Awareness returned slowly to the Princess. Vaguely she knew that she was lying down, something bundled under her head, with a splitting headache that made everything from her crown to the base of her neck feel like it had been smashed against a wall.

Where am I?She wondered. It was a cliched question, but one she could not figure out on her own.

Smells came next. The odor of mildew, mold, rot, and rain mingled and made her nose wrinkle. The presence of someone familiar greeted her, while another presence sat near, somehow strange and yet...familiar...though she couldn't place it.

"Leia?"

That voice she knew. Luke! Leia's eyes flew open and she lifted her aching head. "Luke..." Her head spun, and a hand lightly touched her shoulder.

"Easy..." Luke was happy to see she was awake, but still concerned. "Not so fast. You hit your head pretty hard. Besides, the ceiling in here is kind of low."

"Oh." Memory returned quickly. Leia closed her eyes and her hand went to her head. "I crashed."

"You sure did. How are you feeling?"

Leia groaned softly. Her head was throbbing so hard it made her eyes cross and her stomach lurch. "Ugh. Don't ask."

Luke cringed with sympathy. "I know. But you'll be all right. It's just a concussion."

'Just' a concussion. "Tell that to my head." Again Leia's eyes closed. She couldn't help but notice how well Luke was. He did not seem to be in any danger at all. Nice going. You just flew all the way out here for nothing and ended up with a concussion. She heard Luke step away for a minute. Small, shuffling footsteps approached her side.

The strange-yet-familiar presence drew nearer. "Mmm. More prudent should you be, young one."

The high-pitched, raspy voice made Leia flinch and open her eyes. There beside her stood the oddest creature she had ever seen. It was about two feet tall, with long ears that tapered at the end, wispy white hair, a multitude of wrinkles, and jade-green skin. In one clawed, tridactyl hand was a gnarled cane. In the other was a small cup of steaming liquid. Large green eyes peered intently at her.

Leia gasped and her eyes widened. As a senator she had seen plenty of odd species, but this... "Uh...Luke?" She called uncertainly.

"Fear me not, young one," said the creature in a quiet tone. As raspy as his voice was, it somehow brought with it an aura of calm and wisdom.

"It's all right, Leia," called Luke, crawling over to sit beside her again. "This is Master Yoda. Master Yoda, this is Leia Organa, leader of the Rebellion."

This is Yoda? The most powerful Jedi who ever lived? Leia frowned. Luke had described the elfin creature before, but she had never imagined one so small and frail-looking. Leia inched up on her elbows. "Ah...it's nice to meet you."

Yoda handed her the cup. "Mmm. Drink."

Leia took the cup and gave it a suspicious sniff. It smelled of damp earth. "What is it?"

"Tea. Ease your pain, it will," explained the green gnome. "Drink."

Leia glanced at Luke, who nodded in encouragement. With a shrug, she took a cautious sip. A strong, bitter, unidentifiable taste rolled across her tongue and down her throat. She coughed and threw the tea a sour look.

"Hmph! Brew it for flavor, I did not," said Yoda indignantly.

There was authority in that little voice. Leia took another sip, holding back the grimace that followed. Already some of the pain eased. "Thank you." Her brown eyes roved about the little room to take it in.

She saw a tiny, cluttered hut, seemingly made out of mud and twigs, lit with glowing rocks and a little fire in one corner. Herbs, roots, and other objects were hung and piled in heaps on a little shelf next to the fire, while earthenware and wooden bowls, pots, and jars held unidentifiable objects. A stray green lizard ambled across the floor and hid in one of the piles of junk. Leia firmly told herself not to jump to conclusions. Still, she could not shake the feeling of familiarity about the place. Have I been here before? No, that's impossible. And Yoda, haven't I seen him before? No...

Luke sat cross-legged next to her. "Feeling any better?"

Leia nodded. "A little." Her fingers fumbled for the sting on her forehead and came upon a bandage. Slowly her hand dropped to cup the warm tea. She turned to Luke with a frown. "How did you find...never mind. I guess I made enough noise coming in to wake the dead."

"Well...that, and the Force," admitted Luke. He tilted his head to one side, curious. "What made you change your mind about coming?"

