Chapter 23: The End

When they landed on Coruscant, Han greeted them. Leia had to tell him the story, for Luke would not speak. Upon hearing what had happened to Luke's family, Han tried to comfort him as best he could, but nothing helped. Other Jedi even tried to console him as well, but there was nothing to be done. Luke had lost his father twice, in the same way, and he lost his first ever Padawan. To Luke, he was a failure. More than once he said that he should have died, and not them, but Leia told him not to say such things. Other than these few outbursts, Luke said little and ate nothing. Slowly, he was distancing himself from them all. No one knew what to do except wait until Luke finally came around. He would come around, right? All they could do was hope.

And at last, nearly three months after the death of his father and pupil, Luke Skywalker came around. After months of immersing himself in meditation, sparing, and studying, he finally began to speak, eat, and walk normally. There was even an occasional smile on his lips when Han told a joke.

But more often than not, his smiles seemed rather wistful, like he was remembering times from the past and the people who were no longer there. But, instead of moping like he used to when he thought of them, he smiled. This, Leia and Han both thought, was much better than anything they could have hoped for.

During his lapse, as they called it, they often mused if he would turn to the Dark side or not. Of course, they both adamantly denied their belief in anything, but, beneath their falsely wide smiles, they did actually fear that happening. After all, he had immersed himself into Jedi ways for over three months, without speaking to anyone. With no communication and him in training for that long of a period, of course they would become suspicious.

However they never told Luke about this for fear that he would mope again at their lack of faith, but they both guessed that he knew what they had thought of him. They never discussed the matter.

Still, no one knew why he had become so suddenly happy. And they supposed they never would. But they were eternally grateful to whatever had brought Luke Skywalker back to them, although they supposed that he would never be the same again, for better or for worse.

Fin.

Thanks to everyone who read this story! At last it is done: )

Mucho Gracias!

E.Ll