you, kid. Who your parents are doesn't change who you are."

"Thank you."

"I do have one more question," Solo added, "though I think I know the answer now. Is that why you and Leia were separated?"

The Jedi nodded. "Our mother died after giving birth to us. Ben thought it would be wise to separate us to protect us from Vader and the Emperor."

Han nodded, his theory confirmed.

"I never told you this, Luke, but I think of you as a brother, even before I loved Leia, whom I now know is your sister. The fact that your father is Darth Vader doesn't change how I feel about either of you."

"Thank you, Han."

"It means a lot to both of us."

The boys glanced behind them to find Leia approaching. She slipped under Han's arm and he held her close to him.

"I haven't accepted that Darth Vader is my biological father, especially after all he had done, but I'm glad I have you and my brother."

Han and Luke locked eyes and smiled in agreement.

"Now, brother," Leia began in a tone that made Luke's smile falter, "you are going to get checked out by the medics."

"I'm fine, Leia. Really." He took an unconscious step back.

"We're Force-sensitive twins, Luke. I can not only tell when you're lying, but I can tell when you are in pain."

"Listen to your sister, kid," his friend chimed in. His tone was light and teasing, but his intentions were serious.

"But I'm fi–" He cut himself off with a hiss as he gripped his artificial hand with his other. The prosthetic was twitching uncontrollably. Luke ripped off his black glove. The fake skin was charred and sparking. Veinlike marks ran down his wrist past the edge of his sleeve out of sight.

"Luke, what happened to you?" Leia gasped, taking his hand in her gentle grip and pulling back his sleeve to examine the spidery scars.

"Palpatine, he... he almost killed me by electrocuting me with Dark Side lightning," the Jedi answered quietly.

"Kid, that's serious. You need at least an hour in the bacta tank to get rid of those scars."

"Come on. You're going whether you like it or not."

The determined Leia started leading her protesting brother away. Han laughed and followed the twins, clapping Luke on the shoulder to push him along.

"It's no use, kid. She's as stubborn as you. She's your sister, after all."