"I didn't. I..." Leia glanced at Yoda, who was listening intently. He can probably sense lies. She sighed and stared into her cup. "I had a dream. The Emperor had you, he...he was torturing you...I tried calling you, but you never answered...I came to warn you."

"A dream?" Luke frowned. He looked disturbed and turned to Yoda, who seemed to have fallen asleep. "Master?"

Yoda opened his eyes. He did not answer Luke, but turned to Leia. "Mmm...a vision, you had...of the future."

Leia shuddered. "Well, if it was a vision of something that will happen, then we have to prevent it. Luke, you have to come back."

Yoda shook his head in disapproval. "Always in motion is the future. Change it, we might, but try we should not." He threw a pointed glance at Luke, who nodded.

"He's right, Leia. I made that mistake myself." Unconsciously he rubbed the union between wrist and artificial hand.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? I didn't know if it was something that had happened or something that was going to happen, or..." Leia looked at both of them in turn and found no sympathy. She groaned and put down the tea. "Apparently I'm not going to get any answers from you two. So if I'm not needed here, then I might as well leave." She rose to her knees, then wavered as dizziness overtook her. Gratitude and embarrassment rose when Luke put his hand out to steady her.

"You shouldn't travel yet," Luke said gently. "Besides, that Y-wing isn't going anywhere. It's pretty much toast."

Leia sat down hard at the realization. "You mean I'm stuck here?"

Luke shrugged apologetically. "You could always call for a ride, but you should really be resting...at least for a few days."

Great. Leia groaned and lay back down, scowling at the ceiling. "Fine." She sipped her tea. For a time the hut was silent but for the pattering of rain from outside. Her thoughts wandered to the little astromech that was more or less Luke's shadow. She turned to Luke with a frown. "Artoo isn't out in that, is he?"

To her surprise, Luke laughed. "No. He learned his lesson the first time we came. He's under the wing of my fighter recharging his power cells."

Leia nodded. Of course Luke would see to Artoo's safety. The droid was as close as a friend to him. For some reason she felt better knowing Artoo was out of the elements. She finished the tea in her cup and set it down on the nearby table. Her eyes then fell upon Yoda, who seemed to be staring at her. Why is he staring at me like that? Leia cleared her throat and decided to make conversation with him. "I hope this isn't a bad time. I didn't interrupt any lessons, did I?"

Wordlessly Yoda shook his head before throwing a pointed glance to worktable in the corner, where Luke had retreated. He was tinkering with something.

"Luke? What are you doing?" Asked Leia, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Building a new lightsaber," answered Luke. He picked up a small, portable power pack and inspected it.

"Do all Jedi build their own lightsabers?" Leia wanted to know.

"Mm. A rite of passage, it is," answered Yoda. "Define a Jedi, the weapon does."

There's another reason I can't be a Jedi, thought Leia. I can't build anything to save my life. She turned away from Luke, not wanting to distract him. Instead she found Yoda still watching her intently. "I know it sounds strange, but I have the oddest feeling...like I've seen you before..."

Yoda's ancient mouth moved upwards into a surprising smile. He nodded. "True, you are, young Leia, though remember me you would not. An infant, you were."

Leia flinched in surprise. "You saw me as an infant?"

Again he nodded.

Leia shook her head. "How could you? I was told that the Jedi were exterminated before I was born. Obviously you escaped, but...you couldn't have met me, even as an infant."

Yoda lifted his eyebrows. "So certain are you?" He shifted his weight and leaned on his gimer stick. "Knew your mother, I did. Witnessed your birth, I did...as I did yours, young Skywalker."

Luke's head snapped up. He almost laughed. "But we were born on the same day. How could you be-" Slowly his smile faded and a look of amazement and wistfulness. He turned to look at Leia, who was hanging her head.

Yoda looked from Luke to Leia and nodded. "Sense it, you do. The same mother, you had...the same father, you have...Skywalkers, you both are."

Luke's mouth hung open for a bare moment. It was not really a surprise. We're siblings...not just siblings, twins...everything fell into place. Everything made sense now...the shared birthday, the Force abilities, the inherent closeness...he turned to Leia. The look on her face was worth far more than words. "You knew?"

Leia nodded, cheeks burning with shame. "Mon Mothma told me. She'd known that my mother and...and Anakin Skywalker were close...I didn't want to believe her."

