When Amilyn sat down, Leia found herself doing it as well, and the pain of the world knowing about Vader came again, and for a long moment it was all Leia could do was breathe through the pain and the accusation that wasn't one. For Leia it should have been. They had lied to everyone they had loved, and the lies had torn them all apart just as much and as easily as what Ben had done.

She's silent for a moment, and then she takes a deep breath. "After Ben had destroyed the new jedi temple and took some of the students with him, I knew that it would be a Vader situation all over again. Only this time people wouldn't just distrust me, they'd distrust Luke too. The universe needed Luke Skywalker. And we didn't know what Ben would do then. Luke... he told me and then he disappeared. He cut himself off from me with the Force even. So, we thought if we told people Ben died then it would be easier."

Leia just sighed softly. "It wasn't. It isn't. It never got any easier."