Author's note: This chapter may or may not be partially inspired by my own cat's flat refusal to enter her carrier so that she can be taken to the vet.

Chapter 3: Persuasion

"She's telling the truth. I realize that it sounds unlikely, but she honestly believes that she has traveled here from the future." Obiwan tried to keep the skepticism out of his voice. Leia Organa, if that was her name, had shown no signs of mental illness, and her skill in letting him skim the surface of her mind without penetrating it confirmed that she was a very powerful Force user. Could she actually lie to a jedi? It seemed unlikely, but there were many powers with which Obiwan was unfamiliar.

"Here to save us all, is she? Hmm.." Master Yoda murmured thoughtfully.

"Time travel is impossible," Master Windu declared. "If she is not lying, then she is mad. Or the victim of some kind of deception herself. Perhaps a more powerful mind has convinced her that she is a lost princess fated to save the galaxy." It sounded, Mace thought, like the plot of an exceptionally bad holodrama.

"To what end?" Obiwan asked. "How could anyone benefit from such a deception?"

"Younglings, even powerful younglings, can be overcome by those with more skill and experience in the Force," Windu responded. "Perhaps they hope we will admit her as an initiate, planting a spy in our midst. We still do not know whether a Sith master survived the events surrounding the invasion of Naboo."

"Too old she is to begin the training," Yoda noted. "Older even than Skywalker was and not yet adapted has he to life at the Temple."

"She may look twelve years old," Obiwan warned, "but she doesn't sound twelve. Or curse like it. Some of the language she used in the infirmary would shock a Merson pirate. In any case, she has not asked to train with us; she has requested transport to Alderaan. She claims that she needs to consult with the royal family before making any other decisions."

"Consult with the royal family?" Mace was taken aback. "She believes that the Queen of Alderaan will meet with a completely unknown stranger?"

Obiwan shifted slightly. Master Windu was right, of course. It was ludicrous for this child to wake up and simply demand to be taken to the Organas. Somehow, however, she made it sound quite reasonable. Was she influencing his mind without his noticing? "The logical course of action would be to contact the embassy. Senator Organa is young, but supportive of the jedi. Unfortunately, the Senate recessed last week, and he and his aides have returned to Alderaan until it reconvenes."

"Dangerous," Yoda warned. "If under the influence of the dark side this child is, a threat to the government of Alderaan could she be."

"Still," Master Windu replied, "Perhaps it's better to remove her from Coruscant. We cannot imprison her simply because she is powerful in the Force, and she is not a member of the Order for us to command. If one of us takes her to Alderaan and monitors her attempts to contact the Organas, surely we can prevent her from harming anyone."

"And at the same time, discover her motives, hmmm?"

"Exactly." Mace turned to Obiwan. "Master Kenobi, since young Skywalker has returned from his trip, the two of you are free to accompany this girl to Alderaan. It is even possible that she will trust a person nearer to her own age, giving us more insights into her nature."

Obiwan was skeptical on that last point. "I must admit, I am quite curious to see what becomes of her. I'll begin preparations for the journey."

Leia shifted back and forth in the ill-fitting boots she'd been given. Fidgeting. Why am I fidgeting? My aunts would be so disappointed in me. She brought her attention back to Master Kenobi's description of their plan to travel to Alderaan.

"…and even better, my apprentice has returned from his quest. I'm sure you will be happy to have someone your own age along."

"I'm almost fifty-five years old." Leia reminded him. "Apprentice? You don't mean Anakin Skywalker?"

Obiwan nodded, wondering how she knew, "He has just turned thirteen and…"

"No. Absolutely not." Leia took a deep breath. "I will not bring Anakin Skywalker to Alderaan." Her stomach churned at the very idea. Oh, she would have to deal with her biological father sooner or later, and it was true that this child Obiwan was teaching was still innocent of the crimes his older self had..would…would have…committed. But she couldn't do it. Thirteen or thirty, she could not bring the man who had gripped her shoulder and forced her to watch the genocide of her people to the palace in Aldera.