There was no accusation in Luke's eyes, only hurt. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tears flowed down Leia's cheeks. "Fear...of what it would mean that Vader was...my-" she choked, unable to say the word. 'Father'.

"Darth Vader he is no longer," Yoda pointed out. "Sensed a shift in the Force, I have. Returned, Anakin Skywalker has."

Leia looked from Luke to Yoda in disbelief and confusion. Luke had been telling the truth all along. She shook her head. "It doesn't undo all the evil he's done...it won't bring back all the Jedi he murdered."

Yoda nodded gravely. "Consequences, there are. Accept them, he has. But now, the time is not, to look upon the past. Look to the future, we must." He regarded Luke and Leia individually. "Gone, nearly all the Jedi are. To defeat Palpatine, strong enough a single Jedi is not."

Leia could see where this was going...and the idea did not appeal to her at all. "Well, don't look at me. If anger and fear lead to the Dark Side, then I can't."

"Learn, you could, to control your feelings...but willing, you must be," admitted Yoda.

Leia scowled. He makes it sound as though I don't want to control my anger. "Willing or not, I don't have time to be a Jedi. I have enough to do already. What about you? You're the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. Can't you and Luke defeat Palpatine?"

Yoda sighed. He began hobbling across the floor. "Sick have I become. Not much time, I have left."

Leia flinched and turned to Luke for confirmation. He nodded. Only then did Leia notice how slowly Yoda was moving...how much effort it took just to cross the floor. She could practically feel how weak he was. Her heart sank further. She bit her lip. "I don't have any choice, do I?"

Yoda turned to her. "A choice, there always is. Uncertain, the future will always be. Wrong was I about Anakin...stronger than I expected, was Luke's compassion. Wrong I may be about his ability to defeat Palpatine. Spend the moments left, I will, in training him."

The amount of uncertainty bothered Leia more than she could articulate. Seeing the look of determination on Luke's face sent chills down her spine. He could die in the attempt. Then where would the galaxy be? Where would I be? No! I can't lose my brother now...not so soon after finding him. There was only one thing to be done. Unhappily she opened her eyes. "All right, I'll do what you want...I'll train."

Luke lifted his head in surprise and gratification. "You will?"

Leia looked him in the eye. "You can't defeat the Emperor by yourself. I won't let you face him alone."

Luke took his sister's hand to squeeze it. But his thanks was cautious. She was training to save him, not the rest of the galaxy. Would Yoda accept this if it was for the wrong reason?

Yoda leaned on his gimer stick, green eyes boring into Leia. "If train as a Jedi, you do, committed you must be. Turn back, you cannot. Let go of your anger, you must."

Leia had never had trouble finding motivation to serve. This time her reasons were more personal. Do it for Han...do it for Luke. Leia nodded. "Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it." She swallowed. "I just wish there was some way to explain this to the Alliance." And Han, she added to herself. She could just picture the look on his face when he heard the news.

Luke gave her a sheepish smile. "Tell them you're on family leave."

Leia cringed. That's one way to put it.

Yoda nodded. "Very well. Take you as my apprentice, I do. Give you a full course, I cannot, but help you, your brother will."

Luke and Leia turned to each other at the same time, startled. It was such a 'twin' moment that Leia would have laughed had the circumstances been different.

Luke gave his sister a strained smile and a shrug. "I'm not a very good teacher, but I'll do my best."

Yoda tapped Luke on the shoulder with his cane. "But ready, you are not. Finish your lightsaber, you must!"

The chagrined Luke nodded meekly and turned back to his work table and tools. "Yes, Master."

Leia sighed. "All right...since Luke said I should rest, I suppose I can wait."

"Your master, Luke is not. Assuming, you are!" Yoda frowned at his newest student.

"Oh. Pardon me." Leia blinked with surprise and edged up from the crude pile of blankets she had been lying on. "So when is the first lesson?"

"Training begins now."

"All right. What am I learning?"

"Depend on you, that does."

Leia lifted an eyebrow and threw a glance to Luke. He gave only a sheepish shrug before turning back to his work. Leia frowned. He could have warned me Yoda speaks in riddles. "All right..."

Yoda stood there for a while just watching Leia, testing her reactions. Finally he spoke. "When seeking the Force, you are, calm you must be...focused..."

