Audio reading available for Chapters 6-7 on YouTube:

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Chapter 6

- - - - - Yavin 4 - - - - -

Several hours later, the ship that Tess learned was called the Millennium Falcon made a successful landing on Yavin 4. Leia was in one of the back rooms from the time she first left until the group prepared to disembark. Tess did her best to catch her new friend's eye, but to no avail. After hours of thinking, Tess decided that telling Leia about their mutual connection to Bail Organa was something she had to do. After all, Leia's entire family was probably killed in the destruction of Alderaan, leaving her alone just like Tess was. Maybe they could be that family to each other that both had lost.

As soon as the ramp descended, a small green car was waiting for them outside. A bustle of people were walking, too. Luke had told her that their destination was a rebel base on Yavin 4, but here were far more people than Tess expected from a rebel base.

Luke, Leia, and Tess hopped on the car. Once they were aboard, it merged ahead. Tess seemed to be the only one to notice that Han and the Wookie Chewbacca did not join them for the ride.

"Leia?" Tess began after several moments of trying to force herself to speak.

"Mmhm?" responded the princess. Suddenly, Tess forgot what she was going to say. It came back just in time for her to avoid looking like an absolute idiot.

"There's…um…you know how we were both from Alderaan?"

Then, as if Tess had not said a word, Leia hopped off the car with her white dress flowing behind her to greet an older man. Tess followed, doubtful that Luke would want an eleven-year-old girl's company. Leia probably did not want it either, but Tess had to tell her.

"You're safe," the older man said with relief, hugging Leia. "When we heard about Alderaan, we feared the worst." The man noticed Tess. "Who's this?"

"A child. We have no time for sorrows," Leia assured him quickly, seemingly walking faster than Tess' legs could carry her on purpose. "We need to use the information on this Artoo unit to plan the attack."

Tess glanced back at the blue and silver droid behind her. It seemed far more animated now that it was let out of the ship, unlike the golden droid Threepio who was silent for the first time in hours.

Finally, after realizing Tess was on her heels, Leia turned back to Tess.

"Why don't you find somewhere to sit down and entertain yourself?" Leia suggested. "We can't have you in the way, this is a real battle."

"Your father had a secret!" Tess blurted. As expected, Leia froze in her tracks. She slowly turned around, looking down at the eleven-year-old kid.

"What are you talking about?" Leia demanded. Clearly her diplomatic poise was not going to last much longer at the rate Tess was going.

"Me," Tess said, blatant certainty in her voice. She had finally got the princess' attention. "I called him Uncle Bail. My entire life, he placed me with guardians to watch over me. Up until two years ago I lived on Alderaan—not far from your home. I remember watching people walk in and out, wondering why, if he called me his little girl, I couldn't live there with—"

"Stop!" Leia spat. "You have an atrociously sick sense of humor."

"He was my father, too!" Tess insisted, tears finding her eyes. "Or the closest thing I had to one. I don't know why…I don't know if he was really my Uncle, or even a relative at all…as far as I'm concerned I'm just an orphan he took in and decided to keep secret."

Tess could tell that Leia was starting to believe her. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Twenty-three days before he died," Tess answered robotically, wiping her tears. She met Leia's eyes. "He left because you were in trouble. Probably when you got captured by the Empire. That was the first time he ever talked about you with me. I mean, I knew he had another daughter from one of my guardians, but he never talked about you. He never even mentioned your name. He said he never told me because he didn't want to make me feel less special knowing that I wasn't his only little girl. It was probably the same for you."

Leia clearly did not want this to be true, which was an obstacle for her to come to believe Tess' claims.

"If what you say is true…" Leia said softly, her diplomatic tone returning. "If my father cared that much about you, I care about you, too. I'll make sure you find a safe home somewhere. Or maybe we can find some relatives you didn't know you had?" Leia thought for a moment. "I think you owe me your name now."

"Tess," the eleven-year-old told the princess. "Tess Naberrie."

Leia's eyes widened. It took a moment, but something clicked in her head that Tess could not possibly have known and a slight smile spread across her face.

"We'll talk more about this—I promise," Leia assured her. "It's just…the battle…"

"Of course, go," Tess nudged. "Save the galaxy." As Leia rushed away, Tess moseyed on over to a seating area where she could be out of everyone's hair. On her way, she overheard a conversation between two fighter pilots about Han.

"Yeah," said one of them as he hopped into his X-Wing. "Solo started packing to leave as soon as he got the reward for saving the princess. He's probably pulling off the ground now."

"What?" Tess muttered to herself. If the Millennium Falcon was anything Han said it was, it was exactly what they needed for this battle.

Moving as fast as her feet could take her, Tess finally found the Millennium Falcon. The ramp was already beginning to rise. With a pump of adrenaline, Tess raced to it and hopped up on the ramp just in time.

Once she gained her bearings, Tess remembered the way to the cockpit—or at least she thought she did. It did not help at all that the ship was speeding up and throwing a few turns that distorted Tess' sense of direction. But finally, she found Han and Chewbacca in the cockpit.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, causing a startled smuggler and Wookie to jump in their seats. "What kind of heroes are you guys—taking the reward money and leaving?!"

"That's the thing, kid," Han muttered, rolling his eyes. "Chewie and I aren't heroes."

"But this ship—you said it's the fastest thing in the galaxy!"

"And don't you forget it," he said, wagging a finger at the kid. Chewie groaned in approval.

"Han, this ship can win this battle," Tess pushed, shaking his chair. That clearly did not get her anywhere near to being on his good side. "And not that its about the money entirely, but considering the reward you got for saving the princess, imagine the reward you would get for saving the galaxy?"

"One, this is hardly a case of saving the galaxy," Han told her. "Two, I've got all the reward I need to give me and Chewie here lots of happy years of travelling."

"But what about Luke?" Tess reminded him.

"What about him?"

"He believed in you!" Tess retorted. Han scoffed and rolled his eyes. Nearing defeat, Tess plopped down in a chair behind Han.

"Fine," she said with a sly grin indicating she had one last card to play. "Well, I guess if we're not going back to Yavin, I'm your new smuggling buddy. And...I guess if you're taking me back to Yavin, you might as well jump into the battle, you know? Since its on the way."

"What?!" Han chuckled. "No, this is adults only. You're getting dropped off at the next planet we hit."

"Then I'm telling the next person I see on the next planet we hit that you kidnapped me."