Obiwan was taken aback by her refusal. "General," he told her firmly, "we are doing you a great favor by transporting you, at Jedi expense, all the way to a planet you claim, without evidence, as your home. Where I go, my apprentice goes. He has need of my guidance. If you wish to go to Alderaan, it will be with Anakin and myself at your side. You have no other option."

The next day.

Mace Windu glared balefully at the girl sitting opposite him on the transport. How, he wondered, has this tiny child convinced three jedi masters to accede to her will? True, he sensed nothing of the dark side from her, but it was also true that he could scarcely sense anything at all. Her surface emotions flitted across his awareness, but he got the distinct feeling that she was indulging him, trying to make him comfortable with her presence. Worse still, it seemed to be working. He kept finding himself wanting to believe her, to tamp down his own suspicions. Finally, he'd had enough.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Master Organa?" he finally demanded. "Why are you attempting to manipulate my thoughts?"

Leia flinched. "I'm sorry. Honestly, I'm not doing it on purpose."

"Doing what?"

"Soothing you. It's…unconscious most of the time," she explained. "I was raised in a galaxy where there were no jedi, so my abilities followed the path of my training. At least, that's how I understand it."

Mace was confused. "What does that have to do with using the Force to make people trust you?"

Leia struggled to put it into words. "It's my understanding that if a child is very strong in the Force, but does not receive training, then their abilities usually fall dormant. However, they can emerge in other ways."

"That is an accurate summary. Go on."

"I was raised as the heir to the throne of Alderaan, and I was trained from the time I was a small child in the art of diplomacy." She smiled ruefully. "I resisted it for a long time. I thought it was boring. But after a traumatic encounter with an inquisitor…"

"A what?"

"Someone trained to hunt jedi. In any case, I changed my mind and decided to embrace my family's responsibilities. I spent most of my youth learning how to communicate effectively with members of other cultures, to help them solve problems through debate and negotiation, and to convey the importance of peace. Later, when peace became impossible, I learned to persuade people to sacrifice their time and money, and even their lives, for a cause I believed in. None of that is possible if I cannot convince people to trust me." Leia squirmed. "I only found out later that I was unconsciously using the Force to encourage that trust."

Mace leaned back and contemplated for a moment. He did not like what he was hearing, and not just because this unaffiliated Force-user was confessing to an ability she clearly had not been trained to use and could not control. The future she was describing, a future where jedi were hunted out of existence, was a bleak one. And he sensed that she really believed this had happened. Or would happen. Something suddenly occurred to him.

"And what role did Anakin Skywalker play in the creation of this apocalyptic future?" he asked.

"What makes you think he had any role in it at all?"

"You risked being stranded on Coruscant indefinitely rather than allow him to join you on this journey. As you have yet to meet in this time period, logic suggests you meet in the future." Mace looked at her very directly. "And Skywalker is one of the most powerful Force users we have ever trained. But you already know that, don't you?"

Leia turned her gaze out of the viewport. What to say? "Yes, I know a future Anakin Skywalker. But his fate, his choices, those are his own." She turned back to Master Windu. "We will have to confront that, probably sooner rather than later. But I'm not yet prepared. I need to think it through first."

Mace narrowed his eyes, "Trust goes both ways, princess. You would do well to remember that."

The transport slowed as it approached the Aldera spaceport, and Leia sat up, suddenly shaky. She instinctively tightened the shields around her mind and found herself almost sleepwalking through the landing. Master Windu provided identity chips for both of them, as Leia walked, pale and silent, at his side. He glanced at her from time to time, disturbed by her withdrawal. After they retrieved their few belongings, and exited toward the ground transport vehicles, Leia suddenly focused on a lone kriin oak tree, shading the waiting platform.

She walked over to the tree and placed her hand on it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. I'm not going to collapse, she told herself. No swooning. Organas do not swoon. She leaned her head against the dark tree trunk and felt a single tear escape. I'm home, she whispered to herself. I am finally, finally home.