Audio reading available for Chapters 3-5 on YouTube:

watch?v=fIx7yZOnv68

- - - - - The Death Star - - - - -

Gray quickly became Tess' least favorite color. It was the color of the cellblock on the Death Star that held her captive. It was the color of the officers' suits. It was the color of the blasters that killed her guardian, Inny.

For a while, she let these thoughts of anger distract her from the growing questions about her past and her biological parents. Soon enough, though, they resurfaced heavier than they had her entire life.

No one had ever told her anything.

Uncle Bail was the only constant in her life and the closest thing to a father that she had, but she had never gotten any of her questions answered. Everyone she asked would just brush it aside and tell her she should not ask such things—just be happy with what she has. Well, now she had nothing, and though so many unanswered questions lingered, no one was there to answer them.

As much as Tess dreaded a cellblock visit from another imperial officer—or worse, Darth Vader—her craving for these answers conflicted with that anxiety. Chid seemed to know something, or at least he thought he knew something. He mentioned Tess' father. And something about her age? Something medical? Scientific? He talked about her as if she was some creation or a science experiment. She was so terrified at the time, not much of the conversation stuck in her memory, though.

Tess wondered if Inny had known the truth, whatever that truth was. The guardian had obviously been hiding the fact that she was a Jedi. What else was kept under lock and key in their little cottage? Chid became an officer, Inny was a Jedi—what if Twisha and Vika were something important, too? What if Tess needed more protecting from a guardian than Uncle Bail let on?

All of this information lead to the biggest question: what was Tess being protected from her entire life?

Snapping Tess out of her thoughts, the metal door to her cellblock whooshed open. Chid stood in the doorway with three others behind him—a much older officer and two stormtroopers. The troopers immediately rushed forward, each grabbing her by an arm, lifting her to a stand on the cold, metal bed, and holding her against the wall. Surprising herself with more anger than fear, Tess struggled against their grasp.

"What do you want with me?!" she demanded. Chid laughed at her resistance, as did the other officer. Her former guardian ignored her as he approached her with a needle. With purposeful force he stabbed it into her arm, making Tess cry out.

"Was that so necessary, Admiral Deltrod?" the older officer asked Chid.

"With all due respect, Governor Tarkin," Chid muttered as he drew blood from Tess' arm. "If you knew this brat like I did for three years, you would not question giving her a little more pain than necessary when given the opportunity."

At that, Tess swung her knee up in between her former guardian's legs, sending him crumpling to the ground; but her victory was short-lived as the stormtroopers got a rougher hold on her and one of them jammed his blaster into her side. Tess grimaced in pain as she felt the force of the blunt object and what was sure to be a nasty bruise in a few hours. She would have doubled over if the stormtroopers were not holding her up. Tarkin—who was still a head taller than her even with her boost from the bench—grabbed Tess roughly under the chin.

"Charming to the last," Governor Tarkin sneered through clenched teeth. "Much like the young woman across from you who is scheduled for execution."

In fear, Tess held her breath.

"Now, unless you wish to be scheduled right after the Princess of Alderaan, my child—"

"The Princess of Alderaan?!"

A swift slap from the governor stung Tess' face before he grabbed her chin again.

"Yes, the Princess of Alderaan," Tarkin snapped, his voice low and articulate, his words fast and menacing. "The Princess of Alderaan whose planet is now destroyed because she did not do as she was told. Among those that died in the planet's destruction was the former Senator of the Alderaan Sector of the Imperial Senate, Bail Prestor Organa. I believe you knew him as Uncle Bail. What you do not know, is that he is not your uncle, but the man who kidnapped you, turned you into a science project, and hid you from your true parents."

"You're lying…" Tess stammered. Tears rolled down her cheeks and wet the sides of Tarkin's hand.

Tarkin searched Tess' eyes as if he could perform a lie detector test that way.

"Who are your parents?" he asked, his intensity dimmer.

"I don't know," Tess exhaled, her eyes dropping sadly. "My last name is Naberrie, but that can't be my real last name. The Naberrie family is a royal family in Naboo. Uncle Bail sometimes visited Naboo and probably knew the family well, so he named me after them. But I really don't know, no has ever told me about my family, I swear."

She purposefully neglected to mention the name 'Padme', which she had heard thrown around countless times by guardians or Uncle Bail when they did not know she was listening. Tess had always assumed that was her mother's name. However, the idea that her mother could be Padme Naberrie was nothing more than a fantasy she had grown out of. Padme was a popular name on several sectors.

Once again, Tarkin searched Tess' eyes. He finally let go of her chin and waved the stormtroopers out. By now, Chid—or Admiral Deltrod, as he was now called—had recovered enough to stand and follow the stormtroopers out of the room. Tess collapsed on the metal bench.

"Oh, and by the way," Tarkin added from the doorway, a sly grin sweeping his wrinkles up. "I will be sending Lord Vader in to speak to you soon. He will be less merciful than I."

At that, the door zoomed shut, leaving Tess with shaking hands and the sound of her panicking heartbeat.