Leia nodded, trying to remember how Luke calmed himself. Deep breaths...he takes deep breaths. She took several deep, even breaths. That alone did a fairly good job of easing her nerves. "All right. I'm calm. Now, what?"

Yoda grunted and shook his head. He began to pace. "Impatient, you are! Deeper breaths you must take, longer you must focus." He walked up behind Leia. "Learn to clear your mind, you must."

Leia's gaze followed the little Jedi, unease rising as he ducked out of sight. What's he doing back there? She gasped with surprise when a small hand gently but firmly turned her head away.

"Look not at me! Forget me, you must. Forget the hut...forget Luke...think upon nothing, you shall," instructed Yoda. "Your eyes, close them."

Leia glanced at the hidden gnome out of the corner of her eye before sighing and closing her eyes.

"Deep breaths, take...in your nose, out your mouth. Start now. In..."

Leia hesitated before starting. I don't know about this... She inhaled until she thought her lungs would burst.

"Now out...slowly, slowly..." Yoda rested on his cane, nodding.

With an effort, Leia let out her air at a slow pace. With this instruction she took ten very deep breaths. Tension continued to leave.

Yoda's voice became a low drone. "Mm...yes...calm you must be...release feeling of unease...your mind, clear of questions, of doubt...yes..."

Leia's shoulders dropped as she continued to breathe deeply. Questions were brushed aside, doubts were released, and worry faded away. Peace began to flow...just a trickle at first, but Leia welcomed it. I needed this.

"Mmm...good, young Leia, yes. Now open your mind...feel the Force...let it flow through you..."

Leia was confused. He wants me to open my mind after I've pushed everything else out? Her brow wrinkled and she shook her head. "I don't understand. How?"

Yoda shifted his weight again. "Trust...believe..."

OK...Leia sighed and tried to center her thoughts again. "How will I know it's the Force I'm feeling and not something else?"

"Know, you will."

If you say so. Luke trusted Yoda. That was reason enough for Leia. She seemed to sink deeper and deeper within herself, concentrating on nothing but breathing.

Then the feelings came. She sensed Yoda, standing at her elbow...she sensed Luke, fully involved in building his new weapon...the rest of it, in a kaleidoscope of noise and color, was the life teeming all around her in the form of animals and plants.

Then the peace was disturbed. Vague noise in the form of the rest of the galaxy tried to enter her little bubble. Leia thought of Han. He must be anxious. She hadn't even contacted him yet! What must he be thinking? Every life she sensed seemed to be staring at her, fearing her, wanting to know what she was going to do.

The bubble burst. Unable to process this new barrage of information, Leia pulled herself out of the meditation with a gasp. She blinked hard and shook her head in frustration.

"Stop, why did you?" questioned Yoda.

"It's too much," she protested. "I feel like the whole galaxy is staring at me."

"Opened your mind too much, you did," said Yoda with a frown.

"Well, your instructions weren't very specific," argued the young woman quietly. She did not want to be difficult, but it was like being thrown into a lake without being told how deep it was and trusting that someone you had just met would either teach you to swim or save you from drowning. "I'm sorry, but this all new to me."

Yoda grunted in displeasure and hobbled back around to speak to Leia from the front. "Your mother's stubbornness, you have, and your father's impatience. A difficult combination, they are."

Leia scowled at being compared to Anakin. "Don't say that. I am nothing like him."

Yoda shook his head. "More like him, are you, than you think! Much in common, have you. Anger, you have. Fear, you have." Yoda stopped to give her a kind look. "But despair not! Compassion, you also have. Kindness, you have. Selflessness, you have. Forgiveness, you need."

Leia flinched. Yoda's assessment of her was dead on. It stung to have someone she had just met evaluate her so bluntly...but everything he said was true. Forgiveness...does he want me to forgive Anakin? Never! But of course it wouldn't do let Yoda know that. Leia let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry."

Yoda straightened his spine and pointed his cane at her. "Apologize not. Again, you will reach for the Force."

Leia let out a hard breath and glanced once more at Luke. The young man seemed to have dropped into a trance, his eyes half closed as he assembled various parts. An unaccountable sense of competitiveness rose. If he can do it, so can I. She let her eyes close again. Carefully, tentatively, she opened her mind to the Force...