Ben rolled his eyes. "A retreat, Dad? Really?" He shook his head. "I'm not buying it. If you think you can go after Vestara Khai without me-"
"I'm not," Luke interrupted. "I just need some time away."
Ben scowled, still doubtful. "And what about the Jedi?" He asked. "How do you expect the Order to get along without its Grand Master?"
Leia saw Luke's gaze flicker from Ben to Tahiri and Jiana, then to Ohali and herself - from the youngest generation to the eldest - and she felt the calm that came to him in the Force. The Jedi Order was strong and vigorous. The time had come for him to step out of the way, to let his creation grow into something larger than himself.
After a moment, Luke looked back to his son.
"Ben, I've been away for months now. You've read the same council reports I have. Did you see anything to suggest that the Order can't get along without me for a while?"
Ben furrowed his brow. "Well, no," he said. "But ... I still don't understand it. You aren't going all Yoda on me, are you?"
Luke chuckled. "Going Yoda?" he repeated. "Would that be so bad?"
Ben thought about that, then shrugged. "Only if you expect me to visit you in a swamp," he said. "Otherwise, I guess I'll deal with it."
Luke grinned and grasped his son's shoulders. "In that case, I'll be sure to avoid swamps. Now, how about we let Lando make the toast?"
Ben smiled and picked up his glass. "Sure thing." He turned to Lando. "Sorry to hold things up."